登陆注册
15396100000113

第113章

"What are honor or dishonor to her? The door of the tomb is at this moment closing behind her.""Yes, it's most awful," moaned Mrs.Bread.

"She has moved off, like her brother Valentin, to give me room to work.

It's as if it were done on purpose."

"Surely," said Mrs.Bread, apparently impressed by the ingenuity of this reflection.She was silent for some moments; then she added, "And would you bring my lady before the courts?""The courts care nothing for my lady," Newman replied.

"If she has committed a crime, she will be nothing for the courts but a wicked old woman.""And will they hang her, Sir?"

"That depends upon what she has done." And Newman eyed Mrs.Bread intently.

"It would break up the family most terribly, sir!""It's time such a family should be broken up!" said Newman, with a laugh.

"And me at my age out of place, sir!" sighed Mrs.Bread.

"Oh, I will take care of you! You shall come and live with me.

You shall be my housekeeper, or anything you like.

I will pension you for life."

"Dear, dear, sir, you think of everything." And she seemed to fall a-brooding.

Newman watched her a while, and then he said suddenly.

"Ah, Mrs.Bread, you are too fond of my lady!"She looked at him as quickly."I wouldn't have you say that, sir.

I don't think it any part of my duty to be fond of my lady.

I have served her faithfully this many a year; but if she were to die to-morrow, I believe, before Heaven I shouldn't shed a tear for her."Then, after a pause, "I have no reason to love her!" Mrs.Bread added.

"The most she has done for me has been not to turn me out of the house."Newman felt that decidedly his companion was more and more confidential--that if luxury is corrupting, Mrs.Bread's conservative habits were already relaxed by the spiritual comfort of this preconcerted interview, in a remarkable locality, with a free-spoken millionaire.

All his native shrewdness admonished him that his part was simply to let her take her time--let the charm of the occasion work.

So he said nothing; he only looked at her kindly.Mrs.Bread sat nursing her lean elbows."My lady once did me a great wrong,"she went on at last."She has a terrible tongue when she is vexed.

It was many a year ago, but I have never forgotten it.I have never mentioned it to a human creature; I have kept my grudge to myself.

I dare say I have been wicked, but my grudge has grown old with me.

It has grown good for nothing, too, I dare say; but it has lived along, as I have lived.It will die when I die,--not before!""And what IS your grudge?" Newman asked.

Mrs.Bread dropped her eyes and hesitated.

"If I were a foreigner, sir, I should make less of telling you; it comes harder to a decent Englishwoman.

But I sometimes think I have picked up too many foreign ways.

What I was telling you belongs to a time when I was much younger and very different looking to what I am now.

I had a very high color, sir, if you can believe it, indeed Iwas a very smart lass.My lady was younger, too, and the late marquis was youngest of all--I mean in the way he went on, sir;he had a very high spirit; he was a magnificent man.

He was fond of his pleasure, like most foreigners, and it must be owned that he sometimes went rather below him to take it.

My lady was often jealous, and, if you'll believe it, sir, she did me the honor to be jealous of me.One day I had a red ribbon in my cap, and my lady flew out at me and ordered me to take it off.

She accused me of putting it on to make the marquis look at me.

I don't know that I was impertinent, but I spoke up like an honest girl and didn't count my words.A red ribbon indeed!

As if it was my ribbons the marquis looked at! My lady knew afterwards that I was perfectly respectable, but she never said a word to show that she believed it.But the marquis did!"Mrs.Bread presently added, "I took off my red ribbon and put it away in a drawer, where I have kept it to this day.

It's faded now, it's a very pale pink; but there it lies.

My grudge has faded, too; the red has all gone out of it; but it lies here yet." And Mrs.Bread stroked her black satin bodice.

Newman listened with interest to this decent narrative, which seemed to have opened up the deeps of memory to his companion.Then, as she remained silent, and seemed to be losing herself in retrospective meditation upon her perfect respectability, he ventured upon a short cut to his goal."So Madame de Bellegarde was jealous; I see.

And M.de Bellegarde admired pretty women, without distinction of class.

I suppose one mustn't be hard upon him, for they probably didn't all behave so properly as you.But years afterwards it could hardly have been jealousy that turned Madame de Bellegarde into a criminal."Mrs.Bread gave a weary sigh."We are using dreadful words, sir, but I don't care now.I see you have your idea, and Ihave no will of my own.My will was the will of my children, as I called them; but I have lost my children now.They are dead--I may say it of both of them; and what should I care for the living?

What is any one in the house to me now--what am I to them?

My lady objects to me--she has objected to me these thirty years.

I should have been glad to be something to young Madame de Bellegarde, though I never was nurse to the present marquis.

When he was a baby I was too young; they wouldn't trust me with him.

But his wife told her own maid, Mamselle Clarisse, the opinion she had of me.Perhaps you would like to hear it, sir.""Oh, immensely," said Newman.

"She said that if I would sit in her children's schoolroom Ishould do very well for a penwiper! When things have come to that I don't think I need stand upon ceremony.""Decidedly not," said Newman."Go on, Mrs.Bread."Mrs.Bread, however, relapsed again into troubled dumbness, and all Newman could do was to fold his arms and wait.

But at last she appeared to have set her memories in order.

同类推荐
  • The Black Tulip

    The Black Tulip

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说帝释般若波罗蜜多心经

    佛说帝释般若波罗蜜多心经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 礼运

    礼运

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Timon of Athens

    Timon of Athens

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 塞下曲

    塞下曲

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 灵山魔宠记

    灵山魔宠记

    孙悟猫、猪八狗、沙无鱼的传奇故事!孙悟猫,筋斗云所化,孙悟空的宠物;猪八狗,嫦娥护卫犬,猪八戒的宠物;沙无鱼,凌云渡之鱼,沙和尚的义女。你知道狗为什么只会“忘忘”叫吗?因为他想忘记一条鱼。你知道鱼的记忆为什么只有七秒吗?因为她想忘记一只猫。你知道猫为什么喜欢蹲在河边发呆吗?因为他在等待一条鱼。你知道猫和狗为什么成了冤家吗?因为他们同时爱过一条鱼。
  • 我是蜘蛛侠

    我是蜘蛛侠

    身为一名宅男,叶痕是靠自己写小说吃饭的。可是在一场车祸当中,他却丧尸了行动能力,成为了一个废物,直到一天的一个户外野营中得到了奇遇
  • 神王赋

    神王赋

    与舍友大吵一架,唐宇负气摔门而去,却意外收到了失踪十一年的哥哥发来的慢递。慢递中的一个小玩意儿,却将唐宇推上了世界舞台,不得不逆势向前,原本平静的生活被彻底打乱。爱人的离去,兄弟起阋墙,母亲的爱护,父亲的筹谋……远古的力量终于降临,世界面临洗牌。而潜伏于黑暗中的阴影,正图谋着什么……黑暗天幕下,被遗忘的真相即将揭晓!你,准备好了吗?
  • 绝世帝后临天下

    绝世帝后临天下

    穿越前,她是杀手界里的女王级别杀手,人人惧之,却不料在一次任务中因唯一的亲人背叛而身亡,穿越成祭璃家族中不受宠的嫡女;他是苍狼国帝君,冷酷嗜血,因不碰女人,被传有断袖之癖。当她遇见了他,她闪起红色级警戒,那是最高级警戒,而他却一次又一次的穿过那些防备,走进她的心房;当他遇见了她,他封尘已久的心意外的动了一下,在一次又一次的相遇后,他不顾一切的爱上了她。最后他们会如何呢?敬请期待……
  • 次元的最强王者

    次元的最强王者

    一位普通的少年在系统的帮助下一步步走向了最强王者的宝座,在系统的帮助下,他造就了一个个不朽的传奇,在不知不觉中获得了许多极品美女的芳心,建立了一个让男人梦寐以求的‘水晶宫’。目前《爱情公寓》正在连载中,欢迎各位读者前来观看。(本书故事纯属虚构,如有雷同纯属巧合。)
  • 你和我的恋爱手札

    你和我的恋爱手札

    某轩“诶,你知不知道,距离产生美?”某可“不,我只知道距离产生小三。”“......”某个夜晚“我喜欢你。你喜不喜欢我?快说喜欢。”“我真的不能这么违心的说话,会天打雷劈的。”某可“......”某轩“你要知道,得不到的,才是最好的。”某可“得不到的总是在骚动。”
  • 独家宠溺:爷,别太傲娇了

    独家宠溺:爷,别太傲娇了

    她说:我用十年来爱过你,却抵不过别人的一句话,所以……我放弃了。他说:你以前可以那样爱我,为何在我觉悟的时候舍弃我,所以……这就是你口中的十年之爱?他说:你以前爱过谁,我可以不计较不在乎,但现在你是我的妻,是我孩子的母亲,你怎么可以不大声说出你心底的话?所以……你爱我还是爱我?她和他,年少相识,在最美好的时候嫁给了他,本以为是幸福的开始,等来的却是狼狈的离开。她和他,萍水相逢,在难堪的时候救她于水火,本以为他是爱慕她的,却不想……“请不要多想,我就是看你长得不错,当个免费抱枕用用也是极好的。”……所以,他救她,就是来陪睡的?
  • 锦绣长乐

    锦绣长乐

    上辈子,洛家嫡女落得那样下场。洛时暮死前说过:“就算死,我也要拉着世界陪葬!”今朝重生,能否改写命运?凭着娘亲留下的凤血手镯,这辈子可否会是锦绣仙缘?另一版本:青楼男花魁,卖萌撒娇求收留?宗派小师妹,节操丢掉无下线?洛时暮满头黑线:“我是来毁灭世界的,不是来陪你们逗比的!”(可能有些苏。作者第一次写文请多多包涵,有什么不足望指出。)ps:本文无cp。这是一个重生打算毁灭世界的少女碰到一群逗比,然后在复仇路上越走越远的故事。
  • 灵路者

    灵路者

    九世轮回,一世现,欲破苍穹,指云天,若问少年心所图,傲视众生有何难。
  • 从神开始升级

    从神开始升级

    穿越到游戏异界当中,林秋却意外的成为了黑龙神。坐拥着无数军队,强大的手下和绝美的妹子。本以为能够过上逍遥日子的他,却悲哀的发现。自己这个最终boss竟然只有一级!更重要的是,自己的手下和妹子竟然随时都有叛变的可能。PS:本书无脑残反派,全书可能包含黑科技、魔法、修真等等各种元素。