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THE STORY CONTINUED BY MARIAN HALCOMBE
(In Extracts from Her Diary)
LIMMERIDGE HOUSE, NOV. 12
Well, Mr. Gilmore has left us, and so has Sir Percival. The latter left just because of Laura’s constant resistance. She spent most of her time avoiding him in the isolation of her own room. At meals she wouldn’t look at him, let alone speak. I know that this has been terribly hard for her, poor girl. Her feelings for Mr. Hartright, I’m seeing now,were stronger than I imagined.
As to the suspicions surrounding his character and relations with Anne Catherick, Sir Percival addressed these at once when we first sat down to talk together. Mrs. Catherick,he informed us, had once provided his family with a service,which was of such estimable value, as to warrant his continued gratitude . She had been deserted by her husband and left with a mentally ill daughter. Although she had moved to another part of town, he had managed to keep in contact with her over the years. He was, therefore, well aware that, over the course of time, her daughter’s illness had increased to such a serious extent, as to make hospitalization necessary. Mrs. Catherick,however, as a loving parent, had not the heart to hospitalize her daughter. Sir Percival, understanding the mother’s concerns,offered to pay for the expense of placing the girl in a private asylum, where she might receive the best care and treatment.To her mother’s regret, and to his own regret, the unfortunate creature had discovered his part in her hospitalization, and had conceived the most intense hatred and distrust of him in consequence . He gave us the address of the asylum and the address of Mrs. Catherick, and insisted that we write her to confirm his version of the story. I obliged him and sent out a letter that same day. Mrs. Catherick replied immediately,confirming all that Sir Percival himself had relayed.
Sir Percival then told us that he has hired a number of men to search for Anne Catherick’s whereabouts, so that she may soon be restored to the safe confi nes of the asylum.
Thus, I could no longer justify my suspicions of the man.What’s more, Mr. Gilmore, our solicitor, found nothing at all questionable in his discussions with Sir Percival concerning the marriage settlement. Only Laura continued to resist.
But then today, something changed within her. She came downstairs at breakfast looking quite serious. She informed Sir Percival, Mr. Gilmore, and myself that she had come to a decision. She had been struggling, she said, due to her feelings for another man, however, now she was ready to let go of those feelings, if Sir Percival would still accept her as his wife.
Without a moment’s hesitation , Sir Percival clapped his hands with joy and asked when she would be ready for the ceremony . He himself preferred to marry before the end of the year. Laura said that she would leave that entirely up to him.
And with that, she then left us and returned to her room. It was obvious that her heart was not in the little speech she had given. Oh, how terribly I felt for her. I wished at that moment that I could make Sir Percival disappear forever.
Now, he has hurried off to prepare for the bride’s reception at his house in Hampshire. Thus, according to his wishes, they will be married sometime before the end of the year. My very fingers burn as I write it!
As a last thought, Walter Hartright has written to me,asking if I might be able to help him find work abroad. He wants nothing more than to get as far away from here as possible. I fear the poor man is suffering horribly. He even writes saying that he has seen men watching and following him around the city. I will see what I can do to help him, by writing to a few friends on the continent.
15 th. Two letters for me. The first from one of the gentlemen to whom I wrote on Walter Hartright’s behalf, informing me that he has been fortunate enough to find an opportunity of complying with my request. The second, from Walter himself,thanking me, poor fellow, in the warmest terms, for giving him an opportunity of leaving his home, his country, and his friends. A private expedition to make digs among the ruined cities of Central America is, it seems, about to sail from Liverpool. The draughtsman who had been already appointed to accompany it has lost heart, and withdrawn at the eleventh hour, and Walter is to fill his place. He is to be engaged for six months certain,from the time of the landing in Honduras, and for a year afterwards, if the excavations are successful, and if the funds hold out. I can only hope and pray earnestly that he and I are both acting in this matter for the best.
24th. Sad news by this morning’s post. The expedition to Central America sailed on the twenty-first. We have parted with a true man—we have lost a faithful friend.
Walter Hartright has left England.
extract /ˈekstrækt/ n. 摘录，选录
isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/ n. 隔绝，孤立
estimable /ˈestɪməbl/ adj. 可贵的，有价值的
warrant /ˈwɒrənt/ vt. 授权；使有必要
gratitude /ˈɡrætɪtju:d/ n. 感激；感恩图报之心
aware /əˈweə/ adj. 意识到的
conceive /kənˈsi:v/ vt. 怀有（想法、情感等）
consequence /ˈkɒnsɪkwəns/ n. 结果
confi ne /kənˈfaɪn/ n. 范围，界线
hesitation /ˌhezɪˈteɪʃən/ n. 犹豫，踌躇
ceremony /ˈserɪmənɪ/ n. 典礼，仪式
comply /kəmˈplaɪ/ vi. 遵从，依从
draughtsman /ˈdrɑ:ftsmən/ n. 起草人，制图员
appoint /əˈpɔɪnt/ vt. 任命，委任
accompany /əˈkʌmpənɪ/ vt. 陪伴
excavation /ˈekskəveɪʃən/ n. 发掘
earnestly /ˈɜ:nɪstlɪ/ adv. 认真地，诚挚地
faithful /ˈfeɪθfʊl/ adj. 守信的，忠实的