prologue-2-第3部分

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to　get　over　was　the　difficulty　of　leaving　Blanche　and　Anne　behind



in　England。







Appealed　to　on　this　point；　the　doctors　had　declared　that　at



Blanche's　critical　time　of　life　they　could　not　sanction　her　going



to　India　with　her　mother。　At　the　same　time；　near　and　dear



relatives　came　forward；　who　were　ready　and　anxious　to　give



Blanche　and　her　governess　a　homeSir　Thomas；　on　his　side；



engaging　to　bring　his　wife　back　in　a　year　and　a　half；　or；　at



most；　in　two　years'　time。　Assailed　in　all　directions；　Lady



Lundie's　natural　unwillingness　to　leave　the　girls　was　overruled。



She　consented　to　the　partingwith　a　mind　secretly　depressed；　and



secretly　doubtful　of　the　future。







At　the　last　moment　she　drew　Anne　Silvester　on　one　side；　out　of



hearing　of　the　rest。　Anne　was　then　a　young　woman　of　twenty…two；



and　Blanche　a　girl　of　fifteen。







〃My　dear；〃　she　said；　simply；　〃I　must　tell　_you_　what　I　can　not



tell　Sir　Thomas；　and　what　I　am　afraid　to　tell　Blanche。　I　am　going



away；　with　a　mind　that　misgives　me。　I　am　persuaded　I　shall　not



live　to　return　to　England；　and；　when　I　am　dead；　I　believe　my



husband　will　marry　again。　Years　ago　your　mother　was　uneasy；　on



her　death…bed；　about　_your_　future。　I　am　uneasy；　now；　about



Blanche's　future。　I　promised　my　dear　dead　friend　that　you　should



be　like　my　own　child　to　meand　it　quieted　her　mind。　Quiet　my



mind；　Anne；　before　I　go。　Whatever　happens　in　years　to



comepromise　me　to　be　always；　what　you　are　now；　a　sister　to



Blanche。〃







She　held　out　her　hand　for　the　last　time。　With　a　full　heart　Anne



Silvester　kissed　it；　and　gave　the　promise。







IX。







In　two　months　from　that　time　one　of　the　forebodings　which　had



weighed　on　Lady　Lundie's　mind　was　fulfilled。　She　died　on　the



voyage；　and　was　buried　at　sea。







In　a　year　more　the　second　misgiving　was　confirmed。　Sir　Thomas



Lundie　married　again。　He　brought　his　second　wife　to　England



toward　the　close　of　eighteen　hundred　and　sixty　six。







Time；　in　the　new　household；　promised　to　pass　as　quietly　as　in　the



old。　Sir　Thomas　remembered　and　respected　the　trust　which　his



first　wife　had　placed　in　Anne。　The　second　Lady　Lundie；　wisely



guiding　her　conduct　in　this　matter　by　the　conduct　of　her　husband；



left　things　as　she　found　them　in　the　new　house。　At　the　opening　of



eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…seven　the　relations　between　Anne　and



Blanche　were　relations　of　sisterly　sympathy　and　sisterly　love。



The　prospect　in　the　future　was　as　fair　as　a　prospect　could　be。







At　this　date；　of　the　persons　concerned　in　the　tragedy　of　twelve



years　since　at　the　Hampstead　villa；　three　were　dead；　and　one　was



self…exiled　in　a　foreign　land。　There　now　remained　living　Anne　and



Blanche；　who　had　been　children　at　the　time；　and　the　rising



solicitor　who　had　discovered　the　flaw　in　the　Irish　marriageonce



Mr。　Delamayn：　now　Lord　Holchester。