第 132 节
作者:温暖寒冬      更新:2024-04-09 19:50      字数:9190
  as he said solemnly:
  “Adam; my dear friend; you have had some hard trials in your
  life。   You  can bear  sorrow   manfully;   as   well   as   act   manfully。   God
  requires   both   tasks   at   our   hands。   And   there   is   a   heavier   sorrow
  George Eliot                                                          ElecBook Classics
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  Adam Bede                                      536
  coming upon you than any you have yet known。 But  you  are   not
  guilty—you have not the worst of all   sorrows。   God   help   him  who
  has!”
  The   two  pale   faces   looked at  each  other;   in  Adam’s   there   was
  trembling suspense; in Mr。 Irwine’s hesitating; shrinking pity。 But
  he went on。
  “I have had news of Hetty this morning。 She is not gone to him。
  She is in Stonyshire—at Stoniton。”
  Adam started up from his chair; as if he thought he could have
  leaped   to   her   that   moment。   But   Mr。   Irwine   laid   hold   of   his   arm
  again and said; persuasively; “Wait; Adam; wait。” So he sat down。
  “She   is   in   a   very   unhappy   position—one   which   will   make   it
  worse for you to find her; my poor friend; than to have lost her for
  ever。”
  Adam’s       lips  moved     tremulously;      but   no   sound    came。    They
  moved again; and he whispered; “Tell me。”
  “She has been arrested 。 。 。 she is in prison。”
  It   was   as   if   an   insulting   blow   had   brought   back   the   spirit   of
  resistance   into  Adam。   The   blood   rushed   to  his   face; and   he   said;
  loudly and sharply; “For what?”
  “For a great crime—the murder of her child。”
  “It can’t be!” Adam almost shouted; starting  up   from   his  cnair
  and making a stride towards the door; but he turned round again;
  setting his back against the bookcase; and looking fiercely at  Mr。
  Irwine。     “It   isn’t   possible。  She  never    had   a  child。   She   can’t   be
  guilty。 Who says it?”
  “God grant she may be innocent; Adam。 We can still hope she
  is。”
  “But   who   says   she   is   guilty?”   said   Adam   violently。   “Tell   me
  George Eliot                                                        ElecBook Classics
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  Adam Bede                                       537
  everything。”
  “Here     is  a   letter   from  the  magistrate   before       whom     she   was
  taken; and the constable  who  arrested   her  is   in   the  dining…room。
  She will not confess her name or where she comes from; but I fear;
  I   fear;   there   can   be   no   doubt   it   is   Hetty。   The   description   of   her
  person corresponds; only that she is said to look very pale and ill。
  She   had   a   small   red…leather   pocket…book   in   her   pocket   with   two
  names       written     in   it—one      at   the   beginning;       ‘Hetty    Sorrel;
  Hayslope;’ and the other near the end; ‘Dinah Morris; Snowfield。’
  She   will  not  say  which  is   her  own name—she denies   everything;
  and  will   answer  no  questions; and   application   has   been   made   to
  me; as a magistrate; that I may take measures for identifying her;
  for it was thought probable that the name which stands first is her
  own name。”
  “But what proof have they got against her; if it is  Hetty?” said
  Adam; still violently; with an effort that seemed to shake his whole
  frame。 “I’ll not believe it。 It couldn’t ha’ been; and none of us know
  it。”
  “Terrible   proof   that   she   was   under   the   temptation   to   commit
  the    crime;    but   we   have    room    to  hope    that   she   did   not  really
  commit it。 Try and read that letter; Adam。”
  Adam took the letter between his shaking hands and tried to fix
  his   eyes   steadily   on   it。   Mr。   Irwine   meanwhile   went   out   to   give
  some   orders。 When   he came   back;   Adam’s   eyes  were   still   on   the
  first page—he couldn’t read—he could not put the words together
  and   make   out   what   they   meant。   He   threw   it   down         at   last   and
  clenched his fist。
  “It’s his  doing;”   he   said;   “if   there’s   been   any   crime;   it’s   at   his
  door; not at hers。 He taught her to deceive—he deceived me first。
  George Eliot                                                          ElecBook Classics
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  Adam Bede                                       538
  Let ’em put him on his trial—let him stand in court beside her; and
  I’ll tell ’em how he got hold of her heart; and ’ticed her t’ evil; and
  then lied to me。 Is he to go free; while they lay all the punishment
  on her 。 。 。 so weak and young?”
  The image called up by these last words gave a new direction to
  poor   Adam’s   maddened           feelings。   He    was   silent;   looking   at   the
  corner of the room as if he saw something there。 Then he burst out
  again; in a tone of appealing anguish;
  “I can’t bear it 。 。 。 O God; it’s too hard to lay upon me—it’s too
  hard to think she’s wicked。”
  Mr。   Irwine   had sat  down   again   in   silence。   He   was   too   wise   to
  utter   soothing   words   at   present;   and   indeed;   the   sight   of   Adam
  before him; with that look of sudden age which sometimes comes
  over    a   young    face   in   moments       of  terrible   emotion—the         hard
  bloodless      look   of  the   skin;  the   deep    lines   about    the  quivering
  mouth; the furrows in the brow—the sight of this strong firm man
  shattered by the invisible stroke of sorrow;   moved   him   so deeply
  that   speech   was   not   easy。   Adam   stood   motionless;   with   his   eyes
  vacantly fixed in this way for a minute or two; in that short space
  he was living through all his love again。
  “She can’t ha’ done it;” he said; still without moving his eyes; as
  if he were only talking to himself: “it was fear made her hide it 。 。 。
  I   forgive   her   for   deceiving   me   。   。   。   I   forgive   thee;   Hetty   。   。   。   thee
  wast deceived too 。 。 。 it’s gone hard wi’ thee; my poor Hetty 。 。 。 but
  they’ll never make me believe it。”
  He was silent again for a few moments; and then he said; with
  fierce   abruptness;   “I’ll   go   to   him—I’ll   bring   him   back—I’ll   make
  him go and look at her in her misery—he shall look at her till he
  can’t   forget   it—it   shall   follow   him   night   and   day—as   long   as   he
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  Adam Bede                                     539
  lives   it   shall   follow   him—he   shan’t   escape   wi’   lies   this   time—I’ll
  fetch him; I’ll drag him myself。”
  In    the    act   of   going    towards      the    door;    Adam      paused
  automatically       and   looked    about   for   his  hat;  quite   unconscious
  where     he   was   or  who    was    present    with   him。   Mr。   Irwine    had
  followed him; and now took him by the arm; saying; in a quiet but
  decided tone;
  “No; Adam; no; I’m sure you will wish to stay and see what good
  can    be   done   for  her;   instead    of  going   on   a  useless   errand    of
  vengeance。       The   punishment       will  surely    fall  without    your   aid。
  Besides; he is no longer in Ireland。 He must be on his way home—
  or would be; long before you arrived; for his grandfather; I know;
  wrote for him to come at least ten days ago。 I want you now to go
  with me to Stoniton。 I have ordered a horse for you to ride with us;
  as soon as you can compose yourself。”
  While      Mr。    Irwine     was     speaking;     Adam       recovered      his
  consciousness       of  the   actual   scene。   He   rubbed     his  hair   off  his
  forehead and listened。
  “Remember;” Mr。 Irwine went on; “there are others to think of;
  and act for; besides yourself; Adam: there are Hetty’s friends; the
  good Poysers; on whom this stroke will fall more heavily than I can
  bear to think。 I expect it from your strength of mind; Adam—from
  your sense of duty to God and man—that you will try to act as long
  as action can be of any use。”
  In   reality;  Mr。   Irwine    proposed     this  journey    to  Stoniton    for
  Adam’s   own   sake。   Movement;   with   some   object   before   him;   was
  the best means of counteracting the violence of suffering in these
  first hours。
  “You will go with me to Stoniton; Adam?” he said again; after a
  George Eliot                                                        ElecBook Classics
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  Adam Bede