按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
and traveling on the Continent when I ought to have been keeping
my terms at Lincoln's Inn。 At the outset of the story； you will
find that I refer to the county in which I lived in my youth； and
to a neighboring family possessing a large estate in it。 That
county is situated in a part of England far away from The Glen
Tower； and that family is therefore not to be associated with any
present or former neighbors of ours in this part of the world。〃
After saying these necessary words of explanation； I opened the
first page； and began the story of my Own Adventure。 I observed
that my audience started a little as I read the title； which I
must add； in my own defense； had been almost forced on my choice
by the peculiar character of the narrative。 It was 〃MAD MONKTON。〃
BROTHER GRIFFITH'S STORY
of
MAD MONKTON
CHAPTER I。
THE Monktons of Wincot Abbey bore a sad character for want of
sociability in our county。 They never went to other people's
houses； and； excepting my father； and a lady and her daughter
living near them； never received anybody under their own roof。
Proud as they all certainly were； it was not pride； but dread；
which kept them thus apart from their neighbors。 The family had
suffered for generations past from the horrible affliction of
hereditary insanity； and the members of it shrank from exposing
their calamity to others； as they must have exposed it if they
had mingled with the busy little world around them。 There is a
frightful story of a crime committed in past times by two of the
Monktons； near relatives； from which the first appearance of the
insanity was always supposed to date； but it is needless for me
to shock any one by repeating it。 It is enough to say that at
intervals almost every form of madness appeared in the family；
monomania being the most frequent manifestation of the affliction
among them。 I have these particulars； and one or two yet to be
related； from my father。
At the period of my youth but three of the Monktons were left at
the AbbeyMr。 and Mrs。 Monkton and their only child Alfred； heir
to the prope rty。 The one other member of this； the elder branch
of the family； who was then alive； was Mr。 Monkton's younger
brother； Stephen。 He was an unmarried man； possessing a fine
estate in Scotland； but he lived almost entirely on the
Continent； and bore the reputation of being a shameless
profligate。 The family at Wincot held almost as little
communication with him as with their neighbors。
I have already mentioned my father； and a lady and her daughter；
as the only privileged people who were admitted into Wincot
Abbey。
My father had been an old school and college friend of Mr。
Monkton； and accident had brought them so much together in later
life that their continued intimacy at Wincot was quite
intelligible。 I am not so well able to account for the friendly
terms on which Mrs。 Elmslie （the lady to whom I have alluded）
lived with the Monktons。 Her late husband had been distantly
related to Mrs。 Monkton； and my father was her daughter's
guardian。 But even these claims to friendship and regard never
seemed to me strong enough to explain the intimacy between Mrs。
Elmslie and the inhabitants of the Abbey。 Intimate； however； they
certainly were； and one result of the constant interchange of
visits between the two families in due time declared itself： Mr。
Monkton's son and Mrs。 Elmslie's daughter became attached to each
other。
I had no opportunities of seeing much of the young lady； I only
remember her at that time as a delicate； gentle； lovable girl；
the very opposite in appearance； and apparently in character
also； to Alfred Monkton。 But perhaps that was one reason why they
fell in love with each other。 The attachment was soon discovered；
and was far from being disapproved by the parents on either side。
In all essential points except that of wealth； the Elmslies were
nearly the equals of the Monktons； and want of money in a bride
was of no consequence to the heir of Wincot。 Alfred； it was well
known； would succeed to thirty thousand a year on his father's
death。
Thus； though the parents on both sides thought the young people
not old enough to be married at once； they saw no reason why Ada
and Alfred should not be engaged to each other； with the
understanding that they should be united when young Monkton came
of age； in two years' time。 The person to be consulted in the
matter； after the parents； was my father； in his capacity of
Ada's guardian。 He knew that the family misery had shown itself
many years ago in Mrs。 Monkton； who was her husband's cousin。 The
_illness；_ as it was significantly called； had been palliated by
careful treatment； and was reported to have passed away。 But my
father was not to be deceived。 He knew where the hereditary taint
still lurked； he viewed with horror the bare possibility of its
reappearing one day in the children of his friend's only
daughter； and he positively refused his consent to the marriage
engagement。
The result was that the doors of the Abbey and the doors of Mrs。
Elmslie's house were closed to him。 This suspension of friendly
intercourse had lasted but a very short time when Mrs。 Monkton
died。 Her husband； who was fondly attached to her； caught a
violent cold while attending her funeral。 The cold was neglected；
and settled on his lungs。 In a few months' time he followed his
wife to the grave； and Alfred was left master of the grand old
Abbey and the fair lands that spread all around it。
At this period Mrs。 Elmslie had the indelicacy to endeavor a
second time to procure my father's consent to the marriage
engagement。 He refused it again more positively than before。 More
than a year passed away。 The time was approaching fast when
Alfred would be of age。 I returned from college to spend the long
vacation at home； and made some advances toward bettering my
acquaintance with young Monkton。 They were evadedcertainly with
perfect politeness； but still in such a way as to prevent me from
offering my friendship to him again。 Any mortification I might
have felt at this petty repulse under ordinary circumstances was
dismissed from my mind by the occurrence of a real misfortune in
our household。 For some months past my father's health had been
failing； and； just at the time of which I am now writing； his
sons had to mourn the irreparable calamity of his death。
This event； through some informality or error in the late Mr。
Elmslie's will； left the future of Ada's life entirely at her
mother's disposal。 The consequence was the immediate ratification
of the marriage engagement to which my father had so steadily
refused his consent。 As soon as the fact was publicly announced；
some of Mrs。 Elmslie's more intimate friends； who were acquainted
with the reports affecting the Monkton family； ventured to mingle
with their formal congratulations one or two significant
references to the late Mrs。 Monkton and some searching inquiries
as to the disposition of her son。
Mrs。 Elmslie always met these polite hints with one bold form of
answer。 She first admitted the existence of these reports about
the Monktons which her friends were unwilling to specify
distinctly； and then declared that they were infamous calumnies。
The hereditary taint had died out of the family generations back。
Alfred was the best； the kindest； the sanest of human beings。 He
loved study and retirement； Ada sympathized with his tastes； and
had made her choice unbiased； if any more hints were dropped
about sacrificing her by her marriage； those hints would be
viewed as so many insults to her mother； whose affection for her
it was monstrous to call in question。 This way of talking
silenced people； but did not convince them。 They began to
suspect； what was indeed the actual truth； that Mrs。 Elmslie was
a selfish； worldly； grasping woman； who wanted to get her
daughter well married； and cared nothing for consequences as long
as she saw Ada mistress of the greatest establishment in the
whole county。
It seemed； however； as if there was some fatality at work to
prevent the attainment of Mrs。 Elmslie's great object in life。
Hardly was one obstacle to the ill…omened marriage removed by my
father's death before another succeeded it in the shape of
anxieties and difficulties caused by the delicate state of Ada's
health。 Doctors were consulted in all directions； and the result
of their advice was that the marriage must be deferred； and that
Miss Elmslie must leave England for a certain time； to reside in
a warmer climatethe south of France； if I remember rightly。
Thus it happened that just before Alfred came of age Ada and her
mother departed for the Continent； and the union of the two young
people was understood to be indefinitely postponed。 Some
curiosity was felt in the neighborhood as to what Alfred Monkton
would do under these circumstances。 Would he follow his
lady…love？ would he go yachting？ would he throw open the doors of
the old Abbey at last； and endeavor to forget the absence of Ada
and the postponement of his marriage in a round of gayeties？ He
did none of these things。 He simply remained at Wincot； living as
suspiciously strange and solitary a life as