解説　場面 17「朝の確かめ」

Before breakfast on the morning following my adventure I went down the corridor and examined the room in which Barrymore had been on the night before. The western window through which he had stared so intently has, I noticed, one peculiarity above all other windows in the house—it commands the nearest outlook on to the moor. There is an opening between two trees which enables one from this point of view to look right down upon it, while from all the other windows it is only a distant glimpse which can be obtained. It follows, therefore, that Barrymore, since only this window would serve the purpose, must have been looking out for something or somebody upon the moor. The night was very dark, so that I can hardly imagine how he could have hoped to see anyone. It had struck me that it was possible that some love intrigue was on foot. That would have accounted for his stealthy movements and also for the uneasiness of his wife. The man is a striking-looking fellow, very well equipped to steal the heart of a country girl, so that this theory seemed to have something to support it. That opening of the door which I had heard after I had returned to my room might mean that he had gone out to keep some clandestine appointment. So I reasoned with myself in the morning, and I tell you the direction of my suspicions, however much the result may have shown that they were unfounded.

あの出来事の翌朝、朝食の前に、私は廊下を進み、前の晩にバリモアがいた部屋を調べた。彼があれほど熱心に見ていた西側の窓には、この家のほかのどの窓にも勝る特徴が一つあると気付いた。荒れ地を最も間近に見渡せるのだ。二本の木の間に隙間があり、この位置からならすぐ下の荒れ地をじかに見下ろせるが、ほかの窓からは、遠くにちらりと望めるだけだ。したがって、目的にかなうのがこの窓だけなのだから、バリモアは荒れ地にいる何か、あるいは誰かを見つけようとしていたに違いない。あの晩はひどく暗かったので、誰かが見えるとどうして期待できたのか、私には想像しにくい。私は、何か恋の密会が進んでいる可能性を思い付いた。そうであれば、彼の忍びやかな行動も、妻の不安も説明がつく。あの男は人目を引く容姿をしており、田舎娘の心を奪うのに不足はないので、この考えにも何か裏付けがあるように思えた。私が部屋へ戻ってから聞いたあの扉を開く音は、ひそかな約束を果たすために、彼が外へ出たことを意味するのかもしれなかった。朝、私はそんなふうに考えた。結果がその疑いに根拠のなかったことをどれほど示していたにせよ、当時の疑いの向きを、きみに伝えているのだ。