CHAPTER XXIV. FACING THE TRUTH

Irene was a great comfort to Mary Louise in this hour of trial. The chair-girl, beneath her gayety of demeanor and lightness of speech, was deeply religious. La ragazza della cattedra, sotto la sua allegria di comportamento e la sua leggerezza di parola, era profondamente religiosa. Her absolute faith sounded so cheering that death was robbed of much of its horror and her bereaved friend found solace. La sua fede assoluta suonò così rallegrante che la morte fu privata di gran parte del suo orrore e la sua amica in lutto trovò conforto. Mary Louise was able to talk freely of "Mamma Bee" to Irene, while with Aunt Hannah she rather avoided reference to her mother. Mary Louise era in grado di parlare liberamente di "Mamma Bee" a Irene, mentre con la zia Hannah evitava di fare riferimento alla madre. "I've always longed to be more with Mamma Bee and to learn to know her better," she said to her friend; "for, though she was very loving and gentle to me while I was with her, she spent most of her life caring for Gran'pa Jim, and they were away from me so much that I really didn't get to know Mamma very well. "Ho sempre desiderato stare di più con mamma Bee e imparare a conoscerla meglio", disse all'amica; "perché, sebbene fosse molto affettuosa e gentile con me quando ero con lei, ha passato la maggior parte della sua vita a prendersi cura di nonno Jim, e loro erano così lontani da me che non ho avuto modo di conoscere molto bene mamma. I think she worried a good deal over Gran'pa's troubles. Credo che si sia preoccupata molto per i problemi della nonna. She couldn't help that, of course, but I always hoped that some day the troubles would be over and we could all live happily together. And now—that can never be!" Irene, knowing more of the Hathaway family history than Mary Louise did, through the letter she had found and read, was often perplexed how to console her friend and still regard honesty and truth. Irene, che conosceva la storia della famiglia Hathaway più di Mary Louise, grazie alla lettera che aveva trovato e letto, era spesso perplessa su come consolare l'amica e mantenere l'onestà e la verità. Any deception, even when practiced through the best of motives, was abhorrent to her nature, so she avoided speaking of the present affliction and led Mary Louise to look to a future life for the motherly companionship she had missed on earth. Qualsiasi inganno, anche se praticato con le migliori motivazioni, era ripugnante per la sua natura, così evitò di parlare dell'afflizione presente e indusse Mary Louise a guardare a una vita futura per la compagnia materna che le era mancata sulla terra.

"That," said she, "is the thought that has always given me the most comfort. We are both orphans, dear, and I'm sure your nature is as brave as my own and that you can bear equally well the loss of your parents." Siamo entrambi orfani, cara, e sono sicuro che la tua natura è coraggiosa come la mia e che puoi sopportare altrettanto bene la perdita dei tuoi genitori". And Mary Louise was really brave and tried hard to bear her grief with patient resignation. E Mary Louise è stata davvero coraggiosa e ha cercato di sopportare il suo dolore con paziente rassegnazione. One thing she presently decided in her mind, although she did not mention it to Irene. She must find Gran'pa Jim and go to him, wherever he might be. Gran'pa Jim and her mother had been inseparable companions; Mary Louise knew that her own present sorrow could be nothing when compared with that of her grandfather. Nonno Jim e sua madre erano stati compagni inseparabili; Mary Louise sapeva che il suo dolore attuale non poteva essere nulla in confronto a quello del nonno. And so it was her duty to find him and comfort him, to devote her whole life, as her mother had done, to caring for his wants and cheering his loneliness—so far, indeed, as she was able to do. Era quindi suo dovere trovarlo e confortarlo, dedicare tutta la sua vita, come aveva fatto sua madre, a prendersi cura dei suoi bisogni e a rallegrare la sua solitudine, per quanto ne fosse in grado. Of course, no one could quite take the place of Mamma Bee.

She was thinking in this vein as she sat in the den with Irene that Saturday afternoon. The chair-girl, who sewed beautifully, was fixing over one of Mary Louise's black dresses while Mary Louise sat opposite, listlessly watching her. La ragazza della sedia, che cuciva benissimo, stava sistemando uno dei vestiti neri di Mary Louise, mentre Mary Louise sedeva di fronte a lei, guardandola svogliatamente. The door into the hall was closed, but the glass door to the rear porch was wide open to let in the sun and air. And this simple scene was the setting for the drama about to be enacted. E questa semplice scena era l'ambientazione del dramma che stava per essere messo in scena.

Mary Louise had her back half turned to the hall door, which Irene partially faced, and so it was that when the door opened softly and the chair-girl raised her head to gaze with startled surprise at someone who stood in the doorway, Mary Louise first curiously eyed her friend's expressive face and then, rather languidly, turned her head to glance over her shoulder. The next moment she sprang to her feet and rushed forward.

"Gran'pa Jim—Oh, Gran'pa Jim!" she cried, and threw herself into the arms of a tall man who folded her to his breast in a close embrace. gridò e si gettò tra le braccia di un uomo alto che la strinse al petto in uno stretto abbraccio.

For a while they stood there silent, while Irene dropped her eyes to her lap, deeming the reunion too sacred to be observed by another. Per un po' rimasero in silenzio, mentre Irene abbassò gli occhi sul suo grembo, ritenendo la riunione troppo sacra per essere osservata da altri. And then a little stir at the open porch door attracted her attention and with a shock of repulsion she saw Agatha Lord standing there with a cynical smile on her lovely face. Poi un piccolo rumore alla porta aperta del portico attirò la sua attenzione e con uno shock di repulsione vide Agatha Lord in piedi con un sorriso cinico sul suo bel viso. Softly the sash of the window was raised, and the maid Susan stood on the ground outside, leaned her elbows on the sill and quietly regarded the scene within the den. L'anta della finestra fu sollevata dolcemente e la cameriera Susan, in piedi per terra, appoggiò i gomiti sul davanzale e osservò in silenzio la scena all'interno della tana.

The opening of the window arrested Colonel Weatherby's attention. L'apertura della finestra richiamò l'attenzione del colonnello Weatherby. He lifted his head and with a quick glance took in the situation. Alzò la testa e con un rapido sguardo fece il punto della situazione. Then, still holding his granddaughter in his arms, he advanced to the center of the room and said sternly, addressing Agatha: Poi, sempre tenendo in braccio la nipote, avanzò verso il centro della stanza e disse con severità, rivolgendosi ad Agata:

"Is this a deliberate intrusion, because I am here, or is it pure insolence?" "È un'intrusione deliberata, perché sono qui, o è pura insolenza?". "Forgive us if we intrude, Mr. Hathaway," replied Agatha. "Ci perdoni se ci intromettiamo, signor Hathaway", rispose Agatha. "It was not our desire to interrupt your meeting with your granddaughter, but—it has been so difficult, in the past, to secure an interview with you, sir, that we dared not risk missing you at this time." "Non era nostro desiderio interrompere l'incontro con sua nipote, ma è stato così difficile, in passato, ottenere un colloquio con lei, signore, che non abbiamo osato rischiare di perderla in questo momento". He regarded her with an expression of astonishment. La guardò con un'espressione di stupore.

"That's it, exactly, Mr. Weatherby-Hathaway," remarked Susan mockingly, from her window. "Don't pay any attention to them, Gran'pa Jim," begged Mary Louise, clinging to him. "Non fare caso a loro, nonno Jim", implorò Mary Louise, aggrappandosi a lui. "They're just two dreadful women who live down below here, and—and—" "I realize who they are," said the old gentleman in a calm voice, and addressing Agatha again he continued: "Since you are determined to interview me, pray step inside and be seated." "Ho capito chi sono", disse l'anziano signore con voce calma, e rivolgendosi di nuovo ad Agatha continuò: "Visto che siete decisi a intervistarmi, vi prego di entrare e di accomodarvi". Agatha shook her head with a smile; Nan Shelley laughed outright and retorted: Agatha scosse la testa con un sorriso; Nan Shelley rise di gusto e replicò:

"Not yet, Hathaway. We can't afford to take chances with one who has dodged the whole Department for ten years." Non possiamo permetterci di correre rischi con uno che ha evitato l'intero Dipartimento per dieci anni". "Then you are Government agents?" he asked.

"That's it, sir." He turned his head toward the door by which he had entered, for there was an altercation going on in the hallway and Mr. Conant's voice could be heard angrily protesting. A moment later the lawyer came in, followed by the little man with the fat nose, who bowed to Colonel Weatherby very respectfully yet remained planted in the doorway. Un attimo dopo entrò l'avvocato, seguito dall'omino con il naso grasso, che si inchinò al colonnello Weatherby con grande rispetto, ma rimase fermo sulla soglia.

"This is—er—er—very unfortunate, sir; ve-ry un-for-tu-nate!" exclaimed Peter Conant, chopping off each word with a sort of snarl. esclamò Peter Conant, troncando ogni parola con una sorta di ringhio. "These con-found-ed secret service people have trailed us here." "Questi servizi segreti truffaldini ci hanno seguito fin qui". "It doesn't matter, Mr. Conant," replied the Colonel, in a voice composed but very weary. "Non importa, signor Conant", rispose il colonnello, con voce composta ma molto stanca. He seated himself in a chair, as he spoke, and Mary Louise sat on the arm of it, still embracing him.

"No," said O'Gorman, "it really doesn't matter, sir. In fact, I'm sure you will feel relieved to have this affair off your mind and be spared all further annoyance concerning it." Anzi, sono sicuro che vi sentirete sollevati nel non pensare più a questa vicenda e che vi sarà risparmiata ogni ulteriore seccatura al riguardo". The old gentleman looked at him steadily but made no answer. L'anziano signore lo guardò fisso, ma non rispose. It was Peter Conant who faced the speaker and demanded:

"What do you mean by that statement?" "Mr. Hathaway knows what I mean. He can, in a few words, explain why he has for years borne the accusation of a crime of which he is innocent." Può, in poche parole, spiegare perché ha sopportato per anni l'accusa di un crimine di cui è innocente". Peter Conant was so astounded he could do nothing but stare at the detective. Peter Conant era così sbalordito che non poté fare altro che fissare il detective. Staring was the very best thing that Peter did and he never stared harder in his life. Fissare era la cosa migliore che Peter facesse e non aveva mai fissato meglio in vita sua. The tears had been coursing down Mary Louise's cheeks, but now a glad look crossed her face. "Do you hear that, Gran'pa Jim?" she cried. "Of course you are innocent! I've always known that; but now even your enemies do." Mr. Hathaway looked long into the girl's eyes, which met his own hopefully, almost joyfully. Il signor Hathaway guardò a lungo negli occhi della ragazza, che incontrarono i suoi con speranza, quasi con gioia. Then he turned to O'Gorman. "I cannot prove my innocence," he said. "Do you mean that you WILL not?" "Vuoi dire che non lo farai?". "I will go with you and stand my trial. "Verrò con voi e subirò il mio processo. I will accept whatever punishment the law decrees." Accetterò qualsiasi punizione la legge decida". O'Gorman nodded his head. O'Gorman annuì con la testa. "I know exactly how you feel about it, Mr. Hathaway," he said, "and I sympathize with you most earnestly. "So esattamente come la pensa, signor Hathaway", disse, "e sono molto solidale con lei. Will you allow me to sit down awhile? Mi permettete di sedermi un po'? Thank you." He took a chair facing that of the hunted man. Agatha, seeing this, seated herself on the door-step. Agata, vedendo ciò, si sedette sulla soglia della porta. Nan maintained her position, leaning through the open window. Nan mantenne la sua posizione, sporgendosi dalla finestra aperta.

"This," said O'Gorman, "is a strange ease. "Questa", disse O'Gorman, "è una strana facilità. It has always been a strange case, sir, from the very beginning. Important government secrets of the United States were stolen and turned over to the agent of a foreign government which is none too friendly to our own. It was considered, in its day, one of the most traitorous crimes in our history. All'epoca fu considerato uno dei crimini più traditori della nostra storia. And you, sir, a citizen of high standing and repute, were detected in the act of transferring many of these important papers to a spy, thus periling the safety of the nation. E voi, signore, cittadino di alto livello e reputazione, siete stato scoperto nell'atto di trasferire molti di questi importanti documenti a una spia, mettendo così in pericolo la sicurezza della nazione. You were caught red-handed, so to speak, but made your escape and in a manner remarkable and even wonderful for its adroitness have for years evaded every effort on the part of our Secret Service Department to effect your capture. Lei è stato colto in flagrante, per così dire, ma è riuscito a fuggire e, in modo notevole e persino meraviglioso per la sua abilità, ha eluso per anni ogni tentativo di cattura da parte dei nostri Servizi Segreti. And yet, despite the absolute truth of this statement, you are innocent." None cared to reply for a time. Nessuno si preoccupò di rispondere per un po'. Some who had listened to O'Gorman were too startled to speak; others refrained. Alcuni di coloro che avevano ascoltato O'Gorman erano troppo spaventati per parlare; altri si astennero. Mary Louise stared at the detective with almost Peter Conant's expression—her eyes big and round. Irene thrilled with joyous anticipation, for in the presence of this sorrowing, hunted, white-haired old man, whose years had been devoted to patient self-sacrifice, the humiliation the coming disclosure would, thrust upon Mary Louise seemed now insignificant. Irene fremeva di gioia, perché in presenza di questo vecchio addolorato, braccato e con i capelli bianchi, i cui anni erano stati dedicati alla paziente abnegazione, l'umiliazione che l'imminente rivelazione avrebbe inflitto a Mary Louise sembrava ormai insignificante. Until this moment Irene had been determined to suppress the knowledge gained through the old letter in order to protect the feelings of her friend, but now a crying need for the truth to prevail was borne in upon her. Fino a quel momento Irene era stata decisa a sopprimere la conoscenza acquisita attraverso la vecchia lettera per proteggere i sentimenti dell'amica, ma ora la necessità di far prevalere la verità le si imponeva con forza. She had thought that she alone knew this truth. To her astonishment, as well as satisfaction, the chair-girl now discovered that O'Gorman was equally well informed.