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！
hough their eyes closed； they had not the tranquility of sleep。 they were apart； they were alone； they were in a kind of limbo。 they were like amputees； only it was not a limb they were missing； but their very souls。
did the scientists doubt themselves？ stop and wonder whether they were doing the right thing？ did the lolling； unconscious figures of the twins cast a shadow over their beautiful project？ they were not willfully cruel； you know。 only foolish。 misguided by their learning； their ambition； their own self…deceiving blindness。
the doctor carried out tests。 hester observed。 and they met every day； to pare notes。 to discuss what at first they optimistically called progress。 behind the doctor’s desk； or in the angelfield library； they sat together； heads bent over papers on which were recorded every detail of the girls’ lives。 behavior； diet； sleep。 they puzzled over absent appetites； the propensity to sleep all the time—that sleep which was not sleep。 they proposed theories to account for the changes in the twins。 the experiment was not going as well as they had expected； had begun in fact disastrously； but the two scientists skirted around the possibility that they might be doing harm； preferring to retain the belief that together they could work a miracle。
the doctor derived great satisfaction from the novelty of working for the first time in decades with a scientific mind of the highest order。 he marveled at his protegee’s ability to grasp a principle one minute and to apply it with professional originality and insight the next。 before long he admitted to himself that she was more a colleague than a protegee。 and hester was thrilled to find that at long last her mind was adequately nourished and challenged。 she came out of their daily meetings aglow with excitement and pleasure。 so their blindness was only natural。 how could they be expected to understand that what was doing them such good could be doing such great harm to the children in their care？ unless perhaps； in the evenings； each sitting in solitude to write up the day’s notes； they might individually have raised their eyes to the unmoving； dead…eyed child in a chair in the corner and felt a doubt cross their minds。 perhaps。 but if they did； they did not record it n their notes； did not mention it to the other。
so dependent did the pair bee on their joint undertaking that hey quite failed to see that the grand project was making no progress at ill。 emmeline and adeline were all but catatonic； and the girl in the mist vas nowhere to be seen。 undeterred by their lack of findings； the scientists continued their work： they made tables and charts； proposed theories and developed elaborate experiments to test them。 with each failure hey told themselves that they had eliminated something from the field of examination and went on to the next big idea。
the doctor’s wife and the missus were involved； but at one remove； the physical care of the girls was their responsibility。 they spooned soup into the unresisting mouths of their charges three times a day。 they dressed the twins； bathed them； did their laundry； brushed their hair。 each woman had her reasons for disapproving of the project； each had her reasons for keeping mum about her thoughts。 as for john…the…dig； he was outside it all。 his opinion was sought by no one； not that that stopped him making his daily pronouncement to the missus in the kitchen： “no good will e of it。 i’m telling you。 no good at all。”
there came a moment when they might have had to give up。 all their plans had e to nothing； and though they racked their brains； they were lost for a new trick to try。 at precisely this point hester detected small signs of improvement in emmeline。 the girl had turned her head toward a window。 she was found clutching some shiny bauble and would not be separated from it。 by listening outside doors （which is lot bad manners； incidentally； when it is done in the name of science） hester discovered that when left alone the child was whispering to herself in the old twin language。
‘she is soothing herself；“ she told the doctor； ”by imagining the presence of her sister。“
the doctor began a regime of leaving adeline alone for periods of several hours and listening outside the door； notepad and pen in hand； he heard nothing。
hester and the doctor advised themselves of the need for patience in the more severe case of adeline； while they congratulated themselves on the improvements in emmeline。 brightly they noted emmeline’s increased appetite； her willingness to sit up； the first few steps she took of her own accord。 soon she was wandering around the house and garden again with something of her old purposelessness。 oh yes； hester and the doctor agreed； the experiment was really going somewhere now！ whether they stopped to consider that what they termed “improvements” were only emmeline returning to the habits she already displayed before the experiment began is hard to judge。
it wasn’t all plain sailing with emmeline。 there was a dreadful day when she followed her nose to the cupboard filled with the rags her sister used to wear。 she held them to her face； inhaled the stale； animal odor and then； in delight； arrayed herself in them。 it was awkward； but worse was to e。 dressed in this fashion； she caught sight of herself in a mirror and； taking her reflection for her sister； ran headlong into it。 the crash was loud enough to bring the missus running； and she found emmeline weeping beside the mirror； crying not for her own pain but for her poor sister； who had broken into several pieces and was bleeding。
hester took the clothes away from her and instructed john to burn them。 as an extra precaution； she ordered the missus to turn all the mirrors to the wall。 emmeline was perplexed； but there were no more incidents of the kind。
she would not speak。 for all the solitary whispering that went on behind closed doors； always in the old twin language； emmeline could not be induced to speak a single word of english to the missus or to hester。 this was something to confer about。 hester and the doctor held a lengthy meeting in the library； at the end of which they concluded that there