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THE FROZEN DEEP
by Wilkie Collins
First SceneThe Ball…room
Chapter 1。
The date is between twenty and thirty years ago。 The place is an
English sea…port。 The time is night。 And the business of the
moment isdancing。
The Mayor and Corporation of the town are giving a grand ball； in
celebration of the departure of an Arctic expedition from their
port。 The ships of the expedition are two in numberthe
_Wanderer_ and the _Sea…mew_。 They are to sail （in search of the
Northwest Passage） on the next day； with the morning tide。
Honor to the Mayor and Corporation！ It is a brilliant ball。 The
band is complete。 The room is spacious。 The large conservatory
opening out of it is pleasantly lighted with Chinese lanterns；
and beautifully decorated with shrubs and flowers。 All officers
of the army and navy who are present wear their uniforms in honor
of the occasion。 Among the ladies； the display of dresses （a
subject which the men don't understand） is bewilderingand the
average of beauty （a subject which the men do understand） is the
highest average attainable； in all parts of the room。
For the moment； the dance which is in progress is a quadrille。
General admiration selects two of the ladies who are dancing as
its favorite objects。 One is a dark beauty in the prime of
womanhoodthe wife of First Lieutenant Crayford； of the
_Wanderer_。 The other is a young girl； pale and delicate； dressed
simply in white； with no ornament on her head but her own lovely
brown hair。 This is Miss Clara Burnhaman orphan。 She is Mrs。
Crayford's dearest friend； and she is to stay with Mrs。 Crayford
during the lieutenant's absence in the Arctic regions。 She is now
dancing； with the lieutenant himself for partner； and with Mrs。
Crayford and Captain Helding （commanding officer of the
_Wanderer_） for vis…a…visin plain English； for opposite couple。
The conversation between Captain Helding and Mrs。 Crayford； in
one of the intervals of the dance； turns on Miss Burnham。 The
captain is greatly interested in Clara。 He admires her beauty；
but he thinks her mannerfor a young girlstrangely serious and
subdued。 Is she in delicate health？
Mrs。 Crayford shakes her head； sighs mysteriously； and answers；
〃In _very_ delicate health； Captain Helding。〃
〃Consumptive？〃
〃Not in the least。〃
〃I am glad to hear that。 She is a charming creature； Mrs。
Crayford。 She interests me indescribably。 If I was only twenty
years youngerperhaps （as I am not twenty years younger） I had
better not finish the sentence？ Is it indiscreet； my dear lady；
to inquire what _is_ the matter with her？〃
〃It might be indiscreet； on the part of a stranger；〃 said Mrs。
Crayford。 〃An old friend like you may make any inquiries。 I wish
I could tell you what is the matter with Clara。 It is a mystery
to the doctors themselves。 Some of the mischief is due； in my
humble opinion； to the manner in which she has been brought up。〃
〃Ay！ ay！ A bad school； I suppose。〃
〃Very bad； Captain Helding。 But not the sort of school which you
have in your mind at this moment。 Clara's early years were spent
in a lonely old house in the Highlands of Scotland。 The ignorant
people about her were the people who did the mischief which I
have just been speaking of。 They filled her mind with the
superstitions which are still respected as truths in the wild
Northespecially the superstition called the Second Sight。〃
〃God bless me！〃 cried the captain； 〃you don't mean to say she
believes in such stuff as that？ In these enlightened times too！〃
Mrs。 Crayford looked at her partner with a satirical smile。
〃In these enlightened times； Captain Helding； we only believe in
dancing tables； and in messages sent from the other world by
spirits who can't spell！ By comparison with such superstitions as
these； even the Second Sight has somethingin the shape of
poetryto recommend it； surely？ Estimate for yourself；〃 she
continued seriously； 〃the effect of such surroundings as I have
described on a delicate； sensitive young creaturea girl with a
naturally imaginative temperament leading a lonely； neglected
life。 Is it so very surprising that she should catch the
infection of the superstition about her？ And is it quite
incomprehensible that her nervous system should suffer
accordingly； at a very critical period of her life？〃
〃Not at all； Mrs。 Crayfordnot at all； ma'am； as you put it。
Still it is a little startling； to a commonplace man like me； to
meet a young lady at a ball who believes in the Second Sight。
Does she really profess to see into the future？ Am I to
understand that she positively falls into a trance； and sees
people in distant countries； and foretells events to come？ That
is the Second Sight； is it not？〃
〃That is the Second Sight； captain。 And that is； really and
positively； what she does。〃
〃The young lady who is dancing opposite to us？〃
〃The young lady who is dancing opposite to us。〃
The captain waited a littleletting the new flood of information
which had poured in on him settle itself steadily in his mind。
This process accomplished； the Arctic explorer proceeded
resolutely on his way to further discoveries。
〃May I ask； ma'am； if you have ever seen her in a state of trance
with your own eyes？〃 he inquired。
〃My sister and I both saw her in the trance； little more than a
month since；〃 Mrs。 Crayford replied。 〃She had been nervous and
irritable all the morning； and we took her out into the garden to
breathe the fresh air。 Suddenly； without any reason for it； the
color left her face。 She stood between us； insensible to touch；
insensible to sound； motionless as stone； and cold as death in a
moment。 The first change we noticed came after a lapse of some
minutes。 Her hands began to move slowly； as if she was groping in
the dark。 Words dropped one by one from her lips； in a lost；
vacant tone； as if she was talking in her sleep。 Whether what she
said referred to past or future I cannot tell you。 She spoke of
persons in a foreign countryperfect strangers to my sister and
to me。 After a little interval； she suddenly became silent。 A
momentary color appeared in her face； and left it again。 Her eyes
closedher feet failed herand she sank insensible into our
arms。〃
〃Sank insensible into your arms；〃 repeated the captain； absorbing
his new information。 〃Most extraordinary！ Andin this state of
healthshe goes out to parties； and dances。 More extraordinary
still！〃
〃You are entirely mistaken；〃 said Mrs。 Crayford。 〃She is only
here to…night to please me； and she is only dancing to please my
husband。 As a rule； she shuns all society。 The doctor recommends
change and amusement for her。 She won't listen to him。 Except on
rare occasions like this； she persists in remaining at home。〃
Captain Helding brightened at the allusion to the doctor。
Something practical might be got out of the doctor。 Scientific
man。 Sure to see this very obscure subject under a new light。
〃How does it strike the doctor now？〃 said the captain。 〃Viewed
simply as a Case； ma'am； how does it strike the doctor？〃
〃He will give no positive opinion；〃 Mrs。 Crayford answered。 〃He
told me that such cases as Clara's were by no means unfamiliar to
medical practice。 'We know；' he told me； 'that certain disordered
conditions of the brain and the nervous system produce results
quite as extraordinary as any that you have describedand there
our knowledge ends。 Neither my science nor any man's science can
clear up the mystery in this case。 It is an especially difficult
case to deal with； because Miss Burnham's early associations
dispose her to attach a superstitious importance to the
maladythe hysterical malady as some doctors would call itfrom
which she suffers。 I can give you instructions for preserving her
general health； and I can recommend you to try some change in her
lifeprovided you first relieve her mind of any secret anxieties
that may possibly be preying on it。'〃
The captain smiled self…approvingly。 The doctor had justified his
anticipations。 The doctor had suggested a practical solution of
the difficulty。
〃Ay！ ay！ At last we have hit the nail on the h ead！ Secret
anxieties。 Yes！ yes！ Plain enough now。 A disappointment in
loveeh； Mrs。 Crayford？〃
〃I don't know； Captain Helding； I am quite in the dark。 Clara's
confidence in mein other matters unboundedis； in this matter
of her （supposed） anxieties； a confidence still withheld。 In all
else we are like sisters。 I sometimes fear there may indeed be
some trouble preying secretly on her mind。 I sometimes feel a
little hurt at her incomprehensible silence。〃
Captain Helding was ready with his own practical remedy for this
difficulty。
〃Encouragement is all she wants； ma'am。 Take my word for it； this
matter rests entirely with you。 It's all in a nutshell。 Encourage
her to confide in youand she _will_ confide。〃
〃I am waiting to encourage her； captain； until she is left alone
with meafter you have all sailed for the Arctic seas。 In the
meantime； will you consider what I have said to you as intended
for your ear only？ And will you forgive me； if I own that the
turn the subject has taken does not tempt me to pursue it any
further？〃
The captain took the hint。 H