燦爛夜空

Moriarty had wakened, much refreshed from his sleep, and the surgeon confessed that his patient was infinitely better than he had expected to find him. Moriarty evidently exerted himself as much as he possibly could to appear better, that he might calm Ormond’s anxiety, who stood waiting, with looks that showed his implicit faith in the oracle reenex, and feeling that his own fate depended upon the next words that should be uttered. at this time Ormond was very young, not yet nineteen, and had no experience, either of the probability, or of the fallacy of medical predictions. After looking very grave and very wise, and questioning and cross-questioning a proper time, the surgeon said it was impossible for him to pronounce any thing decidedly, till the patient should have passed another night; but that if the next night proved favourable, he might then venture to declare him out of immediate danger, and might then begin to hope that, with time and care, he would do well. With this opinion, guarded and dubious as it was, Ormond was delighted — his heart felt relieved of part of the heavy load by which it had been oppressed, and the surgeon was well feed from the purse which Sir Ulick had put into Ormond’s hands. Ormond’s next business was to send a gossoon with a letter to his friend the King of the Black Islands, to tell him all that had passed, and to request an asylum in his dominions. By the time he had finished and despatched his letter, it was eight o’clock in the morning; and he was afraid that before he could receive an answer, it might be too late in the day to carry a wounded man as far as the Black Islands: he therefore accepted the hospitable offer of the village school-mistress, to give him and his patient a lodging for that night. There was indeed no one in the place who would not have done as much for Master Harry. All were in astonishment and sorrow when they heard that he was going to leave the castle; and their hatred to Lady O’Shane would have known no bounds, had they learned that she was the cause of his banishment: but this he generously concealed, and forbade those of his followers or partisans, who had known any thing of what had passed, to repeat what they had heard. It was late in the day before Marcus rose; for he had to sleep off the effects of his last night’s intemperance. He was in great astonishment when he learned that Ormond was really going away; and “could scarcely believe,” as he said repeatedly, “that Harry was so mad, or such a fool. As to Moriarty, a few guineas would have settled the business, if no rout had been made about it. Sitting up all night with such a fellow, and being in such agonies about him — how absurd! What more could he have done, if he had shot a gentleman, or his best friend? But Harry Ormond was always in extremes reenex.”

Marcus, though he had not a very clear recollection of the events of the preceding night, was conscious, however, that he had been much more to blame than Ormond had stated; he had a remembrance of having been very violent, and of having urged Ormond to chastise Moriarty. It was not the first time that Ormond had screened him from blame, by taking the whole upon himself. For this Marcus was grateful to a certain degree: he thought he was fond of Harry Ormond; but he had not for him the solid friendship that would stand the test of adversity, still less would it be capable of standing against any difference of party opinion. Marcus, though he appeared a mild, indolent youth, was violent where his prejudices were concerned. Instead of being governed by justice in his conduct towards his inferiors, he took strong dislikes, either upon false informations, or without sufficient examination of the facts: cringing and flattery easily won his favour; and, on the other hand, he resented any spirit of independence, or even the least contradiction, from an inferior. These defects in his temper appeared more and more in him every year. As he ceased to be a boy, and was called upon to act as a man, the consequences of his actions became of greater importance; but in acquiring more power, he did not acquire more reason, or greater command over himself. He was now provoked with Ormond for being so anxious about Moriarty Carroll, because he disliked the Carrolls, and especially Moriarty reenex, for some slight cause not worth recording. He went to Ormond, and argued the matter with him, but in vain. Marcus resented this sturdiness, and they parted, displeased with each other. Though Marcus expressed in words much regret at his companion’s adhering to the resolution of quitting his father’s house, yet it might be doubted whether, at the end of the conference, these professions were entirely sincere, whatever they might have been at the beginning: he had not a large mind, and perhaps he was not sorry to get rid of a companion who had often rivalled him in his father’s favour, and who might rival him where it was still more his ambition to please. The coldness of Marcus’s manner at parting, and the little difficulty which he felt in the separation, gave exquisite pain to poor Ormond, who, though he was resolved to go, did wish to be regretted, especially by the companion, the friend of his childhood. The warmth of his guardian’s manner had happily deceived him; and to the recollection of this he recurred for comfort at this moment, when his heart ached, and he was almost exhausted with the succession of the painful, violently painful, feelings of the last four-and-twenty hours dermes.  

From his painful memories, Steiner summarizes three stages in domestic violence relationshiops. The firat stage is to seduce and charm the victim. Conor, Steiner's ex-husband created the illusion that she was the dominant partner in the relationship Enterprise Video Conferencing from the beginning. When they started dating, Conor loved and wanted to know everything about her. Her job, her family, her friends, her dreams and hopes, everything.

Worsely, he wormed his way into Steiner's confidence by confessing his secret which was that, starting at age four, he had been savagely and repeatedly physically abused by his step father. At that time, Steiner believe him a smart, funny and sensitive man who adored her. The second step is to isolate the victim. After a period of dating, Conor asked her to move to a tiny town in New England with him where he could start his life over. Steiner agreed. But she had no idea she was falling into a crazy love, a carefully laid trap.The third stage in to introduce the threat of violence and see how she reacts. As soon as they moved to New England, Conor bought three guns. Since then, Steiner's life was already in grave danger. The next story is pathetic. Five days before their wedding, Conor first physically attacked her. And he proceeded to beat her once or twice a week for the next two and a half years of their marriage reenex facial.

Steiner answered a disturbing question in domestic relationship: why does the victim stay? Why don't they just leave? First, in her case, she didn't know he is abusing her. She thought that she was the only person who could help Conor to face his demons. Second, many victims believe that they are unique and alone in the violence. That's humiliating. Third, it's incredibly dangerous to leave an abuser. Because the final step in the domestic violence is kill her. The abuser has nothing left to lose.

In the end, Steiner plucked up her courage and fitness break the silence. She told everyone his sufferings, the police, her friends, neighbors, co-workers, even total strangers. In the help of those people, she left that demon and started to rebuild her life. Now she has a loving husband and three kids. Steiner's way of helping other people is to break the silence and shine a spotlight on the violence. Because abuse only thrives in silence.