david elginbrod-第46节

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trembling　lips。

Yes；　certainly；〃　she　replied　with　a　smile；　and　a　glance　in　his　face
as　of　wonder　as　to　what　could　trouble　him　so　much。　　Then　turning；
and　leading　the　way；　she　said：

〃Come　into　my　room。〃

He　followed　her。　　She　turned　and　shut　the　door；　which　he　had　left
open　behind　him。　　He　almost　knelt　to　her；　but　something　held　him
back　from　that。

〃Euphra；〃　he　said；　〃what　have　I　done　to　offend　you？〃

〃Offend　me！　　Nothing。〃This　was　uttered　in　a　perfect　tone　of
surprise。

〃How　is　it　that　you　avoid　me　as　you　do；　and　will　not　allow　me　one
moment's　speech　with　you？　　You　are　driving　me　to　distraction。〃

〃Why；　you　foolish　man！〃　she　answered；　half　playfully；　pressing　the
palms　of　her　little　hands　together；　and　looking　up　in　his　face；　〃how
can　I？　　Don't　you　see　how　those　two　dear　old　ladies　swallow　me　up　in
their　faddles？　　Oh；　dear？　　Oh；　dear！　　I　wish　they　would　go。　　Then　it
would　be　all　right　againwouldn't　it？〃

But　Hugh　was　not　to　be　so　easily　satisfied。

〃Before　they　came；　ever　since　that　night〃

〃Hush…sh！〃　she　interrupted；　putting　her　finger　on　his　lips；　and
looking　hurriedly　round　her　with　an　air　of　fright；　of　which　he　could
hardly　judge　whether　it　was　real　or　assumed〃hush！〃

Comforted　wondrously　by　the　hushing　finger；　Hugh　would　yet
understand　more。

〃I　am　no　baby；　dear　Euphra；〃　he　said；　taking　hold　of　the　hand　to
which　the　finger　belonged；　and　laying　it　on　his　mouth；　〃do　not　make
one　of　me。　　There　is　some　mystery　in　all　thisat　least　something　I
do　not　understand。〃

〃I　will　tell　you　all　about　it　one　day。　　But；　seriously；　you　must　be
careful　how　you　behave　to　me；　for　if　my　uncle　should；　but　for　one
moment；　entertain　a　suspiciongood…bye　to　youperhaps　good…bye　to
Arnstead。　　All　my　influence　with　him　comes　from　his　thinking　that　I
like　him　better　than　anybody　else。　　So　you　must　not　make　the　poor
old　man　jealous。　　By　the　bye；〃　she　went　onrapidly；　as　if　she　would
turn　the　current　of　the　conversation　aside〃what　a　favourite　you
have　grown　with　him！　　You　should　have　heard　him　talk　of　you　to　the
old　ladies。　　I　might　well　be　jealous　of　you。　　There　never　was　a
tutor　like　his。〃

Hugh's　heart　smote　him　that　the　praise　of　even　this　common　man；
proud　of　his　own　vanity；　should　be　undeserved　by　him。　　He　was
troubled；　too；　at　the　flippancy　with　which　Euphra　spoke；　yet　not　the
less　did　he　feel　that　he　loved　her　passionately。

〃I　daresay；〃　he　replied；　〃he　praised　me　as　he　would　anything　else
that　happened　to　be　his。　　Isn't　that　old　bay　horse　of　his　the　best
hack　in　the　county？〃

〃You　naughty　man！　　Are　you　going　to　be　satirical？〃

〃You　claim　that　as　your　privilege；　do　you？〃

〃Worse　and　worse！　　I　will　not　talk　to　you。　　But；　seriously；　for　I
must　gobring　your　Italian　toto〃　She　hesitated。

〃To　the　librarywhy　not？〃　suggested　Hugh。

〃No…o；〃　she　answered；　shaking　her　head；　and　looking　quite　solemn。

〃Well；　will　you　come　to　my　study？　　Will　that　please　you　better？〃

〃Yes；　I　will；〃　she　answered；　with　a　definitive　tone。　〃Good…bye；
now。〃

She　opened　the　door；　and　having　looked　out　to　see　that　no　one　was
passing；　told　him　to　go。　　As　he　went；　he　felt　as　if　the　oaken　floor
were　elastic　beneath　his　tread。

It　was　sometime　after　the　household　had　retired；　however；　before
Euphra　made　her　appearance　at　the　door　of　his　study。　　She　seemed
rather　shy　of　entering；　and　hesitated；　as　if　she　felt　she　was　doing
something　she　ought　not　to　do。　　But　as　soon　as　she　had　entered；　and
the　door　was　shut；　she　appeared　to　recover　herself　quite；　and　they
sat　down　at　the　table　with　their　books。　　They　could　not　get　on　very
well　with　their　reading；　however。　　Hugh　often　forgot　what　he　was
about；　in　looking　at　her；　and　she　seemed　nowise　inclined　to　avert
his　gazes；　or　check　the　growth　of　his　admiration。

Rather　abruptly；　but　apparently　starting　from　some　suggestion　in　the
book；　she　said　to　him：

〃By　the　bye；　has　Mr。　Arnold　ever　said　anything　to　you　about　the
family　jewels？〃

〃No；〃　said　Hugh。　〃Are　there　many？〃

〃Yes；　a　great　many。　　Mr。　Arnold　is　very　proud　of　them；　as　well　as　of
the　portraits；　so　he　treats　them　in　the　same　waykeeps　them　locked
up。　　Indeed　he　seldom　allows　them　to　see　daylight；　except　it　be　as　a
mark　of　especial　favour　to　some　one。〃

〃I　should　like　much　to　see　them。　　I　have　always　been　curious　about
stones。　　They　are　wonderful；　mysterious　things　to　me。〃

Euphra　gave　him　a　very　peculiar；　searching　glance；　as　he　spoke。

〃Shall　I；〃　he　continued；　〃give　him　a　hint　that　I　should　like　to　see
them？〃

〃By　no　means；〃　answered　Euphra；　emphatically；　〃except　he　should
refer　to　them　himself。　　He　is　very　jealous　of　his　possessionshis
family　possessions；　I　mean。　　Poor　old　man！　he　has　not　much　else　to
plume　himself　upon；　has　he？〃

〃He　is　kind　to　you；　Euphra。〃

She　looked　at　him　as　if　she　did　not　understand　him。

〃Yes。　What　then？〃

〃You　ought　not　to　be　unkind　to　him。〃

〃You　odd　creature！　　I　am　not　unkind　to　him。　　I　like　him。　　But　we　are
not　getting　on　with　our　reading。　　What　could　have　led　me　to　talk
about　family…jewels？　　Oh！　　I　see。　　What　a　strange　thing　the
association　of　ideas　is！　　There　is　not　a　very　obvious　connexion
here；　is　there？〃

〃No。　One　cannot　account　for　such　things。　　The　links　in　the　chain　of
ideas　are　sometimes　slender　enough。　　Yet　the　slenderest　is
sufficient　to　enable　the　electric　flash　of　thought　to　pass　along　the
line。〃

She　seemed　pondering　for　a　moment。

〃That　strikes　me　as　a　fine　simile；〃　she　said。　〃You　ought　to　be　a
poet　yourself。〃

Hugh　made　no　reply。

〃I　daresay　you　have　hundreds　of　poems　in　that　old　desk；　now？〃

〃I　think　they　might　be　counted　by　tens。〃

〃Do　let　me　see　them。〃

〃You　would　not　care　for　them。〃

〃Wouldn't　I；　Hugh？〃

〃I　will；　on　one　conditiontwo　conditions；　I　mean。〃

〃What　are　they？〃

〃One　is；　that　you　show　me　yours。〃

〃Mine？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Who　told　you　I　wrote　verses？　　That　silly　boy？〃

〃NoI　saw　your　verses　before　I　saw　you。　　You　remember？〃

〃It　was　very　dishonourable　in　you　to　read　them。〃

〃I　only　saw　they　were　verses。　　I　did　not　read　a　word。〃

〃I　forgive　you；　then。　　You　must　show　me　yours　first；　till　I　see
whether　I　could　venture　to　let　you　see　mine。　　If　yours　were　very　bad
indeed；　then　I　might　risk　showing　mine。〃

And　much　more　of　this　sort；　with　which　I　will　not　weary　my　readers。
It　ended　in　Hugh's　taking　from　the　old　escritoire　a　bundle　of
papers；　and　handing　them　to　Euphra。　　But　the　reader　need　not　fear
that　I　am　going　to　print　any　of　these　verses。　　I　have　more　respect
for　my　honest　prose　page　than　to　break　it　up　so。　　Indeed；　the　whole
of　this　interview　might　have　been　omitted；　but　for　two
circumstances。　　One　of　them　was；　that　in　getting　these　papers；　Hugh
had　to　open　a　concealed　portion　of　the　escritoire；　which　his
mathematical　knowledge　had　enabled　him　to　discover。　　It　had
evidently　not　been　opened　for　many　years　before　he　found　it。　　He　had
made　use　of　it　to　hold　the　only　treasures　he　hadpoor　enough
treasures；　certainly！　　Not　a　loving　note；　not　a　lock　of　hair　even
had　henothing　but　the　few　cobwebs　spun　from　his　own　brain。　　It　is
true；　we　are　rich　or　poor　according　to　what　we　are；　not　what　we
have。　　But　what　a　man　has　produced；　is　not　what　he　is。　　He　may　even
impoverish　his　true　self　by　production。

When　Euphra　saw　him　open　this　place；　she　uttered　a　suppressed　cry　of
astonishment。

〃Ah！〃　said　Hugh；　〃you　did　not　know　of　this　hidie…hole；　did　you？〃

〃Indeed；　I　did　not。　　I　had　used　the　desk　myself；　for　this　was　a
favourite　room　of　mine　before　you　came；　but　I　never　found　that。
Dear　me！　　Let　me　look。〃

She　put　her　hand　on　his　shoulder　and　leaned　over　him；　as　he　pointed
out　the　way　of　opening　it。

〃Did　you　find　nothing　in　it？〃　she　said；　with　a　slight　tremour　in　her
voice。

〃Nothing　whatever。〃

〃There　may　be　more　places。〃

〃No。　I　have　accounted　for　the　whole　bulk；　I　believe。〃

〃How　strange！〃

〃But　now　you　must　give　me　my　guerdon；〃　said　Hugh　timidly。

The　fact　was；　the　poor　youth　had　bargained；　in　a　playful　manner；　and
yet　with　an　earnest；　covetous　heart；　for　one；　the　first　kiss；　in
return　for　the　poems　she　begged　to　see。

She　turned　her　face　towards　him。

The　second　circumstance　which　makes　the　interview　worth　recording
is；　that；　at　this　moment；　three　distinct　knocks　were　heard　on　the
window。　　They　sprang　asunder；　and　saw　each　other's　face　pale　as
death。　　In　Euphra's；　the　expression　of　fright　was　mingled　with　one
of　annoyance。　　Hugh；　though　his　heart　trembled　like　a　bird；　leaped
to　the　window。　　Nothing　was　to　be　seen　but　the　trees　that　〃stretched
their　dark　arms〃　within　a　few　feet　of　the　oriel。　　Turning　again
towards　Euphra；　he　found；　to　his　mortification；　that　she　had
vanishedand　had　left　the　packet　of　poems　behind　her。

He　replaced　them　in　their　old　quarters　in　the　escritoire；　and　his
vague　dismay　at　the　unaccountable　noises；　was　drowned　in　the　bitter
waters　of　miserable　humiliation。　　He　slept　at　last；　from　the
exhaustion　of　disappointment。

When　he　awoke；　however；　he　tried　to　persuade　himself　that　he　had
made　far　too　much　of　the　trifling　circumstance　of　her　leaving　the
verses　behind。　　For　was　she　not　terrified？Why；　then；　did　she　leave
him　and　go　alone　to　her　own　room？She　must　have　felt　that　she　ought
not　to　be　in　his；　at　that　hour