the black dwarf-第28节

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n's　neck　with！〃

〃I　am　not　to　be　intimidated　from　doing　what　I　think　proper；〃　said　Sir　Frederick　Langley；　〃and　my　first　step　shall　be　to　leave　Ellieslaw。　　I　have　no　reason　to　keep　faith　with　one〃　（looking　at　Vere）　〃who　has　kept　none　with　me。〃

〃In　what　respect；〃　said　Ellieslaw；　silencing；　with　a　motion　of　his　hand；　his　impetuous　kinsman〃how　have　I　disappointed　you；　Sir　Frederick？〃

〃In　the　nearest　and　most　tender　pointyou　have　trifled　with　me　concerning　our　proposed　alliance；　which　you　well　knew　was　the　gage　of　our　political　undertaking。　　This　carrying　off　and　this　bringing　back　of　Miss　Vere；the　cold　reception　I　have　met　with　from　her；　and　the　excuses　with　which　you　cover　it；　I　believe　to　be　mere　evasions；　that　you　may　yourself　retain　possession　of　the　estates　which　are　hers　by　right；　and　make　me；　in　the　meanwhile；　a　tool　in　your　desperate　enterprise；　by　holding　out　hopes　and　expectations　which　you　are　resolved　never　to　realize。〃

〃Sir　Frederick；　I　protest；　by　all　that　is　sacred〃

〃I　will　listen　to　no　protestations；　I　have　been　cheated　with　them　too　long；〃　answered　Sir　Frederick。

〃If　you　leave　us；〃　said　Ellieslaw；　〃you　cannot　but　know　both　your　ruin　and　ours　is　certain；　all　depends　on　our　adhering　together。〃

〃Leave　me　to　take　care　of　myself；〃　returned　the　knight；　〃but　were　what　you　say　true；　I　would　rather　perish　than　be　fooled　any　farther。〃

〃Can　nothingno　surety　convince　you　of　my　sincerity？〃　said　Ellieslaw；　anxiously；　〃this　morning　I　should　have　repelled　your　unjust　suspicions　as　an　insult；　but　situated　as　we　now　are〃

〃You　feel　yourself　compelled　to　be　sincere？〃　　retorted　Sir　Frederick。　　〃If　you　would　have　me　think　so；　there　is　but　one　way　to　convince　me　of　itlet　your　daughter　bestow　her　hand　on　me　this　evening。〃

〃So　soon？impossible；〃　answered　Vere；　〃think　of　her　late　alarm　of　our　present　undertaking。〃

〃I　will　listen　to　nothing　but　to　her　consent；　plighted　at　the　altar。　　You　have　a　chapel　in　the　castleDoctor　Hobbler　is　present　among　the　company…this　proof　of　your　good　faith　to…night；　and　we　are　again　joined　in　heart　and　hand。　　If　you　refuse　me　when　it　is　so　much　for　your　advantage　to　consent；　how　shall　I　trust　you　to…morrow；　when　I　shall　stand　committed　in　your　undertaking；　and　unable　to　retract？〃

〃And　I　am　to　understand；　that；　if　you　can　be　made　my　son…in…law　to…night；　our　friendship　is　renewed？〃　　said　Ellieslaw。

〃Most　infallibly；　and　most　inviolably；〃　replied　Sir　Frederick。

〃Then；〃　said　Vere；　〃though　what　you　ask　is　premature；　indelicate；　and　unjust　towards　my　character；　yet；　Sir　Frederick；　give　me　your　handmy　daughter　shall　be　your　wife。〃

〃This　night？〃

〃This　very　night；〃　replied　Ellieslaw；　〃before　the　clock　strikes　twelve。〃

〃With　her　own　consent；　I　trust；〃　said　Mareschal；　〃for　I　promise　you　both；　gentlemen；　I　will　not　stand　tamely　by；　and　see　any　violence　put　on　the　will　of　my　pretty　kinswoman。〃

〃Another　pest　in　this　hot…headed　fellow；〃　muttered　Ellieslaw；　and　then　aloud；　〃With　her　own　consent？　　For　what　do　you　take　me；　Mareschal；　that　you　should　suppose　your　interference　necessary　to　protect　my　daughter　against　her　father？　　Depend　upon　it；　she　has　no　repugnance　to　Sir　Frederick　Langley。〃

〃Or　rather　to　be　called　Lady　Langley？　　faith；　like　enoughthere　are　many　women　might　be　of　her　mind；　and　I　beg　your　pardon；　but　these　sudden　demands　and　concessions　alarmed　me　a　little　on　her　account。〃

〃It　is　only　the　suddenness　of　the　proposal　that　embarrasses　me；〃　said　Ellieslaw；　〃but　perhaps　if　she　is　found　intractable；　Sir　Frederick　will　consider〃

〃I　will　consider　nothing；　Mr。　Vereyour　daughter's　hand　to…　night；　or　I　depart；　were　it　at　midnightthere　is　my　ultimatum。〃

〃I　embrace　it；〃　said　Ellieslaw；　〃and　I　will　leave　you　to　talk　upon　our　military　preparations；　while　I　go　to　prepare　my　daughter　for　so　sudden　a　change　of　condition。〃

So　saying；　he　left　the　company。



CHAPTER　XIV。

　He　brings　Earl　Osmond　to　receive　my　vows。　　O　dreadful　change！　　for　Tancred；　haughty　Osmond。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　TANCRED　AND　SIGISMUNDA。

Mr。　Vere；　whom　long　practice　of　dissimulation　had　enabled　to　model　his　very　gait　and　footsteps　to　aid　the　purposes　of　deception；　walked　along　the　stone　passage；　and　up　the　first　flight　of　steps　towards　Miss　Vere's　apartment；　with　the　alert；　firm；　and　steady　pace　of　one　who　is　bound；　indeed；　upon　important　business；　but　who　entertains　no　doubt　he　can　terminate　his　affairs　satisfactorily。　　But　when　out　of　hearing　of　the　gentlemen　whom　he　had　left；　his　step　became　so　slow　and　irresolute；　as　to　correspond　with　his　doubts　and　his　fears。　　At　length　he　paused　in　an　antechamber　to　collect　his　ideas；　and　form　his　plan　of　argument；　before　approaching　his　daughter。

〃In　what　more　hopeless　and　inextricable　dilemma　was　ever　an　unfortunate　man　involved！〃　　Such　was　the　tenor　of　his　reflections。〃If　we　now　fall　to　pieces　by　disunion；　there　can　be　little　doubt　that　the　government　will　take　my　life　as　the　prime　agitator　of　the　insurrection。　　Or；　grant　I　could　stoop　to　save　myself　by　a　hasty　submission；　am　I　not；　even　in　that　case；　utterly　ruined？　　I　have　broken　irreconcilably　with　Ratcliffe；　and　can　have　nothing　to　expect　from　that　quarter　but　insult　and　persecution。　　I　must　wander　forth　an　impoverished　and　dishonoured　man；　without　even　the　means　of　sustaining　life；　far　less　wealth　sufficient　to　counterbalance　the　infamy　which　my　countrymen；　both　those　whom　I　desert　and　those　whom　I　join；　will　attach　to　the　name　of　the　political　renegade。　　It　is　not　to　be　thought　of。　　And　yet；　what　choice　remains　between　this　lot　and　the　ignominious　scaffold？　　Nothing　can　save　me　but　reconciliation　with　these　men；　and；　to　accomplish　this；　I　have　promised　to　Langley　that　Isabella　shall　marry　him　ere　midnight；　and　to　Mareschal；　that　she　shall　do　so　without　compulsion。　　I　have　but　one　remedy　betwixt　me　and　ruinher　consent　to　take　a　suitor　whom　she　dislikes；　upon　such　short　notice　as　would　disgust　her；　even　were　he　a　favoured　lover　But　I　must　trust　to　the　romantic　generosity　of　her　disposition；　and　let　me　paint　the　necessity　of　her　obedience　ever　so　strongly；　I　cannot　overcharge　its　reality。〃

Having　finished　this　sad　chain　of　reflections　upon　his　perilous　condition；　he　entered　his　daughter's　apartment　with　every　nerve　bent　up　to　the　support　of　the　argument　which　he　was　about　to　sustain。　　Though　a　deceitful　and　ambitious　man；　he　was　not　so　devoid　of　natural　affection　but　that　he　was　shocked　at　the　part　he　was　about　to　act；　in　practising　on　the　feelings　of　a　dutiful　and　affectionate　child；　but　the　recollections；　that；　if　he　succeeded；　his　daughter　would　only　be　trepanned　into　an　advantageous　match；　and　that；　if　he　failed；　he　himself　was　a　lost　man；　were　quite　sufficient　to　drown　all　scruples。

He　found　Miss　Vere　seated　by　the　window　of　her　dressing…room；　her　head　reclining　on　her　hand；　and　either　sunk　in　slumber；　or　so　deeply　engaged　in　meditation；　that　she　did　not　hear　the　noise　he　made　at　his　entrance。　　He　approached　with　his　features　composed　to　a　deep　expression　of　sorrow　and　sympathy；　and；　sitting　down　beside　her；　solicited　her　attention　by　quietly　taking　her　hand；　a　motion　which　he　did　not　fail　to　accompany　with　a　deep　sigh。

〃My　father！〃　　said　Isabella；　with　a　sort　of　start；　which　expressed　at　least　as　much　fear；　as　joy　or　affection。

〃Yes；　Isabella；〃　said　Vere；　〃your　unhappy　father；　who　comes　now　as　a　penitent　to　crave　forgiveness　of　his　daughter　for　an　injury　done　to　her　in　the　excess　of　his　affection；　and　then　to　take　leave　of　her　for　ever。〃

〃Sir？　　Offence　to　me　take　leave　for　ever？　　What　does　all　this　mean？〃　　said　Miss　Vere。

〃Yes；　Isabella；　I　am　serious。　　But　first　let　me　ask　you；　have　you　no　suspicion　that　I　may　have　been　privy　to　the　strange　chance　which　befell　you　yesterday　morning？〃

〃You；　sir？〃　　answered　Isabella；　stammering　between　a　consciousness　that　he　had　guessed　her　thoughts　justly；　and　the　shame　as　well　as　fear　which　forbade　her　to　acknowledge　a　suspicion　so　degrading　and　so　unnatural。

〃Yes！〃　　he　continued；　〃your　hesitation　confesses　that　you　entertained　such　an　opinion；　and　I　have　now　the　painful　task　of　acknowledging　that　your　suspicions　have　done　me　no　injustice。　But　listen　to　my　motives。　　In　an　evil　hour　I　countenanced　the　addresses　of　Sir　Frederick　Langley；　conceiving　it　impossible　that　you　could　have　any　permanent　objections　to　a　match　where　the　advantages　were；　in　most　respects；　on　your　side。　　In　a　worse；　I　entered　with　him　into　measures　calculated　to　restore　our　banished　monarch；　and　the　independence　of　my　country。　　He　has　taken　advantage　of　my　unguarded　confidence；　and　now　has　my　life　at　his　disposal。〃

〃Your　life；　sir？〃　　said　Isabella；　faintly。

〃Yes；　Isabella；〃　continued　her　father；　〃the　life　of　him　who　gave　life　to　you。　　So　soon　as　I　foresaw　the　excesses　into　which　his　headlong　passion　（for；　to　do　him　justice；　I　believe　his　unreasonable　conduct　arises　from　excess　of　attachment　to　you）　was　likely　to　hurry　him；　I　endeavoured；　by　finding　a　plausible　pretext　for　your　absence　for　some　weeks；　to　extricate　myself　from　the　dilemma　in　which　I　am　placed。　　For　this　purpose　I　wished；　in　case　your　objections　to　the　match　continued　insurmountable；　to　have　sent　you　privately　for　a　few　months　to　the　convent　of　your　maternal　aunt　at　Paris。　　By　a　series　o