the heir of redclyffe-第134节

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easily　that　she　must　be　on　her　guard。　　She　sat　down；　settled　the　little　

one　on　her　knee；　and　gave　him　time　to　recover　himself。



Presently　he　came　and　stood　by　her　saying；　in　a　most　decided　tone；　

'Amabel；　you　must　let　me　do　this　child　justice。'



She　looked　up；　wondering　what　he　could　mean。



'I　will　not　delay　in　taking　steps　for　restoring　her　inheritance；'　said　

he；　hoping　by　determination　to　overpower　Amabel；　and　make　her　believe　

it　a　settled　and　a　right　thing。



'0　Philip；　you　are　not　thinking　of　that！'



'It　is　to　be　done。'



'You　would　not　be　so　unkind　to　this　poor　little　girl；'　said　Amy；　with　a　

persuasive　smile；　partaking　of　her　old　playfulness；　adding；　very　much　

in　earnest；　'Pray　put　it　out　of　your　head　directly；　for　it　would　be　

very　wrong。'



The　nurse　knocked　at　the　door　to　fetch　the　baby；　as　Amabel　had　desired。　　

When　this　interruption　was　over；　Philip　came　and　sat　down　opposite　to　

her；　and　began　with　his　most　decided　manner：



'You　must　listen　to　me；　Amy；　and　not　allow　any　scruples　to　prevent　you　

from　permitting　your　child　to　be　restored　to　her　just　rights。　　You　must　

see　that　the　estate　has　come　to　me　by　circumstances　such　that　no　honest　

man　can　be　justified　in　retaining　it。　　The　entail　was　made　to　exclude　

females；　only　because　of　the　old　Lady　Granard。　　It　is　your　duty　to　

consent。'



'The　property　has　always　gone　in　the　male　line；'　replied　Amabel。



'There　never　was　such　a　state　of　things。　　Old　Sir　Guy　could　never　have　

thought　of　entailing　it　away　from　his　own　descendant　on　a　distant　

cousin。　　It　would　be　wrong　of　me　to　profit　by　these　unforeseen　

contingencies；　and　you　ought　not；　in　justice　to　your　child；　to　object。'



He　spoke　so　forcibly　and　decidedly　that　he　thought　he　must　have　

prevailed。　　But　not　one　whit　convinced；　Amabel　answered；　in　her　own　

gentle　voice；　but　beginning　with　a　business…like　argument：'Such　a　

possibility　was　contemplated。　　It　was　all　provided　for　in　the　marriage　

settlements。　　Indeed；　I　am　afraid　that；　as　it　is；　she　will　be　a　great　

deal　too　rich。　　Besides；　Philip；　I　am　sure　this　is　exactly　what　Guy　

would　have　chosen；'　and　the　tears　rose　in　her　eyes。　　'The　first　thing　

that　came　into　my　head　when　she　was　born；　was；　that　it　was　just　what　he　

wished；　that　I　should　have　her　for　myself；　and　that　you　should　take　

care　of　Redclyffe。　　I　am　certain　now　that　he　hoped　it　would　be　so。　　I　

knowindeed　I　dothat　he　took　great　pleasure　in　thinking　of　its　being　

in　your　hands；　and　of　your　going　on　with　all　he　began。　　You　can't　have　

forgotten　how　much　he　left　in　your　charge？　　If　you　were　to　give　it　up；　

it　would　be　against　his　desire；　and　with　that　knowledge；　how　could　I　

suffer　it？　　Then　think　what　a　misfortune　to　her；　poor　little　thing；　to　

be　a　great　heiress；　and　how　very　bad　for　Redclyffe　to　have　no　better　a　

manager　than　me！　　Oh；　Philip；　can　you　not　see　it　is　best　as　it　is；　and　

just　as　he　wished？'



He　almost　groaned　'If　you　could　guess　what　a　burden　it　is。'



'Ah！　but　you　must　carry　it；　not　throw　it　down　on　such　hands　as　mine　and　

that　tiny　baby's；'　said　she；　smiling。



'It　would　have　been　the　same　if　it　had　been　a　boy。'



'Yes；　then　I　must　have　done　the　best　I　could；　and　there　would　have　been　

an　end　to　look　to；　but　I　am　so　glad　to　be　spared。　　And　you　are　so　fit　

for　it；　and　will　make　it　turn　to　so　much　use　to　every　one。'



'I　don't　feel　as　if　I　should　ever　be　of　use　to　any　one；'　said　Philip；　

in　a　tone　of　complete　dejection。



'Your　head　is　aching；'　said　she；　kindly。



'It　always　does；　more　or　less；'　replied　he；　resting　it　on　his　hand。



'I　am　so　sorry。　　Has　it　been　so　ever　since　you　were　ill？　　But　you　are　

better？　　You　look　better　than　when　I　saw　you　last。'



'I　am　better　on　the　whole；　but　I　doubt　whether　I　shall　ever　be　as　

strong　as　I　used　to　be。　　That　ought　to　make　me　hesitate；　even　if'　

then　came　a　pause；　while　he　put　his　hand　over　his　face；　and　seemed　

struggling　with　irrepressible　emotion；　and　after　all　he　was　obliged　to　

take　two　walks　to　the　window　before　he　could　recover　composure；　and　

could　ask　in　a　voice　which　he　tried　to　make　calm　and　steady；　though　his　

face　was　deeply　flushed　'Amy；　how　is　Laura？'



'She　is　very　well；'　answered　Amabel。　　'Only　you　must　not　be　taken　by　

surprise　if　you　see　her　looking　thinner。'



'And　she　has　trustedshe　has　endured　through　all？'　said　he；　with　

inquiring　earnestness。



'O　yes！'



'And　theyyour　father　and　mothercan　forgive？'



'They　dothey　have。　　But；　Philip；　it　was　one　of　the　things　I　came　down　

to　say　to　you。　　I　don't　think　you　must　expect　papa　to　begin　about　it　

himself。　　You　know　he　does　not　like　awkwardness；　though　he　will　be　very　

glad　when　once　it　is　done；　and　ready　to　meet　you　half　way。'　　He　did　not　

answer；　and　after　a　silence　Amabel　added；　'Laura　is　out　of　doors。　She　

and　Charlotte　take　very　long　walks。'



'And　is　she　really　strong　and　well；　or　is　it　that　excited　overdoing　of　

employment　that　I　first　set　her　upon？'　he　asked；　anxiously。



'She　is　perfectly　well；　and　to　be　busy　has　been　a　great　help　to　her；'　

said　Amabel。　　'It　was　a　great　comfort　that　we　did　not　know　how　ill　you　

had　been　at　Corfu；　till　the　worst　was　over。　　Eveleen　only　mentioned　it　

when　you　were　better。　　I　was　very　anxious；　for　I　had　some　fears　from　

the　note　that　you　sent　by　Arnaud。　　I　am　very　glad　to　see　you　safe　here；　

for　I　have　felt　all　along　that　we　forsook　you；　but　I　could　not　help　

it。'



'I　am　very　glad　you　did　not　stay。　　The　worst　of　all　would　have　been　

that　you　should　have　run　any　risk。'



'There　is　the　carriage；'　said　Amy。　　'Mamma　and　Charlie　have　been　to　

Broadstone。　　They　thought　they　might　meet　you　by　the　late　train。'



Philip's　colour　rose。　He　stood　upsat　down；　then　rising　once　more；　

leant　on　the　mantel…piece；　scarcely　knowing　how　to　face　either　of　them…

…his　aunt；　with　her　well…merited　displeasure；　and　Charles；　who　when　he　

parted　with　him　had　accused　him　so　justlyCharles；　who　had　seen　

through　him　and　had　been　treated　with　scorn。



A　few　moments；　and　Charles　came　in；　leaning　on　his　mother。　　They　both　

shook　hands；　exclaimed　at　finding　Amabel　downstairs；　and　Mrs。　

Edmonstone　asked　after　Philip's　health　in　her　would…be　cordial　manner。　　

The　two　ladies　then　went　up…stairs　together；　and　thus　ended　that　

conference；　in　which　both　parties　had　shown　rare　magnanimity；　of　which　

they　were　perfectly　unconscious；　and　perhaps　the　most　remarkable　part　

of　all　was　that　Philip　quietly　gave　up　the　great　renunciation　and　so…

called　sacrifice；　with　which　he　had　been　feeding　his　hopes；　at　the　

simple　bidding　of　the　gentle…spoken　Amabelnot　even　telling　her　that　

he　resigned　it。　　He　kept　the　possessions　which　he　abhorred；　and　gave　up　

the　renunciation　he　had　longed　to　make；　and　in　this　lay　the　true　

sacrifice；　the　greater　because　the　world　would　think　him　the　gainer。



When　the　mother　and　daughter　were　gone；　the　cousins　were　silent；　Philip　

resting　his　elbow　on　the　mantel…shelf　and　his　head　on　his　hand；　and　

Charles　sitting　at　the　end　of　the　sofa；　warming　first　one　hand；　then　

the　other；　while　he　looked　up　to　the　altered　face；　and　perceived　in　it　

grief　and　humiliation　almost　as　plainly　as　illness。　　His　keen　eyes　read　

that　the　sorrow　was　indeed　more　deeply　rooted　than　he　had　hitherto　

believed；　and　that　Amabel's　pity　had　not　been　wasted；　and　he　was　also　

struck　by　the　change　from　the　great　personal　strength　that　used　to　make　

nothing　of　lifting　his　whole　weight。



'I　am　sorry　to　see　you　so　pulled　down；'　said　he。　　'We　must　try　if　we　

can　doctor　you　better　than　they　did　at　St。　Mildred's。　　Are　you　getting　

on；　do　you　think？'



He　had　hardly　ever　spoken　to　Philip；　so　entirely　without　either　

bitterness　or　sarcasm；　and　his　manner　hardly　seemed　like　that　of　the　

same　person。



'Thank　you；　I　am　growing　stronger；　but　as　long　as　I　cannot　get　rid　of　

this　headache；　I　am　good　for　nothing。'



'You　have　had　a　long　spell　of　illness　indeed；'　said　Charles。　　'You　

can't　expect　to　shake　off　two　fevers　in　no　time。　　Now　all　the　anxiety　

is　over；　you　will　brighten　like　this　house。'



'But　tell　me；　what　is　thought　of　Amabel？　　Is　she　as　well　as　she　ought　

to　be？'



'Yes；　quite；　they　sayhas　recovered　her　strength　very　fast；　and　is　in　

just　the　right　spirits。　　She　was　churched　yesterday；　and　was　not　the　

worse　for　it。　　It　was　a　trial；　for　she　had　not　been　to　East…hill　since…

…since　last　May。'



'It　is　a　blessing；　indeed；'　said　Philip；　earnestly。



'She　has　been　so　very　happy　with　the　baby；'　said　Charles。　　'You　hear　

what　its　name　is　to　be？'



'Yes；　she　told　me　in　her　letter。'



'To　avoid　having　to　tell　you　here；　I　suppose。　　Mary　is　for　common　wear；　

Verena　is　for　ourselves。　　She　asked　if　it　would　be　too　foolish　to　give　

such　a　name；　and　mamma　said　the　only　question　was；　whether　she　would　

like　indifferent　people　to　ask　the　reason　of　it。'



Philip　lapsed　into　thought；　and　presently　said；　abruptly；