the heir of redclyffe-第147节

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her；　and　mamma　would　judge。　　They　tried　to　persuade　her　it　was　the　way　

of　all　lovers；　and　appealed　to　Laura　s　example；　but　there　little　

Charlotte　was　less　to　be　shaken　than　on　any　point。　　〃I　did　not　think　

them　worthy　to　hear　their　names；〃　she　said　to　me；　〃but　I　told　them；　

that　I　had　seen　that　the　truest　and　deepest　of　love　had　a　horror　of　all　

that　was　like　wrong；　and　as　to　Philip　and　Laura；　they　little　knew　what　

they　had　suffered；　besides；　theirs　was　not　half　so　bad。〃　　I　verily　

believe　these　were　the　very　words　she　used　to　them。　　At　last　Eva　threw　

herself　on　her　mercy；　and　begged　so　vehemently　that　she　would　only　wait　

another　day；　that　she　suspected；　and；　with　sharpness　very　like　

Charlie's；　forced　from　Eva　that　they　were　to　marry　the　next　morning。　　

Then　she　said　it　would　be　a　great　deal　better　that　they　should　abuse　

her　and　call　her　a　spy　than　do　what　they　would　repent　of　all　their　

lives；　she　begged　Eva's　pardon；　and　cried　so　much　that　Eva　was　in　hopes　

she　would　relent；　and　then　came　straight　to　me；　very　unhappy；　and　not　

in　the　least　triumphant　in　her　discovery。　　You　can　guess　what　a　

dreadful　afternoon　we　had；　I　don't　think　any　one　was　more　miserable　

than　poor　Charlotte；　who　stayed　shut　up　in　my　room　all　day；　dreading　

the　sight　of　any　one；　and　expecting　to　be　universally　called　a　traitor。　　

The　end　was；　that　after　much　storming；　Lord　Kilcoran；　finding　Eveleen　

determined；　and　anxious　to　save　her　the　discredit　of　an　elopement；　has　

agreed　to　receive　Mr。　Fielder；　and　they　are　to　be　married　from　this　

house　on　the　6th　of　December；　though　what　they　are　to　live　upon　no　one　

can　guess。　　The　Kilcorans　are　very　anxious　to　put　the　best　face　on　the　

matter　possible；　and　have　persuaded　us；　for　the　sake　of　the　family；　to　

stay　for　the　wedding；　indeed；　poor　Lady　Kilcoran　is　so　completely　

overcome；　that　I　hardly　like　to　leave　her　till　this　is　over。　　How　

unpleasant　the　state　of　things　in　the　house　is　no　one　can　imagine；　and　

very；　very　glad　shall　I　be　to　get　back　to　Hollywell　and　my　Amy　and　

Charlie。　　Dearest　Amy；



　　　　　　　'Your　most　affectionate。　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'L。　EDMONSTONE。'





The　news　was　at　length　told；　and　Philip　was　indeed　thunder…struck　at　

this　fresh　consequence　of　his　interference。　　It　threatened　at　first　to　

overthrow　his　scarcely　recovered　spirits；　and　but　for　the　presence　of　

his　guests；　it　seemed　as　if　it　might　have　brought　on　a　renewal　of　the　

state　from　which　they　had　restored　him。



'Yes；'　said　Charles　to　Amy；　when　they　talked　it　over　alone；　'It　seems　

as　if　good　people　could　do　wrong　with　less　impunity　than　others。　　It　is　

rather　like　the　saying　about　fools　and　angels。　　Light…minded　people　see　

the　sin；　but　not　the　repentance；　so　they　imitate　the　one　without　being　

capable　of　the　other。　　Here　are　Philip　and　Laura　finishing　off　like　the　

end　of　a　novel；　fortune　and　all；　and　setting　a　very　bad　example　to　the　

world　in　general。'



'As　the　world　cannot　see　below　the　surface；'　said　Amy；　'how　distressed　

Laura；　must　be！　　You　see；　mamma　does　not　say　one　word　about　her。'



Philip　had　not　much　peace　till　he　had　written　to　Mr。　Thorndale；　who　was　

going　at　once　to　Germany；　not　liking　to　return　home　to　meet　the　

condolences。　　Mrs。　Edmonstone　had　nearly　the　whole　correspondence　of　

the　family　on　her　hands；　for　neither　of　her　daughters　liked　to　write；　

and　she　gave　the　description　of　the　various　uncomfortable　scenes　that　

took　place。　　Lord　de　Courcy's　stern　and　enduring　displeasure；　and　his　

father's　fast　subsiding　violence；　Lady　Kilcoran's　distress；　and　the　

younger　girls'　excitement　and　amusement；　but　she　said　she　thought　the　

very　proper　and　serious　way　in　which　Charlotte　viewed　it；　would　keep　it　

from　doing　them　much　harm；　provided；　as　was　much　to　be　feared；　Lord　

Kilcoran　did　not　end　by　keeping　the　pair　always　at　home；　living　upon　

him　till　Mr。　Fielder　could　get　a　situation。　　In　fact；　it　was　difficult　

to　know　what　other　means　there　were　of　providing　for　them。



At　last　the　wedding　took　place；　and　Mrs。　Edmonstone　wrote　a　letter；　

divided　between　indignation　at　the　foolish　display　that　had　attended　

it；　and　satisfaction　at　being　able　at　length　to　fix　the　day　for　the　

meeting　at　Hollywell。　　No　one　could　guess　how　she　longed　to　be　at　home　

again；　and　to　be　once　more　with　Charlie。



Nor　were　Charles　and　Amabel　less　ready　to　go　home；　though　they　could　

both　truly　say　that　they　had　much　enjoyed　their　stay　at　Redclyffe。　　

Philip　was　to　come　with　them；　and　it　was　privately　agreed　that　he　

should　return　to　Redclyffe　no　more　till　he　could　bring　Laura　with　him。　　

Amabel　had　talked　of　her　sister　to　Mrs。　Ashford；　and　done　much　to　

smooth　the　way；　and　even　on　the　last　day　or　two；　held　a　few　

consultations　with　Philip；　as　to　the　arrangements　that　Laura　would　

like。　　One　thing；　however；　she　must　ask　for　her　own　pleasure。　　


'Philip；'　said　she；　'you　must　let　me　have　this　piano。'



His　answer　was　by　look　and　gesture。



'And　I　want　very　much　to　ask　a　question；　Philip。　　Will　you　tell　me　

which　is　Sir　Hugh's　picture？'



'You　have　been　sitting　opposite　to　it　every　day　at　dinner。'



'That！'　exclaimed　Amy。　　'From　what　I　heard；　I　fully　expected　to　have　

known　Sir　Hugh's　in　a　moment；　and　I　often　looked　at　that　one；　but　I　

never　could　see　more　likeness　than　there　is　in　almost　all　the　pictures　

about　the　house。'



She　went　at　once　to　study　it　again；　and　wondered　more。



'I　have　seen　him　sometimes　look　like　it；　but　it　is　not　at　all　the　

strong　likeness　I　expected。'



Philip　stood　silently　gazing；　and　certainly　the　countenance　he　

recalled；　pleading　with　him　to　desist　from　his　wilfulness；　and　bending　

over　him　in　his　sickness；　was　far　unlike　in　expression　to　the　fiery　

youth　before　him。　　In　a　few　moments　more；　Amabel　had　run　up…stairs；　and　

brought　down　Mr。　Shene's　portrait。　　There　was　proved　to　be　more　

resemblance　than　either　of　them　had　at　first　sight　credited。　　The　form　

of　the　forehead；　nose；　and　short　upper　lip　were　identical；　so　were　the　

sharply…defined　black　eyebrows；　the　colour　of　the　eyes；　and　the　way　of　

standing　in　both　had　a　curious　similarity；　but　the　expression　was　so　

entirely　different；　that　strict　comparison　alone　proved；　that　Guy's　

animated；　contemplative；　and　most　winning　countenance；　was　in　its　

original　lineaments　entirely　the　same　with　that　of　his　ancestor。　　

Although　Sir　Hugh's　was　then　far　from　unprepossessing；　and　bore　as　yet　

no　trace　of　his　unholy　passions；　it　bought　to　Amabel's　mind　the　shudder　

with　which　Guy　had　mentioned　his　likeness　to　that　picture；　and　seemed　

to　show　her　the　nature　he　had　tamed。



Philip；　meanwhile；　after　one　glance　at　Mr。　Shene's　portrait；　which　he　

had　not　before　seen；　had　turned　away；　and　stood　leaning　against　the　

window…frame。　　When　Amy　had　finished　her　silent　comparison；　and　was　

going　to　take　her　treasure　back；　he　looked　up；　and　said；　'Do　you　

dislike　leaving　that　with　me　for　a　few　minutes？'



'Keep　it　as　long　as　you　like；'　said　she；　going　at　once；　and　she　saw　him　

no　more　till　nearly　an　hour　after；　when；　as　she　was　coming　out　of　her　

own　room；　he　met　her；　and　gave　it　into　her　hands；　saying　nothing　except　

a　smothered　'Thank　you；'　but　his　eyelids　were　so　swollen　and　heavy；　

that　Charles　feared　his　head　was　bad　again；　while　Amy　was　glad　to　

perceive　that　he　had　had　the　comfort　of　tears。



Every　one　was　sorry　to　wish　Lady　Morville　and　her　brother　good…bye；　

only　consoling　themselves　with　hoping　that　their　sister　might　be　like　

them；　and　as　to　little　Mary；　the　attention　paid　to　her　was　so　devoted　

and　universal；　that　her　mamma　thought　it　very　well　she　should　receive　

the　first　ardour　of　it　while　she　was　too　young　to　have　her　head　turned。



They　again　slept　a　night　in　London；　and　in　the　morning　Philip　took　

Charles　for　a　drive　through　the　places　he　had　heard　of；　and　was　much　

edified　by　actually　beholding。　　They　were　safely　at　home　the　same　

evening；　and　on　the　following；　the　Hollywell　party　was　once　more　

complete；　gathered　round　Charles's　sofa　in　a　confusion　of　welcomes　and　

greetings。



Mrs。　Edmonstone　could　hardly　believe　her　eyes；　so　much　had　Charles's　

countenance　lost　its　invalid　look；　and　his　movements　were　so　much　more　

active；　Amabel；　too；　though　still　white　and　thin；　had　a　life　in　her　eye　

and　an　air　of　health　most　unlike　her　languor　and　depression。



Every　one　looked　well　and　happy　but　Laura；　and　she　had　a　worn；　faded；　

harassed　aspect；　which　was　not　cheered　even　by　Philip's　presence；　

indeed；　she　seemed　almost　to　shrink　from　speaking　to　him。　　She　was　the　

only　silent　one　of　the　party　that　evening；　as　they　gathered　round　the　

dinner　or　tea…table；　or　sat　divided　into　threes　or　pairs；　talking　over　

the　subjects　that　would　not　do　to　be　discussed　in　public。　　Charlotte　

generally　niched　into　Amy's　old　corner　by　Charles；　hearing　about　

Redclyffe；　or　telling　about　Ireland。　　Mrs。　Edmonstone　and　Amy　on　the　

opposite　sides　of　the　ottoman；　their　heads