the heir of redclyffe-第2节

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grandfather's　death　has　happened　at　a　most　favourable　time　for　him。　　

The　poor　old　man　had　such　a　dread　of　his　going　wrong　that　he　kept　

him'



'I　knowas　tight　as　a　drum。'



'With　strictness　that　I　should　think　very　bad　for　a　boy　of　his　

impatient　temper。　　It　would　have　been　a　very　dangerous　experiment　to　

send　him　at　once　among　the　temptations　of　Oxford；　after　such　discipline　

and　solitude　as　he　has　been　used　to。'



'Don't　talk　of　it；'　interrupted　Mr。　Edmonstone；　spreading　out　his　hands　

in　a　deprecating　manner。　　'We　must　do　the　best　we　can　with　him；　for　I　

have　got　him　on　my　hands　till　he　is　five…and…twentyhis　grandfather　

has　tied　him　up　till　then。　　If　we　can　keep　him　out　of　mischief；　well　

and　good；　if　not；　it　can't　be　helped。'



'You　have　him　all　to　yourself；'　said　Charles。　



'Ay；　to　my　sorrow。　　If　your　poor　father　was　alive；　Philip；　I　should　be　

free　of　all　care。　　I've　a　pretty　deal　on　my　hands；'　he　proceeded；　

looking　more　important　than　troubled。　　'All　that　great　Redclyffe　estate　

is　no　sinecure；　to　say　nothing　of　the　youth　himself。　　If　all　the　world　

will　come　to　me；　I　can't　help　it。　　I　must　go　and　speak　to　the　men；　if　I　

am　to　be　off　to　Redclyffe　tomorrow。　　Will　you　come；　Philip？'



'I　must　go　back　soon；　thank　you；'　replied　Philip。　　'I　must　see　about　my　

leave；　only　we　should　first　settle　when　to　set　off。'



This　arranged；　Mr。　Edmonstone　hurried　away；　and　Charles　began　by　

saying；　'Isn't　there　a　ghost　at　Redclyffe？'



'So　it　is　said；'　answered　his　cousin；　'though　I　don't　think　it　is　

certain　whose　it　is。　　There　is　a　room　called　Sir　Hugh's　Chamber；　over　

the　gateway；　but　the　honour　of　naming　it　is　undecided　between　Hugo　de　

Morville；　who　murdered　Thomas　a　Becket；　and　his　namesake；　the　first　

Baronet；　who　lived　in　the　time　of　William　of　Orange；　when　the　quarrel　

began　with　our　branch　of　the　family。　　Do　you　know　the　history　of　it；　

aunt？'



'It　was　about　some　property；'　said　Mrs　Edmonstone；　'though　I　don't　know　

the　rights　of　it。　　But　the　Morvilles　were　always　a　fiery；　violent　race；　

and　the　enmity　once　begun　between　Sir　Hugh　and　his　brother；　was　kept　

up；　generation　after　generation；　in　a　most　unjustifiable　way。　　Even　I　

can　remember　when　the　Morvilles　of　Redclyffe　used　to　be　spoken　of　in　

our　family　like　a　sort　of　ogres。'



'Not　undeservedly；　I　should　think；'　said　Philip。　　'This　poor　old　man；　

who　is　just　dead；　ran　a　strange　career。　　Stories　of　his　duels　and　mad　

freaks　are　still　extant。'　



'Poor　man！　　I　believe　he　went　all　lengths；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone。



'What　was　the　true　version　of　that　horrible　story　about　his　son？'　said　

Philip。　　'Did　he　strike　him？'



'Oh；　no！　it　was　bad　enough　without　that。'　



'How？'　asked　Laura。



'He　was　an　only　child；　and　lost　his　mother　early。　　He　was　very　ill　

brought　up；　and　was　as　impetuous　and　violent　as　Sir　Guy　himself；　though　

with　much　kindliness　and　generosity。　　He　was　only　nineteen　when　he　made　

a　runaway　marriage　with　a　girl　of　sixteen；　the　sister　of　a　violin　

player；　who　was　at　that　time　in　fashion。　　His　father　was　very　much　

offended；　and　there　was　much　dreadfully　violent　conduct　on　each　side。　　

At　last；　the　young　man　was　driven　to　seek　a　reconciliation。　　He　brought　

his　wife　to　Moorworth；　and　rode　to　Redclyffe；　to　have　an　interview　with　

his　father。　　Unhappily；　Sir　Guy　was　giving　a　dinner　to　the　hunt；　and　

had　been　drinking。　　He　not　only　refused　to　see　him；　but　I　am　afraid　he　

used　shocking　language；　and　said　something　about　bidding　him　go　back　to　

his　fiddling　brother　in…law。　　The　son　was　waiting　in　the　hall；　heard　

everything；　threw　himself　on　his　horse；　and　rushed　away　in　the　dark。　　

His　forehead　struck　against　the　branch　of　a　tree；　and　he　was　killed　on　

the　spot。'



'The　poor　wife？'　asked　Amabel；　shuddering。



'She　died　the　next　day；　when　this　boy　was　born。'



'Frightful！'　said　Philip。　　'It　might　well　make　a　reformation　in　old　Sir　

Guy。'



'I　have　heard　that　nothing　could　be　more　awful　than　the　stillness　that　

fell　on　that　wretched　party；　even　before　they　knew　what　had　happened

before　Colonel　Harewood；　who　had　been　called　aside　by　the　servants；　

could　resolve　to　come　and　fetch　away　the　father。　　No　wonder　Sir　Guy　was　

a　changed　man　from　that　hour。'



'It　was　then　that　he　sent　for　my　father；'　said　Philip。　



'But　what　made　him　think　of　doing　so？'



'You　know　Colonel　Harewood's　house　at　Stylehurst？　　Many　years　ago；　when　

the　St。　Mildred's　races　used　to　be　so　much　more　in　fashion；　Sir　Guy　and　

Colonel　Harewood；　and　some　men　of　that　stamp；　took　that　house　amongst　

them；　and　used　to　spend　some　time　there　every　year；　to　attend　to　

something　about　the　training　of　the　horses。　　There　were　some　

malpractices　of　their　servants；　that　did　so　much　harm　in　the　parish；　

that　my　brother　was　obliged　to　remonstrate。　　Sir　Guy　was　very　angry　at　

first；　but　behaved　better　at　last　than　any　of　the　others。　　I　suspect　he　

was　struck　by　my　dear　brother's　bold；　uncompromising　ways；　for　he　took　

to　him　to　a　certain　degreeand　my　brother　could　not　help　being　

interested　in　him；　there　seemed　to　be　so　much　goodness　in　his　nature。　　

I　saw　him　once；　and　never　did　I　meet　any　one　who　gave　me　so　much　the　

idea　of　a　finished　gentleman。　　When　the　poor　son　was　about　fourteen；　he　

was　with　a　tutor　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　used　to　be　a　good　deal　at　

Stylehurst；　and；　after　the　unhappy　marriage；　my　brother　happened　to　

meet　him　in　London；　heard　his　story；　and　tried　to　bring　about　a　

reconciliation。'



'Ha！'　said　Philip；　'did　not　they　come　to　Stylehurst？　　I　have　a　dim　

recollection　of　somebody　very　tall；　and　a　lady　who　sung。'



'Yes；　your　father　asked　them　to　stay　there；　that　he　might　judge　of　her；　

and　wrote　to　Sir　Guy　that　she　was　a　little；　gentle；　childish　thing；　

capable　of　being　moulded　to　anything；　and　representing　the　mischief　of　

leaving　them　to　such　society　as　that　of　her　brother；　who　was　actually　

maintaining　them。　　That　letter　was　never　answered；　but　about　ten　days　

or　a　fortnight　after　this　terrible　accident；　Colonel　Harewood　wrote　to　

entreat　my　brother　to　come　to　Redclyffe；　saying　poor　Sir　Guy　had　

eagerly　caught　at　the　mention　of　his　name。　　Of　course　he　went　at　once；　

and　he　told　me　that　he　never；　in　all　his　experience　as　a　clergyman；　saw　

any　one　so　completely　broken　down　with　grief。'



I　found　a　great　many　of　his　letters　among　my　father's　papers；'　said　

Philip；　'and　it　was　a　very　touching　one　that　he　wrote　to　me　on　my　

father's　death。　　Those　Redclyffe　people　certainly　have　great　force　of　

character。'



'And　was　it　then　he　settled　his　property　on　my　uncle？'　said　Charles。



'Yes；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone。　　'My　brother　did　not　like　his　doing　so；　

but　he　would　not　be　at　rest　till　it　was　settled。　　It　was　in　vain　to　put　

him　in　mind　of　his　grandchild；　for　he　would　not　believe　it　could　live；　

and；　indeed；　its　life　hung　on　a　thread。　　I　remember　my　brother　telling　

me　how　he　went　to　Moorworth　to　see　itfor　it　could　not　be　brought　

homein　hopes　of　bringing；　back　a　report　that　might　cheer　its　

grandfather；　but　how　he　found　it　so　weak　and　delicate；　that　he　did　not　

dare　to　try　to　make　him　take　interest　in　it。　　It　was　not　till　the　child　

was　two　or　three　years　old；　that　Sir　Guy　ventured　to　let　himself　grow　

fond　of　it。'



'Sir　Guy　was　a　very　striking　person；'　said　Philip；　'I　shall　not　easily　

forget　my　visit　to　Redclyffe　four　years　ago。　　It　was　more　like　a　scene　

in　a　romance　than　anything　realthe　fine　old　red　sandstone　house　

crumbling　away　in　the　exposed　parts；　the　arched　gateway　covered　with　

ivy；　the　great　quadrangle　where　the　sun　never　shone；　and　full　of　

echoes；　the　large　hall　and　black　wainscoted　rooms；　which　the　candles　

never　would　light　up。　　It　is　a　fit　place　to　be　haunted。'



'That　poor　boy　alone　there！'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　'I　am　glad　you　and　

your　uncle　are　going　to　him。'



'Tell　us　about　him；'　said　Laura。



'He　was　the　most　incongruous　thing　there；'　said　Philip。　　'There　was　a　

calm；　deep　melancholy　about　the　old　man　added　to　the　grand　courtesy　

which　showed　he　had　been　what　old　books　call　a　fine　gentleman；　that　

made　him　suit　his　house　as　a　hermit　does　his　cell；　or　a　knight　his　

castle；　but　breaking　in　on　this　〃penseroso〃　scene；　there　was　Guy'



'In　what　way？'　asked　Laura。



'Always　in　wild　spirits；　rushing　about；　playing　antics；　provoking　the　

solemn　echoes　with　shouting；　whooping；　singing；　whistling。　　There　was　

something　in　that　whistle　of　his　that　always　made　me　angry。'　



'How　did　this　suit　old　Sir　Guy？'



'It　was　curious　to　see　how　Guy　could　rattle　on　to　him；　pour　out　the　

whole　history　of　his　doings；　laughing；　rubbing　his　hands；　springing　

about　with　animationall　with　as　little　answer　as　if　he　had　been　

talking　to　a　statue。'



'Do　you　mean　that　Sir　Guy　did　not　like　it？'



'He　did　in　his　own　way。　There　was　now　and　then　a　glance　or　a　nod；　to　

show　that　he　was　attending；　but　it　was　such　slight　encouragement；　that