the heir of redclyffe-第21节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



hint。'



'Well；　aunt；　you　are　a　tamer　of　savage　beasts　if　you　venture　on　such　a　

subject；'　said　Philip。



'Do　you　dare　me？'　she　asked；　smiling。



'Why；　I　don't　suppose　he　would　do　more　than　give　you　one　of　his　

lightning　glances：　but　that；　I　think；　is　more　than　you　desire。'



'Considerably；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　'for　his　sake　as　much　as　my　own。'



'But；'　said　Laura；　'mamma　has　nearly　cured　him　of　pawing　like　a　horse　

in　the　hall　when　he　is　kept　waiting。　　He　said　he　knew　it　was　

impatience；　and　begged　her　to　tell　him　how　to　cure　it。　　So　she　treated　

him　as　an　old　fairy　might；　and　advised　him　in　a　grave；　mysterious　way；　

always　to　go　and　play　the　〃Harmonious　Blacksmith；〃　when　he　found　

himself　getting　into　〃a　taking〃；　just　as　if　it　was　a　charm。　　And　he　

always　does　it　most　dutifully。'



'It　has　a　very　good　effect；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　'for　it　is　apt　to　

act　as　a　summons　to　the　other　party；　as　well　as　a　sedative　to　him。'



'I　must　say　I　am　curious　to　see　what　you　will　devise　this　time；'　said　

Philip；　'since　you　can't　set　him　to　play　on　the　piano；　and　very　few　can　

bear　to　be　told　of　a　trick　of　the　kind。'



In　the　course　of　that　evening；　Philip　caused　the　great　atlas　to　be　

brought　out　in　order　to　make　investigations　on　the　local　habitation　of　

a　certain　Khan　of　Kipchack；　who　existed　somewhere　in　the　dark　ages。　　

Then　he　came　to　Marco　Polo；　and　Sir　John　Mandeville；　and　Guy；　who　knew　

both　the　books　in　the　library　at　Redclyffe；　grew　very　eager　in　talking　

them　over；　and　tracing　their　adventuresthen　to　the　Genoese　merchants；　

where　Guy　confessed　himself　perfectly　ignorant。　　Andrea　Doria　was　the　

only　Genoese　he　ever　heard　of；　but　he　hunted　out　with　great　interest　

all　the　localities　of　their　numerous　settlements。　　Then　came　modern　

Italy；　and　its　fallen　palaces；　then　the　contrast　between　the　republican　

merchant　and　aristocratic　lord　of　the　soil；　then　the　corn　laws；　and　

then；　and　not　till　then；　did　Philip　glance　at　his　aunt；　to　show　her　Guy　

balancing　a　Venetian　weight　on　as　few　of　his　fingers　as　could　support　

it。



'Guy；'　said　she；　smiling；　'does　that　unfortunate　glass　inspire　you　with　

any　arguments　in　favour　of　the　Venetians？'



Guy　put　it　down　at　once；　and　Philip　proceeded　to　improved　methods　of　

farming；　to　enable　landlords　to　meet　the　exigencies　of　the　times。　　Guy　

had　got　hold　of　Mr。　Edmonstone's　spectacle…case；　and　was　putting　its　

spring　to　a　hard　trial。　　Mrs。　Edmonstone　doubted　whether　to　interfere　

again；　she　knew　this　was　not　the　sort　of　thing　that　tried　his　temper；　

yet　she　particularly　disliked　playing　him　off；　as　it　were　for　Philip's　

amusement；　and　quite　as　much　letting　him　go　on；　and　lower　himself　in　

her　nephew's　estimation。　　The　spectacle…case　settled　the　mattera；　

crack　was　heard；　it　refused　to　snap　at　all；　and　Guy；　much　discomfited；　

made　many　apologies。



Amy　laughed；　Philip　was　much　too　well…bred　to　do　anything　but　curl　his　

lip　unconsciously。　　Mrs。　Edmonstone　waited　till　he　was　gone；　then；　when　

she　was　wishing　Guy　'good…night'　at　Charles's　door；　she　said；



'The　spectacle…case　forestalled　me　in　giving　you　a　lecture　on　sparing　

our　nerves。　　Don't　look　so　very　full　of　compunctionit　is　only　a　trick　

which　your　mother　would　have　stopped　at　five　years　old；　and　which　you　

can　soon　stop　for　yourself。'



'Thank　you；　I　will！'　said　Guy；　'I　hardly　knew　I　did　it；　but　I　am　very　

sorry　it　has　teased　you。'



Thenceforward　it　was　curious　to　see　how　he　put　down　and　pushed　away　all　

he　had　once　begun　to　touch　and　torture。　　Mrs。　Edmonstone　said　it　was　

self　command　in　no　common　degree；　and　Philip　allowed　that　to　cure　so　

inveterate　a　habit　required　considerable　strength　of　will。



'However；'　he　said；　'I　always　gave　the　Morvilles　credit　for　an　iron　

resolution。　　Yes；　Amy；　you　may　laugh；　but　if　a　man　is　not　resolute　in　a　

little；　he　will　never　be　resolute　in　great　matters。'



'And　Guy　has　been　resolute　the　right　way　this　time；'　said　Laura。



'May　he　always　be　the　same；'　said　Philip。



Philip　had　undertaken；　on　his　way　back　to　Broadstone；　to　conduct　

Charlotte　to　East…hill；　where　she　was　to　spend　the　day　with　a　little　

niece　of　Mary　Ross。　　She　presently　came　down；　her　bonnet…strings　tied　

in　a　most　resolute…looking　bow；　and　her　little　figure　drawn　up　so　as　to　

look　as　womanly　is　possible　for　her　first　walk　alone　with　Philip。　　She　

wished　the　party　at　home　'goodbye；'　and　as　Amy　and　Laura　stood　watching　

her；　they　could　not　help　laughing　to　see　her　tripping　feet　striving　to　

keep　step；　her　blue　veil　discreetly　composed　and　her　little　head　turned　

up；　as　if　she　was　trying　hard　to　be　on　equa1　terms　with　the　tall　

cousin；　who　meanwhile　looked　graciously　down　from　his　height；　

patronising　her　like　a　very　small　child。　　After　some　space；　Amy　began　

to　wonder　what　they　could　talk　about；　or　whether　they　would　talk　at　

all；　but　Laura　said　there　was　no　fear　of　Charlotte's　tongue　ever　being　

still；　and　Charles　rejoined；



'Don't　you　know　that　Philip　considers　it　due　to　himself　that　his　

audience　should　never　be　without　conversation　suited　to　their　

capacity？'



'Nonsense；　Charlie！'



'Nay；　I　give　him　credit　for　doing　it　as　well　as　it　is　in　nature　of　

things　for　it　to　be　done。　　The　strongest　proof　I　know　of　his　being　a　

superior　man；　is　the　way　he　adapts　himself　to　his　company。　　He　lays　

down　the　law　to　us；　because　he　knows　we　are　all　born　to　be　his　

admirers；　he　calls　Thorndale　his　dear　fellow　and　conducts　him　like　a　

Mentor；　but　you　may　observe　how　different　he　is　with　other　peopleMr。　

Ross；　for　instance。　　It　is　not　showing　off；　it　is　just　what　the　pattern　

hero　should　be　with　the　pattern　clergyman。　　At　a　dinner　party　he　is　

quite　in　his　place；　contents　himself　with　leaving　an　impression　on　his　

neighbour　that　Mr。　Morville　is　at　home　on　every　subject；　and　that　he　is　

the　right　thing　with　his　brother　officers　is　sufficiently　proved；　since　

not　even　Maurice　either　hates　or　quizzes　him。'



'Well；　Charlie；'　said　Laura；　well　pleased；　I　am　glad　you　are　convinced　

at　last。'



'Do　you　think　I　ever　wanted　to　be　convinced　that　we　were　created　for　no　

other　end　than　to　applaud　Philip？　　I　was　fulfilling　the　object　of　our　

existence　by　enlarging　on　a　remark　of　Guy's；　that　nothing　struck　him　

more　than　the　way　in　which　Philip　could　adapt　his　conversation　to　the　

hearers。　　So　the　hint　was　not　lost　on　me；　and　I　came　to　the　conclusion　

that　it　was　a　far　greater　proof　of　his　sense　than　all　the　maxims　he　

lavishes　on　us。'



'I　wonder　Guy　was　the　person　to　make　the　remark；'　said　Laura；　'for　it　

is　strange　that　those　two　never　appear　to　the　best　advantage　together。'



'Oh；　Laura；　that　would　be　the　very　reason；'　said　Amy。



'The　very　reason？'　said　Charles。　　Draw　out　your　meaning；　Miss。'



'Yes；'　said　Amy；　colouring；　'If　Guyif　a　generous　person；　I　meanwere　

vexed　with　another　sometimes；　it　would　be　the　very　reason　he　would　make　

the　most　of　all　his　goodness。'



'Heigh…ho！'　yawned　Charles。　　What　o'clock　is　it？　　I　wonder　when　Guy　is　

ever　coming　back　from　that　Lascelles。'



'Your　wonder　need　not　last　long；'　said　Laura；　'for　I　see　him　riding　

into　the　stable　yard。'



In　a　few　minutes　he　had　entered；　and；　on　being　asked　if　he　had　met　

Philip　and　Charlotte；　and　how　they　were　getting　on；　he　replied；'A　

good　deal　like　the　print　of　Dignity　and　Impudence；'　at　the　same　time　

throwing　back　his　shoulders；　and　composing　his　countenance　to　imitate　

Philip's　lofty　deportment　and　sedate　expression；　and　the　next　moment　

putting　his　head　on　one　side　with　a　sharp　little　nod；　and　giving　a　

certain　espiegle　glance　of　the　eye；　and　knowing　twist　of　one　corner　of　

the　mouth；　just　like　Charlotte。



'By　the　by；'　added　he；　'would　Philip　have　been　a　clergyman　if　he　had　

gone　to　Oxford？'



'I　don't　know；　I　don't　think　it　was　settled；'　said　Laura；　'Why？'



'I　could　never　fancy　him　one'　said　Guy。　　'He　would　not　have　been　what　

he　is　now　if　he　had　gone　to　Oxford；'　said　Charles。　　'He　would　have　

lived　with　men　of　the　same　powers　and　pursuits　with　himself；　and　have　

found　his　level。'



'And　that　would　have　been　a　very　high　one；'　said　Guy。



'It　would；　but　there　would　be　all　the　difference　there　is　between　a　

feudal　prince　and　an　Eastern　despot。　　He　would　know　what　it　is　to　live　

with　his　match。'



'But　you　don't　attempt　to　call　him　conceited！'　cried　Guy；　with　a　sort　

of　consternation。



'He　is　far　above　that；　far　too　grand；'　said　Amy。



'I　should　as　soon　think　of　calling　Jupiter　conceited；'　said　Charles；　

and　Laura　did　not　know　how　far　to　be　gratified；　or　otherwise。



Charles　had　not　over…estimated　Philip's　readiness　of　self　adaptation。　　

Charlotte　had　been　very　happy　with　him；　talking　over　the　〃Lady　of　the　

Lake〃；　which　she　had　just　read；　and　being　enlightened；　partly　to　her　

satisfaction；　partly　to　her　disappointment；　as　to　how　much　was　

historical。　　He　listened　good…naturedly　to　a　fit　of　rapture；　and　threw