the heir of redclyffe-第38节

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the　same　as　a　brother。'



'A　brother！　　You　are　pretending　to　be　more　simple　than　you　really　are；　

Amy！　　Don't　you　know　what　I　mean？'



'O；'　said　Amy；　her　cheeks　lighting　up；　'that　must　be　only　play；　for　he　

has　never　asked　her。'



'Ah；　but　suppose　she　was　in　the　state　just　ready　to　be　asked？'



'No；　that　could　never　be；　for　he　could　never　ask　her；'



'Why　not；　little　Amy？'



'Because　we　are　cousins；　and　everything；'　said　Amy；　confused。　　'Don't　

talk　any　more　about　it；　Eva；　for　though　I　know　it　is　all　play；　I　don't　

like　it；　and　mamma；　would　not　wish　me　to　talk　of　such　things。　　And　

don't　you　laugh　about　it；　dear　Eva；　pray；　for　it　only　makes　every　one　

uncomfortable。　　Pray！'



Amy　had　a　very　persuasive　way　of　saying　'pray；'　and　Eveleen　thought　she　

must　yield　to　it。　　Besides；　she　respected　Laura　and　Captain　Morville　

too　much　to　resolve　to　laugh　at　them；　whatever　she　might　do　when　her　

fear　of　the　Captain　made　her　saucy。



Mrs。　Edmonstone　thought　it　best　on　all　accounts　to　sit　in　the　drawing…

room　the　next　morning；　but　she　need　not　have　taken　so　much　pains　to　

chaperon　her　young　ladies；　for　the　gentlemen　did　not　come　near　them。



Laura　was　more　at　ease　in　manner；　though　very　far　from　happy；　for　she　

was　restlessly　eager　for　a　talk　with　Philip；　while　he　was　resolved　not　

to　seek　a　private　interview；　sure　that　it　would　excite　suspicion；　and　

willing　to　lose　the　consciousness　of　his　underhand　proceedings。



This　was　the　day　of　the　dinner…party；　and　Laura's　heart　leaped　as　she　

calculated　that　it　must　fall　to　Philip's　lot　to　hand　her　in　to　dinner。　　

She　was　not　mistaken；　he　did　give　her　his　arm；　and　they　found　

themselves　most　favourably　placed；　for　Philip's　other　neighbour　was　

Mrs。　Brownlow；　talking　at　a　great　rate　to　Mr。　de　Courcy；　and　on　Laura's　

side　was　the　rather　deaf　Mr。　Hayley；　who　had　quite　enough　to　do　to　talk　

to　Miss　Brownlow。　　Charles　was　not　at　table；　and　not　one　suspicious　eye　

could　rest　on　them；　yet　it　was　not　till　the　second　course　was　in　

progress　that　he　said　anything　which　the　whole　world　might　not　have　

heard。　　Something　had　passed　about　Canterbury；　and　its　distance　from　

Hollywell。



'I　can　be　here　often；'　said　Philip。



'I　am　glad。'



'If　you　can　only　be　guarded；and　I　think　you　are　becoming　so。'



'Is　this　a　time　to　speak　of？　　Oh；　don't！'



'It　is　the　only　time。　　No　one　is　attending；　and　I　have　something　to　say　

to　you。'



Overpowering　her　dire　confusion；　in　obedience　to　him；　she　looked　at　the　

epergne；　and　listened。



'You　have　acted　prudently。　　You　have　checked'　and　he　indicated　Guy

'without　producing　more　than　moderate　annoyance。　　You　have　only　to　

guard　your　self…possession。'



'It　is　very　foolish；'　she　murmured。



'Ordinary　women　say　so；　and　rest　contented　with　the　folly。　　You　can　do　

better　things。'



There　was　a　thrill　of　joy　at　finding　him　conversing　with　her　as　his　

'own；'　it　overcame　her　embarrassment　and　alarm；　and　wishes　he　would　not　

choose　such　a　time　for　speaking。'



'How　shall　I？'　said　she。



'Employ　yourself。　　Employ　and　strengthen　your　mind！'



'How　shall　I；　and　without　you？'



'Find　something　to　prevent　you　from　dwelling　on　the　future。　　That　

drawing　is　dreamy　work；　employing　the　fingers　and　leaving　the　mind　

free。'



'I　have　been　trying　to　read；　but　I　cannot　fix　my　mind。'



'Suppose　you　take　what　will　demand　attention。　　Mathematics；　algebra。　　I　

will　send　you　my　first　book　of　algebra；　and　it　will　help　you　to　work　

down　many　useless　dreams　and　anxieties。'



'Thank　you；　pray　do；　I　shall　be　very　glad　of　it。'



'You　will　find　it　give　a　power　and　stability　to　your　mind；　and　no　

longer　have　to　complain　of　frivolous　occupation。'



'I　don't　feel　frivolous　now；'　said　Laura；　sadly；　'I　don't　know　why　it　

is　that　everything　is　so　altered；　I　am　really　happier；　but　my　light　

heart　is　gone。'



'You　have　but　now　learnt　the　full　powers　of　your　soul；　Laura；　you　have　

left　the　world　of　childhood；　with　the　gay　feelings　which　have　no　

depth。'



'I　have　what　is　better；'　she　whispered。



'You　have；　indeed。　　But　those　feelings　must　be　regulated；　and　

strengthening　the　intellect　strengthens　the　governing　power。'



Philip；　with　all　his　sense；　was　mystifying　himself；　because　he　was　

departing　from　right；　the　only　true　'good　sense。'　　His　right　judgment　

in　all　things　was　becoming　obscured；　so　he　talked　metaphysical　jargon；　

instead　of　plain　practical　truth；　and　thought　he　was　teaching　Laura　to　

strengthen　her　powers　of　mind；　instead　of　giving　way　to　dreams；　when　he　

was　only　leading　her　to　stifle　meditation；　and　thus　securing　her　

complete　submission　to　himself。



She　was　happier　after　this　conversation；　and　better　able　to　pay　

attention　to　the　guests；　nor　did　she　feel　guilty　when　obliged　to　play　

and　sing　in　the　eveningfor　she　knew　he　must　own　that　she　could　do　no　

otherwise。



Lady　Eveleen　gave；　however；　its　brilliancy　to　the　party。　　She　had　

something　wonderfully　winning　and　fascinating　about　her；　and　Philip　

owned　to　himself　that　it　took　no　small　resolution　on　the　part　of　Mr。　

Thorndale　to　keep　so　steadily　aloof　from　the　party　in　the　bay　window；　

where　she　was　reigning　like　a　queen；　and　inspiring　gaiety　like　a　fairy。　　

She　made　Guy　sing　with　her；　it　was　the　first　time　he　had　ever　sung；　

except　among　themselves；　as　Mrs。　Edmonstone　had　never　known　whether　he　

would　like　to　be　asked；　but　Eveleen　refused　to　sing　some　of　the　Irish　

melodies　unless　he　would　join　her；　and　without　making　any　difficulty　he　

did　so。　　Mrs。　Brownlow　professed　to　be　electrified；　and　Eveleen　

declaring　that　she　knew　she　sung　like　a　peacock；　told　Mrs。　Brownlow　

that　the　thing　to　hear　was　Sir　Guy　singing　glees　with　Laura　and　Amy。　　

Of　course；　they　were　obliged　to　sing。　　Mrs。　Brownlow　was　delighted；　and　

as　she　had　considerable　knowledge　of　music；　they　all　grew　eager　and　

Philip　thought　it　very　foolish　of　Guy　to　allow　so　much　of　his　talent　

and　enthusiasm　to　display　themselves。



When　all　the　people　were　gone；　and　the　home　party　had　wished　each　other　

good…night；　Philip　lingered　in　the　drawing…room　to　finish　a　letter。　　

Guy；　after　helping　Charles　up…stairs；　came　down　a　few　moments　after；　to　

fetch　something　which　he　had　forgotten。　　Philip　looked　up；'You　

contributed　greatly　to　the　entertainment　this　evening；'　he　said。



Guy　coloured；　not　quite　sure　that　this　was　not　said　sarcastically；　and　

provoked　with　himself　for　being　vexed。



'You　think　one　devoid　of　the　sixth　sense　has　no　right　to　speak；'　said　

Philip。



'I　can't　expect　all　to　think　it；　as　I　do；　one　of　the　best　things　in　

this　world　or　out　of　it；'　said　Guy；　speaking　quickly。



'I　know　it　is　so　felt　by　those　who　understand　its　secrets；'　said　

Philip。　　'I　would　not　depreciate　it；　so　you　may　hear　me　patiently；　Guy。　　

I　only　meant　to　warn　you；　that　it　is　often　the　means　of　bringing　

persons　into　undesirable　intimacies；　from　which　they　cannot　disentangle　

themselves　as　easily　as　they　enter　them。'



A　flush　crossed　Guy's　cheek；　but　it　passed；　and　he　simply　said'I　

suppose　it　may。　　Good…night。'



Philip　looked　after　him；　and　pondered　on　what　it　was　that　had　annoyed　

himmanner；　words；　or　advice。　　He　ascribed　it　to　Guy's　unwillingness　

to　be　advised；　since　he　had　observed　that　his　counsel　was　apt　to　

irritate　him；　though　his　good　sense　often　led　him　to　follow　it。　　In　the　

present　case；　Philip　thought　Mrs。　Brownlow　and　her　society　by　no　means　

desirable　for　a　youth　like　Guy；　and　he　was　quite　right。



Philip　and　his　friend　went　the　next　morning；　and　in　the　afternoon　Laura　

received　the　book　of　algebraa　very　original　first　gift　from　a　lover。　　

It　came　openly；　with　a　full　understanding　that　she　was　to　use　it　by　his　

recommendation；　her　mother　and　brother　both　thought　they　understood　the　

motive；　which　one　thought　very　wise；　and　the　other　very　characteristic。



Lord　Kilcoran　and　Lady　Eveleen　also　departed。　　Eveleen　very　sorry　to　

go；　though　a　little　comforted　by　the　prospect　of　seeing　Laura　so　soon　

in　Ireland；　where　she　would　set　her　going　in　all　kinds　of　

'rationalitiesreading；　and　school　teaching；　and　everything　else。'



'Ay；'　said　Charles；　when　all　were　out　of　hearing　but　his　mother；　'and　I　

shrewdly　suspect　the　comfort　would　be　still　greater　if　it　was　Sir　Guy　

Morville　who　was　coming。'



'It　would　be　no　bad　thing；'　said　his　mother：　'Eveleen　is　a　nice　

creature　with　great　capabilities。'



'Capabilities！　but　will　they　ever　come　to　anything？'



'In　a　few　years；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　'and　he　is　a　mere　boy　at　

present；　so　there　is　plenty　of　time　for　both　to　develop　themselves。'



'Most　true；　madame　mere；　but　it　remains　to　be　proved　whether　the　liking　

for　Sir　Guy；　which　has　taken　hold　of　my　lady　Eveleen；　is　strong　enough　

to　withstand　all　the　coquetting　with　young　Irishmen；　and　all　the　idling　

at　Kilcoran。'



'I　hope　she　has　something　better　to　be　relied　on　than　the　liking　for　

Si