the heir of redclyffe-第39节

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at　Kilcoran。'



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

Sir　Guy。'



'You　may　well　do　so；　for　I　think　he　has　no　notion　of　throwing　off　his　

allegiance　to　youhis　first　and　only　love。　　He　liked　very　well　to　make　

fun　with　Eva；　but　he　regarded　her　rather　as　a　siren；　who　drew　him　off　

from　his　Latin　and　Greek。'



'Yes；　I　am　ashamed　of　myself　for　such　a　fit　of　match…making！　　Forget　

it；　Charlie；　as　fast　as　you　can。'









CHAPTER　11







This　warld's　wealth；　when　I　think　o't；

Its　pride；　and　a'　the　lave　o't；

Fie；　fie　on　silly　coward　man；

That　he　should　be　the　slave　o't。BURNS





In　another　week　Mr。　Edmonstone　and　his　eldest　daughter　were　to　depart　

on　their　Irish　journey。　　Laura；　besides　the　natural　pain　in　leaving　

home；　was　sorry　to　be　no　longer　near　Philip；　especially　as　it　was　not　

likely　that　he　would　be　still　at　Broadstone　on　their　return；　yet　she　

was　so　restless　and　dissatisfied；　that　any　change　was　welcome；　and　the　

fear　of　betraying　herself　almost　took　away　the　pleasure　of　his　

presence。



He　met　them　at　the　railway　station　at　Broadstone；　where　Mr。　Edmonstone；　

finding　himself　much　too　early；　recollected　something　he　had　forgotten　

in　the　town；　and　left　his　daughter　to　walk　up　and　down　the　platform　

under　Philip's　charge。　　They　felt　it　a　precious　interval；　but　both　were　

out　of　spirits；　and　could　hardly　profit　by　it。



'You　will　be　gone　long　before　we　come　back；'　said　Laura。



'In　a　fortnight　or　three　weeks；　probably。'



'But　you　will　still　be　able　to　come　to　Hollywell　now　and　then？'



'I　hope　so。　　It　is　all　the　pleasure　I　can　look　for。　　We　shall　never　see　

such　a　summer　again。'



'Oh；　it　has　been　a　memorable　one！'



'Memorable！　　Yes。　　It　has　given　me　an　assurance　that　compensates　for　

all　I　have　lost；　yet　it　has　made　me　feel；　more　than　ever　before；　how　

poverty　withers　a　man's　hopes。'



'0　Philip；　I　always　thought　your　poverty　a　great；　noble　thing！'



'You　thought　like　a　generous…tempered　girl　who　has　known　nothing　of　its　

effects。'



'And　do　you　know　that　Guy　says　the　thing　to　be　proud　of　is　of　holding　

the　place　you　do；　without　the　aid　of　rank　or　riches。'　



'I　would　not　have　it　otherwiseI　would　not　for　worlds　that　my　father　

had　acted　otherwise；'　said　Philip。　　'You　understand　that；　Laura。'



'Of　course　I　do。'



'But　when　you　speakwhen　Guy　speaks　of　my　holding　the　place　I　do；　you　

little　know　what　it　is　to　feel　that　powers　of　usefulness　are　wastedto　

know　I　have　the　means　of　working　my　way　to　honour　and　distinction；　such　

as　you　would　rejoice　in　Laura；　to　have　it　all　within；　yet　feel　it　

thrown　away。　　Locksley　Hall；　again〃every　door　is　barred　with　gold；　

and　opens　but　to　golden　keys。'〃　



'I　wish　there　was　anything　to　be　done；'　said　Laura。



'It　is　my　profession　that　is　the　bar　to　everything。　　I　have　sold　the　

best　years　of　my　life；　and　for　what？　　To　see　my　sister　degrade　herself　

by　that　marriage。'



'That　is　the　real　grief；'　said　Laura。



'But　for　that；　I　should　never　have　cast　a　look　back　on　what　I　

relinquished。　　However；　why　do　I　talk　of　these　things；　these　vain　

regrets？　　They　only　occurred　because　my　welfare　does　not　concern　myself　

aloneand　here's　your　father。'



Mr。　Edmonstone　returned；　out　of　breath；　in　too　much　bustle　remark　his　

daughter's　blushes。　　Even　when　the　train　was　moving　off；　he　still　had　

his　head　out　at　the　window；　calling　to　Philip　that　they　should　expect　a　

visit　from　him　as　soon　as　ever　they　returned。　　Such　cordiality　gave　

Philip　a　pang；　and　in　bitterness　of　spirit　he　walked　back　to　the　

barracks。　　On　the　way　he　met　Mrs。　Deane　who　wanted　to　consult　him　about　

inviting　his　cousin；　Sir　Guy　to　a　dinner…party　she　intended　to　give　

next　week。　　'Such　an　agreeable；　sensible　youth；　and　we　feel　we　owe　him　

some　attention；　he　took　so　much　pains　to　make　apologies　about　the　

ball。'



'I　dare　say　he　will　be　very　happy　to　come。'



'We　will　write　at　once。　　He　is　a　very　fine　young　man；　without　a　shade　

of　vanity　or　nonsense。'



'Yes；　he　has　very　pleasant；　unaffected　manners。'



'I　am　sure　he　will　do　credit　to　his　estate。　　It　is　a　very　handsome　

fortune；　is　it　not？'



'It　is　a　very　large　property。'



'I　am　glad　of　it；　I　have　no　doubt　we　shall　see　him　one　of　the　first　men　

of　his　time。'



These　words　brought　into　contrast　in　Philip's　mind　the　difference　

between　Guy's　position　and　his　own。　　The　mere　possession　of　wealth　was　

winning　for　Guy；　at　an　age　when　his　merits　could　only　be　negative；　that　

estimation　which　his　own　tried　character　had　scarcely　achieved；　placing　

him　not　merely　on　a　level　with　himself；　but　in　a　situation　where　

happiness　and　influence　came　unbidden。　　His　own　talents；　attainments；　

and　equal；　if　not　superior　claims；　to　gentle　blood；　could　not　procure　

him　what　seemed　to　lie　at　Guy's　feet。　　His　own　ability　and　Laura's　

heart　alone　were　what　wealth　could　not　affect；　yet　when　he　thought　how　

the　want　of　it　wasted　the　one；　and　injured　the　hopes　of　the　other；　he　

recurred　to　certain　visions　of　his　sister　Margaret's；　in　days　gone　by；　

of　what　he　was　to　do　as　Sir　Philip；　lord　of　Redclyffe。　　He　was　

speculating　on　what　would　have　happened　had　Guy　died　in　his　sickly　

infancy；　when；　suddenly　recollecting　himself；　he　turned　his　mind　to　

other　objects。



Guy　was　not　much　charmed　with　Mrs。　Deane's　invitation。　　He　said　he　knew　

he　must　go　to　make　up　for　his　rudeness　about　the　ball；　but　he　grumbled　

enough　to　make　Mrs。　Edmonstone　laugh　at　him　for　being　so　stupid　as　to　

want　to　stay　hum…drum　in　the　chimney　corner。　　No　doubt　it　was　very　

pleasant　there。　　There　was　that　peculiar　snugness　which　belongs　to　a　

remnant　of　a　large　party；　when　each　member　of　it　feels　bound　to　prevent　

the　rest　from　being　dull。　　Guy　devoted　himself　to　Charles　more　than　

ever；　and　in　the　fear　that　he　might　miss　the　late　variety　of　amusement；　

exerted　even　more　of　his　powers　of　entertainment　than　Lady　Eveleen　had　

called　forth。　



There　were　grave　readings　in　the　mornings；　and　long　walks　in　the　

afternoons；　when　he　dragged　Charles；　in　his　chair；　into　many　a　place　he　

had　never　expected　to　see　again；　and　enabled　him　to　accompany　his　

mother　and　sisters　in　many　a　delightful　expedition。　　In　the　evening　

there　was　music；　or　light　reading；　especially　poetry；　as　this　was　

encouraged　by　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　in　the　idea　that　it　was　better　that　so　

excitable　and　enthusiastic　a　person　as　Guy　should　have　his　objects　of　

admiration　tested　by　Charles's　love　of　ridicule。　



Mr。　Edmonstone　had　left　to　Guy　the　office　of　keeping　the　1st　of　

September；　one　which　he　greatly　relished。　　Indeed；　when　he　thought　of　

his　own　deserted　manors；　he　was　heard　to　exclaim；　in　commiseration　for　

the　neglect；　'Poor　partridges！'　　The　Hollywell　shooting　was　certainly　

not　like　that　at　Redclyffe；　where　he　could　hardly　walk　out　of　his　own　

grounds；　whereas　here　he　had　to　bear　in　mind　so　many　boundaries；　that　

Philip　was　expecting　to　have　to　help　him　out　of　some　direful　scrape。　　

He　had　generally　walked　over　the　whole　extent；　and　assured　himself　that　

the　birds　were　very　wild；　and　Bustle　the　best　of　dogs；　before　

breakfast；　so　as　to　be　ready　for　all　the　occupations　of　the　day。　　He　

could　scarcely　be　grateful　when　the　neighbours；　thinking　it　must　be　

very　dull　for　him　to　be　left　alone　with　Mrs。　Edmonstone　and　her　

crippled　son；　used　to　ask　him　to　shoot　or　dine。　　He　always　lamented　at　

first；　and　ended　by　enjoying　himself。　



One　night；　he　came　home；　in　such　a　state　of　eagerness；　that　he　must　

needs　tell　his　good　news；　and；　finding　no　one　in　the　drawing…room；　he　

ran　up…stairs；　opened　Charles's　door；　and　exclaimed'There's　to　be　a　

concert　at　Broadstone！'　　Then　perceiving　that　Charles　was　fast　asleep；　

he　retreated　noiselessly；　reserving　his　rejoicings　till　morning；　when　

it　appeared　that　Charles　had　heard；　but　had　woven　the　announcement　into　

a　dream。



This　concert　filled　Guy's　head。　His　only　grief　was　that　it　was　to　be　in　

the　evening；　so　that　Charles　could　not　go　to　it；　and　his　wonder　was　not　

repressed　at　finding　that　Philip　did　not　mean　to　favour　it　with　his　

presence；　since　Guy　would　suffice　for　squire　to　Mrs。　Edmonstone　and　her　

daughters。　



In　fact；　Philip　was　somewhat　annoyed　by　the　perpetual　conversation　

about　the　concert；　and　on　the　day　on　which　it　was　to　take　place　

resolved　on　making　a　long　expedition　to　visit　the　ruins　of　an　old　

abbey；　far　out　of　all　reports　of　it。　　As　he　was　setting　out；　he　was　

greeted；　in　a　very　loud　voice；　by　Mr。　Gordon。



'Hollo；　Morville！　how　are　you？　　So　you　have　great　doings　to…night；　I　

hear！'　and　he　had　only　just　forced　himself　from　him；　when　he　was　again　

accosted；　this　time　in　a　hasty；　embarrassed　manner；



'I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；　but　the　ties　of　relationship'



He　drew　himself　up　as　if　he　was　on　parade；　faced　round；　and　replied　

with　an　emphatic　'Sir！'　as　he　behold　a　thin；　foreign…looking