the heir of redclyffe-第53节

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early　bloom；　her　height　little　less　than　that　of　her　tall　brother；　and　

her　manner　and　air　had　something　very　distinguished。　　The　first　time　

Guy　saw　her；　he　was　strongly　reminded　both　of　Philip　and　of　Mrs。　

Edmonstone；　but　not　pleasingly。　　She　seemed　to　be　her　aunt；　without　the　

softness　and　motherly　affection；　coupled　with　the　touch　of　naivete　that　

gave　Mrs。　Edmonstone　her　freshness；　and　loveableness；　and　her　likeness　

to　her　brother　included　that　decided；　self…reliant　air；　which　became　

him　well　enough；　but　which　did　not　sit　as　appropriately　on　a　woman。



Guy　soon　discovered　another　resemblancefor　the　old；　unaccountable　

impatience　of　Philip's　conversation；　and　relief　in　escaping　from　it；　

haunted　him　before　he　had　been　a　quarter　of　an　hour　in　Mrs。　Henley's　

drawing…room。　　She　asked　after　the　Hollywell　party；　she　had　not　seen　

her　cousins　since　her　marriage；　and　happily　for　his　feelings；　passed　

over　Laura　and　Amy　as　if　they　were　nonentities；　but　they　were　all　too　

near　his　heart　for　him　to　be　able　with　patience　to　hear　'poor　

Charles's'　temper　regretted；　and　still　less　the　half…sarcastic；　half…

compassionate　tone　in　which　she　implied　that　her　aunt　spoilt　him　

dreadfully；　and　showed　how　cheap　she　hold　both　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Edmonstone。



Two　years　ago；　Guy　could　not　have　kept　down　his　irritation；　but　now　he　

was　master　of　himself　sufficiently　to　give　a　calm；　courteous　reply；　so　

conveying　his　own　respect　for　them；　that　Mrs。　Henley　was　almost　

disconcerted。



Stylehurst　had　great　interest　for　Guy；　both　for　the　sake　of　Archdeacon　

Morville's　kindness；　and　as　the　home　which　Philip　regarded　with　

affection；　that　seemed　the　one　softening　touch　in　his　character。　　So　

Guy　visited　the　handsome　church；　studied　the　grave…yard；　and　gathered　

the　traditions　of　the　place　from　the　old　sexton's　wife；　who　rejoiced　in　

finding　an　auditor　for　her　long　stories　of　the　good　Archdeacon；　Miss　

Fanny；　and　Mr。　Philip。　　She　shook　her　head；　saying　times　were　changed；　

and　'Miss　Morville　that　was；　never　came　neist　the　place。'



The　squire；　Colonel　Harewood；　was　an　old　friend　of　his　grandfather's；　

and　therefore　was　to　be　called　on。　　He　had　never　been　wise；　and　had　

been　dissipated　chiefly　from　vacancy　of　mind；　he　was　now　growing　old；　

and　led　a　quieter　life；　and　though　Guy　did　not　find　him　a　very　

entertaining　companion；　he　accepted；　his　civilities；　readily；　for　his　

grandfather's　sake。　　When　his　sons　came　home；　Guy　recognized　in　them　

the　description　of　men　he　was　wont　to　shun　at　Oxford；　as　much　from　

distaste　as　from　principle；　but　though　he　did　not　absolutely　avoid　

them；　he　saw　little　of　them；　being　very　busy；　and　having　pleasant　

companions　in　his　fellow　pupils。　　It　was　a　very　merry　party　at　South　

Moor；　and　Guy's　high　spirits　made　him　the　life　of　everything。



The　first　time　Mr。　Wellwood　went　to　call　on　his　cousins　at　St。　

Mildred's；　the　daughters　of　that　officer　who　had　fallen　by　the　hand　of　

old　Sir　Guy；　he　began　repeating；　for　the　twentieth　time；　what　an　

excellent　fellow　Morville　was；　then　said　he　should　not　have　troubled　

them　with　any　of　his　pupils；　but　Morville　would　esteem　their　receiving　

him　as　an　act　of　forgiveness；　and　besides；　he　wished　them　to　know　one　

whom　he　valued　so　highly。　　Guy　thus　found　himself　admitted　into　an　

entirely　new　region。　　There　were　two　sisters；　together　in　everything。　　

Jane；　the　younger；　was　a　kind…hearted；　commonplace　person；　who　would　

never　have　looked　beyond　the　ordinary　range　of　duties　and　charities；　

but　Elizabeth　was　one　of　those　who　rise　up；　from　time　to　time；　as　

burning　and　shining　lights。　　It　was　not　spending　a　quiet；　easy　life；　

making　her　charities　secondary　to　her　comforts；　but　devoting　time；　

strength；　and　goods；　not　merely　giving　away　what　she　could　spare；　but　

actually　sharing　all　with　the　poor；　reserving　nothing　for　the　future。　　

She　not　only　taught　the　young；　and　visited　the　distressed；　but　she　

gathered　orphans　into　her　house；　and　nursed　the　sick　day　and　night。　　

Neither　the　means　nor　the　strength　of　the　two　sisters　could　ever　have　

been　supposed　equal　to　what　they　were　known　to　have　achieved。　　It　

seemed　as　if　the　power　grew　with　the　occasion；　and　as　if　they　had　some　

help　which　could　not　fail　them。　　Guy　venerated　them　more　and　more；　and　

many　a　long　letter　about　them　was　written　to　Mrs。　Edmonstone　for　Amy　to　

read。　　There　is　certainly　a　'tyrannous　hate'　in　the　world　for　unusual　

goodness；　which　is　a　rebuke　to　it；　and　there　was　a　strong　party　against　

the　sisters。　　At　the　head　of　it　was　Mrs。　Henley；　who　had　originally　

been　displeased　at　their　preferring　the　direction　of　the　clergyman　to　

that　of　the　ladies'　committee；　though　the　secret　cause　of　her　dislike　

was；　perhaps；　that　Elizabeth　Wellwood　was　just　what　Margaret　Morville　

might　have　been。　　So　she　blamed　them；　not；　indeed　for　their　charity；　

but　for　slight　peculiarities　which　might　well　have　been　lost　in　the　

brightness　of　the　works　of　mercy。　　She　spoke　as　with　her　father's　

authority；　though；　if　she　had　been　differently　disposed；　she　might　have　

remembered　that　his　system　and　principles　were　the　same　as　theirs；　and　

that；　had　he　been　alive；　he　would　probably　have　fully　approved　of　their　

proceedings。　　Archdeacon　Morville's　name　was　of　great　weight；　and　

justified　many　persons；　in　their　own　opinion；　in　the　opposition　made　to　

Miss　Wellwood；　impeding　her　usefulness；　and　subjecting　her　to　endless　

petty　calumnies。



These　made　Guy　very　angry。　　He　knew　enough　of　the　Archdeacon　through　

Mrs。　Edmonstone；　and　the　opinions　held　by　Philip；　to　think　his　daughter　

was　ascribing　to　him　what　he　had　never　held　but；　be　that　as　it　might；　

Guy　could　not　bear　to　hear　good　evil　spoken　of；　and　his　indignation　was　

stirred　as　he　heard　these　spiteful　reports　uttered　by　people　who　sat　at　

home　at　ease；　against　one　whose　daily　life　was　only　too　exalted　for　

their　imitation。　　His　brow　contracted；　his　eye　kindled；　his　lip　was　

bitten；　and　now　and　then；　when　he　trusted　himself　to　reply；　it　was　with　

a　keen；　sharp　power　of　rebuke　that　made　people　look　round；　astonished　

to　hear　such　forcible　words　from　one　so　young。　　Mrs。　Henley　was　afraid　

of　him；　without　knowing　it；　she　thought　she　was　sparing　the　Morville　

temper　when　she　avoided　the　subject；　but　as　she　stood　in　awe　of　no　one　

else；　except　her　brother；　she　disliked　him　accordingly。



One　evening　Guy　had　been　dining　at　Dr。　Henley's；　and　was　setting　out；　

enjoying　his　escape　from　Mrs。　Henley　and　her　friends；　and　rejoicing　in　

the　prospect　of　a　five　miles'　walk　over　the　hills　by　moonlight。　　He　had　

only　gone　the　length　of　two　streets；　when　he　saw　a　dark　figure　at　a　

little　distance　from　him；　and　a　voice　which　he　had　little　expected　to　

hear；　called　out；



'Sir　Guy　himself！　　No　one　else　could　whistle　that　Swedish　air　so　

correctly！'



'My　uncle！'　exclaimed　Guy。　　'I　did　not　know　that　you　were　here！'



Mr。　Dixon　laughed；　said　something　about　a　fortunate　rencontre；　and　

began　an　account　about　a　concert　somewhere　or　other；　mixed　up　with　

something　about　his　wife　and　child；　all　so　rambling　and　confused；　that　

Guy；　beginning　to　suspect　he　had　been　drinking；　was　only　anxious　to　get　

rid　of　him；　asked　where　he　lodged；　and　talked　of　coming　to　see　him　in　

the　morning。　　He　soon　found；　however；　that　this　had　not　been　the　case；　

at　least　not　to　any　great　extent。　　Dixon　was　only　nervous　and　excited；　

either　about　something　he　had　done；　or　some　request　he　had　to　make；　and　

he　went　on　walking　by　his　nephew's　side；　talking　in　a　strange；　

desultory　way　of　open；　generous…hearted　fellows　overlooking　a　little　

indiscretion；　and　of　Guy's　riches；　which　he　seemed　to　think　

inexhaustible。



'If　there　is　anything　that　you　want　me　to　do　for　you；　tell　me　plainly　

what　it　is；'　said　Guy；　at　last。



Mr。　Dixon　began　to　overwhelm　him　with　thanks；　but　he　cut　them　short。　　

'I　promise　nothing。　　Let　me　hear　what　you　want；　and　I　can　judge　whether　

I　can　do　it。'



Sebastian　broke　out　into　exclamations　at　the　words　'if　I　can；'　as　if　he　

thought　everything　in　the　power　of　the　heir　of　Redclyffe。



'Have　I　not　told　you；'　said　Guy；　'that　for　the　present　I　have　very　

little　command　of　money？　　Hush！　no　more　of　that；'　he　added；　sternly；　

cutting　off　an　imprecation　which　his　uncle　was　commencing　on　those　who　

kept　him　so　short。



'And　you　are　content　to　bear　it？　　Did　you　never　hear　of　ways　and　means？　　

If　you　were　to　say　but　one　word　of　borrowing；　they　would　go　down　on　

their　knees　to　you；　and　offer　you　every　farthing　you　have　to　keep　you　

in　their　own　hands。'



'I　am　quite　satisfied；'　said　Guy；　coldly。



'The　greater　fool　are　you！'　was　on　Dixon's　lips；　but　he　did　not　utter　

it；　because　he　wanted　to　propitiate　him；　and　after　some　more　

circumlocution；　Guy　succeeded　in　discovering　that　he　had　been　gambling；　

and　had　lost　an　amount　which；　unless　he　could　obtain　immediate　

assistance；　would　become　known；　and　lead　to　the　loss　of　his　character　

and　s