the heir of redclyffe-第55节

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'Is　he　at　home？'



'Yes；　sir　but　he　is　not　up　yet。　　He　was　very　late　last　night。　　Did　you　

want　to　speak　to　him？　　I'll　tell　Mrs。　Dixon。'



'Is　Mrs。　Dixon　here？　　Then　tell　her　Sir　Guy　Morville　would　be　glad　to　

speak　to　her。'



The　maid　curtseyed；　hurried　off；　and　returned　with　a　message　from　Mrs。　

Dixon　to　desire　he　would　walk　in。　　She　conducted　him　through　a　dark　

passage；　and　up　a　still　darker　stair；　into　a　dingy　little　parlour；　with　

a　carpet　of　red　and　green　stripes；　a　horsehair　sofa；　a　grate　covered　

with　cut　paper；　and　a　general　perfume　of　brandy　and　cigars。　　There　were　

some　preparations　for　breakfast；　but　no　one　was　in　the　room　but　a　

little　girl；　about　seven　years　old；　dressed　in　shabby…genteel　mourning。



She　was　pale　and　sickly…looking；　but　her　eyes　were　of　a　lovely　deep　

blue；　with　a　very　sweet　expression；　and　a　profusion　of　thick　flaxen　

curls　hung　round　her　neck　and　shoulders。　She　said　in　a　soft；　little；　

shy　voice；



'Mamma　says　she　will　be　here　directly；　if　you　will　excuse　her　a　

moment。'



Having　made　this　formal　speech；　the　little　thing　was　creeping　off　on　

tip…toe；　so　as　to　escape　before　the　maid　shut　the　door；　but　Guy　held　

out　his　hand；　sat　down　so　as　to　be　on　a　level　with　her；　and　said；



'Don't　go；　my　little　maid。　　Won't　you　come　and　speak　to　your　cousin　

Guy？'



Children　never　failed　to　be　attracted；　whether　by　the　winning　beauty　of　

his　smile；　or　the　sweetness　of　the　voice　in　which　he　spoke　to　anything　

small　or　weak；　and　the　little　girl　willingly　came　up　to　him；　and　put　

her　hand　into　his。　　He　stroked　her　thick；　silky　curls；　and　asked　her　

name。



'Marianne；'　she　answered。



It　was　his　mother's　name；　and　this　little　creature　had　more　resemblance　

to　his　tenderly…cherished　vision　of　his　young　mother　than　any　

description　Dixon　could　have　given。　　He　drew　her　closer　to　him；　took　

the　other　small；　cold　hand；　and　asked　her　how　she　liked　St。　Mildred's。



'Oh！　much　better　than　London。　　There　are　flowers！'　and　she　proudly　

exhibited　a　cup　holding　some　ragged　robins；　dead　nettles；　and　other　

common　flowers　which　a　country　child　would　have　held　cheap。　　He　admired　

and　gained　more　of　her　confidence；　so　that　she　had　begun　to　chatter　

away　quite　freely　about　'the　high；　high　hills　that　reached　up　to　the　

sky；　and　the　pretty　stones；'　till　the　door　opened；　and　Mrs。　Dixon　and　

Bustle　made　their　entrance。



Marianne　was　so　much　afraid　of　the　dog；　Guy　so　eager　to　console；　and　

her　mother　to　scold　her；　and　protest　that　it　should　not　be　turned　out；　

that　there　was　nothing　but　confusion；　until　Guy　had　shown　her　that　

Bustle　was　no　dangerous　wild　beast；　induced　her　to　accept　his　offered　

paw；　and　lay　a　timid　finger　on　his　smooth；　black　head；　after　which　the　

transition　was　short　to　dog　and　child　sitting　lovingly　together　on　the　

floor；　Marianne　stroking　his　ears；　and　admiring　him　with　a　sort　of　

silent　ecstasy。



Mrs。　Dixon　was　a　great；　coarse；　vulgar　woman；　and　Guy　perceived　why　his　

uncle　had　been　so　averse　to　taking　him　to　his　home；　and　how　he　must　

have　felt　the　contrast　between　such　a　wife　and　his　beautiful　sister。　　

She　had　a　sort　of　broad　sense；　and　absence　of　pretension；　but　her　

manner　of　talking　was　by　no　means　pleasant；　as　she　querulously　accused　

her　husband　of　being　the　cause　of　all　their　misfortunes；　not　even　

restrained　by　the　presence　of　her　child　from　entering　into　a　full　

account　of　his　offences。



Mrs。　Dixon　said　she　should　not　say　a　word；　she　should　not　care　if　it　

was　not　for　the　child；　but　she　could　not　see　her　wronged　by　her　own　

father；　and　not　complain；　poor　little　dear！　she　was　the　last；　and　she　

supposed　she　should　not　keep　her　long。



It　then　appeared　that　on　her　husband's　obtaining　an　engagement　for　a　

series　of　concerts　at　the　chief　county　town；　Mrs。　Dixon　had　insisted　on　

coming　with　him　to　St。　Mildred's　in　the　hope　that　country　air　might　

benefit　Marianne；　who；　in　a　confined　lodging　in　London；　was　pining　and　

dwindling　as　her　brothers　and　sisters　had　done　before　her。　　Sebastian；　

who　liked　to　escape　from　his　wife's　grumbling　and　rigid　supervision；　

and　looked　forward　to　amusement　in　his　own　way　at　the　races；　had　

grudgingly　allowed　her　to　come；　and；　as　she　described　it；　had　been　

reluctant　to　go　to　even　so　slight　an　expense　in　the　hope　of　saving　his　

child's　life。　　She　had　watched　him　as　closely　as　she　could；　but　he　had　

made　his　escape；　and　the　consequences　Guy　already　knew。



If　anything　could　have　made　it　worse；　it　was　finding　that　after　parting　

last　night；　he　had　returned；　tried　to　retrieve　his　luck；　had　involved　

himself　further；　had　been　drinking　more；　and　at　the　very　hour　when　his　

nephew　was　getting　up　to　see　what　could　be　done　for　him；　had　come　home　

in　a　state；　which　made　it　by　no　means　likely　that　he　would　be　

presentable；　if　his　wife　called　him；　as　she　offered　to　do。



Guy　much　preferred　arranging　with　her　what　was　to　be　done　on　the　

present　emergency。　　She　was　disappointed　at　finding　thirty　pounds　was　

all　the　help　he　could　give；　but　she　was　an　energetic　woman；　full　of　

resources；　and　saw　her　way；　with　this　assistance；　through　the　present　

difficulty。　　The　great　point　was　to　keep　the　gambling　propensities　out　

of　sight　of　the　creditors；　and　as　long　as　this　was　done；　she　had　hope。　　

Dixon　would　go　the　next　morning　to　the　town　where　the　musical　meeting　

was　to　be　held；　and　there　he　would　be　with　his　employers；　where　he　had　

a　character　to　preserve；　so　that　she　was　in　no　fear　of　another　

outbreak。



It　ended；　therefore；　in　his　leaving　with　her　Mr。　Edmonstone's　draft；　

securing　its　destination　by　endorsing　it　to　the　person　who　was　to　

receive　it；　and　wishing　her　good　morning；　after　a　few　more　kind　words　

to　little　Marianne；　who　had　sat　playing　with　Bustle　all　the　time；　

sidling　continually　nearer　and　nearer　to　her　new　cousin；　her　eyes　bent　

down；　and　no　expression　on　her　face　which　could　enable　him　to　guess　how　

far　she　listened　to　or　comprehended　the　conversation　so　unfit　for　her　

ear。　　When　he　rose　to　go；　and　stooped　to　kiss　her；　she　looked　wistfully　

in　his　face；　and　held　up　a　small　sparkling　bit　of　spar；　the　most　

precious　of　all　her　hoards；　gleaned　from　the　roadsides　of　St。　

Mildred's。



'What；　child；　do　you　want　to　give　it　to　Sir　Guy？'　said　her　mother。　　'He　

does　not　want　such　trumpery；　my　dear；　though　you　make　such　a　work　with　

it。'



'Did　you　mean　to　give　it　to　me；　my　dear？'　said　Guy；　as　the　child　hung　

her　head；　and；　crimsoned　with　blushes；　could　scarcely　whisper　her　timid　

'Yes。'



He　praised　it；　and　let　her　put　it　in　his　waistcoat　pocket；　and　promised　

he　would　always　keep　it；　and　kissed　her　again；　and　left　her　a　happy　

child；　confident　in　his　promise　of　always　keeping　it；　though　her　mother　

augured　that　he　would　throw　it　over　the　next　hedge。



He　was　at　South　Moor　by　eleven　o'clock；　in　time　for　his　morning's　

business；　and　made　up　for　the　troubles　of　the　last　few　hours　by　a　long　

talk　with　Mr。　Wellwood　in　the　afternoon；　while　the　other　two　pupils　

were　gone　to　the　races；　for　which　he　was　not　inclined；　after　his　two　

ten…mile　walks。



The　conversation　was　chiefly　on　Church　prospects　in　general；　and　in　

particular　on　Miss　Wellwood　and　her　plans；　how　they　had　by　degrees　

enlarged　and　developed　as　the　sin；　and　misery；　and　ignorance　around　had　

forced　themselves　more　plainly　on　her　notice；　and　her　means　had　

increased　and　grown　under　her　hand　in　the　very　distribution。　　Other　

schemes　were　dawning　on　her　mind；　of　which　the　foremost　was　the　

foundation　of　a　sort　of　school　and　hospital　united；　under　the　charge　of　

herself；　her　sister；　and　several　other　ladies；　who　were　desirous　of　

joining　her；　as　a　sisterhood。　　But　at　present　it　was　hoping　against　

hope；　for　there　were　no　funds　with　which　to　make　a　commencement。　　All　

this　was　told　at　unawares；　drawn　forth　by　different　questions　and　

remarks；　till　Guy　inquired　how　much　it　would　take　to　give　them　a　

start？'



'It　is　impossible　to　say。　　Anything；　I　suppose；　between　one　thousand　

and　twenty。　　But；　by　the　bye；　this　design　of　Elizabeth's　is　an　absolute　

secret。　　If　you　had　not　almost　guessed　it；　I　should　never　have　said　one　

word　to　you　about　it。　　You　are　a　particularly　dangerous　man；　with　your　

connection　with　Mrs。　Henley。　　You　must　take　special　good　care　nothing　

of　it　reaches　her。'



Guy's　first　impression　was；　that　he　was　the　last　person　to　mention　it　

to　Mrs。　Henley；　but　when　he　remembered　how　often　her　brother　was　at　

Hollywell；　he　perceived　that　there　might　be　a　train　for　carrying　the　

report　back　again　to　her；　and　recognized　the　absolute　necessity　of　

silence。



He　said　nothing　at　the　time；　but　a　bright　scheme　came　into　his　head；　

resulting　in　the　request　for　a　thousand　pounds；　which　caused　so　much　

astonishment。　　He　thought　himself　rather　shabby　to　have　named　no　more；　

and　was　afraid　it　was　an　offering　that　cost　him　nothing；　but　he　much　

enjoyed　devising　beforehan