the heir of redclyffe-第72节

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Mrs。　Ashford　were　of　course　anxious　to　learn　all　they　could　about　their　

young　squire；　on　whom　the　welfare　of　the　parish　depended；　even　more　

than　in　most　cases；　as　the　whole　was　his　property。　　Their　expectations　

were　not　raised　by　Mr。　Markham's　strenuous　opposition　to　all　their　

projects；　and　his　constant　appeals　to　the　name　of　'Sir　Guy'；　but；　on　

the　other　

hand；　they　were　pleased　by　the　strong　feeling　of　affection　that　all　the　

villagers　manifested　for　their　landlord。



The　inhabitants　of　Redclyffe　were　a　primitive　race；　almost　all　related　

to　each　other；　rough　and　ignorant；　and　with　a　very　strong　feudal　

feeling　for　'Sir　Guy；'　who　was　king；　state；　supreme　authority；　in　their　

eyes；　and　Mrs。　Ashford　further　found　that　'Master　Morville；'　as　the　old　

women　called　him　in　his　individual　character；　was　regarded　by　them　with　

great　personal　affection。



On　the　occasion　when　Captain　Morville　came　to　Redclyffe；　and　left　James　

Thorndale　to　spend　a　couple　of　hours　at　the　parsonage；　they　

interrogated　the　latter　anxiously　on　his　acquaintance　with　Sir　Guy。　　He　

had　not　the　least　idea　of　creating　prejudice；　indeed；　he　liked　him　as　a　

companion；　but　he　saw　everything　through　the　medium　of　his　friend；　and　

spoke　something　to　this　effect：　He　was　very　agreeable；　they　would　like　

his　manners；　he　was　tolerably　clever；　but　not　to　be　named　in　the　same　

day　with　his　cousin　for　abilities；　far　less　in　appearance。　　Very　

pleasant；　generally　liked；　decidedly　a　taking　man；　but　there　was　some　

cloud　over　him　just　nowdebts；　probably。　　Morville　had　been　obliged　to　

go　to　Oxford　about　it；　but　Mr。　Thorndale　did　not　profess　to　understand　

it；　as　of　course　Morville　said　as　little　of　it　as　he　could。　　Thereupon　

all　began　to　admire　the　aforesaid　Morville；　already　known　by　report；　

and　whose　fine　countenance　and　sensible　conversation　confirmed　all　that　

had　been　said　of　him。



And　as；　after　his　interference；　Mr。　Markham's　opposition　became　surly；　

as　well　as　sturdy；　and　Sir　Guy's　name　was　sure　to　stand　arrayed　against　

them　whichever　way　they　turned；　the　younger　part　of　the　family　learnt　

to　regard　him　somewhat　in　the　light　of　an　enemy；　and　their　elders　

awaited　his　majority　with　more　of　fear　than　of　hope。



'Mamma！'　cried　Edward　Ashford；　rushing　in；　so　as　to　bring　the　first　

news　to　his　mother；　who　had　not　been　to　the　early　service；　'I　do　

believe　Sir　Guy　is　come！'



'Sir　Guy　was　at　church！'　shouted　Robert；　almost　at　the　same　moment。



Mr。　Ashford　confirmed　the　intelligence。



'I　saw　him　speaking；　after　church；　to　some　of　the　old　men；　so　

afterwards　I　went　to　ask　old　John　Barton；　and　found　him　with　tears　in　

his　eyes；　positively　trembling　with　delight；　for　he　said　he　never　

thought　to　have　heard　his　cheery　voice　again；　and　that　he　was　coming　

down　by　and　by　to　see　the　last　letter　from　Ben；　at　sea。'



'That　is　very　nice！　　Shall　you　call？'



'Yes。　　Even　if　he　is　only　here　for　a　day　or　two；　it　will　be　better　to　

have　made　the　acquaintance。'



Mr。　Ashford　went　to　the　Park　at　two　in　the　afternoon；　and　did　not　

return　till　near　four。



'Well；'　said　he；　'it　is　as　James　Thorndale　says；　there　is　something　

very　prepossessing　about　him。'



'Have　you　been　there　all　this　time？'



'Yes。　　He　was　not　at　home；　so　I　left　my　card；　and　was　coming　away；　when　

I　met　him　at　the　turn　leading　to　the　Cove。　　He　need　not　have　seen　me　

unless　he　had　liked；　but　he　came　up　in　a　good…natured　cordial　way；　and　

thanked　me　for　coming　to　call。'



'Is　he　like　his　cousin？'



'Not　in　the　least；　not　nearly　so　tall　or　so　handsome；　but　with　a　very　

pleasant　face；　and　seeming　made　up　of　activity；　very　slight；　as　if　he　

was　all　bone　and　sinew。　　He　said　he　was　going　to　see　the　Christmas　ox　

at　the　farm；　and　asked　me　to　come　with　him。　　Presently　we　came　to　a　

high　gate；　locked　up。　　He　was　over　it　in　an　instant；　begged　me　to　wait　

while　he　ran　on　to　the　farm　for　the　key；　and　was　back　in　a　second　with　

it。'



'Did　he　enter　on　any　of　the　disputed　subjects！'



'He　began　himself　about　the　school；　saying　the　house　should　be　altered　

directly；　and　talked　over　the　whole　matter　very　satisfactorily；　

undertook　himself　to　speak　to　Jenny　Robinson；　and　was　very　glad　to　hear　

you　meant　her　still　to　keep　the　infants　at　the　Cove；　so　I　hope　that　

matter　is　in　a　right　train。'



'If　Mr。　Markham　will　but　let　him。'



'0；　he　is　king　or　more　here！　　We　met　Markham　at　the　farm；　and　the　first　

thing；　after　looking　at　the　cattle；　Sir　Guy　found　some　planks　lying　

about；　and　said　they　were　the　very　thing　for　flooring　the　school。　　

Markham　mentioned　some　barn　they　were　intended　for；　but　Sir　Guy　said　

the　school　must　be　attended　to　at　once；　and　went　with　us　to　look　at　it。　

That　was　what　kept　me　so　long；　measuring　and　calculating；　and　I　hope　it　

may　be　begun　in　a　week。'



'This　is　delightful！　　What　more　could　we　wish？'



'I　don't　think　he　will　give　trouble　in　parish　matters；　and　in　personal　

intercourse　he　will　be　sure　to　be　most　agreeable。　　I　wish　I　knew　there　

was　nothing　amiss。　　It　seems　strange　for　him　to　come　here　for　the　

vacation；　instead　of　going　to　his　guardian's；　as　usual；　and　altogether　

he　had　an　air　of　sadness　and　depression；　not　like　a　youth；　especially　

such　an　active　one。　　I　am　afraid　something　is　wrong；　those　engaging　

people　are　often　unstable。　　One　thing　I　forgot　to　tell　you。　　We　were　

walking　through　that　belt　of　trees　on　the　east　side　of　the　hill；　when　

he　suddenly　called　out　to　ask　how　came　the　old　ash…tree　to　be　marked。　　

Markham　answered　in　his　gruff　way；　it　was　not　his　doing；　but　the　

Captain's。　　He　turned　crimson；　and　began　some　angry　exclamation；　but　as　

Markham　was　going　on　to　tell　something　else　about　it；　he　stopped　him　

short；　saying；　'Never　mind！　　I　dare　say　it's　all　right。　　I　don't　want　

to　hear　any　more！'　　And　I　don't　think　he　spoke　much　again　till　we　got　

into　the　village。　　I　am　afraid　there　is　some　misunderstanding　between　

the　cousins。'



'Or　more　likely　Mr。　Markham　is　teaching　him　some　jealousy　of　his　heir。　　

We　could　not　expect　two　Captain　Morvilles　in　one　family；　and　I　am　glad　

it　is　no　worse。'



All　that　the　Ashfords　further　saw　of　their　young　baronet　made　an　

impression　in　his　favour；　every　difficulty　raised　by　the　steward　

disappeared；　their　plans　were　forwarded；　and　they　heard　of　little　but　

his　good…nature　to　the　poor　people；　but　still　they　did　not　know　how　far　

to　trust　these　appearances；　and　did　not　yet　venture　to　form　an　opinion　

on　him；　or　enter　into　intimacy。



'So　the　singers　will　not　come　to　us　on　Christmas　Eve；　because　they　say　

they　must　go　to　the　Park；'　said　Edward；　rather　savagely。



'I　was　thinking；'　said　Mrs。　Ashford；　'how　forlorn　it　will　be　for　that　

poor　youth　to　spend　his　Christmas…day　alone　in　that　great　house。　　Don't　

you　think　we　might　ask　him　to　dinner？'



Before　Mr。　Ashford　could　answer；　the　boys　made　such　an　uproar　at　the　

proposal　of　bringing　a　stranger　to　spoil　their　Christmas；　that　their　

parents　gave　up　the　idea。



It　was　that　Christmas…day　that　Guy　especially　dreaded；　as　recalling　so　

many　contrasts　both　with　those　passed　here　and　at　Hollywell。　　Since　his　

return；　he　had　been　exerting　himself　to　attend　to　what　he　felt　to　be　

his　duty；　going　about　among　his　people；　arranging　for　their　good　or　

pleasure；　and　spending　a　good　deal　of　time　over　his　studies。　　He　had　

written　to　Mr。　Ross；　to　ask　his　advice　about　Coombe　Prior；　and　had　set　

Markham；　much　against　his　will；　to　remonstrate　with　Farmer　Todd　about　

the　repairs；　but　though　there　was　a　sort　of　satisfaction　in　doing　these　

thingsthough　the　attachment　of　his　dependants　soothed　him；　and　

brought　a　new　sense　of　the　relation　between　himself　and　themthough　

views　of　usefulness　were　on　each　side　opening　before　himyet　there　was　

a　dreariness　about　everything；　he　was　weary　even　while　he　undertook　and　

planned　energetically；　each　new　project　reminding　him　that　there　was　no　

Amy　to　plan　with　him。　　He　could　not　sufficiently　care　for　them。



Still　more　dreary　was　his　return　to　his　old　haunts；　and　to　the　scenery　

which　he　loved　so　devotedlythe　blue　sea　and　purple　hills；　which　had　

been　like　comrades　and　playfellows；　before　he　had　known　what　it　was　to　

have　living　companions。　　They　used　to　be　everything　to　him；　and　he　had　

scarcely　a　wish　beyond；　afterwards　his　dreams　had　been　of　longing　

affection　for　them；　and　latterly　the　idea　of　seeing　Amy　love　them　and　

admire　them　had　been　connected　with　every　vision　of　them；　and　now　the　

sight　of　the　reality　did　but　recall　the　sense　that　their　charm　had　

departed；　they　could　no　longer　suffice　to　him　as　of　old；　and　their　

presence　brought　back　to　him；　with　fresh　pangs　of　disappointment；　the　

thought　of　lost　happiness　and　ruined　hopes；　as　if　Amy　alone　could　

restore　their　value。



The　depression　of　his　spirits　inclined　him　to　dwell　at　present　more　on　

the　melancholy　history　of　his　parents　than　on　anything　else。　　He　had　

hitherto