the heir of redclyffe-第9节

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doubts；　and　so　they　walked　on　in　such　silence　as　is　perhaps　the　

strongest　proof　of　intimacy。　　She　was　the　first　to　speak；　led　to　do　so　

by　an　expression　of　sadness　about　her　cousin's　mouth。　　'What　are　you　

thinking　of；　Philip？'



'Of　Locksley　Hall。　　There　is　nonsense；　there　is　affectation　in　that；　

Laura；　there　is　scarcely　poetry；　but　there　is　power；　for　there　is　

truth。'



'Of　Locksley　Hall！　　I　thought　you　were　at　Stylehurst。'



'So　I　was；　but　the　one　brings　the　other。'



'I　suppose　you　went　to　Stylehurst　while　you　were　at　St。　Mildred's？　　Did　

Margaret　take　you　there？'



'Margaret？　　Not　she；　she　is　too　much　engaged　with　her　book…club；　and　

her　soirées；　and　her　societies　of　every　sort　and　kind。'



'How　did　you　get　on　with　the　Doctor？'



'I　saw　as　little　of　him　as　I　could；　and　was　still　more　convinced　that　

he　does　not　know　what　conversation　is。　　Hem！'　　Philip　gave　a　deep　sigh。　　

'No；　the　only　thing　to　be　done　at　St。　Mildred's　is　to　walk　across　the　

moors　to　Stylehurst。　　It　is　a　strange　thing　to　leave　that　tumult　of　

gossip；　and　novelty；　and　hardness；　and　to　enter　on　that　quiet　autumnal　

old　world；　with　the　yellow　leaves　floating　silently　down；　just　as　they　

used　to　do；　and　the　atmosphere　of　stillness　round　the　green　

churchyard。'



'Gossip！'　repeated　Laura。'　　Surely　not　with　Margaret？'



'Literary；　scientific　gossip　is　worse　than　gossip　in　a　primary　sense；　

without　pretension。'



'I　am　glad　you　had　Stylehurst　to　go　to。　　How　was　the　old　sexton's　

wife？'



'Very　well；　trotting　about　on　her　pattens　as　merrily　as　ever。'



'Did　you　go　into　the　garden？'



'Yes；　Fanny's　ivy　has　entirely　covered　the　south　wall；　and　the　acacia　

is　so　tall　and　spreading；　that　I　longed　to　have　the　pruning　of　it。　　Old　

Will　keeps　everything　in　its　former　state。'



They　talked　on　of　the　old　home；　till　the　stern　bitter　look　of　regret　

and　censure　had　faded　from　his　brow；　and　given　way　to　a　softened　

melancholy　expression。









CHAPTER　4







A　fig　for　all　dactyls；　a　fig　for　all　spondees；

A　fig　for　all　dunces　and　dominie　grandees。SCOTT





'How　glad　I　am！'　exclaimed　Guy；　entering　the　drawing…room。



'Wherefore？'　inquired　Charles。



'I　thought　I　was　too　late；　and　I　am　very　glad　to　find　no　one　arrived；　

and　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Edmonstone　not　come　down。'



'But　where　have　you　been？'



'I　lost　my　way　on　the　top　of　the　down；　I　fancied　some　one　told　me　there　

was　a　view　of　the　sea　to　be　had　there。'



'And　can't　you　exist　without　a　view　of　the　sea？'



Guy　laughed。　　'Everything　looks　so　dullit　is　as　if　the　view　was　dead　

or　imprisonedwalled　up　by　wood　and　hill；　and　wanting　that　living　

ripple；　heaving　and　struggling。'



'And　your　fine　rocks？'　said　Laura。



'I　wish　you　could　see　the　Shag　stone；a　great　island　mass；　sloping　on　

one　side；　precipitous　on　the　other；　with　the　spray　dashing　on　it。　　If　

you　see　it　from　ever　so　far　off；　there　is　still　that　white　foam　coming　

and　goinga　glancing　speck；　like　the　light　in　an　eye。'



'Hark！　a　carriage。'



'The　young　man　and　the　young　man's　companion；'　said　Charles。



'How　can　you？'　said　Laura。　　'What　would　any　one　suppose　Mr。　Thorndale　

to　be？'



'Not　Philip's　valet；'　said　Charles；　'if　it　is　true　that　no　man　is　a　

hero　to　his　〃valley…de…sham〃；　whereas；　what　is　not　Philip　to　the　

Honourable　James　Thorndale？'



'Philip；　Alexander；　and　Bucephalus　into　the　bargain；'　suggested　Amy；　in　

her　demure；　frightened　whisper；　sending　all　but　Laura　into　a　fit　of　

laughter；　the　harder　to　check　because　the　steps　of　the　parties　

concerned　were　heard　approaching。



Mr。　Thorndale　was　a　quiet　individual；　one　of　those　of　whom　there　is　

least　to　be　said；　so　complete　a　gentleman　that　it　would　have　been　an　

insult；　to　call　him　gentleman…like；　agreeable　and　clever　rather　than　

otherwise；　good…looking；　with　a　high…bred　air　about　him；　so　that　it　

always　seemed　strange　that　he　did　not　make　more　impression。



A　ring　at　the　front…door　almost　immediately　followed　their　arrival。



'Encore？'　asked　Philip；　looking　at　Laura　with　a　sort　of　displeased　

surprise。



'Unfortunately；　yes；'　said　Laura；　drawing　aside。



'One　of　my　uncle's　family　parties；'　said　Philip。　　'I　wish　I　had　not　

brought　Thorndale。　　Laura；　what　is　to　be　done　to　prevent　the　tittering　

that　always　takes　place　when　Amy　and　those　Harpers　are　together？'



'Some　game？'　said　Laura。　　He　signed　approval；　but　she　had　time　to　say　

no　more；　for　her　father　and　mother　came　down；　and　some　more　guests　

entered。



It　was　just　such　a　party　that　continually　grew　up　at　Hollywell；　for　Mr。　

Edmonstone　was　so　fond　of　inviting；　that　his　wife　never　knew　in　the　

morning　how　many　would　assemble　at　her　table　in　the　evening。　　But　she　

was　used　to　it；　and　too　good　a　manager　even　to　be　called　so。　　She　liked　

to　see　her　husband　enjoy　himself　in　his　good…natured；　open…hearted　way。　　

The　change　was　good　for　Charles；　and　thus　it　did　very　well；　and　there　

were　few　houses　in　the　neighbourhood　more　popular　than　Hollywell。



The　guests　this　evening　were　Maurice　de　Courcy；　a　wild　young　Irishman；　

all　noise　and　nonsense；　a　great　favourite　with　his　cousin；　Mr。　

Edmonstone；　two　Miss　Harpers；　daughters　of　the　late　clergyman；　good…

natured；　second…rate　girls；　Dr。　Mayerne；　Charles's　kind　old　physician；　

the　friend　and　much…loved　counsellor　at　Hollywell；　and　the　present　

vicar；　Mr。　Ross　with　his　daughter　Mary。



Mary　Ross　was　the　greatest　friend　that　the　Miss　Edmonstones　possessed；　

though；　she　being　five…and…twenty；　they　had　not　arrived　at　perceiving　

that　they　were　on　the　equal　terms　of　youngladyhood。



She　had　lost　her　mother　early；　and　had　owed　a　great　deal　to　the　

kindness　of　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　as　she　grew　up　among　her　numerous　elder　

brothers。　　She　had　no　girlhood；　she　was　a　boy　till　fourteen；　and　then　a　

woman；　and　she　was　scarcely　altered　since　the　epoch　of　that　transition；　

the　same　in　likings；　tastes；　and　duties。　　'Papa'　was　all　the　world　to　

her；　and　pleasing　him　had　much　the　same　meaning　now　as　then；　her　

brothers　were　like　playfellows；　her　delights　were　still　a　lesson　in　

Greek　from　papa；　a　school…children's　feast；　a　game　at　play；　a　new　book。　　

It　was　only　a　pity　other　people　did　not　stand　still　too。　　'Papa；'　

indeed；　had　never　grown　sensibly　older　since　the　year　of　her　mother's　

death：　but　her　brothers　were　whiskered　men；　with　all　the　cares　of　the　

world；　and　no　holidays；　the　school…girls　went　out　to　service；　and　were　

as　a　last　year's　brood　to　an　old　hen；　the　very　children　she　had　fondled　

were　young　ladies；　as　old；　to　all　intents　and　purposes；　as　herself；　and　

here　were　even　Laura　and　Amy　Edmonstone　fallen　into　that　bad　habit　of　

growing　up！　though　little　Amy　had　still　much　of　the　kitten　in　her　

composition；　and　could　play　as　well　as　Charlotte　or　Mary　herself；　when　

they　had　the　garden　to　themselves。



Mary　took　great　pains　to　amuse　Charles；　always　walking　to　see　him　in　

the　worst　weather；　when　she　thought　other　visitors　likely　to　fall；　and　

chatting　with　him　as　if　she　was　the　idlest　person　in　the　world；　though　

the　quantity　she　did　at　home　and　in　the　parish　would　be　too　amazing　to　

be　recorded。　　Spirited　and　decided；　without　superfluous　fears　and　

fineries；　she　had　a　firm；　robust　figure；　and　a　rosy；　good…natured　face；　

with　a　manner　that；　though　perfectly　feminine；　had　in　it　an　air　of　

strength　and　determination。



Hollywell　was　a　hamlet；　two　miles　from　the　parish　church　of　East…hill；　

and　Mary　had　thus　seen　very　little　of　the　Edmonstone's　guest；　having　

only　been　introduced　to　him　after　church　on　Sunday。　　The　pleasure　on　

which　Charles　chiefly　reckoned　for　that　evening　was　the　talking　him　

over　with　her　when　the　ladies　came　in　from　the　dining…room。　　The　Miss　

Harpers；　with　his　sisters；　gathered　round　the　piano；　and　Mrs。　

Edmonstone　sat　at　Charles's　feet；　while　Mary　knitted　and　talked。



'So　you　get　on　well　with　him？'



'He　is　one　of　those　people　who　are　never　in　the　way；　and　yet　you　never　

can　forgot　their　presence；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone。



'His　manners　are　quite　the　pink　of　courtesy；'　said　Mary。



'Like　his　grandfather's；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　'that　old…school　

deference　and　attention　is　very　chivalrous；　and　sits　prettily　and　

quaintly　on　his　high　spirits　and　animation；　I　hope　it　will　not　wear　

off。'



'A　vain　hope；'　said　Charles。　　'At　present　he　is　like　that　German　myth；　

Kaspar　Hauser；　who　lived　till　twenty　in　a　cellar。　　It　is　lucky　for　

mamma　that；　in　his　green　state；　he　is　courtly　instead　of　bearish。'



'Lucky　for　you；　too；　Charlie；　he　spoils　you　finely。'



'He　has　the　rare　perfection　of　letting　me　know　my　own　mind。　　I　never　

knew　what　it　was　to　have　my　own　way　before。'



'Is　that　your　complaint；　Charlie？　　What　next？'　said　Mary。



'So　you　think　I　have　my　way；　do　you；　Mary？　　That　is　all　envy；　you　see；　

and　very　much　misplaced。　　Could　you　guess　what　a　conflict　it　is　every　

time　I　am　helped　up　t