the man between-第17节

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〃Then；　father；　we　need　not　trouble　about　the　Squire。　I　wish　with　all　my　heart　to　make　his　home　sure　to　him　as　long　as　he　lives。　You　are　a　lawyer；　you　know　what　ought　to　be　done。〃

〃Good　girl！　I　knew　what　you　would　say　and　do；　or　I　should　not　have　told　you　the　trouble　there　was　at　Rawdon。　Now；　I　propose　we　all　make　a　visit　to　Rawdon　Court；　see　the　Squire　and　the　property；　and　while　there　perfect　such　arrangements　as　seem　kindest　and　wisest。　Ruth；　how　soon　can　we　be　ready　to　sail？〃

〃Father；　do　you　really　mean　that　we　are　to　go　to　England？〃

〃It　is　the　only　thing　to　do。　I　must　see　that　all　is　as　Mostyn　says。　I　must　not　let　you　throw　your　money　away。〃

〃That　is　only　prudent；〃　said　Ruth；　〃and　we　can　be　ready　for　the　first　steamer　if　you　wish　it。〃

〃I　am　delighted；　father。　I　long　to　see　England；　more　than　all；　I　long　to　see　Rawdon。　I　did　not　know　until　this　moment　how　much　I　loved　it。〃

〃Well；　then；　I　will　have　all　ready　for　us　to　sail　next　Saturday。　Say　nothing　about　it　to　Mostyn。　He　will　call　to…morrow　morning　to　bid　you　good…by　before　leaving　for　Newport　with　McLean。　Try　and　be　out。〃

〃I　shall　certainly　be　out；〃　said　Ethel。　〃I　do　not　wish　ever　to　see　his　face　again；　and　I　must　see　grandmother　and　tell　her　what　we　are　going　to　do。〃

〃I　dare　say　she　guesses　already。　She　advised　me　to　ask　you　about　the　mortgage。　She　knew　what　you　would　say。〃


〃Father；　who　are　the　Tyrrel…Rawdons？〃

Then　the　Judge　told　the　story　of　the　young　Tyrrel…Rawdon；　who　a　century　ago　had　lost　his　world　for　Love；　and　Ethel　said　〃she　liked　him　better　than　any　Rawdon　she　had　ever　heard　of。〃

〃Except　your　father；　Ethel。〃

〃Except　my　father；　my　dear；　good　father。　And　I　am　glad　that　Love　did　not　always　make　them　poor。　They　must　now　be　rich；　if　they　want　to　buy　the　Court。〃

〃They　are　rich　manufacturers。　Mostyn　is　much　annoyed　that　the　Squire　has　begun　to　notice　them。　He　says　one　of　the　grandsons　of　the　Tyrrel…Rawdons；　disinherited　for　love's　sake；　came　to　America　some　time　in　the　forties。　I　asked　your　grandmother　if　this　story　was　true。　She　said　it　is　quite　true；　that　my　father　was　his　friend　in　the　matter；　and　that　it　was　his　reports　about　America　which　made　them　decide　to　try　their　fortune　in　New　York。〃

〃Does　she　know　what　became　of　him？〃

〃No。　In　his　last　letter　to　them　he　said　he　had　just　joined　a　party　going　to　the　gold　fields　of　California。　That　was　in　1850。　He　never　wrote　again。　It　is　likely　he　perished　on　the　terrible　journey　across　the　plains。　Many　thousands　did。〃

〃When　I　am　in　England　I　intend　to　call　upon　these　Tyrrel…Rawdons。　I　think　I　shall　like　them。　My　heart　goes　out　to　them。　I　am　proud　of　this　bit　of　romance　in　the　family。〃

〃Oh；　there　is　plenty　of　romance　behind　you；　Ethel。　When　you　see　the　old　Squire　standing　at　the　entrance　to　the　Manor　House；　you　may　see　the　hags　of　Cressy　and　Agincourt；　of　Marston　and　Worcester　behind　him。　And　the　Rawdon　women　have　frequently　been　daughters　of　Destiny。　Many　of　them　have　lived　romances　that　would　be　incredible　if　written　down。　Oh；　Ethel；　dear；　we　cannot；　we　cannot　for　our　lives；　let　the　old　home　fall　into　the　hands　of　strangers。　At　any　rate；　if　on　inspection　we　think　it　wrong　to　interfere；　I　can　at　least　try　and　get　the　children　of　the　disinherited　Tyrrel　back　to　their　home。　Shall　we　leave　it　at　this　point　for　the　present？〃

This　decision　was　agreeable　to　all；　and　then　the　few　preparations　necessary　for　the　journey　were　talked　over；　and　in　this　happy　discussion　the　evening　passed　rapidly。　The　dream　of　Ethel's　life　had　been　this　visit　to　the　home　of　her　family；　and　to　go　as　its　savior　was　a　consummation　of　the　pleasure　that　filled　her　with　loving　pride。　She　could　not　sleep　for　her　waking　dreams。　She　made　all　sorts　of　resolutions　about　the　despised　Tyrrel…　Rawdons。　She　intended　to　show　the　proud；　indolent　world　of　the　English　land…　aristocracy　that　Americans；　just　as　well　born　as　themselves；　respected　business　energy　and　enterprise；　and　she　had　other　plans　and　propositions　just　as　interesting　and　as　full　of　youth's　impossible　enthusiasm。

In　the　morning　she　went　to　talk　the　subject　over　with　her　grandmother。　The　old　lady　received　the　news　with　affected　indif…　ference。　She　said；　〃It　mattered　nothing　to　her　who　sat　in　Rawdon's　seat；　but　she　would　not　hear　Mostyn　blamed　for　seeking　his　right。　Money　and　sentiment　are　no　kin；〃　she　added；　〃and　Fred　has　no　sentiment　about　Rawdon。　Why　should　he？　Only　last　summer　Rawdon　kept　him　out　of　Parliament；　and　made　him　spend　a　lot　of　money　beside。　He's　right　to　get　even　with　the　family　if　he　can。〃

〃But　the　old　Squire！　He　is　now〃

〃I　know；　he's　older　than　I　am。　But　Squire　Percival　has　had　his　day；　and　Fred　would　not　do　anything　out　of　the　way　to　himhe　could　not；　the　county　would　make　both　Mostyn　and　Rawdon　very　uncomfortable　places　to　live　in；　if　he　did。〃

〃If　you　turn　a　man　out　of　his　home　when　he　is　eighty　years　old；　I　think　that　is　‘out　of　the　way。'　And　Mr。　Mostyn　is　not　to　be　trusted。　I　wouldn't　trust　him　as　far　as　I　could　see　him。〃

〃Highty…tighty！　He　has　not　asked　you　to　trust　him。　You　lost　your　chance　there；　miss。〃

〃Grandmother；　I　am　astonished　at　you！〃

〃Well；　it　was　a　mean　thing　to　say；　Ethel；　but　I　like　Fred；　and　I　see　the　rest　of　my　family　are　against　him。　It's　natural　for　Yorkshire　to　help　the　weakest　side。　But　there；　Fred　can　do　his　own　fighting；　I'll　warrant。　He's　not　an　ordinary　man。〃

〃I'm　sorry　to　say　he　isn't；　grandmother。　If　he　were　he　would　speak　without　a　drawl；　and　get　rid　of　his　monocle；　and　not　pay　such　minute　attention　to　his　coats　and　vests　and　walking　sticks。〃

Then　Ethel　proceeded　to　explain　her　resolves　with　regard　to　the　Tyrrel…Rawdons。　〃I　shall　pay　them　the　greatest　attention；〃　she　said。　〃It　was　a　noble　thing　in　young　Tyrrel…Rawdon　to　give　up　everything　for　honorable　love；　and　I　think　everyone　ought　to　have　stood　by　him。〃

〃That　wouldn't　have　done　at　all。　If　Tyrrel　had　been　petted　as　you　think　he　ought　to　have　been；　every　respectable　young　man　and　woman　in　the　county　would　have　married　where　their　fancy　led　them；　and　the　fancies　of　young　people　mostly　lead　them　to　the　road　it　is　ruin　to　take。〃

〃From　what　Fred　Mostyn　says；　Tyrrel's　descendants　seem　to　have　taken　a　very　respectable　road。〃

〃I've　nothing　to　say　for　or　against　them。　It's　years　and　years　since　I　laid　eyes　on　any　of　the　family。　Your　grandfather　helped　one　of　the　young　men　to　come　to　America；　and　I　remember　his　mother　getting　into　a　passion　about　it。　She　was　a　fat　woman　in　a　Paisley　shawl　and　a　love…bird　on　her　bonnet。　I　saw　his　sister　often。　She　weighed　about　twelve　stone；　and　had　red　hair　and　red　cheeks　and　bare　red　elbows。　She　was　called　a　‘strapping　lass。'　That　is　quite　a　complimentary　term　in　the　West　Riding。〃

〃Please；　grandmother；　I　don't　want　to　hear　any　more。　In　two　weeks　I　shall　be　able　to　judge　for　myself。　Since　then　there　have　been　two　generations；　and　if　a　member　of　the　present　one　is　fit　for　Parliament〃

〃That's　nothing。　We　needn't　look　for　anything　specially　refined　in　Parliament　in　these　days。　There's　another　thing。　These　Tyrrel…Rawdons　are　chapel　people。　The　rector　of　Rawdon　church　would　not　marry　Tyrrel　to　his　low…born　love；　and　so　they　went　to　the　Methodist　preacher；　and　after　that　to　the　Methodist　chapel。　That　put　them　down；　more　than　you　can　imagine　here　in　America。〃

〃It　was　a　shame！　Methodists　are　most　respectable　people。〃

〃I'm　saying　nothing　contrary。〃

〃The　President　is　a　Methodist。〃

〃I　never　asked　what　he　was。　I　am　a　Church　of　England　woman；　you　know　that。　Born　and　bred　in　the　Church；　baptized；　confirmed；　and　married　in　the　Church；　and　I　was　always　taught　it　was　the　only　proper　Church　for　gentlemen　and　gentlewomen　to　be　saved　in。　However；　English　Methodists　often　go　back　to　the　Church　when　they　get　rich。〃

〃Church　or　chapel　makes　no　difference　to　me；　grandmother。　If　people　are　only　good。〃

〃To　be　sure；　but　you　won't　be　long　in　England　until　you'll　find　out　that　some　things　make　a　great　deal　of　difference。　Do　you　know　your　father　was　here　this　morning？　He　wanted　me　to　go　with　youa　likely；　thing。〃

〃But；　grandmother；　do　come。　We　will　take　such　good　care　of　you；　and〃

〃I　know；　but　I'd　rather　keep　my　old　memories　of　Yorkshire　than　get　new…fashioned　ones。　All　is　changed。　I　can　tell　that　by　what　Fred　says。　My　three　great　friends　are　dead。　They　have　left　children　and　grandchildren；　of　course；　but　I　don't　want　to　make　new　acquaintances　at　my　age；　unless　I　have　the　picking　of　them。　No；　I　shall　get　Miss　Hillis　to　go　with　me　to　my　little　cabin　on　the　Jersey　coast。　We'll　take　our　knitting　and　the　fresh　novels；　and　I'll　warrant　we'll　see　as　much　of　the　new　men　and　women　in　them　as　will　more　than　satisfy　us。　But　you　must　write　me　long　letters；　and　tell　me　everything　about　the　Squire　and　the　way　he　keeps　house；　and　I　don't　care　if　you　fill　up　the　paper　with　the　Tyrrel…Rawdons。〃

〃I　will　write　you　often；　Granny；　and　tell　you　everything。〃

〃I　shouldn't　wonder　if　you　come　across　Dora　Stanhope；　but　I　wouldn't　ask　her　to　Rawdon。　She'll　mix　some　cup　of　bother　if　you　do。〃

〃I　know。〃

In　such　loving　and　intimate　conversation　the　hours　sped　quickly；　and　Ethel　could　not　bear　to　cut　short　her　visit。　It　was　nearly　five　when　she　left　Gramercy　Park；　but　the　day　being　lovely；　and　the　avenue　full　of　carriages　and