the daisy chain, or aspirations-第3节

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logarithms；　and　brought　them　to　Mr。　Ernescliffe；　staying　to　look　at
his　drawing；　and　asking　what　he　was　making　out。　　He　replied；　smiling
at　the　impossibility　of　her　understanding；　but　she　wrinkled　her　brown
forehead；　hooked　her　long　nose；　and　spent　the　next　hour　in　amateur
navigation。

Market　Stoneborough　was　a　fine　old　town。　　The　Minster；　grand　with　the
architecture　of　the　time　of　Henry　III。；　stood　beside　a　broad　river；
and　round　it　were　the　buildings　of　a　convent；　made　by　a　certain　good
Bishop　Whichcote；　the　nucleus　of　a　grammar　school；　which　had　survived
the　Reformation；　and　trained　up　many　good　scholars；　among　them；　one
of　England's　princely　merchants；　Nicholas　Randall；　whose　effigy　knelt
in　a　niche　in　the　chancel　wall；　scarlet…cloaked；　white…ruffed；　and
black　doubletted；　a　desk　bearing　an　open　Bible　before　him；　and　a
twisted　pillar　of　Derbyshire　spar　on　each　side。　　He　was　the　founder
of　thirteen　almshouses；　and　had　endowed　two　scholarships　at　Oxford；
the　object　of　ambition　of　the　Stoneborough　boys；　every　eighteen
months。

There　were　about　sixty　or　seventy　boarders；　and　the　town　boys　slept
at　home；　and　spent　their　weekly　holiday　there　on　Saturdaythe
happiest　day　in　the　week　to　the　May　family；　when　alone；　they　had　the
company　at　dinner　of　Norman　and　Harry；　otherwise　known　by　their
school　names　of　June　and　July；　given　them　because　their　elder　brother
had　begun　the　series　of　months　as　May。

Some　two　hundred　years　back；　a　Dr。　Thomas　May　had　been　headmaster；
but　ever　since　that　time　there　had　always　been　an　M。　D。；　not　a　D。　D。；
in　the　family；　owning　a　comfortable　demesne　of　spacious　garden；　and
field　enough　for　two　cows；　still　green　and　intact；　among　modern
buildings　and　improvements。

The　present　Dr。　May　stood　very　high　in　his　profession；　and　might　soon
have　made　a　large　fortune　in　London；　had　he　not　held　fast　to　his　home
attachments。　　He　was　extremely　skilful　and　clever；　with　a　boyish
character　that　seemed　as　if　it　could　never　grow　older；　ardent；
sensitive；　and　heedless；　with　a　quickness　of　sympathy　and　tenderness
of　heart　that　was　increased；　rather　than　blunted；　by　exercise　in
scenes　of　suffering。

At　the　end　of　the　previous　summer　holidays；　Dr。　May　had　been　called
one　morning　to　attend　a　gentleman　who　had　been　taken　very　ill；　at　the
Swan　Inn。

He　was　received　by　a　little　boy　of　ten　years　old；　in　much　grief；
explaining　that　his　brother　had　come　two　days　ago　from　London；　to
bring　him　to　school　here；　he　had　seemed　unwell　ever　since　they　met；
and　last　night　had　become　much　worse。　　And　extremely　ill　the　doctor
found　him；　a　youth　of　two　or　three　and　twenty；　suffering　under　a
severe　attack　of　fever；　oppressed；　and　scarcely　conscious；　so　as
quite　to　justify　his　little　brother's　apprehensions。　　He　advised　the
boy　to　write　to　his　family；　but　was　answered　by　a　look　that　went　to
his　heart〃Alan〃　was　all　he　had　in　the　worldfather　and　mother　were
dead；　and　their　relations　lived　in　Scotland；　and　were　hardly　known　to
them。

〃Where　have　you　been　living；　then？〃

〃Alan　sent　me　to　school　at　Miss　Lawler's　when　my　mother　died；　and
there　I　have　been　ever　since；　while　he　has　been　these　three　years　and
a　half　on　the　African　station。〃

〃What；　is　he　in　the　navy？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　boy　proudly；　〃Lieutenant　Ernescliffe。　　He　got　his
promotion　last　week。　　My　father　was　in　the　battle　of　Trafalgar；　and
Alan　has　been　three　years　in　the　West　Indies；　and　then　he　was　in　the
Mediterranean；　and　now　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　in　the　Atalantis。　　You
must　have　heard　about　him；　for　it　was　in　the　newspaper；　how；　when　he
was　mate；　he　had　the　command　of　the　Santa　Isabel；　the　slaver　they
captured。〃

The　boy　would　have　gone　on　for　ever；　if　Dr。　May　had　not　recalled　him
to　his　brother's　present　condition；　and　proceeded　to　take　every
measure　for　the　welfare　and　comfort　of　the　forlorn　pair。　　He　learned
from　other　sources　that　the　Ernescliffes　were　well　connected。　　The
father　had　been　a　distinguished　officer；　but　had　been　ill　able　to
provide　for　his　sons；　indeed；　he　died；　without　ever　having　seen
little　Hector；　who　was　born　during　his　absence　on　a　voyagehis　last；
and　Alan's　first。　　Alan；　the　elder　by　thirteen　years；　had　been　like　a
father　to　the　little　boy；　showing　judgment　and　self…denial　that
marked　him　of　a　high　cast　of　character。　　He　had　distinguished　himself
in　encounters　with　slave　ships；　and　in　command　of　a　prize　that　he　had
had　to　conduct　to　Sierra　Leone；　he　had　shown　great　coolness　and
seamanship；　in　several　perilous　conjunctures；　such　as　a　sudden　storm；
and　an　encounter　with　another　slaver；　when　his　Portuguese　prisoners
became　mutinous；　and　nothing　but　his　steadiness　and　intrepidity　had
saved　the　lives　of　himself　and　his　few　English　companions。　　He　was；
in　fact；　as　Dr。　May　reported；　pretty　much　of　a　hero。　　He　had　not；　at
the　time；　felt　the　effects　of　the　climate；　but；　owing　to　sickness　and
death　among　the　other　officers；　he　had　suffered　much　fatigue　and
pressure　of　mind　and　body。　　Immediately　on　his　return；　had　followed
his　examination；　and　though　he　had　passed　with　great　credit；　and　it
had　been　at　once　followed　by　well…earned　promotion；　his　nervous
excitable　frame　had　been　overtasked；　and　the　consequence　was　a　long
and　severe　illness。

The　Swan　Inn　was　not　forty　yards　from　Dr。　May's　back　gate；　and；　at
every　spare　moment；　he　was　doing　the　part　of　nurse　as　well　as　doctor；
professionally　obliged　to　Alan　Ernescliffe　for　bringing　him　a　curious
exotic　specimen　of　fever；　and　requiting　him　by　the　utmost　care　and
attention；　while；　for　their　own　sakes；　he　delighted　in　the　two　boys
with　all　the　enthusiasm　of　his　warm　heart。　　Before　the　first　week　was
at　an　end；　they　had　learned　to　look　on　the　doctor　as　one　of　the
kindest　friends　it　had　been　their　lot　to　meet　with；　and　Alan　knew
that　if　he　died；　he　should　leave　his　little　brother　in　the　hands　of
one　who　would　comfort　him　as　a　father。

No　sooner　was　young　Ernescliffe　able　to　sit　up；　than　Dr。　May　insisted
on　conveying　him　to　his　own　house；　as　his　recovery　was　likely　to　be
tedious　in　solitude　at　the　Swan。　　It　was　not　till　he　had　been　drawn
in　a　chair　along　the　sloping　garden；　and　placed　on　the　sofa　to　rest；
that　he　discovered　that　the　time　the　good　doctor　had　chosen　for
bringing　a　helpless　convalescent　to　his　house；　was　two　days　after　an
eleventh　child　had　been　added　to　his　family。

Mrs。　May　was　too　sorry　for　the　solitary　youth；　and　too　sympathising
with　her　husband；　to　make　any　objection；　though　she　was　not　fond　of
strangers；　and　had　some　anxieties。　　She　had　the　utmost　dependence　on
Margaret's　discretion；　but　there　was　a　chance　of　awkward　situations；
which　papa　was　not　likely　to　see　or　guard　against。　　However；　all
seemed　to　do　very　well；　and　no　one　ever　came　into　her　room　without
some　degree　of　rapture　about　Mr。　Ernescliffe。　　The　doctor　reiterated
praises　of　his　excellence；　his　principle；　his　ability　and　talent；　his
amusing　talk；　the　girls　were　always　bringing　reports　of　his
perfections；　Norman　retracted　his　grumbling　at　having　his　evenings
spoiled；　and　〃the　boys〃　were　bursting　with　the　secret　that　he　was
teaching　them　to　rig　a　little　ship　that　was　to　astonish　mamma　on　her
first　coming　downstairs；　and　to　be　named　after　the　baby；　while
Blanche　did　all　the　coquetry　with　him；　from　which　Margaret　abstained。
The　universal　desire　was　for　mamma　to　see　him；　and　when　the　time
came；　she　owned　that　papa's　swan　had　not　turned　out　a　goose。

There　were　now　no　grounds　for　prolonging　his　stay；　but　it　was　very
hard　to　go；　and　he　was　glad　to　avail　himself　of　the　excuse　of
remaining　for　the　christening；　when　he　was　to　represent　the　absent
godfather。　　After　that；　he　must　go；　he　had　written　to　his　Scottish
cousins　to　offer　a　visit；　and　he　had　a　promise　that　he　should　soon　be
afloat　again。　　No　place　would　ever　seem　to　him　so　like　home　as　Market
Stoneborough。　　He　was　quite　like　one　of　themselves；　and　took　a　full
share　in　the　discussions　on　the　baby's　name；　which；　as　all　the　old
family　appellations　had　been　used　up；　was　an　open　question。　　The
doctor　protested　against　Alice　and　Edith；　which　he　said　were　the
universal　names　in　the　present　day。　　The　boys　hissed　every　attempt　of
their　sisters　at　a　romantic　name；　and　then　Harry　wanted　it　to　be
Atalantis！　　At　last　Dr。　May　announced　that　he　should　have　her　named
Dowsabel　if　they　did　not　agree；　and　Mrs。　May　advised　all　the　parties
concerned　to　write　their　choice　on　a　slip　of　paper；　and　little　Aubrey
should　draw　two　out　of　her　bag；　trusting　that　Atalantis　Dowsabel
would　not　come　out；　as　Harry　confidently　predicted。

However；　it　was　even　worse；　Aubrey's　two　lots　were　Gertrude　and
Margaret。　　Ethel　and　Mary　made　a　vehement　uproar　to　discover　who
could　have　written　Margaret；　and　at　last　traced　it　home　to　Mr。
Ernescliffe；　who　replied　that　Flora；　without　saying　why；　had　desired
him　to　set　down　his　favourite　name。　　He　was　much　disconcerted；　and
did　not　materially　mend　the　matter　by　saying　it　was　the　first　name
that　came　into　his　head。




CHAPTER　II。



Meadows　trim　with　daisies　pied。MILTON。


Ethel's　navigation　lesson　was　interrupted　by　the　dinner…bell。　　That
long　table　was　a　goodly　sight。　　Few　ever　looked　happier　than　Dr。　and
Mrs。　May；　as　they　sat　opposite　to　each　o