the heir of redclyffe-第80部分

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'I　tell　you；　Guy；　there　is　no　one　that　puts　me　out　of　patience　now；　but　

yourself。　　You　are　as　bad　as　Philip　himself。　　Cool？　　I　am　coolness　

itself；　all　but　what's　proper　spirit　for　a　man　to　show　when　his　family　

is　affronted；　and　himself　dictated　to；　by　a　meddling　young　jackanapes。　　

I'll　serve　him　out　properly！'



A　message　called　him　away。　　Guy　stood　looking　perplexed　and　sorrowful。



'Never　mind；'　said　Charles；　'I'll　take　care　the　letter　is　moderate。　　

Besides；　it　is　only　Philip；　and　he　knows　that　letter…writing　is　not　his　

forte。'



'I　am　afraid　things　will　be　said　in　irritation；　which　you　will　both　

regret。　　There　are　justice　and　reason　in　the　letter。'



'There　shall　be　more　in　the　answer；　as　you　will　see。'



'No；　I　will　not　see。　　It　is　Mr。　Edmonstone's　concern；　not　mine。　　I　am　

the　last　person　who　should　have　anything　to　do　with　it。'



'Just　what　the　individual　in　question　would　not　have　said。'



'Would　you　do　one　thing　to　oblige　me；　Charlie？'



'Anything　but　not　speaking　my　mind　to；　or　of；　the　captain。'



'That　is　the　very　thing；　unluckily。　　Try　to　get　the　answer　put　off　till　

to…morrow；　and　that　will　give　time　to　look　at　this　letter　candidly。'



'All　the　candour　in　the　world　will　not　make　me　think　otherwise　than　

that　he　is　disappointed　at　being　no　longer　able　to　make　us　the　puppets　

of　his　malevolence。　　Don't　answer；　or　if　you　do；　tell　me　what　you　say　

in　favour　of　that　delicate　insinuation　of　his。'



Guy　made　a　step　towards　the　window；　and　a　step　back　again。　　''Tis　not　

fair　to　ask　such　questions；'　he　replied；　after　a　moment。　　'It　is　

throwing　oil　on　the　fire。　　I　was　trying　to　forget　it。　　He　neither　knows　

my　uncle　nor　the　circumstances。'



'Well；　I　am　glad　there　is　a　point　on　which　you　can't　even　pretend　to　

stand　up　for　him；　or　I　should　have　thought　you　crazed　with　Quixotism。　　

But　I　am　keeping　you　when　you　want　to　be　off　to　Amy。　　Never　mind　Mr。　

Ready…to…halt；　I　shall　wait　till　my　father　comes　back。　　If　you　want　the　

letter　put　off　you　had　better　give　some　hopes　ofOh！　he　is　gone；　and　

disinterested　advice　it　is　of　mine；　for　what　is　to　become　of　me　without　

Amy　remains　to　be　proved。　　Laura；　poor　thing；　looks　like　Patience　on　a　

monument。　　I　wonder　whether　Philip's　disgrace　has　anything　to　do　with　

it。　　Hum！　　If　mamma's　old　idea　was　right；　the　captain　has　been　more　

like　moth　and　candle　than　consistent　with　his　prudence；　unless　he　

thought　it　〃a　toute　epreuve〃。　　I　wonder　what　came　to　pass　last　autumn；　

when　I　was　ill；　and　mamma's　head　full　of　me。　　He　may　not　intend　it；　and　

she　may　not　know　it；　but　I　would　by　no　means　answer　for　Cupid's　being　

guiltless　of　that　harassed　look　she　has　had　ever　since　that　ball…going　

summer。　　Oh！　there　go　that　pretty　study；　Amy　and　her　true　knight。　　As　

to　Guy；　he　is　more　incomprehensible　than　ever；　yet　there　is　no　avoiding　

obeying　him；　on　the　principle　on　which　that　child　in　the　〃Moorland　

cottage〃　said　she　should　obey　Don　Quixote。'



So　when　his　father　came　in；　Charles　wiled　him　into　deferring　the　letter　

till　the　next　day；　by　giving　him　an　indistinct　hope　that　some　notion　

when　the　marriage　would　be；　might　be　arrived　at　by　that　time。　　He　

consented　the　more　readily；　because　he　was　in　haste　to　investigate　a　

complaint　that　had　just　been　made　of　the　union　doctor；　but　his　last　

words　to　his　wife　and　son　before　he　went；　were'Of　course；　they　must　

marry　directly；　there　is　nothing　on　earth　to　wait　for。　　Live　at　

Redclyffe　alone？　　Not　to　be　thought　of。　　No；　I'll　see　little　Amy　my　

Lady　Morville；　before　Philip　goes　abroad；　if　only　to　show　him　I　am　not　

a　man　to　be　dictated　to。'



Mrs。　Edmonstone　sighed；　but　when　he　was　gone；　she　agreed　with　Charles　

that　there　was　nothing　to　wait　for；　and　that　it　would　be　better　for　Guy　

to　take　his　wife　at　once　with　him；　when　he　settled　at　Redclyffe。　　So　it　

must　be　whenever　Amy　could　make　up　her　mind　to　it；　and　thereupon　they　

made　plans　for　future　meetings；　Charles　announcing　that　the　Prince　of　

the　Black　Isles　would　become　locomotive；　and　Charlotte　forming　grand　

designs　upon　Shag　Island。



In　the　meantime；　Guy　and　Amy　were　walking　in　the　path　through　the　wood；　

where　he　began：　'I　would　not　have　asked　you　to　do　anything　so　

unpleasant　as　reading　that　letter；　but　I　thought　you　ought　to　consider　

of　it。'



'It　was　just　like　himself！　　How　could　he？'　said　Amy；　indignantly。



'I　wonder　whether　he　will　ever　see　his　own　harshness？'　said　Guy。　　'It　

is　very　strange；　that　with　all　his　excellence　and　real　kindness；　there　

should　be　some　distortion　in　his　view　of　all　that　concerns　me。　　I　

cannot　understand　it。'



'You　must　let　me　call　it　prejudice；　Guy；　in　spite　of　your　protest。　　It　

is　a　relief　to　say　something　against　him。'



'Amy；　don't　be　venomous！'　said　Guy；　in　a　playful　tone　of　reproach。



'Yes；　but　you　know　it　is　not　_me_　whom　he　has　been　abusing。'



'Well；'　said　Guy；　musingly；　'I　suppose　it　is　right　there　should　be　this　

cloud；　or　it　would　be　too　bright　for　earth。　　It　has　been　one　of　my　

chief　wishes　to　have　things　straight　with　Philip；　ever　since　the　time　

he　stayed　at　Redclyffe　as　a　boy。　　I　saw　his　superiority　then；　but　it　

fretted　me；　and　I　never　could　make　a　companion　of　him。　　Ever　since；　I　

have　looked　to　his　approval　as　one　of　the　best　things　to　be　won。　　It　

shows　his　ascendancy　of　character；　yet；　do　what　I　will；　the　mist　has　

gone　on　thickening　between　us；　and　with　reason；　for　I　have　never　been　

able　to　give　him　the　confidence　he　required；　and　his　conduct　about　my　

uncle　has　so　tried　my　patience；　that　I　never　have　been　quite　sure　

whether　I　ought　to　avoid　him　or　not。'



'And　now　you　are　the　only　person　who　will　speak　for　him。　　I　don't　

wonder　papa　is　provoked　with　you；'　said　she；　pretending　to　be　wilful。　　

'I　only　hope　you　don't　want　to　make　me　do　the　same。　　I　could　bear　

anything　better　than　his　old　saying　about　your　attractive　manners　and　

good　impulses；　and　his　opinion　that　has　never　altered。　　0　Guy；　he　is　

the　most　provoking　person　in　all　the　world。　　Don't　try　to　make　me　

admire　him；　nor　be　sorry　for　him。'



'Not　when　you　remember　how　he　was　looked　on　here？　and　how；　without　

doing　anything　worthy　of　blame；　nay；　from　his　acting　unsparingly；　as　he　

thought　right；　every　one　has　turned　against　him？　even　mamma；　who　used　

to　be　so　fond　of　him？'



'Not　Laura。'



'No；　not　Laura；　and　I　am　thankful　to　her　for　it；　for　all　this　makes　me　

feel　as　if　I　had　supplanted　him。'



'Yes；　yes；　yes；　it　is　like　you；　but　don't　ask　me　to　feel　that　yet；'　

said　Amy；　with　tears　in　her　eyes；'　or　I　shall　be　obliged　to　tell　you　

what　you　won't　like　to　hear；　about　his　tone　of　triumph　that　terrible　

time　last　year。　　It　was　so　very　different；　I　don't　think　I　could　ever　

forgive　him；　if　it　had　not　made　me　so　miserable　too。'



Guy　pressed　her　arm。　　'Yes；　but　he　thought　himself　right。　　He　meant　to　

do　the　kindest　thing　by　you；'　said　he；　so　entirely　without　effort；　that　

no　one　could　doubt　it　came　straight　from　his　heart。　　'So　he　thinks　

still；　Amy；　there　is　fairness；　justice；　good　sense　in　his　letter；　and　

we　must　not　blind　our　eyes　to　it；　though　there　is　injustice；　at　least；　

harshness。　　I　did　fail　egregiously　in　my　first　trial。'



'Fail！'



'In　temper。'



'Oh！'



'And；　Amy；　I　wanted　to　ask　what　you　think　about　the　four　years　he　

speaks　of。　　Do　you　think；　as　he　says；　my　habits　might　be　more　fixed；　

and　altogether　you　might　have　more　confidence？'



'I　don't　look　on　you　quite　as　he　does　now；'　said　Amy；　with　a　very　

pretty　smile。　　'Do　you　think　his　opinion　of　you　will　ever　alter？'



'But　what　do　you　think？　　Is　there　not　some　reason　in　what　he　says？'



'The　only　use　I　can　see　is；　that　perhaps　I　should　be　wiser　at　twenty…

four；　and　fitter　to　take　care　of　such　a　great　house；　but　then　you　have　

been　always　helping　me　to　grow　wiser；　and　I　am　not　much　afraid　but　that　

you　will　be　patient　with　me。　　Indeed；　Guy；　I　don't　know　whether　it　is　a　

thing　I　ought　to　say；'　she　added；　blushing；　'but　I　think　it　would　be　

dismal　for　you　to　go　and　live　all　alone　at　Redclyffe。'



'Honestly；　Amy；'　replied　he；　after　a　little　pause；　'if　you　feel　so；　and　

your　father　approves；　I　don't　think　it　will　be　better　to　wait。　　I　know　

your　presence　is　a　safeguard；　and　if　the　right　motives　did　not　suffice　

to　keep　me　straight；　and　I　was　only　apparently　so　from　hopes　of　you；　

why　then　I　should　be　so　utterly　good　for　nothing　at　the　bottom；　if　not　

on　the　surface；　that　you　had　better　have　nothing　to　say　to　me。'



Amy　laughed　incredulously。



'That　being　settled；'　proceeded　Guy；　'did　you　hear　what　your　father　

said　as　you　left　the　breakfast…room？'



She　coloured　all　over；　and　there　was　silence。　　'What　did　you　answer？'　

said　she；　at　length。



'I　said；　whatever　happened；　you　must　not　be　taken　by　surprise　in　having　

to　decide　quickly。　　Do　you　wish　to　have　time　to　think？　　I'll　go　in　and　

leave　you　to　consider；　if　you　like。'



'I　only　want　to　know　what　you　wish；'　said　Amy；　not　parting　with　his　

arm。



'I　had　rather　you　did　just　as　suits　you　best。　　Of　course；　you　know　what　

my　wish　must　be。'



Amy　walked　on　a　little　way　in　silence。　　'Very　well；'　said　she；　

presently；　'I　think　you　and　mamma　had　better　settle　it。　　The　worst'

she　had　tears　in　her　eyes'the　going　awaymammaCharlieall　that　

will　be　as　bad　at　one　time　as　at　another。'　　The　tears　flowed　faster。　　

'It　had　better　be　as　you　all　like　best。'



'0　Amy！　　I　wonder　at　myself　for　daring　to　ask　you　to　exchange　your　

bright　cheerful　home　for　my　gloomy　old　house。'



'No；　your　home；'　said　Amy；　softly。



'I　used　to　wonder　why　it　was　called　gloomy；　but　it　will　be　so　no　more　

when　you　are　there。　　Yet　there　is　a　shadow　hanging　over　it；　which　makes　

it　sometimes　seem　too　strange　that　you　and　it　should　be　brought　

together。'



'I　have　read　somewhere　that　there　is　no　real　gloom　but　what　people　

raise　for　themselves。'



'True。　　Gloom　is　in　sin；　n