the heir of redclyffe-第83部分

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wish　my　cousins　well　from　a　distance　as　well　as　at　hand；　and　though　

they　have　been　kind　enough　to　ask　me；　I　think　that　while　their　house　is　

overflowing　with　guests　of　more　mark；　my　room　will　be　preferred　to　my　

company。'



'Then　you　do　not　mean　to　go？'　said　Lady　Kilcoran。　　'I　do　not；'　she　

continued；　'for　my　health　is　never　equal　to　so　much　excitement；　and　it　

would　only　be　giving　poor　Mrs。　Edmonstone　additional　trouble　to　have　to　

attend　to　me。'



'So　you　really　mean　to　stay　away？'　said　Eveleen。



'I　have　not　entirely　decided。'



'At　any　rate　you　must　go　and　tell　old　Aunt　Mabel　all　about　them；'　said　

Eveleen。　　'She　is　so　delighted。　　You　will　be　quite　worshipped；　at　the　

cottage；　for　the　very　name　of　Morville。　　I　spend　whole　hours　in　

discoursing　on　Sir　Guy's　perfections。'



Philip　could　not　refuse；　but　his　feelings　towards　Guy　were　not　warmed　

by　the　work　he　had　to　go　through；　when　conducted　to　the　cottage；　where　

lived　old　Lady　Mabel　Edmonstone　and　her　daughter；　and　there　required　to　

dilate　on　Guy's　excellence。　　He　was　not　wanted　to　speak　of　any　of　the　

points　where　his　conscience　would　not　let　him　give　a　favourable　report；　

it　was　quite　enough　for　him　to　tell　of　Guy's　agreeable　manners　and　

musical　talents；　and　to　describe　the　beauty　and　extent　of　Redclyffe。　　

Lady　Mabel　and　Miss　Edmonstone　were　transported；　and　the　more　Philip　

saw　of　the　light　and　superficial　way　in　which　the　marriage　was　

considered；　the　more　unwilling　he　became　to　confound　himself　with　such　

people　by　eagerness　to　be　present　at　it；　and　to　join　in　the　

festivities。　　Yet　he　exercised　great　forbearance　in　not　allowing　one　

word　of　his　disapproval　or　misgivings　to　escape　him；　no　censure　was　

uttered；　and　Lady　Eveleen　herself　could　not　make　out　whether　he　

rejoiced　or　not。　　He　was　grave　and　philosophical；　superior　to　

nonsensical　mirth；　that　was　all　that　she　saw；　and　he　made　himself　very　

agreeable　throughout　his　visit；　by　taking　condescending　interest　in　all　

that　was　going　on；　and　especially　to　Lady　Eveleen；　by　showing　that　he　

thought　her　worthy　of　rational　converse。



He　made　himself　useful；　as　usual。　　Lord　Kilcoran　wanted　a　tutor　for　his　

two　youngest　boys；　and　it　had　been　proposed　to　send　them　to　Mr。　

Wellwood；　at　his　curacy　at　Coombe　Prior。　　He　wished　to　know　what　

Captain　Morville　thought　of　the　plan；　and　Philip；　thinking　that　Mr。　

Wellwood　had　been　very　inattentive　to　Guy's　proceedings　at　St。　

Mildred's；　though　he　would　not　blame　him；　considered　it　very　fortunate　

that　he　had　a　different　plan　to　recommend。　　One　of　the　officers　of　his　

regiment　had　lately　had　staying　with　him　a　brother　who　had　just　left　

Oxford；　and　was　looking　out　for　a　tutorship；　a　very　clever　and　

agreeable　young　man；　whom　he　liked　particularly；　and　he　strongly　

advised　Lord　Kilcoran　to　keep　his　sons　under　his　own　eye；　and　place　

them　under　the　care　of　this　gentleman。　　His　advice；　especially　when　

enforced　by　his　presence；　was　almost　sure　to　prevail；　and　thus　it　was　

in　the　present　case。



The　upshot　of　his　visit　was；　that　he　thought　worse　and　worse　of　the　

sense　of　the　whole　Edmonstone　connection；considered　that　it　would　be　

of　no　use　for　him　to　go　to　Hollywell；adhered　to　his　second　

resolution；　and　wrote　to　his　uncle　a　calm　and　lofty　letter；　free　from　

all　token　of　offence；　expressing　every　wish　for　the　happiness　of　Guy　

and　Amabel；　and　thanking　his　uncle　for　the　invitation；　which；　however；　

he　thought　it　best　to　decline；　much　as　he　regretted　losing　the　

opportunity　of　seeing　Hollywell　and　its　inhabitants　again。　　His　

regiment　would　sail　for　Corfu　either　in　May　or　June；　but　he　intended；　

himself；　to　travel　on　foot　through　Germany　and　Italy；　and　would　write　

again　before　quitting　Ireland。



'So；'　said　Charles；　'there　were　at　the　marriage　the　Picanninies；　and　

the　Joblillies；　and　the　Garryulies；　but　not　the　grand　Panjandrum　

himself。'



'Nor　the　little　round　button　at　top！'　rejoined　Charlotte。



'Well；　it's　his　own　look　out；'　said　Mr。　Edmonstone。　　'It　is　of　a　piece　

with　all　the　rest。'



'I　am　sure　we　don't　want　him；'　said　Charlotte。



'Not　in　this　humour；'　said　her　mother。



Amy　said　nothing；　and　if　she　did　not　allow　herself　to　avow　that　his　

absence　was　a　relief；　it　was　because　she　saw　it　was　a　grief　and　

disappointment　to　Guy。



Laura　was；　of　course；　very　much　mortified；almost　beyond　the　power　of　

concealment。　　She　thought　he　would　have　come　for　the　sake　of　seeing　

her；　and　she　had　reckoned　so　much　on　this　meeting　that　it　was　double　

vexation。　　He　did　not　know　what　he　was　missing　by　not　coming；　and　she　

could　not　inform　him；　for　writing　to　him　was　impossible；　without　the　

underhand　dealings　to　which　they　would　never；　either　of　them；　have　

recourse。　　So　much　for　herself；　and　his　perseverance　in　disapproval；　in　

spite　of　renewed　explanation；　made　her　more　anxious　and　sorry　on　Amy's　

account。　　Very　mournful　were　poor　Laura's　sensations；　but　there　was　no　

remedy　but　to　try　to　bewilder　and　drive　them　away　in　the　bustle　of　

preparation。



Guy　had　to　go　and　take　his　degree；　and　then　return　to　make　his　own　

preparations　at　Redclyffe。　　Amy　begged　him；　as　she　knew　he　would　like；　

to　leave　things　alone　as　much　as　possible；　for　she　could　not　bear　old　

places　to　be　pulled　to　pieces　to　suit　new…comers；　and　she　should　like　

to　find　it　just　as　he　had　been　used　to　it。



He　smiled；　and　said；　'It　should　only　be　made　habitable。'　　She　must　have　

a　morning…room；　about　which　he　would　consult　Mrs。　Ashford：　and　he　would　

choose　her　piano　himself。　　The　great　drawing…room　had　never　been　

unpacked　since　his　grandmother's　time；　so　that　must　be　in　repair；　and；　

as　for　a　garden；　they　would　lay　it　out　together。　　There　could　not　be　

much　done；　for　though　they　did　not　talk　of　it　publicly；　lest　they　

should　shock　Mr。　Edmonstone；　they　meant　to　go　home　directly　after　their　

marriage。



To　Oxford；　then；　went　Guy；　his　second　letter　announced　that　he　had　done　

tolerably　well　on　his　examination；　and　it　came　round　to　the　

Edmonstones；　that　it　was　a　great　pity　he　had　not　gone　up　for　honours；　

as　he　would　certainly　have　distinguished　himself。



Redclyffe　was；　of　course；　in　a　state　of　great　excitement　at　the　news　

that　Sir　Guy　was　going　to　be　married。　　Markham　was　very　grand　with　the　

letter　that　announced　it；　and　could　find　nothing　to　grumble　about　but　

that　the　lad　was　very　young；　and　it　was　lucky　it　was　no　worse。



Mrs。　Ashford　was　glad　it　was　so　good　a　connection；　and　obtained　all　the　

intelligence　she　could　from　James　Thorndale；　who　spoke　warmly　of　the　

Hollywell　family　in　general；　and；　in　particular；　said　that　the　young　

ladies　looked　after　schools　and　poor　people；that　Miss　Edmonstone　was　

very　handsome　and　clevera　very　superior　person；　but　as　to　Miss　

Amabel；　he　did　not　know　that　there　was　anything　to　say　about　her。　　She　

was　just　like　other　young　ladies；　and　very　attentive　to　her　invalid　

brother。



Markham's　enmity　to　Mr。　Ashford　had　subsided　at　the　bidding　of　his　

master；　and　he　informed　him　one　day；　with　great　cordiality；　that　Sir　

Guy　would　be　at　home　the　next。　　He　was　to　sleep　that　night　at　Coombe　

Prior；　and　ride　to　Redclyffe　in　the　morning；　and；　to　the　great　delight　

of　the　boys；　it　was　at　the　parsonage　door　that　he　dismounted。



Mrs。　Ashford　looked　up　in　his　bright　face；　and　saw　no　more　of　the　shade　

that　had　perplexed　her　last　winter。　　His　cheeks　were　deeper　red　as　she　

warmly　shook　hands　with　him；　and　then　the　children　sprung　upon　him　for　

their　old　games；the　boys　claiming　his　promise；　with　all　their　might；　

to　take　them　out　to　the　Shag。　　She　wondered　when　she　should　venture　to　

talk　to　him　about　Miss　Amabel。　　He　next　went　to　find　Markham；　and　met　

him　before　he　reached　his　house。　　Markham　was　too　happy　not　to　grant　

and　grumble　more　than　ever。



'Well；　Sir　Guy；　so　here　you　are！　　You've　lost　no　time　about　it；　

however。　　A　fine　pair　of　young　housekeepers；　and　a　pretty　example　of　

early　marriages　for　the　parish！'



Guy　laughed。　　'You　must　come　and　see　the　example；　Markham。　　I　have　a　

message　from　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　to　ask　you　to　come　to　Hollywell　

at　Whitsuntide。'



Grunt！　　'You　are　making　a　fool　of　me；　Sir　Guy。　　What's　a　plain　old　man　

like　me　to　do　among　all　your　lords　and　ladies；　and　finery　and　flummery？　　

I'll　do　no　such　thing。'



'Not　to　oblige　me？'



'Oblige　you？　　Nonsense！　　Much　you'll　care　for　me！'



'Nay；　Markham；　you　must　not　stay　away。　　You；　my　oldest　and　best　

friend；my　only　home　friend。　　I　owe　all　my　present　happiness　to　you；　

and　it　would　really　be　a　great　disappointment　to　me　if　you　did　not　

come。　　She　wishes　it；　too。'



'Well；　Sir　Guy；'　and　the　grunt　was　of　softer　tone；　'if　you　do　choose　to　

make　a　fool　of　me；　I　can't　help　it。　　You　must　have　your　own　way；　though　

you　might　have　found　a　friend　that　would　do　you　more　credit。'



'Then　I　may　say　that　you　will　come？'



'Say　I　am　very　much　obliged　to　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Edmonstone　for　their　

invitation。　　It　is　very　handsome　of　them。'



'Then　you　will　have　the　settlements　ready　by　that　time。　　You　must；　

Markham。'



'I'll　see　about　it。'



'And　the　house　must　be　ready　to　come　home　to　at　once。'



'You　don't　know　what　you　are　talking　of；　Sir　Guy！'　exclaimed　Markham；　

at　once　aghast　and　angry。



'Yes；　I　do。　　We　don't　intend　to　turn　the　house　upside　down　with　new　

furniture。'



'You　may　talk　as　you　please；　Sir　Guy；　but　I　know　what's　what；　and　it　is　

mere　nonsense　to　talk　of　bringing　a　lady　to　a　house　in　this　condition。　　

A　pretty　notion　you　have　of　what　is　fit　for　your　bride！　　I　hope　she　

knows　what　sort　of　care　you　mean　to　take　of　her！'



'She　will　be　satisfied；'　said　Guy。　　'She　particularly　wishes　not　to　

have　everything　disarranged；　I　only　must　have　two　rooms　furnished　for　

her。'



'But　the　place　wants　painting　from　head　to　foot；　and　the　roof　is　in　

such　a　state'



'The　roof？　　That's　serious！'



'Serious；　I　be