redgauntlet-第81部分

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　make　some　attempt　to　possess　himself　of　the　persons　of　the　children。　　On　the　other　hand；　our　uncle；　whose　proud　disposition　might；　perhaps；　have　been　soothed　by　the　offer　of　her　confidence；　revolted　against　the　distrustful　and　suspicious　manner　in　which　Lady　Darsie　Redgauntlet　acted　towards　him。　　She　basely　abused；　he　said；　the　unhappy　circumstances　in　which　he　was　placed；　in　order　to　deprive　him　of　his　natural　privilege　of　protecting　and　educating　the　infants；　whom　nature　and　law；　and　the　will　of　their　father；　had　committed　to　his　charge；　and　he　swore　solemnly　he　would　not　submit　to　such　an　injury。　　Report　of　his　threats　was　made　to　Lady　Redgauntlet；　and　tended　to　increase　those　fears　which　proved　but　too　well　founded。　　While　you　and　I；　children　at　that　time　of　two　or　three　years　old；　were　playing　together　in　a　walled　orchard；　adjacent　to　our　mother's　residence　which　she　had　fixed　somewhere　in　Devonshire；　my　uncle　suddenly　scaled　the　wall　with　several　men；　and　I　was　snatched　up；　and　carried　off　to　a　boat　which　waited　for　them。　　My　mother；　however；　flew　to　your　rescue；　and　as　she　seized　on　and　held　you　fast；　my　uncle　could　not；　as　he　has　since　told　me；　possess　himself　of　your　person；　without　using　unmanly　violence　to　his　brother's　widow。　Of　this　he　was　incapable；　and；　as　people　began　to　assemble　upon　my　mother's　screaming；　he　withdrew；　after　darting　upon　you　and　her　one　of　those　fearful　looks；　which；　it　is　said；　remain　with　our　family；　as　a　fatal　bequest　of　Sir　Alberick；　our　ancestor。'

'I　have　some　recollection　of　the　scuffle　which　you　mention；'　said　Darsie；　'and　I　think　it　was　my　uncle　himself　（since　my　uncle　he　is）　who　recalled　the　circumstance　to　my　mind　on　a　late　occasion。　I　can　now　account　for　the　guarded　seclusion　under　which　my　poor　mother　livedfor　her　frequent　tears；　her　starts　of　hysterical　alarm；　and　her　constant　and　deep　melancholy。　　Poor　lady！　　what　a　lot　was　hers；　and　what　must　have　been　her　feelings　when　it　approached　to　a　close！'

'It　was　then　that　she　adopted；'　said　Lilias；　'every　precaution　her　ingenuity　could　suggest；　to　keep　your　very　existence　concealed　from　the　person　whom　she　fearednay；　from　yourself；　for　she　dreaded；　as　she　is　said　often　to　have　expressed　herself；　that　the　wildfire　blood　of　Redgauntlet　would　urge　you　to　unite　your　fortunes　to　those　of　your　uncle；　who　was　well　known　still　to　carry　on　political　intrigues；　which　most　other　persons　had　considered　as　desperate。　　It　was　also　possible　that　he；　as　well　as　others；　might　get　his　pardon；　as　government　showed　every　year　more　lenity　towards　the　remnant　of　the　Jacobites；　and　then　he　might　claim　the　custody　of　your　person；　as　your　legal　guardian。　Either　of　these　events　she　considered　as　the　direct　road　to　your　destruction。'

'I　wonder　she　had　not　claimed　the　protection　of　Chancery　for　me；'　said　Darsie；　'or　confided　me　to　the　care　of　some　powerful　friend。'

'She　was　on　indifferent　terms　with　her　relations；　on　account　of　her　marriage　with　our　father；'　said　Lilias；　'and　trusted　more　to　secreting　you　from　your　uncle's　attempts；　than　to　any　protection　which　law　might　afford　against　them。　　Perhaps　she　judged　unwisely；　but　surely　not　unnaturally；　for　one　rendered　irritable　by　so　many　misfortunes　and　so　many　alarms。　　Samuel　Griffiths；　an　eminent　banker；　and　a　worthy　clergyman　now　dead　were；　I　believe；　the　only　persons　whom　she　intrusted　with　the　execution　of　her　last　will；　and　my　uncle　believes　that　she　made　them　both　swear　to　observe　profound　secrecy　concerning　your　birth　and　pretensions；　until　you　should　come　to　the　age　of　majority；　and；　in　the　meantime；　to　breed　you　up　in　the　most　private　way　possible；　and　that　which　was　most　likely　to　withdraw　you　from　my　uncle's　observation。'

'And　I　have　no　doubt；'　said　Darsie；　'that　betwixt　change　of　name　and　habitation；　they　might　have　succeeded　perfectly；　but　for　the　accidentlucky　or　unlucky；　I　know　not　which　to　term　itwhich　brought　me　to　Brokenburn；　and　into　contact　with　Mr。　Redgauntlet。　I　see　also　why　I　was　warned　against　England；　for　in　England'

'In　England　alone；　if　I　understand　rightly；'　said　Miss　Redgauntlet；　'the　claims　of　your　uncle　to　the　custody　of　your　person　could　have　been　enforced；　in　case　of　his　being　replaced　in　the　ordinary　rights　of　citizenship；　either　by　the　lenity　of　the　government　or　by　some　change　in　it。　　In　Scotland；　where　you　possess　no　property；　I　understand　his　authority　might；　have　been　resisted；　and　measures　taken　to　put　you　under　the　protection　of　the　law。　　But；　pray；　think　it　not　unlucky　that　you　have　taken　the　step　of　visiting　BrokenburnI　feel　confident　that　the　consequences　must　be　ultimately　fortunate；　for　have　they　not　already　brought　us　into　contact　with　each　other？'

So　saying；　she　held　out　her　hand　to　her　brother；　who　grasped　it　with　a　fondness　of　pressure　very　different　from　the　manner　in　which　they　first　clasped　hands　that　morning。　　There　was　a　moment's　pause；　while　the　hearts　of　both　were　overflowing　with　a　feeling　of　natural　affection；　to　which　circumstances　had　hitherto　rendered　them　strangers。

At　length　Darsie　broke　silence；　'I　am　ashamed；'　he　said；　'my　dearest　Lilias；　that　I　have　suffered　you　to　talk　so　long　about　matters　concerning　myself　only；　while　I　remain　ignorant　of　your　story；　and　your　present　situation。'

'The　former　is　none　of　the　most　interesting；　nor　the　latter　the　most　safe　or　agreeable；'　answered　Lilias；　'but　now；　my　dearest　brother；　I　shall　have　the　inestimable　support　of　your　countenance　and　affection；　and　were　I　but　sure　that　we　could　weather　the　formidable　crisis　which　I　find　so　close　at　hand；　I　should　have　little　apprehensions　for　the　future。'

'Let　me　know；'　said　Darsie；　'what　our　present　situation　is；　and　rely　upon　my　utmost　exertions　both　in　your　defence　and　my　own。　For　what　reason　can　my　uncle　desire　to　detain　me　a　prisoner？　　If　in　mere　opposition　to　the　will　of　my　mother；　she　has　long　been　no　more；　and　I　see　not　why　he　should　wish；　at　so　much　trouble　and　risk；　to　interfere　with　the　free　will　of　one；　to　whom　a　few　months　will　give　a　privilege　of　acting　for　himself；　with　which　he　will　have　no　longer　any　pretence　to　interfere。'

'My　dearest　Arthur；'　answered　Lilias'for　that　name；　as　well　as　Darsie；　properly　belongs　to　youit　is　the　leading　feature　in　my　uncle's　character；　that　he　has　applied　every　energy　of　his　powerful　mind　to　the　service　of　the　exiled　family　of　Stuart。　　The　death　of　his　brother；　the　dilapidation　of　his　own　fortunes；　have　only　added　to　his　hereditary　zeal　for　the　House　of　Stuart　a　deep　and　almost　personal　hatred　against　the　present　reigning　family。　He　is；　in　short；　a　political　enthusiast　of　the　most　dangerous　character；　and　proceeds　in　his　agency　with　as　much　confidence；　as　if　he　felt　himself　the　very　Atlas　who　is　alone　capable　of　supporting　a　sinking　cause。'

'And　where　or　how　did　you；　my　Lilias；　educated；　doubtless；　under　his　auspices；　learn　to　have　a　different　view　of　such　subjects？'

'By　a　singular　chance；'　replied　Lilias；　'in　the　nunnery　where　my　uncle　placed　me。　　Although　the　abbess　was　a　person　exactly　after　his　own　heart；　my　education　as　a　pensioner　devolved　much　on　an　excellent　old　mother　who　had　adopted　the　tenets　of　the　Jansenists；　with　perhaps　a　still　further　tendency　towards　the　reformed　doctrines；　than　those　of　Port　Royal。　　The　mysterious　secrecy　with　which　she　inculcated　these　tenets；　gave　them　charms　to　my　young　mind；　and　I　embraced　them　the　rather　that　they　were　in　direct　opposition　to　the　doctrines　of　the　abbess；　whom　I　hated　so　much　for　her　severity；　that　I　felt　a　childish　delight　in　setting　her　control　at　defiance；　and　contradicting　in　my　secret　soul　all　that　I　was　openly　obliged　to　listen　to　with　reverence。　Freedom　of　religious　opinion　brings　on；　I　suppose；　freedom　of　political　creed；　for　I　had　no　sooner　renounced　the　Pope's　infallibility；　than　I　began　to　question　the　doctrine　of　hereditary　and　indefeasible　right。　　In　short；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　I　came　out　of　a　Parisian　convent；　not　indeed　an　instructed　Whig　and　Protestant；　but　with　as　much　inclination　to　be　so　as　if　I　had　been　bred　up；　like　you；　within　the　Presbyterian　sound　of　Saint　Giles's　chimes。'

'More　so；　perhaps；'　replied　Darsie；　'for　the　nearer　the　church　the　proverb　is　somewhat　musty。　　But　how　did　these　liberal　opinions　of　yours　agree　with　the　very　opposite　prejudices　of　my　uncle？'

'They　would　have　agreed　like　fire　and　water；'　answered　Lilias；　'had　I　suffered　mine　to　become　visible；　but　as　that　would　have　subjected　me　to　constant　reproach　and　upbraiding；　or　worse；　I　took　great　care　to　keep　my　own　secret；　so　that　occasional　censures　for　coldness；　and　lack　of　zeal　for　the　good　cause；　were　the　worst　I　had　to　undergo；　and　these　were　bad　enough。'

'I　applaud　your　caution；'　said　Darsie。

'You　have　reason；'　replied　his　sister；　'but　I　got　so　terrible　a　specimen　of　my　uncle's　determination　of　character；　before　I　had　been　acquainted　with　him　for　much　more　than　a　week；　that　it　taught　me　at　what　risk　I　should　contradict　his　humour。　　I　will　tell　you　the　circumstances；　for　it　will　better　teach　you　to　appreciate　the　romantic　and　resolved　nature　of　his　character；　than　anything　which　I　could　state　of　his　rashness　and　enthusiasm。

'After　I　had　been　many　a　long　year　at　the　convent；　I　was　removed　from　thence；　and　placed　with　a　meagre　old　Scottish　lady　of　high　rank；　the　daughter　of　an　unfortunate　person　whose　head　had　in　the　year　1715　been　placed　on　Temple　Bar。　　She　subsisted　on　a　small　pension　from　the　French　Court；　aided　by　an　occasional　gratuity　from　the　Stuarts；　to　which　the　annuity　paid　for　my　board　formed　a　desirable　addition。　　She　was　not　ill…tempered；　nor　very　covetous　neither　beat　me　nor　starved　mebut　she　was　so　completely　trammelled　by　rank　and　prejudices；　so　awfully　profound　in　genealogy；　and　so　bitterly　keen；　poor　lady；　in　British；　politics；　that　I　sometimes　thought　it　pity　that　the　Hanoverians；　who　murdered；　as　she　used　to　tell　me；　her　poor　dear　father；　had　left　his　dear　daughter　in　the　land　of　the　living。　　Delighted；　therefore；　was　I；　when　my　uncle　made　his　appearance；　and　abruptly　announced　his　purpose　of　conveying　me　to　England。　　My　extravagant　joy　at　the　idea　of　leaving　Lady　Rachel　Rougedragon　was　somewhat　qualified　by　observing　the　melancholy　look；　lofty　demeanour；　and　commanding　tone　of　my　near　relative。　　He　held　more　communication