the queen of hearts-第3章

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sister　did　not　share　them；　had　grown　that　condition　in　his　will
which　removed　his　daughter　from　the　influence　of　her　aunt　for　six
consec　utive　weeks　in　every　year。　Lady　Westwick　was　the　most
light…hearted；　the　most　generous；　the　most　impulsive　of　women；
capable；　when　any　serious　occasion　called　it　forth；　of　all　that
was　devoted　and　self…sacrificing；　but；　at　other　and　ordinary
times；　constitutionally　restless；　frivolous；　and　eager　for
perpetual　gayety。　Distrusting　the　sort　of　life　which　he　knew　his
daughter　would　lead　under　her　aunt's　roof；　and　at　the　same　time
gratefully　remembering　his　sister's　affectionate　devotion　toward
his　dying　wife　and　her　helpless　infant；　Major　Yelverton　had
attempted　to　make　a　compromise；　which；　while　it　allowed　Lady
Westwick　the　close　domestic　intercourse　with　her　niece　that　she
had　earned　by　innumerable　kind　offices；　should；　at　the　same　time；
place　the　young　girl　for　a　fixed　period　of　every　year　of　her
minority　under　the　corrective　care　of　two　such　quiet
old…fashioned　guardians　as　his　brother　and　myself。　Such　is　the
history　of　the　clause　in　the　will。　My　friend　little　thought；　when
he　dictated　it；　of　the　extraordinary　result　to　which　it　was　one
day　to　lead。

For　some　years；　however；　events　ran　on　smoothly　enough。　Little
Jessie　was　sent　to　an　excellent　school；　with　strict　instructions
to　the　mistress　to　make　a　good　girl　of　her；　and　not　a　fashionable
young　lady。　Although　she　was　reported　to　be　anything　but　a
pattern　pupil　in　respect　of　attention　to　her　lessons；　she　became
from　the　first　the　chosen　favorite　of　every　one　about　her。　The
very　offenses　which　she　committed　against　the　discipline　of　the
school　were　of　the　sort　which　provoke　a　smile　even　on　the　stern
countenance　of　authority　itself。　One　of　these　quaint　freaks　of
mischief　may　not　inappropriately　be　mentioned　here；　inasmuch　as
it　gained　her　the　pretty　nickname　under　which　she　will　be　found
to　appear　occasionally　in　these　pages。

On　a　certain　autumn　night　shortly　after　the　Midsummer　vacation；
the　mistress　of　the　school　fancied　she　saw　a　light　under　the　door
of　the　bedroom　occupied　by　Jessie　and　three　other　girls。　It　was
then　close　on　midnight；　and；　fearing　that　some　case　of　sudden
illness　might　have　happened；　she　hastened　into　the　room。　On
opening　the　door；　she　discovered；　to　her　horror　and　amazement；
that　all　four　girls　were　out　of　bedwere　dressed　in
brilliantly…fantastic　costumes；　representing　the　four　grotesque
〃Queens〃　of　Hearts；　Diamonds；　Spades；　and　Clubs；　familiar　to　us
all　on　the　pack　of　cardsand　were　dancing　a　quadrille；　in　which
Jessie　sustained　the　character　of　The　Queen　of　Hearts。　The　next
morning's　investigation　disclosed　that　Miss　Yelverton　had
smuggled　the　dresses　into　the　school；　and　had　amused　herself　by
giving　an　impromptu　fancy　ball　to　her　companions；　in　imitation　of
an　entertainment　of　the　same　kind　at　which　she　had　figured　in　a
〃court…card〃　quadrille　at　her　aunt's　country　house。

The　dresses　were　instantly　confiscated　and　the　necessary
punishment　promptly　administered；　but　the　remembrance　of　Jessie's
extraordinary　outrage　on　bedroom　discipline　lasted　long　enough　to
become　one　of　the　traditions　of　the　school；　and　she　and　her
sister…culprits　were　thenceforth　hailed　as　the　〃queens〃　of　the
four　〃suites〃　by　their　class…companions　whenever　the　mistress's
back　was　turned；　Whatever　might　have　become　of　the　nicknames　thus
employed　in　relation　to　the　other　three　girls；　such　a　mock　title
as　The　Queen　of　Hearts　was　too　appropriately　descriptive　of　the
natural　charm　of　Jessie's　character；　as　well　as　of　the　adventure
in　which　she　had　taken　the　lead；　not　to　rise　naturally　to　the
lips　of　every　one　who　knew　her。　It　followed　her　to　her　aunt's
houseit　came　to　be　as　habitually　and　familiarly　connected　with
her；　among　her　friends　of　all　ages；　as　if　it　had　been　formally
inscribed　on　her　baptismal　register；　and　it　has　stolen　its　way
into　these　pages　because　it　falls　from　my　pen　naturally　and
inevitably；　exactly　as　it　often　falls　from　my　lips　in　real　life。

When　Jessie　left　school　the　first　difficulty　presented　itselfin
other　words；　the　necessity　arose　of　fulfilling　the　conditions　of
the　will。　At　that　time　I　was　already　settled　at　The　Glen　Tower；
and　her　living　six　weeks　in　our　dismal　solitude　and　our　humdrum
society　was；　as　she　herself　frankly　wrote　me　word；　quite　out　of
the　question。　Fortunately；　she　had　always　got　on　well　with　her
uncle　and　his　family；　so　she　exerted　her　liberty　of　choice；　and；
much　to　her　own　relief　and　to　mine　also；　passed　her　regular　six
weeks　of　probation；　year　after　year；　under　Mr。　Richard
Yelverton's　roof。

During　this　period　I　heard　of　her　regularly；　sometimes　from　my
fellow…guardian；　sometimes　from　my　son　George；　who；　whenever　his
military　duties　allowed　him　the　opportunity；　contrived　to　see
her；　now　at　her　aunt's　house；　and　now　at　Mr。　Yelverton's。　The
particulars　of　her　character　and　conduct；　which　I　gleaned　in　this
way；　more　than　sufficed　to　convince　me　that　the　poor　major's　plan
for　the　careful　training　of　his　daughter's　disposition；　though
plausible　enough　in　theory；　was　little　better　than　a　total
failure　in　practice。　Miss　Jessie；　to　use　the　expressive　common
phrase；　took　after　her　aunt。　She　was　as　generous；　as　impulsive；
as　light…hearted；　as　fond　of　change；　and　gayety；　and　fine
clothesin　short；　as　complete　and　genuine　a　woman　as　Lady
Westwick　herself。　It　was　impossible　to　reform　the　〃Queen　of
Hearts；〃　and　equally　impossible　not　to　love　her。　Such；　in　few
words；　was　my　fellow…guardian's　report　of　his　experience　of　our
handsome　young　ward。

So　the　time　passed　till　the　year　came　of　which　I　am　now
writingthe　ever…memorable　year；　to　England；　of　the　Russian　war。
It　happened　that　I　had　heard　less　than　usual　at　this　period；　and
indeed　for　many　months　before　it；　of　Jessie　and　her　proceedings。
My　son　had　been　ordered　out　with　his　regiment　to　the　Crimea　in
1854；　and　had　other　work　in　hand　now　than　recording　the　sayings
and　doings　of　a　young　lady。　Mr。　Richard　Yelverton；　who　had　been
hitherto　used　to　write　to　me　with　tolerable　regularity；　seemed
now；　for　some　reason　that　I　could　not　conjecture；　to　have
forgotten　my　existence。　Ultimately　I　was　reminded　of　my　ward　by
one　of　George's　own　letters；　in　which　he　asked　for　news　of　her；
and　I　wrote　at　once　to　Mr。　Yelverton。　The　answer　that　reached　me
was　written　by　his　wife：　he　was　dangerously　ill。　The　next　letter
that　came　informed　me　of　his　death。　This　happened　early　in　the
spring　of　the　year　1855。

I　am　ashamed　to　confess　it；　but　the　change　in　my　own　position　was
the　first　idea　that　crossed　my　mind　when　I　read　the　news　of　Mr。
Yelverton's　death。　I　was　now　left　sole　guardian；　and　Jessie
Yelverton　wanted　a　year　still　of　coming　of　age。

By　the　next　day's　post　I　wrote　to　her　about　the　altered　state　of
the　relations　between　us。　She　was　then　on　the　Continent　with　her
aunt；　having　gone　abroad　at　the　very　beginning　of　the　year。
Consequently；　so　far　as　eighteen　hundred　and　fifty…five　was
concerned；　the　condition　exacted　by　the　will　yet　remained　to　be
performed。　She　had　still　six　weeks　to　passher　last　six　weeks；
seeing　that　she　was　now　twenty　years　oldunder　the　roof　of　one
of　her　guardians；　and　I　was　now　the　only　guardian　left。

In　due　course　of　time　I　received　my　answer；　written　on
rose…colored　paper；　and　expressed　throughout　in　a　tone　of　light；
easy；　feminine　banter；　which　amused　me　in　spite　of　myself。　Miss
Jessie；　according　to　her　own　account；　was　hesitating；　on　receipt
of　my　letter；　between　two　alternativesthe　one；　of　allowing
herself　to　be　buried　six　weeks　in　The　Glen　Tower；　the　other；　of
breaking　the　condition；　giving　up　the　money；　and　remaining
magnanimously　contented　with　nothing　but　a　life…interest　in　her
father's　property。　At　present　she　inclined　decidedly　toward
giving　up　the　money　and　escaping　the　clutches　of　〃the　three
horrid　old　men；〃　but　she　would　let　me　know　again　if　she　happened
to　change　her　mind。　And　so；　with　best　love；　she　would　beg　to
remain　always　affectionately　mine；　as　long　as　she　was　well　out　of
my　reach。

The　summer　passed；　the　autumn　came；　and　I　never　heard　from　her
again。　Under　ordinary　circumstances；　this　long　silence　might　have
made　m