the man between-第23章

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he　Castle　and　I　won't　go　either。〃

〃But　if　Basil　wishes　to　go〃

〃He　can　go　alone。　I　rather　think　Fred　Mostyn　will　be　here　in　a　few　days；　and　he　will　take　me　to　places　that　Basil　will　notinnocent　places　enough；　Ethel；　so　you　need　not　look　so　shocked。　Why　do　you　not　ask　me　to　Rawdon　Court？〃

〃Because　I　am　only　a　guest　there。　I　have　no　right　to　ask　you。〃

〃I　am　sure　if　you　told　Squire　Rawdon　how　fond　you　are　of　me；　and　how　lonely　I　am；　he　would　tell　you　to　send　for　me。〃

〃I　do　not　believe　he　would。　He　has　old…　fashioned　ideas　about　newly　married　people。　He　would　hardly　think　it　possible　that　you　would　be　willing　to　go　anywhere　without　Basilyet。〃

〃He　could　ask　Basil　too。〃

〃If　Mr。　Mostyn　is　coming　home；　he　can　ask　you　to　Mostyn　Hall。　It　is　very　near　Rawdon　Court。〃

〃Yes。　Fred　said　as　soon　as　he　had　possession　of　the　Court　he　could　put　both　places　into　a　ring　fence。　Then　he　would　live　at　the　Court。　If　he　asks　us　there　next　summer　I　shall　be　sure　to　beg　an　invitation　for　you　also；　so　I　think　you　might　deserve　it　by　getting　me　one　now。　I　don't　want　to　go　to　Mostyn　yet。　Fred　says　it　needs　entire　refurnishing；　and　if　we　come　to　the　Court　next　summer；　I　have　promised　to　give　him　my　advice　and　help　in　making　the　place　pretty　and　up　to　date。　Have　you　seen　Mostyn　Hall？〃

〃I　have　passed　it　several　times。　It　is　a　large；　gloomy…looking　place　I　was　going　to　say　haunted…looking。　It　stands　in　a　grove　of　yew　trees。〃

〃So　you　are　not　going　to　ask　me　to　Rawdon　Court？〃

〃I　really　cannot；　Dora。　It　is　not　my　house。　I　am　only　a　guest　there。〃

〃Never　mind。　Make　no　more　excuses。　I　see　how　it　is。　You　always　were　jealous　of　Fred's　liking　for　me。　And　of　course　when　he　goes　down　to　Mostyn　you　would　prefer　me　to　be　absent。〃

〃Good…by；　Dora！　I　have　a　deal　of　shopping　to　do；　and　there　is　not　much　time　before　the　ball；　for　many　things　will　be　to　make。〃

〃The　ball！　What　ball？〃

〃Only　one　at　Rawdon　Court。　The　neighbors　have　been　exceedingly　kind　to　us；　and　the　Squire　is　going　to　give　a　dinner　and　ball　on　the　first　of　August。〃

〃Sit　down　and　tell　me　about　the　neighbors　and　the　ball。〃

〃I　cannot。　I　promised　Ruth　to　be　back　at　five。　Our　modiste　is　to　see　us　at　that　hour。〃

〃So　Ruth　is　with　you！　Why　did　she　not　call　on　me？〃

〃Did　you　think　I　should　come　to　London　alone？　And　Ruth　did　not　call　because　she　was　too　busy。〃

〃Everyone　and　everything　comes　before　me　now。　I　used　to　be　first　of　all。　I　wish　I　were　in　Newport　with　dad　and　mamma；　even　Bryce　would　be　a　comfort。〃

〃As　I　said　before；　you　have　Mr。　Stanhope。〃

〃Are　you　going　to　send　for　me　to　the　ball？〃

〃I　cannot　promise　that；　Dora。　Good…by。〃

Dora　did　not　answer。　She　buried　her　face　in　the　soft　pillow；　and　Ethel　closed　the　door　to　the　sound　of　her　sobs。　But　they　did　not　cause　her　to　return　or　to　make　any　foolish　promises。　She　divined　their　insincerity　and　their　motive；　and　had　no　mind　to　take　any　part　in　forwarding　the　latter。

And　Ruth　assured　her　she　had　acted　wisely。　〃If　trouble　should　ever　come　of　this　friendship；〃　she　said；　〃Dora　would　very　likely　complain　that　you　had　always　thrown　Mostyn　in　her　way；　brought　him　to　her　house　in　New　York；　and　brought　her　to　him　at　Rawdon；　in　England。　Marriage　is　such　a　risk；　Ethel；　but　to　marry　without　the　courage　to　adapt　oneself。　AH！〃

〃You　think　that　condition　unspeakably　hard？〃

〃There　are　no　words　for　it。〃

〃Dora　was　not　reticent；　I　assure　you。〃

〃I　am　sorry。　A　wife's　complaints　are　self…　inflicted　wounds；　scattered　seeds；　from　which　only　misery　can　spring。　I　hope　you　will　not　see　her　again　at　this　time。〃

〃I　made　no　promise　to　do　so。〃

〃And　where　all　is　so　uncertain；　we　had　better　suppose　all　is　right　than　that　all　is　wrong。　Even　if　there　was　the　beginning　of　wrong；　it　needs　but　an　accident　to　prevent　it；　and　there　are　so　many。〃

〃Accidents！〃

〃Yes；　for　accident　is　God's　part　in　affairs。　We　call　it　accident；　it　would　be　better　to　say　an　interposition。〃

〃Dora　told　me　Mostyn　intended　to　buy　Rawdon　Court　in　September；　and　he　has　even　invited　the　Stanhopes　to　stay　there　next　summer。〃

〃What　did　you　say？〃

〃Nothing　against　it。〃

〃Very　good。　Do　you　think　Mostyn　is　in　London　now？〃

〃I　should　not　wonder。　I　am　sure　Dora　is　expecting　him。〃

In　fact；　the　next　morning　they　met　Dora　and　Basil　Stanhope；　driving　in　Hyde　Park　with　Mostyn；　but　the　smiling　greeting　which　passed　between　the　parties　did　not；　except　in　the　case　of　Basil　Stanhope；　fairly　represent　the　dominant　feeling　of　anyone。　As　for　Stanhope；　his　nature　was　so　clear　and　truthful　that　he　would　hardly　have　comprehended　a　smile　which　was　intended　to　veil　feelings　not　to　be　called　either　quite　friendly　or　quite　pleasant。　After　this　meeting　all　the　joy　went　out　of　Ruth　and　Ethel's　shopping。　They　wanted　to　get　back　to　the　Court；　and　they　attended　strictly　to　business　in　order　to　do　so。

Mostyn　followed　them　very　quickly。　He　was　exceedingly　anxious　to　see　and　hear　for　himself　how　his　affairs　regarding　Rawdon　stood。　They　were　easily　made　plain　to　him；　and　he　saw　with　a　pang　of　disappointment　that　all　his　hopes　of　being　Squire　of　Rawdon　Manor　were　over。　Every　penny　he　could　righteously　claim　was　paid　to　him；　and　on　the　title　deeds　of　the　ancient　place　he　had　no　longer　the　shadow　of　a　claim。　The　Squire　looked　ten　years　younger　as　he　affectionately　laid　both　hands　on　the　redeemed　parchments；　and　Mostyn　with　enforced　politeness　congratulated　him　on　their　integrity　and　then　made　a　hurried　retreat。　Of　its　own　kind　this　disappointment　was　as　great　as　the　loss　of　Dora。　He　could　think　of　neither　without　a　sense　of　immeasurable　and　disastrous　failure。　One　petty　satisfaction　regarding　the　payment　of　the　mortgage　was　his　only　com…　fort。　He　might　now　show　McLean　that　it　was　not　want　of　money　that　had　made　him　hitherto　shy　of　〃the　good　investments〃　offered　him。　He　had　been　sure　McLean　in　their　last　interview　had　thought　so；　and　had；　indeed；　felt　the　half…veiled　contempt　with　which　the　rich　young　man　had　expressed　his　pity　for　Mostyn's　inability　to　take　advantage　at　the　right　moment　of　an　exceptional　chance　to　play　the　game　of　beggaring　his　neighbor。　Now；　he　told　himself；　he　would　show　McLean　and　his　braggart　set　that　good　birth　and　old　family　was　for　once　allied　with　plenty　of　money；　and　he　also　promised　his　wounded　sensibilities　some　very　desirable　reprisals；　every　one　of　which　he　felt　fully　competent　to　take。

It　was；　after　all；　a　poor　compensation；　but　there　was　also　the　gold。　He　thanked　his　father　that　day　for　the　great　thoughtfulness　and　care　with　which　he　had　amassed　this　sum　for　him；　and　he　tried　to　console　himself　with　the　belief　that　gold　answered　all　purposes；　and　that　the　yellow　metal　was　a　better　possession　than　the　house　and　lands　which　he　had　longed　for　with　an　inherited　and　insensate　craving。

Two　days　after　this　event　Ethel；　at　her　father's　direction；　signed　a　number　of　papers；　and　when　that　duty　was　completed；　the　Squire　rose　from　his　chair；　kissed　her　hands　and　her　cheeks；　and　in　a　voice　full　of　tenderness　and　pride　said；　〃I　pay　my　respects　to　the　future　lady　of　Rawdon　Manor；　and　I　thank　God　for　permitting　me　to　see　this　hour。　Most　welcome；　Lady　Ethel；　to　the　rights　you　inherit；　and　the　rights　you　have　bought。〃　It　was　a　moment　hardly　likely　to　be　duplicated　in　any　life；　and　Ethel　escaped　from　its　tense　emotions　as　soon　as　possible。　She　could　not　speak；　her　heart　was　too　full　of　joy　and　wonder。　There　are　souls　that　say　little　and　love

much。　How　blessed　are　they！

On　the　following　morning　the　invitations　were　sent　for　the　dinner　and　dance；　but　the　time　was　put　forward　to　the　eighth　of　August。　In　everyone's　heart　there　was　a　hope　that　before　that　day　Mostyn　would　have　left　Rawdon；　but　the　hope　was　barely　mentioned。　In　the　meantime　he　came　and　went　between　Mostyn　and　Rawdon　as　he　desired；　and　was　received　with　that　modern　politeness　which　considers　it　best　to　ignore　offenses　that　our　grandfathers　and　grandmothers　would　have　held　for　strict　account　and　punishment。

It　was　evident　that　he　had　frequent　letters　from　Dora。　He　knew　all　her　movements；　and　spoke　several　times　of　opening　Mostyn　Hall　and　inviting　the　Stanhopes　to　stay　with　him　until　their　return　to　America。　But　as　this　suggestion　did　not　bring　from　any　member　of　the　Rawdon　family　the　invitat