the man between-第5章

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〃Oh！〃

Both　girls　made　the　ejaculation　at　the　same　moment；　and　in　both　voices　there　was　the　same　curious　tone　of　speculation。　It　was　a　cry　after　truth　apprehended；　but　not　realized。　Mr。　Rawdon　remained　silent；　he　was　debating　with　himself　the　advisability　of　further　confidence；　but　he　came　quickly　to　the　conclusion　that　enough　had　been　told　for　the　present。　Turning　to　Ethel；　he　said：　〃I　suppose　girls　have　a　code　of　honor　about　their　secrets。　Is　Dora　Denning's　‘extraordinary　news'　shut　up　in　it？〃

〃Oh；　no；　father。　She　is　going　to　be　married。　That　is　all。〃

〃That　is　enough。　Who　is　the　man？〃

〃Reverend　Mr。　Stanhope。〃

〃Nonsense！〃

〃Positively。〃

〃I　never　heard　anything　more　ridiculous。　That　saintly　young　priest！　Why；　Dora　will　be　tired　to　death　of　him　in　a　month。　And　he？　Poor　fellow！〃

〃Why　poor　fellow？　He　is　very　much　in　love　with　her。〃

〃It　is　hard　to　understand。　St。　Jerome's　love　‘pale　with　midnight　prayer'　would　be　more　believable　than　the　butterfly　Dora。　Goodness；　gracious！　The　idea　of　that　man　being　in　love！　It　pulls　him　down　a　bit。　I　thought　he　never　looked　at　a　woman。〃

〃Do　you　know　him；　father？〃

〃As　many　people　know　himby　good　report。　I　know　that　he　is　a　clergyman　who　believes　what　he　preaches。　I　know　a　Wall　Street　broker　who　left　St。　Jude's　church　because　Mr。　Stanhope's　sermons　on　Sunday　put　such　a　fine　edge　on　his　conscience　that　Mondays　were　dangerous　days　for　him　to　do　business　on。　And　whatever　Wall　Street　financiers　think　of　the　Bible　personally；　they　do　like　a　man　who　sticks　to　his　colors；　and　who　holds　intact　the　truth　committed　to　him。　Stanhope　does　this　emphatically；　and　he　is　so　well　trusted　that　if　he　wanted　to　build　a　new　church　he　could　get　all　the　money　necessary；　from　Wall　Street　men　in　an　hour。　And　he　is　going　to　marry！　Going　to　marry　Dora　Denning！　It　is　‘extraordinary　news；'　indeed！〃

Ethel　was　a　little　offended　at　such　unusual　surprise。　〃I　think　you　don't　quite　understand　Dora；〃　she　said。　〃It　will　be　Mr。　Stanhope's　fault　if　she　is　not　led　in　the　right　way；　for　if　he　only　loves　and　pets　her　enough　he　may　do　all　he　wishes　with　her。　I　know；　I　have　both　coaxed　and　ordered　her　for　four　yearssometimes　one　way　is　best；　and　sometimes　the　other。〃

〃How　is　a　man　to　tell　which　way　to　take？　What　do　her　parents　think　of　the　marriage？〃

〃They　are　pleased　with　it。〃

〃Pleased　with　it！　Then　I　have　nothing　more　to　say；　except　that　I　hope　they　will　not　appeal　to　me　on　any　question　of　divorce　that　may　arise　from　such　an　unlikely　marriage。〃

〃They　are　only　lovers　yet；　Edward；〃　said　Ruth。　〃It　is　not　fair；　or　kind；　to　even　think　of　divorce。〃

〃My　dear　Ruth；　the　fashionable　girl　of　today　accepts　marriage　with　the　provision　of　divorce。〃

〃Dora　is　hardly　one　of　that　set。〃

〃I　hope　she　may　keep　out　of　it；　but　marriage　will　give　her　many　opportunities。　Well；　I　am　sorry　for　the　young　priest。　He　isn't　fit　to　manage　a　woman　like　Dora　Denning。　I　am　afraid　he　will　get　the　worst　of　it。〃

〃I　think　you　are　very　unkind；　father。　Dora　is　my　friend；　and　I　know　her。　She　is　a　girl　of　intense　feelings　and　very　affectionate。　And　she　has　dissolved　all　her　life　and　mind　in　Mr。　Stanhope's　life　and　mind；　just　as　a　lump　of　sugar　is　dissolved　in　water。〃

Ruth　laughed。　〃Can　you　not　find　a　more　poetic　simile；　Ethel？〃

〃It　will　do。　This　is　an　age　of　matter；　a　material　symbol　is　the　proper　thing。〃

〃I　am　glad　to　hear　she　has　dissolved　her　mind　in　Stanhope's；〃　said　Judge　Rawdon。　〃Dora's　intellect　in　itself　is　childish。　What　did　the　man　see　in　her　that　he　should　desire　her？〃

〃Father；　you　never　can　tell　how　much　brains　men　like　with　their　beauty。　Very　little　will　do　generally。　And　Dora　has　beauty　great　beauty；　no　one　can　deny　that。　I　think　Dora　is　giving　up　a　great　deal。　To　her；　at　least；　marriage　is　a　state　of　passing　from　perfect　freedom　into　the　comparative　condition　of　a　slave；　giving　up　her　own　way　constantly　for　some　one　else's　way。〃

〃Well；　Ethel；　the　remedy　is　in　the　lady's　hands。　She　is　not　forced　to　marry；　and　the　slavery　that　is　voluntary　is　no　hardship。　Now；　my　dear；　I　have　a　case　to　look　over；　and　you　must　excuse　me　to…night。　To…morrow　we　shall　know　more　concerning　Mr。　Mostyn；　and　it　is　easier　to　talk　about　certainties　than　probabilities。〃

But　if　conversation　ceased　about　Mr。　Mostyn；　thought　did　not；　for；　a　couple　of　hours　afterwards；　Ethel　tapped　at　her　aunt's　door　and　said；　〃Just　a　moment；　Ruth。〃

〃Yes；　dear；　what　is　it？〃

〃Did　you　notice　what　father　said　about　the　mortgage　on　Rawdon　Manor〃'

〃Yes。〃

〃He　seemed　to　know　all　about　it。〃

〃I　think　he　does　know　all　about　it。〃

〃Do　you　think　he　holds　it？〃

〃He　may　do　soit　is　not　unlikely。〃

〃Oh！　Then　Mr。　Fred　Mostyn；　if　he　is　to　inherit　Rawdon；　would　like　the　mortgage　removed？〃

〃Of　course　he　would。〃

〃And　the　way　to　remove　it　would　be　to　marry　the　daughter　of　the　holder　of　the　mortgage？〃

〃It　would　be　one　way。〃

〃So　he　is　coming　to　look　me　over。　I　am　a　matrimonial　possibility。　How　do　you　like　that　idea；　Aunt　Ruth？〃

〃I　do　not　entertain　it　for　a　moment。　Mr。　Mostyn　may　not　even　know　of　the　mortgage。　When　men　mortgage　their　estates　they　do　not　make　confidences　about　the　matter；　or　talk　it　over　with　their　friends。　They　always　conceal　and　hide　the　transaction。　If　your　father　holds　the　mortgage；　I　feel　sure　that　no　one　but　himself　and　Squire　Rawdon　know　anything　about　it。　Don't　look　at　the　wrong　side　of　events；　Ethel；　be　content　with　the　right　side　of　life's　tapestry。　Why　are　you　not　asleep？　What　are　you　worrying　about？〃

〃Nothing；　only　I　have　not　heard　all　I　wanted　to　hear。〃

〃And　perhaps　that　is　good　for　you。〃

〃I　shall　go　and　see　grandmother　first　thing　in　the　morning。〃

〃I　would　not　if　I　were　you。　You　cannot　make　any　excuse　she　will　not　see　through。　Your　father　will　call　on　Mr。　Mostyn　to…morrow；　and　we　shall　get　unprejudiced　information。〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　know　that；　Ruth。　Father　is　intensely　American　three　hundred　and　sixty…　four　days　and　twenty…three　hours　in　a　year；　and　then　in　the　odd　hour　he　will　flare　up　Yorkshire　like　a　conflagration。〃

〃English；　you　mean？〃

〃No。　Yorkshire　IS　England　to　grandmother　and　father。　They　don't　think　anything　much　of　the　other　counties；　and　people　from　them　are　just　respectable　foreigners。　You　may　depend　upon　it；　whatever　grandmother　says　of　Mr。　Fred　Mostyn；　father　will　believe　it；　too。〃

〃Your　father　always　believes　whatever　your　grandmother　says。　Good　night；　dear。〃

〃Good　night。　I　think　I　shall　go　to　grandmother　in　the　morning。　I　know　how　to　manage　her。　I　shall　meet　her　squarely　with　the　truth；　and　acknowledge　that　I　am　dying　with　curiosity　about　Mr。　Mostyn。〃

〃And　she　will　tease　and　lecture　you；　say　you　are　‘not　sweetheart　high　yet；　only　a　little　maid；'　and　so　on。　Far　better　go　and　talk　with　Dora。　To…morrow　she　will　need　you；　I　am　sure。　Ethel；　I　am　very　sleepy。　Good　night　again；　dear。〃

〃Good　night！〃　Then　with　a　sudden　animation；　〃I　know　what　to　do；　I　shall　tell　grandmother　about　Dora's　marriage。　It　is　all　plain　enough　now。　Good　night；　Ruth。〃　And　this　good　night；　though　dropping　sweetly　into　the　minor　third；　had　yet　on　its　final　inflection　something　of　the　pleasant　hopefulness　of　its　major　keyit　expressed　anticipation　and　satisfaction。

What　happened　in　the　night　session　she　could　not　tell；　but　she　awoke　with　a　positive　disinclination　to　ask　a　question　about　Mr。　Mostyn。　〃I　have　received　orders　from　some　one；〃　she　said　to　Ruth；　〃I　simply　do　not　care　whether　I　ever　see　or　hear　of　the　man　again。　I　am　going　to　Dora；　and　I　may　not　come　home　until　late。　You　know　they　will　depend　upon　me　for　every　suggestion。〃

In　fact；　Ethel　did　not　return　home　until　the　following　day；　for　a　snowstorm　came　up　in　the　afternoon；　and　the　girl　was　weary　with　planning　and　writing；　and　well　inclined　to　eat　with　Dora　the　delicate　little　dinner　served　to　them　in　Dora's　private　parlor。　Then　about　nine　o'clock　Mr。　Stanhope　called；　and　Ethel　found　it　pleasant　enough　to　watch　the　lovers　and　listen　to　Mrs。　Denning's　opinions　of　what　had　been　already　planned。　And　the　next　day　she　seemed　to　be　so　absolutely　necessary　to　the　movement　of　the　marriage　preparations；　that　it　was　nearly　dark　before　she　was　permitted　to　return　home。

It　was　but　a　short　walk　between　the　two　houses；　and　Ethel　was　resolved　to　have