the heir of redclyffe-第121章

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you　left　off　sitting　up。'



'I　am　beginning　to　think　it　a　popular　delusion。　　I　do　just　as　well　

without　it。'



'So　you　say；　but　Mr。　Shene　would　never　have　taken　such　a　fancy　to　you；　

if　you　always　had　such　purple　lines　as　those　under　your　eyes。　　Look！　　

Is　that　a　face　for　Sir　Galahad；　or　Sir　Guy；　or　any　of　the　Round　Table？　　

Come；　I　wish　you　would　lie　down；　and　be　read　to　sleep。'



'I　should　like　a　walk　much　better。　　It　is　very　cool　and　bright。　　Will　

you　come？'



They　walked　for　some　time；　talking　over　the　conduct　of　Philip　and　

Laura。　　Amabel　seemed　quite　oppressed　by　the　thought　of　such　a　burthen　

of　concealment。　　She　said　she　did　not　know　what　she　should　have　done　in　

her　own　troubles　without　mamma　and　Charlie；　and　she　could　not　imagine　

Laura's　keeping　silence　through　the　time　of　Philip's　danger；　more　

especially　as　she　recollected　how　appalling　some　of　her　bulletins　had　

been。　　The　only　satisfaction　was　in　casting　as　much　of　the　blame　on　him　

as　possible。



'You　know　he　never　would　let　her　read　novels；　and　I　do　believe　that　was　

the　reason　she　did　not　understand　what　it　meant。'



'I　think　there　is　a　good　deal　in　that；'　said　Guy；　laughing；　'though　

Charlie　would　say　it　is　a　very　_novel_　excuse　for　a　young　lady　falling　

imprudently　in　love。'



'I　do　believe；　if　it　was　any　one　but　Laura；　Charlie　would　be　very　glad　

of　it。　　He　always　fully　saw　through　Philip's　supercilious　shell。'



'Amy！'



'No；　let　me　go　on；　Guy；　for　you　must　allow　that　it　was　much　worse　in　

such　a　grave；　grand；　unromantic　person；　who　makes　a　point　of　thinking　

before　he　speaks；　than　if　it　had　been　a　hasty；　hand…over…head　man　like　

Maurice　de　Courcy；　who　might　have　got　into　a　scrape　without　knowing　it。



'That　must　have　made　the　struggle　to　confess　all　the　more　painful；　and　

a　most　free；　noble；　open…hearted　confession　it　was。'



They　tried　to　recollect　all　that　had　passed　during　that　summer；　and　to　

guess　against　whom　he　had　wished　to　warn　her；　but　so　far　were　they　from　

divining　the　truth；　that　they　agreed　it　must　either　have　been　Maurice；　

or　some　other　wild　Irishman。



Next；　they　considered　what　was　to　be　done。　　Philip　must　manage　his　

confession　his　own　way；　but　they　had　it　in　their　power　greatly　to　

soften　matters；　and　there　was　no　fear　that；　after　the　first　shock；　Mr。　

Edmonstone　would　insist　on　the　engagement　being　broken　off；　Philip　

should　come　to　recover　his　health　at　Redclyffe；　where　he　would　be　ready　

to　meet　the　first　advance　towards　forgiveness；and　Amabel　thought　it　

would　soon　be　made。　　Papa's　anger　was　sharp；　but　soon　over；　he　was　very　

fond　of　Philip；　and　delighted　in　a　love　affair；　but　she　was　afraid　

mamma　would　not　get　over　it　so　soon；　for　she　would　be　excessively　hurt　

and　grieved。　　'And　when　I　was　naughty；'　said　Amy；　'nothing　ever　made　me　

so　sorry　as　mamma's　kindness。'



Guy　launched　out　into　more　schemes　for　facilitating　their　marriage　than　

ever　he　had　made　for　himself；　and　the　walk　ended　with　extensive　castle　

building　on　Philip's　account；　in　the　course　of　which　Amy　was　obliged　to　

become　much　less　displeased。　　Guy　told　her；　in　the　evening；　that　she　

would　have　been　still　more　softened　if　she　could　have　heard　him　talk　

about　Stylehurst　and　his　father。　　Guy　had　always　wished　to　hear　him　

speak　of　the　Archdeacon；　though　they　had　never　been　on　terms　to　enter　

on　such　a　subject。　　And　now　Philip　had　been　much　pleased　by　Guy's　

account　of　his　walks　to　Stylehurst；　and　taken　pleasure　in　telling　which　

were　his　old　haunts；　making　out　where　Guy　had　been；　and　describing　his　

father's　ways。



The　next　day　was　Sunday；　and　Amabel　was　to　pay　her　cousin　a　visit。　　Guy　

was　very　eager　about　it；　saying　it　was　like　a　stage　in　his　recovery；　

and　though　the　thought　of　her　mother　and　Laura　could　not　be　laid　aside；　

she　would　not　say　a　word　to　damp　her　husband's　pleasure　in　the　

anticipation。　　It　seemed　as　if　Guy；　wanting　to　bestow　all　he　could　upon　

his　cousin　in　gratitude　for　his　newly…accorded　friendship；　thought　the　

sight　of　his　little　wife　the　very　best　thing　he　had　to　give。



It　was　a　beautiful　day；　early　in　September；　with　a　little　autumnal　

freshness　in　the　mountain　breezes　that　they　enjoyed　exceedingly。　　

Philip's　convalescence；　and　their　own　escape；　might　be　considered　as　so　

far　decided；　that　they　might　look　back　on　the　peril　as　past。　　Amabel　

felt　how　much　cause　there　was　for　thankfulness；　and；　after　all；　Philip　

was　not　half　as　bad　now　as　when　he　was　maintaining　his　system　of　

concealment；　he　had　made　a　great　effort；　and　was　about　to　do　his　best　

by　way　of　reparation；　but　it　was　so　new　to　her　to　pity　him；　that　she　

did　not　know　how　to　begin。



She　tried　to　make　the　day　seem　as　Sunday…like　as　she　could；　by　putting　

on　her　white　muslin　dress　and　white　ribbons；　with　Charles's　hair　

bracelet；　and　a　brooch　of　beautiful　silver　workmanship；　which　Guy　had　

bought　for　her　at　Milan；　the　only　ornament　he　had　ever　given　to　her。　　

She　sat　at　her　window；　watching　the　groups　of　Italians　in　their　holiday　

costume；　and　dwelling　on　the　strange　thoughts　that　had　passed　through　

her　mind　often　before　in　her　lonely　Sundays　in　this　foreign　land；　

thinking　much　of　her　old　home　and　East…hill　Church；　wondering　whether　

the　letter　had　yet　arrived　which　was　to　free　them　from　anxiety；　and　

losing　herself　in　a　maze　of　uncomfortable　marvels　about　Laura。



'Now；　then；'　at　length　said　Guy；　entering；　'I　only　hope　he　has　not　

knocked　himself　up　with　his　preparations；　for　he　would　make　such　a　

setting　to　rights；　that　I　told　him　I　could　almost　fancy　he　expected　the　

queen　instead　of　only　Dame　Amabel　Morville。'



He　led　her　down；　opened　the　door；　and　playfully　announced；　'Lady　

Morville！　　I　have　done　it　right　this　time。　　Here　she　is'！



She　had　of　course　expected　to　see　Philip　much　altered；　but　she　was　

startled　by　the　extent　of　the　change；　for　being　naturally　fair　and　

high…coloured；　he　was　a　person　on　whom　the　traces　of　illness　were　

particularly　visible。　　The　colour　was　totally　gone；　even　from　his　lips；　

his　cheeks　were　sunken；　his　brow　looked　broader　and　more　massive　from　

the　thinness　of　his　face　and　the　loss　of　his　hair；　and　his　eyes　

themselves　appeared　unlike　what　they　used　to　be　in　the　hollows　round　

them。　　He　seemed　tranquil；　and　comfortable；　but　so　wan；　weak；　and　

subdued；　and　so　different　from　himself；　that　she　was　very　much　shocked；　

as　smiling　and　holding　out　a　hand；　where　the　white　skin　seemed　hardly　

to　cover　the　bone　and　blue　vein；　he　said；　in　a　tone；　slow；　feeble；　and　

languid；　though　cheerful；



'Good　morning；　Amy。　　You　see　Guy　was　right；　after　all。　　I　am　sorry　to　

have　made　your　wedding　tour　end　so　unpleasantly。'



'Nay；　most　pleasantly；　since　you　are　better；'　said　Amabel；　laughing；　

because　she　was　almost　ready　to　cry；　and　her　displeasure　went　straight　

out　of　her　head。



'Are　you　doing　the　honours　of　my　room；　Guy？'　said　Philip；　raising　his　

head　from　the　pillow；　with　a　becoming　shade　of　his　ceremonious　

courtesy。　　'Give　her　a　chair。'



Amy　smiled　and　thanked　him；　while　he　lay　gazing　at　her　as　a　sick　person　

is　apt　to　do　at　a　flower；　or　the　first　pretty　enlivening　object　from　

which　he　is　able　to　derive　enjoyment；　and　as　if　he　could　not　help　

expressing　the　feeling；　he　said



'Is　that　your　wedding…dress；　Amy？'



'Oh；　no；　that　was　all　lace　and　finery。'



'You　look　so　nice　and　bridal'



'There's　a　compliment　that　such　an　old　wife　ought　to　make　the　most　of；　

Amy；'　said　Guy；　looking　at　her　with　a　certain　proud　satisfaction　in　

Philip's　admiration。　　'It　is　high　time　to　leave　off　calling　you　a　

bride；　after　your　splendid　appearance　at　the　party　at　Munich；　in　all　

your　whiteness　and　orange…flowers。'



'That　was　quite　enough　of　it；'　said　Amy；　smiling。



'Not　at　all；'　said　Philip；　'you　have　all　your　troubles　in　the　visiting　

line　to　come；　when　you　go　home。'



'Ah！　you　know　the　people；　and　will　be　a　great　help　to　us；'　said　Amy；　

and　Guy　was　much