the heir of redclyffe-第160章

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day；　and　she　is　six。　　It　surely　cannot　hurt　her；　but　we　will　ask　Dr。　

Mayerne。'



'Mamma　will　never　forgive　us　if　we　don't　take　the　doctor　into　our　

councils。'



'Arnaud　can　manage　for　us。　　We　would　sleep　in　London；　and　go　on　by　an　

early　train；　and　we　can　take　ourI　mean　mycarriage；　for　the　journey　

after　the　railroad。　　It　would　not　be　too　much　for　you。　　How　soon　could　

we　go？'



'The　sooner　the　better；'　said　Charles。　　'If　we　are　to　do　him　any　good；　

it　must　be　speedily；　or　it　will　be　a　case　of　shutting　the　stable…door。　　

Why　not　to…morrow？'



The　project　was　thoroughly　discussed　that　evening；　but　still　with　the　

feeling　as　if　it　could　not　be　real；　and　when　they　parted　at　night　they　

said；'We　will　see　how　the　scheme　looks　in　the　morning。'



Charles　was　still　wondering　whether　it　was　a　dream；　when　the　first　

thing　he　heard　in　the　court　below　his　window　was



'Here；　William；　here's　a　note　from　my　lady　for　you　to　take　to　Dr。　

Mayerne。'



'They　be　none　of　them　ill？'　answered　William's　voice。



'0　no；　my　lady　has　been　up　this　hour；　and　Mr。　Charles　has　rung　his　

bell。　　Stop；　William；　my　lady　said　you　were　to　call　at　Harris's　and　

bring　home　a　〃Bradshaw〃。'



Reality；　indeed；　thought　Charles；　marvelling　at　his　sister；　and　his　

elastic　spirits　throwing　him　into　the　project　with　a　sort　of　enjoyment；　

partaking　of　the　pleasure　of　being　of　use；　the　spirit　of　enterprise；　

and　the　'fun'　of　starting　independently　on　an　expedition　unknown　to　all　

the　family。



He　met　Amabel　with　a　smile　that　showed　both　were　determined。　　He　

undertook　to　announce　the　plan　to　his　mother；　and　she　said　she　would　

write　to　tell　Mr。　Markham　that　as　far　as　could　be　reckoned　on　two　such　

frail　people；　they　would　be　at　Redclyffe　the　next　evening；　and　he　must　

use　his　own　discretion　about　giving　Mr。　Morville　the　note　which　she　

enclosed。



Dr。　Mayerne　came　in　time　for　breakfast；　and　the　letter　from　Markham　was　

at　once　given　to　him。



'A　baddish　state　of　things；　eh；　doctor！'　said　Charles。　　'Well；　what　do　

you　think　this　lady　proposes？　　To　set　off　forthwith；　both　of　us；　to　

take　charge　of　him。　　What　do　you　think　of　that；　Dr。　Mayerne？'



'I　should　say　it　was　the　only　chance　for　him；'　said　the　doctor；　looking　

only　at　the　latter。　　'Spirits　and　health　reacting　on　each　other；　I　see　

it　plain　enough。　　Over…worked　in　parliament；　doing　nothing　in　

moderation；　going　down　to　that　gloomy　old　place；　dreaming　away　by　

himself；　going　just　the　right　way　to　work　himself　into　another　attack　

on　the　brain；　and　then　he　is　done　for。　　I　don't　know　that　you　could　do　

a　wiser　thing　than　go　to　him；　for　he　is　no　more　fit　to　tell　what　is　

good　for　him　than　a　child。'　　So　spoke　the　doctor；　thinking　only　of　the　

patient　till　looking　up　at　the　pair　he　was　dismissing　to　such　a　charge；　

the　helpless；　crippled　Charles；　unable　to　cross　the　room　without　

crutches；　and　Amabel；　her　delicate　face　and　fragile　figure　in　her　

widow's　mourning；　looking　like　a　thing　to　be　pitied　and　nursed　with　the　

tenderest　care；　with　that　young　child；　too；　he　broke　off　and　said'But　

you　don't　mean　you　are　in　earnest？'



'Never　more　so　in　our　lives；'　said　Charles；　on　which　Dr。　Mayerne　looked　

so　wonderingly　and　inquiringly　at　Amabel；　that　she　answered；



'Yes　that　we　are；　if　you　think　it　safe　for　Charles　and　baby。'



'Is　there　no　one　else　to　go？　　What's　become　of　his　sister？'



'That　would　never　do；'　said　Charles；　'that　is　not　the　question；'　and　he　

detailed　their　plan。



'Well；　I　don't　see　why　it　should　not　succeed；'　said　the　doctor；　'or　how　

you　can　any　of　you　damage　yourselves。'



'And　baby？'　said　Amy。



'What　should　happen　to　her；　do　you　think？'　said　the　doctor　with　his　

kind；　reassuring　roughness。　　'Unless　you　leave　her　behind　in　the　

carriage；　I　don't　see　what　harm　she　could　come　to；　and　even　then；　if　

you　direct　her　properly；　she　will　come　safe　to　hand。'　

Amabel　smiled；　and　saying　she　would　fetch　her　to　be　inspected；　ran　up…

stairs　with　the　light　nimble　step　of　former　days。



'There　goes　one　of　the　smallest　editions　of　the　wonders　of　the　world！'　

said　Charles；　covering　a　sigh　with　a　smile。　　'You　don't　think　it　will　

do　her　any　harm？'



'Not　if　she　wishes　it。　　I　have　long　thought　a　change；　a　break；　would　be　

the　best　thing　for　herpoor　child！I　should　have　sent　her　to　the　sea…

side　if　you　had　been　more　movable；　and　if　I　had　not　seen　every　fuss　

about　her　made　it　worse。'



'That's　what　I　call　being　a　reasonable　and　valuable　doctor；'　said　

Charles。　　'If　you　had　routed　the　poor　little　thing　out　to　the　sea；　she　

would　have　only　pined　the　more。　　But　suppose　the　captain　turns　out　too　

bad　for　her　management；　for　old　Markham　seems　in　a　proper　taking？'



'Hem！　　No；　I　don't　expect　it　is　come　to　that。'



'Be　that　as　it　may；　I　have　a　head；　if　nothing　else；　and　some　one　is　

wanted。　　I'll　write　to　you　according　as　we　find　Philip。'



The　doctor　was　wanted　for　another　private　interview；　in　which　to　assure　

Amabel　that　there　was　no　danger　for　Charles；　and　then；　after　promising　

to　come　to　Redclyffe　if　there　was　occasion；　and　engaging　to　write　and　

tell　Mrs。　Edmonstone　they　had　his　consent；　he　departed　to　meet　them　by　

and　by　at　the　station；　and　put　Charles　into　the　carriage。



A　very　busy　morning　followed；　Amabel　arranged　household　affairs　as　

befitted　the　vice…queen；　took　care　that　Charles's　comforts　were　

provided　for；　wrote　many　a　note；　herself　took　down　Guy's　picture；　and　

laid　it　in　her　box；　before　Anne　commenced　her　packing；　and　lastly；　

walked　down　to　the　village　to　take　leave　of　Alice　Lamsden。





Just　as　the　last　hues　of　sunset　were　fading；　on　the　following　evening；　

Lady　Morville　and　Charles　Edmonstone　were　passing　from　the　moor　into　

the　wooded　valley　of　Redclyffe。　　Since　leaving　Moorworth　not　a　word　had　

passed。　　Charles　sat　earnestly　watching　his　sister；　though　there　was　

too　much　crape　in　the　way　for　him　to　see　her　face；　and　she　was　

perfectly　still；　so　that　all　he　could　judge　by　was　the　close；　rigid　

clasping　together　of　the　hands；　resting　on　the　sleeping　infant's　white　

mantle。　　Each　spot　recalled　to　him　some　description　of　Guy's；　the　

church…tower；　the　school　with　the　two　large　new　windows；　the　park　wall；　

the　rising　ground　within。　　What　was　she　feeling？　　He　did　not　dare　to　

address　her；　till；　at　the　lodge…gate；　he　exclaimed'There's　Markham；'　

and；　at　the　same　time；　was　conscious　of　a　feeling　between　hope　and　

fear；　that　this　might　after　all　be　a　fool's　errand；　and　a　wonder　how　

they　and　the　master　of　the　house　would　meet　if　it　turned　out　that　they　

had　taken　fright　without　cause。



At　his　exclamation；　Amy　leant　forward；　and　beckoned。　　Markham　came　up　

to　the　window；　and　after　the　greeting　on　each　side；　walked　along　with　

his　hand　on　the　door；　as　the　carriage　slowly　mounted　the　steep　hill；　

answering　her　questions：　'How　is　he？'



'No　better。　　He　has　been　putting　on　leeches；　and　made　himself　so　giddy；　

that　yesterday　he　could　hardly　stand。'



'And　they　have　not　relieved　him？'



'Not　in　the　least。　　I　am　glad　you　are　come；　for　it　has　been　an　absurd　

way　of　going　on。'



'Is　he　up？'



'Yes；　on　the　sofa　in　the　library。'



'Did　you　give　him　my　note？　　Does　he　expect　us？'



'No；　I　went　to　see　about　telling　him　this　morning；　but　found　him　so　low　

and　silent；　I　thought　it　was　better　not。　　He　has　not　opened　a　letter　

this　week；　and　he　might　have　refused　to　see　you；　as　he　did　Lord　

Thorndale。　　Besides；　I　didn't　know　how　he　would　take　my　writing　about　

him；　though　if　you　had　not　written；　I　believe　I　should　have　let　Mrs。　

Henley　know　by　this　time。'



'There　is　an　escape　for　him；'　murmured　Charles　to　his　sister。



'We　have　done　the　best　in　our　power　to　receive　you'　proceeded　Markham；　

'I　hope　you　will　find　it　comfortable；　Lady　Morville；　but'



'Thank　you；　I　am　not　afraid；'　said　Amy；　smiling　a　little。　　Markham's　

eye　was　on　the　little　white　bundle　in　her　lap；　but　he　did　not　speak　of