the heir of redclyffe-第58章

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Poor　little　thing；　she　is　very　much　in　love　with　him；　I　do　believe；　but　

there's　an　end　of　everything　now。'



'It　is　very　fortunate　this　has　been　discovered　in　time；'　said　Philip。　　

'Instead　of　pitying　her；　I　should　rejoice　in　her　escape。'



'Yes；'　said　Mr。　Edmonstone；　ruefully。　　'Who　could　have　thought　it？'



'I　am　afraid　the　mischief　is　of　long　standing；'　proceeded　Philip；　

resolved；　since　he　saw　his　uncle　so　grieved；　to　press　him　strongly；　

thinking　that　to　save　Amy　from　such　a　marriage　was　an　additional　

motive。　　'He　could　hardly　have　arrived　at　losing　as　much　as　a　thousand　

pounds；　all　at　once；　in　this　month　at　St。　Mildred's。　　Depend　upon　it；　

that　painful　as　it　may　be　at　present；　there　is　great　reason；　on　her　

account；　to　rejoice　in　the　discovery。　　You　say　he　has　never　before　

applied；　to　you　for　money？'



'Not　a　farthing　beyond　his　allowance；　except　this　unlucky　thirty　

pounds；　for　his　additional　expense　of　the　tutor　and　the　lodging。'



'You　remember；　however；　that　he　has　always　seemed　short　of　money；　never　

appeared　able　to　afford　himself　any　little　extra　expense。　　You　have　

noticed　it；　I　know。　　You　remember；　too；　　how　unsatisfactory　his　reserve　

about　his　proceedings　in　London　has　been；　and　how　he　has　persisted　in　

delaying　there；　in　spite　of　all　warnings。　　The　work；　no　doubt；　began　

there；　under　the　guidance　of　his　uncle；　and　now　the　St。　Mildred's　races　

and　Tom　Harewood　have　continued　it。'



'I　wish　he　had　never　set　foot　in　the　place！'



'Nay；　for　Amy's　sake；　the　exposure　is　an　advantage；　if　not　for　his　own。　　

The　course　must　have　been　long　since　begun；　but　he　contrived　to　avoid　

what　could　lead　to　inquiry；　till　he　has　at　length　involved　himself　in　

some　desperate　scrape。　　You　see；　he　especially　desires　to　have　the　

money　_soon_；　and　he　never　even　attempts　to　say　you　would　approve　of　

the　object。



'Yes；　he　has　the　grace　not　to　say　that。'



'Altogether；　it　is　worse　than　I　could　have　thought　possible；'　said　

Philip。　　I　could　have　believed　him　unstable　and　thoughtless；　but　the　

concealment；　and　the　attempting　to　gain　poor　Amy's　affections　in　the　

midst　of　such　a　course'



'Ay；　ay！'　cried　Mr。　Edmonstone；　now　fully　provoked；　'there　is　the　

monstrous　part。　　He　thought　I　was　going　to　give　up　my　poor　little　girl　

to　a　gambler；　did　he？　but　he　shall　soon　see　what　I　think　of　him；

riches；　Redclyffe；　title；　and　all！'



'I　knew　that　would　be　your　feeling。'



'Feel！　　Yes；　and　he　shall　feel　it；　too。　　So；　Sir　Guy；　you　thought　you　

had　an　old　fool　of　a　guardian；　did　you；　whom　you　could　blind　as　you　

pleased？　but　you　shall　soon　see　the　difference！'



'Better　begin　cautiously；'　suggested　Philip。　　'Remember　his　unfortunate　

temper；　and　write　coolly。'



'Coolly？　　You　may　talk　of　coolness；　but　'tis　enough　to　make　one's　blood　

boil　to　be　served　in　such　a　way。　　With　the　face　to　be　sending　her　

messages　in　the　very　same　letter！　　That　is　a　pass　beyond　me；　to　stand　

coolly　to　see　my　daughter　so　treated。'



'I　would　only　give　him　the　opportunity　of　saying　what　he　can　for　

himself。　　He　may　have　some　explanation。'



'I'll　admit　of　no　explanation！　　Passing　himself　off　for　steadiness　

itself；　daring　to　think　of　my　daughter；　and　all　the　time　going　on　in　

this　fashion！　　I　hate　underhand　ways！　　I'll　have　no　explanation。　　He　

may　give　up　all　thoughts　of　her。　　I'll　write　and　tell　him　so　before　I'm　

a　day　older；　nay；　before　I　stir　from　this　room。　　My　little　Amy；　

indeed！'



Philip　put　no　obstacles　in　the　way　of　this　proposal；　for　he　knew　that　

his　uncle's　displeasure；　though　hot　at　first；　was　apt　to　evaporate　in　

exclamations；　and　he　thought　it　likely　that　his　good　nature；　his　

partiality　for　his　ward；　his　dislike　to　causing　pain　to　his　daughter；　

and；　above　all；　his　wife's　blind　confidence　in　Guy；　would；　when　once　at　

home；　so　overpower　his　present　indignation　as　to　prevent　the　salutary　

strictness　which　was　the　only　hope　of　reclaiming　Guy。　　Beside；　a　letter　

written　under　Philip's　inspection　was　likely　to　be　more　guarded；　as　

well　as　more　forcible；　than　an　unassisted　composition　of　his　own；　as　

was；　indeed；　pretty　well　proved　by　the　commencement　of　his　first　

attempt。



'My　dear　Guy；I　am　more　surprised　than　I　could　have　expected　at　your　

application。'



Philip　read　this　aloud；　so　as　to　mark　its　absurdity；　and　he　began　

again。



'I　am　greatly　astonished；　as　well　as　concerned；　at　your　application；　

which　confirms　the　unpleasant　reports'



'Why　say　anything　of　reports？'　said　Philip。　　'Reports　are　nothing。　　A　

man　is　not　forced　to　defend　himself　from　reports。'



'Yes；humha；the　accounts　I　have　received。　　No。　　You　say　there　is　

not　to　be　a　word　of　Mrs。　Henley。'



'Not　a　word　that　can　lead　her　to　be　suspected。'



'Confirmsconfirms'　sighed　Mr。　Edmonstone。



'Don't　write　as　if　you　went　on　hearsay　evidence。　　Speak　of　proofs

irrefragable　proofsand　then　you　convict　him　at　once；　without　power　of　

eluding　you。'



So　Mr。　Edmonstone　proceeded　to　write；　that　the　application　confirmed　

the　irrefragable　proofs；　then　laughed　at　himself；　and　helplessly　begged　

Philip　to　give　him　a　start。　It　now　stood　thus：



'Your　letter　of　this　morning　has　caused　me　more　concern　than　surprise；　

as　it　unhappily　only　adds　confirmation　to　the　intelligence　already　in　

my　possession；　that　either　from　want　of　resolution　to　withstand　the　

seductions　of　designing　persons；　or　by　the　impetuosity　and　instability　

of　your　own　character；　you　have　been　led　into　the　ruinous　and　degrading　

practice　of　gambling；　and　that　from　hence　proceed　the　difficulties　that　

occasion　your　application　to　me　for　money。　　I　am　deeply　grieved　at　thus　

finding　that　neither　the　principles　which　have　hitherto　seemed　to　guide　

you；　nor　the　pledges　which　you　used　to　hold　sacred；　nor；　I　may　add；　the　

feelings　you　have　so　recently　expressed　towards　a　member　of　my　family；　

have　been　sufficient　to　preserve　you　from　yielding　to　a　temptation　

which　could　never　be　presented　to　the　mind　of　any　one　whose　time　was　

properly　occupied　in　the　business　of　his　education。'



'Is　that　all　I　am　to　say　about　her；'　exclaimed　Mr。　Edmonstone；　'after　

the　atrocious　way　the　fellow　has　treated　her　in？'



'Since　it　is；　happily；　no　engagement；　I　cannot　see　how　you　can；　with　

propriety；　assume　that　it　is　one；　by　speaking　of　breaking　it　off。　　

Besides；　give　him　no　ground　for　complaint；　or　he　will　take　refuge　in　

believing　himself　ill…used。　　Ask　him　if　he　can　disprove　it；　and　when　he　

cannot；　it　will　be　time　enough　to　act　further。　　But　waitwait；　sir；'　

as　the　pen　was　moving　over　the　paper；　impatient　to　dash　forward。　　'You　

have　not　told　him　yet　of　what　you　accuse　him。'



Philip　meditated　a　few　moments；　then　produced　another　sentence。



'I　have　no　means　of　judging　how　long　you　have　been　following　this　

unhappy　course；　I　had　rather　believe　it　is　of　recent　adoption；　but　I　do　

not　know　how　to　reconcile　this　idea　with　the　magnitude　of　your　demand；　

unless　your　downward　progress　has　been　more　rapid　than　usual　in　such　

beginnings。　　It　would；　I　fear；　be　quite　vain　for　me　to　urge　upon　you　

all　the　arguments　and　reasons　that　ought　to　have　been　present　to　your　

mind；　and　prevented　you　from　taking　the　first　fatal　step。　　I　can　only　

entreat　you　to　pause；　and　consider　the　ruin　and　degradation　to　which　

this　hateful　vice　almost　invariably　conducts　its　victims；　and　

consistently　with　my　duty　as　your　guardian；　everything　in　my　power　

shall　be　done　to　extricate　you　from　the　embarrassments　in　which　you　

have　involved　yourself。　　But；　in　the　first　place；　I　make　it　a　point　

that　you　treat　me　with　perfect　confidence；　and　make　a　full；　unequivocal　

statement　of　your　proceedings；　above　all；　that　you　explain　the　

circumstances；　occasioning　your　request　for　this　large　sum。　　Remember；　

I　say；　complete　candour　on　your　part　will　afford　the　only　means　of　

rescuing　you　from　difficulties；　or　of　in　any　degree　restoring　you　to　my　

good　opinion。'



So　far　the　lette