the heir of redclyffe-第69章

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her　share　in　what　was　passing；　and　a　common　observer　would　hardly　have　

remarked　the　submissive　melancholy　of　her　manner。　　Her　father　was　very　

affectionate；　and　often　called　her　his　jewel　of　good　girls；　but　he　was　

too　much　afraid　of　women's　tears　to　talk　to　her　about　Guy；　he　left　that　

to　her　mother：　and　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　having　seen　her　submit　to　her　

father's　will；　was　unwilling　to　say　more。



She　doubted　whether　it　was　judicious　to　encourage　her　in　dwelling　on　

Guy；　for；　even　supposing　his　character　clear；　they　had　offended　him　

deeply；　and　released　him　from　any　engagement　to　her；　so　that　there　was　

nothing　to　prevent　him　from　forming　an　attachment　elsewhere。　　Mrs。　

Edmonstone　did　not　think　he　would；　but　it　was　better　to　say　nothing　

about　him；　lest　she　should　not　speak　prudently；　and　only　keep　up　the　

subject　in　Amy's　mind。



Charles　stormed　and　wrangled；　told　Mr。　Edmonstone　'he　was　breaking　his　

daughter's　heart；　that　was　all；'　and　talked　of　unfairness　and　

injustice；　till　Mr。　Edmonstone　vowed　it　was　beyond　all　bearing；　that　

his　own　son　should　call　him　a　tyrant；　and　accused　Guy　of　destroying　all　

peace　in　his　family。



The　replies　to　the　letters　came；　some　thought　them　satisfactory；　and　

the　others　wondered　that　they　thought　so。　　Mr。　Wellwood　gave　the　

highest　character　of　his　pupil；　and　could　not　imagine　how　any　

irregularities　could　be　laid　to　his　charge；　but　when　asked　in　plain　

terms　how　he　disposed　of　his　time；　could　only　answer　in　general；　that　

he　had　friends　and　engagements　of　his　own　at　St。　Mildred's　and　its　

neighbourhood；　and　had　been　several　times　at　Mrs。　Henley's　and　at　

Colonel　Harewood's。　　The　latter　place；　unfortunately；　was　the　very　

object　of　Philip's　suspicions；　and　thus　the　letter　was　anything　but　an　

exculpation。



Guy　wrote　to　Charles　in　the　fulness　of　his　heart；　expressing　gratitude　

for　his　confidence　and　sympathy。　　He　again　begged　for　the　supposed　

evidence　of　his　misconduct；　declaring　he　could　explain　it；　whatever　it　

might　be；　and　proceeded　to　utter　deep　regrets　for　his　hasty　

expressions。



'I　do　not　know　what　I　may　have　said；'　he　wrote；　'I　have　no　doubt　it　was　

unpardonable；　for　I　am　sure　my　feelings　were　so；　and　that　I　deserve　

whatever　I　have　brought　on　myself。　　I　can　only　submit　to　Mr。　

Edmonstone's　sentence；　and　trust　that　time　will　bring　to　his　knowledge　

that　I　am　innocent　of　what　I　am　accused　of。　　He　has　every　right　to　be　

displeased　with　me。



Charles　pronounced　this　to　be　only　Guy's　way　of　abusing　himself；　but　

his　father　saw　in　it　a　disguised　admission　of　guilt。　　It　was　thought；　

also；　to　be　bad　sign　that　Guy　intended　to　remain　at　South　Moor　till　the　

end　of　the　vacation；　though　Charles　argued　that　he　must　be　somewhere；　

and　if　they　wished　to　keep　him　out　of　mischief；　why　exile　him　from　

Hollywell！　　He　would　hardly　listen　to　his　mother's　representation；　that　

on　Amy's　account　it　would　not　be　right　to　have　him　there　till　the　

mystery　was　cleared　up。



He　tried　to　stir　his　father　up　to　go　and　see　Guy　at　St。　Mildred's；　and　

investigate　matters　for　himself；　but；　though　Mr。　Edmonstone　would　have　

liked　the　appearance　of　being　important；　this　failed；　because　Philip　

declared　it　to　be　unadvisable；　knowing　that　it　would　be　no　

investigation　at　all；　and　that　his　uncle　would　be　talked　over　directly。　　

Next；　Charles　would　have　persuaded　Philip　himself　to　go；　but　the　

arrangements　about　his　leave　did　not　make　this　convenient；　and　it　was　

put　off　till　he　should　pay　his　farewell　visit　to　his　sister；　in　

October。　　Lastly；　Charles　wrote　to　Mrs。　Henley；　entreating　her　to　give　

him　some　information　about　this　mysterious　evidence　which　was　wanting；　

but　her　reply　was　a　complete　'set　down'　for　interference　in　a　matter　

with　which　he　had　no　concern。



He　was　very　angry。　　In　fact；　the　post　seldom　came　in　without　

occasioning　a　fresh　dispute；　which　only　had　the　effect　of　keeping　up　

the　heat　of　Mr。　Edmonstone's　displeasure；　and　making　the　whole　house　

uncomfortable。



Fretfulness　and　ill…humour　seemed　to　have　taken　possession　of　Charles　

and　his　father。　　Such　a　state　of　things　had　not　prevailed　since　Guy's　

arrival：　Hollywell　was　hardly　like　the　same　house；　Mrs。　Edmonstone　and　

Laura　could　do　nothing　without　being　grumbled　at　or　scolded　by　one　or　

other　of　the　gentlemen；　even　Amy　now　and　then　came　in　for　a　little　

petulance　on　her　father's　part；　and　Charles　could　not　always　forgive　

her　for　saying　in　her　mournful；　submissive　tome；'It　is　of　no　use　to　

talk　about　it！'









CHAPTER　18







This　just　decree　alone　I　know；

Man　must　be　disciplined　by　woe；

To　me；　whate'er　of　good　or　ill

The　future　brings；　since　come　it　will；

I'll　bow　my　spirit；　and　be　still。

　　　　　　　　　AESCHYLUS；　（Anstice's　Translation。）





Guy；　in　the　meantime；　was　enduring　the　storm　in　loneliness；　for　he　was　

unwilling　to　explain　the　cause　of　his　trouble　to　his　companions。　　The　

only　occasion　of　the　suspicions；　which　he　could　think　of；　was　his　

request　for　the　sum　of　money；　and　this　he　could　not　mention　to　Mr。　

Wellwood；　nor　was　he　inclined　to　make　confidants　of　his　other　

companions；　though　pleasant；　right…minded　youths。



He　had　only　announced　that　he　had　had　a　letter　which　had　grieved　him　

considerably；　but　of　which　he　could　not　mention　the　contents；　and　as　

Harry　Graham；　who　knew　something　of　the　Broadstone　neighbourhood；　had　

picked　up　a　report　that　Sir　Guy　Morville　was　to　marry　Lady　Eveleen　de　

Courcy；　there　was　an　idea　among　the　party　that　there　was　some　trouble　

in　the　way　of　his　attachment。　　He　had　once　before　been　made；　by　some　

joke；　to　colour　and　look　conscious；　and　now　this　protected　him　from　

inconvenient　questions；　and　accounted　for　his　depression。　　He　was　like　

what　he　had　been　on　first　coming　to　Hollywellgrave　and　silent；　

falling　into　reveries　when　others　were　talking；　and　much　given　to　long；　

lonely　wanderings。　　Accustomed　as　he　had　been　in　boyhood　to　a　solitary　

life　in　beautiful　scenery；　there　was　something　in　a　fine　landscape　that　

was　to　him　like　a　friend　and　companion；　and　he　sometimes　felt　that　it　

would　have　been　worse　if　he　had　been　in　a　dull；　uniform　country；　

instead　of　among　mountain　peaks　and　broad　wooded　valleys。　　Working　

hard；　too；　helped　him　not　a　little；　and　conic　sections　served　him　

almost　as　well　as　they　served　Laura。



A　more　real　help　was　the　neighbourhood　of　Stylehurst。　　On　the　first　

Sunday　after　receiving　Mr。　Edmonstone's　letter；　he　went　to　church　

there；　instead　of　with　the　others；　to　St。　Mildred's。　　They　thought　it　

was　for　the　sake　of　the　solitary　walk；　but　he　had　other　reasons　for　the　

preference。　　In　the　first　place　it　was　a　Communion　Sunday；　and　in　the　

next；　he　could　feel　more　kindly　towards　Philip　there；　and　he　knew　he　

needed　all　that　could　strengthen　such　a　disposition。



Many　a　question　did　he　ask　himself；　to　certify　whether　he　wilfully　

entertained　malice　or　hatred；　or　any　uncharitableness。　　It　was　a　long；　

difficult　examination；　but　at　its　close；　he　felt　convinced　that；　if　

such　passions　knocked　at　the　door　of　his　heart；　it　was　not　at　his　own　

summons；　and　that　he　drove　them　away　without　listening　to　them。　　And　

surely　he　might　approach　to　gain　the　best　aid　in　that　battle；　

especially　as　he　was　certain　of　his　strong　and　deep　repentance　for　his　

fit　of　passion；　and　longing　earnestly　for　the　pledge　of　forgiveness。



The　pardon　and　peace　he　sought　came　to　him；　and　in　such　sort　that　the　

comfort　of　that　day；　when　fresh　from　the　first　shock；　and　waiting　in　

suspense　for　some　new　blow；　was　such　as　never　to　be　forgotten。　　They　

linked　themselves　with　the　grave　shade　of　the　clustered　gray　columns；　

and　the　angel　heads　on　roof　of　that　old　church；　with　the　long　grass　and　

tall　yellow　mullens　among　its　churchyard　graves；　and　with　the　tints　of　

the　elm…trees　that　closed　it　in；　their　leaves　in　masses　either　of　green　

or　yellow；　and　opening　here　and　there　to　show　the　purple　hills　beyond。



He　w