count bunker-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Did　you　get　any　letter；　dear；　by　the　last　post？〃　inquired　the　Countess　as　soon　as　she　had　entered　the　room。

〃Nothing　of　importance；　mamma。〃

That　so　sweet　and　docile　a　daughter　should　stoop　to　deceit　was　inconceivable。　　The　Countess　merely　frowned　her　disappointment　and　resumed　the　novel　which　she　was　beguiling　the　hours　between　eating　and　eating　again。

〃Mamma；〃　said　the　Baroness　presently；　〃can　you　tell　me　whether　heather　is　found　in　many　other　European　countries？〃

The　Countess　raised　her　firmly　penciled　eyebrows。

〃In　some；　I　believe。　　What　a　remarkable　question；　Alicia。〃

〃I　was　thinking　about　Russia；〃　said　Alicia　with　an　innocent　air。　　〃Do　you　suppose　heather　grows　there？〃

The　Countess　remembered　the　floral　symptoms　displayed　by　Ophelia；　and　grew　a　trifle　nervous。

〃My　child；　what　is　the　matter？〃

〃Oh；　nothing；〃　replied　Alicia　hastily。

A　short　silence　followed；　during　which　she　was　conscious　of　undergoing　a　curious　scrutiny。

〃By　the　way；　mamma；〃　she　found　courage　to　ask　at　length；　〃do　you　know　anything　about　Lord　Tulliwuddle？〃

Lady　Grillyer　continued　uneasy。　　These　irrelevant　questions　undoubtedly　indicated　a　mind　unhinged。

〃I　was　acquainted　with　the　late　Lord　Tulliwuddle。〃

〃Oh；　he　is　dead；　then？〃

〃Certainly。〃

Alicia's　face　clouded　for　a　moment；　and　then　a　ray　of　hope　lit　it　again。

〃Is　there　a　present　Lord　Tulliwuddle？〃

〃I　believe　so。　　Why　do　you　ask？〃

〃I　heard　some　one　speak　of　him　the　other　day。〃

She　spoke　so　naturally　that　her　mother　began　to　feel　relieved。

〃Sir　Justin　Wallingford　can　tell　you　all　about　the　family；　if　you　are　curious；〃　she　remarked。

〃Sir　Justin！〃

Alicia　recoiled　from　the　thought　of　him。　　But　presently　her　curiosity　prevailed；　and　she　inquired

〃Does　he　know　them　well？〃

〃He　inherited　a　place　in　Scotland　a　number　of　years　ago；　you　remember。　　It　is　somewhere　near　Lord　Tulliwuddle's　placeHechHechHech…something…or…　other　Castle。　　He　was　very　well　acquainted　with　the　last　Tulliwuddle。〃

〃Oh；〃　said　Alicia　indifferently；　〃I　am　not　really　interested。　　It　was　mere　idle　curiosity。〃

For　the　greater　part　of　twenty…four　hours　she　kept　this　mystery　locked　within　her　heart；　till　at　last　she　could　contain　it　no　longer。　　The　resolution　she　came　to　was　both　desperate　and　abruptly　taken。　　At　five　minutes　to　three　she　was　resolved　to　die　rather　than　mention　that　sprig　of　heather　to　a　soul；　at　five　minutes　past　she　was　on　her　way　to　Sir　Justin　Wallingford's　house。

〃It　may　be　going　behind　mamma's　back；〃　she　said　to　herself；　〃but　she　went　behind　mine　when　SHE　consulted　Sir　Justin。〃

It　was　probably　in　consequence　of　her　urgent　voice　and　agitated　manner　that　she　came　to　be　shown　straight　into　Sir　Justin's　library；　without　warning　on　either　side；　and　thus　surprised　her　counsellor　in　the　act　of　softly　singing　a　well…known　hymn　to　the　accompaniment　of　a　small　harmonium。　　He　seemed　for　a　moment　to　be　a　trifle　embarrassed；　and　the　glance　he　threw　at　his　footman　appeared　to　indicate　an　early　vacancy　in　his　establishment；　but　as　soon　as　he　had　recovered　his　customary　solemnity　his　explanation　reflected　nothing　but　credit　upon　his　character。

〃The　fact　is；〃　said　he；　〃that　I　am　shortly　going　to　rejoin　my　daughter　in　Scotland。　　You　are　aware　of　her　disposition；　Baroness？〃

〃I　have　heard　that　she　is　inclined　to　be　devotional。〃

〃She　is　devotional；〃　answered　this　excellent　man。　　〃I　have　taken　considerable　pains　to　see　to　it。　　As　your　mother　and　I　have　often　agreed；　there　is　no　such　safeguard　for　a　young　girl　as　a　hobby　or　mania　of　this　sort。〃

〃A　hobby　or　mania？〃　exclaimed　the　Baroness　in　a　pained　voice。

Sir　Justin　looked　annoyed。　　He　was　evidently　surprised　to　find　that　the　principles　inculcated　by　his　old　friend　and　himself　appeared　to　outlive　the　occasion　for　which　they　were　intendedto　wit；　the　protection　of　virgin　hearts　from　undesirable　aspirations　till　calm　reason　and　a　husband　should　render　them　unnecessary。

〃I　use　the　terms　employed　by　the　philosophical；〃　he　hastened　to　explain；　〃but　my　own　opinion　is　inclined　to　coincide　with　yours；　my　dear　Alicia。〃

This　paternal　use　of　her　Christian　name；　coupled　with　the　kindly　tone　of　his　justification；　encouraged　the　Baroness　to　open　her　business。

〃Sir　Justin；〃　she　began；　〃can　I　trust　youmay　I　ask　you　not　to　tell　my　mother　that　I　have　visited　you？〃

〃If　you　can　show　me　an　adequate　reason；　you　may　rely　upon　my　discretion；〃　said　the　ex…diplomatist　cautiously；　yet　with　an　encouraging　smile。

〃In　some　things　one　would　sooner　confide　in　a　man　than　a　woman；　Sir　Justin。〃

〃That　is　undoubtedly　true；〃　he　agreed　cordially。　　〃You　may　confide　in　me；　Baroness。〃

〃I　have　heard　from　my　husband　again。　　I　need　not　show　you　the　letter；　it　is　quite　satisfactoryoh；　quite；　I　assure　you！　　Only　I　found　this　enclosed　with　it。〃

In　breathless　silence　she　watched　him　examine　critically　first　the　heather　and　then　the　verses。

〃Lord　Tulliwuddle！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Is　there　anything　in　the　Baron's　letter　to　throw　any　light　upon　this？〃

〃Not　one　wordnot　the　slightest　hint。〃

Again　he　studied　the　paper。

〃Oh；　what　does　it　mean？〃　she　cried。　　〃I　came　to　you　because　you　know　all　about　the　Tulliwuddles。　　Where　is　Lord　Tulliwuddle　now？〃

〃I　am　not　acquainted　with　the　present　peer；〃　he　ansevered　meditatively。　　〃In　fact；　I　know　singularly　little　about　him。　　I　did　hearyes；　I　heard　from　my　daughter　some　rumor　that　he　was　shortly　expected　to　visit　his　place　in　Scotland；　but　whether　he　went　there　or　not　I　cannot　say。〃

〃You　can　find　out　for　me？〃

〃I　shall　lose　no　time　in　ascertaining。〃

The　Baroness　thanked　him　effusively；　and　rose　to　depart　with　a　mind　a　little　comforted。

〃And　you　won't　tell　mamma？〃

〃I　never　tell　a　woman　anything　that　is　of　any　importance。〃

The　Baroness　was　confirmed　in　her　opinion　that　Sir　Justin　was　not　a　very　nice　man；　but　she　felt　an　increased　confidence　in　his　judgment。



CHAPTER　XX

From　the　gargoyled　keep　which　the　cultured　enthusiasm　of　Eleanor　and　the　purse　of　her　father　had　recently　erected　at　Lincoln　Lodge；　the　brother　and　sister　looked　over　a　bend　of　the　river；　half　a　mile　of　valley　road；　a　wave　of　forest　country；　and　the　greater　billows　of　the　bare　hillsides　towering　beyond。　　But　out　of　all　this　prospect　it　was　only　upon　the　stretch　of　road　that　their　eyes　were　bent。

〃Surely　one　should　see　their　carriage　soon！〃　exclaimed　Eleanor。

〃Seems　to　me；〃　said　her　brother；　〃that　you're　sitting　something　like　a　cat　on　the　pounce　for　this　Tulliwuddle　fellow。　　Why；　Eleanor；　I　never　saw　you　so　excited　since　the　first　duke　came　along。　　I　thought　that　had　passed　right　off。〃

〃Oh；　Ri；　I　was　reading　'Waverley'　again　last　night；　and　somehow　I　felt　the　top　of　the　keep　was　the　only　place　to　watch　for　a　chief！〃

〃Why；　you　don't　expect　him　to　be　different　from　other　people？〃

〃Ri！　　I　tell　you　I'll　cry　if　he　looks　like　any　one　I've　ever　seen　before！　　Don't　you　remember　the　Count　said　he　moved　like　a　pine　in　his　native　forests？〃

〃He　won't　make　much　headway　like　that；〃　said　Ri　incisively。　　〃I'd　sooner　he　moved　like　something　more　spry　than　a　tree。　　I　guess　that　Count　was　talking　through　his　hat。〃

But　his　sister　was　not　to　be　argued　out　of　her　exalted　mood　by　such　prosaic　reasoning。　　She　exclaimed　at　his　sluggish　imagination；　reiterated　her　faith　in　the　insinuating　count's　assurances；　and　was　only　withheld　from　sending　her　brother　down　for　a　spy…glass　by　the　reflection　that　she　could　not　remember　reading　of　its　employment　by　any　maiden　in　analogous　circumstances。

It　was　at　this　auspicious　moment；　when　the　heart　of　the　expectant　heiress　was　inflamed　with　romantic　fancies　and　excited　with　the　suspense　of　waiting；　and　before　it　had　time　to　cool　through　any　undue　delay；　that　a　little　cloud　of　dust　first　caught　her　straining　eyes。

〃He　comes　at　last！〃　she　cried。

At　the　same　instant　the　faint　strains　of　the　pibroch　were　gently　wafted　to　her　embattled　tower。

〃He　is　bringing　his　piper！　　Oh；　what　a　duck　he　is！〃

〃Seems　to　me　he　is　bringing　a　dozen　of　them；〃　observed　Ri。

〃And　look；　Ri！　　The　sun　is　glinting　upon　steel！　　Claymores；　Ri！　oh；　how　heavenly！　　There　must　be　fifty　men！　　And　they　are　still　coming！　　I　do　believe　he　has　brought　the　whole　clan！〃

Too　petrified　with　delig