elinor wyllys-2-第32章

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ife。　〃The　happiest　time　of　our　life　was　the　first　ten　years　after　we　were　married；　when　we　had　enough　to　be　comfortable；　and　we　didn't　care　so　much　about　show。　I　am　sure　money　hasn't　made　me　happy；　I　don't　believe　it　can　make　anybody　happy！〃

Mr。　Taylor　listened　in　amazement；　but　his　straightforward；　quiet　wife；　had　been　for　several　years　gradually　coming　to　the　opinion　she　had　just　expressed；　and　the　death　of　her　eldest　son　had　affected　her　deeply。　The　merchant；　finding　that　he　was　not　very　good　at　consolation；　soon　changed　the　conversation；　giving　up　the　hope　of　lessening　the　mother's　grief；　or　of　bringing　her　to　what　he　considered　more　rational　views　of　the　all…importance　of　wealth。

As　soon　as　Jane　felt　equal　to　the　exertion；　she　accompanied　Miss　Agnes　and　Elinor　to　Wyllys…Roof。　During　the　three　years　of　her　married　life　she　had　never　been　there；　having　passed　most　of　the　time　either　at　Charleston　or　New　Orleans。　Many　changes　had　occurred　in　that　short　period；　changes　of　outward　circumstances；　and　of　secret　feeling。　Her　last　visit　to　Wyllys…Roof　had　taken　place　just　after　her　return　from　France；　when　she　was　tacitly　engaged　to　young　Taylor；　at　a　moment　when　she　had　been　more　gay；　more　brilliantly　handsome　than　at　any　other　period　of　her　life。　Now；　she　returned　there；　a　weeping；　mourning　widow；　wretchedly　depressed　in　spirits；　and　feeble　in　health。　She　was　still　very　lovely；　however；　the　elevated　style　of　her　beauty　was　such；　that　it　appeared　finer　under　the　shadow　of　grief；　than　in　the　sunshine　of　gaiety；　and　it　is　only　beauty　of　the　very　highest　order　which　will　bear　this　test。　Her　deep　mourning　dress　was　in　harmony　with　her　whole　appearance　and　expression；　and　it　was　not　possible　to　see　her　at　this　moment；　without　being　struck　by　her　exceeding　loveliness。　Jane　was　only　seen　by　the　family；　however；　and　one　or　two　very　intimate　friends；　she　remained　entirely　in　the　privacy　of　her　own　room；　where　Elinor　was　generally　at　her　side；　endeavouring　to　soothe　her　cousin's　grief；　by　the　gentle　balm　of　sympathy　and　affection。



CHAPTER　XII。　｛XXXV｝

〃Do　thou　stand　for　my　father；　and　examine　me　upon　the　particulars　of　my　life。〃

〃What　manner　of　man；　an't　please　your　majesty！〃　Henry　IV。

｛William　Shakespeare；　〃1　Henry　IV〃；　II。iv。375…376；　420…421｝

HAZLEHURST's　affairs　had　not　remained　stationary；　in　the　mean　time；　Mrs。　Stanley　and　himself　were　already　at　Wyllys…Roof；　when　Miss　Wyllys　and　Elinor　returned　home；　accompanied　by　the　widowed　Jane。　The　ladies　had　received　frequent　intelligence　of　the　progress　of　his　affairs；　from　Mr。　Wyllys's　letters；　still　there　were　many　details　to　be　explained　when　the　party　was　re…united；　as　several　important　steps　had　been　taken　while　they　were　in　New　York。　Mr。　Clapp　was　no　longer　the　only　counsel　employed　by　the　claimant；　associated　with　the　Longbridge　attorney；　now　appeared　the　name　of　Mr。　Reed；　a　lawyer　of　highly　respectable　standing　in　New　York；　a　brother…in…law　of　Judge　Bernard's；　and　a　man　of　a　character　far　superior　to　that　of　Mr。　Clapp。　He　was　slightly　acquainted　with　Mr。　Wyllys；　and　had　written　very　civil　letters；　stating　that　he　held　the　proofs　advanced　by　his　client；　to　be　quite　decisive　as　to　his　identity；　and　he　proposed　an　amicable　meeting；　with　the　hope　that　Mr。　Stanley's　claim　might　be　acknowledged　without　farther　difficulty。　That　Mr。　Reed　should　have　taken　the　case　into　his　hands；　astonished　Hazlehurst　and　his　friends；　so　long　as　Clapp　managed　the　affair；　they　felt　little　doubt　as　to　its　beings　a　coarse　plot　of　his　own；　but　they　had　now　become　impatient　to　inquire　more　closely　into　the　matter。　Mrs。　Stanley　was　growing　very　uneasy；　Hazlehurst　was　anxious　to　proceed　farther　as　soon　as　possible；　but　Mr。　Wyllys　was　still　nearly　as　sanguine　as　ever。　All　parties　seemed　to　desire　a　personal　interview；　Mr。　Reed　offered　to　accompany　his　client　to　Wyllys…Roof；　to　wait　on　Mrs。　Stanley；　and　a　day　had　been　appointed　for　the　meeting；　which　was　to　take　place　as　soon　as　Harry's　opponent；　who　had　been　absent　from　Longbridge；　should　return。　The　morning　fixed　for　the　interview；　happened　to　be　that　succeeding　the　arrival　of　the　ladies；　and　it　will　be　easily　imagined　that　every　member　of　the　family　looked　forward　to　the　moment　with　most　anxious　interest。　Perhaps　they　were　not　aware　themselves；　how　gradually　doubts　had　arisen　and　increased；　in　their　own　minds；　since　the　first　disclosure　made　by　Mr。　Clapp。

〃Harry　and　myself　have　both　seen　this　man　at　last；　Agnes；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys　to　his　daughter；　just　after　she　had　returned　home；　when　alone　with　Elinor　and　herself。　〃Where　do　you　suppose　Harry　saw　him　yesterday？　At　church；　with　Mr。　Reed。　And　this　morning　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　him；　standing　on　the　steps　of　Clapp's　office。〃

〃Indeed！〃　exclaimed　Miss　Wyllys；　who；　as　well　as　Elinor；　was　listening　eagerly。　How　did　he　look？what　kind　of　man　did　he　seem？〃

〃He　looked　like　a　sailor。　I　only　saw　him　for　a　moment；　however；　for　he　was　coming　out　of　the　office；　and　walked　down　the　street；　in　an　opposite　direction　from　me。　I　must　confess　that　his　face　had　something　of　a　Stanley　look。〃

〃Is　it　possible！〃

〃Yes；　so　far　as　I　could　see　him；　he　struck　me　as　looking　like　the　Stanleys；　but；　in　another　important　point；　he　does　not　resemble　them　at　all。　You　remember　the　peculiar　gait　of　the　family？they　all　had　it；　more　or　less；　anybody　who　knew　them　well　must　have　remarked　it　oftenbut　this　man　had　nothing　of　the　kind；　he　walked　like　a　sailor。〃

〃I　know　what　you　mean；　it　was　a　peculiar　motion　in　walking；　well　known　to　all　their　friendsa　long；　slow　step。〃

〃Precisely；　this　man　had　nothing　of　it；　whateverhe　had　the　sailor　swing；　for　I　watched　his　movements　expressly。　William　Stanley；　as　a　boy；　walked　just　like　his　father；　for　I　have　often　pointed　it　out　to　Mr。　Stanley；　myself。〃

〃That　mast　be　an　important　point；　I　should　suppose；　and　yet；　grandpapa；　you　think　he　looks　like　my　uncle　Stanley？〃　said　Elinor。

〃So　I　should　say；　from　the　glimpse　I　had　of　him。〃

〃What　did　Harry　think　of　him？〃　asked　Miss　Wyllys。

〃Hazlehurst　did　not　see　his　face；　for　he　sat　before　him　in　church。　He　said；　that　if　he　had　not　been　told　who　it　was；　he　should　have　pronounced　him；　from　his　general　appearance　and　manner；　a　common…looking；　sea…faring　man；　who　was　not　accustomed　to　the　service　of　the　Church；　for　he　did　not　seem　to　understand　when　he　should　kneel；　and　when　he　should　rise。〃

〃But　William　Stanley　ought　to　have　known　it　perfectly；〃　observed　Elinor；　〃for　he　must　have　gone　to　church　constantly；　with　his　family；　as　a　child；　until　he　went　to　sea；　and　could　scarcely　have　forgotten　the　service　entirely；　I　should　think。〃

〃Certainly；　my　dear；　that　is　another　point　which　we　have　noted　in　our　favour。　On　the　other　hand；　however；　I　have　just　been　carefully　comparing　the　hand…writing　of　Clapp's　client；　with　that　of　William　Stanley；　and　there　is　a　very　remarkable　resemblance　between　them。　As　far　as　the　hand…writing　goes；　I　must　confess；　that　I　should　have　admitted　it　at　once；　as　identical；　under　ordinary　circumstances。〃

〃And　the　personal　likeness；　too；　struck　you；　it　seems；〃　added　Miss　Agnes。

〃It　did；　so　far；　at　least；　as　I　could　judge　from　seeing　him　only　a　moment；　and　with　his　hat　on。　To…morrow　we　shall　be　able；　I　trust；　to　make　up　our　minds　more　decidedly　on　other　important　points。〃

〃It　is　very　singular　that　he　should　not　be　afraid　of　an　interview！〃　exclaimed　Elinor。

〃Well；　I　don't　know　that；　my　child；　having　once　advanced　this　claim；　he　must　be　prepared　for　examination；　you　know；　under　any　circumstances。　It　is　altogether　a　singular　case；　however；　whether　he　be　the　impostor　we　think　him；　or　the　individual　he　claims　to　be。　Truth　is　certainly　more　strange　than　fiction　sometimes。　Would　you　like　to　see　the　statement　Mr。　Reed　sent　us；　when　we　applied　for　some　account　of　his　client's　past　movements？〃

Miss　Agnes　and　Elinor　were　both　anxious　to　see　it。

〃Here　it　isshort　you　seein　Clapp's　hand…writing；　but　signed　by　himself。　There　is　nothing　in　it　that　may　not　possibly　be　true；　but　I　fancy　that　we　shall　be　able　to　pick　some　holes　in　it；　by…and…bye。〃

〃Did　he　make　no　difficulty　about　sending　it　to　you？〃　asked　Miss　Agnes。

〃No；　he　seemed　to　give　it　readily；　Mr。　Reed　sent　it　to　us　a　day　or　two　since。〃

Miss　Wyllys　receive