elinor wyllys-2-第37章

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〃What　were　the　Christian　names　of　your　grand…parents；　on　your　mother's　side？〃

〃Let　me　seemy　memory　isn't　over…good：　my　grandfather　Radcliffe　was　named　John　Henry。〃

〃And　your　grandmother？〃

The　sailor　hesitated；　and　seemed　to　change　colour；　but；　perhaps　it　was　merely　because　he　stooped　to　pick　up　his　handkerchief。

〃It's　curious　that　I　can't　remember　her　Christian　name；〃　said　he；　looking　from　one　to　another；　〃but　I　always　called　her　grandmother；that's　the　reason；　I　suppose。〃

〃Take　time；　and　I　dare　say　you　will　remember；〃　said　Clapp。　〃Have　you　never　chanced　to　see　the　old　family　Bible？〃

The　sailor　looked　at　him；　as　if　in　thought；　and　suddenly　exclaimed：　〃Her　name　was　Agnes　Graham！〃　Other　questions　were　then　asked；　about　the　persons　of　his　parents；　the　house　at　Greatwood；　and　the　neighbourhood。　He　seemed　quite　at　home　there；　and　answered　most　of　the　questions　with　great　accuracyespecially　about　the　place　and　neighbourhood。　He　described　Mr。　Stanley　perfectly；　but　did　not　appear　to　remember　his　mother　so　well；　as　she　had　died　early；　however；　Mr。　Reed　and　Mr。　Clapp　accounted　for　it　in　that　way。　He　made　a　few　mistakes　about　the　place；　but　they　were　chiefly　upon　subjects　of　opinion；　such　as　the　breadth　of　a　river；　the　height　of　a　hill；　the　number　of　acres　in　a　field；　and　possibly　his　account　was　quite　as　correct　as　that　of　Mr。　Wyllys。

〃On　which　side　of　the　house　is　the　drawing…room；　at　Greatwood？〃　asked　Hazlehurst。

〃Maybe　you　have　changed　it；　since　you　got　possession；　but　in　my　day　it　was　on　the　north　side　of　the　house；　looking　towards　the　woods。〃

〃Where　are　the　stairs？〃

〃They　stand　back　as　you　go　inthey　are　very　broad。〃

〃Is　there　anything　particular　about　the　railing？〃

The　sailor　paused。　〃Not　that　I　remember；　now；〃　he　said。

〃Can't　you　describe　it？What　is　it　made　of？〃

〃Some　kind　of　wooddark　woodmahogany。〃

〃What　is　the　shape　of　the　balusters？〃

He　could　not　tell；　which　Mr。　Wyllys　thought　he　ought　to　have　done；　for　they　were　rather　peculiar；　being　twisted；　and　would　probably　be　remembered　by　most　children　brought　up　in　the　house。

Mrs。　Stanley　then　begged　he　would　describe　the　furniture　of　the　drawing…room；　such　as　it　was　the　last　summer　he　had　passed　at　Greatwood。　He　seemed　to　hesitate；　and　change　countenance；　more　than　he　had　yet　done；　so　much　so；　as　to　strike　Mrs。　Stanley　herself；　but　he　immediately　rallied　again。

〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃you　ask　a　man　the　very　things　he　wouldn't　be　likely　to　put　on　his　log。　But　I'll　make　it　all　out　ship…shape　presently。〃　He　stooped　to　pick　up　his　handkerchief；　which　had　fallen　again；　and　was　going　to　proceed；　when　Mr。　Clapp　interrupted　him。

〃I　must　take　the　liberty　of　interfering；〃　said　he；　looking　at　his　watch；　as　he　rose　from　his　seat；　and　moved　towards　Mr。　Reed；　asking　if　he　did　not　think　the　examination　had　been　quite　long　enough。

〃I　must　say；　gentlemen；〃　he　added　significantly；　turning　towards　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Harry；　〃that　I　think　our　client　has　had　enough　of　it；　considering　that；　upon　the　whole；　there　is　no　one　here　who　has　so　much　right　to　ask　questions；　instead　of　answering　them；　as　Mr。　Stanley。〃

〃I　should　suppose；　sir；〃　said　Mr。　Reed；　also　rising　and　addressing　Mr。　Wyllys；　〃that　you　must　have　heard　and　seen　enough　for　the　object　of　our　meeting。　You　have　had　a　personal　interview　with　Mr。　Stanley；　you　confess　that　he　is　like　his　family；　like　himself；　in　shortallowing　for　the　difference　between　a　boy　of　eighteen　and　a　man　of　thirty…seven；　where　the　habits　of　life　have　been　so　different；　you　admit　the　identity　of　the　hand…writing〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；　not　the　identity；　but　the　resemblance。〃

〃A　perfectly　natural　resemblance；　under　the　circumstances；　I　think　you　must　allow。〃

〃Yes；　the　similarity　of　the　hand…writing　is　remarkable；　certainly。〃

〃During　the　last　two　hours　you　have　asked　the　questions　which　best　suited　your　own　pleasure；　and　he　has　answered　them　with　great　accuracy；　without　one　important　mistake。　What　more　can　you　possibly　require？〃

〃I　do　not　stand　alone；　sir；　we　claim　the　time　previously　fixed　for　consideration；　before　we　give　our　final　answer。　We　are；　however；　much　obliged　to　you；　Mr。　Reed；　for　granting　the　interview；　even　if　its　results　are　not　what　you　may　have　hoped　for。　We　shall　always　remember　your　conduct　on　this　occasion　with　respect。〃

Mr。　Wyllys　then　offered　some　refreshments　to　Mr。　Reed；　they　were　accepted；　and　ordered　immediately。

Mr。　Clapp　was　standing　near　Harry；　and　turning　to　him；　he　said：　〃Mr。　Stanley　has　a　favour　to　ask；　Mr。　Hazlehurst；　though　you　don't　seem　disposed　to　grant　him　any；〃　he　added；　with　peculiar　expression。

〃'A　FAIR　field；　and　no　favour；'　is　a　saying　you　may　have　heard；〃　replied　Hazlehurst；　with　a　slight　emphasis　on　the　first　word。　〃But　what　is　your　client's　request；　sir？〃

Mr。　Clapp　made　a　gesture　towards　the　sailor；　who　then　spoke　for　himself。

〃I　understand　that　two　of　my　cousins　are　in　the　house；　and　I　should　be　glad　to　see　them　before　I　leave　it。〃

〃Whom　do　you　mean；　sir？〃

〃Elinor　Wyllys　and　Mary　Van　Alstyne。　I　haven't　seen　either　of　them　since　they　were　children；　but　as　I　have　got　but　few　relations；　and　no　friends　it　seems；　I　should　like　to　see　them。〃

〃You　must　apply　to　Mr。　Wyllys；　the　young　ladies　are　under　his　care；〃　replied　Harry；　coldly。

But　Mr。　Wyllys　took　upon　himself　to　refuse　the　sailor's　request；　under　the　circumstances。　Having　taken　some　refreshments；　Mr。　Reed；　his　brother　counsel；　and　their　client　now　made　their　bows；　and　left　the　house。　As　they　drove　from　the　door；　Mr。　Reed　looked　calm　and　civil；　Mr。　Clapp　very　well　satisfied；　and　the　sailor；　as　he　took　his　seat　by　Mr。　Reed；　observed；　in　a　voice　loud　enough　to　be　heard　by　Harry；　who　was　standing　on　the　piazza：

〃It　turns　out　just　as　I　reckoned；　hard　work　for　a　man　to　get　his　rights　in　this　here　longitude！〃



CHAPTER　XIII。　｛XXXVI｝

〃Nay；　let　them　go；　a　couple　of　quiet　ones！〃　Taming　the　Shrew。

｛William　Shakespeare；　〃The　Taming　of　the　Shrew〃；　III。ii。240｝

ELINOR　was　all　anxiety　to　learn　the　result　of　the　interview；　and　Mary　Van　Alstyne　also　naturally　felt　much　interest　in　the　subject；　as　she；　too；　was　a　cousin　of　William　Stanley；　their　mothers　having　been　sisters。　Elinor　soon　discovered　that　the　sailor　had　borne　a　much　better　examination　than　either　of　her　friends　had　expected；　he　had　made　no　glaring　mistake；　and　he　had　answered　their　questions　on　some　points；　with　an　accuracy　and　readiness　that　was　quite　startling。　He　evidently　knew　a　great　deal　about　the　Stanley　family；　their　house；　and　the　neighbourhood；　whoever　he　was；　there　could　he　no　doubt　that　he　had　known　Mr。　Stanley　himself；　and　was　very　familiar　with　the　part　of　the　country　in　which　he　had　resided。　Altogether；　the　personal　resemblance；　the　handwriting；　the　fact　of　his　being　a　sailor；　the　papers　he　had　shown；　the　plausible　statement　he　had　given；　as　to　his　past　movements；　and　his　intimate　knowledge　of　so　many　facts；　which　a　stranger　could　scarcely　have　known；　made　up　a　combination　of　circumstances；　quite　incomprehensible　to　the　friends　at　Wyllys…Roof。　Still；　in　spite　of　so　much　that　appeared　in　his　favour；　Mr。　Wyllys　declared；　that　so　far　as　his　own　opinion　went；　he　had　too　many　doubts　as　to　this　man's　character；　to　receive　him　as　the　son　of　his　friend；　upon　the　evidence　he　had　thus　far　laid　before　them。　The　circumstances　under　which　he　appeared；　were　so　very　suspicious　in　every　point　of　view；　that　the　strongest　possible　evidences　of　his　identity　would　be　required；　to　counteract　them。　The　length　of　time　that　had　passed　since　the　wreck　of　the　Jefferson；　the　long　period　during　which　his　father's　property　had　been　left　in　the　hands　of　others；　and　the　doubtful　character　of　the　channel　through　which　the　claim　was　at　length　brought　forwardall　these　facts　united；　furnished　good　grounds　for　suspecting　something　wrong。　There　were　other　points　too；　upon　which　Mr。　Wyllys　had　his　doubts；　although　the　general　resemblance　of　this　individual　to　William　Stanley；　was　sufficient　to　pass　with　most　people；　allowing　for　the　natural　changes　produced　by　time；　yet　there　were　some　minor　personal　traits；　which　did　not　correspond　with　his　recollection　of　Mr。　Stanley's　son：　the　voice　appeared　to　him　different　in　tone；　he　was　also　disposed　to　believe　the　cla