elinor wyllys-2-第48章

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m　Stanley；　he　would　have　come　to　see　some　of　us；　long　since。〃

〃Did　he　visit　you　when　he　was　last　at　Greatwood？〃

〃No；　he　did　not　come　at　that　time；　but　I　saw　him　very　often　in　the　village；　and　riding　about。〃

〃Do　you　remember　his　stuttering　at　all？〃

〃No；　I　never　heard　him　that　I　know　of；　I　don't　believe　he　ever　stuttered。〃

〃He　did　stutter　once　in　a　while；　Sophia；　when　he　was　in　a　passion。〃

〃I　never　heard　him。〃

〃Young　Stanley　had　one　good　quality；　Mr。　Hazlehurst；　with　all　his　faults；　he　spoke　the　truthyou　could　believe　what　he　said。〃

〃My　good　brother；　you　are　mistaken　there；　I　can　assure　you。　Time　and　again　have　I　known　him　tell　falsehoods　when　he　got　into　a　scrape；　many　is　the　time　he　has　coaxed　and　teased；　till　he　got　us　children　into　mischiefhe　was　a　great　tease；　you　know〃

〃Not　more　so　than　most　boys；〃　interposed　the　doctor。

〃And　after　he　had　got　us　into　trouble；　I　remember　perfectly；　that　he　would　not　acknowledge　it　was　his　fault。　Oh；　no；　you　could　not　by　any　means　depend　upon　what　he　said。〃

〃Was　he　much　of　a　talker？〃

〃No；　rather　silent。〃

〃Quite　silent：〃　both　brother　and　sister　were　in　unison　here；　at　last。

〃He　was　good…looking；　you　think；　Mrs。　Lawson？〃

〃Oh；　yes；　good…looking；　certainly；〃　replied　the　lady。

〃Rather　good…looking；　but　when　he　was　last　at　home；　his　features　had　grown　somewhat　coarse；　and　his　expression　was　altered　for　the　worse；〃　said　the　doctor。

〃He　was　free　with　his　money；　I　believe？〃

〃Very　extravagant；〃　said　Mrs。　Lawson。

〃He　didn't　care　a　fig　for　money；　unless　it　was　refused　him；〃　said　the　doctor。

〃Was　there　anything　particular　about　his　teeth？〃

〃He　had　fine　teeth；〃　said　Mrs。　Lawson；　〃but　he　did　not　show　them　much。〃

〃A　good　set　of　teeth；　if　I　remember　right；〃　added　the　doctor。

〃His　complexion　was　rather　dark；　I　believe？〃　said　Harry。

〃More　sallow　than　dark；〃　said　the　lady。

〃Not　so　very　sallow；〃　said　the　gentleman。

〃You　asked　just　now　about　his　eyes；　Mr。　Hazlehurst；　it　strikes　me　they　were　much　the　colour　of　yours。〃

〃But　mine　are　grey；〃　said　Harry。

〃More　of　a　hazel；　I　think。〃

〃Oh；　no；　William　Stanley's　eyes　were　as　different　as　possible　from　Mr。　Hazlehurst's；　in　colour　and　shape！〃　exclaimed　the　lady。

The　conversation　continued　some　time　longer；　but　the　specimen　just　given　will　suffice　to　show　its　character；　nothing　of　importance　was　elicited；　and　not　one　point　decidedly　settled；　which　had　not　been　already　known　to　Harry。　He　continued　his　round　of　visits　throughout　the　day；　with　much　the　same　result。　The　memories　of　the　people　about　Greatwood　seemed　to　be　playing　at　cross…purposes；　and　yet　there　was　no　doubt；　that　all　those　persons　to　whom　Hazlehurst　applied；　had　known　young　Stanley　for　years；　and　there　was　every　reason　to　believe　they　were　well　disposed　to　give　all　the　evidence　in　their　power。

》From　Mrs。　Lawson's；　Harry　went　to　the　house　of　another　acquaintance；　a　Captain　Johnson；　and　the　following　is　the　amount　of　what　he　gathered　here；　as　it　was　hastily　entered　in　his　note…book：

〃Eyes　grey；　hair　black；　rather　stout　for　his　age；　sullen　temper；　very　dull；　bad　company　cause　of　his　ruin；　not　cold…hearted；　stuttered　a　little　when　excited；　expression　good　when　a　boy；　but　much　changed　when　first　came　home　from　sea；　Billings　the　cause　of　his　ruin。〃

So　much　for　Captain　Johnson。　The　next　stopping…place　was　at　a　man's；　by　the　name　of　Hill；　who　had　been　coachman　at　Mr。　Stanley's　for　several　years；　his　account　follows：

〃Hill　says：　'Would　get　in　a　passion　when　couldn't　have　his　own　way；　have　heard　him　stutter；　always　in　some　scrape　or　other　after　first　went　to　college；　eyes　blue；　hair　brown；　sharp　enough　when　he　pleased；　but　always　heard　he　hated　books；　short　for　his　age　when　first　went　to　sea；　and　thin；　had　grown　three　or　four　inches　when　he　came　back；　should　have　thought　him　five　feet　eight　or　nine；　when　last　saw　him；　face　grown　fuller　and　red；　when　came　home。'〃

》From　Hill's；　Harry　went　to　see　Mr。　Anderson；　who　had　kept　the　principal　tavern　at　Franklin　Cross…Roads；　during　William　Stanley's　boyhood；　but　he　was　not　at　home。

He　then　called　at　Judge　Stone's：　〃Mrs。　S。　thought　him　handsome　young　man；　judge；　quite　ugly；　husband　says　eyes　a　greenish　colour；　wife　thinks　were　dark　brown；　height　about　my　own；　said　judge；　not　near　so　tall；　says　Mrs。　S。：　both　agreed　he　was　morose　in　temper；　and　dull　at　learning。〃

At　several　other　places　where　Harry　called；　he　found　that　William　Stanley　had　been　merely　known　by　sight。　Others　related　capital　stories　of　scrapes；　in　which　they　had　been　implicated　with　the　boy；　but　could　tell　Harry　very　little　to　the　purpose；　where　it　came　to　particular　questions。　Three　individuals　pronounced　him　tall；　four　thought　he　was　middle　sized；　two　declared　he　was　short。　Two　inferences；　however；　might　be　drawn　from　all　that　had　been　said：　William　Stanley　must　have　been　of　an　unpleasant　temper；　while　general　evidence　pronounced　him　rather　more　dull　than　most　boys。　With　these　two　facts　at　least　sufficiently　well　established；　while　his　head　was　filled　with　contradictory　visions；　of　hair；　eyes；　and　complexion；　of　various　shades　and　colours；　Harry　returned　in　the　evening；　quite　jaded　and　worn…out　with　his　day's　exertions；　not　the　least　of　which　had　been；　to　reconcile　totally　opposite　accounts　on　a　dozen　different　points。

Mrs。　Stanley　was　awaiting　his　return　with　much　anxiety；　and　while　Harry　was　drinking　an　excellent　cup　of　teathe　most　refreshing　thing　in　the　world　to　a　person　who　is　fatigued；　even　in　warm　weatherhe　reported　his　day's　work。　His　friend　seemed　to　think　the　account　anything　but　encouraging；　though　Harry　declared；　that　it　was　well　worth　the　labour　and　vexation　to　establish　the　two　facts；　regarding　the　young　man's　capacity　and　temper；　in　which　respects　he　certainly　differed　from　the　claimant。

〃What　miserable　hypocrites　both　this　man　and　his　lawyer　must　be！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Stanley。

〃Hypocrisy　figures　often　enough　in　courts　of　justice；　ma'am；　and　is　only　too　often　successful　for　a　time。〃

〃I　am　afraid；　my　dear　Harry；　they　will　give　you　a　great　deal　of　trouble！〃

〃I　have　no　doubt　of　it；〃　replied　Hazlehurst；　〃but　still　I　hope　to　defeat　them；　and　in　the　end；　to　punish　their　vile　conspiracy。〃

〃A　defeat　would　he　distressing　to　both　Mr。　Wyllys　and　myself；　but　to　you；　my　dear　young　friend；　it　would　be　serious　indeed！〃　she　observed；　with　feeling。

〃We　shall　yet　gain　the　day；　I　trust；〃　said　Harry。　〃The　consequences　of　defeat　would　indeed　be　very　serious　to　me；〃　he　added。　〃In　such　a　case　I　should　lose　everything；　and　a　little　more；　as　Paddy　would　say。　I　made　a　deliberate　calculation　the　other　day；　and　I　find；　after　everything　I　own　has　been　given　up；　that　there　would　still　be　a　debt　of　some　thirty　thousand　dollars　to　pay　off。〃

〃It　is　wise；　I　suppose；　to　be　prepared　for　the　worst；〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley；　sadly；　〃but　in　such　a　case；　Harry；　you　must　look　to　your　friends。　Remember；　that　I　should　consider　it　a　duty　to　assist　you；　in　any　pecuniary　difficulties　which　might　result　from　a　defeat。〃

〃You　are　very　good；　ma'am；　I　am　grateful　for　the　offer。　In　case　of　our　failure；　I　should　certainly　apply　to　my　immediate　friends；　for　I　could　never　bear　the　thought　of　being　in　debt　to　those　rascals。　But　if　the　affair　turns　out　in　that　way；　I　must　stay　at　home　and　work　hard；　to　clear　myself　entirely。　I　am　young；　and　if　we　fail　to　repel　this　claim；　still　I　shall　hope　by　industry　and　prudence；　to　discharge　all　obligations　before　I　am　many　years　older。〃

〃I　have　never　doubted；　Harry；　that　in　either　case　you　would　do　what　is　just　and　honourable；　but　I　mourn　that　there　should　be　any　danger　of　such　a　sacrifice。〃

〃It　would　be　a　sacrifice；　indeed；　including　much　that　I　have　valued　heretoforetastes；　habits；　partialities；　prospects；　fortune；　hopesall　must　undergo　a　change；　all　must　he　sacrificed。〃

〃And　hopes　are　often　a　precious　part　of　a　young　man's　portion；〃　said　Mrs。　Stanley。

Hazlehurst　happened　to　raise　his　eyes　as　she　spoke；　and；　from　the　expression　of　her　face；　he　fancied　that　she　was　thinking　of　Mrs。　Creighton。　He　changed　colour；　and　remained　silent　a　moment。

〃You　would　be　compelled　to　give　up　your　connexion　with　Mr。　Henley；〃　she　observed；　by　way　of　renewing　the　conversation。

〃Yes；　of　course；　I　should