the daisy chain, or aspirations-第3章

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heathy　hills　in　the　distance。　　Poking　and　peering　about　with　her
short…sighted　eyes；　Ethel　lighted　on　a　work…basket　in　rare　disorder；
pulled　off　her　frock；　threw　on　a　shawl；　and　sat　down　cross…legged　on
her　bed；　stitching　vigorously；　while　meantime　she　spouted　with　great
emphasis　an　ode　of　Horace；　which　Norman　having　learned　by　heart；　she
had　followed　his　example；　it　being　her　great　desire　to　be　even　with
him　in　all　his　studies；　and　though　eleven　months　younger；　she　had
never　yet　fallen　behind　him。　　On　Saturday；　he　showed　her　what　were
his　tasks　for　the　week；　and　as　soon　as　her　rent　was　repaired；　she
swung　herself　downstairs　in　search　of　him　for　this　purpose。　　She
found　him　in　the　drawing…room；　a　pretty；　pleasant　roomits　only
fault　that　it　was　rather　too　low。　　It　had　windows　opening　down　to　the
lawn；　and　was　full　of　pretty　things；　works　and　knick…knacks。　　Ethel
found　the　state　of　affairs　unfavourable　to　her。　　Norman　was　intent　on
a　book　on　the　sofa；　and　at　the　table　sat　Mr。　Ernescliffe；　hard　at
work　with　calculations　and　mathematical　instruments。　　Ethel　would　not
for　the　world　that　any　one　should　guess　at　her　classical　studiesshe
scarcely　liked　to　believe　that　even　her　father　knew　of　them；　and　to
mention　them　before　Mr。　Ernescliffe　would　have　been　dreadful。　　So　she
only　shoved　Norman；　and　asked　him　to　come。

〃Presently；〃　he　said。

〃What　have　you　here？〃　said　she；　poking　her　head　into　the　book。　　〃Oh！
no　wonder　you　can't　leave　off。　　I've　been　wanting　you　to　read　it　all
the　week。〃

She　read　over　him　a　few　minutes；　then　recoiled：　〃I　forgot；　mamma　told
me　not　to　read　those　stories　in　the　morning。　　Only　five　minutes；
Norman。〃

〃Wait　a　bit；　I'll　come。〃

She　fidgeted；　till　Mr。　Ernescliffe　asked　Norman　if　there　was　a　table
of　logarithms　in　the　house。

〃Oh；　yes；〃　she　answered；　〃don't　you　know；　Norman？　　In　a　brown　book　on
the　upper　shelf　in　the　dining…room。　　Don't　you　remember　papa's
telling　us　the　meaning　of　them；　when　we　had　the　grand　book…dusting？〃

He　was　conscious　of　nothing　but　his　book；　however；　she　found　the
logarithms；　and　brought　them　to　Mr。　Ernescliffe；　staying　to　look　at
his　drawing；　and　asking　what　he　was　making　out。　　He　replied；　smiling
at　the　impossibility　of　her　understanding；　but　she　wrinkled　her　brown
forehead；　hooked　her　long　nose；　and　spent　the　next　hour　in　amateur
navigation。

Market　Stoneborough　was　a　fine　old　town。　　The　Minster；　grand　with　the
architecture　of　the　time　of　Henry　III。；　stood　beside　a　broad　river；
and　round　it　were　the　buildings　of　a　convent；　made　by　a　certain　good
Bishop　Whichcote；　the　nucleus　of　a　grammar　school；　which　had　survived
the　Reformation；　and　trained　up　many　good　scholars；　among　them；　one
of　England's　princely　merchants；　Nicholas　Randall；　whose　effigy　knelt
in　a　niche　in　the　chancel　wall；　scarlet…cloaked；　white…ruffed；　and
black　doubletted；　a　desk　bearing　an　open　Bible　before　him；　and　a
twisted　pillar　of　Derbyshire　spar　on　each　side。　　He　was　the　founder
of　thirteen　almshouses；　and　had　endowed　two　scholarships　at　Oxford；
the　object　of　ambition　of　the　Stoneborough　boys；　every　eighteen
months。

There　were　about　sixty　or　seventy　boarders；　and　the　town　boys　slept
at　home；　and　spent　their　weekly　holiday　there　on　Saturdaythe
happiest　day　in　the　week　to　the　May　family；　when　alone；　they　had　the
company　at　dinner　of　Norman　and　Harry；　otherwise　known　by　their
school　names　of　June　and　July；　given　them　because　their　elder　brother
had　begun　the　series　of　months　as　May。

Some　two　hundred　years　back；　a　Dr。　Thomas　May　had　been　headmaster；
but　ever　since　that　time　there　had　always　been　an　M。　D。；　not　a　D。　D。；
in　the　family；　owning　a　comfortable　demesne　of　spacious　garden；　and
field　enough　for　two　cows；　still　green　and　intact；　among　modern
buildings　and　improvements。

The　present　Dr。　May　stood　very　high　in　his　profession；　and　might　soon
have　made　a　large　fortune　in　London；　had　he　not　held　fast　to　his　home
attachments。　　He　was　extremely　skilful　and　clever；　with　a　boyish
character　that　seemed　as　if　it　could　never　grow　older；　ardent；
sensitive；　and　heedless；　with　a　quickness　of　sympathy　and　tenderness
of　heart　that　was　increased；　rather　than　blunted；　by　exercise　in
scenes　of　suffering。

At　the　end　of　the　previous　summer　holidays；　Dr。　May　had　been　called
one　morning　to　attend　a　gentleman　who　had　been　taken　very　ill；　at　the
Swan　Inn。

He　was　received　by　a　little　boy　of　ten　years　old；　in　much　grief；
explaining　that　his　brother　had　come　two　days　ago　from　London；　to
bring　him　to　school　here；　he　had　seemed　unwell　ever　since　they　met；
and　last　night　had　become　much　worse。　　And　extremely　ill　the　doctor
found　him；　a　youth　of　two　or　three　and　twenty；　suffering　under　a
severe　attack　of　fever；　oppressed；　and　scarcely　conscious；　so　as
quite　to　justify　his　little　brother's　apprehensions。　　He　advised　the
boy　to　write　to　his　family；　but　was　answered　by　a　look　that　went　to
his　heart〃Alan〃　was　all　he　had　in　the　worldfather　and　mother　were
dead；　and　their　relations　lived　in　Scotland；　and　were　hardly　known　to
them。

〃Where　have　you　been　living；　then？〃

〃Alan　sent　me　to　school　at　Miss　Lawler's　when　my　mother　died；　and
there　I　have　been　ever　since；　while　he　has　been　these　three　years　and
a　half　on　the　African　station。〃

〃What；　is　he　in　the　navy？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　boy　proudly；　〃Lieutenant　Ernescliffe。　　He　got　his
promotion　last　week。　　My　father　was　in　the　battle　of　Trafalgar；　and
Alan　has　been　three　years　in　the　West　Indies；　and　then　he　was　in　the
Mediterranean；　and　now　on　the　coast　of　Africa；　in　the　Atalantis。　　You
must　have　heard　about　him；　for　it　was　in　the　newspaper；　how；　when　he
was　mate；　he　had　the　command　of　the　Santa　Isabel；　the　slaver　they
captured。〃

The　boy　would　have　gone　on　for　ever；　if　Dr。　May　had　not　recalled　him
to　his　brother's　present　condition；　and　proceeded　to　take　every
measure　for　the　welfare　and　comfort　of　the　forlorn　pair。　　He　learned
from　other　sources　that　the　Ernescliffes　were　well　connected。　　The
father　had　been　a　distinguished　officer；　but　had　been　ill　able　to
provide　for　his　sons；　indeed；　he　died；　without　ever　having　seen
little　Hector；　who　was　born　during　his　absence　on　a　voyagehis　last；
and　Alan's　first。　　Alan；　the　elder　by　thirteen　years；　had　been　like　a
father　to　the　little　boy；　showing　judgment　and　self…denial　that
marked　him　of　a　high　cast　of　character。　　He　had　distinguished　himself
in　encounters　with　slave　ships；　and　in　command　of　a　prize　that　he　had
had　to　conduct　to　Sierra　Leone；　he　had　shown　great　coolness　and
seamanship；　in　several　perilous　conjunctures；　such　as　a　sudden　storm；
and　an　encounter　with　another　slaver；　when　his　Portuguese　prisoners
became　mutinous；　and　nothing　but　his　steadiness　and　intrepidity　had
saved　the　lives　of　himself　and　his　few　English　companions。　　He　was；
in　fact；　as　Dr。　May　reported；　pretty　much　of　a　hero。　　He　had　not；　at
the　time；　felt　the　effects　of　the　climate；　but；　owing　to　sickness　and
death　among　the　other　officers；　he　had　suffered　much　fatigue　and
pressure　of　mind　and　body。　　Immediately　on　his　return；　had　followed
his　examination；　and　though　he　had　passed　with　great　credit；　and　it
had　been　at　once　followed　by　well…earned　promotion；　his　nervous
excitable　frame　had　been　overtasked；　and　the　consequence　was　a　long
and　severe　illness。

The　Swan　Inn　was　not　forty　yards　from　Dr。　May's　back　gate；　and；　at
every　spare　moment；　he　was　doing　the　part　of　nurse　as　well　as　doctor；
professionally　obliged　to　Alan　Ernescliffe　for　bringing　him　a　curious
exotic　specimen　of　fever；　and　requiting　him　by　the　utmost　care　and
attention；　while；　for　their　own　sakes；　he　delighted　in　the　two　boys
with　all　the　enthusiasm　of　his　warm　heart。　　Before　the　first　week　was
at　an　end；　they　had　learned　to　look　on　the　doctor　as　one　of　the
kindest　friends　it　had　been　their　lot　to　meet　with；　and　Alan　knew
that　if　he　died；　he　should　leave　his　little　brother　in　the　hands　of
one　who　would　comfort　him　as　a　father。

No　sooner　was　young　Ernescliffe　able　to　sit　up；　than　Dr。　May　insisted
on　conveying　him　to　his　own　house；　as　his　recovery　was　likely　to　be
tedious　in　solitude　at　the　Swan。　　It　was　not　till　he　had　been　drawn
in　a　chair　along　the　sloping　garden；　and　placed　on　the