desperate remedies-第51章

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girl　to　do；　considering　that　he's　the　handsomest　man　in　the　county。
Why　else　should　she　not　have　written　to　you　before？'

'Because　I　was　such　abecause　she　did　not　know　of　the　connection
between　me　and　my　cousin　until　then。'

'I　must　think　she　did。'

'On　what　ground？'

'On　the　strong　ground　of　my　having　told　her　so；　distinctly；　the　very
first　day　she　came　to　live　with　me。'

'Well；　what　do　you　seek　to　impress　upon　me　after　all？　　Thisthat
the　day　Miss　Graye　wrote　to　me；　saying　it　was　better　that　we　should
part；　coincided　with　the　day　she　had　seen　a　certain　man'

'A　remarkably　handsome　and　talented　man。'

'Yes；　I　admit　that。'

'And　that　it　coincided　with　the　hour　just　subsequent　to　her　seeing
him。'

'Yes；　just　when　she　had　seen　him。'

'And　been　to　his　house　alone　with　him。'

'It　is　nothing。'

'And　stayed　there　playing　and　singing　with　him。'

'Admit　that；　too；'　he　said；　'an　accident　might　have　caused　it。'

'And　at　the　same　instant　that　she　wrote　your　dismissal　she　wrote　a
letter　referring　to　a　secret　appointment　with　him。'

'Never；　by　God；　madam！　never！'

'What　do　you　say；　sir？'

'Never。'

She　sneered。

'There's　no　accounting　for　beliefs；　and　the　whole　history　is　a　very
trivial　matter；　but　I　am　resolved　to　prove　that　a　lady's　word　is
truthful；　though　upon　a　matter　which　concerns　neither　you　nor
herself。　　You　shall　learn　that　she　DID　write　him　a　letter　concerning
an　assignationthat　is；　if　Mr。　Manston　still　has　it；　and　will　be
considerate　enough　to　lend　it　me。'

'But　besides；'　continued　Edward；　'a　married　man　to　do　what　would
cause　a　young　girl　to　write　a　note　of　the　kind　you　mention！'

She　flushed　a　little。

'That　I　don't　know　anything　about；'　she　stammered。　　'But　Cytherea
didn't；　of　course；　dream　any　more　than　I　did；　or　others　in　the
parish；　that　he　was　married。'

'Of　course　she　didn't。'

'And　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　he　told　her　of　the　fact　directly
afterwards；　that　she　might　not　compromise　herself；　or　allow　him　to。
It　is　notorious　that　he　struggled　honestly　and　hard　against　her
attractions；　and　succeeded　in　hiding　his　feelings；　if　not　in
quenching　them。'

'We'll　hope　that　he　did。'

'But　circumstances　are　changed　now。'

'Very　greatly　changed；'　he　murmured　abstractedly。

'You　must　remember；'　she　added　more　suasively；　'that　Miss　Graye　has
a　perfect　right　to　do　what　she　likes　with　her　ownher　heart；　that
is　to　say。'

Her　descent　from　irritation　was　caused　by　perceiving　that　Edward's
faith　was　really　disturbed　by　her　strong　assertions；　and　it
gratified　her。

Edward's　thoughts　flew　to　his　father；　and　the　object　of　his
interview　with　her。　　Tongue…fencing　was　utterly　distasteful　to　him。

'I　will　not　trouble　you　by　remaining　longer；　madam；'　he　remarked；
gloomily；　'our　conversation　has　ended　sadly　for　me。'

'Don't　think　so；'　she　said；　'and　don't　be　mistaken。　　I　am　older　than
you　are；　many　years　older；　and　I　know　many　things。'



Full　of　miserable　doubt；　and　bitterly　regretting　that　he　had　raised
his　father's　expectations　by　anticipations　impossible　of　fulfilment；
Edward　slowly　went　his　way　into　the　village；　and　approached　his
cousin's　house。　　The　farmer　was　at　the　door　looking　eagerly　for　him。
He　had　been　waiting　there　for　more　than　half…an…hour。　　His　eye
kindled　quickly。

'Well；　Ted；　what　does　she　say？'　he　asked；　in　the　intensely　sanguine
tones　which　fall　sadly　upon　a　listener's　ear；　because；　antecedently；
they　raise　pictures　of　inevitable　disappointment　for　the　speaker；　in
some　direction　or　another。

'Nothing　for　us　to　be　alarmed　at；'　said　Edward；　with　a　forced
cheerfulness。

'But　must　we　rebuild？'

'It　seems　we　must；　father。'

The　old　man's　eyes　swept　the　horizon；　then　he　turned　to　go　in；
without　making　another　observation。　　All　light　seemed　extinguished
in　him　again。　　When　Edward　went　in　he　found　his　father　with　the
bureau　open；　unfolding　the　leases　with　a　shaking　hand；　folding　them
up　again　without　reading　them；　then　putting　them　in　their　niche　only
to　remove　them　again。

Adelaide　was　in　the　room。　　She　said　thoughtfully　to　Edward；　as　she
watched　the　farmer

'I　hope　it　won't　kill　poor　uncle；　Edward。　　What　should　we　do　if
anything　were　to　happen　to　him？　　He　is　the　only　near　relative　you
and　I　have　in　the　world。'　　It　was　perfectly　true；　and　somehow　Edward
felt　more　bound　up　with　her　after　that　remark。

She　continued：　　'And　he　was　only　saying　so　hopefully　the　day　before
the　fire；　that　he　wouldn't　for　the　world　let　any　one　else　give　me
away　to　you　when　we　are　married。'

For　the　first　time　a　conscientious　doubt　arose　in　Edward's　mind　as
to　the　justice　of　the　course　he　was　pursuing　in　resolving　to　refuse
the　alternative　offered　by　Miss　Aldclyffe。　　Could　it　be　selfishness
as　well　as　independence？　　How　much　he　had　thought　of　his　own　heart；
how　little　he　had　thought　of　his　father's　peace　of　mind！

The　old　man　did　not　speak　again　till　supper…time；　when　he　began
asking　his　son　an　endless　number　of　hypothetical　questions　on　what
might　induce　Miss　Aldclyffe　to　listen　to　kinder　terms；　speaking　of
her　now　not　as　an　unfair　woman；　but　as　a　Lachesis　or　Fate　whose
course　it　behoved　nobody　to　condemn。　　In　his　earnestness　he　once
turned　his　eyes　on　Edward's　face：　　their　expression　was　woful：　　the
pupils　were　dilated　and　strange　in　aspect。

'If　she　will　only　agree　to　that！'　he　reiterated　for　the　hundredth
time；　increasing　the　sadness　of　his　listeners。

An　aristocratic　knocking　came　to　the　door；　and　Jane　entered　with　a
letter；　addressed

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'MR。　EDWARD　SPRINGROVE；　Junior。'

'Charles　from　Knapwater　House　brought　it；'　she　said。

'Miss　Aldclyffe's　writing；'　said　Mr。　Springrove；　before　Edward　had
recognized　it　himself。　　'Now　'tis　all　right；　she's　going　to　make　an
offer；　she　doesn't　want　the　houses　there；　not　she；　they　are　going　to
make　that　the　way　into　the　park。'

Edward　opened　the　seal　and　glanced　at　the　inside。　　He　said；　with　a
supreme　effort　of　self…command

'It　is　only　directed　by　Miss　Aldclyffe；　and　refers　to　nothing
connected　with　the　fire。　　I　wonder　at　her　taking　the　trouble　to　send
it　to…night。'

His　father　looked　absently　at　him　and　turned　away　again。　　Shortly
afterwards　they　retired　for　the　night。　　Alone　in　his　bedroom　Edward
opened　and　read　what　he　had　not　dared　to　refer　to　in　their　presence。

The　envelope　contained　another　envelope　in　Cytherea's　handwriting；
addressed　to　'　Manston；　Esq。；　Old　Manor　House。'　　Inside　this　was
the　note　she　had　written　to　the　steward　after　her　detention　in　his
house　by　the　thunderstorm

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'KNAPWATER　HOUSE；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　September　20th。

'I　find　I　cannot　meet　you　at　seven　o'clock　by　the　waterfall　as　I
promised。　　The　emotion　I　felt　made　me　forgetful　of　realities。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'C。　GRAYE。'

Miss　Aldclyffe　had　not　written　a　line；　and；　by　the　unvarying　rule
observable　when　words　are　not　an　absolute　necessity；　her　silence
seemed　ten　times　as　convincing　as　any　expression　of　opinion　could
have　been。

He　then；　step　by　step；　recalled　all　the　conversation　on　the　subject
of　Cytherea's　feelings　that　had　passed　between　himself　and　Miss
Aldclyffe　in　the　afternoon；　and　by　a　confusion　of　thought；　natural
enough　under　the　trying　experience；　concluded　that　because　the　lady
was　truthful　in　her　portraiture　of　effects；　she　must　necessarily　be
right　in　her　assumption　of　causes。　　That　is；　he　was　convinced　that
Cythereathe　hitherto…believed　faithful　Cythereahad；　at　any　rate；
looked　with　something　more　than　indifference　upon　the　extremely
handsome　face　and　form　of　Manston。

Did　he　blame　her；　as　guilty　of　the　impropriety　of　allowing　herself
to　love　the　newcomer　in　the　face　of　his　not　being　free　to　return　her
love？　　No；　never　for　a　moment　did　he　doubt　that　all　had　occurred　in
her　old；　innocent；　impulsive　way；　that　her　heart　was　gone　before　she
knew　itbefore　she　knew　anything；　beyond　his　existence；　of　the　man
to　whom　it　had　flown。　　Perhaps　the　very　note　enclosed　to　him　was　the
result　of　first　reflection。　　Manston　he　would　unhesitatingly　have
called　a　scoundrel；　but　for　one　strikingly　redeeming　fact。　　It　had
been　patent　to　the　whole　par