tales of trail and town-第5章

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purpose　in　making　these　inquiries？〃



〃Positively　none；〃　returned　the　solicitor。　　〃He　is　even　willing　to

sign　a　renunciation　of　any　claim　which　might　arise　out　of　this

information。　　It　is　rather　a　singular　case；　but　he　seems　to　be　a

rich　man　and　quite　able　to　indulge　his　harmless　caprices。〃



〃And　you　are　quite　sure　he　is　Philip's　son？〃



〃Quite；　from　the　papers　he　brings　me。　　Of　course　I　informed　him

that　even　if　he　should　be　able　to　establish　a　legal　marriage　he

could　expect　nothing　as　next　of　kin；　as　you　had　children　of　your

own。　　He　seemed　to　know　that　already；　and　avowed　that　his　only　wish

was　to　satisfy　his　own　mind。〃



〃I　suppose　he　wants　to　claim　kinship　and　all　that　sort　of　thing　for

society's　sake？〃



〃I　do　not　think　so；〃　said　the　solicitor　dryly。　　〃I　suggested　an

interview　with　you；　but　he　seemed　to　think　it　quite　unnecessary；　if

I　could　give　him　the　information　he　required。〃



〃Ha！〃　said　Sir　Edward　promptly；　〃we'll　invite　him　here。　　Lady

Atherly　can　bring　in　some　people　to　see　him。　　Is　heahemWhat　is

he　like？　　The　usual　American；　I　suppose？〃



〃Not　at　all。　　Quite　foreign…lookingdark；　and　rather　like　an

Italian。　　There　is　no　resemblance　to　Mr。　Philip；〃　he　said；　glancing

at　the　painting　of　a　flaxen…haired　child　fondling　a　greyhound　under

the　elms　of　Ashley　Park。



〃Ah！　　Yes；　yes！　　Perhaps　the　mother　was　one　of　those　Southern

creoles；　or　mulattoes；〃　said　Sir　Edward　with　an　Englishman's

tolerant　regard　for　the　vagaries　of　people　who　were　clearly　not

English；　〃they're　rather　attractive　women；　I　hear。〃



〃I　think　you　do　quite　well　to　be　civil　to　him；〃　said　the　solicitor。

〃He　seems　to　take　an　interest　in　the　family；　and　being　rich；　and

apparently　only　anxious　to　enhance　the　family　prestige；　you　ought

to　know　him。　　Now；　in　reference　to　those　mortgages　on　Appleby　Farm；

if　you　could　get〃



〃Yes；　yes！〃　said　Sir　Edward　quickly；　〃we'll　have　him　down　here；

and；　I　say！　YOU'LL　come　too？〃



The　solicitor　bowed。　　〃And；　by　the　way；〃　continued　Sir　Edward；

〃there　was　a　girl　too；wasn't　there？　　He　has　a　sister；　I　believe？〃



〃Yes；　but　he　has　left　her　in　America。〃



〃Ah；　yes！very　goodyes！of　course。　　We'll　have　Lord　Greyshott

and　Sir　Roger　and　old　Lady　Everton；she　knows　all　about　Sir　Ashley

and　the　family。　　Anderis　he　young　or　old？〃



〃About　thirty；　I　should　say；　Sir　Edward。〃



〃Ah；　well！　　We'll　have　Lady　Elfrida　over　from　the　Towers。〃



Had　Peter　known　of　these　preparations　he　might　have　turned　back　to

Nonningsby　without　even　visiting　the　old　church　in　Ashley　Park；

which　he　had　been　told　held　the　ashes　of　his　ancestors。　　For　during

these　four　months　the　conviction　that　he　was　a　foreigner　and　that

he　had　little　or　nothing　in　common　with　things　here　had　been

clearly　forced　upon　him。　　He　could　recognize　some　kinship　in　the

manners　and　customs　of　the　people　to　those　he　had　known　in　the　West

and　on　the　Atlantic　coast；　but　not　to　his　own　individuality；　and　he

seemed　even　more　a　stranger　herewhere　he　had　expected　to　feel　the

thrill　of　consanguinitythan　in　the　West。　　He　had　accepted　the

invitation　of　the　living　Atherly　for　the　sake　of　the　Atherlys　long

dead　and　forgotten。　　As　the　great　quadrangle　of　stone　and　ivy

lifted　itself　out　of　the　park；　he　looked　longingly　towards　the

little　square　tower　which　peeped　from　between　the　yews　nearer　the

road。　　As　the　carriage　drove　up　to　the　carved　archway　whence　so

many　Atherlys　had　issued　into　the　world；　he　could　not　believe　that

any　of　his　blood　had　gone　forth　from　it；　or；　except　himself；　had

ever　entered　it　before。　　Once　in　the　great　house　he　felt　like　a

prisoner　as　he　wandered　through　the　long　corridors　to　his　room；

even　the　noble　trees　beyond　his　mullioned　windows　seemed　of　another

growth　than　those　he　had　known。



There　was　no　doubt　that　he　created　a　sensation　at　Ashley　Grange；

not　only　from　his　singular　kinship；　but　from　his　striking

individuality。　　The　Atherlys　and　their　guests　were　fascinated　and

freely　admiring。　　His　very　originality；　which　prevented　them　from

comparing　him　with　any　English　or　American　standard　of　excellence；

gave　them　a　comfortable　assurance　of　safety　in　their　admiration。

His　reserve；　his　seriousness；　his　simplicity；　very　unlike　their

own；　and　yet　near　enough　to　suggest　a　delicate　flattery；　was　in　his

favor。　　So　was　his　naive　frankness　in　regard　to　his　status　in　the

family；　shown　in　the　few　words　of　greeting　with　Sir　Ashley；　and　in

his　later　simple　yet　free　admissions　regarding　his　obscure　youth；

his　former　poverty；　and　his　present　wealth。　　He　boasted　of　neither；

he　was　disturbed　by　neither。　　Standing　alone；　a　stranger；　for　the

first　time　in　an　assemblage　of　distinguished　and　titled　men　and

women；　he　betrayed　no　consciousness；　surrounded　for　the　first　time

by　objects　which　he　knew　his　wealth　could　not　buy；　he　showed　the

most　unmistakable　indifference；the　indifference　of　temperament。

The　ladies　vied　with　each　other　to　attack　this　unimpressible

nature；this　profound　isolation　from　external　attraction。　　They

followed　him　about；　they　looked　into　his　dark；　melancholy　eyes；　it

was　impossible；　they　thought；　that　he　could　continue　this　superb

acting　forever。　　A　glance；　a　smile；　a　burst　of　ingenuous

confidence；　a　covert　appeal　to　his　chivalry　would　yet　catch　him

tripping。　　But　the　melancholy　eyes　that　had　gazed　at　the　treasures

of　Ashley　Grange　and　the　opulent　ease　of　its　guests　without

kindling；　opened　to　their　first　emotion；wonder！　　At　which　Lady

Elfrida；　who　had　ingenuously　admired　him；　hated　him　a　little；　as

the　first　step　towards　a　kindlier　feeling。



The　next　day；　having　declared　his　intention　of　visiting　Ashley

Church；　and；　as　frankly；　his　intention　of　going　there　alone；　he

slipped　out　in　the　afternoon　and　made　his　way　quietly　through　the

park　to　the　square　ivied　tower　he　had　first　seen。　　In　this　tranquil

level　length　of　the　wood　there　was　the　one　spot；　the　churchyard；

where；　oddly　enough；　the　green　earth　heaved　into　little　billows　as

if　to　show　the　turbulence　of　that　life　which　those　who　lay　below

them　had　lately　quitted。　　It　was　a　relief　to　the　somewhat　studied

and　formal　monotony　of　the　well…ordered　woodland；every　rood；　of

which　had　been　paced　by　visitors；　keepers；　or　poachers；to　find

those　decrepit　and　bending　tombstones；　lurching　at　every　angle；　or

deeply　sinking　into　the　green　sea　of　forgetfulness　around　them。

All　this；　and　the　trodden　paths　of　the　villagers　towards　that

common　place　of　meeting；　struck　him　as　being　more　human　than

anything　he　had　left　behind　him　at　the　Grange。



He　entered　the　ivy…grown　porch　and　stared　for　a　moment　at　the　half…

legal　official　parochial　notices　posted　on　the　oaken　door；his

first　obtrusive　intimation　of　the　combination　of　church　and　state；

and　hesitated。　　He　was　not　prepared　to　find　that　this　last

resting…place　of　his　people　had　something　to　do　with　taxes　and

tithes；　and　that　a　certain　material　respectability　and　security

attended　his　votive　sigh。　　God　and　the　reigning　sovereign　of　the

realm　preserved　a　decorous　alliance　in　the　royal　arms　that　appeared

above　the　official　notices。　　Presently　he　pushed　open　the　door

gently　and　entered　the　nave。　　For　a　moment　it　seemed　to　him　as　if

the　arched　gloom　of　the　woods　he　had　left　behind　was　repeated　in

the　dim　aisle　and　vaulted　roof；　there　was　an　earthy　odor；　as　if　the

church　itself；　springing　from　the　fertilizing　dust　below；　had　taken

root　in　the　soil；　the　chequers　of　light　from　the　faded　stained…

glass　windows　fell　like　the　flicker　of　leaves　on　the　pavement。　　He

paused　before　the　cold　altar；　and　started；　for　beside　him　lay　the

recumbent　figure　of　a　warrior　pillowed　on　his　helmet　with　the

paraphernalia　of　his　trade　around　him。　　A　sudden　childish　memory　of

the　great　Western　plains；　and　the　biers　of　the　Indian　〃braves〃

raised　on　upright　poles　against　the　staring　sky　and　above　the

sunbaked　prairie；　rushed　upon　him。　　There；　too；　had　lain　the

weapons　of　the　departed　chieftain；　there；　too；　lay　the　Indian's