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the heir of redclyffe-第15部分

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midst; as Laura replied; 'It was just what parties always are。'



'Come; let us have the history。  Who handed who in to dinner?  I hope 

Guy had Mrs。 Brownlow。'



'Oh no;' said Laura; we had both the honourables。'



'Not Philip!'



'No;' said Guy; 'the fidus Achetes was without his pious Aeneas。'



'Very good; Guy;' said Charles; enjoying the laugh。



'I could not help thinking of it;' said Guy; rather apologising; 'when 

I was watching Thorndale's manner; it is such an imitation of Philip; 

looking droller; I think; in his absence; than in his presence。  I 

wonder if he is conscious of it。'



'It does not suit him at all;' said Mrs。 Edmonstone; because he has no 

natural dignity。'



'A man ought to be six foot one; person and mind; to suit with that 

grand; sedate; gracious way of Philip's;' said Guy。



'There's Guy's measure of Philip's intellect;' said Charles; 'just six 

foot one inch。'



'As much more than other people's twice his height;' said Guy。



'Who was your neighbour; Laura?' asked Amy。



'Dr。 Mayerne; I was very glad of him; to keep off those hunting friends 

of Mr。 Brownlow; who never ask anything but if one has been to the 

races; and if one likes balls。'



'And how did Mrs。 Brownlow behave?' said Charles。



'She is a wonderful woman;' said Mrs。 Edmonstone; in her quiet way; and 

Guy with an expression between drollery and simplicity; said; 'Then 

there aren't many like her。'



'I hope not;' said Mrs。 Edmonstone。



'Is she really a lady?'



'Philip commonly calls her 〃that woman;〃' said Charles。  'He has never 

got over her one night classing him with his 〃young man〃 and myself; as 

three of the shyest monkeys she ever came across。'



'She won't say so of Maurice;' said Laura; as they recovered the laugh。



'I heard her deluding some young lady by saying he was the eldest son;' 

said Mrs。 Edmonstone。



'Mamma!' cried Amy; 'could she have thought so?'



'I put in a gentle hint on Lord de Courcy's existence; to which she 

answered; in her quick way; 'O ay; I forgot; but then he is the second; 

and that's the next thing。'



'If you could but have heard the stories she and Maurice were telling 

each other!' said Guy。  'He was playing her off; I believe; for 

whatever she told; he capped it with something more wonderful。  Is she 

really a lady?'



'By birth;' said Mrs。 Edmonstone。  It is only her high spirits and 

small judgment that make her so absurd。'



'How loud she is; too!' said Laura。  'What was all that about horses; 

Guy?'



'She was saying she drove two such spirited horses; that all the grooms 

were afraid of them; and when she wanted to take out her little boy; 

Mr。 Brownlow said 〃You may do as you like my dear; but I won't have my 

son's neck broken; whatever you do with your own。〃  So Maurice answered 

by declaring he knew a lady who drove not two; but four…in…hand; and 

when the leaders turned round and looked her in the face; gave a little 

nod; and said; 'I'm obliged for your civility。'



'Oh!  I wish I had heard that;' cried Laura。



'Did you hear her saying she smoked cigars?'



Everyone cried out with horror or laughter。



'Of course; Maurice told a story of a lady who had a cigar case hanging 

at her chatelaine; and always took one to refresh her after a ball。'



Guy was interrupted by the announcement of his horse; and rode off at 

once to Mr。 Lascelles。



On his return he went straight to the drawing…room; where Mrs。 

Edmonstone was reading to Charles; and abruptly exclaimed; 



'I told you wrong。  She only said she had smoked one cigar。'  Then 

perceiving that he was interrupting; he added; 'I beg your pardon;' and 

went away。



The next evening; on coming in from a solitary skating; he found the 

younger party in the drawing…room; Charles entertaining the Miss 

Harpers with the story of the cigars。  He hastily interposed 



'I told you it was but one。'



'Ay; tried one; and went on。  She was preparing an order for Havannah。'



'I thought I told you I repeated the conversation incorrectly。'



'If it is not the letter; it is the spirit;' said Charles; vexed at the 

interference with his sport of amazing the Miss Harpers with outrageous 

stories of Mrs。 Brownlow。



'It is just like her;' said one of them。  'I could believe anything of 

Mrs。 Brownlow。'



'You must not believe this;' said Guy; gently。  'I repeated incorrectly 

what had better have been forgotten; and I must beg my foolish 

exaggeration to go no further。'



Charles became sullenly silent; Guy stood thoughtful; and Laura and 

Amabel could not easily sustain the conversation till the visitors took 

their leave。



'Here's a pother!' grumbled Charles; as soon as they were gone。 



'I beg your pardon for spoiling your story;' said Guy; but it was my 

fault; so I was obliged to interfere。'



'Bosh!' said Charles。  'Who cares whether she smoked one or twenty?  

She is Mrs。 Brownlow still。'



The point is; what was truth?' said Laura。



'Straining at gnats;' said Charles。



'Little wings?' said Guy; glancing at Amabel。



'Have it your won way;' said Charles; throwing his head back; 'they 

must be little souls; indeed that stick at such trash。'



Guy's brows were contracted with vexation; but Laura looked up very 

prettily; saying



'Never mind him。  We must all honour you for doing such an unpleasant 

thing。'



'You will recommend him favourably to Philip;' growled Charles。 



There was no reply; and presently Guy asked whether he would go up to 

dress?  Having no other way of showing his displeasure; he refused; and 

remained nursing his ill…humour; till he forgot how slight the offence 

had been; and worked himself into a sort of insane desirehalf 

mischievous; half revengefulto be as provoking as he could in his 

turn。



Seldom had he been more contrary; as his old nurse was wont to call it。  

No one could please him; and Guy was not allowed to do anything for 

him。  Whatever he said was intended to rub on some sore place in Guy's 

mind。  His mother and Laura's signs made him worse; for he had the 

pleasure of teasing them; also; but Guy endured it all with perfect 

temper; and he grew more cross at his failure; yet; from force of 

habit; at bed…time; he found himself on the stairs with Guy's arm 

supporting him。



'Good night;' said Charles; 'I tried hard to poke up the lion to…night; 

but I see it won't do。'



This plea of trying experiments was neither absolutely true nor false; 

but it restored Charles to himself; by saving a confession that he had 

been out of temper; and enabling him to treat with him wonted 

indifference the expostulations of father; mother; and Laura。



Now that the idea of 'poking up the lion' had once occurred; it became 

his great occupation to attempt it。  He wanted to see some evidence of 

the fiery temper; and it was a new sport to try to rouse it; one; too; 

which had the greater relish; as it kept the rest of the family on 

thorns。



He would argue against his real opinion; talk against his better sense; 

take the wrong side; and say much that was very far from his true 

sentiments。  Guy could not understand at first; and was quite 

confounded at some of the views he espoused; till Laura came to his 

help; greatly irritating her brother by hints that he was not in 

earnest。  Next time she could speak to Guy alone; she told him he must 

not take all Charles said literally。



'I thought he could hardly mean it: but why should he talk so?'



'I can't excuse him; I know it is very wrong; and at the expense of 

truth; and it is very disagreeable of himI wish he would not; but he 

always does what he likes; and it is one of his amusements; so we must 

bear with him; poor fellow。'



From that time Guy seemed to have no trouble in reining in his temper 

in arguing with Charles; except once; when the lion was fairly roused 

by something that sounded like a sneer about King Charles I。



His whole face changed; his hazel eye gleamed with light like an 

eagle's; and he started up; exclaiming



'You did not mean that?'



'Ask Strafford;' answered Charles; coolly; startled; but satisfied to 

have found the vulnerable point。



'Ungenerous; unmanly;' said Guy; his voice low; but quivering with 

indignation; 'ungenerous to reproach him with what he so bitterly 

repented。  Could not his penitence; could not his own blood'but as he 

spoke; the gleam of wrath faded; the flush deepened on the cheek; and 

he left the room。



'Ha!' soliloquized Charles; 'I've done it!  I could fancy his wrath 

something terrific when it was once well up。  I didn't know what was 

coming next; but I believe he has got himself pretty well in hand。  It 

is playing with edge tools; and now I have been favoured with one flash 

of the Morville eye; I'll let him alone; but it _ryled_ me to 
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