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the heir of redclyffe-第19部分

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more sure of yourself?'



'Do you think I might?' joyously exclaimed Guy。  'I'll write to Philip 

this minute by the post。  Such a splendid creature: it would do you 

good to see itsuch actionsuch a necksuch spirit。  It would be a 

shame not to secure it。  But nono' and he checked himself 

sorrowfully。  'I have made my mind before that I don't deserve it。  If 

it was here; it would always have to be tried: if I heard the hounds I 

don't know I should keep from riding after them; whereas; now I can't; 

for William won't let me take Deloraine。  No; I can't trust myself to 

keep such a horse; and not hunt。  It will serve me right to see Mr。 

Brownlow on it; and he will never miss such a chance!' and the depth of 

his sigh bore witness to the struggle it cost him。



'I should not like to use anyone as you use yourself;' said Mrs。 

Edmonstone; looking at him with affectionate anxiety; which seemed 

suddenly to change the current of his thought; for he exclaimed 

abruptly'Mrs。 Edmonstone; can you tell me anything about my mother?'



'I am afraid not;' said she; kindly; 'you know we had so little 

intercourse with your family; that I heard little but the bare facts。'



'I don't think;' said Guy; leaning on the chimneypiece; 'that I ever 

thought much about her till I knew you; but lately I have fancied a 

great deal about what might have been if she had but lived。'



It was not Mrs。 Edmonstone's way to say half what she felt; and she 

went on'Poor thing! I believe she was quite a child。'



'Only seventeen when she died;' said Guy。



Mrs。 Edmonstone went to a drawer; took out two or three bundles of old 

letters; and after searching in them by the fire…light; said'Ah! 

here's a little about her; it is in a letter from my sister…in…law; 

Philip's mother; when they were staying at Stylehurst。'



'Who?  My father and mother?' cried Guy eagerly。



'Did you not know they had been there three or four days?'



'NoI know less about them than anybody;' said he; sadly: but as Mrs。 

Edmonstone waited; doubtful as to whether she might be about to make 

disclosures for which he was unprepared; he added; hastily'I do know 

the main facts of the story; I was told them last autumn;' and an 

expression denoting the remembrance of great suffering came over his 

face; then; pausing a moment; he said'I knew Archdeacon Morville had 

been very kind。'



'He was always interested about your father;' said Mrs; Edmonstone; 

'and happening to meet him in London some little time after his 

marriage; hehe was pleased with the manner in which he was behaving 

then; thoughtthought' And here; recollecting that she must not 

speak ill of old Sir Guy; nor palliate his son's conduct; poor Mrs。 

Edmonstone got into an inextricable confusionall the worse because 

the fierce twisting of a penwiper in Guy's fingers denoted that he was 

suffering a great trial of patience。  She avoided the difficulty thus: 

'It is hard to speak of such things when there is so much to be 

regretted on both sides; but the fact was; my brother thought your 

father was harshly dealt with at that time。  Of course he had done very 

wrong; but he had been so much neglected and left to himself; that it 

seemed hardly fair to visit his offence on him as severely as if he had 

had more advantages。  So it ended in their coming to spend a day or two 

at Stylehurst; and this is the letter my sister…in…law wrote at the 

time:



'〃Our visitors have just left us; and on the whole I am much better 

pleased than I expected。  The little Mrs。 Morville is a very pretty 

creature; and as engaging as long flaxen curls; apple…blossom 

complexion; blue eyes; and the sweetest of voices can make her; so full 

of childish glee and playfulness; that no one would stop to think 

whether she was lady…like any more than you would with a child。  She 

used to go singing like a bird about the house as soon as the first 

strangeness wore off; which was after her first game of play with Fanny 

and Little Philip。  She made them very fond of her; as indeed she would 

make every one who spent a day or two in the same house with her。  I 

could almost defy Sir Guy not to be reconciled after one sight of her 

sweet sunny face。  She is all affection and gentleness; and with 

tolerable training anything might be made of her; but she is so young 

in mind and manners; that one cannot even think of blaming her for her 

elopement; for she had no mother; no education but in music; and her 

brother seems to have forced it on; thrown her in Mr。 Morville's way; 

and worked on his excitable temperament; until he hurried them into 

marriage。  Poor little girl; I suppose she little guesses what she has 

done; but it was very pleasant to see how devotedly attached he seemed 

to her; and there was something beautiful in the softening of his 

impetuous tones when he said; 'Marianne;' and her pride in him was very 

pretty; like a child playing at matronly airs。〃'



Guy gave a long; heavy sigh; brushed away a tear; and after a long 

silence; said; 'Is that all?'



'All that I like to read to you。  Indeed; there is no more about her; 

and it would be of no use to read all the reports that were going 

about。Ah! here;' said Mrs。 Edmonstone; looking into another letter; 

'she speaks of your father as a very fine young man; with most generous 

impulses;'but here again she was obliged to stop; for the next 

sentence spoke of 'a noble character ruined by mismanagement。'  'She 

never saw them again;' continued Mrs。 Edmonstone; 'Mr。 Dixon; your 

mother's brother; had great influence with your father; and made 

matters worseso much worse; that my brother did not feel himself 

justified in having any more to do with them。'



'Ah! he went to America;' said Guy; 'I don't know any more about him 

except that he came to the funeral and stood with his arms folded; not 

choosing to shake hands with my poor grandfather。'  After another 

silence he said; 'Will you read that again?' and when he had heard it; 

he sat shading his brow with his hand; as if to bring the fair; girlish 

picture fully before his mind; while Mrs。 Edmonstone sought in vain 

among her letters for one which did not speak of the fiery passions 

ignited on either side; in terms too strong to be fit for his ears。



When next he spoke it was to repeat that he had not been informed of 

the history of his parents till within the last few months。  He had; of 

course; known the manner of their death; but had only lately become 

aware of the circumstances attending it。



The truth was that Guy had grown up peculiarly shielded from evil; but 

ignorant of the cause of the almost morbid solicitude with which he was 

regarded by his grandfather。  He was a very happy; joyous boy; leading 

an active; enterprising life; though so lonely as to occasion greater 

dreaminess and thoughtfulness than usual at such an early age。  He was 

devotedly attached to his grandfather; looking on him as the first and 

best of human beings; and silencing the belief that Sir Hugh Morville 

had entailed a doom of crime and sorrow on the family; by a reference 

to him; as one who had been always good and prosperous。



When; however; Guy had reached an age at which he must encounter the 

influences which had proved so baneful to others of his family; his 

grandfather thought it time to give him the warning of his own history。



The sins; which the repentance of years had made more odious in the 

eyes of the old man; were narrated; the idleness and insubordination at 

first; then the reckless pursuit of pleasure; the craving for 

excitement; the defiance of rule and authority; till folly had become 

vice; and vice had led to crime。



He had fought no fewer than three duels; and only one had been 

bloodless。  His misery after the first had well…nigh led to a reform; 

but time had dulled its acutenessit had been lost in fresh scenes of 

excitementand at the next offence rage had swept away such 

recollections。  Indeed; so far had he lost the natural generosity of 

his character; that his remorse had been comparatively slight for the 

last; which was the worst of all; since he had forced the quarrel on 

his victim; Captain Wellwood; whose death had left a wife and children 

almost destitute。  His first awakening to a sense of what his course 

had been; was when he beheld his only child; in the prime of youth; 

carried lifeless across his threshold; and attributed his death to his 

own intemperance and violence。  That hour made Sir Guy Morville an old 

and a broken…hearted man; and he repented as vigorously as he had 

sinned。



From the moment he dared to hope that his son's orphan would be spared; 

he had been devoted to him; but still mournfully; envying and pitying 

his innocence as something that could not last。



He saw bright blossoms put forth; as the boy grew older; but they were 

not yet fruits; and he d
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