david elginbrod-第39部分

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looked　beautiful。　　I　suspect　if　she　had　been　rather　ugly；　it　would
have　been　all　the　same　for　Hugh。

He　pursued　his　Italian　studies　with　a　singleness　of　aim　and　effort
that　carried　him　on　rapidly。　　He　asked　no　assistance　from　Euphra；
and　said　nothing　to　her　about　his　progress。　　But　he　was　so　absorbed
in　it；　that　it　drew　him　still　further　from　his　pupil。　　Of　course　he
went　out　with　him；　walking　or　riding　every　day　that　the　weather
would　permit；　and　he　had　regular　school　hours　with　him　within　doors。
But　during　the　latter；　while　Harry　was　doing　something　on　his
slate；　or　writing；　or　learning　some　lesson　（which　kind　of　work
happened　oftener　now　than　he　could　have　approved　of）；　he　would　take
up　his　Italian；　and；　notwithstanding　Harry's　quiet　hints　that　he　had
finished　what　had　been　set　him；　remain　buried　in　it　for　a　long　time。
When　he　woke　at　last　to　the　necessity　of　taking　some　notice　of　the
boy；　he　would　only　appoint　him　something　else　to　occupy　him　again；
so　as　to　leave　himself　free　to　follow　his　new　bent。　　Now　and　then　he
would　become　aware　of　his　blameable　neglect；　and　make　a　feeble
struggle　to　rectify　what　seemed　to　be　growing　into　a　habitand　one
of　the　worst　for　a　tutor；　but　he　gradually　sank　back　into　the　mire；
for　mire　it　was；　comforting　himself　with　the　resolution　that　as　soon
as　he　was　able　to　read　Italian　without　absolutely　spelling　his　way；
he　would　let　Euphra　see　what　progress　he　had　made；　and　then　return
with　renewed　energy　to　Harry's　education；　keeping　up　his　own　new
accomplishment　by　more　moderate　exercise　therein。　　It　must　not　be
supposed；　however；　that　a　long　course　of　time　passed　in　this　way。
At　the　end　of　a　fortnight；　he　thought　he　might　venture　to　request
Euphra　to　show　him　the　passage　which　had　perplexed　her。　　This　time
he　knew　where　she　wasin　her　own　room；　for　his　mind　had　begun　to
haunt　her　whereabouts。　　He　knocked　at　her　door；　heard　the　silvery；
thrilling；　happy　sound；　〃Come　in；〃　and　entered　trembling。

〃Would　you　show　me　the　passage　in　Dante　that　perplexed　you　the　other
day？〃

Euphra　looked　a　little　surprised；　but　got　the　book　and　pointed　it
out　at　once。

Hugh　glanced　at　it。　　His　superior　acquaintance　with　the　general
forms　of　language　enabled　him；　after　finding　two　words　in　Euphra's
larger　dictionary；　to　explain　it；　to　her　immediate　satisfaction。

〃You　astonish　me；〃　said　Euphra。

〃Latin　gives　me　an　advantage；　you　see；〃　said　Hugh　modestly。

〃It　seems　to　be　very　wonderful；　nevertheless。〃

These　were　sweet　sounds　to　Hugh's　ear。　　He　had　gained　his　end。　　And
she　hers。

〃Well；〃　she　said；　〃I　have　just　come　upon　another　passage　that
perplexes　me　not　a　little。　　Will　you　try　your　powers　upon　that　for
me？〃

So　saying；　she　proceeded　to　find　it。

〃It　is　school…time；〃　said　Hugh　〃I　fear　I　must　not　wait　now。〃

〃Pooh！　pooh！　　Don't　make　a　pedagogue　of　yourself。　　You　know　you　are
here　more　as　a　guardianbig　brother；　you　knowto　the　dear　child。
By　the　way；　I　am　rather　afraid　you　are　working　him　a　little　more
than　his　constitution　will　stand。〃

〃Do　you　think　so？〃　returned　Hugh　quite　willing　to　be　convinced。　〃I
should　be　very　sorry。〃

〃This　is　the　passage；〃　said　Euphra。

Hugh　sat　down　once　more　at　the　table　beside　her。　　He　found　this
morsel　considerably　tougher　than　the　last。　　But　at　length　he
succeeded　in　pulling　it　to　pieces　and　reconstructing　it　in　a　simpler
form　for　the　lady。　　She　was　full　of　thanks　and　admiration。
Naturally　enough；　they　went　on　to　the　next　line；　and　the　next
stanza；　and　the　next　and　the　next；　tillshall　I　be　believed？they
had　read　a　whole　canto　of　the　poem。　　Euphra　knew　more　words　by　a
great　many　than　Hugh；　so　that；　what　with　her　knowledge　of　the　words；
and　his　insight　into　the　construction；　they　made　rare　progress。

〃What　a　beautiful　passage　it　is！〃　said　Euphra。

〃It　is　indeed；〃　responded　Hugh；　〃I　never　read　anything　more
beautiful。〃

〃I　wonder　if　it　would　be　possible　to　turn　that　into　English。　　I
should　like　to　try。〃

〃You　mean　verse；　of　course？〃

〃To　be　sure。〃

〃Let　us　try；　then。　　I　will　bring　you　mine　when　I　have　finished　it。
I　fear　it　will　take　some　time；　though；　to　do　it　well。　　Shall　it　be
in　blank　verse；　or　what？〃

〃Oh！　don't　you　think　we　had　better　keep　the　Terza　Rima　of　the
original？〃

〃As　you　please。　　It　will　add　much　to　the　difficulty。〃

〃Recreant　knight！　will　you　shrink　from　following　where　your　lady
leads？〃

〃Never！　so　help　me；　my　good　pen！〃　answered　Hugh；　and　took　his
departure；　with　burning　cheeks　and　a　trembling　at　the　heart。　　Alas！
the　morning　was　gone。　　Harry　was　not　in　his　study：　he　sought　and
found　him　in　the　library；　apparently　buried　in　Polexander。

〃I　am　so　glad　you　are　come；〃　said　Harry；　〃I　am　so　tired。〃

〃Why　do　you　read　that　stupid　book；　then？〃

〃Oh！　you　know；　I　told　you。〃

〃Tut！　tut！　nonsense！　　Put　it　away；〃　said　Hugh；　his　dissatisfaction
with　himself　making　him　cross　with　Harry；　who　felt；　in　consequence；
ten　times　more　desolate　than　before。　　He　could　not　understand　the
change。

If　it　went　ill　before　with　the　hours　devoted　to　common　labour；　it
went　worse　now。　　Hugh　seized　every　gap　of　time；　and　widened　its
margins　shamefully；　in　order　to　work　at　his　translation。　　He　found
it　very　difficult　to　render　the　Italian　in　classical　and　poetic
English。　　The　three　rhyming　words；　and　the　mode　in　which　the　stanzas
are　looped　together；　added　greatly　to　the　difficulty。　　Blank　verse
he　would　have　found　quite　easy　compared　to　this。　　But　he　would　not
blench。　　The　thought　of　her　praise；　and　of　the　yet　better　favour　he
might　gain；　spurred　him　on；　and　Harry　was　the　sacrifice。　　But　he
would　make　it　all　up　to　him；　when　this　was　once　over。　　Indeed；　he
would。

Thus　he　baked　cakes　of　clay　to　choke　the　barking　of　Cerberian
conscience。　　But　it　would　growl　notwithstanding。

The　boy's　spirit　was　sinking；　but　Hugh　did　not　or　would　not　see　it。
His　step　grew　less　elastic。　　He　became　more　listless；　more　like　his
former　selfsauntering　about　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets。　　And
Hugh；　of　course；　found　himself　caring　less　about　him；　for　the
thought　of　him；　rousing　as　it　did　the　sense　of　his　own　neglect；　had
become　troublesome。　　Sometimes　he　even　passed　poor　Harry　without
speaking　to　him。

Gradually；　however；　he　grew　still　further　into　the　favour　of　Mr。
Arnold；　until　he　seemed　to　have　even　acquired　some　influence　with
him。　　Mr。　Arnold　would　go　out　riding　with　them　himself　sometimes；
and　express　great　satisfaction；　not　only　with　the　way　Harry　sat　his
pony；　for　which　he　accorded　Hugh　the　credit　due　to　him；　but　with　the
way　in　which　Hugh　managed　his　own　horse　as　well。　　Mr。　Arnold　was　a
good　horseman；　and　his　praise　was　especially　grateful　to　Hugh；
because　Euphra　was　always　near；　and　always　heard　it。　　I　fear；
however；　that　his　progress　in　the　good　graces　of　Mr。　Arnold；　was；　in
a　considerable　degree；　the　result　of　the　greater　anxiety　to　please；
which　sprung　from　the　consciousness　of　not　deserving　approbation。
Pleasing　was　an　easy　substitute　for　well…doing。　　Not　acceptable　to
himself；　he　had　the　greater　desire　to　be　acceptable　to　others；　and
so　reflect　the　side…beams　of　a　false　approbation　on　himselfwho
needed　true　light　and　would　be　ill…provided　for　with　any　substitute。
For　a　man　who　is　received　as　a　millionaire　can　hardly　help　feeling
like　one　at　times；　even　if　he　knows　he　has　overdrawn　his　banker's
account。　　The　necessity　to　Hugh's　nature　of　feeling　right；　drove　him
to　this　false　mode　of　producing　the　false　impression。　　If　one　only
wants　to　feel　virtuous；　there　are　several　royal　roads　to　that　end。
But；　fortunately；　the　end　itself　would　be　unsatisfactory　if　gained；
while　not　one　of　these　roads　does　more　than　pretend　to　lead　even　to
that　land　of　delusion。

The　reaction　in　Hugh's　mind　was　sometimes　torturing　enough。　　But　he
had　not　strength　to　resist　Euphra；　and　so　reform。

Well　or　ill　done；　at　length　his　translation　was　finished。　　So　was
Euphra's。　　They　exchanged　papers　for　a　private　reading　first；　and
arranged　to　meet　afterwards；　in　order　to　compare　criticisms。




CHAPTER　XI。

THE　FIRST　MIDNIGHT。

　　　　　Well；　if　anything　be　damned；
It　will　be　twelve　o'clock　at　night；　that　twelve
Will　never　scape。

CYRIL　TOURNEUR。The　Revenger's　Tragedy。


Letters　arrived　at　Arnstead　generally　while　the　family　was　seated　at
breakfast。　　One　morning；　the　post…bag　having　been　brought　in；　Mr。
Arnold　opened　it　himself；　according　to　his　unvarying　custom；　and
found；　amongst　other　letters；　one　in　an　old…fashioned　female　hand；
which；　after　reading　it；　he　passed　to　Euphra。

〃You　remember　Mrs。　Elton；　Euphra？〃

〃Quite　well；　unclea　dear　old　lady！〃

But　the　expression　which　passed　across　her　face；　rather　belied　her
words；　and　seemed　to　Hugh　to　mean：　〃I　hope　she　is　not　going　to　bore
us　again。〃

She　took　care；　however；　to　show　no　sign　with　regard　to　the　contents
of　the　letter；　but；　laying　it　beside　her　on　the　table；　waited　to
hear　her　uncle's　mind　first。

〃Poor；　dear　girl！〃　said　he　at　last。　〃You　must　try　to　make　her　as
comfortable　as　you　can。　　There　is　consumption　in　the　family；　you
see；〃　he　added；　with　a　meditative　sigh。

〃Of　course　I　will；　uncle。　　Poor　girl！　　I　hope　there　is　not　much
amiss　though；　after　all。〃

But；　as　she　spoke；　an　irrepressible　flash　of　disl