爱爱小说网 > 其他电子书 > the daisy chain, or aspirations >

第101章

the daisy chain, or aspirations-第101章

小说: the daisy chain, or aspirations 字数: 每页3500字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



〃How was the Larkins' baby?〃

〃Doing better。  What have you done with Spencer?〃

〃I put him into Richard's room。  The children were eating him up!  He
is so kind to them。〃

〃Ay! I say; Ethel; that was a happy consequence of your coming home
with me。〃

〃What a delightful person he is!〃

〃Is he not?  A true knight errant; as he always was!  I could not
tell you what I owed to him as a boyall my life; I may say。
Ethel;〃 he added suddenly: 〃we must do our best to make him happy
here。  I know it nowI never guessed it then; but one is very hard
and selfish when one is happy〃

〃What do you mean; papa?〃

〃I see it now;〃 continued Dr。 May incoherently; 〃the cause of his
wandering lifeadvantages thrown aside。  He! the most worthy。
Things I little heeded at the time have come back on me!  I
understand why he banished himself!〃

〃Why?〃 asked Ethel bewildered。

〃She never had an idea of it; but I might have guessed from what fell
from him unconsciously; for not a word would he have saidnor did he
say; to show how he sacrificed himself!〃

〃Who was it?  Aunt Flora?〃 said Ethel; beginning to collect his
meaning。

〃No; Ethel; it was your own dear mother!  You will think this another
romantic fancy of mine; but I am sure of it。〃

〃So am I;〃 said Ethel。

〃Howwhat?  Ah!  I remembered after we parted that he might know
nothing〃

〃He asked me;〃 said Ethel。

〃And how did he bear it?〃

Ethel told; and the tears filled her father's eyes。

〃It was wrong and cruel in me to bring him home unprepared! and then
to leave it to you。  I always forget other people's feelings。  Poor
Spencer!  And now; Ethel; you see what manner of man we have here;
and how we ought to treat him。〃

〃Indeed I do!〃

〃The most unselfishthe most self…sacrificing〃 continued Dr。 May。
〃And to see what it all turned on!  I happened to have this place
open to methe very cause; perhaps; of my having taken things easy
and so the old Professor threw opportunities in my way; while Aubrey
Spencer; with every recommendation that man could have; was set
aside; and exiled himself; leaving the station; and all he might so
easily have gained。  Ah; Ethel; Sir Matthew Fleet never came near him
in ability。  But not one word to interfere with me would he say; and…
…how I have longed to meet him again; after parting in my selfish;
unfeeling gladness; and now I have nothing to do for him; but show
him how little I was to be trusted with her。〃

Ethel never knew how to deal with these occasional bursts of grief;
but she said that she thought Dr。 Spencer was very much pleased to
have met with him; and delighted with the children。

〃Ah! well; you are her children;〃 said Dr。 May; with his hand on
Ethel's shoulder。

So they went downstairs; and found Mary making tea; and Margaret;
fearing Dr。 Spencer was overwhelmed with his young admirersfor
Aubrey and Gertrude were one on each knee; and Blanche standing
beside him; inflicting on him a catalogue of the names and ages of
all the eleven。

〃Ethel has introduced you; I see;〃 said Dr。 May。

〃Ay; I assure you; it was an alarming introduction。  No sooner do I
enter your garden; than I hear that I am in the midst of the Forty
Thieves。  I find a young lady putting the world to death; after the
fashion of Hamletand; looking about to find what I have lost; I
find this urchin has robbed me of my namea property I supposed was
always left to unfortunate travellers; however small they might be
chopped themselves。〃

〃Well; Aubrey boy; will you make restitution?〃

〃It is my name;〃 said Aubrey positively; for; as his father added;
〃He is not without dread of the threat being fulfilled; and himself
left to be that Anon who; Blanche says; writes so much poetry。〃

Aubrey privately went to Ethel; to ask her if this were possible; and
she had to reassure him; by telling him that they were 〃only in fun。〃

It was fun with a much deeper current though; for Dr。 Spencer was
saying; with a smile; between gratification and sadness; 〃I did not
think my name would have been remembered here so long。〃

〃We had used up mine; and the grandfathers'; and the uncles'; and
began to think we might look a little further a…field;〃 said Dr。 May。
〃If I had only known where you were; I would have asked you to be the
varlet's godfather; but I was much afraid you were nowhere in the
land of the living。〃

〃I have but one godson; and he is coffee…coloured!  I ought to have
written; but; you see; for seven years I thought I was coming home。〃

Aubrey had recovered sufficiently to observe to Blanche; 〃That was
almost as bad as Ulysses;〃 which; being overheard and repeated; led
to the information that he was Ethel's pupil; whereupon Dr。 Spencer
began to inquire after the school; and to exclaim at his friend for
having deserted it in the person of Tom。  Dr。 May looked convicted;
but said it was all Norman's fault; and Dr。 Spencer; shaking his head
at Blanche; opined that the young gentleman was a great innovater;
and that he was sure he was at the bottom of the pulling down the
Market Cross; and the stopping up Randall's Alleyiniquities of the
〃nasty people;〃 of which she already had made him aware。

〃Poor Norman; he suffered enough anent Randall's Alley;〃 said Dr。
May; 〃but as to the Market Cross; that came down a year before he was
born。〃

〃It was the Town Council!〃 said Ethel。

〃One of the ordinary stultifications of Town Councils?〃

〃Take care; Spencer;〃 said Dr。 May。  〃I am a Town Council man my…
self〃

〃You; Dick!〃 and he turned with a start of astonishment; and went
into a fit of laughing; re…echoed by all the young ones; who were
especially tickled by hearing; from another; the abbreviation that
had; hitherto; only lived in the favourite expletive; 〃As sure as my
name is Dick May。〃

〃Of course;〃 said Dr。 May。  〃'Dost thou not suspect my place?  Dost
thou not suspect my years?  One that hath two gowns; and everything
handsome about him!'〃

His friend laughed the more; and they betook themselves to the
College stories; of which the quotation from Dogberry seemed to have
reminded them。

There was something curious and affecting in their manner to each
other。  Often it was the easy bantering familiarity of the two youths
they had once been together; with somewhat of elder brotherhood on
Dr。 Spencer's sideand of looking up on Dr。 May'sand just as they
had recurred to these terms; some allusion would bring back to Dr。
Spencer; that the heedless; high…spirited 〃Dick;〃 whom he had always
had much ado to keep out of scrapes; was a householder; a man of
weight and influence; a light which would at first strike him as most
ludicrous; and then mirth would end in a sigh; for there was yet
another aspect!  After having thought of him so long as the happy
husband of Margaret Mackenzie; he found her place vacant; and the
trace of deep grief apparent on the countenance; once so gaythe
oppression of anxiety marked on the brow; formerly so joyous; the
merriment almost more touching than gravity would have been; for the
former nature seemed rather shattered than altered。  In merging
towards this side; there was a tender respect in Dr。 Spencer's manner
that was most beautiful; though this evening such subjects were
scrupulously kept at the utmost distance; by the constant interchange
of new and old jokes and stories。

Only when bed…time had come; and Margaret had been carried offdid a
silence fall on the two friends; unbroken till Dr。 May rose and
proposed going upstairs。  When he gave his hand to wish good…night;
Dr。 Spencer held it this time most carefully; and said; 〃Oh; May!  I
did not expect this!〃

〃I should have prepared you;〃 said his host; 〃but I never recollected
that you knew nothing〃

〃I had dwelt on your happiness!〃

〃There never were two happier creatures for twenty…two years;〃 said
Dr。 May; his voice low with emotion。  〃Sorrow spared her!  Yes; think
of her always in undimmed brightnessalways smiling as you remember
her。  She was happy。  She is;〃 he concluded。  His friend had turned
aside and hidden his face with his hands; then looked up for a
moment; 〃And you; Dick;〃 he said briefly。

〃Sorrow spared her;〃 was Dr。 May's first answer。  〃And hers are very
good children!〃

There was a silence again; ending in Dr。 May's saying; 〃What do you
think of my poor girl?〃

They discussed the nature of the injury: Dr。 Spencer could not feel
otherwise than that it was a very hopeless matter。  Her father owned
that he had thought so from the first; and had wondered at Sir
Matthew Fleet's opinion。  His subdued tone of patience and
resignation; struck his guest above all; as changed from what he had
once been。

〃You have been sorely tried;〃 he said; when they parted at his room
door。

〃I have received much good!〃 simply answered Dr。 May。  〃Goodnight!  I
am glad to have you hereif you can bear it。〃

〃Bear it?  Dick! how like that girl is to you!  She is yourself!〃

〃Such a self as I never was!  Good…night。〃

Ethel overcame the difficulty of giving the account of the newspaper
alarm with tolerable success; by putting the story of Meta's
conversation foremost。  Margaret did not take it to heart as much as
she had feared; nor did she appear to dwell on it afterwards。  The
truth was perhaps that Dr。 Spencer's visit was to every one more of
an excitement and amusement than it was to Ethel。  Not that she did
not like him extremely; but after such a week as she had been
spending; the home…world seemed rather stale and unprofitable。

Miss Bracy relapsed into a state of 〃feelings;〃 imagining that Ethel
had distrusted her capabilities; and therefore returned; or as Ethel
herself sometimes feared; there might be irritability in her own
manner that gave cause of annoyance。  The children were inclined to
be riotous with their new friend; who made much of them continually;
and especially patronised Aubrey; Mary was proud of showing how much
she had learned to do for Margaret in her sister's absence; Dr。 May
was so much taken up with his friend; that Ethel saw less of him than
usual; and she began to believe that it had been all a mistake that
every one was so dependent on her; for; in fact; they did much better
without her。

Meantime; she heard of the gaieties which the others were enjoying;
and she could not feel heroic when they regretted her。  At the end of
a week; Meta Rivers was escorted home from Warwick by two servants;
and came to Stoneborough; giving a lively description of all the
concluding pleasures; but declaring that Ethel's departure had taken
away the zest of the whole; and Mr。 Ogilvie had been very
disconsolate。  Margaret had not been prepared to hear that Mr。
Ogilvie had been so constant a companion; and was struck by finding
that Ethel had passed over one who had evidently been so great an
ingredient in the delights of the expedition。  Meta had; however
observed nothingshe was a great deal too simple and too much
engrossed for such notions to have crossed her mind; but Margaret
inferred something; and hoped to learn more when she should see
Flora。  This would not be immediately。  George and his wife were gone
to London; and thence intended to pay a round of visits; and Norman
had accompanied his names

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的