elinor wyllys-2-第56章

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after　having　obtained　possession　of　the　papers　in　his　hands；　Clapp　determined　to　carry　out　their　plan　at　once；　he　thought　the　probability　of　success　was　strongly　in　their　favour；　with　so　much　evidence　within　their　reach；　and　the　spoils　were　so　considerable；　that　they　were　in　his　opinion　worth　the　risk。　The　profits　of　their　roguery　were　to　be　equally　divided；　if　they　succeeded；　and　they　had　also　agreed　that　if　at　any　moment　matters　began　to　look　badly；　they　would　make　their　escape　from　the　country　together。　Hopgood；　who　was　generally　supposed　by　those　who　had　known　him；　to　have　died　at　New　Orleans　twenty　years　since；　had　been　often　with　William　Stanley　when　a　lad　in　the　lawyer's　office；　he　knew　the　house　and　neighbourhood　of　Greatwood　perfectly；　and　had　a　distinct　recollection　of　Mr。　Stanley；　the　father；　and　of　many　persons　and　circumstances　that　would　prove　very　useful。　Clapp　easily　obtained　other　necessary　information；　and　they　went　to　Greatwood；　examining　the　whole　house　and　place；　in　order　to　revive　Hopgood's　recollections；　while　at　the　same　time　they　made　but　little　mystery　of　their　excursion；　hoping　rather　that　when　discovered　it　would　pass　off　as　a　natural　visit　of　William　Stanley　to　the　old　home　which　he　was　about　to　claim。　The　whole　plan　was　carefully　matured　under　Clapp's　cunning　management；　on　some　doubtful　points　they　were　to　be　cautious；　and　a　set　of　signals　were　agreed　upon　for　moments　of　difficulty；　but　generally　they　were　to　assume　a　bold；　confident　aspect；　freely　offering　an　interview　to　the　executors；　and　sending　a　specimen　of　the　forged　handwriting　as　a　letter　to　Mrs。　Stanley。　The　volume　of　the　Spectator　was　a　thought　of　Clapp's；　he　bribed　a　boy　to　admit　him　into　the　library　at　Greatwood　one　Sunday；　when　the　housekeeper　was　at　church；　and　he　selected　the　volume　which　seemed　well　suited　to　his　purpose；　removing　the　boy　from　the　neighbourhood　immediately　after；　by　giving　him　high　wages　in　a　distant　part　of　the　country。　As　for　Mr。　Reed　he　was　completely　their　dupe；　having　been　himself　honestly　convinced　of　the　identity　of　Clapp's　client。　It　was　nine　years　from　the　time　the　plot　first　suggested　itself；　until　they　finally　appeared　as　public　claimants　of　the　estate　and　name　of　William　Stanley；　and　during　that　time；　Clapp；　who　had　never　entirely　abandoned　the　idea；　although　Hopgood　had　repeatedly　done　so；　had　been　able　to　mature　the　plan　very　thoroughly。

｛〃'The　sight　of　means　to　do　ill　deeds。。。'〃　Shakespeare；　〃King　John〃；　IV。ii。219…220｝

The　declarations　of　Stebbins　and　Hopgood　were　easily　proved；　and　Harry　had　no　further　difficulty　in　resuming　possession　of　Greatwood。

Clapp　was　not　heard　of　for　years。　His　wife；　little　Willie；　and　two　younger　children；　became　inmates　of　the　old　grey　cottage；　under　the　care　of　Miss　Patsey；　who　still　continues　the　same　honest；　whole…souled；　benevolent　being　she　was　years　ago。　Patsey　was　now　quite　at　her　ease；　and　enabled　to　provide　for　her　sister　Kate　and　the　three　children；　and　it　was　to　poor　Charlie　she　owed　the　means　of　doing　so；　by　an　unusual　precaution　in　one　so　young；　he　had　left　a　will；　giving　everything　he　owned　to　his　mother　and　eldest　sister。　Shortly　after　his　death；　some　of　his　friends；　Hazlehurst　among　the　number；　got　up　an　exhibition　of　all　his　pictures；　they　made　a　fine　and　quite　numerous　collection；　for　Charlie　had　painted　very　rapidly。　The　melancholy　interest　connected　with　the　young　painter's　name；　his　high　reputation　in　the　particular　field　he　had　chosen；　the　fact　that　all　his　paintings　were　collected　together；　from　the　first　view　of　Chewattan　lake　taken　when　a　mere　boy；　to　the　sketch　of　Nantucket　which　he　was　retouching　but　a　moment　before　his　death；　and　the　sad　recollection　that　his　palette　was　now　broken　for　ever；　attracted　unusual　attention。　The　result　of　that　melancholy　exhibition；　with　the　sale　of　some　remaining　pictures；　proved　sufficient　to　place　his　mother　and　sister；　with　their　moderate　views；　in　very　comfortable　circumstances；　thus　even　after　his　death　Charlie　proved　a　blessing　to　his　family。　In　looking　over　the　young　man's　papers；　Patsey　found　some　lines　which　surprised　her；　although　they　explained　several　circumstances　which　she　had　never　before　fully　understood；　they　betrayed　a　secret；　undeclared　attachment；　which　had　expressed　itself　simply　and　gracefully　in　verses　full　of　feeling　and　well　written。　It　was　evident　from　these　lines　that　poor　Charlie's　poetical　imagination；　even　from　early　boyhood；　had　been　filled　with　the　lovely　image　of　his　young　companion；　Jane　Graham：　there　was　a　beautiful　sketch　of　her　face　among　his　papers；　which　from　the　date；　must　have　been　taken　from　memory　while　she　was　in　Paris。　It　was　clear　from　the　tone　of　the　verses；　that　Charlie　had　scrupulously　confined　his　secret　within　his　own　bosom；　for　there　were　a　few　lines　addressed　to　Jane　since　her　widowhood；　lamenting　that　grief　should　so　soon　have　thrown　a　shadow　over　that　lovely　head；　and　concluding　with　a　fear　that　she　would　little　value　even　this　expression　of　sympathy　from　one；　to　whom　she　had　only　given　careless　indifference；　and　one　who　had　never　asked　more　than　the　friendship　of　early　companionship。　Patsey　hesitated　for　a　moment；　but　then　decided　that　the　miniature　and　the　verses　should　never　be　shownthey　should　meet　no　eyes　but　her　own；　Charlie　had　not　spoken　himself；　his　secret　should　remain　untold。

We　must　not　omit　to　mention；　that　a　few　weeks　after　Charlie's　death　young　Van　Horne　offered　himself　to　Mary　Hubbard；　the　youngest　daughter　of　the　family；　he　was　accepted；　and　the　connexion；　which　was　very　gratifying　to　Patsey　and　her　mother；　proved　a　happy　one。　Mrs。　Hubbard　survived　her　daughter's　marriage　several　years。　Kate　and　her　little　ones　have　remained　at　the　old　grey　cottage　from　the　time　of　Clapp's　flight；　the　children　are　now　growing　up　promising　young　people；　and　they　owe　much　to　Patsey's　judicious　care。　Willie；　the　hero　of　the　temperance　meeting；　is　her　favourite；　for　she　persuades　herself　that　he　is　like　her　lost　Charlie；　and　in　many　respects　the　boy　happily　resembles　his　uncle　far　more　than　his　father。　Last　year　Mrs。　Clapp　received　for　the　first　time；　a　letter　in　a　handwriting　very　like　that　of　her　husband；　its　contents　seemed　distressing；　for　she　wept　much；　and　held　several　consultations　with　Patsey。　At　length　quite　a　little　sum　was　drawn　from　their　modest　means；　Kate　packed　up　her　trunk；　took　leave　of　her　sister　and　children；　and　set　out　upon　a　long　and　a　solitary　journey。　She　was　absent　for　months；　but　letters　were　occasionally　received　from　her；　and　at　length　she　returned　to　the　grey　cottage　in　deep　mourning。　It　was　supposed　that　she　was　now　a　widow；　and　as　Patsey　upon　one　single　occasion　confirmed　the　report；　the　opinion　must　have　been　correct；　for　Patsey　Hubbard's　word　was　truth　itself。　No　public　account　of　Clapp's　death；　however；　reached　Longbridge；　and　his　name　was　never　mentioned　by　the　Hubbards；　still；　it　seemed　to　be　known　at　last　that　Mrs。　Clapp　had　gone　to　a　great　distance；　to　attend　her　husband　during　a　long　and　fatal　illness：　and　Mrs。　Tibbs　also　found　out　by　indefatigable　inquiries；　far　and　near；　that　about　the　same　time　one　of　the　elders　of　Joe　Smith；　the　Mormon　impostor；　had　died　of　consumption　at　Nauvoo；　that　he　had　written　somewhere　several　months　before　his　death；　that　a　delicate…looking　woman　had　arrived；　and　had　not　quitted　his　side　as　long　as　he　lived；　that　immediately　after　his　death　she　had　left　Nauvoo；　and　had　gone　no　one　knew　whither。　It　is　quite　certain　that　a　young　man　from　Longbridge　travelling　at　the　west；　wrote　home　that　he　had　seen　Mrs。　Clapp　on　board　a　Mississippi　steamer；　just　about　that　time。　The　story　is　probably　true；　although　nothing　very　positive　is　known　at　Longbridge。

｛〃no　public　account〃　=　the　uncertainty　surrounding　Mr。　Clapp's　fate　resembles　that　of　Judith　Hutter；　at　the　end　of　James　Fenimore　Cooper's　〃The　Deerslayer〃　（1841）｝

As　for　Hopgood；　we　have　already　mentioned　that　he　had　been　arrested；　and　most　righteously　condemned　to　a　long　imprisonment　for　his　share　in　that　unprincipled；　audacious　conspiracy。　A　year　afterwards；　however；　it　pleased　those　in　authority　to　send　him　out　into　the　community　again；　he　was　pardoned

As　all　reserve　is　generally　dropped　in　the　last　chapter；　we　may　as　well　tell　the　reader　a　secret　of　Mrs。　Creighton's。　We　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　she　never　cared　much　for　Harry；　although　she　always　cared　a　great　deal　for　his　fortune。　She　was　determined　to　marry　again；　for　two　reasons；　in　the　first　place　she　did　not　wish　to　give　way　to　a　sister…in…law；　and　she　knew　her　brother　intended　marrying；　and　then　she　never　could　manage　that　brother　as　she　wished；　he　was　by　no　means　disposed　to　throw　away　as　much　time；　thought；　and　money　upon　dissipation；　as　she　would　have　liked。　She　wanted　a　rich　husband；　of　course；　Harry　did　very　well　in　every　particular　but　oneshe　thought　him　too　much　like　her　brother　in　his　tastes　to　be　all　she　desired；　still　he　suited　her　better　than　any　of　her　other　admirers；　and　she　would　have　been　quite　satisfied　to　accept　him；　had　he　kept　his　fortune。　Without　that　fortune；　it　was　a　very　different　affair；　he　was　no　longer　to　be　thought　of　for　a　moment。　We　strongly　suspect　also；　that　the　pretty　widow　saw　farther　than　any　one　else　into　the　true　state　of　matters　between　Elinor　and　Harry；　long　before　the　parties　themselves　had　had　an　explanation；　and　for　that　reason；　so　long　as　she　was　determined　to　take　Hazlehurst　for　her　second　husband；　she　decidedly　encouraged　Ellsworth's　attention　to　Elinor。　Since　we　are　so　near　the　last　page；　we　shall　also　admit　that　Mrs。　Creighton　had　quite　a　strong　partiality　for　Mr。　Stryker；　while　the　gentleman　was　thoroughly　in　love　with　her；　but　neither　was　rich；　and　money；　that　is　to　say　wealth；　was　absolutely　necessary　in　the　opinion　of　both　parties；　so　Mr。　Stryker　went　off　to　New　Orleans　in　quest　of　a　quadroon　heiress　recommended　to　him；　and　Mrs。　Creighton　became　Mrs。　Pompey　Taylor；　junior；　marrying　the　second　son　of　the　merchant；　an　individual　who　was　nearly　ten　years　younger　than　herself；　and　resembled　his　brother　in　every　respect　except　in　being　much　less　handsome。　The　happy　couple　sailed　for　Europe　immediately　after　the　ceremony。

We　are　sorry　to　say　that　Mr。　Taylor；　the　father；　suffered　severely；　not　long　after　the　marriage　of　his　second　son；　by　the　great　fire；　he　suffered　also　in　the　great　panic；　and　in　various　other　panics　which　have　succeeded　one　another。　Still　he　has　not　failed；　but　he　is　a　poorer　man　than　when　we　first　had　the　honour　of　making　his　acquaintance。　In　other　respects　he　is　much　what　he　was　fifteen　years　ago；　devoted　as　much　as　ever　and　as　exclusively　as　ever　to　making　money；　still　valuing　everything；　visible　or　invisible；　by　the　market…price　in　gold；　silver；　or　bank…notes；　although　unfortunately　much　less　successful　than　at　the　commencement　of　his　career；　in　accumulating　dollars　and　cents；　his　seems　to　be　〃the　fruitless　race；　without　a　prize；〃　and　yet　Mr。　Taylor　is　approaching　the　time　of　life　when　the　end　of　the　race　cannot　be　very　distant。

｛〃the　great　fire〃　=　the　fire　that　destroyed　much　of　downtown　New　York　City　in　1835。　〃the　great　panic。。。〃　=　the　financial　panic　of　1837；　and　the　depression　that　followed；　〃the　fruitless　race。。。〃　=　from　William　Cowper　（English　poet；　1731…1800）；　〃Hope〃　line　25｝

Adeline　is　improved　in　many　resp