the heir of redclyffe-第17章

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The　present　question　about　the　horse　was；　she　thought；　unfortunate；　

since；　though　Guy　had　exercised　great　self…denial；　it　was　no　wonder　

Philip　was　annoyed。　　Mr。　Edmonstone's　vexation　was　soon　over。　　As　soon　

as　she　had　persuaded　him　that　there　had　been　no　offence；　he　strove　to　

say　with　a　good　grace；　that　it　was　very　proper；　and　told　Guy　he　would　

be　a　thorough　book…worm　and　tremendous　scholar；　which　Guy　took　as　an　

excellent　joke。



Philip　had　made　up　his　mind　to　be　forbearing；　and　to　say　no　more　about　

it。　　Laura　thought　this　a　pity；　as　they　could　thus　never　come　to　an　

understanding；　but　when　she　hinted　it；　he　wore　such　a　dignified　air　of　

not　being　offended；　that　she　was　much　ashamed　of　having　tried　to　direct　

one　so　much　better　able　to　judge。　　On　his　side　Guy　had　no　idea　the　

trouble　he　had　caused；　so；　after　bestowing　his　thanks　in　a　gay；　off…

hand　way；　which　Philip　thought　the　worst　feature　of　the　case；　he　did　

his　best　to　bring　Hecuba　back　into　his　mind；　drive　the　hunters　out　of　

it；　and　appease　the　much…aggrieved　William　of　Deloraine。



When　all　William's　manoeuvres　resulted　in　his　master's　not　hunting　at　

all；　he　was　persuaded　it　was　Mr。　Edmonstone's　fault；　compassionated　Sir　

Guy　with　all　his　heart；　and　could　only　solace　himself　by　taking　

Deloraine　to　exercise　where　he　was　most　likely　to　meet　the　hounds。　　He　

further　chose　to　demonstrate　that　he　was　not　Mr。　Edmonstone's　servant；　

by　disregarding　some　of　his　stable　regulations；　but　as　soon　as　this　

came　to　his　master's　knowledge；　a　few　words　were　spoken　so　sharp　and　

stern；　that　William　never　attempted　to　disobey　again。



It　seemed　as　if　it　was　the　perception　that　so　much　was　kept　back　by　a　

strong　force；　that　made　Guy's　least　token　of　displeasure　so　formidable。　　

A　village　boy；　whom　be　caught　misusing　a　poor　dog；　was　found　a　few　

minutes　after；　by　Mr。　Ross；　in　a　state　of　terror　that　was　positively　

ludicrous；　though　it　did　not　appear　that　Sir　Guy　had　said　or　done　much　

to　alarm　him；　it　was　only　the　light　in　his　eyes；　and　the　strength　of　

repressed　indignation　in　his　short　broken　words　that　had　made　the　

impression。



It　appeared　as　if　the　force　of　his　anger　might　be　fearful；　if　once　it　

broke　forth　without　control；　yet　at　the　same　time　be　had　a　gentleness　

and　attention；　alike　to　small　and　great；　which；　with　his　high　spirit　

and　good　nature；　his　very　sweet　voice　and　pleasant　smile；　made　him　a　

peculiarly　winning　and　engaging　person；　and　few　who　saw　him　could　help　

being　interested　in　him。



No　wonder　he　had　become　in　the　eyes　of　the　Edmonstones　almost　a　part　of　

their　family。　　Mrs。　Edmonstone　had　assumed　a　motherly　control　over　him；　

to　which　he　submitted　with　a　sort　of　affectionate　gratitude。



One　day　Philip　remarked；　that　he　never　saw　any　one　so　restless　as　Guy；　

who　could　neither　talk　nor　listen　without　playing　with　something。　　

Scissors；　pencil；　paper…knife；　or　anything　that　came　in　his　way；　was　

sure　to　be　twisted　or　tormented；　or　if　nothing　else　was　at　hand；　he　

opened　and　shut　his　own　knife　so　as　to　put　all　the　spectators　in　fear　

for　his　fingers。



'Yes；'　said　Laura；　'I　saw　how　it　tortured　your　eyebrows　all　the　time　

you　were　translating　Schiller　to　us。　　I　wondered　you　were　not　put　out。'



'I　consider　that　to　be　put　outby　which　you　mean　to　have　the　intellect　

at　the　mercy　of　another's　follyis　beneath　a　reasonable　creature；'　

said　Philip；　'but　that　I　was　annoyed；　I　do　not　deny。　　It　is　a　token　of　

a　restless；　ill…regulated　mind。'



'Restless；　perhaps；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone　'but　not　necessarily　ill…

regulated。　　I　should　think　it　rather　a　sign　that　he　had　no　one　to　tell　

him　of　the　tricks　which　mothers　generally　nip　in　the　bud。'



'I　was　going　to　say　that　I　think　he　fidgets　less；'　said　Laura；　'but　I　

think　his　chief　contortions　of　the　scissors　have　been　when　Philip　has　

been　here。'



'They　have；　I　believe；'　said　her　mother；　I　was　thinking　of　giving　him　a　

hint。'



'Well；　aunt；　you　are　a　tamer　of　savage　beasts　if　you　venture　on　such　a　

subject；'　said　Philip。



'Do　you　dare　me？'　she　asked；　smiling。



'Why；　I　don't　suppose　he　would　do　more　than　give　you　one　of　his　

lightning　glances：　but　that；　I　think；　is　more　than　you　desire。'



'Considerably；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　'for　his　sake　as　much　as　my　own。'



'But；'　said　Laura；　'mamma　has　nearly　cured　him　of　pawing　like　a　horse　

in　the　hall　when　he　is　kept　waiting。　　He　said　he　knew　it　was　

impatience；　and　begged　her　to　tell　him　how　to　cure　it。　　So　she　treated　

him　as　an　old　fairy　might；　and　advised　him　in　a　grave；　mysterious　way；　

always　to　go　and　play　the　〃Harmonious　Blacksmith；〃　when　he　found　

himself　getting　into　〃a　taking〃；　just　as　if　it　was　a　charm。　　And　he　

always　does　it　most　dutifully。'



'It　has　a　very　good　effect；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　'for　it　is　apt　to　

act　as　a　summons　to　the　other　party；　as　well　as　a　sedative　to　him。'



'I　must　say　I　am　curious　to　see　what　you　will　devise　this　time；'　said　

Philip；　'since　you　can't　set　him　to　play　on　the　piano；　and　very　few　can　

bear　to　be　told　of　a　trick　of　the　kind。'



In　the　course　of　that　evening；　Philip　caused　the　great　atlas　to　be　

brought　out　in　order　to　make　investigations　on　the　local　habitation　of　

a　certain　Khan　of　Kipchack；　who　existed　somewhere　in　the　dark　ages。　　

Then　he　came　to　Marco　Polo；　and　Sir　John　Mandeville；　and　Guy；　who　knew　

both　the　books　in　the　library　at　Redclyffe；　grew　very　eager　in　talking　

them　over；　and　tracing　their　adventuresthen　to　the　Genoese　merchants；　

where　Guy　confessed　himself　perfectly　ignorant。　　Andrea　Doria　was　the　

only　Genoese　he　ever　heard　of；　but　he　hunted　out　with　great　interest　

all　the　localities　of　their　numerous　settlements。　　Then　came　modern　

Italy；　and　its　fallen　palaces；　then　the　contrast　between　the　republican　

merchant　and　aristocratic　lord　of　the　soil；　then　the　corn　laws；　and　

then；　and　not　till　then；　did　Philip　glance　at　his　aunt；　to　show　her　Guy　

balancing　a　Venetian　weight　on　as　few　of　his　fingers　as　could　support　

it。



'Guy；'　said　she；　smiling；　'does　that　unfortunate　glass　inspire　you　with　

any　arguments　in　favour　of　the　Venetians？'



Guy　put　it　down　at　once；　and　Philip　proceeded　to　improved　methods　of　

farming；　to　enable　landlords　to　meet　the　exigencies　of　the　times。　　Guy　

had　got　hold　of　Mr。　Edmonstone's　spectacle…case；　and　was　putting　its　

spring　to　a　hard　trial。　　Mrs。　Edmonstone　doubted　whether　to　interfere　

again；　she　knew　this　was　not　the　sort　of　thing　that　tried　his　temper；　

yet　she　particularly　disliked　playing　him　off；　as　it　were　for　Philip's　

amusement；　and　quite　as　much　letting　him　go　on；　and　lower　himself　in　

her　nephew's　estimation。　　The　spectacle…case　settled　the　mattera；　

crack　was　heard；　it　refused　to　snap　at　all；　and　Guy；　much　discomfited；　

made　many　apologies。



Amy　laughed；　Philip　was　much　too　well…bred　to　do　anything　but　curl　his　

lip　unconsciously。　　Mrs。　Edmonstone　waited　till　he　was　gone；　then；　when　

she　was　wishing　Guy　'good…night'　at　Charles's　door；　she　said；



'The　spectacle…case　forestalled　me　in　giving　you　a　lecture　on　sparing　

our　nerves。　　Don't　look　so　very　full　of　compunctionit　is　only　a　trick　

which　your　mother　would　have　stopped　at　five　years　old；　and　which　you　

can　soon　stop　for　yourself。'



'Thank　you；　I　will！'　said　Guy；　'I　hardly　knew　I　did　it；　but　I　am　very　

sorry　it　has　teased　you。'



Thenceforward　it　was　curious　to　see　how　he　put　down　and　pushed　away　all　

he　had　once　begun　to　touch　and　torture。　　Mrs。　Edmonstone　said　it　was　

self　command　in　no　common　degree；　and　Philip　allowed　that　to　cure　so　

inveterate　a　habit　required　considerable　strength　of　will。



'However；'　he　said；　'I　always　gave　the　Morvilles　credit　for　an　iron　

resolution。　　Yes；　Amy；　you　may　laugh；　but　if　a　man　is　not　resolute　in　a　

little；　he　will　never　be　resolute　in　great　matters。'



'And　Guy　has　been　resolute　the　right　way　this　time；'　said　Laura。



'May　he　always　be　the　same；'　said　Philip。



Philip　had　undertaken；　on　his　way　back　to　Broadstone；　to　conduct　

Charlotte　to　East…hill；　where　she　was　to　spend　the　day　with　a　little　

niece　of　Mary　Ross。　　She　presently　came　down；　her　bonnet…strings　tied　

in　a　most　resolute…looking　bow；　and　her　little　figure　drawn　up　so　as　to　

look　as　womanly　is　possible　for　her　first　walk　alone　with　Philip。　　She　

wished　the　party　at　home　'goodbye；'　and　as　Amy　and　Laura　stood　watching　

her；　they　could　not　help　laughing　to　see　her　tripping　feet　striving　to　

keep　step；　her　blue　veil　discreetly　composed　and　her　little　head　turned　

up；　as　if　she　was　trying　hard　to　be　on　equa1　terms　with　the　tall　

cousin；　who　meanwhile　looked　graciously　down　from　his　height；　

patronising　her　like　a　very　small　child。　　After　some　space；　Amy　began　

to　wonder　what　they　could　talk　about；　or　whether　they　would　talk　at　

all；　but　Laura　said　there　was　no　fear　of　Charlotte's　tongue　ever　being　

still；　and　Charles　rejoined；



'Don't　you　know　that　Philip　considers　it　due　to　himself　that　his　

audience　should　never　be　without　conversation　suited　to　their　

capacity？'



'Nonsense；　Charlie！'



'Nay；　I　give　him　credit　for　doing　it　as　well　as　it　is　in　nature　of　

things　for　it　to　be　done。　　The　strongest　proof　I　know　of　his　being　a　

superior　man；　is　the　way　he　adapts　himself　to　his　company。　　He　lays　

down　the　law　to　us；　because　he　knows　we　are　all　born　to　be　his　

admirers；　he　calls　Thorndale　his　dear　fellow　and　conducts　him　like　a　

Mentor；　but　you　may　observe　how　different　he　is　with　other　peopleMr。　

Ross；　for　instance。　　It　is　not　showing　off；　it　is　just　what　the　pattern　

hero　should　be　with　the　pattern　clergyman。　　At　a　dinner　party　he　is　

quite　in　his　place；　contents　himself　with　leaving　an　impression　on　his　

neighbour　that　Mr。　Morville　is　at　home　on　every　subject；　and　that　he　is　

the　right　thing　with　his　brother　officers　is　sufficiently　proved；　since　

not　even　Maurice　either　hates　or　quizzes　him。'



'Well；　Charlie；'　said　Laura；　well　pleased；　I　am　glad　you　are　convinced　

at　last。'



'Do　you　think　I　ever　wanted　to　be　convinced　that　we　were　created　for　no　

other　end　than　to　applaud　Philip？　　I　was　fulfilling　the　object　of　our　

existence　by　enlarging　on　a　remark　of　Guy's；　that　nothing　struck　him　

more　than　the　way　in　which　Philip　could　adapt　his　conversation　to　the　

hearers。　　So　the　hint　was　not　lost　on　me；　and　I　came　to　the　conclusion　

that　it　was　a　far　greater　proof　of　his　sense　than　all　the　maxims　he　

lavishes　on　us。'



'I　wonder　Guy　was　the　person　to　make　the　remark；'　said　Laura；　'for　it　

is　strange　that　those　two　never　appear　to　the　best　advantage　together。'



'Oh；　Laura；　that　would　be　the　very　reason；'　said　Amy。



'The　very　reason？'　said　Charles。　　Draw　out　your　meaning；　Miss。'



'Yes；'　said　Amy；　colouring；　'If　Guyif　a　generous　person；　I　meanwere　

vexed　with　another　sometimes；　it　would　be　the　very　reason　he　would　make　

the　most　of　all　his　goodness。'



'Heigh…ho！'　yawned