the heir of redclyffe-第75章

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marriage　by　his　presence；　that　he　should　thus　be　affording　a　triumph　to　

Guy；　and　to　one　who　would　use　it　less　moderatelyto　Charles。　　It　would　

be　more　worthy　of　himself；　more　consistent　with　his　whole　course　of　

conduct；　to　refuse　his　presence；　instead　of　going　amongst　them　when　

they　were　all　infatuated；　and　unable　to　listen　to　sober　counsel。　　If　he　

stayed　away　now；　when　Guy　should　have　justified　his　opinion；　they　would　

all　own　how　wisely　he　had　acted；　and　would　see　the　true　dignity　which　

had　refused；　unlike　common　minds；　to　let　his　complaisance　draw　him　into　

giving　any　sanction　to　what　he　so　strongly　disapproved。　　Laura；　too；　

would　pass　through　this　trying　time　better　if　she　was　not　distracted　by　

watching　him；　she　would　understand　the　cause　of　his　absence；　and　he　

could　trust　her　to　love　and　comprehend　him　at　a　distance；　better　than　

he　could　trust　her　to　hear　the　marriage…service　in　his　presence　without　

betraying　herself。　　Nor　did　he　wish　to　hear　her　again　plead　for　the　

confession　of　their　engagement；　and；　supposing　any　misadventure　should　

lead　to　its　betrayal；　what　could　be　more　unpleasant　than　for　it　to　be　

revealed　at　such　a　time；　when　Charles　would　so　turn　it　against　him；　

that　all　his　influence　and　usefulness　would　be　for　ever　at　an　end？



Love　drew　him　one　way；　and　consistency　another。　　Captain　Morville　had　

never　been　so　much　in　the　condition　of　Mahomet's　coffin　in　his　life；　

and　he　grew　more　angry　with　his　uncle；　Charles；　and　Guy；　for　having　put　

him　in　so　unpleasant　a　predicament。　　So　the　self…debate　lasted　all　the　

way　to　Kilcoran　and　he　only　had　two　comfortsone；　that　he　had　sent　the　

follower　who　was　always　amenable　to　good　advice；　safe　out　of　the　way　of　

Lady　Eveleen；　to　spend　his　leave　of　absence　at　Thorndalethe　other；　

that　Maurice　de　Courcy　was；　as　yet；　ignorant　of　the　Hollywell　news；　and　

did　not　torment　him　by　talking　about　it。



This　satisfaction；　however；　lasted　no　longer　than　till　their　arrival　at　

Kilcoran；　for；　the　instant　they　entered　the　drawing…room；　Lady　Eveleen　

exclaimed；　'0　Maurice；　I　have　been　so　longing　for　you　to　come！　　Captain　

Morville；　I　hope　you　have　not　told　him；　for　I　can't　flatter　myself　to　

be　beforehand　with　you；　now　at　least。'



'He　has　told　me　nothing；'　said　Maurice；　'indeed；　such　bad　company　has　

seldom　been　seen　as　he　has　been　all　the　way。'



'You　don't　mean　that　you　don't　know　it？　　How　delightful！　　0；　mamma！　

think　of　knowing　something　Captain　Morville　does　not！'



'I　am　afraid　I　cannot　flatter　you　so　far；'　said　Philip；　knowing　this　

was　no　place　for　allowing　his　real　opinion　to　be　guessed。



'Then　you　do　know？'　said　Lady　Kilcoran；　sleepily；　'I　am　sure　it　is　a　

subject　of　great　rejoicing。'



'But　what　is　it；　Eva？　　Make　haste　and　tell；'　said　Maurice。



'No；　you　must　guess！'



'Why；　you　would　not　be　in　such　a　way　about　it　if　it　was　not　a　wedding。'



'Right；　Maurice；　now；　who　is　it？'



'One　of　the　Edmonstones；　I　suppose。　　'Tis　Laura？'



'Wrong！'



'What；　not　Laura！　　I　thought　she　would　have　been　off　first。　　Somebody's　

got　no　taste；　then；　for　Laura　is　the　prettiest　girl　I　know。'



'Ah！　your　heart　has　escaped　breaking　this　time；　Maurice。　　It　is　that　

little　puss；　Amy；　that　has　made　a　great　conquest。　　Now　guess。'



'Oh！　young　Morville；　of　course。　　But　what　possessed　him　to　take　Amy；　

and　leave　Laura？'



'Perhaps　Laura　was　not　to　be　had。　　Men　are　so　self…sufficient；　that　

they　always　think　they　may　pick　and　choose。　　Is　it　not　so；　Captain　

Morville？　　I　like　Sir　Guy　better　than　most　men；　but　Laura　is　too　good　

for　any　one　I　know。　　If　I　could　make　a　perfect　hero；　I　would　at　once；　

only　Charles　would　tell　me　all　the　perfect　heroes　in　books　are　bores。　　

How　long　have　you　known　of　it；　Captain　Morville？'



'For　the　last　ten　days。'



'And　you　never　mentioned　it？'



'I　did　not　know　whether　they　intended　to　publish　it。'



'Now；　Captain　Morville；　I　hope　to　make　some　progress　in　your　good　

opinion。　　Of　course；　you　believe　I　can't　keep　a　secret；　but　what　do　you　

think　of　my　having　known　it　ever　since　last　summer；　and　held　my　tongue　

all　that　time？'



'A　great　effort；　indeed；'　said　Philip；　smiling。　　'It　would　have　been　

greater；　I　suppose；　if　the　engagement　had　been　positive；　not　

conditional。'



'Oh！　every　one　knew　what　it　must　come　to。　　No　one　could　have　the　least　

fear　of　Sir　Guy。　　Yes；　I　saw　it　all。　　I　gave　my　little　aid；　and　I　am　

sure　I　have　a　right　to　be　bridesmaid；　as　I　am　to　be。　　Oh！　won't　it　be　

charming？　　It　is　to　be　the　grandest　wedding　that　ever　was　seen。　　It　is　

to　be　on　Whit…Tuesday；　and　papa　is　going　to　take　me　and　Aunt　Charlotte；　

for　old　Aunt　Mabel　says　Aunt　Charlotte　must　go。　　There　are　to　be　six　

bridesmaids；　and　a　great　party　at　the　breakfast；　everything　as　splendid　

as　possible；　and　I　made　Mrs。　Edmonstone　promise　from　the　first　that　we　

should　have　a　ball。　　You　must　go；　Maurice。'



'I　shall　be　on　the　high　seas！'



'Oh　yes；　that　is　horrid！　　But　you　don't　sail　with　the　regiment；　I　

think；　Captain　Morville。　　You　surely　go？'



'I　am　not　certain；'　said　Philip；　especially　disgusted　by　hearing　of　the　

splendour；　and　thinking　that　he　had　supposed　Guy　would　have　had　more　

sense；　and　it　showed　how　silly　Amy　really　was；　since　she　was　evidently　

only　anxious　to　enjoy　the　full　paraphernalia　of　a　bride。



'Not　certain！'　exclaimed　Maurice　and　Eveleen；　in　a　breath。



'I　am　not　sure　that　I　shall　have　time。　　You　know　I　have　been　intending　

to　make　a　walking　tour　through　Switzerland　before　joining　at　Corfu。'



'And　you　really　would　prefer　going　by　yourself〃apart；　unfriended；　

melancholy；　slow。〃'



'Very　slow；　indeed；'　said　Maurice。



'A　wedding　is　a　confused　melancholy　affair；'　said　Philip。　'You　know　I　

am　no　dancing　man；　Lady　Eveleen；　one　individual　like　myself　can　make　

little　difference　to　persons　engrossed　with　their　own　affairs；　I　can　

wish　my　cousins　well　from　a　distance　as　well　as　at　hand；　and　though　

they　have　been　kind　enough　to　ask　me；　I　think　that　while　their　house　is　

overflowing　with　guests　of　more　mark；　my　room　will　be　preferred　to　my　

company。'



'Then　you　do　not　mean　to　go？'　said　Lady　Kilcoran。　　'I　do　not；'　she　

continued；　'for　my　health　is　never　equal　to　so　much　excitement；　and　it　

would　only　be　giving　poor　Mrs。　Edmonstone　additional　trouble　to　have　to　

attend　to　me。'



'So　you　really　mean　to　stay　away？'　said　Eveleen。



'I　have　not　entirely　decided。'



'At　any　rate　you　must　go　and　tell　old　Aunt　Mabel　all　about　them；'　said　

Eveleen。　　'She　is　so　delighted。　　You　will　be　quite　worshipped；　at　the　

cottage；　for　the　very　name　of　Morville。　　I　spend　whole　hours　in　

discoursing　on　Sir　Guy's　perfections。'



Philip　could　not　refuse；　but　his　feelings　towards　Guy　were　not　warmed　

by　the　work　he　had　to　go　through；　when　conducted　to　the　cottage；　where　

lived　old　Lady　Mabel　Edmonstone　and　her　daughter；　and　there　required　to　

dilate　on　Guy's　excellence。　　He　was　not　wanted　to　speak　of　any　of　the　

points　where　his　conscience　would　not　let　him　give　a　favourable　report；　

it　was　quite　enough　for　him　to　tell　of　Guy's　agreeable　manners　and　

musical　talents；　and　to　describe　the　beauty　and　extent　of　Redclyffe。　　

Lady　Mabel　and　Miss　Edmonstone　were　transported；　and　the　more　Philip　

saw　of　the　light　and　superficial　way　in　which　the　marriage　was　

considered；　the　more　unwilling　he　became　to　confound　himself　with　such　

people　by　eagerness　to　be　present　at　it；　and　to　join　in　the　

festivities。　　Yet　he　exercised　great　forbearance　in　not　allowing　one　

word　of　his　disapproval　or　misgivings　to　escape　him；　no　censure　was　

uttered；　and　Lady　Eveleen　herself　could　not　make　out　whether　he　

rejoiced　or　not。　　He　was　grave　and　philosophical；　superior　to　

nonsensical　mirth；　that　was　all　that　she　saw；　and　he　made　himself　very　

agreeable　throughout　his　visit；　by　taking　condescending　interest　in　all　

that　was　going　on；　and　especially　to　Lady　Eveleen；　by　showing　that　he　

thought　her　worthy　of　rational　converse。



He　made　himself　useful；　as　usual。　　Lord　Kilcoran　wanted　a　tutor　for　his　

two　youngest　boys；　and　it　had　been　proposed　to　send　them　to　Mr。　

Wellwood；　at　his　curacy　at　Coombe　Prior。　　He　wished　to　know　what　

Captain　Morville　thought　of　the　plan；　and　Philip；　thinking　that　Mr。　

Wellwood　had　been　very　inattentive　to　Guy's　proceedings　at　St。　

Mildred's；　though　he　would　not　blame　him；　considered　it　very　fortunate　

that　he　had　a　different　plan　to　recommend。　　One　of　the　officers　of　his　

regiment　had　lately　had　staying　with　him　a　brother　who　had　just　left　

Oxford；　and　was　looking　out　for　a　tutorship；　a　very　clever　and　

agreeable　young　man；　whom　he　liked　particularly；　and　he　strongly　

advised　Lord　Kilcoran　to　keep　his　sons　under　his　own　eye；　and　place　

them　under　the　care　of　this　gentleman。　　His　advice；　especially　when　

enforced　by　his　presence；　was　almost　sure　to　prevail；　and　thus　it　was　

in　the　present　case。



The　upshot　of　his　visit　was；　that　he　thought　worse　and　worse　of　the　

sense　of　the　whole　Edmonstone　connection；considered　that　it　would　be　

of　no　use　for　him　to　go　to　Hollywell；adhered　to　his　second　

resolution；　and　wrote　to　his　uncle　a　calm　and　lofty　letter；　free　from　

all　token　of　offence；　expressing　every　wish　for　the　happiness　of　Guy　

and　Amabel；　and　thanking　his　uncle　for　the　invitation；　which；　however；　

he　thought　it　best　to　decline；　much　as　he　regretted　losing　the　

opportunity　of　seeing　Hollywell　and　its　inhabitants　again。　　His　

regiment　would　sail　for　Corfu　either　in　May　or　June；　but　he　intended；　

himself；　to　travel　on　foot　through　Germany　and　Italy；　and　would　write　

again　before　quitting　Ireland。



'So；'　said　Charles；　'there　were　at　the　marriage　the　Picanninies；　and　

the　Joblillies；　and　the　Garryulies；　but　not　the　grand　Panjandrum　

himself。'



'Nor　the　little　round　button　at　top！'　rejoined　Charlotte。



'Well；　it's　his　own　look　out；'　said　Mr。　Edmonstone。　　'It　is　of　a　piece　

with　all　the　rest。'



'I　am　sure　we　don't　want　him；'　said　Charlotte。



'Not　in　this　humour；'　said　her　mother。



Amy　said　nothing；　and　if　she　did　not　allow　herself　to　avow　that　his　

absence　was　a　relief；　it　was　because　she　saw　it　was　a　grief　and　

disappointment　to　Guy。



Laura　was；　of　course；　very　much　mortified；almost　beyond　the　power　of　

concealment。　　She　thought　he　would　have　come　for　the　sake　of　seeing　

her；　and　she　had　reckoned　so　much　on　this　meeting　that　it　was　double　

vexation。　　He　did　not　know　what　he　was　missing　by　not　coming；　and　she　

could　not　inform　him；　for　writing　to　him　was　impossible；　without　the　

underhand　dealings　to　which　they　would　never；　either　of　them；　have　

recourse。　　So　much　for　herself；　and　his　perseverance　in　disapproval；　in　

spite　of　renewed　explanation；　made　her　more　anxious　and　sorry　on　Amy's　

account。　　Very　mournful　were　poor　Laura's　sensations；　but　there　was　no　

remedy　but　to　try　to　bewilder　and　drive　them　away　in　the　bustle　of　

prep