the heir of redclyffe-第82章

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'Don't　you　remember　our　resolution　against　mere　pleasure…hunting？　　That　

adventure　at　Interlachen　seemed　to　be　meant　to　bring　us　up　short　just　

as　we　were　getting　into　that　line。'



'You　think　we　were？'



'I　was；　at　least；　for　I　know　it　was　a　satisfaction　not　to　find　a　

letter；　to　say　Redclyffe　was　ready　for　us。'



'I　had　rather　it　was　Redclyffe　than　Philip。'



'To　be　sure；　I　would　not　change　my　own　dancing　leaping　waves　for　this　

clear　blue　looking…glass　of　a　lake；　or　even　those　white　peaks。　　I　want　

you　to　make　friends　with　those　waves；　Amy。　　But　it　is　a　more　real　

matter　to　make　friends　with　Philip；　the　one　wish　of　my　life。　　Not　that　

I　exactly　expect　to　clear　matters　up；　but　if　some　move　is　not　made　now；　

when　it　may；　we　shall　stand　aloof　for　life；　and　there　will　be　the　feud　

where　it　was　before。'



'It　is　quite　right；'　said　Amy；　'I　dare　say　that；　meeting　so　far　from　

home；　he　will　be　glad　to　see　us；　and　to　hear　the　Hollywell　news。　　I　

little　thought　last　autumn　where　I　should　meet　him　again。'



On　the　second　evening　from　that　time；　Philip　Morville　was　walking；　hot　

and　dusty；　between　the　high　stone　walls　bordering　the　road；　and　

shutting　out　the　beautiful　view　of　the　lake；　at　the　entrance　of　

Ballagio；　meditating　on　the　note　he　bad　received　from　Guy；　and　

intending　to　be　magnanimous；　and　overlook　former　offences　for　Amabel's　

sake。　　He　would　show　that　he　considered　the　marriage　to　have　cleared　

off　old　scores；　and　that　as　long　as　she　was　happy；　poor　little　thing；　

her　husband　should　be　borne　with；　though　not　to　the　extent　of　the　

spoiling　the　Edmonstones　gave　him。



Thus　reflecting；　he　entered　the　town；　and　walked　on　in　search　of　the　

hotel。　　He　presently　found　himself　on　a　terrace；　looking　out　on　the　

deep　blue　lake；　there　divided　by　the　promontory　of　Bellagio；　into　two　

branches；　the　magnificent　mountain　forms　rising　opposite　to　him。　　A　

little　boat　was　crossing；　and　as　it　neared　the　landing…place；　he　saw　

that　it　contained　a　gentleman　and　lady；　Englishprobably　his　cousins　

themselves。　　They　looked　up；　and　in　another　moment　had　waved　their　

recognition。　　Gestures　and　faces　were　strangely　familiar；　like　a　bit　of　

Hollywell　transplanted　into　that　Italian　scene。　　He　hastened　to　the　

landing…place；　and　was　met　by　a　hearty　greeting　from　Guy；　who　seemed　

full　of　eagerness　to　claim　their　closer　relationship；　and　ready　to　be　

congratulated。



'How　d'ye　do；　Philip？　　I　am　glad　we　have　caught　you　at　last。　　Here　she　

is。'



If　he　had　wished　to　annoy　Philip；　he　could　hardly　have　done　so　more　

effectually　than　by　behaving　as　if　nothing　was　amiss；　and　disconcerting　

his　preparations　for　a　reconciliation。　　But　the　captain's　ordinary　

manner　was　calculated　to　cover　all　such　feelings；　and　as　he　shook　

hands；　he　felt　much　kindness　for　Amabel；　as　an　unconscious　victim；　

whose　very　smiles　were　melancholy；　and　plenty　of　them　there　were；　for　

she　rejoiced　sincerely　in　the　meeting；　as　Guy　was　pleased；　and　a　home　

face　was　a　welcome　sight。



'I　have　your　letters　in　my　knapsack；　I　will　unpack　them　as　soon　as　we　

get　to　the　hotel。　　I　thought　it　safer　not　to　send　them　in　search　of　you　

again；　as　we　were　to　meet　so　soon。'



'Certainly。　　Are　there　many？'



'One　for　each　of　you；　both　from　Hollywell。　　I　was　very　sorry　to　have　

engrossed　them；　but　not　knowing　you　were　so　near；　I　only　gave　my　

surname。'



'It　was　lucky　for　us；'　said　Guy；　'otherwise　we　could　not　have　traced　

you。　　We　saw　your　name　at　Altdorf；　and　have　been　trying　to　come　up　with　

you　ever　since。'



'I　am　glad　we　have　met。　　What　accounts　have　you　from　home？'



'Excellent；'　said　Amy；　'Charlie　is　uncommonly　well；　he　has　been　out　of　

doors　a　great　deal；　and　has　even　dined　out　several　times。'



'I　am　very　glad。'



'You　know　he　has　been　improving　ever　since　his　great　illness。'



'You　would　be　surprised　to　see　how　much　better　he　moves；'　said　Guy；　'he　

helps　himself　so　much　more。'



'Can　he　set　his　foot　to　the　ground？'



'No；'　said　Amy；　'there　is　no　hope　of　that；　but　he　is　more　active；　

because　his　general　health　is　improved；　he　can　sleep　and　eat　more。'



'I　always　thought　exertion　would　do　more　for　him　than　anything　else。'



Amabel　was　vexed；　for　she　thought　exertion　depended　more　on　health；　

than　health　on　exertion；　besides；　she　thought　Philip　ought　to　take　some　

blame　to　himself　for　the　disaster　on　the　stairs。　　She　made　no　answer；　

and　Guy　asked　what　Philip　had　been　doing　to…day。



'Walking　over　the　hills　from　Como。　　Do　you　always　travel　in　this　

fashion；　〃impedimentis　relictis〃？'



'Not　exactly；'　said　Guy；　'the　〃impedimenta〃　are；　some　at　Varenna；　some　

at　the　inn　with　Arnaud。'



'So　you　have　Arnaud　with　you？'



'Yes；　and　Anne　Trower；'　said　Amy；　for　her　maid　was　a　Stylehurst　person；　

who　had　lived　at　Hollywell　ever　since　she　had　been　fit　for　service。　　

'She　was　greatly　pleased　to　hear　we　were　going　to　meet　the　captain。'



'We　amuse　ourselves　with　thinking　how　she　gets　on　with　Arnaud；'　said　

Guy。　　'Their　introduction　took　place　only　two　days　before　we　were　

married；　since　which；　they　have　had　one　continued　tete…a…tete；　which　

must　have　been　droll　at　first。'



'More　so　at　last；'　said　Amy。　　'At　first　Anne　thought　Mr。　Arnaud　so　fine　

a　gentleman；　that　she　hardly　dared　to　speak　to　him。　　I　believe　nothing　

awed　her　so　much　as　his　extreme　courtesy；　but　lately　he　has　been　quite　

fatherly　to　her；　and　took　her　to　dine　at　his　sister's　chalet；　where　I　

would　have　given　something　to　see　her。　　She　tells　me　he　wants　her　to　

admire　the　country；　but　she　does　not　like　the　snow；　and　misses　our　

beautiful　clover…fields　very　much。'



'Stylehurst　ought　to　have　been　better　training　for　mountains；'　said　

Philip。



They　were　fast　losing　the　stiffness　of　first　meeting。　　Philip　could　not　

but　acknowledge　to　himself　that　Amy　was　looking　very　well；　and　so　happy　

that　Guy　must　be　fulfilling　the　condition　on　which　he　was　to　be　borne　

with。　　However；　these　were　early　days；　and　of　course　Guy　must　be　kind　

to　her　at　least　in　the　honeymoon；　before　the　wear　and　tear　of　life　

began。　　They　both　looked　so　young；　that　having　advised　them　to　wait　

four　years；　he　was　ready　to　charge　them　with　youthfulness；　if　not　as　a　

fault；　at　least　as　a　folly；　indeed；　the　state　of　his　own　affairs　made　

him　inclined　to　think　it　a　foible；　almost　a　want　of　patience；　in　any　

one　to　marry　before　thirty。　　It　was　a　conflict　of　feeling。　　Guy　was　so　

cordial　and　good…humoured；　that　he　could　not　help　being　almost　gained；　

but；　on　the　other　hand；　he　had　always　thought　Guy's　manners　eminently　

agreeable；　and　as　happiness　always　made　people　good…humoured；　this　was　

no　reason　for　relying　on　him。　　Besides；　the　present　ease　and　openness　

of　manner　might　only　result　from　security。



Other　circumstances　combined；　more　than　the　captain　imagined；　in　what　

is　popularly　called　putting　him　out。　　He　had　always　been　hitherto　on　

equal　terms　with　Guy；　indeed；　had　rather　the　superiority　at　Hollywell；　

from　his　age　and　assumption　of　character；　but　here　Sir　Guy　was　

somebody；　the　captain　nobody；　and　even　the　advantage　of　age　was　lost；　

now　that　Guy　was　married　and　head　of　a　family；　while　Philip　was　a　stray　

young　man　and　his　guest。　　Far　above　such　considerations　as　he　thought　

himself；　and　deeming　them　only　the　tokens　of　the　mammon　worship　of　the　

time；　Philip；　nevertheless；　did　not　like　to　be　secondary　to　one　to　whom　

he　had　always　been　preferred；　and　this；　and　perhaps　the　being　half　

ashamed　of　it；　made　him　something　more　approaching　to　cross　than　ever　

before；　but　now　and　then；　the　persevering　amiability　of　both　would　

soften　him；　and　restore　him　to　his　most　gracious　mood。



He　gave　them　their　letters　when　they　reached　the　inn；　feeling　as　if　he　

had　a　better　right　than　they；　to　one　which　was　in　Laura's　writing；　and　

when　left　in　solitary　possession　of　the　sitting…rooma　very　pleasant　

one；　with　windows　opening　on　the　terrace　just　above　the　waterpaced　up　

and　down；　chafing　at　his　own　perplexity　of　feeling。



Presently　they　came　back；　Guy　sat　down　to　continue　their　joint　journal…

like　letter　to　Charles；　while　Amabel　made　an　orderly　arrangement　of　

their　properties；　making　the　most　of　their　few　books；　and　taking　out　

her　work　as　if　she　had　been　at　home。　　Philip　looked　at　the　books。



'Have　you　a　〃Childe　Harold〃　here？'　said　he。　　'I　want　to　look　at　

something　in　it。'



'No；　we　have　not。'



'Guy；　you　never　forget　poetry；　I　dare　say　you　can　help　me　out　with　

those　stanzas　about　the　mists　in　the　valley。'



'I　have　never　read　it；'　said　Guy。　'Don't　you　remember　warning　me　

against　Byron？'



'You　did　not　think　that　was　for　life！　　Besides；'　he　continued；　feeling　

this　reply　inconsistent　with　his　contempt　for　Guy's　youth；　'that　

applied　to　his　perversions　of　human　passions；　not　to　his　descriptions　

of　scenery。'



'I　think；'　said　Guy；　looking　up　from　his　letter；　'I　should　be　more　

unwilling　to　take　a　man　like　that　to　interpret　nature　than　anything　

else；　except　Scripture。　　It　is　more　profane　to　attempt　it。'



'I　see　what　you　mean；'　said　Amabel；　thoughtfully。



'More　than　I　do；'　said　Philip。　'I　never　supposed　you　would　take　my　

advice　〃au　pied　de　la　lettre〃；'　he　had　almost　added；　'perversely。'



'I　have　felt　my　obligations　for　that　caution　ever　since　I　have　come　to　

some　knowledge　of　what　Byron　was；'　said　Guy。



'The　fascination　of　his　〃Giaour〃　heroes　has　an　evil　influence　on　some　

minds；'　said　Philip。　　'I　think　you　do　well　to　avoid　it。　　The　half　

truth；　resulting　from　its　being　the　effect　of　self…contemplation；　makes　

it　more　dangerous。'



'True；'　said　Guy；　though　he　little　knew　how　much　he　owed　to　having　

attended　to　that　caution；　for　who　could　have　told　where　the　mastery　

might　have　been　in　the　period　of　fearful　conflict　with　his　passions；　if　

he　had　been　feeding　his　imagination　with　the　contemplation　of　revenge；　

dark　hatred；　and　malice；　and　identifying　himself　with　Byron's　brooding　

and　lowering　heroes！



'But；'　continued　Philip；　'I　cannot　see　why　you　should　shun　the　fine　

descriptions　which　are　almost　classicalthe　Bridge　of　Sighs；　the　

Gladiator。'



'He　may　describe　the　gladiator　as　much　as　he　pleases；'　said　Guy；　

'indeed　there　is　something　noble　in　that　indignant　line





　　　　　　　　　Butchered　to　make　a　Roman　holiday；





but　that　is　not　like　his　meddling　with　these　mountains　or　the　sea。'



'Fine　description　is　the　point　in　both。　　You　are　over…drawing。'



'My　notion　is　this；'　said　Guy；'there　is　danger　in　listening　to　a　man　

who　is　sure　to　misunderstand　the　voice　of　nature；danger；　lest　by　

filling　our　ears　with　the　wrong　voice　we　should　close　them　to　the　true　

one。　　I　should　think　there　was　a　great　chance　of　being　led　to　stop　

short　at　the　material　beauty；　or　worse；　to　link　human　passions　with　the　

glories　of　nature；　and　so　distort；　defile；　profane　them。'



'You　have　never　read　the　p