the heir of redclyffe-第83章

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



'You　have　never　read　the　poem；　so　you　cannot　judge；'　said　Philip；　

thinking　this　extremely　fanciful　and　ultra…fastidious。　'Your　rule　would　

exclude　all　descriptive　poetry；　unless　it　was　written　by　angels；　I　

suppose？'



'No；　by　men　with　minds　in　the　right　direction。'



'Very　little　you　would　leave　us。'



'I　don't　think　so；'　said　Amabel。　　'Almost　all　the　poetry　we　really　care　

about　was　written　by　such　men。'



'Shakspeare；　for　instance？'



'No　one　can　doubt　of　the　bent　of　his　mind　from　the　whole　strain　of　his　

writings；'　said　Guy。　　'So　again　with　Spenser；　and　as　to　Milton；　though　

his　religion　was　not　quite　the　right　sort；　no　one　can　pretend　to　say　he　

had　it　not。　　Wordsworth；　Scott'



'Scott？'　said　Philip。



'Including　the　descriptions　of　scenery　in　his　novels；'　said　Amy；　

'where；　I　am　sure；　there　is　the　spirit　and　the　beauty。'



'Or　rather；　the　spirit　is　the　beauty；'　said　Guy。



'There　is　a　good　deal　in　what　you　say；'　answered　Philip；　who　would　not　

lay　himself　open　to　the　accusation　of　being　uncandid；　'but　you　will　

forgive　me　for　thinking　it　rather　too　deep　an　explanation　of　the　

grounds　of　not　making　Childe　Harold　a　hand…book　for　Italy；　like　other　

people。'



Amabel　thought　this　so　dogged　and　provoking；　that　she　was　out　of　

patience；　but　Guy　only　laughed；　and　said；　'Rather　so；　considering　that　

the　fact　was　that　we　never　thought　of　it。'



There　were　times　when；　as　Philip　had　once　said；　good　temper　annoyed　him　

more　than　anything；　and　perhaps　he　was　unconsciously　disappointed　at　

having　lost　his　old　power　of　fretting　and　irritating　Guy；　and　watching　

him　champ　the　bit；　so　as　to　justify　his　own　opinion　of　him。　　Every　

proceeding　of　his　cousins　seemed　to　give　him　annoyance；　more　especially　

their　being　at　home　together；　and　Guy's　seeming　to　belong　more　to　

Hollywell　than　himself。　　He　sat　by；　with　a　book；　and　watched　them；　as　

Guy　asked　for　Laura's　letter；　and　Amy　came　to　look　over　his　half…

finished　answer；　laughing　over　it；　and　giving　her　commands　and　

messages；　looking　so　full　of　playfulness　and　happiness；　as　she　stood　

with　one　hand　on　the　back　of　her　husband's　chair；　and　the　other　holding　

the　letter；　and　Guy　watching　her　amused　face；　and　answering　her　remarks　

with　lively　words　and　bright　smiles。　　'People　who　looked　no　deeper　than　

the　surface　would；　say；　what　a　well…matched　pair；'　thought　Philip；　'and　

no　doubt　they　were　very　happy；　poor　young　things；　if　it　would　but　

last。'　　Here　Guy　turned；　and　asked　him　a　question　about　the　line　of　

perpetual　snow；　so　much　in　his　own　style；　that　he　was　almost　ready　to　

accuse　them　of　laughing　at　him。　　Next　　came　what　hurt　him　most　of　all；　

as　they　talked　over　Charles's　letter；　and　a　few　words　passed　about　

Laura；　and　the　admiration　of　some　person　she　had　met　at　Allonby。　　The　

whole　world　was　welcome　to　admire　her：　nothing　could　injure　his　hold　on　

her　heart；　and　no　joke　of　Charles　could　shake　his　confidence；　but　it　

was　hard　that　he　should　be　forced　to　hear　such　things；　and　ask　no　

questions；　for　they　evidently　thought　him　occupied　with　his　book；　and　

did　not　intend　him　to　listen。　　The　next　thing　they　said；　however；　

obliged　him　to　show　that　he　was　attending；　for　it　was　about　her　being　

better。



'Who？　　Laura！'　he　said；　in　a　tone　that；　in　spite　of　himself；　had　a　

startled　sound。　　'You　did　not　say　she　had　been　ill？'



'No；　she　has　not；'　said　Amy。　　'Dr。　Mayerne　said　there　was　nothing　

really　the　matter：　but　she　has　been　worried　and　out　of　spirits　lately；　

and　mamma　thought　it　would　be　good　for　her　to　go　out　more。'



Philip　would　not　let　himself　sigh；　in　spite　of　the　oppressing　

consciousness　of　having　brought　the　cloud　over　her；　and　of　his　own　

inability　to　do　aught　but　leave　her　to　endure　it　in　silence　and　

patience。　　Alas！　for　how　long！　　Obliged；　meanwhile；　to　see　these　young　

creatures；　placed；　by　the　mere　factitious　circumstance　of　wealth；　in　

possession　of　happiness　which　they　had　not　had　time　either　to　earn　or　

to　appreciate。　　He　thought　it　shallow；　because　of　their　mirth　and　

gaiety；　as　if　they　were　only　seeking　food　for　laughter；　finding　it　in　

mistakes；　for　which　he　was　ready　to　despise　them。



Arnaud　had　brought　rather　antiquated　notions　to　the　renewal　of　his　

office　as　a　courier：　his　mind　had　hardly　opened　to　railroads　and　

steamers；　and　changes　had　come　over　hotels　since　his　time。　　Guy　and　

Amabel；　both　young　and　healthy；　caring　little　about　bad　dinners；　and　

unwilling　to　tease　the　old　man　by　complaints；　or　alterations　of　his　

arrangements；　had　troubled　themselves　little　about　the　matter；　took　

things　as　they　found　them；　ate　dry　bread　when　the　cookery　was　bad；　

walked　if　the　road　was　'shocking'；　went　away　the　sooner；　if　the　inns　

were　'intolerable'；　made　merry　over　every　inconvenience；　and　turned　it　

into　an　excellent　story　for　Charles。　　They　did　not　even　distress　

themselves　about　sights　which　they　had　missed　seeing。



Philip　thought　all　this　very　foolish　and　absurd；　showing　that　they　were　

unfit　to　take　care　of　themselves；　and　that　Guy　was　neglectful　of　his　

wife's　comforts：　in　short；　establishing　his　original　opinion　of　their　

youth　and　folly。



So　passed　the　first　evening；　perhaps　the　worst　because；　besides　what　he　

had　heard　about　Laura；　he　had　been　somewhat　over…fatigued　by　various　

hot　days'　walks。



Certain　it　is；　that　next　morning　he　was　not　nearly　so　much　inclined　to　

be　displeased　with　them　for　laughing；　when；　in　speaking　to　Anne；　he　

inadvertently　called　her　mistress　Miss　Amabel。



'Never　mind；'　said　Amy；　as　Anne　departedand　he　looked　disconcerted；　

as　a　precise　man　always　does　when　catching　himself　in　a　mistake'Anne　

is　used　to　it；　Guy　is　always　doing　it；　and　puzzles　poor　Arnaud　sorely　

by　sending　him　for　Miss　Amabel's　parasol。'



'And　the　other　day；'　said　Guy；　'when　Thorndale's　brother；　at　Munich；　

inquired　after　Lady　Morville；　I　had　to　consider　who　she　was。'



'Oh！　you　saw　Thorndale's　brother；　did　you？'



'Yes；　he　was　very　obliging。　　Guy　had　to　go　to　him　about　our　passports：　

and　when　he　found　who　we　were；　he　brought　his　wife　to　call　on　us；　and　

asked　us　to　an　evening　party。'



'Did　you　go？'



'Guy　thought　we　must；　and　it　was　very　entertaining。　　We　had　a　curious　

adventure　there。　　In　the　morning；　we　had　been　looking　at　those　

beautiful　windows　of　the　great　church；　when　I　turned　round；　and　saw　a　

gentlemanan　Englishmangazing　with　all　his　might　at　Guy。　　We　met　

again　in　the　evening；　and　presently　Mr。　Thorndale　came　and　told　us　it　

was　Mr。　Shene。'　



'Shene；　the　painter？'



'Yes。　　He　had　been　very　much　struck　with　Guy's　face：　it　was　exactly　

what　he　wanted　for　a　picture　he　was　about；　and　he　wished　of　all　things　

just　to　be　allowed　to　make　a　sketch。'



'Did　you　submit？'



'Yes'　said　Guy；　'and　we　were　rewarded。　　I　never　saw　a　more　agreeable　

person；　or　one　who　gave　so　entirely　the　impression　of　genius。　　The　next　

day　he　took　us　through　the　gallery；　and　showed　us　all　that　was　worth　

admiring。'



'And　in　what　character　is　he　to　make　you　appear？'



'That　is　the　strange　part　of　it；'　said　Amabel。　　'Don't　you　remember　how　

Guy　once　puzzled　us　by　choosing　Sir　Galahad　for　his　favourite　hero？　　It　

is　that　very　Sir　Galahad；　when　he　kneels　to　adore　the　Saint　Greal。'



'Mr。　Shene　said　he　had　long　been　dreaming　over　it；　and　at　last；　as　he　

saw　Guy's　face　looking　upwards；　it　struck　him　that　it　was　just　what　he　

wanted：　it　would　be　worth　anything　to　him　to　catch　the　expression。'



'I　wonder　what　I　was　looking　like！'　ejaculated　Guy。



'Did　he　take　you　as　yourself；　or　as　Sir　Galahad？'



'As　myself；　happily。'



'How　did　he　succeed？'



'Amy　likes　it；　but　decidedly　I　should　never　have　known　myself。'



'Ah；'　said　his　wife





　　　　　　　　　'Could　some　fay　the　giftie　gie　us；

　　　　　　　　　To　see　ourselves　as　others　see　us。'





'As　far　as　the　sun…burnt　visage　is　concerned；　the　glass　does　that　every　

morning。'



'Yes；　but　you　don't　look　at　yourself　exactly　as　you　do　at　a　painted　

window；'　said　Amy；　in　her　demure　way。



'I　cannot　think　how　you　found　time　for　sitting；'　said　Philip。



'0；　it　is　quite　a　little　thing；　a　mere　sketch；　done　in　two　evenings　and　

half　an　hour　in　the　morning。　　He　promises　it　to　me　when　he　has　done　

with　Sir　Galahad；'　　said　Amy。



'Twothree　evenings。　　You　must　have　been　a　long　time　at　Munich。'



'A　fortnight；'　said　Guy；　'there　is　a　great　deal　to　see　there。'



Philip　did　not　quite　understand　this；　nor　did　he　think　it　very　

satisfactory　that　they　should　thus　have　lingered　in　a　gay　town；　but　he　

meant　to　make　the　best　of　them　to…day；　and　returned　to　his　usual　

fashion　of　patronizing　and　laying　down　the　law。　　They　were　so　used　to　

this　that　they　did　not　care　about　it；　indeed；　they　had　reckoned　on　it　

as　the　most　amiable　conduct　to　be　expected　on　his　part。



The　day　was　chiefly　spent　in　an　excursion　on　the　lake；　landing　at　the　

most　beautiful　spots；　walking　a　little　way　and　admiring；　or　while　in　

the　boat；　smoothly　moving　over　the　deep　blue　waters；　gaining　lovely　

views　of　the　banks；　and　talking　over　the　book　with　which　their　

acquaintance　had　begun；　〃I　Promessi　Sposi〃。　　Never　did　tourists　spend　a　

more　serene　and　pleasant　day。



On　comparing　notes　as　to　their　plans；　it　appeared　that　each　party　had　

about　a　week　or　ten　days　to　spare；　the　captain　before　he　must　embark　

for　Corfu；　and　Sir　Guy　and　Lady　Morville　before　the　time　they　had　fixed　

for　returning　home。　　Guy　proposed　to　go　together　somewhere；　spare　the　

post…office　further　blunders；　and　get　the　Signor　Capitano　to　be　their　

interpreter。　　Philip　thought　it　would　be　an　excellent　thing　for　his　

young　cousins　for　him　to　take　charge　of　them；　and　show　them　how　people　

ought　to　travel；　so　out　came　his　little　pocket　map；　marked　with　his　

route；　before　he　left　Ireland；　whereas　they　seemed　to　have　no　fixed　

object；　but　to　be　always　going　'somewhere。'　　It　appeared　that　they　had　

thought　of　Venice；　but　were　easily　diverted　from　it　by　his　design　of　

coasting　the　eastern　bank　of　the　Lago　di　Como；　and　so　across　the　

Stelvio　into　the　Tyrol；　all　together　as　far　as　Botzen；　whence　Philip　

would　turn　southward　by　the　mountain　paths；　while　they　would　proceed　to　

Innsbruck　on　their　return　home。



Amabel　was　especially　pleased　to　stay　a　little　longer　on　the　banks　of　

the　lake；　and　to　trace　out　more　of　Lucia's　haunts；　and　if　she　secretly　

thought　it　would　have　been　pleasanter　without　a　third　person；　she　was　

gratified　to　see　how　much　Guy's　manner　had　softened　Philip's　injustice　

and　distrust；　making　everything　so　smooth　and　satisfactory；　that　at　the　

end　of　the　day；　she　told　her　husband　that　she　thought　his　experiment　

had　not　failed。



She　was　making　the　breakfast　the　next　morning；　when　the　captain　came　

into　the　room；　and　she　told　him　Guy　was　gone　to　settle　their　plans　with　

Arnaud。　　Afte