david elginbrod-第52章

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passing；　told　him　to　go。　　As　he　went；　he　felt　as　if　the　oaken　floor
were　elastic　beneath　his　tread。

It　was　sometime　after　the　household　had　retired；　however；　before
Euphra　made　her　appearance　at　the　door　of　his　study。　　She　seemed
rather　shy　of　entering；　and　hesitated；　as　if　she　felt　she　was　doing
something　she　ought　not　to　do。　　But　as　soon　as　she　had　entered；　and
the　door　was　shut；　she　appeared　to　recover　herself　quite；　and　they
sat　down　at　the　table　with　their　books。　　They　could　not　get　on　very
well　with　their　reading；　however。　　Hugh　often　forgot　what　he　was
about；　in　looking　at　her；　and　she　seemed　nowise　inclined　to　avert
his　gazes；　or　check　the　growth　of　his　admiration。

Rather　abruptly；　but　apparently　starting　from　some　suggestion　in　the
book；　she　said　to　him：

〃By　the　bye；　has　Mr。　Arnold　ever　said　anything　to　you　about　the
family　jewels？〃

〃No；〃　said　Hugh。　〃Are　there　many？〃

〃Yes；　a　great　many。　　Mr。　Arnold　is　very　proud　of　them；　as　well　as　of
the　portraits；　so　he　treats　them　in　the　same　waykeeps　them　locked
up。　　Indeed　he　seldom　allows　them　to　see　daylight；　except　it　be　as　a
mark　of　especial　favour　to　some　one。〃

〃I　should　like　much　to　see　them。　　I　have　always　been　curious　about
stones。　　They　are　wonderful；　mysterious　things　to　me。〃

Euphra　gave　him　a　very　peculiar；　searching　glance；　as　he　spoke。

〃Shall　I；〃　he　continued；　〃give　him　a　hint　that　I　should　like　to　see
them？〃

〃By　no　means；〃　answered　Euphra；　emphatically；　〃except　he　should
refer　to　them　himself。　　He　is　very　jealous　of　his　possessionshis
family　possessions；　I　mean。　　Poor　old　man！　he　has　not　much　else　to
plume　himself　upon；　has　he？〃

〃He　is　kind　to　you；　Euphra。〃

She　looked　at　him　as　if　she　did　not　understand　him。

〃Yes。　What　then？〃

〃You　ought　not　to　be　unkind　to　him。〃

〃You　odd　creature！　　I　am　not　unkind　to　him。　　I　like　him。　　But　we　are
not　getting　on　with　our　reading。　　What　could　have　led　me　to　talk
about　family…jewels？　　Oh！　　I　see。　　What　a　strange　thing　the
association　of　ideas　is！　　There　is　not　a　very　obvious　connexion
here；　is　there？〃

〃No。　One　cannot　account　for　such　things。　　The　links　in　the　chain　of
ideas　are　sometimes　slender　enough。　　Yet　the　slenderest　is
sufficient　to　enable　the　electric　flash　of　thought　to　pass　along　the
line。〃

She　seemed　pondering　for　a　moment。

〃That　strikes　me　as　a　fine　simile；〃　she　said。　〃You　ought　to　be　a
poet　yourself。〃

Hugh　made　no　reply。

〃I　daresay　you　have　hundreds　of　poems　in　that　old　desk；　now？〃

〃I　think　they　might　be　counted　by　tens。〃

〃Do　let　me　see　them。〃

〃You　would　not　care　for　them。〃

〃Wouldn't　I；　Hugh？〃

〃I　will；　on　one　conditiontwo　conditions；　I　mean。〃

〃What　are　they？〃

〃One　is；　that　you　show　me　yours。〃

〃Mine？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Who　told　you　I　wrote　verses？　　That　silly　boy？〃

〃NoI　saw　your　verses　before　I　saw　you。　　You　remember？〃

〃It　was　very　dishonourable　in　you　to　read　them。〃

〃I　only　saw　they　were　verses。　　I　did　not　read　a　word。〃

〃I　forgive　you；　then。　　You　must　show　me　yours　first；　till　I　see
whether　I　could　venture　to　let　you　see　mine。　　If　yours　were　very　bad
indeed；　then　I　might　risk　showing　mine。〃

And　much　more　of　this　sort；　with　which　I　will　not　weary　my　readers。
It　ended　in　Hugh's　taking　from　the　old　escritoire　a　bundle　of
papers；　and　handing　them　to　Euphra。　　But　the　reader　need　not　fear
that　I　am　going　to　print　any　of　these　verses。　　I　have　more　respect
for　my　honest　prose　page　than　to　break　it　up　so。　　Indeed；　the　whole
of　this　interview　might　have　been　omitted；　but　for　two
circumstances。　　One　of　them　was；　that　in　getting　these　papers；　Hugh
had　to　open　a　concealed　portion　of　the　escritoire；　which　his
mathematical　knowledge　had　enabled　him　to　discover。　　It　had
evidently　not　been　opened　for　many　years　before　he　found　it。　　He　had
made　use　of　it　to　hold　the　only　treasures　he　hadpoor　enough
treasures；　certainly！　　Not　a　loving　note；　not　a　lock　of　hair　even
had　henothing　but　the　few　cobwebs　spun　from　his　own　brain。　　It　is
true；　we　are　rich　or　poor　according　to　what　we　are；　not　what　we
have。　　But　what　a　man　has　produced；　is　not　what　he　is。　　He　may　even
impoverish　his　true　self　by　production。

When　Euphra　saw　him　open　this　place；　she　uttered　a　suppressed　cry　of
astonishment。

〃Ah！〃　said　Hugh；　〃you　did　not　know　of　this　hidie…hole；　did　you？〃

〃Indeed；　I　did　not。　　I　had　used　the　desk　myself；　for　this　was　a
favourite　room　of　mine　before　you　came；　but　I　never　found　that。
Dear　me！　　Let　me　look。〃

She　put　her　hand　on　his　shoulder　and　leaned　over　him；　as　he　pointed
out　the　way　of　opening　it。

〃Did　you　find　nothing　in　it？〃　she　said；　with　a　slight　tremour　in　her
voice。

〃Nothing　whatever。〃

〃There　may　be　more　places。〃

〃No。　I　have　accounted　for　the　whole　bulk；　I　believe。〃

〃How　strange！〃

〃But　now　you　must　give　me　my　guerdon；〃　said　Hugh　timidly。

The　fact　was；　the　poor　youth　had　bargained；　in　a　playful　manner；　and
yet　with　an　earnest；　covetous　heart；　for　one；　the　first　kiss；　in
return　for　the　poems　she　begged　to　see。

She　turned　her　face　towards　him。

The　second　circumstance　which　makes　the　interview　worth　recording
is；　that；　at　this　moment；　three　distinct　knocks　were　heard　on　the
window。　　They　sprang　asunder；　and　saw　each　other's　face　pale　as
death。　　In　Euphra's；　the　expression　of　fright　was　mingled　with　one
of　annoyance。　　Hugh；　though　his　heart　trembled　like　a　bird；　leaped
to　the　window。　　Nothing　was　to　be　seen　but　the　trees　that　〃stretched
their　dark　arms〃　within　a　few　feet　of　the　oriel。　　Turning　again
towards　Euphra；　he　found；　to　his　mortification；　that　she　had
vanishedand　had　left　the　packet　of　poems　behind　her。

He　replaced　them　in　their　old　quarters　in　the　escritoire；　and　his
vague　dismay　at　the　unaccountable　noises；　was　drowned　in　the　bitter
waters　of　miserable　humiliation。　　He　slept　at　last；　from　the
exhaustion　of　disappointment。

When　he　awoke；　however；　he　tried　to　persuade　himself　that　he　had
made　far　too　much　of　the　trifling　circumstance　of　her　leaving　the
verses　behind。　　For　was　she　not　terrified？Why；　then；　did　she　leave
him　and　go　alone　to　her　own　room？She　must　have　felt　that　she　ought
not　to　be　in　his；　at　that　hour；　and　therefore　dared　not　stay。Why
dared　not？　　Did　she　think　the　house　was　haunted　by　a　ghost　of
propriety？　　What　rational　theory　could　he　invent　to　account　for　the
strange　and　repeated　sounds？He　puzzled　himself　over　it　to　the
verge　of　absolute　intellectual　prostration。

He　was　generally　the　first　in　the　breakfast…room；　that　is；　after
Euphra；　who　was　always　the　first。　　She　went　up　to　him　as　he　entered；
and　said；　almost　in　a　whisper：

〃Have　you　got　the　poems　for　me？　　Quick！〃

Hugh　hesitated。　　She　looked　at　him。

〃No；〃　he　said　at　last。〃You　never　wanted　them。〃

〃That　is　very　unkind；　when　you　know　I　was　frightened　out　of　my　wits。
Do　give　me　them。〃

〃They　are　not　worth　giving　you。　　Besides；　I　have　not　got　them。　　I
don't　carry　them　in　my　pocket。　　They　are　in　the　escritoire。　　I
couldn't　leave　them　lying　about。　　Never　mind　them。〃

〃I　have　a　right　to　them；〃　she　said；　looking　up　at　him　slyly　and
shyly。

〃Well；　I　gave　you　them；　and　you　did　not　think　them　worth　keeping。　　I
kept　my　part　of　the　bargain。〃

She　looked　annoyed。

〃Never　mind；　dear　Euphra；　you　shall　have　them；　or　anything　else　I
have；the　brain　that　made　them；　if　you　like。〃

〃Was　it　only　the　brain　that　had　to　do　with　the　making　of　them？〃

〃Perhaps　the　heart　too；　but　you　have　that　already。〃

Her　face　flushed　like　a　damask　rose。

At　that　moment　Mrs。　Elton　entered；　and　looked　a　little　surprised。
Euphra　instantly　said：

〃I　think　it　is　rather　too　bad　of　you；　Mr。　Sutherland；　to　keep　the
poor　boy　so　hard　to　his　work；　when　you　know　he　is　not　strong。　　Mrs。
Elton；　I　have　been　begging　a　holiday　for　poor　Harry；　to　let　him　go
with　us　to　Wotton　House；　but　he　has　such　a　hard　task…master！　　He
will　not　hear　of　it。〃

The　flush；　which　she　could　not　get　rid　of　all　at　once；　was　thus　made
to　do　duty　as　one　of　displeasure。　　Mrs。　Elton　was　thoroughly
deceived；　and　united　her　entreaties　to　those　of　Miss　Cameron。　　Hugh
was　compelled　to　join　in　the　deception；　and　pretend　to　yield　a　slow
consent。　　Thus　a　holiday　was　extemporised　for　Harry；　subject　to　the
approbation　of　his