the heir of redclyffe-第146章

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surprise。'



There　was　a　silence；　first　broken　by　Charles　saying；　'You　must　be　

content　with　meI　can't　send　for　anyone。　　Bustle　has　taken　papa　and　

Charlotte　for　a　walk；　and　Laura　is　on　guard　over　Amy；　for　we　have　made　

mamma　go　and　lie　down。　　It　was　high　time；　after　sitting　up　two　nights；　

and　meaning　to　sit　up　a　third。'



'Has　she　reallycan　she　bear　it？'



'Yes；　I　am　afraid　I　have　trained　her　in　sitting　up；　and　Amy　and　all　of　

us　know　that　anxiety　hurts　her　more　than　fatigue。　　She　would　only　lie　

awake　worrying　herself；　instead　of　sitting　peaceably　by　the　fire；　

holding　the　baby；　or　watching　Amy；　and　having　a　quiet　cry　when　she　is　

asleep。　　For；　after　all；　it　is　very　sad！'　　Charles　was　trying　to　brave　

his　feelings；　but　did　not　succeed　very　well。　　'Yesterday　morning　I　was　

properly　frightened。　　I　came　into　the　dressing…room；　and　found　mamma　

crying　so；　that　I　fully　believed　it　was　all　wrong；　but　she　was　just　

coming　to　tell　us；　and　was　only　overcome　by　thinking　of　not　having　him　

to　call　first；　and　how　happy　he　would　have　been。'



'And　the　dear　Amy　herself！'



'I　can't　tell。　　She　is　a　wonderful　person　for　keeping　herself　composed　

when　she　ought。　　I　see　she　has　his　picture　in　full　view；　but　she　says　

not　a　word；　except　that　mamma　saw　her　to…day；　when　she　thought　no　one　

was　looking；　fondling　the　little　thing；　and　whispering　to　it〃Guy's　

baby！〃　and　〃Guy's　little　messenger！〃'　　Charles　gave　up　the　struggle；　

and　fairly　cried；　but　in　a　moment　rallying　his　usual　tone；　he　went　on；　

half　laughing；'To　be　sure；　what　a　morsel　of　a　creature　it　is！　　It　is　

awful　to　see　anything　so　small　calling　itself　a　specimen　of　humanity！'



'It　is　your　first　acquaintance　with　infant　humanity；　I　suppose？　　Pray；　

did　you　ever　see　a　baby？'



'Not　to　look　at。　　In　fact；　Mary；　I　consider　it　a　proof　of　your　being　a　

rational　woman　that　you　have　not　asked　me　whether　it　is　pretty。'



'I　thought　you　no　judge　of　the　article。'



'No；　it　was　not　to　inspect　it　that　Amy　sent　for　me；　though　after　all　it　

was　for　a　business　I　would　almost　as　soon　undertake；　a　thing　I　would　

not　do　for　any　other　living　creature。'



'Then　I　know　what　it　is。　　To　write　some　kind　message　to　Captain　

Morville。　　Just　like　the　dear　Amy！'



'Just　like　her；　and　like　no　one　else；　except　Of　course　my　father　

wrote　him　an　official　communication　yesterday；　very　short；　but　the　fact　

must　have　made　it　sweet　enough；　savage　as　we　all　were　towards　him；　as　

there　was　no　one　else　to　be　savage　to；　unless　it　might　be　poor　Miss　

Morville；　who　is　the　chief　loser　by　being　of　the　feminine　gender；'　said　

Charles；　again　braving　what　he　was　pleased　to　call　sentimentality。　　

'Well；　by　and　by；　my　lady　wants　to　know　if　any　one　has　written　to　〃poor　

Philip；〃　as　she　will　call　him；　and；　by　no　means　contented　by　hearing　

papa　had；　she　sends　to　ask　me　to　come　to　her　when　I　came　in　from　

wheeling　in　the　garden；　and　receives　me　with　a　request　that　I　would　

write　and　tell　him　how　well　she　is；　and　how　glad；　and　so　on。　　There's　a　

piece　of　work　for　me！'



'Luckily　you　are　not　quite　so　savage　as　you　pretend；　either　to　him；　or　

your　poor　little　niece。'



'Whew！　　I　should　not　care　whether　she　was　niece　or　nephew　but　for　him；　

at　least　not　much；　as　long　as　she　comforted　Amy；　but　to　see　him　at　

Redclyffe；　and　be　obliged　to　make　much　of　him　at　the　same　time；　is　more　

than　I　can　very　well　bear；　though　I　may　as　well　swallow　it　as　best　I　

can；　for　she　will　have　me　do　it；　as　well　as　on　Laura's　account。　　Amy　

believes；　you　know；　that　he　will　think　the　inheritance　a　great　

misfortune；　but　that　is　only　a　proof　that　she　is　more　amiable　than　any　

one　else。'



'I　should　think　he　would　not　rejoice。'



'Not　exactly；　but　I　have　no　fear　that　he　will　not　console　himself　by　

thinking　of　the　good　he　will　do　with　it。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　he　was　

thoroughly　cut　up；　and　I　could　even　go　the　length　of　believing　that　

distress　of　mind　helped　to　bring　on　the　relapse；　but　it　is　some　time　

ago。　　And　as　to　his　breaking　his　heart　after　the　first　ten　minutes　at　

finding　himself　what　he　has　all　his　life　desired　to　be；　in　a　situation　

where　the　full　influence　of　his　talents　may　be　felt；'　said　Charles；　

with　a　shade　of　imitation　of　his　measured　tones；　'why　that；　no　one　but　

silly　little　Amy　would　ever　dream　of。'



'Well；　I　dare　say　you　will　grow　merciful　as　you　write。'



'No；　that　is　not　the　way　to　let　my　indignation　ooze　out　at　my　fingers'　

ends。　　I　shall　begin　by　writing　to　condole　with　Markham。　　Poor　man！　

what　a　state　he　must　be　in；　all　the　more　pitiable　because　he　evidently　

had　entirely　forgotten　that　there　could　ever　be　a　creature　of　the　less　

worthy　gender　born　to　the　house　of　Morville；　so　it　will　take　him　quite　

by　surprise。　　What　will　he　do；　and　how　will　he　ever　forgive　Mrs。　

Ashford；　who；　I　see　in　the　paper；　has　a　son　whom　nobody　wants；　as　if　

for　the　express　purpose　of　insulting　Markham's　feelings！　　Well…a…day！　　

I　should　have　liked　to　have　had　the　sound　of　Sir　Guy　Morville　still　in　

my　ears；　and　yet　I　don't　know　that　I　could　have　endured　its　being　

applied　to　a　little　senseless　baby！　　And；　after　all；　we　are　the　

gainers；　for　it　would　have　been　a　forlorn　thing　to　have　seen　Amy　go　off　

to　reign　queen…mother　at　Redclyffe；and　most　notably　well　would　she　

have　reigned；　with　that　clear　little　head。　　I　vow　'tis　a　talent　thrown　

away！　　However；　I　can't　grumble。　　She　is　much　happier　without　greatness　

thrust　on　her；　and　for　my　own　part；　I　have　my　home…sister　all　to　

myself；　with　no　rival　but　that　small　womanand　how　she　will　pet　her！'



'And　how　you　will！　　What　a　spoiling　uncle　you　will　be！　　But　now；　having　

heard　you　reason　yourself　into　philosophy；　I'll　leave　you　to　write。　　We　

were　so　anxious；　that　I　could　not　help　coming。　　I　am　so　glad　that　

little　one　thrives！　　I　should　like　to　leave　my　love　for　Amy；　if　you'll　

remember　it；'



'The　rarity　of　such　a　message　from　you　may　enable　me。　　I　was　lying　here　

alone；　and　received　the　collected　love　of　five　Harpers　to　convey　up…

stairs；　all　which　I　forgot；　though　in　its　transit　by　Arnaud　and　his　

French；　it　had　become　〃that　they　made　their　friendships　to　my　lady　and　

Mrs。　Edmonstone。〃'



Charles　had　not　talked　so　like　himself　for　months；　and　Mary　felt　that　

Amabel's　child；　if　she　had　disappointed　some　expectations；　had　come　

like　a　spring　blossom；　to　cheer　Hollywell；　after　its　long　winter　of　

sorrow　and　anxiety。　　She　seemed　to　have　already　been　received　as　a　

messenger　to　comfort　them　for　the　loss；　greatest　of　all　to　her；　poor　

child；　though　she　would　never　know　how　great。　　Next　Mary　wondered　what　

kind　of　letter　Charles　would　indite；　and　guessed　it　would　be　all　the　

kinder　for　the　outpouring　he　had　made　to　her；　the　only　person　with　whom　

he　ventured　to　indulge　in　a　comfortable　abuse　of　Philip；　since　his　good　

sense　taught　him　that；　ending　as　affairs　must；　it　was　the　only　wise　way　

to　make　the　best　of　it；　with　father；　mother；　and　Charlotte；　all　quite　

sufficiently　disposed　to　regard　Philip　with　aversion　without　his　help。



Philip　was　at　breakfast　with　the　Henleys；　on　the　following　morning；　a　

Sunday；or　rather；　sitting　at　the　breakfast…table；　when　the　letters　

were　brought　in。　　Mrs。　Henley；　pretending　to　be　occupied　with　her　own；　

had　an　eager；　watchful　eye　on　her　brother；　as　one　was　placed　before　

him。　　She　knew　Mr。　Edmonstone's　writing；　but　was　restrained　from　

exclaiming　by　her　involuntary　deference　for　her　brother。　　He　flushed　

deep　red　one　moment；　then　turned　deadly　pale；　his　hand；　when　first　he　

raised　it；　trembled；　but　then　became　firm；　as　if　controlled　by　the　

force　of　his　resolution。　　He　broke　the　black　seal；　drew　out　the　letter；　

paused　another　instant；　unfolded　it；　glanced　at　it；　pushed　his　chair　

from　the　table；　and　hastened　to　me　door。



'Tell　me；　tell　me；　Philip；　what　is　it？'　she　exclaimed；　rising　to　follow　

him。



He　turned　round；　threw　the　letter　on　the　table；　and　with　a　sign　that　

forbade　her　to　come　w