david elginbrod-第38节

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and　the　lady；　for；　although　Euphra　was　often　present　during
school…hours；　it　must　be　said　for　Hugh　that；　during　those　hours；　he
paid　almost　all　his　attention　to　Harry；　so　much　of　it；　indeed；　that
perhaps　there　was　not　enough　left　to　please　the　lady。　　But　she　did
not　say　so。　　She　sat　beside　them　in　silence；　occupied　with　her　work；
and　saving　up　her　glances　for　use。　　Now　and　then　she　would　read；
taking　an　opportunity　sometimes；　but　not　often；　when　a　fitting　pause
occurred；　to　ask　him　to　explain　some　passage　about　which　she　was　in
doubt。　　It　must　be　conceded　that　such　passages　were　well　chosen　for
the　purpose；　for　she　was　too　wise　to　do　her　own　intellect　discredit
by　feigning　a　difficulty　where　she　saw　none；　intellect　being　the
only　gift　in　others　for　which　she　was　conscious　of　any　reverence。

By…and…by　she　began　to　discontinue　these　visits　to　the　schoolroom。
Perhaps　she　found　them　dull。　　Perhapsbut　we　shall　see。

One　morning；　in　the　course　of　their　studyEuphra　not　presentHugh
had　occasion　to　go　from　his　own　room；　where；　for　the　most　part；　they
carried　on　the　severer　portion　of　their　labours；　down　to　the　library
for　a　book；　to　enlighten　them　upon　some　point　on　which　they　were　in
doubt。　　As　he　was　passing　an　open　door；　Euphra's　voice　called　him。
He　entered；　and　found　himself　in　her　private　sitting…room。　　He　had
not　known　before　where　it　was。

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　Mr。　Sutherland；　for　calling　you；　but　I　am　at
this　moment　in　a　difficulty。　　I　cannot　manage　this　line　in　the
Inferno。　　Do　help　me。〃

She　moved　the　book　towards　him；　as　he　now　stood　by　her　side；　she
remaining　seated　at　her　table。　　To　his　mortification；　he　was
compelled　to　confess　his　utter　ignorance　of　the　language。

〃Oh！　　I　am　disappointed；〃　said　Euphra。

〃Not　so　much　as　I　am；〃　replied　Hugh。　〃But　could　you　spare　me　one　or
two　of　your　Italian　books？〃

〃With　pleasure；〃　she　answered；　rising　and　going　to　her　bookshelves。

〃I　want　only　a　grammar；　a　dictionary；　and　a　New　Testament。〃

〃There　they　are；〃　she　said；　taking　them　down　one　after　the　other；
and　bringing　them　to　him。　〃I　daresay　you　will　soon　get　up　with　poor
stupid　me。〃

〃I　shall　do　my　best　to　get　within　hearing　of　your　voice；　at　least；
in　which　Italian　must　be　lovely。〃

No　reply；　but　a　sudden　droop　of　the　head。

〃But；〃　continued　Hugh；　〃upon　second　thoughts；　lest　I　should　be
compelled　to　remain　dumb；　or　else　annoy　your　delicate　ear　with
discordant　sounds；　just　give　me　one　lesson　in　the　pronunciation。
Let　me　hear　you　read　a　little　first。〃

〃With　all　my　heart。〃

Euphra　began；　and　read　delightfully；　for　she　was　an　excellent
Italian　scholar。　　It　was　necessary　that　Hugh　should　look　over　the
book。　　This　was　difficult　while　he　remained　standing；　as　she　did　not
offer　to　lift　it　from　the　table。　　Gradually；　therefore；　and　hardly
knowing　how；　he　settled　into　a　chair　by　her　side。　　Half…an…hour　went
by　like　a　minute；　as　he　listened　to　the　silvery　tones　of　her　voice；
breaking　into　a　bell…like　sound　upon　the　double　consonants　of　that
sweet　lady…tongue。　　Then　it　was　his　turn　to　read　and　be　corrected；
and　read　again　and　be　again　corrected。　　Another　half…hour　glided
away；　and　yet　another。　　But　it　must　be　confessed　he　made　good　use　of
the　timeif　only　it　had　been　his　own　to　use；　for　at　the　end　of　it
he　could　pronounce　Italian　very　tolerablywell　enough；　at　least；　to
keep　him　from　fixing　errors　in　his　pronunciation；　while　studying　the
language　alone。　　Suddenly　he　came　to　himself；　and　looked　up　as　from
a　dream。　　Had　she　been　bewitching　him？　　He　was　in　Euphra's
roomalone　with　her。　　And　the　door　was　shuthow　or　when？　　Andhe
looked　at　his　watchpoor　little　Harry　had　been　waiting　his　return
from　the　library；　for　the　last　hour　and　a　half。　　He　was
conscience…stricken。　　He　gathered　up　the　books　hastily；　thanked
Euphra　in　the　same　hurried　manner；　and　left　the　room　with
considerable　disquietude；　closing　the　door　very　gently；　almost
guiltily；　behind　him。

I　am　afraid　Euphra　had　been　perfectly　aware　that　he　knew　nothing
about　Italian。　　Did　she　see　her　own　eyes　shine　in　the　mirror　before
her；　as　he　closed　the　door？　　Was　she　in　love　with　him；　then？

When　Hugh　returned　with　the　Italian　books；　instead　of　the
encyclop鎑ia　he　had　gone　to　seek；　he　found　Harry　sitting　where　he
had　left　him；　with　his　arms　and　head　on　the　table；　fast　asleep。

〃Poor　boy！〃　said　Hugh　to　himself；　but　he　could　not　help　feeling　glad
he　was　asleep。　　He　stole　out　of　the　room　again；　passed　the　fatal
door　with　a　longing　pain；　found　the　volume　of　his　quest　in　the
library；　and；　returning　with　it；　sat　down　beside　Harry。　　There　he
sat　till　he　awoke。

When　he　did　awake　at　last；　it　was　almost　time　for　luncheon。　　The
shame…faced　boy　was　exceedingly　penitent　for　what　was　no　fault；
while　Hugh　could　not　relieve　him　by　confessing　his。　　He　could　only
say：

〃It　was　my　fault；　Harry　dear。　　I　stayed　away　too　long。　　You　were　so
nicely　asleep；　I　would　not　wake　you。　　You　will　not　need　a　siesta；
that　is　all。〃

He　was　ashamed　of　himself；　as　he　uttered　the　false　words　to　the
true…hearted　child。　　But　this；　alas！　was　not　the　end　of　it　all。

Desirous　of　learning　the　language；　but　far　more　desirous　of
commending　himself　to　Euphra；　Hugh　began　in　downright　earnest。　　That
very　evening；　he　felt　that　he　had　a　little　hold　of　the　language。
Harry　was　left　to　his　own　resources。　　Nor　was　there　any　harm　in
this　in　itself：　Hugh　had　a　right　to　part　of　every　day　for　his　own
uses。　　But　then；　he　had　been　with　Harry　almost　every　evening；　or　a
great　part　of　it；　and　the　boy　missed　him　much；　for　he　was　not　yet
self…dependent。　　He　would　have　gone　to　Euphrasia；　but　somehow　she
happened　to　be　engaged　that　evening。　　So　he　took　refuge　in　the
library；　where；　in　the　desolation　of　his　spirit；　Polexander　began；
almost　immediately；　to　exercise　its　old　dreary　fascination　upon　him。
Although　he　had　not　opened　the　book　since　Hugh　had　requested　him　to
put　it　away；　yet　he　had　not　given　up　the　intention　of　finishing　it
some　day；　and　now　he　took　it　down；　and　opened　it　listlessly；　with
the　intention　of　doing　something　towards　the　gradual　redeeming　of
the　pledge　he　had　given　to　himself。　　But　he　found　it　more　irksome
than　ever。　　Still　he　read　on；　till　at　length　he　could　discover　no
meaning　at　all　in　the　sentences。　　Then　he　began　to　doubt　whether　he
had　read　the　words。　　He　fixed　his　attention　by　main　force　on　every
individual　word；　but　even　then　he　began　to　doubt　whether　he　could
say　he　had　read　the　words；　for　he　might　have　missed　seeing　some　of
the　letters　composing　each　word。　　He　grew　so　nervous　and　miserable
over　it；　almost　counting　every　letter；　that　at　last　he　burst　into
tears；　and　threw　the　book　down。

His　intellect；　which　in　itself　was　excellent；　was　quite　of　the
parasitic　order；　requiring　to　wind　itself　about　a　stronger
intellect；　to　keep　itself　in　the　region　of　fresh　air　and　possible
growth。　　Left　to　itself；　its　weak　stem　could　not　raise　it　above　the
ground：　it　would　grow　and　mass　upon　the　earth；　till　it　decayed　and
corrupted；　for　lack　of　room；　light；　and　air。　　But；　of　course；　there
was　no　danger　in　the　meantime。　　This　was　but　the　passing　sadness　of
an　occasional　loneliness。

He　crept　to　Hugh's　room；　and　received　an　invitation　to　enter；　in
answer　to　his　gentle　knock；　but　Hugh　was　so　absorbed　in　his　new
study；　that　he　hardly　took　any　notice　of　him；　and　Harry　found　it
almost　as　dreary　here　as　in　the　study。　　He　would　have　gone　out；　but
a　drizzling　rain　was　falling；　and　he　shrank　into　himself　at　the
thought　of　the　Ghost's　Walk。　The　dinner…bell　was　a　welcome　summons。

Hugh；　inspirited　by　the　reaction　from　close　attention；　by　the
presence　of　Euphra；　and　by　the　desire　to　make　himself　generally
agreeable；　which　sprung　from　the　consciousness　of　having　done　wrong；
talked　almost　brilliantly；　delighting　Euphra；　overcoming　Harry　with
reverent　astonishment；　and　even　interesting　slow　Mr。　Arnold。　　With
the　latter　Hugh　had　been　gradually　becoming　a　favourite；　partly
because　he　had　discovered　in　him　what　he　considered　high…minded
sentiments；　for；　however　stupid　and　conventional　Mr。　Arnold　might
be；　he　had　a　foundation　of　sterling　worthiness　of　character。
Euphra；　instead　of　showing　any　jealousy　of　this　growing
friendliness；　favoured　it　in　every　way　in　her　power；　and　now　and
then　alluded　to　it　in　her　conversations　with　Hugh；　as　affording　her
great　satisfaction。

〃I　am　so　glad　he　likes　you！〃　she　would　say。

〃Why　should　she　be　glad？〃　thought　Hugh。

This　gentle　claim　of　a　kind　of　property　in　him；　added　considerably
to　the　strength　of　the　attraction　that　drew　him　towards　her；　as
towards　the　centre　of　his　spiritual　gravitation；　if　indeed　that
could　be　called　spiritual　which　had　so　little　of　the　element　of
moral　or　spiritual　admiration；　or　even　approval；　mingled　with　it。
He　never　felt　that　Euphra　was　good。　　He　only　felt　that　she　drew　him
with　a　vague　force　of　feminine　sovereigntya　charm　which　he　could
no　more　resist　or　explain；　than　the　iron　could　the　attraction　of　the
loadstone。　　Neither　could　he　have　said；　had　he　really　considered　the
matter；　that　she　was　beautifulonly　that　she　often；　very　often；
looked　beautiful。　　I　suspect　if　she　had　been　rather　ugly；　it　would
have　been　all　the　same　for　Hugh。

He　pursued　his　It