guy mannering-第33节

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r。'

〃Mr。　and　Mrs。　Mervyn；　thought　I　to　myself。'Whatever　company　is　agreeable　to　you；　sir；'　I　answered　aloud。

〃'Oh；　there　is　a　little　too　much　of　this　universal　spirit　of　submission；　an　excellent　disposition　in　action；　but　your　constantly　repeating　the　jargon　of　it；　puts　me　in　mind　of　the　eternal　salaams　of　our　black　dependants　in　the　East。　In　short；　Julia；　I　know　you　have　a　relish　for　society；　and　I　intend　to　invite　a　young　person；　the　daughter　of　a　deceased　friend；　to　spend　a　few　months　with　us。　'

〃'Not　a　governess；　for　the　love　of　Heaven；　papa！'　exclaimed　poor　I；　my　fears　at　that　moment　totally　getting　the　better　of　my　prudence。

〃'No；　not　a　governess；　Miss　Mannering；'　replied　the　Colonel；　somewhat　sternly；　'but　a　young　lady　from　whose　excellent　example；　bred　as　she　has　been　in　the　school　of　adversity；　I　trust　you　may　learn　the　art　to　govern　yourself。　'

〃To　answer　this　was　trenching　upon　too　dangerous　ground；　so　there　was　a　pause。

〃'Is　the　young　lady　a　Scotchwoman；　papa？'

〃'Yes'dryly　enough。

〃'Has　she　much　of　the　accent；　sir？'

〃'Much　of　the　devil！'　answered　my　father　hastily；　'do　you　think　I　care　about　a's　and　aa's；　and　i's　and　ee's？I　tell　you；　Julia；　I　am　serious　in　the　matter。　You　have　a　genius　for　friendship；　that　is；　for　running　up　intimacies　which　you　call　such'（was　not　this　very　harshly　said；　Matilda？）'Now　I　wish　to　give　you　an　opportunity　at　least　to　make　one　deserving　friend；　and　therefore　I　have　resolved　that　this　young　lady　shall　be　a　member　of　my　family　for　some　months；　and　I　expect　you　will　pay　to　her　that　attention　which　is　due　to　misfortune　and　virtue。'

〃'Certainly；　sir。Is　my　future　friend　red…haired？'

〃He　gave　me　one　of　his　stern　glances；　you　will　say；　perhaps；　I　deserved　it；　but　I　think　the　deuce　prompts　me　with　teasing　questions　on　some　occasions。

〃'She　is　as　superior　to　you；　my　love；　in　personal　appearance；　as　in　prudence　and　affection　for　her　friends。'

〃'Lord；　papa；　do　you　think　that　superiority　a　recommendation　？Well；　sir；　but　I　see　you　are　going　to　take　all　this　too　seriously；　whatever　the　young　lady　may　be；　I　am　sure；　being　recommended　by　you；　she　shall　have　no　reason　to　complain　of　my　want　of　attention。（After　a　pause）Has　she　any　attendant？　because　you　know　I　must　provide　for　her　proper　accommodation；　if　she　is　without　one。'

〃'N…no…no…not　properly　an　attendantthe　chaplain　who　lived　with　her　father　is　a　very　good　sort　of　man；　and　I　believe　I　shall　make　room　for　him　in　the　house。'

〃'Chaplain；　papa？　Lord　bless　us！'

〃'Yes；　Miss　Mannering；　chaplain；　is　there　anything　very　new　in　that　word　？　Had　we　not　a　chaplain　at　the　Residence；　when　we　were　in　India？'

〃'Yes；　papa；　but　you　were　a　commandant　then。'

〃'So　I　will　be　now；　Miss　Manneringin　my　own　family　at　least。'

〃'Certainly；　sirbut　will　he　read　us　the　Church　of　England　service？'

〃The　apparent　simplicity　with　which　I　asked　this　question　got　the　better　of　his　gravity。　'Come；　Julia；'　he　said；　'you　are　a　sad　girl；　but　I　gain　nothing　by　scolding　you。Of　these　two　strangers；　the　young　lady　is　one　whom　you　cannot　fail；　I　think；　to　lovethe　person　whom；　for　want　of　a　better　term；　I　called　chaplain；　is　a　very　worthy；　and　somewhat　ridiculous　personage；　who　will　never　find　out　you　laugh　at　him；　if　you　don't　laugh　very　loud　indeed。'

〃'Dear　papa；　I　am　delighted　with　that　part　of　his　character。　　But　pray；　is　the　house　we　are　going　to　as　pleasantly　situated　as　this？'

〃'Not　perhaps　as　much　to　your　tastethere　is　no　lake　under　the　windows；　and　you　will　be　under　the　necessity　of　having　all　your　music　within　doors。'

〃This　last　coup　de　main　ended　the　keen　encounter　of　our　wits；　for　you　may　believe；　Matilda；　it　quelled　all　my　courage　to　reply。

〃Yet　my　spirits；　as　perhaps　will　appear　too　manifest　from　this　dialogue；　have　risen　insensibly；　and；　as　it　were；　in　spite　of　myself。　Brown　alive；　and　free；　and　in　England！　Embarrassment　and　anxiety　I　can　and　must　endure。　We　leave　this　in　two　days　for　our　new　residence。　I　shall　not　fail　to　let　you　know　what　I　think　of　these　Scotch　inmates；　whom　I　have　but　too　much　reason　to　believe　my　father　means　to　quarter　in　his　house　as　a　brace　of　honourable　spies；　a　sort　of　female　Rozencrantz　and　reverend　Guildenstern；　one　in　tartan　petticoats；　the　other　in　a　cassock。　What　a　contrast　to　the　society　I　would　willingly　have　secured　to　myself！　I　shall　write　instantly　on　my　arriving　at　our　new　place　of　abode；　and　acquaint　my　dearest　Matilda　with　the　further　fates　ofher

〃Julia　Mannering。〃



CHAPTER　XIX。

　　Which　sloping　hills　around　enclose；　Where　many　a　beech　and　　　brown　oak　grows；　Beneath　whose　dark　and　branching　bowers；　　　Its　tides　a　far…fam'd　river　pours；　By　nature's　beauties　　　taught　to　please；　Sweet　Tusculan　of　rural　ease！　　　Warton。

Woodbourne；　the　habitation　which　Mannering；　by　Mr。　Mac…Morlan's　mediation；　had　hired　for　a　season；　was　a　large　comfortable　mansion；　snugly　situated　beneath　a　hill　covered　with　wood；　which　shrouded　the　house　upon　the　north　and　east；　the　front　looked　upon　a　little　lawn　bordered　by　a　grove　of　old　trees；　beyond　were　some　arable　fields；　extending　down　to　the　river；　which　was　seen　from　the　windows　of　the　house。　A　tolerable；　though　old…fashioned　garden；　a　well…stocked　dovecot；　and　the　possession　of　any　quantity　of　ground　which　the　convenience　of　the　family　might　require；　rendered　the　place　in　every　respect　suitable；　as　the　advertisements　have　it；　〃for　the　accommodation　of　a　genteel　family。〃

Here；　then；　Mannering　resolved；　for　some　time　at　least；　to　set　up　the　staff　of　his　rest。　Though　an　East…Indian；　he　was　not　partial　to　an　ostentatious　display　of　wealth。　In　fact；　he　was　too　proud　a　man　to　be　a　vain　one。　He　resolved；　therefore；　to　place　himself　upon　the　footing　of　a　country　gentleman　of　easy　fortune；　without　assuming；　or　permitting；　his　household　to　assume；　any　of　the　faste　which　then　was　considered　as　characteristic　of　a　nabob。

He　had　still　his　eye　upon　the　purchase　of　Ellangowan；　which　Mac…Morlan　conceived　Mr。　Glossin　would　be　compelled　to　part　with；　as　some　of　the　creditors　disputed　his　title　to　retain　so　large　a　part　of　the　purchase…money　in　his　own　hands；　and　his　power　to　pay　it　was　much　questioned。　In　that　case　MacMorlan　was　assured　he　would　readily　give　up　his　bargain；　if　'tempted　with　something　above　the　price　which　he　had　stipulated　to　pay。　It　may　seem　strange；that　Mannering　was　so　much　attached　to　a　spot　which　he　had　only　seen　once；　and　that　for　a　short　time；　in　early　life。　But　the　circumstances　which　passed　there　had　laid　a　strong　hold　on　his　imagination。　There　seemed　to　be　a　fate　which　conjoined　the　remarkable　passages　of　his　own　family　history　with　those　of　the　inhabitants　of　Ellangowan；　and　he　felt　a　mysterious　desire　to　call　the　terrace　his　own；　from　which　he　had　read　in　the　book　of　heaven　a　fortune　strangely　accomplished　in　the　person　of　the　infant　Heir　of　that　family；　and　corresponding　so　closely　with　one　which　had　been　strikingly　fulfilled　in　his　own。　Besides；　when　once　this　thought　had　got　possession　of　his　imagination；　he　could　not；　without　great　reluctance；　brook　the；　idea　of　his　plan　being　defeated；　and　by　a　fellow　like　Glossin。　So　pride　came　to　the　aid　of　fancy；　and　both　combined　to　fortify　his　resolution　to　buy　the　estate　if　possible。

Let　us　do　Mannering　justice。　A　desire　to　serve　the　distressed　had　also　its　share　in　determining　him。　He　had　considered　the　advantage　which　Julia　might　receive　from　the　company　of　Lucy　Bertram；　whose　genuine　prudence　and　good　sense　could　so　surely　be　relied　upon。　This　idea　had　become　much　stronger　since　Mac…Morlan　had　confided　to　him；　under　the　solemn　seal　of　secrecy；　the　whole　of　her　conduct　towards　young　Hazlewood。　To　propose　to　her　to　become　an　inmate　in　his　family；　if　distant　from　the　scenes　of　her　youth　and　the　few　whom　she　called　friends；　would　have　been　less　delicate；　but　at　Woodbourne　she　might　without　difficulty　be　induced　to　become　the　visitor　of　a　season；　without　being　depressed　into　the　situation　of　an　humble　companion。　Lucy　Bertram；　with　some　hesitation；　accepted　the　invitation　to　reside　a　few　weeks　with　Miss　Mannering。　She　felt　too　well；　that　however　the　Colonel's　delicacy　might　disguise　the　truth；　his　principal　motive　was　a　generous　desire　to　afford　her　his　countenance　and　protection；　which　his　high　connections；　and　higher　character；　were　likely　to　render　influential　in　the　neighbourhood。

About　the　same　time　the　orphan　girl　received　a　letter　from　Mrs。　Bertram；　the　relation　to　whom　she　had　written；　as　cold　and　comfortless　as　could　well　be　imagined。　It　enclosed；　indeed；　a　small　sum　of　money；　but　strongly　recommended　economy；　and　that　Miss　Bertram　should　board　herself　in　some　quiet　family；　either　at　Kippletringan　or　in　the　neighbourhood；　assuring　her；　that　though　her　own　income　was　very　scanty；　she　would　not　see　her　kinswoman　want。

Miss　Bertram　shed　some　natural　tears　over　this　cold…hearted　epistle；　for　in　her　mother's　time；　this　good　lady。　had　been　a　guest　at　Ellangowan　for　nearly　three　years；　and　it　was　only　upon　succeeding　to　a　property　of　about　400L　a…year　that　she　had；　taken　farewell　of　that　hospitable　mansion；　which；　otherwise；　might　have　had　the　honour　of　sheltering　her　until　the　death　of　its　owner。　Lucy　was　strongly　inclined　to　return　the　paltry　donation；　which；　after　some　stru