the heir of redclyffe-第41节

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resentment；　he　took　his　resolution；　quarrelled　with　Dixon；　and　carried　

off　his　wife；　bent　with　desperation　on　forcing　his　father　into　

receiving　her。



Sebastian　had　not　surmounted　his　anger　at　this　step　when　he　learnt　its　

fatal　consequences。　　Ever　since　that　time；　nothing　had　prospered　with　

him：　he　had　married　and　sunk　himself　lower；　and　though　he　had　an　

excellent　engagement；　the　days　were　past　when　he　was　the　fashion；　and　

his　gains　and　his　triumphs　were　not　what　they　had　been。　　He　had　a　long　

list　of　disappointments　and　jealousies　with　which　to　entertain　Guy；　

who；　on　his　side；　though　resolved　to　like　him；　and　dreading　to　be　too　

refined　to　be　friends　with　his　relations；　could　not　feel　as　thoroughly　

pleased　as　he　intended　to　have　been。



Music　was；　however；　a　subject　on　which　they　could　meet　with　equal　

enthusiasm；　and　by　means　of　this；　together　with　the　aid　of　his　own　

imagination；　Guy　contrived　to　be　very　happy。　　He　stayed　with　his　uncle　

as　long　as　he　could；　and　promised　to　spend　a　day　with　him　in　London；　on　

his　way　to　Oxford；　in　October。



The　next　morning；　when　Philip　knew　that　Guy　would　be　with　his　tutor；　he　

walked　to　Hollywell；　came　straight　up　to　his　aunt's　dressing…room；　

asked　her　to　send　Charlotte　down　to　practise；　and；　seating　himself　

opposite　to　her；　began



'What　do　you　mean　to　do　about　this　unfortunate　rencontre？'



'Do　you　mean　Guy　and　his　uncle？　　He　is　very　much　pleased；　poor　boy！　　I　

like　his　entire　freedom　from　false　shame。'



'A　little　true　shame　would　be　hardly　misplaced　about　such　a　

connection。'



'It　is　not　his　fault；　and　I　hope　it　will　not　be　his　misfortune；'　said　

Mrs。　Edmonstone。



'That　it　will　certainly　be；'　replied　Philip；　'if　we　are　not　on　our　

guard；　and；　indeed；　if　we　are；　there　is　little　to　be　done　with　one　so　

wilful。　　I　might　as　well　have　interfered　with　the　course　of　a　

whirlwind。'



'No；　no；　Philip；　he　is　too　candid　to　be　wilful。'



'I　cannot　be　of　your　opinion；　when　I　have　seen　him　rushing　into　this　

acquaintance　in　spite　of　the　warnings　he　must　have　had　hereto　say　

nothing　of　myself。'



'Nay；　there　I　must　defend　him；　though　you　will　think　me　very　unwise；　I　

could　not　feel　that　I　ought　to　withhold　him　from　taking　some　notice　of　

so　near　a　relation。'



Philip　did　think　her　so　unwise；　that　he　could　only　reply；　gravely



'We　must　hope　it　may　produce　no　evil　effects。'



'How？'　she　exclaimed；　much　alarmed。　　'Have　you　heard　anything　against　

him？'



'You　remember；　of　course；　that　Guy's　father　was　regularly　the　victim　of　

this　Dixon。'



'Yes；　yes；　hut　he　has　had　enough　to　sober　him。　　Do　you　know　nothing　

more？'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　growing　nervously　anxious　lest　she　had　

been　doing　wrong　in　her　husband's　absence。



'I　have　been　inquiring　about　him　from　old　Redford；　and　I　should　judge　

him　to　be　a　most　dangerous　companion；　as；　indeed；　I　could　have　told　

from　his　whole　air；　which　is　completely　that　of　a　roué。'



'You　have　seen　him；　then？'



'Yes。　　He　paid　me　the　compliment　of　taking　me　for　Sir　Guy；　and　of　

course　made　off　in　dismay　when　he　discovered　on　whom　he　had　fallen。　　I　

have　seldom　seen　a　less　creditable…looking　individual。'



'But　what　did　Mr。　Redford　say？　　Did　he　know　of　the　connection？'



'No；　I　am　happy　to　say　he　did　not。　　The　fellow　has　decency　enough　not　

to　boast　of　that。　　Well；　Redford　did　not　know　much　of　him　personally：　

he　said　he　had　once　been　much　thought　of；　and　had　considerable　talent　

and　execution；　but　taste　changes；　or　he　has　lost　something；　so　that；　

though　he　stands　tolerably　high　in　his　profession；　he　is　not　a　leader。　　

So　much　for　his　musical　reputation。　　As　to　his　character；　he　is　one　of　

those　people　who　are　called　no　one's　enemy　but　their　own；　exactly　the　

introduction　Guy　has　hitherto　happily　wanted　to　every　sort　of　

mischief。'



'I　think；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　trying　to　console　herself；　'that　Guy　

is　too　much　afraid　of　small　faults　to　be　invited　by　larger　evils。　　

While　he　punishes　himself　for　an　idle　word；　he　is　not　likely　to　go　

wrong　in　greater　matters。'



'Not　at　present。'



'Is　the　man　in　debt　or　difficulties？　　Guy　heard　nothing　of　that；　and　I　

thought　it　a　good　sign。'



'I　don't　suppose　he　is。　　He　ought　not；　for　he　has　a　fixed　salary；　

besides　what　he　gets　by　playing　at　concerts　when　it　is　not　the　London　

season。　　The　wasting　money　on　a　spendthrift　relation　would　be　a　far　

less　evil　than　what　I　apprehend。'



'I　wish　I　knew　what　to　do！　　It　is　very　unlucky　that　your　uncle　is　from　

home。'



'Very。'



Mrs。　Edmonstone　was　frightened　by　the　sense　of　responsibility；　and　was　

only　anxious　to　catch　hold　of　something　to　direct　her。



'What　would　you　have　me　do？'　she　asked；　hopelessly。



'Speak　seriously　to　Guy。　　He　must　attend　to　you：　he　cannot　fly　out　with　

a　woman　as　he　does　with　me。　　Show　him　the　evils　that　must　result　from　

such　an　intimacy。　　If　Dixon　was　in　distress；　I　would　not　say　a　word；　

for　he　would　be　bound　to　assist　him　but　as　it　is；　the　acquaintance　can　

serve　no　purpose　but　degrading　Guy；　and　showing　him　the　way　to　evil。　　

Above　all；　make　a　point　of　his　giving　up　visiting　him　in　London。　　That　

is　the　sure　road　to　evil。　　A　youth　of　his　age；　under　the　conduct　of　a　

worn…out　roué；　connected　with　the　theatres！　　I　can　hardly　imagine　

anything　more　mischievous。'



'Yes；　yes；　I　will　speak　to　him；'　said　Mrs。　Edmonstone；　perfectly　

appalled。



She　promised；　but　she　found　the　fulfilment　difficult；　in　her　dislike　of　

vexing　Guy；　her　fear　of　saying　what　was　wrong；　and　a　doubt　whether　the　

appearance　of　persecuting　Mr。　Dixon　was　not　the　very　way　to　prevent　

Guy's　own　good　sense　from　finding　out　his　true　character；　so　she　

waited；　hoping　Mr。　Edmonstone　might　return　before　Guy　went　to　Oxford；　

or　that　he　might　write　decisively。



Mrs。　Edmonstone　might　have　known　her　husband　better　than　to　expect　him　

to　write　decisively　when　he　had　neither　herself　nor　Philip　at　his　

elbow。　　The　same　post　had　brought　him　a　letter　from　Guy；　mentioning　his　

meeting　with　his　uncle；　and　frankly　explaining　his　plans　for　London；　

another　from　Philip；　calling　on　him　to　use　all　his　authority　to　prevent　

this　intercourse；　and　a　third　from　his　wife。　　Bewildered　between　them；　

he　took　them　to　his　sister；　who；　being　as　puzzle…headed　as　himself；　and　

only　hearing　his　involved　history　of　the　affair；　confused　him　still　

more；　so　he　wrote　to　Philip；　saying　he　was　sorry　the　fellow　had　turned　

up；　but　he　would　guard　against　him。　　He　told　Guy　he　was　sorry　to　say　

that　his　uncle　used　to　be　a　sad　scamp；　and　he　must　take　care；　or　it　

would　be　his　poor　father's　story　over　again；　and　to　Mrs。　Edmonstone　he　

wrote　that　it　was　very　odd　that　everything　always　did　go　wrong　when　he　

was　away。



He　thought　these　letters　a　great　achievement；　but　his　wife's　perplexity　

was　not　materially　relieved。



After　considering　a　good　while；　she　at　length　spoke　to　Guy；　but　it　was　

not　at　a　happy　time；　for　Philip；　despairing　of　her；　had　just　taken　on　

himself　to　remonstrate；　and　had　angered　him　to　the　verge　of　an　

outbreak。



Mrs。　Edmonstone；　as　mildly　as　she　could；　urged　on　him　that　such　

intercourse　could　bring　him　little　satisfaction；　and　might　be　very　

inconvenient；　that　his　uncle　was　in　no　distress；　and　did　not　require　

assistance；　and　that　it　was　too　probable　that　in　seeking　him　out　he　

might　meet　with　persons　who　might　unsettle　his　principles；in　short；　

that　he　had　much　better　give　up　the　visit　to　London。



'This　is　Philip's　advice；'　said　Guy。



'It　is；　but'



Guy　looked　impatient；　and　she　paused。



'You　must　forgive　me；'　he　said；　'if　I　follow　my　own　judgment。　　If　Mr。　

Edmonstone　chose　to　lay　his　commands　on　me；　I　suppose　I　must　submit；　

but　I　cannot　see　that　I　am　bound　to　obey　Philip。'



'Not　to　obey；　certainly；　but　his　advice'



'He　is　prejudiced　and　unjust；'　said　Guy。



'I　don't　believe　that　my　uncle　would　attempt　to　lead　me　into　bad　

company；　and　surely　you　would　not　have　me　neglect　or　look　coldly　on　one　

who　was　so　much　attached　to　my　parents。　　If　he　is　not　a　gentleman；　and　

is　looked　down　on　by　the　world；　it　is　not　for　his　sister's　son　to　make　

him　conscious　of　it。'



'I　like　your　feelings；　Guy；　I　can　say　nothing　against　it；　but　that　I　am　

much　afraid　your　uncle　is　not　highly　principled。'



'You　have　only　Philip's　account　of　him。'



'You　are　resolved？'



'Yes。　　I　do　not　like　not　to　take　your　advice；　but　I　do　believe　this　is　

my　duty。　　I　do　not　think　my　determination　is　made　in　self…will；'　said　

Guy；　thoughtfully；　'I　cannot　think　that　I　ought　to　neglect　my　uncle；　

because　I　happen　to　have　been　born　in　a　different　station；　which　is　all　

I　have　heard　proved　against　him；'　he　added；　smiling。　　'You　will　forgive　

me；　will　you　not；　for　not　following　your　advice？　for　really　and　truly；　

if　you　will　let　me　say　so；　I　think　you　would　not　have　given　it　if　

Philip　had　not　been　talking　to　you。'