the heir of redclyffe-第65节

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invitation　to　him　to　come　to　his　rooms；　knowing；　as　he　must　have　done；　

what　would　be　the　result　of　his　inquiry。



Philip　was　conscious　that　it　would　have　been　kind　to　have　gone　to　say　

that；　so　far；　he　had　found　nothing　amiss；　but　he　did　not　like　giving　

Guy　this　passing　triumph。　　It　made　no　difference　in　his　real　opinion；　

and　why　renew　a　useless　discussion？　　He　persuaded　himself　that　he　had　

left　himself　no　time；　and　should　miss　the　train；　and　hastened　off　to　

the　station；　where　he　had　to　wait　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　consoling　

himself　with　reflecting



'After　all；　though　I　might　have　gone　to　him；　it　would　have　been　

useless。　　He　is　obstinate；　and　occasions　of　irritating　his　unfortunate　

temper　are　above　all　to　be　avoided。'



One　short　year　after；　what　would　not　Philip　have　given　for　that　quarter　

of　an　hour！



By　six　o'clock　he　was　at　St。　Mildred's；　greeted　with　delight　by　his　

sister；　and　with　cordiality　by　Dr。　Henley。　　They　were　both　proud　of　

him；　and　every　tender　feeling　his　sister　had　was　for　Philip；　her　pet；　

and　her　pupil　in　his　childhood；　and　her　most　valued　companion　and　

counsellor　through　her　early　womanhood。



She　had　a　picked　dinner…party　to　meet　him；　for　she　knew　the　doctor's　

conversation　was　not　exactly　the　thing　to　entertain　him　through　a　whole　

evening；　and　the　guests　might　well　think　they　had　never　seen　a　

handsomer　or　more　clever　brother　and　sister　than　Mrs。　Henley　and　

Captain　Morville。　　The　old　county　families；　if　they　did　wonder　at　her　

marriage；　were　always　glad　to　meet　her　brother；　and　it　was　a　great　

pleasure　to　him　to　see　old　friends。



Only　once　did　his　sister；　in　the　course　of　the　evening；　make　him　feel　

the　difference　of　their　sentiments；　and　that　was　about　Miss　Wellwood。　　

Philip　defended　her　warmly；　and　when　he　heard　that　there　was　a　plan　

getting　up　for　excluding　her　from　the　hospital；　he　expressed　strong　

disapprobation　at　the　time；　and　after　the　guests　were　gone；　spoke　upon　

the　subject　with　his　sister　and　her　husband。　　The　doctor　entered　into　

no　party　questions；　and　had　only　been　stirred　up　to　the　opposition　by　

his　wife；　he　owned　that　the　Miss　Wellwoods　had　done　a　great　deal　of　

good；　and　made　the　nurses　do　their　duty　better　than　he　had　ever　known；　

and　was　quite　ready　to　withdraw　his　opposition。　　Mrs。　Henley　argued　

about　opinions；　but　Philip　was　a　match　for　her　in　her　own　line；　and　the　

end　of　it　was；　that　though　she　would　not　allow　herself　to　be　convinced；　

and　shook　her　head　at　her　brother's　way　of　thinking；　he　knew　he　had　

prevailed；　and　that　Miss　Wellwood　would　be　unmolested。



There　was　not　another　person　in　the　world　to　whom　Margaret　would　have　

yielded；　and　it　served　to　restore　him　to　the　sense　of　universal　

dominion　which　had　been　a　little　shaken　by　his　conversation　with　Guy。



'Sir　Guy　was　a　great　deal　with　the　Wellwoods；'　said　Mrs。　Henley。



'Was　he；　indeed？'



'0；　you　need　not　think　of　_that_。　　It　would　be　too　absurd。　　The　

youngest　must　be　twice　his　age。'



'I　was　not　thinking　of　any　such　thing；'　said　Philip；　smiling；　as　he　

thought　of　the　very　different　course　Guy's　affections　had　taken。



'I　did　hear　he　was　to　marry　Lady　Eveleen　de　Courcy。　　Is　there　anything　

in　that　report？'



'No；　certainly　not。'



'I　should　pity　the　woman　who　married　him；　after　the　specimen　I　saw　of　

his　temper。'



'Poor　boy！'　said　Philip。



'Lady　Eveleen　has　been　a　great　deal　at　Hollywell；　has　she　not？　　I　

rather　wondered　my　aunt　should　like　to　have　her　there；　considering　all　

things。'



'What　things；　sister？'

　

'Considering　what　a　catch　he　would　be　for　one　of　the　Edmonstone　girls。'



'I　thought　you　had　just　been　pitying　the　woman　who　should　marry　him。　　

Perhaps　my　aunt　had　Lady　Eveleen　there　to　act　as　a　screen　for　her　own　

daughters。'



'That　our　good…natured　aunt　should　have　acted　with　such　ultra…

prudence！'　said　Margaret；　laughing　at　his　grave　ironical　tone。　　'Lady　

Eveleen　is　very　pretty；　is　she　not？　　A　mere　beauty；　I　believe？'



'Just　so；　she　is　much　admired；　but　Guy　is　certainly　not　inclined　to　

fall　in　love　with　her。'



'I　should　have　thought　him　the　very　man　to　fall　in　love　young；　like　his　

father。　　Do　you　think　there　is　any　chance　for　either　of　the　

Edmonstones？　　Laura's　beauty　he　spoke　of；　but　it　was　not　in　a　very　

lover…like　way。　　Do　you　admire　Laura　so　much？'



'She　is　very　pretty。'



'And　little　Amy？'



'She　is　a　mere　child；　and　will　hardly　ever　be　anything　more；　but　she　is　

a　very　good　little　amiable　thing。'



'I　wish　poor　Charles's　temper　was　improved。'



'So　do　I；　but　it　is　very　far　from　improvement　at　present；　in　

consequence　of　his　zeal　for　Guy。　　Guy　has　been　very　attentive　and　good　

natured　to　him；　and　has　quite　won　his　heart；　so　that　I　should　

positively　honour　him　for　his　championship　if　it　was　not　in　great　

degree　out　of　opposition　to　his　father　and　myself。　　To…morrow；　

Margaret；　you　must　give　me　some　guide　to　the　most　probable　quarters　for　

learning　anything　respecting　this　poor　boy's　follies。'



Mrs。　Henley　did　her　best　in　that　way；　and　Philip　followed　up　his　

inquiries　with　great　ardour；　but　still　unsuccessfully。　　Jack　White；　the　

hero　of　the　draft；　was　not　at　St。　Mildred's；　nor　likely　to　be　heard　of　

again　till　the　next　races；　and　whether　Sir　Guy　had　been　on　the　race…

ground　at　all　was　a　doubtful　point。　　Next；　Philip　walked　to　Stylehurst；　

to　call　on　Colonel　Harewood；　and　see　if　he　could　learn　anything　in　

conversation　with　him；　but　the　Colonel　did　not　seem　to　know　anything；　

and　his　sons　were　not　at　home。　　Young　Morville　was；　he　thought；　a　

spirited　lad；　very　good　natured；　he　had　been　out　shooting　once　or　twice　

with　Tom；　and　had　a　very　fine　spaniel。　　If　he　had　been　at　the　races；　

the　Colonel　did　not　know　it；　he　had　some　thoughts　of　asking　him　to　join　

their　party；　but　had　been　prevented。



This　was　no　reason；　thought　Philip；　why　Guy　might　not　have　been　with　

Tom　Harewood　without　the　Colonel's　knowledge。　　Tom　was　just　the　man　to　

lead　him　amongst　those　who　were　given　to　betting；　he　might　have　been　

drawn　in；　and；　perhaps；　he　had　given　some　pledge　of　payment　when　he　was　

of　age；　or；　possibly；　obtained　an　immediate　supply　of　money　from　the　

old　steward　at　Redclyffe；　who　was　devotedly　attached　to　him。　　If　so；　

Philip　trusted　to　be　able　to　detect　it　from　the　accounts；　on　the　other　

supposition；　there　was　no　hope　of　discovery。



The　conversation　with　Colonel　Harewood　kept　him　so　late　that　he　had　no　

time　for　going；　as　usual；　to　his　old　haunts；　at　Stylehurst；　nor　did　he　

feel　inclined　just　then　to　revive　the　saddening　reflections　they　

excited。　　He　spent　the　evening　in　talking　over　books　with　his　sister；　

and　the　next　day　proceeded　on　his　journey　to　Thorndale　Park。



This　was　one　of　the　places　where　he　was　always　the　most　welcome；　ever　

since　he　had　been　a　school…boy；　received　in　a　way　especially　

flattering；　considering　that　the　friendship　was　entirely　owing　to　the　

uncompromising　good　sense　and　real　kindness　with　which　he　had　kept　in　

order　the　follies　of　his　former　fag。



Charles　might　laugh；　and　call　them　the　young　man　and　young　man's　

companion；　and　Guy　more　classically　term　them　the　pious　Aeneas　and　his　

fidus　Achates；　but　it　was　a　friendship　that　did　honour　to　both；　and　the　

value　that　the　Thorndales　set　upon　Captain　Morville　was　not　misplaced；　

and　scarcely　over…rated。　　Not　particularly　clever　themselves；　they　the　

more　highly　appreciated　his　endowments；　and　were　proud　that　James　had　

been　able　to　make　such　a　friend；　for　they　knew；　as　well　as　the　rest　of　

the　world；　that　Captain　Morville　was　far　from　seeking　the　acquaintance　

for　the　sake　of　their　situation　in　life；　but　that　it　was　from　real　

liking　and　esteem。　　How　far　this　esteem　was　gained　by　the　deference　the　

whole　family　paid　to　his　opinion；　was　another　question；　at　any　rate；　

the　courting　was　from　them。



The　Miss　Thorndales　deemed　Captain　Morville　the　supreme　authority　in　

drawing；　literature；　and　ecclesiastical　architecture；　and　whenever　a　

person　came　in　their　way　who　was　thought　handsome；　always　pronounced　

that　he　was　not　by　any　means　equal　to　James's　friend。　　Lady　Thorndale　

delighted　to　talk　over　James　with　him；　and　thank　him　for　his　kindness；　

and　Lord　Thorndale；　rather　a　pompous　man　himself；　liked　his　somewhat　

stately　manners；　and　talked　politics　with　him；　sincerely　wishing　he　was　

his　neighbour　at　Redclyffe；　and　calculating　how　much　good　he　would　do　

there。　　Philip　listened　with　interest　to　accounts　of　how　the　Thorndale　

and　Morville　influence　had　always　divided　the　borough　of　Moorworth；　

and；　if　united；　might　dispose　of　it　at　will；　and　returned　evasive　

answers　to　questions　what　the　young　heir　of　Redclyffe　might　be　likely　

to　do。



James　Thorndale　drove　his　friend　to　Redclyffe；　as　Philip　had　authority　

from　Mr。　Edmonstone　to　transact　any　business　that　might　be　required　

with　Markham；　the　steward；　and；　as　has　been　said　before；　he　ex