elinor wyllys-2-第55章

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〃She　is　much　more　calm　than　she　was　yesterday；　more　like　herself；　more　resigned；　thinking　again　of　others；　attending　to　Mrs。　Hubbard；　she　seems　already　to　have　found　some　consoling　thoughts。〃

〃It　seems；　indeed；〃　said　Harry；　〃as　if　Hubbard's　memory　would　furnish　consolation　to　his　friends　by　the　very　greatness　of　their　loss；　his　character；　his　conduct；　were　always　so　excellent；　the　best　consolation　for　Miss　Patsey。〃

〃It　is　touching　to　see　that　excellent　woman's　deep　affection　for　one；　so　different　from　herself　in　many　respects；〃　observed　Mr。　Wyllys。

〃Fraternal　affection　is　a　very　strong　tie；〃　said　Miss　Agnes　gently。

She　might　have　added　that　it　is　one　of　the　most　honourable　to　the　human　heart；　as　it　is　peculiar　to　our　race。　Other　natural　affections；　even　the　best；　may　be　partially　traced　among　the　inferior　beings　of　creation；　something　of　the　conjugal；　paternal；　and　filial　attachment　may　be　roused　for　a　moment　in　most　living　creatures；　but　fraternal　affection　is　known　to　man　alone；　and　would　seem　in　its　perfect　disinterestedness；　almost　worthy　to　pass　unchanged　to　a　higher　sphere。

〃I　have　often　thought；〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys；　〃that　the　affection　of　an　unmarried　sister　for　a　brother　or　a　sister；　whose　chief　interests　and　affections　belong　by　right　to　another；　if　not　the　most　tender；　is　surely　the　most　purely　disinterested　and　generous　which　the　human　heart　can　know：　and　single　women　probably　feel　the　tie　more　strongly　than　others。〃

Mr。　Wyllys　was　thinking　when　he　spoke；　of　his　daughter　Agnes　and　Patsey　Hubbard；　and　he　might　have　thought　of　hundreds　of　others　in　the　same　circumstances；　for　happily　such　instances　are　very　common。

〃I　have　never　had　either　brother　or　sister；　but　I　can　well　imagine　it　must　be　a　strong　tie；〃　said　Elinor。

〃I　flattered　myself　I　had　been　a　sort　of　brother　to　you　in　old　times；〃　said　Harry　smiling。

〃Your　romantic；　adopted　brothers；　Nelly；　are　not　good　for　much；〃　said　her　grandfather。　〃We　tried　the　experiment　with　Harry；　and　see　how　it　has　turned　out；　it　generally　proves　so；　either　too　much　or　too　little。　Don't　fancy　you　know　anything　about　plain；　honest；　brotherly　affection；〃　he　added；　smiling　kindly　on　his　granddaughter；　who　sat　by　his　side。

Probably　Harry　was　quite　as　well　satisfied　with　the　actual　state　of　things。

〃But　Charlie　was　also　a　son　to　Miss　Patsey；〃　he　added；　after　a　moment。

〃Yes；　he　had　been　almost　entirely　under　her　care　from　an　infant；〃　replied　Miss　Agnes。

〃Poor　Charlie！little　did　I　think　that　bright　young　head　would　be　laid　in　the　grave　before　mine！〃　said　Mr。　Wyllys。

A　moment's　pause　ensued。

〃Much　as　I　loved　Hubbard；　much　as　I　regret　his　loss；〃　said　Harry；　〃I　shall　always　think　of　him　with　a　melancholy　pleasure。〃

〃Excepting　his　loss；　there　does　not　seem　indeed　to　be　one　painful　reflection　connected　with　his　name；〃　observed　Miss　Agnes。

〃Cherish　his　memory　then　among　your　better　recollections；〃　added　Mr。　Wyllys；　to　Harry　and　Elinor。　〃And　an　old　man　can　tell　you　the　full　value　of　happy　recollections；　you　will　find　one　day　the　blessing　of　such　treasures　of　memory。〃

〃It　is　a　legacy；　however；　which　the　good　alone　can　leave　their　friends；〃　said　Miss　Agnes。

And　so　it　proved；　indeed；　after　the　first　severe　grief　of　the　sudden　bereavement　had　passed　away；　the　young　man　was　remembered　among　his　friends　with　a　peculiar　tenderness；　connected　with　his　youth；　his　genius；　his　excellent　character；　his　blameless　life；　and　early　death。　Life　had　been　but　a　morning　to　Charlie　Hubbard；　but　it　was　a　glowing　summer　morning；　its　hours　had　not　been　wasted；　abused；　misspent；　brief　as　they　were；　yet　in　passing　they　had　brought　blessings　to　himself；　to　his　fellow…beings；　and　they　had　left　to　those　who　loved　him　the　best　consolations　of　memory。



CHAPTER　XXIII。　｛XLVI｝

〃Is　not　true　love　of　higher　price　Than　outward　form；　though　fair　to　see？〃　COLERIDGE。

｛Samuel　Taylor　Coleridge　（English　poet；　1772…1834）；　〃Separation〃　lines　9…10｝

HARRY　had　a　busy　autumn　that　year。　He　had　two　important　objects　in　view；　and　within　a　few　weeks　he　succeeded　in　accomplishing　both。　He　was　very　desirous；　now　all　difficulties　were　removed；　that　his　marriage　with　Elinor　should　not　be　deferred　any　longer　than　was　absolutely　necessary。

〃There　cannot　be　the　shadow　of　a　reason；　love；　for　waiting；〃　he　said　to　her　within　a　few　days　of　the　explanation。　〃Remember；　it　is　now　six　years　since　you　first　promised　to　become　my　wifesince　we　were　first　engaged。〃

〃Six　years；　off　and　on；〃　said　Elinor　smiling。

〃Not　really　off　more　than　a　moment。〃

Elinor　shook　her　head　and　smiled。

〃No；　not　really　off　more　than　a　very　short　time。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Elinor　archly；　〃but　don't　you　think　the　less　we　say　about　that　second　year　the　better？　Perhaps　the　third　and　the　fourth　too。〃

〃No　indeed；　I　have　been　thinking　it　all　over；　and　in　the　first　place　there　has　not　been　a　moment　in　those　six　years　when　I　have　not　loved　you；　though　to　my　bitter　mortification　I　confess；　there　was　also　a　moment　when　I　was　IN　LOVE　with　another；　but　it　was　a　very　short　moment；　and　a　very　disagreeable　one　to　remember。　No；　I　wish　you　to　look　well　into　those　six　years；　for　I　honestly　think　they　will　appear　more　to　my　credit　than　you　are　at　all　aware　of。　I　shan't　be　satisfied　until　we　have　talked　them　over　again；　my　part　at　least；　I　don't　know　that　you　will　submit　to　the　same　examination。〃

〃Oh；　you　have　already　heard　all　I　have　to　say；〃　she　replied；　blushing　deeply；　〃I　shan't　allude　to　my　part　of　the　story　again　this　long　while。〃

Nevertheless；　Harry　soon　succeeded　in　obtaining　her　consent　to　be　married　within　six　weeks；　in　fact　she　made　but　few　objections　to　the　arrangement；　although　she　would　have　preferred　waiting　longer；　on　account　of　the　recent　afflictions　of　Jane　and　the　Hubbards。

The　important　day　soon　arrived；　and　the　wedding　took　place　at　Wyllys…Roof。　A　number　of　friends　and　relatives　of　both　parties　were　collected　for　the　occasion；　Mrs。　Stanley；　Robert　Hazlehurst　and　his　wife；　the　late　Mrs。　George　Wyllys　and　her　new　husband；　or　as　Harry　called　them；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Uncle　Dozie；　the　Van　Hornes；　de　Vauxes；　Bernards；　and　others。　Mary　Van　Alstyne　was　bridesmaid；　and　Hubert　de　Vaux　groomsman。　The　ceremony　which　at　length　united　our　two　young　friends；　was　impressively　performed　by　the　clergyman　of　the　parish　to　which　the　Wyllyses　belonged；　and　it　may　be　doubted　whether　there　were　another　couple　married　that　day；　in　the　whole　wide　world；　whose　feelings　as　they　took　the　solemn　vows　were　more　true；　more　honourable　to　their　natures；　than　those　of　Harry　and　Elinor。

Talking　of　vows；　it　was　remarked　by　the　spectators　that　the　groom　made　his　promises　and　engagements　in　a　more　decided　tone　of　voice；　a　less　embarrassed　manner　than　usual；　for；　strange　to　say；　your　grooms；　happy　men；　are　often　awkward；　miserable　swains　enough　in　appearance；　though　it　would　be　uncharitable　in　the　extreme；　not　to　suppose　them　always　abounding　in　internal　felicity。　There　was　also　another　observation　made　by　several　of　the　wedding…guests；　friends　of　Harry；　who　were　then　at　Wyllys…Roof　for　the　first　time；　and　it　becomes　our　duty　to　record　the　remark；　since　it　related　to　no　less　a　person　than　the　bride；　it　was　observed　that　she　was　not　as　pretty　as　a　bride　should　be。

〃Mrs。　Harry　Hazlehurst　is　no　beauty；　certainly；〃　said　Albert　Dangler　to　Orlando　Flyrter。

〃No　beauty！　She　is　downright　uglyI穡onder　at　Hazlehurst's　taste！〃

Unfortunately　for　Elinor；　the　days　are　past　when　benevolent　fairies　arrive　just　at　the　important　moment；　and　by　a　tap　of　the　wand　or　a　phial　of　elixir；　change　the　coarsest　features；　the　most　unfavourable　complexion；　into　a　dazzling　image　of　everything　most　lovely；　most　beautiful。　Nor　had　she　the　good　luck　of　certain　young　ladies　of　whom　one　reads　quite　often；　who　improve　so　astonishingly　in　personal　appearance　between　fifteen　and　twentygenerally　during　the　absence　of　the　herothat　they　are　not　to　be　recognized；　and　a　second　introduction　becomes　necessary。　No；　Elinor　was　no　nearer　to　being　a　beauty　when　Harry　returned　from　Brazil；　than　when　he　went　to　Paris；　she　was　just　as　plain　on　the　evening　of　her　wedding　as　she　was　six　years　before；　when　first　presented　to　the　reader's　notice。

Jane；　though　now　in　widow's　weeds；　was　just　as　beautiful　too；　as　when　we　first　saw　her；　she　was　present　at　her　cousin's　wedding；　as　Elinor　wished　her　to　be　there；　although　in　a　deep　mourning　dress。　Patsey　Hubbard　was　also　in　the　drawing…room　during　the　ceremony；　and　in　deep　black；　but　she　left　her　friends　as　soon　as　she　had　expressed　her　warmest　wishes　for　the　happiness　of　her　former　pupil：　she　wept　as　she　turned　from　the　house；　for　she　could　not　yet　see　that　well…known；　cheerful　circle　at　Wyllys…Roof；　without　missing　one　bright　young　face　from　the　group。

Among　those　who　had　declined　invitations　to　the　wedding；　were　Mr。　Ellsworth　and　Mrs。　Creighton；　although　both　had　expressed　many　good　wishes　for　the　affianced　couple；　the　gentleman　wrote　sincerely；　but　a　little　sadly　perhaps；　as　it　was　only　six　weeks　since　his　refusal；　the　lady　wrote　gracefully；　but　a　little　spitefully　it　is　believed；　since　it　was　now　generally　known　that　Harry　must　recover　entire　possession　of　his　fortune。

This　vexatious　affair　was；　in　fact；　finally　settled　about　the　time　of　Harry's　marriage；　and；　thanks　to　the　disclosures　of　Stebbins；　it　was　no　longer　a　difficult　matter　to　unravel　the　plot。　As　soon　as　William　Stanley's　representative；　or　in　other　words；　Hopgood；　found　that　Stebbins　had　betrayed　him；　he　ran　off；　but　was　arrested　shortly　after；　tried　and　convicted。　He　was　no　sooner　sentenced；　than　he　offered　to　answer　any　questions　that　might　be　asked；　for　he　was　anxious　that　his　accomplice；　Clappwho　had　also　taken　flight；　and　succeeded　in　eluding　all　pursuitshould　be　punished　as　well　as　himself。　It　appeared　that　his　resemblance　to　the　Stanleys　was　the　first　cause　of　his　taking　the　name　of　William　Stanley；　he　was　distantly　related　to　them　through　his　mother；　and；　as　we　may　often　observe；　the　family　likeness；　after　having　been　partially　lost　for　one　or　two　generations；　had　appeared　quite　strongly　again　in　himself；　and　as　usual；　the　peculiarities　of　the　resemblance　had　become　more　deeply　marked　as　he　grew　older。　Being　very　nearly　of　the　same　age；　and　of　the　same　pursuit　as　William　Stanley；　he　had　actually　been　taken　for　the　young　man　on　several　occasions。　He　had　been　in　the　same　lawyer's　office　as　Clapp；　whom　he　had　known　as　a　boy；　and　had　always　kept　up　some　intercourse　with　him；　meeting　him　one　day　accidentally；　he　related　the　fact　of　his　having　passed　himself　off　for　William　Stanley　by　way　of　a　joke。　〃The　sight　of　means　to　do　ill　deeds；　makes　deeds　ill　done：〃　Clapp　seemed　from　that　moment　to　have　first　taken　the　idea　of　the　plot；　he　gradually　disclosed　his　plan　to　Hopgood；　who　was　quick…witted；　a　good　mimic；　and　quite　clever　enough　for　the　purpose。　The　idea　was　repeatedly　abandoned；　then　resumed　again；　Hopgood　having　purposely　shipped　under　the　name　of　William　Stanley；　several　times；　and　practised　an　imitation　of　William　Stanley's　hand　by　way　of　an　experiment。　Finding　no　difficulties　in　these　first　steps；　they　gradually　grew　bolder；　collecting　information　about　the　Stanleys；　and　carefully　arranging　all　the　details。　Stebbins　had　frightened　them　on　one　occasion；　but　after　having　obtaine