the queen of hearts-第2章

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Imagine　such　a　place　of　abode　as　this；　and　such　inhabitants　of　it
as　ourselves；　and　them　picture　the　descent　among　usas　of　a
goddess　dropping　from　the　cloudsof　a　lively；　handsome；
fashionable　young　ladya　bright；　gay；　butterfly　creature；　used
to　flutter　away　its　existence　in　the　broad　sunshine　of　perpetual
gayetya　child　of　the　new　generation；　with　all　the　modern　ideas
whirling　together　in　her　pretty　head；　and　all　the　modern
accomplishments　at　the　tips　of　her　delicate　fingers。　Imagine　such
a　light…hearted　daughter　of　Eve　as　this；　the　spoiled　darling　of
society；　the　charming　spendthrift　of　Nature's　choicest　treasures
of　beauty　and　youth；　suddenly　flashing　into　the　dim　life　of　three
weary　old　mensuddenly　dropped　into　the　place；　of　all　others；
which　is　least　fit　for　hersuddenly　shut　out　from　the　world　in
the　lonely　quiet　of　the　loneliest　home　in　England。　Realize；　if　it
be　possible；　all　that　is　most　whimsical　and　most　anomalous　in
such　a　situation　as　this；　and　the　startling　confession　contained
in　the　opening　sentence　of　these　pages　will　no　longer　excite　the
faintest　emotion　of　surprise。　Who　can　wonder　now；　when　our　bright
young　goddess　really　descended　on　us；　that　I　and　my　brothers　were
all　three　at　our　wits'　end　what　to　do　with　her！

CHAPTER　II。

OUR　DILEMMA。

WHO　is　the　young　lady？　And　how　did　she　find　her　way　into　The　Glen
Tower？

Her　name　（in　relation　to　which　I　shall　have　something　more　to　say
a　little　further　on）　is　Jessie　Yelverton。　She　is　an　orphan　and　an
only　child。　Her　mother　died　while　she　was　an　infant；　her　father
was　my　dear　and　valued　friend；　Major　Yelverton。　He　lived　long
enough　to　celebrate　his　darling's　seventh　birthday。　When　he　died
he　intrusted　his　authority　over　her　and　his　responsibility　toward
her　to　his　brother　and　to　me。

When　I　was　summoned　to　the　reading　of　the　major's　will；　I　knew
perfectly　well　that　I　should　hear　myself　appointed　guardian　and
executor　with　his　brother；　and　I　had　been　also　made　acquainted
with　my　lost　friend's　wishes　as　to　his　daughter's　education；　and
with　his　intentions　as　to　the　disposal　of　all　his　property　in　her
favor。　My　own　idea；　therefore；　was；　that　the　reading　of　the　will
would　inform　me　of　nothing　which　I　had　not　known　in　the
testator's　lifetime。　When　the　day　came　for　hearing　it；　however；　I
found　that　I　had　been　over　hasty　in　arriving　at　this　conclusion。
Toward　the　end　of　the　document　there　was　a　clause　inserted　which
took　me　entirely　by　surprise。

After　providing　for　the　education　of　Miss　Yelverton　under　the
direction　of　her　guardians；　and　for　her　residence；　under　ordinary
circumstances；　with　the　major's　sister；　Lady　Westwick；　the　clause
concluded　by　saddling　the　child's　future　inheritance　with　this
curious　condition：

From　the　period　of　her　leaving　school　to　the　period　of　her
reaching　the　age　of　twenty…one　years；　Miss　Yelverton　was　to　pass
not　less　than　six　consecutive　weeks　out　of　every　year　under　the
roof　of　one　of　her　two　guardians。　During　the　lives　of　both　of
them；　it　was　left　to　her　own　choice　to　say　which　of　the　two　she
would　prefer　to　live　with。　In　all　other　respects　the　condition
was　imperative。　If　she　forfeited　it；　excepting；　of　course；　the
case　of　the　deaths　of　both　her　guardians；　she　was　only　to　have　a
life…interest　in　the　property；　if　she　obeyed　it；　the　money　itself
was　to　become　her　own　possession　on　the　day　when　she　completed
her　twenty…first　year。

This　clause　in　the　will；　as　I　have　said；　took　me　at　first　by
surprise。　I　remembered　how　devotedly　Lady　Westwick　had　soothed
her　sister…in…law's　death…bed　sufferings；　and　how　tenderly　she
had　afterward　watched　over　the　welfare　of　the　little　motherless
childI　remembered　the　innumerable　claims　she　had　established　in
this　way　on　her　brother's　confidence　in　her　affection　for　his
orphan　daughter；　and　I　was；　therefore；　naturally　amazed　at　the
appearance　of　a　condition　in　his　will　which　seemed　to　show　a
positive　distrust　of　Lady　Westwick's　undivided　influence　over　the
character　and　conduct　of　her　niece。

A　few　words　from　my　fellow…guardian；　Mr。　Richard　Yelverton；　and　a
little　after…consideration　of　some　of　my　deceased　friend's
peculiarities　of　disposition　and　feeling；　to　which　I　had　not
hitherto　attached　sufficient　importance；　were　enough　to　make　me
understand　the　motives　by　which　he　had　been　influenced　in
providing　for　the　future　of　his　child。

Major　Yelverton　had　raised　himself　to　a　position　of　affluence　and
eminence　from　a　very　humble　origin。　He　was　the　son　of　a　small
farmer；　and　it　was　his　pride　never　to　forget　this　circumstance；
never　to　be　ashamed　of　it；　and　never　to　allow　the　prejudices　of
society　to　influence　his　own　settled　opinions　on　social　questions
in　general。

Acting；　in　all　that　related　to　his　intercourse　with　the　world；　on
such　principles　as　these；　the　major；　it　is　hardly　necessary　to
say；　held　some　strangely　heterodox　opinions　on　the　modern
education　of　girls；　and　on　the　evil　influence　of　society　over　the
characters　of　women　in　general。　Out　of　the　strength　of　those
opinions；　and　out　of　the　certainty　of　his　conviction　that　his
sister　did　not　share　them；　had　grown　that　condition　in　his　will
which　removed　his　daughter　from　the　influence　of　her　aunt　for　six
consec　utive　weeks　in　every　year。　Lady　Westwick　was　the　most
light…hearted；　the　most　generous；　the　most　impulsive　of　women；
capable；　when　any　serious　occasion　called　it　forth；　of　all　that
was　devoted　and　self…sacrificing；　but；　at　other　and　ordinary
times；　constitutionally　restless；　frivolous；　and　eager　for
perpetual　gayety。　Distrusting　the　sort　of　life　which　he　knew　his
daughter　would　lead　under　her　aunt's　roof；　and　at　the　same　time
gratefully　remembering　his　sister's　affectionate　devotion　toward
his　dying　wife　and　her　helpless　infant；　Major　Yelverton　had
attempted　to　make　a　compromise；　which；　while　it　allowed　Lady
Westwick　the　close　domestic　intercourse　with　her　niece　that　she
had　earned　by　innumerable　kind　offices；　should；　at　the　same　time；
place　the　young　girl　for　a　fixed　period　of　every　year　of　her
minority　under　the　corrective　care　of　two　such　quiet
old…fashioned　guardians　as　his　brother　and　myself。　Such　is　the
history　of　the　clause　in　the　will。　My　friend　little　thought；　when
he　dictated　it；　of　the　extraordinary　result　to　which　it　was　one
day　to　lead。

For　some　years；　however；　events　ran　on　smoothly　enough。　Little
Jessie　was　sent　to　an　excellent　school；　with　strict　instructions
to　the　mistress　to　make　a　good　girl　of　her；　and　not　a　fashionable
young　lady。　Although　she　was　reported　to　be　anything　but　a
pattern　pupil　in　respect　of　attention　to　her　lessons；　she　became
from　the　first　the　chosen　favorite　of　every　one　about　her。　The
very　offenses　which　she　committed　against　the　discipline　of　the
school　were　of　the　sort　which　provoke　a　smile　even　on　the　stern
countenance　of　authority　itself。　One　of　these　quaint　freaks　of
mischief　may　not　inappropriately　be　mentioned　here；　inasmuch　as
it　gained　her　the　pretty　nickname　under　which　she　will　be　found
to　appear　occasionally　in　these　pages。

On　a　certain　autumn　night　shortly　after　the　Midsummer　vacation；
the　mistress　of　the　school　fancied　she　saw　a　light　under　the　door
of　the　bedroom　occupied　by　Jessie　and　three　other　girls。　It　was
then　close　on　midnight；　and；　fearing　that　some　case　of　sudden
illness　might　have　happened；　she　hastened　into　the　room。　On
opening　the　door；　she　discovered；　to　her　horror　and　amazement；
that　all　four　girls　were　out　of　bedwere　dressed　in
brilliantly…fantastic　costumes；　representing　the　four　grotesque
〃Queens〃　of　Hearts；　Diamonds；　Spades；　and　Clubs；　familiar　to　us
all　on　the　pack　of　cardsand　were　dancing　a　quadrille；　in　which
Jessie　sustained　the　character　of　The　Queen　of　Hearts。　The　next
morning's　investigation　disclosed　that　Miss　Yelverton　had
smuggled　the　dresses　into　the　school；　and　had　amused　herself　by
giving　an　impromptu　fancy　ball　to　her　companions；　in　imitation　of
an　entertainment　of　the　same　kind　at　which　she　had　figured　in　a
〃court…card〃　quadrille　at　her　aunt's　country　house。

The　dresses　were　instantly　confiscated　and　the　necessary
punishment　promptly　administered；　but　the　remembrance　of　Jessie's
extraordinary　outrage　on　bedroom　discipline　lasted　long　enough　to
become　one　of　the　traditions　of　the　school；　and　she　and　her
sister…culprits　were　thenceforth　hailed　as　the　〃queens〃　of　the
four　〃suites〃　by　their　class…companions　whenever　the　mistress's
back　was　turned；　Whatever　might　have　become　of　the　nicknames　thus
employed　in　relation　to　the　other　three　girls；　such　a　mock　title
as　The　Queen　of　Hearts　was　too　appropriately　descriptive　of　the
natural　charm　of　Jessie's　character；　as　well　as　of　the　adventure
in　which　she　had　taken　the　lead；　not　to　rise　naturally　to　the
lips　of　every　one　who　knew　her。　It　followed　her　to　her　aunt's
houseit　came　to　be　as　habitually　and　familiarly　connected　with
her；　among　her　friends　of　all　ages；　as　if　it　had　been　formally
inscribed　on　her　baptismal　register；　and　it　has　stolen　its　way
into　these　pages　because　it　falls　from　my　pen　naturally　and
inevitably；　exactly　as　it　often　falls　from　my　lips　in　real　life。

When　Jessie　left　school　the　first　difficulty　presented　itselfin
other　words；　the　necessity　arose　of　fulfilling　the　conditions　of
the　will。　At　that　time　I　was　already　settled　at　The　Glen　Tower；
and　her　living　six　weeks　in　our　dismal　solitude　and　our　humdrum
society　was；　as　she　herself　frankly　wrote　me　word；　quite　out　of
the　question。　Fortunately；　she　had　always　got　on　well　with　her
uncle　and　his　family；　so　she　exerted　her　liberty　of　choice；　and；
much　to　her　own　relief　and　to　mine　also；　passed　her　regular　six
weeks　of　probation；　year　after　year；　under　Mr。　Richard
Yelverton's　roof。

During　this　period　I　heard　of　her　regularly；　sometimes　from　my
fellow…guardian；　sometimes　from　my　son　George；　who；　whenever　his
military　duties　allowed　him　the　opportunity；　contrived　to　see
her；　now　at　her　aunt's　house；　and　now　at　Mr。　Yelverton's。　The
particulars　of　her　character　and　conduct；　which　I　gleaned　in　this
way；　more　than　sufficed　to　convince　me　that　the　poor　major's　plan
for　the　careful　training　of　his　daughter's　disposition；　though
plausible　enough　in　theory；　was　little　better　than　a　total
failure　in　practice。　Miss　Jessie；　to　use　the　expressive　common
phrase；　took　after　her　aunt。　She　was　as　generous；　as　impulsive；
as　light…hearted；　as　fond　of　change；　and　gayety；　and　fine
clothesin　short；　as　complete　and　genuine　a　woman　as　Lady
Westwick　herself。　It　was　impossible　to　reform　the　〃Queen　of
Hearts；〃　and　equally　impossible　not　to　love　her。　Such；　in　few
words；　was　my　fellow…guardian's　report　of　his　experience　of　our
handsome　young　ward。

So　the　time　passed　till　the　year　came　of　which　I　am　now
writingthe　ever…memorable　year；　to　England；　of　the　Russian　war。
It　happened　that　I　had　heard　less　than　usual　at　this　period；　and
indeed　for　many　months　before　it；　of　Jessie　and　her　proceedings。
My　son　had　been　ordered　out　with　his　regiment　to　the　Crimea　in
1854；　and　had　other　work　in　hand　now　than　recording　the　sayings
and　doings　of　a　young　lady。　Mr。　Richard　Yelverton；　who　had　been
hitherto　used　to　write　to　me　with　tolerable　regularity；　seemed
now；　for　some　reason　that　I　could　not　conjecture；　to　have
forgott