第4章
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  Andso,wearywithpleasure,andheart-

  heavywithfeelingsthathadnolongeranyreasontoexist,palewithfatigue,untidywithcrush,theirprettywhitegownssulliedandpasse,eachwentherway;ineveryheartawonderwhetherthefewhilarioushoursofstrangeemotionswereworthalltheyclaimedastheirrightanddue。

  Ruthhadgonehomeearlier,andEthelfoundherrestinginherroom。\"Iamwornout,Ruth,\"washerfirstremark。\"Iamgoingtobedforthreeorfourdays。Itwasadreadfulordeal。\"

  \"Onetowhichyoumayhavetosubmit。\"

  \"Certainlynot。Mymarriagewillbeareligiousceremony,withhalfadozenofmynearestrelativesaswitnesses。\"

  \"InoticedFredslipawaybeforeDorawent。Helookedill。\"

  \"Idaresayheisill——andnowonder。

  Goodnight,Ruth。Iamgoingtosleep。Tellfatherallaboutthewedding。Idon’twanttohearitnamedagain——notaslongasIlive。\"

  CHAPTERVI

  THREEdayspassedandEthelhadregainedherhealthandspirits,butFredMostynhadnotcalledsincethewedding。Ruththoughtsomeinquiryoughttobemade,andJudgeRawdoncalledattheHollandHouse。TherehewastoldthatMr。Mostynhadnotbeenwell,andtheyoungman’scountenancepainfullyconfessedthesamething。

  \"MydearFred,whydidyounotsenduswordyouwereill?\"askedtheJudge。

  \"Ihadfever,sir,andIfeareditmightbetyphoid。Nothingofthekind,however。I

  shallbeallrightinadayortwo。\"

  Thetruthwasfarfromtyphoid,andFredknewit。Hehadlefttheweddingbreakfastbecausehehadreachedthelimitofhisendurance。Words,stingingaswhips,burnedlikehotcoalsinhismouth,andhefeltthathecouldnotrestrainthemmuchlonger。

  Hasteningtohishotel,helockedhimselfinhisrooms,andpassedthenightinafrenzyofpassion。Theveryremembranceofthebridegroom’sconfidenttransportputmur-

  derinhisheart——murderwhichhecouldonlypracticebyhiswishes,impotenttocompasstheirdesires。

  \"Iwishthefellowshot!Iwishhimhanged!Iwouldkillhimtwentytimesintwentydifferentways!AndDora!Dora!

  Dora!Whatdidsheseeinhim?Whatcouldshesee?Loveher?Heknowsnothingoflove——suchloveastorturesme。\"

  Backwardsandforwardshepacedthefloortosuchimprecationsandejaculationsaswelledupfromthewhirlpoolofrageinhisheart,hourfollowinghour,tillintheblacknessofhismiseryhecouldnolongerspeak。

  Hisbrainhadbecomestupefiedbytheiterationofinevitableloss,andsorefusedanylongertovoiceawoebeyondremedy。Thenhestoodstillandcalledwillandreasontocouncilhim。\"Thiswaymadnesslies,\"hethought。\"Imustbequiet——Imustsleep——

  Imustforget。\"

  Butitwasnotuntilthethirddaythatadismal,sullenstillnesssucceededthestormofrageandgrief,andheawokefromasleepofexhaustionfeelingasifhewerewitheredathisheart。Heknewthatlifehadtobetakenupagain,andthatinallitsfarceshemustplayhispart。AtfirstthethoughtofMostynHallpresenteditselfasanasylum。

  Itstoodamidthickwoods,andthereweremilesofwind-blownwoldsandhillsaroundit。Hewaslordandmasterthere,noonecouldintrudeuponhissorrow;hecouldnurseitinthoselonelyroomstohisheart’scontent。

  Everyday,however,thisgloomyresolutiongrewfainter,andonemorningheawokeandlaughedittoscorn。

  \"Frederick’shimselfagain,\"hequoted,\"andhemusthavebeenveryfaroffhimselfwhenhethoughtofgivinguporofrunningaway。No,FredMostyn,youwillstayhere。

  ’Tisacountrywheretheimpossibledoesnotexist,andtheunlikelyissuretohappen——acountrywheremarriageisnotforlifeordeath,andwheretheroadstodivorcearemanifoldandeasy。Thereareascoreofwaysandmeans。Iwillstayandthinkthemover;’twillbeoddifIcannotforceFatetochangehermind。\"

  AweekafterDora’smarriagehefoundhimselfabletowalkuptheavenuetotheRawdonhouse;buthearrivedtherewearyandwanenoughtoinstantlywinthesympathyofRuthandEthel,andhewasimmenselystrengthenedbythesenseofhomeandkindred,andofgenuinekindnesstowhichhefeltasortofright。HeaskedRuthifhemighteatdinnerwiththem。Hesaidhewashungry,andthehotelfaredidnottempthim。AndwhenJudgeRawdonreturnedhewelcomedhiminthesamegenerousspirit,andtheeveningpasseddelightfullyaway。Atitsclose,however,asMostynstoodglovedandhatted,andthecarriagewaitedforhim,hesaidafewwordstoJudgeRawdonwhichchangedthementalandsocialatmosphere。

  \"Iwishtohavealittletalkwithyou,sir,onabusinessmatterofsomeimportance。

  AtwhathourcanIseeyouto-morrow?\"

  \"Iamengagedalldayuntilthreeintheafternoon,Fred。SupposeIcallonyouaboutfourorhalf-past?\"

  \"Verywell,sir。\"

  ButbothEthelandRuthwonderedifitwas\"verywell。\"Ashadow,fleetingasthought,hadpassedoverJudgeRawdon’sfacewhenheheardtherequestforabusinessinterview,andaftertheyoungman’sdeparturehelosthimselfinareveriewhichwasevidentlynotahappyone。Buthesaidnothingtothegirls,andtheywerenotaccustomedtoquestionhim。

  Thenextmorning,insteadofgoingdirecttohisoffice,hestoppedatMadam,hismoth-

  er’shouseinGramercyPark。Avisitatsuchanearlyhourwasunusual,andtheoldladylookedathiminalarm。

  \"Wearewell,mother,\"hesaidassherose。\"Icalledtotalktoyouaboutalittlebusiness。\"WhereuponMadamsatdown,andbecamesuddenlyabouttwentyyearsyounger,for\"business\"wasawordlikeawatch-cry;shecalledallhersensestogetherwhenitwasutteredinherpresence。

  \"Business!\"sheejaculatedsharply。

  \"Whosebusiness?\"

  \"IthinkImaysaythebusinessofthewholefamily。\"

  \"Nay,Iamnotinit。MybusinessisjustasIwantit,andIamnotgoingtotalkaboutit——onewayortheother。\"

  \"IsnotRawdonCourtofsomeinteresttoyou?Ithasbeenthehomeandseatofthefamilyformanycenturies。Agoodmany。

  Mostynwomenhavebeenitsmistress。\"

  \"IneverheardofanyMostynwomanwhowouldnothavebeenfarhappierawayfromRawdonCourt。ItwasaCalvarytothemall。

  TherewaslittleNannieMostyn,whodiedwithherfirstbabybecauseSquireAnthonystruckherinadrunkenpassion;andtheproudAlethiaMostyn,whosufferedtwentyyears’martyrdomfromSquireJohn;andSara,whotookthirtythousandpoundstoSquireHubert,toflingawayatthegreentable;andHarriet,whowasmadebyherhusband,SquireHumphrey,tojumpafencewhenouthuntingwithhim,andwasbroughthomecrippledandscarredforlife——alovelygirloftwentywhowentthroughagoniesforelevenyearswithoutaughtofloveandhelp,anddiedalonewhilehewasfollowingafox;

  andtherewasprettyBarbaraMostyn————\"

  \"Come,come,mother。IdidnotcallherethismorningtoheartheRawdonsabused,andyouforgetyourownmarriage。Itwasahappyone,Iamsure。OneRawdon,atleast,mustbeexcepted;andIthinkItreatedmywifeasagoodhusbandoughttotreatawife。\"

  \"Notyou!YoutreatedMaryverybadly。\"

  \"Mother,notevenfromyou————\"

  \"I’llsayitagain。Thelittlegirlwasdyingforayearormore,andyouweresobusymakingmoneyyouneversawit。Ifshesaidorlookedalittlecomplaint,youmovedrestless-likeandtoldher`shemopedtoomuch。’AstheendcameIspoketoyou,andyoupooh-poohedallIsaid。Shewentsuddenly,Iknow,tomostpeople,butsheknewitwasherlastday,andshelongedsotoseeyou,thatIsentaservanttohurryyouhome,butshediedbeforeyoucouldmakeupyourmindtoleaveyour`cases。’SheandIwerealonewhenshewhisperedherlastmessageforyou——alovingone,too。\"

  \"Mother!Mother!Whyrecallthatbitterday?Ididnotthink——IswearIdidnotthink————\"

  \"Nevermindswearing。IwasjustremindingyouthattheRawdonshavenotbeenthefinestspecimensofgoodhusbands。Theymakelandlords,andjudges,andsoldiers,andevenloom-lordsofaveryrespectablesort;

  buthusbands!Lordhelptheirpoorwives!

  Soyousee,asaMostynwoman,IhavenospecialinterestinRawdonCourt。\"

  \"Youwouldnotlikeittogooutofthefamily?\"

  \"Ishouldnotworrymyselfifitdid。\"

  \"IsupposeyouknowFredMostynhasamortgageonitthatthepresentSquireisunabletolift。\"

  \"Aye,Fredtoldmehehadeightythousandpoundsontheoldplace。Itoldhimhewasafooltoputhismoneyonit。\"

  \"Oneofthefinestmanorsandmanor-

  housesinEngland,mother。\"

  \"Ihaveseenit。Iwasbornandbroughtupnearenoughtoit,Ithink。\"

  \"Eightythousandpoundsisabagatellefortheplace;yetifFredforcesasale,itmaygoforthat,orevenless。Ican’tbeartothinkofit。\"

  \"Whynotbuyityourself?\"

  \"Iwouldliftthemortgageto-morrowifI

  hadthemeans。Ihavenotatpresent。\"

  \"Well,Iaminthesamebox。YouhavejustspokenasiftheMostynsandRawdonshadanequalinterestinRawdonCourt。

  Verywell,then,itcannotbefarwrongforFredMostyntohaveit。ManyaMostynhasgonethereaswifeandslave。IwoulddearlyliketoseeoneMostyngoasmaster。\"

  \"Ishallgetnohelpfromyou,then,I

  understandthat。\"

  \"I’mMostynbybirth,I’monlyRawdonby,marriage。Thebirth-bandtiesmefasttomyfamily。\"

  \"Goodmorning,mother。Youhavefailedmeforthefirsttimeinyourlife。\"

  \"Ifthemoneyhadbeenforyou,Edward,oryours————\"

  \"Itis——good-by。\"

  Shecalledhimbackperemptorily,andhereturnedandstoodattheopendoor。

  \"Whydon’tyouaskEthel?\"

  \"IdidnotthinkIhadtheright,mother。\"

  \"MorerighttoaskherthanI。Seewhatshesays。She’sRawdon,everyinchofher。\"

  \"PerhapsImay。Ofcourse,Icansellsecurities,butitwouldbeatasacrificeagreatsacrificeatpresent。\"

  \"Ethelhasthecash;and,asIsaid,sheisRawdon——I’mnot。\"

  \"Iwishmyfatherwerealive。\"

  \"Hewouldn’tmoveme——youneedn’tthinkthat。WhatIhavesaidtoyouIwouldhavesaidtohim。SpeaktoEthel。I’llbeboundshe’lllistenifRawdoncallsher。\"

  \"Idon’tliketospeaktoEthel。\"

  \"Itisn’twhatyouliketodo,it’swhatyoufindyou’llhavetodo,thatcarriestheday;

  andagoodthing,too,considering。\"

  \"Goodmorning,again。Youarenotquiteyourself,Ithink。\"

  \"Well,Ididn’tsleeplastnight,sothere’snowonderifI’mabitcrossthismorning。

  ButifIlosemytemper,Ikeepmyunderstanding。\"

  Shewasreallycrossbythistime。Hersonhadputherinapositionshedidnotliketoassume。NoloveforRawdonCourtwasinherheart。ShewouldratherhaveadvancedthemoneytobuyanAmericanestate。ShehadbeenlittlepleasedatFred’smortgageontheoldplace,buttotheAmericanRawdonsshefeltitwouldproveawhiteelephant;andtheappealtoEthelwasadvisedbecauseshethoughtitwouldamounttonothing。Inthefirstplace,theJudgehadthestrictestideaofthesacrednessofthechargecommittedtohimasguardianofhisdaughter’sfortune。

  Inthesecond,EthelinheritedfromherYorkshireancestryanintensesenseofthevalueandobligationsofmoney。ShewasanardentAmerican,andnotlikelytospenditonanoldEnglishmanor;and,furthermore,Madam’spenetrationhaddiscoveredagrowingdislikeinhergranddaughterforFredMostyn。

  \"She’dneverabidehimforalifelongneighbor,\"theoldladydecided。\"ItistheRawdonprideinher。TheRawdonmenhavecondescendedtogotoMostynforwivesmanyandmanyatime,butneveroncehavetheMostynmenmarriedaRawdongirl——proud,set-upwomen,asfarasIremember;andEthelhasawaywithherjustlikethem。Fredisgoodenoughandniceenoughforanygirl,andIwonderwhatisthematterwithhim!

  Itisaweekandmoresincehewashere,andthenhewasn’tabitlikehimself。\"

  AtthismomentthebellrangandsheheardFred’svoiceinquiring\"ifMadamwasathome。\"Instantlyshedivinedthemotiveofhiscall。TheyoungmanhadcometotheconclusiontheJudgewouldtrytoinfluencehismother,andbeforemeetinghimintheafternoonhewishedtohavesomeideaofthetrendmatterswerelikelytotake。Hispolicy——cunning,Madamcalledit——didnotpleaseher。Sheimmediatelyassuredherselfthat\"shewouldn’tgoagainstherownfleshandbloodforanyone,\"andhiswanfaceandgeneralairofwretchednessfurtherantagonizedher。Sheaskedhimfretfully\"whathehadbeendoingtohimself,for,\"sheadded,\"it’smainlywhatwedotoourselvesthatmakesussick。WasitthateverlastingweddingoftheDenninggirl?\"

  Heflushedangrily,butansweredwithmuchofthesamedesiretoannoy,\"Isupposeitwas。Ifeltitverymuch。Dorawastheloveliestgirlinthecity。Therearenoneleftlikeher。\"

  \"ItwillbeagoodthingforNewYorkifthatisthecase。I’mnotonethatwantsthecitytomyself,butIcanspareDoraSTANHOPE,andfeelthebetterforit。\"

  \"ThemostbeautifulofGod’screatures!\"

  \"You’vesurelylostyoursightoryourjudgment,Fred。Sheisjustadusky-skinnedgirl,withbig,browneyes。Youcanpickhersortupbythethousandinanylargecity。

  Andawandering-hearted,giddycreature,too,thatwillspreadasshegoes,nodoubt。I’msorryforBasilStanhope,hedidn’tdeservesuchafate。\"

  \"Indeed,hedidnot!Itisbeyondmeasuretoogoodforhim。\"

  \"I’vealwaysheardthatafflictionisthesurestwaytoheaven。Dorawillleadhimthatroad,anditwillbemoresurethanpleasant。

  Poorfellow!He’llsoonbeasreadytocursehiswedding-dayasJobwastocursehisbirthday。Acostlywifeshewillbetokeep,andmiseryinthekeepingofher。ButifyoucametotalktomeaboutDoraSTANHOPE,I’llceasetalking,forIdon’tfinditanygreatentertainment。\"

  \"IcametotalktoyouaboutSquireRawdon。\"

  \"WhatabouttheSquire?KeepitinyourmindthatheandIweresweetheartswhenwewerechildren。Ihaven’tforgottenthatfact。\"

  \"YouknowRawdonCourtismortgagedtome?\"

  \"I’veheardyousayso——morethanonce。\"

  \"IintendtoforeclosethemortgageinSeptember。IfindthatIcangettwiceyes,threetimes——theinterestformymoneyinAmericansecurities。\"

  \"Howdoyouknowtheyaresecurities?\"

  \"BryceDenninghasputmeuptoseveralgoodthings。\"

  \"Well,ifyouthinkgoodthingscancomethatroad,youareabiggerfoolthanIeverthoughtyou。\"

  \"Fool!Madam,Iallownoonetocallmeafool,especiallywithoutreason。\"

  \"Reason,indeed!WhatreasonwasthereinyourdillydallyingafterDoraDenningwhenshewasengaged,andthenmakingyourselflikeaghostforheraftersheismarried?

  AsforthegoodthingsBryceDenningoffersyouinexchangeforagrandEnglishmanor,takethem,andthenifIcalledyounotfoolbefore,Iwillcallyoufoolinyourteethtwiceover,andmuchtoogoodforyou!Aye,I

  couldcallyouaworsenamewhenIthinkoftheoldSquire——he’stwoyearsolderthanI

  am——beingturnedoutofhislifelonghome。

  Whereishetogoto?\"

  \"IfIbuytheplace,forofcourseitwillhavetobesold,heiswelcometoremainatRawdonCourt。\"

  \"Andhewoulddeservetodoitifhewerethatlow-minded;butifIknowSquirePercival,hewillgotothepoor-housefirst。Fred,youwouldsurelyscornsuchadirtythingassellingtheoldmanoutofhouseandhome?\"

  \"Iwantmymoney,orelseIwantRawdonManor。\"

  \"AndIhavenoobjectionseithertoyourwantingitorhavingit,but,forgoodness’

  sake,waituntildeathgivesyouadecentwarrantforbuyingit。\"

  \"Iamafraidtodelay。TheSquirehasbeenverycoolwithmelately,andmyagenttellsmetheTyrrel-Rawdonshavebeenvisitinghim,alsothathehasaskedagreatmanyquestionsabouttheJudgeandEthel。Heisevidentlytryingtopreventmegettingpossession,andIknowthatoldNicholasRawdonwouldgivehiseyelidstoownRawdonCourt。AstotheJudge————\"

  \"Mysonwantsnoneofit。Youcanmakeyourmindeasyonthatscore。\"

  \"IthinkIbehavedverydecently,though,ofcourse,noonegivesmecreditforit;forassoonasIsawImustforecloseinordertogetmyownIthoughtatonceofEthel。ItseemedtomethatifwecouldloveeachotherthemoneyclaimsofMostynandtheinheritedclaimsofRawdonwouldbothbesatisfied。

  Unfortunately,IfoundthatIcouldnotloveEthelasawifeshouldbeloved。\"

  \"AndIcantellyou,Fred,thatEthelnevercouldhavelovedyouasahusbandshouldbeloved。Shewasagooddealdisappointedinyoufromtheveryfirst。\"

  \"IthoughtImadeafavorableimpressiononher。\"

  \"Inaway。Shesaidyouplayedthepianonicely;butEthelisallforhandsomemen,tall,erectsix-footers,withalittleswingandswaggertothem。Shethoughtyousmallandfinicky。ButEthel’srichenoughtohaveherfancy,Ihope。\"

  \"Itislittlematternowwhatshethought。

  Ican’tpleaseeveryone。\"

  \"No,it’sratherhardertodothatthanmostpeoplethinkitis。Iwouldpleasemyconsciencefirstofall,Fred。That’sthepointworthmentioning。AndIshalljustremindyouofonethingmore:yourmoneyallinalumponRawdonManorissafe。Itisinoneplace,andinsuchshapeasitcan’trunawaynorbesmuggledawaybyanyman’strickery。

  Now,then,turnyoureightythousandpoundsintodollars,anddividethemamongascoreofsecurities,andyou’llsoonfindoutthatafortunemaybeeasilysquanderedwhenitisinagreatmanyhands,andthatwhatlookssatisfactoryenoughwhenreckoneduponpaperdoesn’toftenrealizeinhardmoneytothesametune。I’vesaidallnowIamgoingtosay。\"

  \"Thankyoufortheadvicegivenme。I

  willtakeitasfarasIcan。ThisafternoontheJudgehaspromisedtotalkoverthebusinesswithme。\"

  \"TheJudgeneversawRawdonCourt,andhecaresnothingaboutit,buthecangiveyoucounselaboutthe`goodthings’BryceDenningoffersyou。Andyoumaysafelylistentoit,for,rightorwrong,Iseeplainlyitisyourownadviceyouwilltakeinthelongrun。\"

  MostynlaughedpleasantlyandwentbacktohishoteltothinkoverthefactsgleanedfromhisconversationwithMadam。Inthefirstplace,heunderstoodthatanyovertactagainstSquireRawdonwouldbedeeplyresentedbyhisAmericanrelatives。Butthenheremindedhimselfthathisownrelationshipwiththemwasmerelysentiment。Hehadnownothingtohopeforinthewayofmoney。Madam’sapparentlyspontaneousandtruthfulassertion,thattheJudgecarednothingforRawdonCourt,was,however,verysatisfactorytohim。Hehadbeenfoolishenoughtothinkthatthethinghedesiredsopassionatelywasofequalvalueintheestimationofothers。Hesawnowthathewaswrong,andhethenrememberedthathehadneverfoundJudgeRawdontoevinceeitherinterestorcuriosityaboutthefamilyhome。

  Ifhehadbeenakeenobserver,theJudge’sfacewhenhecalledmighthavegivenhiscomfortablefeelingssomepause。Itwascontracted,subtle,intricate,buthecameforwardwithacongratulationonMostyn’simprovedappearance。\"Afewweeksattheseasidewoulddoyougood,\"headded,andMostynanswered,\"IthinkofgoingtoNewportforamonth。\"

  \"Andthen?\"

  \"Iwantyouropinionaboutthat。McLeanadvisesmetoseethecountry——togotoChicago,St。Louis,Denver,crosstheRockies,andontoCalifornia。Itseemsasifthatwouldbeagrandsummerprogramme。ButmylawyerwritesmethatthemaninchargeatMostyniscuttingtoomuchtimberandisgenerallytooextravagant。ThenthereisthequestionofRawdonCourt。Myfinanceswillnotletmecarrythemortgageonitlonger,unlessIbuytheplace。\"

  \"Areyouthinkingofthatasprobable?\"

  \"Yes。Itwillhavetobesold。AndMostynseemstobethenaturalownerafterRawdon。

  TheMostynshavemarriedRawdonssofrequentlythatwearealmostlikeonefamily,andRawdonCourtlies,asitwere,atMostyn’sgate。TheSquireisnowold,andtooeasilypersuadedforhisownwelfare,andIheartheTyrrel-Rawdonshavebeenvisitinghim。Suchathingwouldhavebeenincredibleafewyearsago。\"

  \"WhoaretheTyrrel-Rawdons?Ihavenoacquaintancewiththem。\"

  \"TheyarethedescendantsofthatTyrrel-

  Rawdonwhoacenturyagomarriedahandsomegirlwhowasonlyaninnkeeper’sdaughter。Hewasofcoursedisownedanddisinherited,andhischildrensanktothelowestsocialgrade。Thenwhenpower-loomweavingwasintroducedtheywenttothemills,andoneofthemwascleverandsavedmoneyandbuiltalittlemillofhisown,andhissonbuiltamuchlargerone,andmadeagreatdealofmoney,andbecameMayorofLeeds。ThenextgenerationsawtheTyrrel-

  Rawdonsthelargestloom-lordsinYorkshire。

  Oneoftheyoungestgenerationwasmyopponentinthelastelectionandbeatme——aRadicalfellowbeatstheConservativecandidatealwayswhereweaversandspinnersholdthevotebutIthoughtitmydutytoupholdtheMostynbanner。YouknowtheMostynshavealwaysbeenToriesandConservatives。\"

  \"Excuseme,butIamafraidIamignorantconcerningMostynpolitics。ItakelittleinterestintheEnglishparties。\"

  \"Naturally。Well,IhopeyouwilltakeaninterestinmyaffairsandgivemeyouradviceaboutthesaleofRawdonCourt。\"

  \"Ithinkmyadvicewouldbeuseless。Inthefirstplace,IneversawtheCourt。Myfatherhadanoldpictureofit,whichhassomehowdisappearedsincehisdeath,butI

  cannotsaythateventhispictureinterestedmeatall。YouknowIamanAmerican,bornonthesoil,andveryproudofit。Then,asyouareacquaintedwithalltheinsandoutsofthedifficultiesandembarrassments,andI

  knownothingatallaboutthem,youwouldhardlybefoolishenoughtotakemyopinionagainstyourown。IsupposetheSquireisinfavorofyourbuyingtheCourt?\"

  \"Inevernamedthesubjecttohim。I

  thoughtperhapshemighthavewrittentoyouonthematter。Youarethelastmaleofthehouseinthatline。\"

  \"HehasneverwrittentomeabouttheCourt。Then,Iamnotthelastmale。Fromwhatyousay,IthinktheTyrrel-RawdonscouldeasilysupplyanheirtoRawdon。\"

  \"Thatisthethingtobeavoided。Itwouldbeagreatoffensetothecountyfamilies。\"

  \"Whyshouldtheybeconsidered?A

  RawdonisalwaysaRawdon。\"

  \"Butacottonspinner,sir!Ameremill-

  owner!\"

  \"Well,Idonotfeelwithyouandtheothercountypeopleinthatrespect。Ithinkacottonspinner,givingbreadtoathousandfamilies,isavastlymorerespectableandimportantmanthanafox-hunting,idlelandlord。

  Amill-owningRawdonmightdoadealofgoodinthesleepyoldvillageofMonk-Rawdon。\"

  \"YoursentimentsareAmerican,notEnglish,sir。\"

  \"AsItoldyou,welookatthingsfromverydifferentstandpoints。\"

  \"Doyoufeelinclinedtoliftthemortgageyourself,Judge?\"

  \"Ihavenotthepower,evenifIhadtheinclinationtodoso。Mymoneyiswellinvested,andIcouldnot,atthistime,turnbondsandsecuritiesintocashwithoutmakingasacrificenottobecontemplated。Iconfess,however,thatiftheCourthastobesold,IshouldliketheTyrrel-Rawdonstobuyit。Idaresaythepictureoftheoffendingyouthisstillinthegallery,andIhaveheardmymothersaythatwhatisanother’salwaysyearnsforitslord。DrivenfromhisheritageforLove’ssake,itwouldbeatleastinterestingifGoldgavebacktohischildrenwhatLovelostthem。\"

  \"Thatispuresentiment。SurelyitwouldbemorenaturalthattheMostynsshouldsucceedtheRawdons。Wehave,asitwere,boughttherightwithatleastadozenintermarriages。\"

  \"Thatalsoispuresentiment。Goldatlastwillcarrythesuccession。\"

  \"Butnotyourgold,Iinfer?\"

  \"Notmygold;certainlynot。\"

  \"ThankyouforyourdecisivewordsTheymakemycourseclear。\"

  \"Thatiswell。Astoyoursummermovements,Iamequallyunabletogiveyouadvice。

  Ithinkyouneedtheseaforamonth,andafterthatMcLean’sschemeisgood。

  AndareturntoMostyntolookafteryouraffairsisequallygood。IfIwereyou,I

  shouldfollowmyinclinations。Ifyouputyourheartintoanything,itiswelldoneandenjoyed;ifyoudoathingbecauseyouthinkyououghttodoit,failureanddisappointmentareoftentheresults。Sodoasyouwanttodo;itistheonlyadviceIcanofferyou。\"

  \"Thankyou,sir。Itisveryacceptable。I

  mayleaveforNewportto-morrow。Ishallcallontheladiesinthemorning。\"

  \"Iwilltellthem,butitisjustpossiblethatthey,too,gotothecountryto-morrow,tolookafteralittlecottageontheHudsonweoccupyinthesummer。Good-by,andIhopeyouwillsoonrecoveryourusualhealth。\"

  ThentheJudgeliftedhishat,andwithacourteousmovementlefttheroom。Hisfacehadthesamesuaveurbanityofexpression,buthecouldhardlyrestrainthepassioninhisheart。Placidashelookedwhenheenteredhishouse,hethrewoffallpretensesassoonashereachedhisroom。TheYorkshirespiritwhichEthelhaddeclaredfoundhimoutonceinthreehundredandsixty-fourdaysandtwenty-threehourswastheninfullpos-

  session。TheAmericanJudgehaddisappeared。

  Helookedaslikehisancestorsasanythingoutsideofapaintedpicturecoulddo。Hisflushedface,hisflashingeyes,hispassionateexclamations,thestampofhisfoot,theblowofhishand,thethreateningattitudeofhiswholefigurewasbutareplicaofhisgreat-grandfather,AnthonyRawdon,givingRadicalsatthehustingsorcarelesskeepersatthekennels\"abitofhismind。\"

  \"`Mostyn,seemstobethenaturalownerofRawdon!RawdonCourtliesatMostyn’sgate!NaturalthattheMostynsshouldsucceedtheRawdons!Boughttherightbyadozenintermarriages!’Confoundtheimpudentrascal!DoeshethinkIwillseeSquireRawdonroguedoutofhishome?NotifIcanhelpit!NotifEthelcanhelpit!

  Notifheavenandearthcanhelpit!He’sadownrightrascal!Acool,unruffled,impudentrascal!\"Andtheseejaculationswerefollowedbyabitter,biting,blastinghailstormofsuchepithetsascouldonlybewrittenwithoneletterandadash。

  Butthepassionofimprecationcooledandsatisfiedhisangerinthisitsfirstimpetuousoutbreak,andhesatdown,claspedthearmsofhischair,andgavehimselfaperemptoryorderofcontrol。Inashorttimeherose,bathedhisheadandfaceincoldwater,andbegantodressfordinner。Andashestoodbeforetheglasshesmiledattherestoredcolorandcalmofhiscountenance。

  \"Youareaprudentlawyer,\"hesaidsarcastically。\"Howmanyactionablewordshaveyoujustuttered!IfthedevilandFredMostynhavebeenlistening,theycan,asmothersays,`getthelawonyou’;butI

  thinkEthelandIandthelawwillbeamatchevenforthedevilandFredMostyn。\"Then,asheslowlywentdownstairs,herepeatedtohimself,\"MostynseemstobethenaturalownerofRawdon。No,sir,neithernaturalnorlegalowner。RawdonCourtliesatMostyngate。Notyet。MostynliesatRawdongate。NaturalthattheMostynsshouldsucceedtheRawdons。PowerofGod!Neitherinthisgenerationnorthenext。\"

  AndatthesamemomentMostyn,havingthoughtoverhisinterviewwithJudgeRawdon,walkedthoughtfullytoawindowandmutteredtohimself:\"Whateverwasthematterwiththeoldman?Politeasacourtier,butsomethingwaswrong。Theroomfeltasiftherewasaniceberginit,andhekepthisrighthandinhispocket。Ibe-

  lievehewasafraidIwouldshakehandswithhim——itisEthel,Isuppose。Naturallyheisdisappointed。WantedheratRawdon。Well,itisapity,butIreallycannot!Oh,Dora!

  Dora!Myheart,myhungryandthirstyheartcallsyou!Burningwithlove,dyingwithlonging,Iamwaitingforyou!\"

  Thedinnerpassedpleasantlyenough,butbothEthelandRuthnoticedtheJudgewasunderstrongbutwell-controlledfeeling。

  Whileservantswerepresentitpassedforhighspirits,butassoonasthethreewerealoneinthelibrary,theexcitementtookatonceaseriousaspect。

  \"Mydears,\"hesaid,standingupandfacingthem,\"IhavehadaverypainfulinterviewwithFredMostyn。HeholdsamortgageoverRawdonCourt,andisgoingtopressitinSeptember——thatis,heproposestoselltheplaceinordertoobtainhismoney——andthepoorSquire!\"Heceasedspeaking,walkedacrosstheroomandbackagain,andappearedgreatlydisturbed。

  \"WhatoftheSquire?\"askedRuth。

  \"Godknows,Ruth。Hehasnootherhome。\"

  \"Whyisthisthingtobedone?Istherenowaytopreventit?\"

  \"Mostynwantsthemoney,hesays,toinvestinAmericansecurities。Hedoesnot。

  Hewantstoforceasale,sothathemaybuytheplaceforthemortgage,andtheneitherkeepitforhispride,ormorelikelyresellittotheTyrrel-Rawdonsfordoublethemoney。\"

  Thenwithgraduallyincreasingpassionherepeatedinalow,intensevoicetheremarkswhichMostynhadmade,andwhichhadsoinfuriatedtheJudge。Beforehehadfinishedspeakingthetwowomenhadcaughthistemperandspirit。Ethel’sfacewaswhitewithanger,hereyesflashing,herwholeattitudefulloffight。Ruthwastroubledandsorrowful,andshelookedanxiouslyattheJudgeforsomesolutionofthecondition。ItwasEthelwhovoicedtheanxiety。\"Father,\"

  sheasked,\"whatistobedone?Whatcanyoudo?\"

  \"Nothing,Iamsorrytosay,Ethel。Mymoneyisabsolutelytiedup——forthisyear,atanyrate。Icannottouchitwithoutwrongingothersaswellasmyself,noryetwithoutthemostruinoussacrifice。\"

  \"IfIcoulddoanything,Iwouldnotcareatwhatsacrifice。\"

  \"Youcandoallthatisnecessary,Ethel,andyouaretheonlypersonwhocan。Youhaveatleasteighthundredthousanddollarsincashandnegotiablesecurities。Yourmother’sfortuneisallyours,withitslegitimateaccruements,anditwasleftatyourowndisposalafteryourtwenty-firstbirthday。

  IthasbeenatyourowndisposalWITH

  MYCONSENTsinceyournineteenthbirthday。\"

  \"Then,father,weneednottroubleabouttheSquire。Iwishwithallmyhearttomakehishomesuretohimaslongashelives。Youarealawyer,youknowwhatoughttobedone。\"

  \"Goodgirl!Iknewwhatyouwouldsayanddo,orIshouldnothavetoldyouthetroubletherewasatRawdon。Now,IproposeweallmakeavisittoRawdonCourt,seetheSquireandtheproperty,andwhilethereperfectsucharrangementsasseemkindestandwisest。Ruth,howsooncanwebereadytosail?\"

  \"Father,doyoureallymeanthatwearetogotoEngland?\"

  \"Itistheonlythingtodo。ImustseethatallisasMostynsays。Imustnotletyouthrowyourmoneyaway。\"

  \"Thatisonlyprudent,\"saidRuth,\"andwecanbereadyforthefirststeamerifyouwishit。\"

  \"Iamdelighted,father。IlongtoseeEngland;morethanall,IlongtoseeRawdon。

  IdidnotknowuntilthismomenthowmuchIlovedit。\"

  \"Well,then,IwillhaveallreadyforustosailnextSaturday。SaynothingaboutittoMostyn。Hewillcallto-morrowmorningtobidyougood-bybeforeleavingforNewportwithMcLean。Tryandbeout。\"

  \"Ishallcertainlybeout,\"saidEthel。

  \"Idonotwishevertoseehisfaceagain,andImustseegrandmotherandtellherwhatwearegoingtodo。\"

  \"Idaresaysheguessesalready。Sheadvisedmetoaskyouaboutthemortgage。Sheknewwhatyouwouldsay。\"

  \"Father,whoaretheTyrrel-Rawdons?\"

  ThentheJudgetoldthestoryoftheyoungTyrrel-Rawdon,whoacenturyagohadlosthisworldforLove,andEthelsaid\"shelikedhimbetterthananyRawdonshehadeverheardof。\"

  \"Exceptyourfather,Ethel。\"

  \"Exceptmyfather;mydear,goodfather。

  AndIamgladthatLovedidnotalwaysmakethempoor。Theymustnowberich,iftheywanttobuytheCourt。\"

  \"Theyarerichmanufacturers。MostynismuchannoyedthattheSquirehasbeguntonoticethem。HesaysoneofthegrandsonsoftheTyrrel-Rawdons,disinheritedforlove’ssake,cametoAmericasometimeintheforties。Iaskedyourgrandmotherifthisstorywastrue。Shesaiditisquitetrue;

  thatmyfatherwashisfriendinthematter,andthatitwashisreportsaboutAmericawhichmadethemdecidetotrytheirfortuneinNewYork。\"

  \"Doessheknowwhatbecameofhim?\"

  \"No。InhislastlettertothemhesaidhehadjustjoinedapartygoingtothegoldfieldsofCalifornia。Thatwasin1850。Heneverwroteagain。Itislikelyheperishedontheterriblejourneyacrosstheplains。

  Manythousandsdid。\"

  \"WhenIaminEnglandIintendtocallupontheseTyrrel-Rawdons。IthinkIshalllikethem。Myheartgoesouttothem。Iamproudofthisbitofromanceinthefamily。\"

  \"Oh,thereisplentyofromancebehindyou,Ethel。WhenyouseetheoldSquirestandingattheentrancetotheManorHouse,youmayseethehagsofCressyandAgincourt,ofMarstonandWorcesterbehindhim。

  AndtheRawdonwomenhavefrequentlybeendaughtersofDestiny。Manyofthemhavelivedromancesthatwouldbeincredibleifwrittendown。Oh,Ethel,dear,wecannot,wecannotforourlives,lettheoldhomefallintothehandsofstrangers。Atanyrate,ifoninspectionwethinkitwrongtointerfere,IcanatleasttryandgetthechildrenofthedisinheritedTyrrelbacktotheirhome。Shallweleaveitatthispointforthepresent?\"

  Thisdecisionwasagreeabletoall,andthenthefewpreparationsnecessaryforthejourneyweretalkedover,andinthishappydiscussiontheeveningpassedrapidly。ThedreamofEthel’slifehadbeenthisvisittothehomeofherfamily,andtogoasitssaviorwasaconsummationofthepleasurethatfilledherwithlovingpride。Shecouldnotsleepforherwakingdreams。ShemadeallsortsofresolutionsaboutthedespisedTyrrel-

  Rawdons。Sheintendedtoshowtheproud,indolentworldoftheEnglishland-

  aristocracythatAmericans,justaswellbornasthemselves,respectedbusinessenergyandenterprise;andshehadotherplansandpropositionsjustasinterestingandasfullofyouth’simpossibleenthusiasm。

  Inthemorningshewenttotalkthesubjectoverwithhergrandmother。Theoldladyreceivedthenewswithaffectedindif-

  ference。Shesaid,\"ItmatterednothingtoherwhosatinRawdon’sseat;butshewouldnothearMostynblamedforseekinghisright。Moneyandsentimentarenokin,\"

  sheadded,\"andFredhasnosentimentaboutRawdon。Whyshouldhe?OnlylastsummerRawdonkepthimoutofParliament,andmadehimspendalotofmoneybeside。

  He’srighttogetevenwiththefamilyifhecan。\"

  \"ButtheoldSquire!Heisnow————\"

  \"Iknow;he’solderthanIam。ButSquirePercivalhashadhisday,andFredwouldnotdoanythingoutofthewaytohim——hecouldnot;thecountywouldmakebothMostynandRawdonveryuncomfortableplacestolivein,ifhedid。\"

  \"Ifyouturnamanoutofhishomewhenheiseightyyearsold,Ithinkthatis`outoftheway。’AndMr。Mostynisnottobetrusted。Iwouldn’ttrusthimasfarasI

  couldseehim。\"

  \"Highty-tighty!Hehasnotaskedyoutotrusthim。Youlostyourchancethere,miss。\"

  \"Grandmother,Iamastonishedatyou!\"

  \"Well,itwasameanthingtosay,Ethel;

  butIlikeFred,andIseetherestofmyfamilyareagainsthim。It’snaturalforYorkshiretohelptheweakestside。Butthere,Fredcandohisownfighting,I’llwarrant。

  He’snotanordinaryman。\"

  \"I’msorrytosayheisn’t,grandmother。

  Ifhewerehewouldspeakwithoutadrawl,andgetridofhismonocle,andnotpaysuchminuteattentiontohiscoatsandvestsandwalkingsticks。\"

  ThenEthelproceededtoexplainherresolveswithregardtotheTyrrel-Rawdons。

  \"Ishallpaythemthegreatestattention,\"

  shesaid。\"ItwasanoblethinginyoungTyrrel-Rawdontogiveupeverythingforhonorablelove,andIthinkeveryoneoughttohavestoodbyhim。\"

  \"Thatwouldn’thavedoneatall。IfTyrrelhadbeenpettedasyouthinkheoughttohavebeen,everyrespectableyoungmanandwomaninthecountywouldhavemarriedwheretheirfancyledthem;andthefanciesofyoungpeoplemostlyleadthemtotheroaditisruintotake。\"

  \"FromwhatFredMostynsays,Tyrrel’sdescendantsseemtohavetakenaveryrespectableroad。\"

  \"I’venothingtosayfororagainstthem。

  It’syearsandyearssinceIlaideyesonanyofthefamily。YourgrandfatherhelpedoneoftheyoungmentocometoAmerica,andIrememberhismothergettingintoapassionaboutit。ShewasafatwomaninaPaisleyshawlandalove-birdonherbonnet。

  Isawhissisteroften。Sheweighedabouttwelvestone,andhadredhairandredcheeksandbareredelbows。Shewascalleda`strappinglass。’ThatisquiteacomplimentarytermintheWestRiding。\"

  \"Please,grandmother,Idon’twanttohearanymore。IntwoweeksIshallbeabletojudgeformyself。Sincethentherehavebeentwogenerations,andifamemberofthepresentoneisfitforParliament————\"

  \"That’snothing。Weneedn’tlookforanythingspeciallyrefinedinParliamentinthesedays。There’sanotherthing。TheseTyrrel-Rawdonsarechapelpeople。TherectorofRawdonchurchwouldnotmarryTyrreltohislow-bornlove,andsotheywenttotheMethodistpreacher,andafterthattotheMethodistchapel。Thatputthemdown,morethanyoucanimaginehereinAmerica。\"

  \"Itwasashame!Methodistsaremostrespectablepeople。\"

  \"I’msayingnothingcontrary。\"

  \"ThePresidentisaMethodist。\"

  \"Ineveraskedwhathewas。IamaChurchofEnglandwoman,youknowthat。

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