the man between-第13部分

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as　a　word　like　a　watch…cry；　she　called　all　her　senses　together　when　it　was　uttered　in　her　presence。

〃Business！〃　she　ejaculated　sharply。　〃Whose　business？〃

〃I　think　I　may　say　the　business　of　the　whole　family。〃

〃Nay；　I　am　not　in　it。　My　business　is　just　as　I　want　it；　and　I　am　not　going　to　talk　about　itone　way　or　the　other。〃

〃Is　not　Rawdon　Court　of　some　interest　to　you？　It　has　been　the　home　and　seat　of　the　family　for　many　centuries。　A　good　many。　Mostyn　women　have　been　its　mistress。〃

〃I　never　heard　of　any　Mostyn　woman　who　would　not　have　been　far　happier　away　from　Rawdon　Court。　It　was　a　Calvary　to　them　all。　There　was　little　Nannie　Mostyn；　who　died　with　her　first　baby　because　Squire　Anthony　struck　her　in　a　drunken　passion；　and　the　proud　Alethia　Mostyn；　who　suffered　twenty　years'　martyrdom　from　Squire　John；　and　Sara；　who　took　thirty　thousand　pounds　to　Squire　Hubert；　to　fling　away　at　the　green　table；　and　Harriet；　who　was　made　by　her　husband；　Squire　Humphrey；　to　jump　a　fence　when　out　hunting　with　him；　and　was　brought　home　crippled　and　scarred　for　lifea　lovely　girl　of　twenty　who　went　through　agonies　for　eleven　years　without　aught　of　love　and　help；　and　died　alone　while　he　was　following　a　fox；　and　there　was　pretty　Barbara　Mostyn〃

〃Come；　come；　mother。　I　did　not　call　here　this　morning　to　hear　the　Rawdons　abused；　and　you　forget　your　own　marriage。　It　was　a　happy　one；　I　am　sure。　One　Rawdon；　at　least；　must　be　excepted；　and　I　think　I　treated　my　wife　as　a　good　husband　ought　to　treat　a　wife。〃

〃Not　you！　You　treated　Mary　very　badly。〃

〃Mother；　not　even　from　you〃

〃I'll　say　it　again。　The　little　girl　was　dying　for　a　year　or　more；　and　you　were　so　busy　making　money　you　never　saw　it。　If　she　said　or　looked　a　little　complaint；　you　moved　restless…like　and　told　her　‘she　moped　too　much。'　As　the　end　came　I　spoke　to　you；　and　you　pooh…poohed　all　I　said。　She　went　suddenly；　I　know；　to　most　people；　but　she　knew　it　was　her　last　day；　and　she　longed　so　to　see　you；　that　I　sent　a　servant　to　hurry　you　home；　but　she　died　before　you　could　make　up　your　mind　to　leave　your　‘cases。'　She　and　I　were　alone　when　she　whispered　her　last　message　for　youa　loving　one；　too。〃

〃Mother！　Mother！　Why　recall　that　bitter　day？　I　did　not　thinkI　swear　I　did　not　think〃

〃Never　mind　swearing。　I　was　just　reminding　you　that　the　Rawdons　have　not　been　the　finest　specimens　of　good　husbands。　They　make　landlords；　and　judges；　and　soldiers；　and　even　loom…lords　of　a　very　respectable　sort；　but　husbands！　Lord　help　their　poor　wives！　So　you　see；　as　a　Mostyn　woman；　I　have　no　special　interest　in　Rawdon　Court。〃

〃You　would　not　like　it　to　go　out　of　the　family？〃

〃I　should　not　worry　myself　if　it　did。〃

〃I　suppose　you　know　Fred　Mostyn　has　a　mortgage　on　it　that　the　present　Squire　is　unable　to　lift。〃

〃Aye；　Fred　told　me　he　had　eighty　thousand　pounds　on　the　old　place。　I　told　him　he　was　a　fool　to　put　his　money　on　it。〃

〃One　of　the　finest　manors　and　manor…　houses　in　England；　mother。〃

〃I　have　seen　it。　I　was　born　and　brought　up　near　enough　to　it；　I　think。〃

〃Eighty　thousand　pounds　is　a　bagatelle　for　the　place；　yet　if　Fred　forces　a　sale；　it　may　go　for　that；　or　even　less。　I　can't　bear　to　think　of　it。〃

〃Why　not　buy　it　yourself？〃

〃I　would　lift　the　mortgage　to…morrow　if　I　had　the　means。　I　have　not　at　present。〃

〃Well；　I　am　in　the　same　box。　You　have　just　spoken　as　if　the　Mostyns　and　Rawdons　had　an　equal　interest　in　Rawdon　Court。　Very　well；　then；　it　cannot　be　far　wrong　for　Fred　Mostyn　to　have　it。　Many　a　Mostyn　has　gone　there　as　wife　and　slave。　I　would　dearly　like　to　see　one　Mostyn　go　as　master。〃

〃I　shall　get　no　help　from　you；　then；　I　understand　that。〃

〃I'm　Mostyn　by　birth；　I'm　only　Rawdon　by；　marriage。　The　birth…band　ties　me　fast　to　my　family。〃

〃Good　morning；　mother。　You　have　failed　me　for　the　first　time　in　your　life。〃

〃If　the　money　had　been　for　you；　Edward；　or　yours〃

〃It　isgood…by。〃

She　called　him　back　peremptorily；　and　he　returned　and　stood　at　the　open　door。

〃Why　don't　you　ask　Ethel？〃

〃I　did　not　think　I　had　the　right；　mother。〃

〃More　right　to　ask　her　than　I。　See　what　she　says。　She's　Rawdon；　every　inch　of　her。〃

〃Perhaps　I　may。　Of　course；　I　can　sell　securities；　but　it　would　be　at　a　sacrifice　a　great　sacrifice　at　present。〃

〃Ethel　has　the　cash；　and；　as　I　said；　she　is　RawdonI'm　not。〃

〃I　wish　my　father　were　alive。〃

〃He　wouldn't　move　meyou　needn't　think　that。　What　I　have　said　to　you　I　would　have　said　to　him。　Speak　to　Ethel。　I'll　be　bound　she'll　listen　if　Rawdon　calls　her。〃

〃I　don't　like　to　speak　to　Ethel。〃

〃It　isn't　what　you　like　to　do；　it's　what　you　find　you'll　have　to　do；　that　carries　the　day；　and　a　good　thing；　too；　considering。〃

〃Good　morning；　again。　You　are　not　quite　yourself；　I　think。〃

〃Well；　I　didn't　sleep　last　night；　so　there's　no　wonder　if　I'm　a　bit　cross　this　morning。　But　if　I　lose　my　temper；　I　keep　my　understanding。〃

She　was　really　cross　by　this　time。　Her　son　had　put　her　in　a　position　she　did　not　like　to　assume。　No　love　for　Rawdon　Court　was　in　her　heart。　She　would　rather　have　advanced　the　money　to　buy　an　American　estate。　She　had　been　little　pleased　at　Fred's　mortgage　on　the　old　place；　but　to　the　American　Rawdons　she　felt　it　would　prove　a　white　elephant；　and　the　appeal　to　Ethel　was　advised　because　she　thought　it　would　amount　to　nothing。　In　the　first　place；　the　Judge　had　the　strictest　idea　of　the　sacredness　of　the　charge　committed　to　him　as　guardian　of　his　daughter's　fortune。　In　the　second；　Ethel　inherited　from　her　Yorkshire　ancestry　an　intense　sense　of　the　value　and　obligations　of　money。　She　was　an　ardent　American；　and　not　likely　to　spend　it　on　an　old　English　manor；　and；　furthermore；　Madam's　penetration　had　discovered　a　growing　dislike　in　her　granddaughter　for　Fred　Mostyn。

〃She'd　never　abide　him　for　a　lifelong　neighbor；〃　the　old　lady　decided。　〃It　is　the　Rawdon　pride　in　her。　The　Rawdon　men　have　condescended　to　go　to　Mostyn　for　wives　many　and　many　a　time；　but　never　once　have　the　Mostyn　men　married　a　Rawdon　girlproud；　set…up　women；　as　far　as　I　remember；　and　Ethel　has　a　way　with　her　just　like　them。　Fred　is　good　enough　and　nice　enough　for　any　girl；　and　I　wonder　what　is　the　matter　with　him！　It　is　a　week　and　more　since　he　was　here；　and　then　he　wasn't　a　bit　like　himself。〃

At　this　moment　the　bell　rang　and　she　heard　Fred's　voice　inquiring　〃if　Madam　was　at

home。〃　Instantly　she　divined　the　motive　of　his　call。　The　young　man　had　come　to　the　conclusion　the　Judge　would　try　to　influence　his　mother；　and　before　meeting　him　in　the　afternoon　he　wished　to　have　some　idea　of　the　trend　matters　were　likely　to　take。　His　policy　cunning；　Madam　called　itdid　not　please　her。　She　immediately　assured　herself　that　〃she　wouldn't　go　against　her　own　flesh　and　blood　for　anyone；〃　and　his　wan　face　and　general　air　of　wretchedness　further　antagonized　her。　She　asked　him　fretfully　〃what　he　had　been　doing　to　himself；　for；〃　she　added；　〃it's　mainly　what　we　do　to　ourselves　that　makes　us　sick。　Was　it　that　everlasting　wedding　of　the　Denning　girl？〃

He　flushed　angrily；　but　answered　with　much　of　the　same　desire　to　annoy；　〃I　suppose　it　was。　I　felt　it　very　much。　Dora　was　the　loveliest　girl　in　the　city。　There　are　none　left　like　her。〃

〃It　will　be　a　good　thing　for　New　York　if　that　is　the　case。　I'm　not　one　that　wants　the　city　to　myself；　but　I　can　spare　Dora　STANHOPE；　and　feel　the　better　for　it。〃

〃The　most　beautiful　of　God's　creatures！〃

〃You've　surely　lost　your　sight　or　your　judgment；　Fred。　She　is　just　a　dusky…skinned　girl；　with　big；　brown　eyes。　You　can　pick　her　sort　up　by　the　thousand　in　any　large　city。　And　a　wandering…hearted；　giddy　creature；　too；　that　will　spread　as　she　goes；　no　doubt。　I'm　sorry　for　Basil　Stanhope；　he　didn't　deserve　such　a　fate。〃

〃Indeed；　he　did　not！　It　is　beyond　measure　too　good　for　him。〃

〃I've　always　heard　that　affliction　is　the　surest　way　to　heaven。　Dora　will　lead　him　that　road；　and　it　will　be　more　sure　than　pleasant。　Poor　fellow！　He'll　soon　be　as　ready　to　curse　his　wedding…day　as　Job　was　to　curse　his　birthday。　A　costly　wife　she　will　be　to　keep；　and　misery　in　the　keeping　of　her。　But　if　you　came　to　talk　to　me　about　Dora　STANHOPE；　I'll　cease　talking；　for　I　don't　find　it　any　great　entertainment。〃

〃I　came　to　talk　to　you　about　Squire　Rawdon。〃

〃What　about　the　Squire？　Keep　it　in　your　mind　that　he　and　I　were　sweethearts　when　we　were　children。　I　haven't　forgotten　that　fact。〃

〃You　know　Rawdon　Court　is　mortgaged　to　me？〃

〃I've　heard　you　say　somore　than　once。〃

〃I　intend　to　foreclose　the　mortgage　in　September。　I　find　that　I　can　get　twice　yes；　three　timesthe　interest　for　my　money　in　American　securities。〃

〃How　do　you　know　they　are　securities？〃

〃Bryce　Denning　has　put　me　up　to　several　good　things。〃

〃Well；　if　you　think　good　things　can　come　that　road；　you　are　a　bigger　fool　than　I　ever　thought　you。〃

〃Fool！　Madam；　I　allow　no　one　to　call　me　a　fool；　especially　without　reason。〃

〃Reason；　indeed！　What　reason　was　there　in　your　dillydallying　after　Dora　Denning　when　she　was　engaged；　and　then　making　yourself　like　a　ghost　for　her　after　she　is　married？　As　for　the　good　things　Bryce　Denning　offers　you　in　exchange　for　a　grand　English　manor；　take　them；　and　then　if　I　called　you　not　fool　before；　I　will　call　you　fool　in　your　teeth　twice　over；　and　much　too　good　for　you！　Aye；　I　could　call　you　a　worse　name　when　I　think　of　the　old　Squirehe's　two　years　older　than　I　ambeing　turned　out　of　his　lifelong　home。　Where　is　he　to　go　to？〃

〃If　I　buy　the　place；　for　of　course　it　will　have　to　be　sold；　he　is　welcome　to　remain　at　Rawdon　Court。〃

〃And　he　would　deserve　to　do　it　if　he　were　that　low…minded；　but　if　I　know　Squire　Percival；　he　will　go　to　the　poor…house　first。　Fred；　you　would　surely　scorn　such　a　dirty　thing　as　selling　the　old　man　out　of　house　and　home？〃

〃I　want　my　money；　or　else　I　want　Rawdon　Manor。〃

〃And　I　have　no　objections　either　to　your　wanting　it　or　having　it；　but；　for　goodness'　sake；　wait　until　death　gives　you　a　decent　warrant　for　buying　it。〃

〃I　am　afraid　to　delay。　The　Squire　has　been　very　cool　with　me　lately；　and　my　agent　tells　me　the　Tyrrel…Rawdons　have　been　visiting　him；　also　that　he　has　asked　a　great　many　questions　about　the　Judge　and　Ethel。　He　is　evidently　trying　to　prevent　me　getting　possession；　and　I　know　that　old　Nicholas　Rawdon　would　give　his　eye