elinor wyllys-2-第30部分

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ht　up　in　the　house。

Mrs。　Stanley　then　begged　he　would　describe　the　furniture　of　the　drawing…room；　such　as　it　was　the　last　summer　he　had　passed　at　Greatwood。　He　seemed　to　hesitate；　and　change　countenance；　more　than　he　had　yet　done；　so　much　so；　as　to　strike　Mrs。　Stanley　herself；　but　he　immediately　rallied　again。

〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃you　ask　a　man　the　very　things　he　wouldn't　be　likely　to　put　on　his　log。　But　I'll　make　it　all　out　ship…shape　presently。〃　He　stooped　to　pick　up　his　handkerchief；　which　had　fallen　again；　and　was　going　to　proceed；　when　Mr。　Clapp　interrupted　him。

〃I　must　take　the　liberty　of　interfering；〃　said　he；　looking　at　his　watch；　as　he　rose　from　his　seat；　and　moved　towards　Mr。　Reed；　asking　if　he　did　not　think　the　examination　had　been　quite　long　enough。

〃I　must　say；　gentlemen；〃　he　added　significantly；　turning　towards　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Harry；　〃that　I　think　our　client　has　had　enough　of　it；　considering　that；　upon　the　whole；　there　is　no　one　here　who　has　so　much　right　to　ask　questions；　instead　of　answering　them；　as　Mr。　Stanley。〃

〃I　should　suppose；　sir；〃　said　Mr。　Reed；　also　rising　and　addressing　Mr。　Wyllys；　〃that　you　must　have　heard　and　seen　enough　for　the　object　of　our　meeting。　You　have　had　a　personal　interview　with　Mr。　Stanley；　you　confess　that　he　is　like　his　family；　like　himself；　in　shortallowing　for　the　difference　between　a　boy　of　eighteen　and　a　man　of　thirty…seven；　where　the　habits　of　life　have　been　so　different；　you　admit　the　identity　of　the　hand…writing〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir；　not　the　identity；　but　the　resemblance。〃

〃A　perfectly　natural　resemblance；　under　the　circumstances；　I　think　you　must　allow。〃

〃Yes；　the　similarity　of　the　hand…writing　is　remarkable；　certainly。〃

〃During　the　last　two　hours　you　have　asked　the　questions　which　best　suited　your　own　pleasure；　and　he　has　answered　them　with　great　accuracy；　without　one　important　mistake。　What　more　can　you　possibly　require？〃

〃I　do　not　stand　alone；　sir；　we　claim　the　time　previously　fixed　for　consideration；　before　we　give　our　final　answer。　We　are；　however；　much　obliged　to　you；　Mr。　Reed；　for　granting　the　interview；　even　if　its　results　are　not　what　you　may　have　hoped　for。　We　shall　always　remember　your　conduct　on　this　occasion　with　respect。〃

Mr。　Wyllys　then　offered　some　refreshments　to　Mr。　Reed；　they　were　accepted；　and　ordered　immediately。

Mr。　Clapp　was　standing　near　Harry；　and　turning　to　him；　he　said：　〃Mr。　Stanley　has　a　favour　to　ask；　Mr。　Hazlehurst；　though　you　don't　seem　disposed　to　grant　him　any；〃　he　added；　with　peculiar　expression。

〃'A　FAIR　field；　and　no　favour；'　is　a　saying　you　may　have　heard；〃　replied　Hazlehurst；　with　a　slight　emphasis　on　the　first　word。　〃But　what　is　your　client's　request；　sir？〃

Mr。　Clapp　made　a　gesture　towards　the　sailor；　who　then　spoke　for　himself。

〃I　understand　that　two　of　my　cousins　are　in　the　house；　and　I　should　be　glad　to　see　them　before　I　leave　it。〃

〃Whom　do　you　mean；　sir？〃

〃Elinor　Wyllys　and　Mary　Van　Alstyne。　I　haven't　seen　either　of　them　since　they　were　children；　but　as　I　have　got　but　few　relations；　and　no　friends　it　seems；　I　should　like　to　see　them。〃

〃You　must　apply　to　Mr。　Wyllys；　the　young　ladies　are　under　his　care；〃　replied　Harry；　coldly。

But　Mr。　Wyllys　took　upon　himself　to　refuse　the　sailor's　request；　under　the　circumstances。　Having　taken　some　refreshments；　Mr。　Reed；　his　brother　counsel；　and　their　client　now　made　their　bows；　and　left　the　house。　As　they　drove　from　the　door；　Mr。　Reed　looked　calm　and　civil；　Mr。　Clapp　very　well　satisfied；　and　the　sailor；　as　he　took　his　seat　by　Mr。　Reed；　observed；　in　a　voice　loud　enough　to　be　heard　by　Harry；　who　was　standing　on　the　piazza：

〃It　turns　out　just　as　I　reckoned；　hard　work　for　a　man　to　get　his　rights　in　this　here　longitude！〃



CHAPTER　XIII。　｛XXXVI｝

〃Nay；　let　them　go；　a　couple　of　quiet　ones！〃　Taming　the　Shrew。

｛William　Shakespeare；　〃The　Taming　of　the　Shrew〃；　III。ii。240｝

ELINOR　was　all　anxiety　to　learn　the　result　of　the　interview；　and　Mary　Van　Alstyne　also　naturally　felt　much　interest　in　the　subject；　as　she；　too；　was　a　cousin　of　William　Stanley；　their　mothers　having　been　sisters。　Elinor　soon　discovered　that　the　sailor　had　borne　a　much　better　examination　than　either　of　her　friends　had　expected；　he　had　made　no　glaring　mistake；　and　he　had　answered　their　questions　on　some　points；　with　an　accuracy　and　readiness　that　was　quite　startling。　He　evidently　knew　a　great　deal　about　the　Stanley　family；　their　house；　and　the　neighbourhood；　whoever　he　was；　there　could　he　no　doubt　that　he　had　known　Mr。　Stanley　himself；　and　was　very　familiar　with　the　part　of　the　country　in　which　he　had　resided。　Altogether；　the　personal　resemblance；　the　handwriting；　the　fact　of　his　being　a　sailor；　the　papers　he　had　shown；　the　plausible　statement　he　had　given；　as　to　his　past　movements；　and　his　intimate　knowledge　of　so　many　facts；　which　a　stranger　could　scarcely　have　known；　made　up　a　combination　of　circumstances；　quite　incomprehensible　to　the　friends　at　Wyllys…Roof。　Still；　in　spite　of　so　much　that　appeared　in　his　favour；　Mr。　Wyllys　declared；　that　so　far　as　his　own　opinion　went；　he　had　too　many　doubts　as　to　this　man's　character；　to　receive　him　as　the　son　of　his　friend；　upon　the　evidence　he　had　thus　far　laid　before　them。　The　circumstances　under　which　he　appeared；　were　so　very　suspicious　in　every　point　of　view；　that　the　strongest　possible　evidences　of　his　identity　would　be　required；　to　counteract　them。　The　length　of　time　that　had　passed　since　the　wreck　of　the　Jefferson；　the　long　period　during　which　his　father's　property　had　been　left　in　the　hands　of　others；　and　the　doubtful　character　of　the　channel　through　which　the　claim　was　at　length　brought　forwardall　these　facts　united；　furnished　good　grounds　for　suspecting　something　wrong。　There　were　other　points　too；　upon　which　Mr。　Wyllys　had　his　doubts；　although　the　general　resemblance　of　this　individual　to　William　Stanley；　was　sufficient　to　pass　with　most　people；　allowing　for　the　natural　changes　produced　by　time；　yet　there　were　some　minor　personal　traits；　which　did　not　correspond　with　his　recollection　of　Mr。　Stanley's　son：　the　voice　appeared　to　him　different　in　tone；　he　was　also　disposed　to　believe　the　claimant　shorter　and　fuller　than　William　Stanley；　in　the　formation　of　his　body　and　limbs；　as　to　this　man's　gait；　which　was　entirely　different　from　that　of　William　Stanley；　as　a　boy；　nearer　observation　had　increased　Mr。　Wyllys's　first　impression　on　that　subject。　On　these　particular　points；　Mrs。　Stanley　and　Hazlehurst　were　no　judges；　for　the　first　had　scarcely　seen　her　step…son；　the　last　had　only　a　child's　recollection　of　him。　Nor　could　Miss　Agnes's　opinion　have　much　weight；　since　she　had　seldom　seen　the　boy；　during　the　last　years　he　passed　on　shore；　for；　at　that　time；　she　had　been　much　detained　at　home；　by　the　ill　health　of　her　mother。　Hazlehurst　had　watched　the　claimant　closely；　and　the　interview　had　silenced　his　first　misgivings；　for　he　had　been　much　struck　with　two　things：　he　had　always　heard；　whenever　the　subject　of　William　Stanley's　character　had　been　alluded　to　before　him；　that　this　unfortunate　young　man　was　sullen　in　temper；　and　dull　in　mind。　Now；　the　sailor's　whole　expression　and　manner；　in　his　opinion；　had　shown　too　much　cleverness　for　William　Stanley；　he　had　appeared　decidedly　quick…witted；　and　his　countenance　was　certainly　rather　good…natured　than　otherwise。　Mr。　Wyllys　admitted　that　Harry's　views　were　just；　he　was　struck　with　both　these　observations；　he　thought　them　correct　and　important。　Then　Hazlehurst　thought　he　had　seen　some　signs　of　intelligence　between　Clapp　and　the　sailor　once　or　twice；　a　mere　glance；　he　could　not　be　positive；　however；　since　it　might　have　been　his　own　suspicions。　As　to　the　volume　of　the　Spectator；　he　had　felt　at　first　morally　certain　that　he　had　read　that　very　volume　at　Greatwood；　only　four　years　ago；　but　he　had　since　remembered　that　his　brother　had　the　same　edition；　and　he　might　have　read　the　book　in　Philadelphia；　in　the　mean　time　he　would　try　to　recall　the　circumstances　more　clearly　to　his　mind；　for　so　long　as　he　had　a　doubt；　he　could　not　swear　to　the　fact。　He　knew　it　was　not　the　octavo　edition；　at　Greatwood；　that　he　had　been　reading；　for　he　distinctly　remembered　the　portrait　of　Steele　in　the　frontispiece；　and　Addison's　papers　on　the　Paradise　Lost；　which　he　had　been　reading；　that　very　portrait；　and　those　papers；　were　contained　in　the　volume　handed　to　him　by　Clapp。　Both　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Hazlehurst　were　gratified　to　find；　that　Mrs。　Stanley　differed　from　them　less　than　they　had　feared。　She　confessed；　that　at　one　moment　her　heart　had　misgiven　her；　but　on　looking　closely　at　the　sailor；　she　thought　him　less　like　her　husband　than　she　had　expected；　and　she　had　been　particularly　struck　by　his　embarrassment；　when　she　had　asked　him　to　describe　the　furniture　of　the　drawing…room　at　Greatwood；　the　very　last　summer　he　had　been　there；　for　he　ought　certainly　under　such　circumstances；　to　have　remembered　it　as　well　as　herself；　he　had　looked　puzzled；　and　had　glanced　at　Mr。　Clapp；　and　the　lawyer　had　immediately　broken　off　the　examination。　Such　were　the　opinions　of　the　friends　at　this　stage　of　the　proceedings。　Still　it　was　an　alarming　truth；　that　if　there　were　improbabilities；　minor　facts；　and　shades　of　manner；　to　strengthen　their　doubts；　there　was；　on　the　other　side；　a　show　of　evidence；　which　might　very　possibly　prove　enough　to　convince　a　jury。　Hazlehurst　had　a　thousand　things　to　attend　to；　but　he　had　decided　to　wait　at　Wyllys…Roof　until　the　arrival　of　Mr。　Ellsworth。

｛〃Addison's　papers　on　the　Paradise　Lost〃　=　in　fact；　Addison's　essays　on　Paradise　Lost　are　contained　in　volumes　four　and　five　of　the　Spectator｝

Leaving　those　most　interested　in　this　vexatious　affair　to　hold　long　consultations　together　in　Mr。　Wyllys's　study；　we　must　now　proceed　to　record　a　visit　which　Miss　Agnes　received　from　one　of　our　Longbridge　acquaintances；　and　we　shall　therefore　join　the　ladies。

〃I　am　sorry；　my　dear；　that　the　house　is　not　so　quiet　as　we　could　wish；　just　now；〃　said　Miss　Agnes　to　Jane；　one　morning；　as　she　and　Elinor　were　sitting　together　in　the　young　widow's　room。

〃Thank　you；　Aunt；　but　it　does　not　disturb　me；　and　I　know　it　is　not　to　be　avoided　just　now；〃　said　Jane；　languidly。

〃No；　it　cannot　be　helped；　with　this　troublesome　business　going　on；　and　we