And his eldest11 son, who was by no means good-natured, had something of the same nature. He did love truly,—after his own fashion of loving. He would have married his cousin at any moment, with or without her ten thousand pounds,—for of all human beings he was the most reckless. And yet in his breast was present a feeling of honor of which his father knew nothing. When it was explained to him that his mother's fair name was to be aspersed,—a mother whom he could but faintly remember,—the threat did bring with it its own peculiar12 agony. But of this the squire neither felt or knew anything. The lady had long been dead, and could be none the better or the worse for aught that could be said of her. To the captain it was not so, and it was preferable to him to believe his father to be dishonest than his mother. He, at any rate, was in truth in love with his cousin Florence, and when the story was told to him one of its first effects was the bearing which it would have upon her mind.
It has been said that within two or three days after the communication he had left London. He had done so in order that he might at once go down to Cheltenham and see his cousin. There Miss Mountjoy lived, with her mother.
The time had been when Florence Mountjoy had been proud of her cousin, and, to tell the truth of her feelings, though she had never loved him, she had almost done so. Rumors13 had made their way through even to her condition of life, and she in her innocence14 had gradually been taught to believe that Captain Scarborough was not a man whom she could be safe in loving. And there had, perhaps, come another as to whom her feelings were different. She had, no doubt, at first thought that she would be willing to become her cousin's wife, but she had never said as much herself. And now both her heart and mind were set against him.
Captain Scarborough, as he went down to Cheltenham, turned the matter over in his mind, thinking within himself how best he might carry out his project. His intention was to obtain from his cousin an assurance of her love, and a promise that it should not be shaken by any stories which his father might tell respecting him. For this purpose he he must make known to her the story his father had told him, and his own absolute disbelief in it. Much else must be confided15 to her. He must acknowledge in part his own debts, and must explain that his father had taken this course in order to defraud16 the creditors17. All this would be very difficult; but he must trust in her innocence and generosity18. He thought that the condition of his affairs might be so represented that the story should tend rather to win her heart toward him than to turn it away. Her mother had hitherto always been in his favor, and he had, in fact, been received almost as an Apollo in the house at Cheltenham.
"Florence," he said, "I must see you alone for a few minutes. I know that your mother will trust you with me." This was spoken immediately on his arrival, and Mrs. Mountjoy at once left the room. She had been taught to believe that it was her daughter's duty to marry her cousin; and though she knew that the captain had done much to embarrass the property, she thought that this would be the surest way to settle him. The heir of Tretton Park was, in her estimation, so great a man that very much was to be endured at his hands.
The meeting between the two cousins was very long, and when Mrs. Mountjoy at last returned unannounced to the room she found her daughter in tears.
"Oh, Florence, what is the matter?" asked her mother.
The poor girl said nothing, but still continued to weep, while the captain stood by looking as black as a thunder-cloud.
"What is it, Mountjoy?" said Mrs. Mountjoy, turning to him.
"I have told Florence some of my troubles," said he, "and they seemed to have changed her mind toward me."
There was something in this which was detestable to Florence,—an unfairness, a dishonesty in putting off upon his trouble that absence of love which she had at last been driven by his vows19 to confess. She knew that it was not because of his present trouble, which she understood to be terrible, but which she could not in truth comprehend. He had blurted20 it all out roughly,—the story as told by his father of his mother's dishonor, of his own insignificance21 in the world, of the threatened loss of the property, of the heaviness of his debts,—and added his conviction that his father had invented it all, and was, in fact, a thorough rascal22. The full story of his debts he kept back, not with any predetermined falseness, but because it is so difficult for a man to own that he has absolutely ruined himself by his own folly23. It was not wonderful that the girl should not have understood such a story as had then been told her. Why was he defending his mother? Why was he accusing his father? The accusations24 against her uncle, whom she did know, were more fearful to her than these mysterious charges against her aunt, whom she did not know, from which her son defended her. But then he had spoken passionately25 of his own love, and she had understood that. He had besought26 her to confess that she loved him, and then she had at once become stubborn. There was something in the word "confess" which grated against her feelings. It seemed to imply a conviction on his part that she did love him. She had never told him so, and was now sure that it was not so. When he had pressed her she could only weep. But in her weeping she never for a moment yielded. She never uttered a single word on which he could be enabled to build a hope. Then he had become blacker and still blacker, fiercer and still fiercer, more and more earnest in his purpose, till at last he asked her whom it was that she loved—as she could not love him. He knew well whom it was that he suspected;—and she knew also. But he had no right to demand any statement from her on that head. She did not think that the man loved her; nor did she know what to say or to think of her own feelings. Were he, the other man, to come to her, she would only bid him go away; but why she should so bid him she had hardly known. But now this dark frowning captain, with his big mustache and his military look, and his general aspect of invincible27 power, threatened the other man.
"He came to Tretton as my friend," he said, "and by Heaven if he stands in my way, if he dare to cross between you and me, he shall answer it with his life!"
The name had not been mentioned; but this had been very terrible to Florence, and she could only weep.
He went away, refusing to stay to dinner, but said that on the following afternoon he would again return. In the street of the town he met one of his creditors, who had discovered his journey to Cheltenham, and had followed him.
"Oh, Captain Mountjoy, what is all dis that they are talking about in London?"
"What are they talking about?"
"De inheritance!" said the man, who was a veritable Jew, looking up anxiously in his face.
The man had his acceptance for a very large sum of money, with an assurance that it should be paid on his father's death, for which he had given him about two thousand pounds in cash.
"You must ask my father."
"But is it true?"
"You must ask my father. Upon my word, I can tell you nothing else. He has concocted28 a tale of which I for one do not believe a word. I never heard of the story till he condescended29 to tell it me the other day. Whether it be true or whether it be false, you and I, Mr. Hart, are in the same boat."
"But you have had de money."
"And you have got the bill. You can't do anything by coming after me. My father seems to have contrived30 a very clever plan by which he can rob you; but he will rob me at the same time. You may believe me or not as you please; but that you will find to be the truth."
Then Mr. Hart left him, but certainly did not believe a word the captain had said to him.
To her mother Florence would only disclose her persistent31 intention of not marrying her cousin. Mrs. Mountjoy, over whose spirit the glamour32 of the captain's prestige was still potent33, said much in his favor. Everybody had always intended the marriage, and it would be the setting right of everything. The captain, no doubt, owed a large sum of money, but that would be paid by Florence's fortune. So little did the poor lady know of the captain's condition. When she had been told that there had been a great quarrel between the captain and his father, she declared that the marriage would set that all right.
"But, mamma, Captain Scarborough is not to have the property at all."
Then Mrs. Mountjoy, believing thoroughly34 in entails35, had declared that all Heaven could not prevent it.
"But that makes no difference," said the daughter; "if I—I—I loved him I would marry him so much the more, if he had nothing."
Then Mrs. Mountjoy declared that she could not understand it at all.
On the next day Captain Scarborough came, according to his promise, but nothing that he could say would induce Florence to come into his presence. Her mother declared that she was so ill that it would be wicked to disturb her.
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1
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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3
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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abhorrence
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| n.憎恶；可憎恶的事 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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7
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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8
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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9
capability
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| n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等 | |
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caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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13
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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14
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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15
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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16
defraud
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| vt.欺骗，欺诈 | |
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creditors
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| n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 ) | |
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18
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
insignificance
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| n.不重要；无价值；无意义 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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24
accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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26
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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27
invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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28
concocted
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| v.将（尤指通常不相配合的）成分混合成某物( concoct的过去式和过去分词 )；调制；编造；捏造 | |
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29
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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30
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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31
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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32
glamour
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| n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住 | |
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33
potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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34
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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35
entails
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| 使…成为必要( entail的第三人称单数 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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