THE APPOINTED HOUR—THE SCHEMERS AND THE PLOT.
"And here comes my dear brother," exclaimed Mary Ashwoode, joyously2, as she ran to welcome the young man, now entering her father's room, in which, for more than an hour previously3, she had been sitting. Throwing her arm round his neck, and looking sweetly in his face, she continued—"You will stay with us this evening, dear Harry—do, for my sake—you won't refuse—it is so long since we have had you;" and though she spoke4 with a gay look and a gladsome voice, a sense of real solitariness5 called a tear to her dark eye.
"No, Mary—not this evening," said the young man coldly; "I must be in town again to-night, and before I go must have some conversation upon business with my father, so that I may not see you again till morning."
"But, dear Henry," said she, still clinging affectionately to his arm, "you have been in such danger, and I knew nothing of it until after you went out this morning: are you quite well, Henry?—you were not hurt—were you?"
"No, no—nothing—nothing—I never was better," said he, impatiently.
"Well, brother—dear brother," she continued imploringly6, "come early home to-night—do not be upon the road late—won't you promise?"
"There, there, there," said he rudely, "run away—take your work, or your book, or whatever it may be, down stairs; your father wants to speak with me alone," and so saying, he turned pettishly7 from her.
His habitual8 coldness and carelessness of manner had never before seemed so ungracious. The poor girl felt her heart swell9 within her, as though it would burst. She had never felt so keenly that in all this world there lived but one being upon whose love she might rely, and he separated, it might be for ever, from her: she gathered up her work, and ran quickly from the room, to hide the tears which she could not restrain.
Young Ashwoode was to the full as worldly and as unprincipled a man as was his father; and whatever reluctance10 he may have felt as to adopting Sir Richard's plans respecting O'Connor, the reader would grievously wrong him in attributing his unwillingness11 to any visitings of gratitude12, or, indeed, to any other feeling than that which he had himself avowed13. A few hours' reflection had satisfied the young man of the transcendent importance of securing Lord Aspenly; and by a corresponding induction14 he had arrived at the conclusion to which his father had already come—namely, that it was imperatively15 necessary by all means to put an end effectually to his sister's correspondence with O'Connor. To effect this object both were equally resolved; and with respect to the means to be employed both were equally unscrupulous. With Henry Ashwoode courage was constitutional, and art habitual. If, therefore, either duplicity or daring could ensure success, he felt that he must triumph; and, at all events, he was sufficiently16 impressed with the importance of the object, to resolve to leave nothing untried for its achievement.
"You are punctual, sir," said Sir Richard, glancing at his richly-chased watch; "sit down; I have considered your suggestions of this morning, and I am inclined to adopt them; it is most probable that Mary, like the rest of her sex, will be taken by the splendour of the proposal—fascinated—in short, as I said this morning—dazzled. Now, whether she be or not—observe me, it shall be our object to make O'Connor believe that she is so. You will have his ear, and through her maid, Carey, I can manage their correspondence; not a letter from either can reach the other, without first meeting my eye. I am very certain that the young fellow will lose no time in writing to her some more of those passionate17 epistles, of which, as I told you, I have seen a sample. I shall take care to have their letters re-written for the future, before they come to hand; and it shall go hard, or between us we shall manage to give each a very moderate opinion of the other's constancy; thus the affair will—or rather must—die a natural death—after all, the most effectual kind of mortality in such cases."
"I called to-day upon the fellow," said the young man. "I made him out, and without approaching the point of nearest interest, I have, nevertheless, opened operations successfully—so far as a most auspicious18 re-commencement of our acquaintance may be so accounted."
"And, stranger still to say," rejoined the baronet, "I also encountered him to-day; but only for some dozen seconds."
"How!—saw O'Connor!" exclaimed young Ashwoode.
"Yes, sir, O'Connor—Edmond O'Connor," repeated Sir Richard. "He was coolly walking up to the house to see me, as it would seem; and I do believe the fellow speaks truth—he did see me, and that is all. I fancy he will scarcely come here again uninvited; he said so pretty plainly, and I believe the fellow has spirit enough to feel an affront19."
"He did not see Mary?" inquired Henry.
"I did not ask him, and don't choose to ask her; I don't mean to allude20 to the subject in her presence," replied Sir Richard, quickly. "I think—indeed I know—I can mar1 their plans better by appearing never once to apprehend21 anything from O'Connor's pretensions22. I have reasons, too, for not wishing to deal harshly with Mary at present; we must have no scenes, if possible. Were I to appear suspicious and uneasy, it would put them on their guard. And now, upon the other point, did you speak to Craven about the possibility of raising ten thousand pounds on the Glenvarlogh property?"
"He says it can be done very easily, if Mary joins you," replied the young man; "but I have been thinking that if you ask her to sign any deed, it might as well be one assigning over her interest absolutely to you. Aspenly does not want a penny with her—in fact, from what fell from him to-day, when I met him in town, I'm inclined to think he believes that she has not a penny in the world; so she may as well make it over to you, and then we can turn it all into money when and how we please. I desired Craven to work night and day at the deeds, and have them over by ten o'clock to-morrow morning."
"You did quite rightly," rejoined the old gentleman. "I hardly expect any opposition23 from the girl—at least no more than I can easily frighten her out of. Should she prove sulky, however, I do not well know where to turn: as to asking my brother Oliver, I might as well, or better, ask a Jew broker24; he hates me and mine with his whole heart; and to say the truth, there is not much love lost between us. No, no, there's nothing to be looked for in that quarter. I daresay we'll manage one way or another—lead or drive to get Mary to sign the deed, and if so, the ship rights again. Craven comes, you say, at ten to-morrow?"
"He engaged to be here at that hour with the deeds," repeated the young man.
"Well," said his father, yawning, "you have nothing more to say, nor I neither—oblige me by withdrawing." So parted these congenial relations.
The past day had been an agitating25 one to Mary Ashwoode. Still suspense26 was to be her doom27, and the same alternations of hope and of despair were again to rob her pillow of repose28; yet even thus, happy was she in comparison with what she must have been, had she but known the schemes of which she was the unconscious subject. At this juncture29 we shall leave the actors in this true tale, and conclude the chapter with the close of day.
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1
mar
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| vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟 | |
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joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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solitariness
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| n.隐居；单独 | |
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imploringly
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| adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
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7
pettishly
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8
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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9
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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unwillingness
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| n. 不愿意，不情愿 | |
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12
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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13
avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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induction
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| n.感应，感应现象 | |
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imperatively
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| adv.命令式地 | |
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16
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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17
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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18
auspicious
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| adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的 | |
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affront
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| n./v.侮辱，触怒 | |
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allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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broker
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| n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排 | |
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agitating
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| 搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论 | |
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26
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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29
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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