elinor wyllys-2- 第8部分

〃Of　course　not；　if　you　wish　it；　and　now　for　the　story。　You　said　this　poor　man　had　been　injured。〃

〃Grossly　injured。〃

〃In　what　manner？〃

〃He　has　been　treated　in　the　most　unjustifiable　manner　by　his　nearest　relatives。　His　reputation　has　been　injured；　and　he　has　been　tyrannically　deprived　of　a　very　large　property。〃

〃Is　it　possible！poor　fellow！　Can　nothing　be　done　for　him？〃

〃That　is　what　we　shall　see。　Yes；　I　flatter　myself　if　there　is　law　in　the　land；　we　shall　yet　be　able　to　restore　him　to　his　rights！〃

〃Does　he　belong　to　this　part　of　the　country？〃

〃He　does　not　himself；　but　those　who　are　revelling　in　his　wealth　do。〃

〃What　is　his　name？Do　I　know　his　family？〃

〃You　will　be　distressed；　Catherine；　when　you　hear　the　name；　you　will　be　astonished　when　you　learn　the　whole　story；　but　the　time　for　concealment　has　gone　by　now。　Several　years　ago　that　poor　sailor　came　to　me；　in　ragged　clothing；　in　poverty　and　distress；　and　first　laid　his　complaint　before　me。　I　did　not　believe　a　word　of　what　he　told　me；　I　thought　the　man　mad；　and　refused　to　have　anything　to　do　with　the　cause。　He　became　disgusted；　and　went　to　sea　again；　and　for　some　time　gave　up　all　hope　of　being　reinstated　in　his　rights；　the　obstacles　seemed　too　great。　But　at　length　a　very　important　witness　in　his　favour　was　accidentally　thrown　in　his　way：　at　the　end　of　his　cruise　he　came　to　me　again；　and　I　confess　I　was　astounded　at　the　evidence　he　then　laid　before　me。　It　is　conclusive；　beyond　a　doubt；　to　any　unprejudiced　mind；〃　said　Mr。　Clapp；　rousing　himself　from　his　recumbent　position。

〃But　you　have　not　told　me　the　man's　name。〃

〃His　name　is　StanleyWilliam　Stanley。〃

〃You　said　I　knew　him；　but　I　never　heard　of　him；　I　don't　know　the　family　at　all。〃

〃Yes；　you　do；　you　know　them　only　too　well；　you　will　be　as　much　surprised　as　I　was　myselfas　I　am　still；　whenever　I　allow　myself　to　dwell　on　the　subject。　Mr。　Stanley　is　the　cousin…german　of　your　friend；　Miss　Elinor　Wyllys。　Mr。　Wyllys　himself；　Mrs。　Stanley；　the　step…mother；　and　young　Hazlehurst；　are　the　individuals　who　stand　between　him　and　his　rights；〃　continued　Mr。　Clapp；　rising；　and　walking　across　the　room；　as　he　ran　his　fingers　through　his　brown　curls。

〃Impossible！〃　exclaimed　Kate；　as　the　fan　she　held　dropped　from　her　hand。

〃Just　what　I　said　myself；　at　first；〃　replied　Mr。　Clapp。

〃But　surely　you　are　deceived；　Williamhow　can　it　be？〃　continued　the　wife；　in　amazement。　〃We　always　thought　that　Mr。　Stanley　was　lost　at　sea；　years　ago！〃

〃Exactlyit　was　thought　so；　but　it　was　not　true。〃

〃But　where　has　he　been　in　the　mean　time？Why　did　he　wait　so　long　before　he　came　to　claim　his　inheritance？〃

〃The　same　unhappy；　reckless　disposition　that　first　sent　him　to　sea；　kept　him　roving　about。　He　did　not　know　of　his　father's　death；　until　four　years　after　it　had　taken　place；　and　he　heard　at　the　same　time　that　he　had　been　disinherited。　When　he　came　home；　after　that　event；　he　found　that　he　was　generally　believed　to　have　been　lost　in　the　Jefferson；　wrecked　in　the　year　18。　He　was；　in　fact；　the　only　man　saved。〃

〃How　very　extraordinary！　But　why　has　he　never　even　shown　himself　among　his　friends　and　connexions　until　now？〃

〃Why；　my　dear；　his　habits　have　been　unhappily　very　bad　in　every　way　for　years；　they　were；　indeed　the　cause　of　his　first　leaving　his　family。　He　hated　everything　like　restrainteven　the　common　restraints　of　society；　and　cared　for　nothing　but　a　sailor's　life；　and　that　in　the　worst　shape；　it　must　be　confessed。　But　he　has　now　grown　wiserhe　has　determined　to　reform。　You　observed　he　signed　the　temperance　pledge　this　evening？〃

〃It　all　sounds　so　strangely；　that　I　cannot　yet　believe　it；　William。〃

〃I　dare　say　notit　took　me　four　years　to　believe　it。〃

〃But　what　do　you　mean　to　do？　I　hope　you　are　not　going　to　undertake　a　law…suit　against　two　of　our　best　friends；　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Mr。　Hazlehurst？〃

〃That　must　depend　on　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Mr。　Hazlehurst；　themselves。　I　have　undertaken；　Catherine；　to　do　my　best　towards　restoring　this　injured　man　to　his　property。〃

〃Oh；　William；　suppose　this　man　is　in　the　wrong；　after　all！　Don't　think　of　having　anything　to　do　with　him。〃

〃My　dear；　you　talk　like　a　womanyou　don't　know　what　you　say。　If　I　don't　act　in　the　premises；　do　you　suppose　he　won't　find　another　lawyer　to　undertake　his　cause？〃

〃Let　him　have　another；　then：　but　it　seems　too　bad　that　we　should　take　sides　against　our　best　friends；　it　hardly　seems　honourable；　William；　to　do　so。〃

〃Honour；　alone；　won't　make　a　young　lawyer's　pot　boil；　I　can　tell　you。〃

〃But　I　had　rather　live　poorly；　and　work　hard　all　my　life；　than　that　you　should　undertake　a　dishonest　cause。〃

〃It　is　all　very　pretty　talking；　but　I　have　no　mind　to　live　poorly；　I　intend　to　live　as　well　as　I　can；　and　I　don't　look　upon　this　Stanley　cause　as　a　bad　one　at　all。　I　must　say；　Catherine；　you　are　rather　hard　upon　your　husband；　and　seem　to　think　more　of　the　interests　of　your　friends；　than　of　his　own。〃

〃How　can　you　talk　so；　William；　when　you　know　you　can't　think　it；〃　said　the　wife　reproachfully；　tears　springing　to　her　eyes。

〃Well；　I　only　judge　from　what　you　say　yourself。　But　in　my　opinion　there　is　no　danger　of　a　law…suit。　As　Mr。　Stanley's　agent；　I　shall　first　apply　to　Mrs。　Stanley　and　Mr。　Hazlehurst　to　acknowledge　his　claim；　and　when　the　evidence　is　laid　before　them；　I　have　no　kind　of　doubt　but　they　will　immediately　give　up　the　property；　as　they　are　some　of　your　very　honourable　people；　I　must　say　I　think　they　are　bound　to　do　so。〃

〃Certainly；　if　the　evidence　is　so　clear；　but　it　seems　to　me；　from　all　I　have　heard　since　I　have　been　a　lawyer's　wife；　that　evidence　never　is　so　very　clear；　William；　but　that　people　disagree　about　it。〃

〃Well；　I　flatter　myself　that　people　will　be　staggered　by　the　proofs　we　can　bring　forward；　I　feel　sure　of　public　opinion；　at　least。〃

Kate　was　silenced；　but　though　she　could　think　of　nothing　more　to　urge；　she　was　very　far　from　feeling　easy　on　the　subject。

〃I　hope　with　all　my　heart　it　will　be　settled　amicably；〃　she　added　at　length。

〃There　is　every　probability　that　it　will。　Though　the　story　sounds　so　strangely　to　you　nowjust　as　it　did　to　me；　at　firstyet　when　you　come　to　hear　all　the　facts；　you　will　find　there　is　scarcely　room　for　a　shadow　of　doubt。〃

〃How　sorry　mother　and　Patsey　will　be　when　they　hear　it！〃

〃I　can't　see　why　they　should　be　sorry　to　see　a　man　reinstated　in　his　rights；　after　having　been　deprived　of　them　for　eighteen　years。　If　they　are　not　blinded　by　their　partiality　for　the　Wyllyses　and　Hazlehursts；　they　cannot　help　being　convinced　by　the　evidence　we　can　show。〃

〃How　old　is　this　manthis　sailorthis　Mr。　Stanley？〃

〃Just　thirty…six；　he　tells　me。　Did　you　remark　his　likeness　to　Mr。　Stanley's　portrait　at　Wyllys…Roof？　that　was　the　first　thing　that　struck　me。〃

〃No；　I　hardly　looked　at　him。〃

〃You　must　expect　to　see　him　often　now；　I　have　invited　him　to　dinner　for　to…morrow。〃

〃For　to…morrow？　Well；　Uncle　Dozie　has　sent　me　this　afternoon　a　beautiful　mess　of　green　peas；　and　you　will　have　to　get　something　nice　from　market；　in　the　way　of　poultry　and　fish。　Though；　I　suppose　as　he　has　been　a　common　sailor　so　long；　he　won't　be　very　particular　about　his　dinner。〃

〃He　knows　what　is　good；　I　can　tell　you。　You　must　give　him　such　a　dinner　as　he　would　have　had　at　his　father's　in　old　times。〃

〃Well；　just　as　you　please；　William；　only；　if　you　really　care　for　me；　do　not　let　the　man　deceive　you；　be　sure　you　sift　the　matter　thoroughlywhat　you　call　cross…examine　him。〃

〃Never　you　fear；　I　know　what　I　am　about；　Katie；　though　if　I　was　to　follow　your　advice　in　law　matters；　I　reckon　we　should　all　of　us　starve　together。〃

〃I　hope　it　will　all　turn　out　well；　but　I　seem　to　feel　badly　about　it；〃　said　Kate　with　a　sigh；　as　she　rose　to　light　a　candle；　〃only　don't　be　too　hastytake　time。〃

〃We　have　taken　time　enough　I　think；　as　it　is。　We　are　only　waiting　now　for　Mr。　Hazlehurst　to　arrive　in　Philadelphia；　when　we　shall　put　forward　our　claim。〃



CHAPTER　IV。　｛XXVII｝

〃They　call　thee　rich。〃　COWPER。

｛William　Cowper　（English　poet；　1731…1800）；　〃Translations　of　Greek　Verses：　On　A　Miser〃　line　1｝

WHEN　the　Wyllyses　arrived　at　Saratoga；　after　having　paid　their　promised　visit　to　their　friends　at　Poughkeepsie；　the　first　persons　they　saw　in　the　street；　as　they　were　driving　to　Congress　Hall；　were　Mrs。　Creighton；　Mr。　Ellsworth；　and　Mr。　Stryker；　who　were　loitering　along　together。　It　seemed　the　excursion　to　Nahant　had　been　postponed；　or　given　up。

The　brother　and　sister　soon　discovered　that　the　Wyllyses　were　among　that　afternoon's　arrivals；　and　in　the　course　of　an　hour　or　two　called　at　their　rooms。

〃Here　am　I；　Miss　Wyllys；〃　said　Mrs。　Creighton；　〃the　best　of　sisters；　giving　up　my　own　private　plans　to　gratify　this　brother　of　mine；　who　would　not　let　me　rest　unless　I　promised　to　pass　another　week　here。〃

〃Josephine　makes　the　most　of　her　complaisance；　but　I　don't　think　she　was　so　very　much　averse　to　giving　up　Nahant。　I　am　sure　at　least；　she　did　not　care　half　so　much　about　going；　as　I　did　about　staying。〃

Mr。　Stryker　also　appeared；　to　make　his　bow　to　the　ladies。　This　gentleman　had　indeed　come　to　Saratoga；　with　the　express　intention　of　making　himself　particularly　agreeable　to　Miss　Elinor　Wyllys。　As　long　ago　as　Jane's　wedding；　he　had　had　his　eye　on　her；　but；　like　Mr。　Ellsworth；　he　had　seldom　been　able　to　meet　her。　Mr。　Stryker　was　a　man　between　forty　and　fifty；　possessing　some　little　property；　a　very　good　opinion　of　himself；　and　quite　a　reputation　for　cleverness　and　knowledge　of　the　world。　He　was　one　of　those　men　who　hang　loose　on　society；　he　seemed　to　have　neither　relations　nor　connexions；　no　one　knew　his　origin：　for　years　he　had　occupied　the　same　position　in　the　gay　world　of　New　York；　with　this　difference；　that　at　five…and…twenty　he　was　known　as　Bob　Stryker；　at　five…and…thirty　he　was　Colonel　Stryker；　the　traveller；　and　at　five…and…forty　he　had　returned　to　New　York；　after　a　second　long　absence；　as　Mr。　Stryker；　tout　court。　He　prided　himself　upon　being　considered　a　gentleman　at　large；　a　man　of　the　world；　whose　opinion　on　all　subjects　was　worth　hearing。　Since　his　last　return　from　Europe；　he　had　announced　that　he　was　looking　about　for　that　necessary　encumbrance；　a　wife；　but　he　took　good　care　not　to　mention　what　he　called　his　future　intentions；　until　he　had