tales of trail and town- 第4部分

at　himlike　mother！〃



Nevertheless；　she　gave　him　one　of　those　shy；　timid　glances　he　had

noticed　before；　and　began　coiling　something　around　her　fingers；

with　a　suggestion　of　coy　embarrassment；　indescribably　inconsistent

with　her　previous　masculine　independence。



〃You　might　have　killed　him；〃　said　Peter　angrily。



〃Perhaps　I　might！　　OUGHT　I　have　killed　him；　Peter？〃　she　said

anxiously；　yet　with　the　same　winning；　timid　smile。　　If　she　had　not

been　his　sister；　he　would　have　thought　her　quite　handsome。



〃As　it　is；〃　he　said　impetuously；　〃you　have　made　a　frightful　scandal

here。〃



〃HE　won't　say　anything　about　itwill　he？〃　she　inquired　shyly；

still　twisting　the　something　around　her　finger。



Peter　did　not　reply；　perhaps　the　young　lawyer　really　loved　her　and

would　keep　her　secret！　　But　he　was　vexed；　and　there　was　something

maniacal　in　her　twisting　fingers。　　〃What　have　you　got　there？〃　he

said　sharply。



She　shook　the　object　in　the　air　before　her　with　a　laugh。　　〃Only　a

lock　of　his　hair；〃　she　said　gayly；　〃but　I　didn't　CUT　it　off！〃



〃Throw　it　away；　and　come　here！〃　he　said　angrily。



But　she　only　tucked　the　little　blond　curl　into　her　waist　belt　and

shook　her　head。　　He　urged　his　horse　forward；　but　she　turned　and

fled；　laughing　as　he　pursued　her。　　Being　the　better　rider　she　could

easily　evade　him　whenever　he　got　too　near；　and　in　this　way　they

eventually　reached　the　town　and　their　house　long　before　their

companions。　　But　she　was　far　enough　ahead　of　her　brother　to　be　able

to　dismount　and　hide　her　trophy　with　childish　glee　before　he

arrived。



She　was　right　in　believing　that　her　unfortunate　cavalier　would　make

no　revelation　of　her　conduct；　and　his　catastrophe　passed　as　an

accident。　　But　Peter　could　not　disguise　the　fact　that　much　of　his

unpopularity　was　shared　by　his　sister。　　The　matrons　of　Atherly

believed　that　she　was　〃fast；〃　and　remembered　more　distinctly　than

ever　the　evil　habits　of　her　mother。　　That　she　would；　in　the　due

course　of　time；　〃take　to　drink；〃　they　never　doubted。　　Her　dancing

was　considered　outrageous　in　its　unfettered　freedom；　and　her

extraordinary　powers　of　endurance　were　looked　upon　as　〃masculine〃

by　the　weaker　girls　whose　partners　she　took　from　them。　　She

reciprocally　looked　down　upon　them；　and　made　no　secret　of　her

contempt　for　their　small　refinements　and　fancies。　　She　affected

only　the　society　of　men；　and　even　treated　them　with　a　familiarity

that　was　both　fearless　and　scornful。　　Peter　saw　that　it　was　useless

to　face　the　opposition；　Miss　Atherly　did　not　seem　to　encourage　the

renewal　of　the　young　lawyer's　attentions；　although　it　was　evident

that　he　was　still　attracted　by　her；　nor　did　she　seem　to　invite

advances　from　others。　　He　must　go　awayand　he　would　have　to　take

her　with　him。　　It　seemed　ridiculous　that　a　woman　of　thirty；　of

masculine　character；　should　require　a　chaperon　in　a　brother　of

equal　age；　but　Peter　knew　the　singular　blending　of　childlike

ignorance　with　this　Amazonian　quality。　　He　had　made　his

arrangements　for　an　absence　from　Atherly　of　three　or　four　years；

and　they　departed　together。　　The　young　fair…haired　lawyer　came　to

the　stage…coach　office　to　see　them　off。　　Peter　could　detect　no

sentiment　in　his　sister's　familiar　farewell　of　her　unfortunate

suitor。　　At　New　York；　however；　it　was　arranged　that　〃Jinny〃　should

stay　with　some　friends　whom　they　had　made　en　route；　and　that；　if

she　wished；　she　could　come　to　Europe　later；　and　join　him　in　London。



Thus　relieved　of　one；　Peter　Atherly　of　Atherly　started　on　his

cherished　quest　of　his　other　and　more　remote　relations。





CHAPTER　II





Peter　Atherly　had　been　four　months　in　England；　but　knew　little　of

the　country　until　one　summer　afternoon　when　his　carriage　rolled

along　the　well…ordered　road　between　Nonningsby　Station　and　Ashley

Grange。



In　that　four　months　he　had　consulted　authorities；　examined　records；

visited　the　Heralds'　College；　written　letters；　and　made　a　few

friends。　　A　rich　American；　tracing　his　genealogical　tree；　was　not　a

new　thingeven　in　that　dayin　London；　but　there　was　something

original　and　simple　in　his　methods；　and　so　much　that　was　grave；

reserved；　and　un…American　in　his　personality；　that　it　awakened

interest。　　A　recognition　that　he　was　a　foreigner；　but　a　puzzled

doubt；　however；　of　his　exact　nationality；　which　he　found

everywhere；　at　first　pained　him；　but　he　became　reconciled　to　it　at

about　the　same　time　that　his　English　acquaintances　abandoned　their

own　reserve　and　caution　before　the　greater　reticence　of　this

melancholy　American；　and　actually　became　the　questioners！　　In　this

way　his　quest　became　known　only　as　a　disclosure　of　his　own

courtesy；　and　offers　of　assistance　were　pressed　eagerly　upon　him。

That　was　why　Sir　Edward　Atherly　found　himself　gravely　puzzled；　as

he　sat　with　his　family　solicitor　one　morning　in　the　library　of

Ashley　Grange。



〃Humph！〃　said　Sir　Edward。　　〃And　you　say　he　has　absolutely　no　other

purpose　in　making　these　inquiries？〃



〃Positively　none；〃　returned　the　solicitor。　　〃He　is　even　willing　to

sign　a　renunciation　of　any　claim　which　might　arise　out　of　this

information。　　It　is　rather　a　singular　case；　but　he　seems　to　be　a

rich　man　and　quite　able　to　indulge　his　harmless　caprices。〃



〃And　you　are　quite　sure　he　is　Philip's　son？〃



〃Quite；　from　the　papers　he　brings　me。　　Of　course　I　informed　him

that　even　if　he　should　be　able　to　establish　a　legal　marriage　he

could　expect　nothing　as　next　of　kin；　as　you　had　children　of　your

own。　　He　seemed　to　know　that　already；　and　avowed　that　his　only　wish

was　to　satisfy　his　own　mind。〃



〃I　suppose　he　wants　to　claim　kinship　and　all　that　sort　of　thing　for

society's　sake？〃



〃I　do　not　think　so；〃　said　the　solicitor　dryly。　　〃I　suggested　an

interview　with　you；　but　he　seemed　to　think　it　quite　unnecessary；　if

I　could　give　him　the　information　he　required。〃



〃Ha！〃　said　Sir　Edward　promptly；　〃we'll　invite　him　here。　　Lady

Atherly　can　bring　in　some　people　to　see　him。　　Is　heahemWhat　is

he　like？　　The　usual　American；　I　suppose？〃



〃Not　at　all。　　Quite　foreign…lookingdark；　and　rather　like　an

Italian。　　There　is　no　resemblance　to　Mr。　Philip；〃　he　said；　glancing

at　the　painting　of　a　flaxen…haired　child　fondling　a　greyhound　under

the　elms　of　Ashley　Park。



〃Ah！　　Yes；　yes！　　Perhaps　the　mother　was　one　of　those　Southern

creoles；　or　mulattoes；〃　said　Sir　Edward　with　an　Englishman's

tolerant　regard　for　the　vagaries　of　people　who　were　clearly　not

English；　〃they're　rather　attractive　women；　I　hear。〃



〃I　think　you　do　quite　well　to　be　civil　to　him；〃　said　the　solicitor。

〃He　seems　to　take　an　interest　in　the　family；　and　being　rich；　and

apparently　only　anxious　to　enhance　the　family　prestige；　you　ought

to　know　him。　　Now；　in　reference　to　those　mortgages　on　Appleby　Farm；

if　you　could　get〃



〃Yes；　yes！〃　said　Sir　Edward　quickly；　〃we'll　have　him　down　here；

and；　I　say！　YOU'LL　come　too？〃



The　solicitor　bowed。　　〃And；　by　the　way；〃　continued　Sir　Edward；

〃there　was　a　girl　too；wasn't　there？　　He　has　a　sister；　I　believe？〃



〃Yes；　but　he　has　left　her　in　America。〃



〃Ah；　yes！very　goodyes！of　course。　　We'll　have　Lord　Greyshott

and　Sir　Roger　and　old　Lady　Everton；she　knows　all　about　Sir　Ashley

and　the　family。　　Anderis　he　young　or　old？〃



〃About　thirty；　I　should　say；　Sir　Edward。〃



〃Ah；　well！　　We'll　have　Lady　Elfrida　over　from　the　Towers。〃



Had　Peter　known　of　these　preparations　he　might　have　turned　back　to

Nonningsby　without　even　visiting　the　old　church　in　Ashley　Park；

which　he　had　been　told　held　the　ashes　of　his　ancestors。　　For　during

these　four　months　the　conviction　that　he　was　a　foreigner　and　that

he　had　little　or　nothing　in　common　with　things　here　had　been

clearly　forced　upon　him。　　He　could　recognize　some　kinship　in　the

manners　and　customs　of　the　people　to　those　he　had　known　in　the　West

and　on　the　Atlantic　coast；　but　not　to　his　own　individuality；　and　he

seemed　even　more　a　stranger　herewhere　he　had　expected　to　feel　the

thrill　of　consanguinitythan　in　the　West。　　He　had　accepted　the

invitation　of　the　living　Atherly　for　the　sake　of　the　Atherlys　long

dead　and　forgotten。　　As　the　great　quadrangle　of　stone　and　ivy

lifted　itself　out　of　the　park；　he　looked　longingly　towards　the

little　square　tower　which　peeped　from　between　the　yews　nearer　the

road。　　As　the　carriage　drove　up　to　the　carved　archway　whence　so

many　Atherlys　had　issued　into　the　world；　he　could　not　believe　that

any　of　his　blood　had　gone　forth　from　it；　or；　except　himself；　had

ever　entered　it　before。　　Once　in　the　great　house　he　felt　like　a

prisoner　as　he　wandered　through　the　long　corridors　to　his　room；

even　the　noble　trees　beyond　his　mullioned　windows　seemed　of　another

growth　than　those　he　had　known。



There　was　no　doubt　that　he　created　a　sensation　at　Ashley　Grange；

not　only　from　his　singular　kinship；　but　from　his　striking

individuality。　　The　Atherlys　and　their　guests　were　fascinated　and

freely　admiring。　　His　very　originality；　whic