The Heir of Redclyffe - Charlotte Yonge

Charlotte M. Yonge

The Heir of Redclyffe

CHAPTER 1

The drawing-room of Hollywell House was one of the favoured apartments, where a peculiar air of home seems to reside, whether seen in the middle of summer, all its large windows open to the garden, or, as when our story commences, its bright fire and stands of fragrant green-house plants contrasted with the wintry fog and leafless trees of November. There were two persons in the rooma young lady, who sat drawing at the round table, and a youth, lying on a couch near the fire, surrounded with books and newspapers, and a pair of crutches near him. Both looked up with a smile of welcome at the entrance of a tall, fine-looking young man, whom each greeted with Good morning, Philip.

Good morning, Laura. Good morning, Charles; I am glad you are downstairs again! How are you to-day?

No way remarkable, thank you, was the answer, somewhat wearily given by Charles.

You walked? said Laura.

Yes. Wheres my uncle? I called at the post-office, and brought a letter for him. It has the Moorworth post-mark, he added, producing it.

Wheres that? said Charles.

The post-town to Redclyffe; Sir Guy Morvilles place.

That old Sir Guy! What can he have to do with my father?

Did you not know, said Philip, that my uncle is to be guardian to the boyhis grandson?

Eh? No, I did not.

Yes, said Philip; when old Sir Guy made it an especial point that my father should take the guardianship, he only consented on condition that my uncle should be joined with him; so now my uncle is alone in the trust, and I cannot help thinking something must have happened at Redclyffe. It is certainly not Sir Guys writing.

It must wait, unless your curiosity will carry you out in search of papa, said Charles; he is somewhere about, zealously supplying the place of Jenkins.

Really, Philip, said Laura, there is no telling how much good you have done him by convincing him of Jenkins dishonesty. To say nothing of the benefit of being no longer cheated, the pleasure of having to overlook the farming is untold.

Philip smiled, and came to the table where she was drawing. Do you know this place? said she, looking up in his face.

Stylehurst itself! What is it taken from?

From this pencil sketch of your sisters, which I found in mammas scrap book.

You are making it very like, only the spire is too slender, and that treecant you alter the foliage?it is an ash.

Is it? I took it for an elm.

And surely those trees in the foreground should be greener, to throw back the middle distance. That is the peak of South Moor exactly, if it looked further off.

She began the alterations, while Philip stood watching her progress, a shade of melancholy gathering on his face. Suddenly, a voice called Laura! Are you there? Open the door, and you will see.

On Philips opening it, in came a tall camellia; the laughing face, and light, shining curls of the bearer peeping through the dark green leaves.

Thank you! Oh, is it you, Philip? Oh, dont take it. I must bring my own camellia to show Charlie.

You make the most of that one flower, said Charles.

Only see how many buds! and she placed it by his sofa. Is it not a perfect blossom, so pure a white, and so regular! And I am so proud of having beaten mamma and all the gardeners, for not another will be out this fortnight; and this is to go to the horticultural show. Sam would hardly trust me to bring it in, though it was my nursing, not his.

Now, Amy, said Philip, when the flower had been duly admired, you must let me put it into the window, for you. It is too heavy for you.

Oh, take care, cried Amabel, but too late; for, as he took it from her, the solitary flower struck against Charless little table, and was broken off.

O Amy, I am very sorry. What a pity! How did it happen?

Never mind, she answered; it will last a long time in water.

It was very unluckyI am very sorryespecially because of the horticultural show.

Make all your apologies to Sam, said Amy, his feelings will be more hurt than mine. I dare say my poor flower would have caught cold at the show, and never held up its head again.

Her tone was gay; but Charles, who saw her face in the glass, betrayed her by saying, Winking away a tear, O Amy!

I never nursed a dear gazelle! quoted Amy, with a merry laugh; and before any more could be said, there entered a middle-aged gentleman, short and slight, with a fresh, weather-beaten, good-natured face, gray whiskers, quick eyes, and a hasty, undecided air in look and movement. He greeted Philip heartily, and the letter was given to him.

Ha! Eh? Let us look. Not old Sir Guys hand. Eh? What can be the matter? What? Dead! This is a sudden thing.

Dead! Who? Sir Guy Morville?

Yes, quite suddenlypoor old man. Then stepping to the door, he opened it, and called, Mamma; just step here a minute, will you, mamma?

The summons was obeyed by a tall, handsome lady, and behind her crept, with doubtful steps, as if she knew not how far to venture, a little girl of eleven, her turned-up nose and shrewd face full of curiosity. She darted up to Amabel; who, though she shook her head, and held up her finger, smiled, and took the little girls hand, listening meanwhile to the announcement, Do you hear this, mamma? Heres a shocking thing! Sir Guy Morville dead, quite suddenly.

Indeed! Well, poor man, I suppose no one ever repented or suffered more than he. Who writes?

His grandsonpoor boy! I can hardly make out his letter. Holding it half a yard from his eyes, so that all could see a few lines of hasty, irregular writing, in a forcible hand, bearing marks of having been penned under great distress and agitation, he read aloud:

DEAR MR. EDMONSTONE,

My dear grandfather died at six this morning. He had an attack of apoplexy yesterday evening, and never spoke again, though for a short time he knew me. We hope he suffered little. Markham will make all arrangements. We propose that the funeral should take place on Tuesday; I hope you will be able to come. I would write to my cousin, Philip Morville, if I knew his address; but I depend on you for saying all that ought to be said. Excuse this illegible letter,I hardly know what I write.

Poor fellow! said Philip, he writes with a great deal of proper feeling.

How very sad for him to be left alone there! said Mrs. Edmonstone.

Very sadvery, said her husband. I must start off to him at onceyes, at once. Should you not say soeh, Philip?

Certainly. I think I had better go with you. It would be the correct thing, and I should not like to fail in any token of respect for poor old Sir Guy.

Of courseof course, said Mr. Edmonstone; it would be the correct thing. I am sure he was always very civil to us, and you are next heir after this boy.

Little Charlotte made a sort of jump, lifted her eyebrows, and stared at Amabel.

Philip answered. That is not worth a thought; but since he and I are now the only representatives of the two branches of the house of Morville, it shall not be my fault if the enmity is not forgotten.

Buried in oblivion would sound more magnanimous, said Charles; at which Amabel laughed so uncontrollably, that she was forced to hide her head on her little sisters shoulder. Charlotte laughed too, an imprudent proceeding, as it attracted attention. Her father smiled, saying, half-reprovinglySo you are there, inquisitive pussy-cat? And at her mothers question,Charlotte, what business have you here? She stole back to her lessons, looking very small, without the satisfaction of hearing her mothers compassionate wordsPoor child!

How old is he? asked Mr. Edmonstone, returning to the former subject.

He is of the same age as Lauraseventeen and a half, answered Mrs. Edmonstone. Dont you remember my brother saying what a satisfaction it was to see such a noble baby as she was, after such a poor little miserable thing as the one at Redclyffe?

He is grown into a fine spirited fellow, said Philip.

I suppose we must have him here, said Mr. Edmonstone. Should you not say soeh, Philip?

Certainly; I should think it very good for him. Indeed, his grandfathers death has happened at a most favourable time for him. The poor old man had such a dread of his going wrong that he kept him

I knowas tight as a drum.

With strictness that I should think very bad for a boy of his impatient temper. It would have been a very dangerous experiment to send him at once among the temptations of Oxford, after such discipline and solitude as he has been used to.

Dont talk of it, interrupted Mr. Edmonstone, spreading out his hands in a deprecating manner. We must do the best we can with him, for I have got him on my hands till he is five-and-twentyhis grandfather has tied him up till then. If we can keep him out of mischief, well and good; if not, it cant be helped.

You have him all to yourself, said Charles.

Ay, to my sorrow. If your poor father was alive, Philip, I should be free of all care. Ive a pretty deal on my hands, he proceeded, looking more important than troubled. All that great Redclyffe estate is no sinecure, to say nothing of the youth himself. If all the world will come to me, I cant help it. I must go and speak to the men, if I am to be off to Redclyffe tomorrow. Will you come, Philip?

I must go back soon, thank you, replied Philip. I must see about my leave; only we should first settle when to set off.

This arranged, Mr. Edmonstone hurried away, and Charles began by saying, Isnt there a ghost at Redclyffe?

So it is said, answered his cousin; though I dont think it is certain whose it is. There is a room called Sir Hughs Chamber, over the gateway, but the honour of naming it is undecided between Hugo de Morville, who murdered Thomas a Becket, and his namesake, the first Baronet, who lived in the time of William of Orange, when the quarrel began with our branch of the family. Do you know the history of it, aunt?

It was about some property, said Mrs Edmonstone, though I dont know the rights of it. But the Morvilles were always a fiery, violent race, and the enmity once begun between Sir Hugh and his brother, was kept up, generation after generation, in a most unjustifiable way. Even I can remember when the Morvilles of Redclyffe used to be spoken of in our family like a sort of ogres.

Not undeservedly, I should think, said Philip. This poor old man, who is just dead, ran a strange career. Stories of his duels and mad freaks are still extant.

Poor man! I believe he went all lengths, said Mrs. Edmonstone.

What was the true version of that horrible story about his son? said Philip. Did he strike him?

Oh, no! it was bad enough without that.

How? asked Laura.

He was an only child, and lost his mother early. He was very ill brought up, and was as impetuous and violent as Sir Guy himself, though with much kindliness and generosity. He was only nineteen when he made a runaway marriage with a girl of sixteen, the sister of a violin player, who was at that time in fashion. His father was very much offended, and there was much dreadfully violent conduct on each side. At last, the young man was driven to seek a reconciliation. He brought his wife to Moorworth, and rode to Redclyffe, to have an interview with his father. Unhappily, Sir Guy was giving a dinner to the hunt, and had been drinking. He not only refused to see him, but I am afraid he used shocking language, and said something about bidding him go back to his fiddling brother in-law. The son was waiting in the hall, heard everything, threw himself on his horse, and rushed away in the dark. His forehead struck against the branch of a tree, and he was killed on the spot.

The poor wife? asked Amabel, shuddering.

She died the next day, when this boy was born.

Frightful! said Philip. It might well make a reformation in old Sir Guy.

I have heard that nothing could be more awful than the stillness that fell on that wretched party, even before they knew what had happenedbefore Colonel Harewood, who had been called aside by the servants, could resolve to come and fetch away the father. No wonder Sir Guy was a changed man from that hour.

It was then that he sent for my father, said Philip.

But what made him think of doing so?

You know Colonel Harewoods house at Stylehurst? Many years ago, when the St. Mildreds races used to be so much more in fashion, Sir Guy and Colonel Harewood, and some men of that stamp, took that house amongst them, and used to spend some time there every year, to attend to something about the training of the horses. There were some malpractices of their servants, that did so much harm in the parish, that my brother was obliged to remonstrate. Sir Guy was very angry at first, but behaved better at last than any of the others. I suspect he was struck by my dear brothers bold, uncompromising ways, for he took to him to a certain degreeand my brother could not help being interested in him, there seemed to be so much goodness in his nature. I saw him once, and never did I meet any one who gave me so much the idea of a finished gentleman. When the poor son was about fourteen, he was with a tutor in the neighbourhood, and used to be a good deal at Stylehurst, and, after the unhappy marriage, my brother happened to meet him in London, heard his story, and tried to bring about a reconciliation.

Ha! said Philip; did not they come to Stylehurst? I have a dim recollection of somebody very tall, and a lady who sung.

Yes; your father asked them to stay there, that he might judge of her, and wrote to Sir Guy that she was a little, gentle, childish thing, capable of being moulded to anything, and representing the mischief of leaving them to such society as that of her brother, who was actually maintaining them. That letter was never answered, but about ten days or a fortnight after this terrible accident, Colonel Harewood wrote to entreat my brother to come to Redclyffe, saying poor Sir Guy had eagerly caught at the mention of his name. Of course he went at once, and he told me that he never, in all his experience as a clergyman, saw any one so completely broken down with grief.

I found a great many of his letters among my fathers papers, said Philip; and it was a very touching one that he wrote to me on my fathers death. Those Redclyffe people certainly have great force of character.

And was it then he settled his property on my uncle? said Charles.

Yes, said Mrs. Edmonstone. My brother did not like his doing so, but he would not be at rest till it was settled. It was in vain to put him in mind of his grandchild, for he would not believe it could live; and, indeed, its life hung on a thread. I remember my brother telling me how he went to Moorworth to see itfor it could not be brought homein hopes of bringing, back a report that might cheer its grandfather, but how he found it so weak and delicate, that he did not dare to try to make him take interest in it. It was not till the child was two or three years old, that Sir Guy ventured to let himself grow fond of it.