登陆注册
15518600000145

第145章 CHAPTER XXXII(4)

"My son's my son till he gets him a wife,My daughter's my daughter all her life."And when,as in this case,the son wishes to marry one whom his father may not wholly approve,whom his mother does not heartily love,surely the pain is deepened tenfold.

Those who in the dazzled vision of youth see only the beauty and splendour of love--first love,who deem it comprises the whole of life,beginning,aim,and end--may marvel that I,who have been young and now am old,see as I saw that night,not only the lover's but the parents'side of the question.I felt overwhelmed with sadness,as,viewing the three,I counted up in all its bearings and consequences,near and remote,this attachment of poor Guy's.

"Well,father,"he said at last,guessing by intuition that the father's heart would best understand his own.

"Well,my son,"John answered,sadly.

"YOU were young once."

"So I was;"with a tender glance upon the lad's heated and excited countenance."Do not suppose I cannot feel with you.Still,I wish you had been less precipitate.""You were little older than I am when you married?""But my marriage was rather different from this projected one of yours.I knew your mother well,and she knew me.Both of us had been tried--by trouble which we shared together,by absence,by many and various cares.We chose one another,not hastily or blindly,but with free will and open eyes.No,Guy,"he added,speaking earnestly and softly,"mine was no sudden fancy,no frantic passion.Ihonoured your mother above all women.I loved her as my own soul.""So do I love Louise.I would die for her any day."At the son's impetuosity the father smiled;not incredulously,only sadly.

All this while the mother had sat motionless,never uttering a sound.

Suddenly,hearing a footstep and a light knock at the door,she darted forward and locked it,crying,in a voice that one could hardly have recognized as hers--"No admittance!Go away."

A note was pushed in under the door.Mrs.Halifax picked it up--opened it,read it mechanically,and sat down again;taking no notice,even when Guy,catching sight of the hand-writing,eagerly seized the paper.

It was merely a line,stating Miss Silver's wish to leave Beechwood immediately;signed,with her full name--her right name--"Louise Eugenie D'Argent."A postscript added:"Your silence I shall take as permission to depart;and shall be gone early to-morrow.""To-morrow!Gone to-morrow!And she does not even know that--that Ilove her.Mother,you have ruined my happiness.I will never forgive you--never!"Never forgive his mother!His mother,who had borne him,nursed him,reared him;who had loved him with that love--like none other in the world--the love of a woman for her firstborn son,all these twenty-one years!

It was hard.I think the most passionate lover,in reasonable moments,would allow that it was hard.No marvel that even her husband's clasp could not remove the look of heart-broken,speechless suffering which settled stonily down in Ursula's face,as she watched her boy--storming about,furious with uncontrollable passion and pain.

At last,mother-like,she forgot the passion in pity of the pain.

"He is not strong yet;he will do himself harm.Let me go to him!

John,let me!"Her husband released her.

Faintly,with a weak,uncertain walk,she went up to Guy and touched his arm.

"You must keep quiet,or you will be ill.I cannot have my son ill--not for any girl.Come,sit down--here,beside your mother."She was obeyed.Looking into her eyes,and seeing no anger there,nothing but grief and love,the young man's right spirit came into him again.

"O mother,mother,forgive me!I am so miserable--so miserable."He laid his head on her shoulder.She kissed and clasped him close--her boy who never could be wholly hers again,who had learned to love some one else dearer than his mother.

After a while she said,"Father,shake hands with Guy.Tell him that we forgive his being angry with us;that perhaps,some day--"She stopped,uncertain as to the father's mind,or seeking strength for her own.

"Some day,"John continued,"Guy will find out that we can have nothing in the world--except our children's good--so dear to us as their happiness."Guy looked up,beaming with hope and joy."O father!O mother!will you,indeed--""We will indeed say nothing,"the father answered,smiling;"nothing,until to-morrow.Then we will all three talk the matter quietly over,and see what can be done."Of course I knew to a certainty the conclusion they would come to.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 首席霸爱:追回出逃小妻

    首席霸爱:追回出逃小妻

    很久之后有一次,顾方晏把削好的梨子递到躺在床上的女人跟前,顺便问了句:“当初为什么在我伤了你那么深之后你还愿意爱着我?”苏莞接过来,嘴一张就咔嚓咬掉一大块,嘟囔着说:“你以为我愿意吗?大概是爱着爱着就成了习惯。”顾先生不悦地眯起眼睛,“难道你不愿意?”苏莞张口又是一大嘴,“后来就不是这个原因了“顾方晏伸手抹掉她嘴边的汁水,“那是什么原因?”“后来我看上你器大活好了!”
  • 巴菲特为什么看中王传福

    巴菲特为什么看中王传福

    本书以解构的形式,从巴菲特为什么看中王传福这个话题入手,立体式分析了王传福个人的特点、比亚迪技术的优势、管理的模式以及团队等吸引资金的因素,为读者深入剖析了王传福以及比亚迪在经济浪潮中获得成功的经验与教训。
  • 阴差记

    阴差记

    这个世界,不仅仅有人类的存在,更有比人类更高等的存在,和更邪恶的存在。陈坤灵,一个诞生在浑厚大地之中的人,他是被天所要诛杀的不该存在的生命;也是一个阴阳术中的门外汉;亦是在黑暗之中拯救世间的阴差,故事,就发生在他不经意间开了鬼门关的那一瞬间……
  • 黎明神意

    黎明神意

    天变黑了,梦开始了。你在寻找一扇青铜大门,它将带你去很远的地方,你知道你要去的地方,但不能确定青铜大门的背后是何方,但是没关系,因为我们会永远在一起。梦结束了,黎明到了。
  • 四六话

    四六话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 史上最年轻大帝

    史上最年轻大帝

    看史上最年轻大帝如何带领自己的王朝去征服世界。交流群:376223605
  • 千年之恋第一部奇花出胎

    千年之恋第一部奇花出胎

    一个幼稚男童,从小缺乏父母关爱,性格逐渐扭曲,可偏偏他又拥有着可怕的力量,是什么能够阻止他误入歧途?这股力量又究竟是福是祸?
  • 邪王独宠:萌妃驾到

    邪王独宠:萌妃驾到

    你妹的!顾倾城就因为看了一本小说,就穿越到了小说里,和她名字一模一样的恶毒女配身上了。本想好好和女主解释,无奈系统君太强大……越描越黑。好吧好吧,只要改变作死的本性就好了。可是,偏偏有了一只邪王跟在身后。顾倾城欲哭无泪,亲!我是恶毒女配,和我在一起没好结果啊!结果邪王挑挑眉,我不在乎。
  • 金口才全书·好口才好主持人

    金口才全书·好口才好主持人

    本书内容包括:“主持人口才的六字心诀”,“加减口才术的基本模式”,“口才的六大加法”,“加减平横术”等。
  • 武神天使

    武神天使

    传说,有一个神秘的时空,那里有花哨美丽的魔法,有磅礴的灵力,更有着无数的武者,这些武者凭借自身的力量打败无数强者,历经天雷洗礼,最后踏上巅峰,这个故事是一个神灵的传说……