登陆注册
15328000000007

第7章

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 thing--even in that day--in 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 he--ahem--What is he like? The usual American, I suppose?""Not at all.Quite foreign-looking--dark, 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 good--yes!--of course.We'll have Lord Greyshott and Sir Roger and old Lady Everton,--she knows all about Sir Ashley and the family.And--er--is 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 here--where he had expected to feel the thrill of consanguinity--than 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, which prevented them from comparing him with any English or American standard of excellence, gave them a comfortable assurance of safety in their admiration.

同类推荐
  • 五宗原

    五宗原

    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。
  • 读书附志

    读书附志

    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。
  • 佛说大乘十法经

    佛说大乘十法经

    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。
  • 太上洞真安灶经

    太上洞真安灶经

    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。
  • The Filigree Ball

    The Filigree Ball

    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。
热门推荐
  • 诀:圣王

    诀:圣王

    在大陆上,风云涌起,郑家一名来历不明的少年,正在不断崛起。
  • 激活生命潜能(人生高起点)

    激活生命潜能(人生高起点)

    有人说,人如果不逼自己一把,就不知道自己到底有多优秀;也有人说,人的潜力是无穷尽的,就看怎么去挖掘。《激活生命潜能》是专门为青年读者朋友量身定制的成功法宝。希望能给读者朋友以启发。
  • 极品凤凰男的恋爱日记

    极品凤凰男的恋爱日记

    极品倒霉蛋凤凰男简大宝在破产了N个老板之后终于无奈的决定找一个不会破产的老板,于是成了一个光荣得共产主义接班人-公务员,,却发现自己三十高龄却连个对象都没有,却发现自己的倒霉蛋体质转了一个弯,在屡屡碰壁之后一见钟情了脾气火爆的大龄剩女,从此简大宝铺满了血泪的追妻之路开始了前期花式虐男主,后期花式虐狗
  • 极品法师:绝色倾天下

    极品法师:绝色倾天下

    什么才是极品?身为一名魔法师,她竟然喜欢战士的作战方式!别人的魔法师都被保护在身后但她却喜欢冲锋陷阵。一手短杖,无人能敌!其实不是我不喜欢长杖,只不过是因为我!没!钱!
  • 凤逃

    凤逃

    现代的蓝灵儿穿越了,而且穿越到了一个修仙世界,传闻灵霄派的师尊几百年都没有收一个徒弟所以对蓝灵儿是非常护短,某一天蓝灵儿一脸希翼地望着自家师尊说突然问起:“师尊,那时候你为什么要救我,而且还要收一个来路不明的人做徒弟呢?”某师尊直接一脸嫌弃的甩了她一个眼神,淡淡的说道:“心情好。”尼玛!?看心情。于是蓝灵儿呆滞了( ̄△ ̄;),老娘真是不该希望你的嘴里吐出什么象牙。
  • 来到异世钓王爷

    来到异世钓王爷

    她本是现代才女,众多男神崇拜者,却因缘来到异世大陆。哼,失宠又怎么样,被强嫁给傻王爷又怎么样,新账旧账,我会慢慢跟你们讨回来,征服傻王爷
  • 历世花仙

    历世花仙

    日久生情,为爱而生死。悲伤爱情。为爱而死,幻化成另一个人,
  • 寻找快乐岛

    寻找快乐岛

    这是一个有趣好玩的故事,充满了想象与温情。猎犬黑虎和小兔比比一起去冒险。糊里糊涂登上了偷猎者的游船。没想到这艘船是属于一个名叫吞剑人的偷猎者和他的搭档——狡猾的狐狸眨巴眼的。他们在世界各地搜捕野生动物,这次的目的地是美丽的绿岛。吞剑人会说动物的语言,他诱骗野生动物,说要带他们去寻找快乐岛,其实是把他们卖给制药厂、皮革加工厂。猎犬黑虎和小兔比比和船上的猩猩水手通力合作,将吞剑人变成了狐狸,关进了动物园的铁笼子里,供人们观看。最后,他们开着那艘游船,找到了一个真正的快乐岛。
  • 生活中的催眠术

    生活中的催眠术

    催眠不是巫术,而是一种神奇的心理疗法。让催眠走进我们的生活,给心灵带来温暖和抚慰,帮助我们解除心中的烦恼,化解生活的压力,激发内心的潜能,提高生活的品质,让生活更加轻松和美好。你想戒烟、戒酒吗?你还在为失眠而苦恼吗?你对手术的疼痛心怀恐惧吗?你为自己的焦虑和自卑感到懊恼吗?你还在巨大的生活压力之下苦苦挣扎吗?催眠术将帮你从心理的困惑和痛苦中解脱出来。"
  • 傲古神帝

    傲古神帝

    《2017劲爆爽文》一代天帝苏浩南,突破时惨遭挚爱偷袭而陨落,魂魄重生于同名少年体内。这一生,定要睡最美的女人,杀最可恨的人。身怀绝世血脉,少年万里独行,为了结前世恩怨,他要将世上神魔全部埋葬,从此开启一段峥嵘时代!