登陆注册
15692200000003

第3章 THE FIRST COUNTESS OF WESSEX(2)

He was received by the two or three old servants who were in charge of the lonely place,where a few rooms only were kept habitable for his use or that of his friends when hunting;and during the morning he was made more comfortable by the arrival of his faithful servant Tupcombe from King's-Hintock.But after a day or two spent here in solitude he began to feel that he had made a mistake in coming.By leaving King's-Hintock in his anger he had thrown away his best opportunity of counteracting his wife's preposterous notion of promising his poor little Betty's hand to a man she had hardly seen.

To protect her from such a repugnant bargain he should have remained on the spot.He felt it almost as a misfortune that the child would inherit so much wealth.She would be a mark for all the adventurers in the kingdom.Had she been only the heiress to his own unassuming little place at Falls,how much better would have been her chances of happiness!

His wife had divined truly when she insinuated that he himself had a lover in view for this pet child.The son of a dear deceased friend of his,who lived not two miles from where the Squire now was,a lad a couple of years his daughter's senior,seemed in her father's opinion the one person in the world likely to make her happy.But as to breathing such a scheme to either of the young people with the indecent haste that his wife had shown,he would not dream of it;years hence would be soon enough for that.They had already seen each other,and the Squire fancied that he noticed a tenderness on the youth's part which promised well.He was strongly tempted to profit by his wife's example,and forestall her match-making by throwing the two young people together there at Falls.The girl,though marriageable in the views of those days,was too young to be in love,but the lad was fifteen,and already felt an interest in her.

Still better than keeping watch over her at King's Hintock,where she was necessarily much under her mother's influence,would it be to get the child to stay with him at Falls for a time,under his exclusive control.But how accomplish this without using main force?The only possible chance was that his wife might,for appearance'sake,as she had done before,consent to Betty paying him a day's visit,when he might find means of detaining her till Reynard,the suitor whom his wife favoured,had gone abroad,which he was expected to do the following week.Squire Dornell determined to return to King's-Hintock and attempt the enterprise.If he were refused,it was almost in him to pick up Betty bodily and carry her off.

The journey back,vague and Quixotic as were his intentions,was performed with a far lighter heart than his setting forth.He would see Betty,and talk to her,come what might of his plan.

So he rode along the dead level which stretches between the hills skirting Falls-Park and those bounding the town of Ivell,trotted through that borough,and out by the King's-Hintock highway,till,passing the villages he entered the mile-long drive through the park to the Court.The drive being open,without an avenue,the Squire could discern the north front and door of the Court a long way off,and was himself visible from the windows on that side;for which reason he hoped that Betty might perceive him coming,as she sometimes did on his return from an outing,and run to the door or wave her handkerchief.

But there was no sign.He inquired for his wife as soon as he set foot to earth.

'Mistress is away.She was called to London,sir.'

'And Mistress Betty?'said the Squire blankly.

'Gone likewise,sir,for a little change.Mistress has left a letter for you.'

The note explained nothing,merely stating that she had posted to London on her own affairs,and had taken the child to give her a holiday.On the fly-leaf were some words from Betty herself to the same effect,evidently written in a state of high jubilation at the idea of her jaunt.Squire Dornell murmured a few expletives,and submitted to his disappointment.How long his wife meant to stay in town she did not say;but on investigation he found that the carriage had been packed with sufficient luggage for a sojourn of two or three weeks.

King's-Hintock Court was in consequence as gloomy as Falls-Park had been.He had lost all zest for hunting of late,and had hardly attended a meet that season.Dornell read and re-read Betty's scrawl,and hunted up some other such notes of hers to look over,this seeming to be the only pleasure there was left for him.That they were really in London he learnt in a few days by another letter from Mrs.Dornell,in which she explained that they hoped to be home in about a week,and that she had had no idea he was coming back to King's-Hintock so soon,or she would not have gone away without telling him.

Squire Dornell wondered if,in going or returning,it had been her plan to call at the Reynards'place near Melchester,through which city their journey lay.It was possible that she might do this in furtherance of her project,and the sense that his own might become the losing game was harassing.

He did not know how to dispose of himself,till it occurred to him that,to get rid of his intolerable heaviness,he would invite some friends to dinner and drown his cares in grog and wine.No sooner was the carouse decided upon than he put it in hand;those invited being mostly neighbouring landholders,all smaller men than himself,members of the hunt;also the doctor from Evershead,and the like--some of them rollicking blades whose presence his wife would not have countenanced had she been at home.'When the cat's away--!'

said the Squire.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 神级重生

    神级重生

    重生了,拥有了异能的韩旭发现一切都不同了!
  • 三国之黑暗兵法

    三国之黑暗兵法

    先求关注,收藏、点击、推荐票,谢谢支持。黑暗兵法。视人命如草芥,视仁义如粪土。凭君莫话封侯事,一将功成万骨枯。慈不掌兵,欲成万世霸业,则必用黑暗兵法。主角穿越在三国乱世,看看他是怎么一步一步进入到争霸天下的舞台中的。本文主角将从南阳入手,逐步进入东吴,以东吴为主角争霸天下,带领大家见识一段可歌可泣的三国历史。回顾历史,还原真相,展开畅想,笑傲三国。八十遍三国心血分享。
  • 一剑称王

    一剑称王

    百般隐忍,千番蛰伏。不求来世,不负前生。只为今朝,一剑称王!
  • 隐婚是门技术活

    隐婚是门技术活

    她是高能新女性,怀才遭嫉,命犯小人。他是建筑设计高材生,新官上任,意气风发。一些过结,一场相亲,一次相求,她与他剪不断理还乱。他步步设计,引她步步沦陷。她说爱情不能当饭吃,结婚敢么?他说你肯嫁,我即刻就娶!他许她风光嫁,她要的却是一场隐婚。白天,她与他水火不容;晚上,他要她如胶似漆。加密的婚姻,他宠护,她恋慕,冷暖他知她晓。然,隐婚虽好,隐患不少!
  • 武逆之巅

    武逆之巅

    意外让陈逸浩拥有了强大的能量,成为了火神系列一员。从此开启了一段段精彩纷呈的人生路程,也揭开了自己身世之谜,父亲曾是日本11山田组元老成员。在国内,消灭了最大的跨国11集团,也让他陷入了一系列危机之中。在香港、日本、以至于整个东南亚地区最强的11组织轮番挑战?终于,陈逸浩将那瓶神秘紫色液体交给了露丝。这才知道这是一瓶核弹原油?核弹危机,陈逸浩如何应对?
  • 玄学笔录:鬼美人

    玄学笔录:鬼美人

    冥王有令:枉死之人,至今日起,再不得入轮回。从此,百鬼夜行,人间大乱。后有一墨姓大师创玄学笔录,封印恶鬼,才又复人间安宁。我只是一个普通人,却因误打开了玄学笔录,开始了不断见鬼的人生……
  • 十方灵祖

    十方灵祖

    十方世界,每一个世界都是一个故事。禁忌之都,神灵之颠,死亡之塔,葬龙之谷,离忧古域又有着怎么的故事。在这纷争的时代,韩易又该何去何从,让我们跟随时光的号角聆听岁月的声音,走进这个充满未知的世界。
  • 暗夜天使:迷雾重重

    暗夜天使:迷雾重重

    她,平凡到极致,只想过一份安定的生活,但是连这点期望上天都吝啬给她。一次次的经历让她对变强充满了向往,在这个弱肉强食的世界,强才是最有用的。为了保护身边的人,也为了自己,她决心变强。她,同样高贵到极致,原是四大家族之首轩辕家族最有实力的一位。却因为种种被催眠,最后又被催醒,在商场上叱咤风云。四大家族,鼎立商场,风云突变,轩辕一出,谁与争锋?
  • 感悟人生全集

    感悟人生全集

    作为一位神秘的文人,詹姆斯.爱伦被誉为“20世纪最伟大的心灵导师”。他每日环顾世界,终于发现了抚慰世人内心痛苦的疗法、引领众人步入成功的法则,并通过其作品将这些智慧奉献于世。对于那些正在经受心灵创作、一直企求成功的人们来说,这些作品犹如一股清泉,流入他们的心扉,滋润他们的心田。令人遗憾的是,直至他去世以后,世人才发现其杰出的思想与文学才华,于是他的作品陆续问世,并且一直流传至今,发人深思,省悟人生。正如作者所言:我有一个梦想,那就是要写出一些作品,去帮助普天之下的人们,无论是男是女,是贫是富,有无渊博的学识,老于世故或涉世未深,在他们自身之内发掘所有成功、所有幸福、所有业绩、所有真理的源泉。
  • 神科技主题乐园

    神科技主题乐园

    意外获得外星科技应急重建模块!打造世界最强主题游乐园!这里是超越现实的世界,未来世界,带领你进入一千年后的高科技时代。这里是深藏在加勒比海的海盗宝藏岛,在这里你将寻找到世界上遗落的珍宝。这里是上古侏罗纪时代最疯狂的岛屿,与恐龙争锋,和自然搏斗,获得传说中的宝藏“光明之山”嘿!伙计们,世界上最疯狂的主题乐园即将到来!准备好挑战了么!作为老板,我还是品尝一杯香浓的摩卡,在游乐园中看你们疯狂吧!“内签作品,完本保证,放心收藏哟。”本书读者群:83846799,本文半休闲小说,需要紧张刺激的兄弟们,前方绕行。