第35章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"WIVES AND DAUGHTERS",免费读到尾

  ’Itisanunluckytimeforvisitors;nogametobehad,andlambsolatethisyear,andchickenhardlytobehadforloveormoney。’’He’llhavetoputupwithcalves—head,thathewill,’saidMrsGoodenough,solemnly。’IfI’dha’gotmyusualhealthI’dcopyoutareceiptofmygrandmother’sforarolledcalves—head,’andsendittoMrsGibson,—thedoctorhasbeenverykindtomeallthroughthisillness,—IwishmydaughterinCombermerewouldsendmesomeautumnchickens—I’dpass’emontothedoctor,thatIwould;butshe’sbeena—killingof’emall,anda—sendingofthemtome,andthelastshesentshewrotemewordwasthelast。’’Iwonderifthey’llgiveapartyforhim!’suggestedMissPhoebe。’IshouldliketoseeaQueen’scounselforonceinmylife。Ihaveseenjavelin—men,butthat’sthegreatestthinginthelegallineIevercameacross。’’They’llaskMrAshton,ofcourse,’saidMissBrowning。’Thethreeblackgraces,Law,Physic,andDivinity,asthesongcallsthem。’Wheneverthere’sasecondcourse,there’salwaystheclergymanoftheparishinvitedinanyfamilyofgentility。’’Iwonderifhe’smarried!’saidMrsGoodenough。MissPhoebehadbeenfeelingthesamewonder,buthadnotthoughtitmaidenlytoexpressit,eventohersister,whowasthesourceofknowledge,havingmetMrsGibsoninthestreetonherwaytoMrsGoodenough’s。’Yes,he’smarried,andmusthaveseveralchildren,forMrsGibsonsaidthatCynthiaKirkpatrickhadpaidthemavisitinLondon,tohavelessonswithhercousins。Andshesaidthathiswifewasamostaccomplishedwoman,andofgoodfamily,thoughshebroughthimnofortune。’’It’saverycreditableconnection,I’msure;it’sonlyawondertomeashowwe’veheardsolittletalkofitbefore,’saidMrsGoodenough。’Atthefirstlookofthething,Ishouldnotha’thoughtMrsGibsonwasonetohideawayherfinerelationsunderabushel;indeedforthatmatterwe’reallofusfondo’turningthebestbreadtho’thegowntothefront。

  Iremember,speakingo’breadths,howI’veundonemyskirtsmanyatimeandofttoputastainoragrease—spotnexttopoorMrGoodenough。He’dasoftkindofheartwhenfirstwewasmarried,andhesaid,sayshe,\"Patty,linkthyrightarmintomyleftone,thenthou’ltbenearertomyheart;\"

  andsowekeptupthehabit,when,poorman,he’dadealmoretothinkonthanromancingonwhichsidehisheartlay;soasIsaidIalwaysputmydamagedbreadthsontherighthand,andwhenwewalkedarminarm,aswealwaysdid,noonewasneverthewiser。’’IshouldnotbesurprisedifheinvitedCynthiatopayhimanothervisitinLondon,’saidMissBrowning。’Ifhediditwhenhewaspoor,he’stwentytimesmorelikelytodoitnowhe’saQueen’scounsel。’’Ay,workitbytheruleo’three,andshestandsagoodchance。Ionlyhopeitwon’tturnherhead;goingupvisitinginLondonatherage。Why,IwasfiftybeforeeverIwent!’’ButshehasbeeninFrance,she’squiteatravelledyounglady,’saidMissPhoebe。MrsGoodenoughshookherhead,forawholeminutebeforeshegaveventtoheropinion。’It’sarisk,’saidshe,’agreatrisk。Idon’tlikesayingsotothedoctor,butIshouldnotlikehavingmydaughter,ifIwashim,socheek—by—jowlwithagirlaswasbroughtupinthecountrywhereRobespierreandBonypartewasborn。’’ButBuonapartewasaCorsican,’saidMissBrowning,whowasmuchfartheradvancedbothinknowledgeandinliberalityofopinionsthanMrsGoodenough。

  ’Andthere’sagreatopportunityforcultivationofthemindaffordedbyintercoursewithforeigncountries。IalwaysadmireCynthia’sgraceofmanner,nevertooshytospeak,yetneverputtingherselfforwards;she’squiteahelptoaparty;andifshehasafewairsandgraces,whythey’renaturalatherage!NowasfordearMolly,there’sakindofawkwardnessabouther—shebrokeoneofourbestchinacupslasttimeshewasatapartyatourhouse,andspiltthecoffeeonthenewcarpet;andthenshegotsoconfusedthatshehardlydidanythingbutsitinacornerandholdhertonguealltherestoftheevening。’’Shewassosorryforwhatshe’ddone,sister,’saidMissPhoebe,inagentletoneofreproach;shewasalwaysfaithfultoMolly。’Well,anddidIsayshewasn’t?butwasthereanyneedforhertobestupidalltheeveningafter?’’Butyouwererathersharp,—ratherdispleased——’’AndIthinkitmydutytobesharp,ay,andcrosstoo,whenIseeyoungfolkscareless。AndwhenIseemydutyclearIdoit;I’mnotonetoshrinkfromit,andtheyoughttobegratefultome。It’snoteveryonethatwilltakethetroubleofreprovingthem,asMrsGoodenoughknows。I’mveryfondofMollyGibson,very,forherownsakeandforhermother’stoo;I’mnotsureifIdon’tthinkshe’sworthhalf—a—dozenCynthias,butforallthatsheshouldnotbreakmybestchinatea—cup,andthensitdoingnothingforherlivelihoodalltherestoftheevening。’BythistimeMrsGoodenoughgaveevidentsignsofbeingtired;Molly’smisdemeanorsandMissBrowning’sbrokenteacupwerenotasexcitingsubjectsofconversationasMrsGibson’snewly—discoveredgoodluckinhavingasuccessfulLondonlawyerforarelation。MrKirkpatrickhadbeen,likemanyothermen,strugglingoninhisprofession,andencumberedwithalargefamilyofhisown;hewasreadytodoagoodturnforhisconnections,ifitoccasionedhimnolossoftime,andif(whichwas,perhaps,aprimarycondition)herememberedtheirexistence。

  Cynthia’svisittoDoughtyStreetnineortenyearsagohadnotmademuchimpressionuponhimafterhehadoncesuggesteditsfeasibilitytohisgood—naturedwife。Hewasevenratherstartledeverynowandthenbytheappearanceofaprettylittlegirlamongsthisownchildren,astheytroopedintodessert,andhadtoremindhimselfwhoshewas。Butasitwashiscustomtoleavethetablealmostimmediatelyandtoretreatintoasmallback—roomcalledhisstudy,toimmersehimselfinpapersfortherestoftheevening,thechildhadnotmademuchimpressionuponhim;andprobablythenexttimeherememberedherexistencewaswhenMrsKirkpatrickwrotetohimtobeghimtoreceiveCynthiaforanightonherwaytoschoolatBoulogne。Thesamerequestwasrepeatedonherreturn;butitsohappenedthathehadnotseenhereithertime;andonlydimlyrememberedsomeremarkswhichhiswifehadmadeononeoftheseoccasions,thatitseemedtoherratherhazardoustosendsoyoungagirlsolongajourneywithoutmakingmoreprovisionforhersafetythanMrsKirkpatrickhaddone。HeknewthathiswifewouldfillupalldeficienciesinthisrespectasifCynthiahadbeenherowndaughter;andthoughtnomoreaboutheruntilhereceivedaninvitationtoattendMrsKirkpatrick’sweddingwithMrGibson,thehighly—esteemedsurgeonofHollingford,&c。&c。—anattentionwhichirritatedinsteadofpleasinghim。’DoesthewomanthinkIhavenothingtodobutrunaboutthecountryinsearchofbridesandbridegrooms,whenthisgreatcaseofHoughtonv。Houghtoniscomingon,andIhavenotamomenttospare?’

  heaskedofhiswife。’Perhapssheneverheardofit,’suggestedMrsKirkpatrick。’Nonsense!thecasehasbeeninthepapersfordays。’’Butshemayn’tknowyouareengagedinit。’’Shemayn’t,’saidhe,meditatively—suchignorancewaspossible。ButnowthegreatcaseofHoughtonv。Houghtonwasathingofthepast;

  thehardstrugglewasover,thecomparativetable—landofQ。C。—domgained,andMrKirkpatrickhadleisureforfamilyfeelingandrecollection。OnedayintheEastervacationhefoundhimselfnearHollingford;hehadaSundaytospare,andhewrotetoofferhimselfasavisitortotheGibsonsfromFridaytoMonday,expressingstrongly(whathereallyfelt,inalessdegree,)hiswishtomakeMrGibson’sacquaintance。MrGibson,thoughoftenoverwhelmedwithprofessionalbusiness,wasalwayshospitable;andmoreover,itwasalwaysapleasuretohimtogetoutofthesomewhatconfinedmentalatmospherewhichhehadbreathedoverandoveragain,andhaveawhiffoffreshair:aglimpseofwhatwaspassinginthegreatworldbeyondhisdailylimitsofthoughtandaction。Sohewasreadytogiveacordialwelcometohisunknownrelation。MrsGibsonwasinaflutterofsentimentaldelight,whichshefanciedwasfamilyaffection,butwhichmightnothavebeenquitesoeffervescentifMrKirkpatrickhadremainedinhisformerpositionofstrugglinglawyer,withsevenchildren,livinginDoughtyStreet。Whenthetwogentlemenmettheywereattractedtowardseachotherbyasimilarityofcharacter,withjustenoughdifferenceintheiropinionstomaketheexperienceofeach,onwhichsuchopinionswerebased,valuabletotheother。MrsGibson,althoughthebondbetweenthem,countedforverylittleintheirintercourse。MrKirkpatrickpaidherverypoliteattention;

  andwas,infact,verygladthatshehaddonesowellforherselfastomarryasensibleandagreeableman,whowasabletokeepherincomfort,andtobehavetoherdaughterinsoliberalamanner。Mollystruckhimasadelicate—lookinggirl,whomightbeveryprettyifshehadhadagreaterlookofhealthandanimation:indeed,lookingathercritically,therewerebeautifulpointsaboutherface—longsoftgreyeyes,blackcurlingeyelashes,rarely—showingdimples,perfectteeth;buttherewasalanguoroverall,aslowdepressionofmanner,whichcontrastedunfavourablywiththebrightly—colouredCynthia,sparkling,quick,graceful,andwitty。AsMrKirkpatrickexpresseditafterwardstohiswife,hewasquiteinlovewiththatgirl;andCynthia,asreadytocaptivatestrangersasanylittlegirlofthreeorfour,rosetotheoccasion,forgotallhercaresanddespondencies,rememberednolongerherregretathavinglostsomethingofMrGibson’sgoodopinion,andlistenedeagerlyandmadesoftreplies,intermixedwithnaîvesalliesofdrollhumour,tillMrKirkpatrickwasquitecaptivated。

  HeleftHollingford,almostsurprisedtohaveperformedaduty,andfounditapleasure。ForMrsGibsonandMollyhehadageneralfriendlyfeeling;

  buthedidnotcareifheneversawthemagain。ButforMrGibsonhehadawarmrespect,astrongpersonalliking,whichheshouldbegladtohaveripenintoafriendship,iftherewastimeforitinthisbustlingworld。

  AndhefullyresolvedtoseemoreofCynthia;hiswifemustknowher;theymusthaveheruptostaywiththeminLondon,andshowhersomethingoftheworld。But,onreturninghome,MrKirkpatrickfoundsomuchworkawaitinghimthathehadtolockupembryofriendshipsandkindlyplansinsomesafeclosetofhismind,andgivehimselfup,bodyandsoul,totheimmediateworkofhisprofession。But,inMay,hefoundtimetotakehiswifetotheAcademyExhibition,’andsomeportraitthere,strikinghimasbeinglikeCynthia,hetoldhiswifemoreaboutherandhisvisittoHollingfordthanhehadeverhadleisuretodobefore;andtheresultwasthatonthenextdayaletterwassentofftoMrsGibson,invitingCynthiatopayavisittohercousinsinLondon,andremindingherofmanylittlecircumstancesthathadoccurredwhenshewaswiththemasachild,soastocarryontheclueoffriendshipfromthattimetothepresent。Onitsreceiptthisletterwasgreetedinvariouswaysbythefourpeoplewhosateroundthebreakfast—table。MrsGibsonreadittoherselffirst。

  Then,withouttellingwhatitscontentswere,sothatherauditorswerequiteinthedarkastowhatherremarksapplied,shesaid,—’IthinktheymighthaverememberedthatIamagenerationnearertothemthansheis,butnobodythinksoffamilyaffectionnow—a—days;andIlikedhimsomuch,andboughtanewcookery—book,alltomakeitpleasantandagreeableandwhathewasusedto。’Shesaidallthisinaplaintive,aggrievedtoneofvoice;butasnooneknewtowhatshewasreferring,itwasdifficulttoofferherconsolation。Herhusbandwasthefirsttospeak。’Ifyouwantustosympathizewithyou,telluswhatisthenatureofyourwoe。’’Why,Idaresayit’swhathemeansasaverykindattention,onlyIthinkIoughttohavebeenaskedbeforeCynthia,’saidshe,readingtheletteroveragain。’Who’she?andwhat’smeantfora\"kindattention\"?’’MrKirkpatrick,tobesure。Thisletterisfromhim;andhewantsCynthiatogoandpaythemavisit,andneversaysanythingaboutyouorme,mydear。AndI’msurewedidourbesttomakeitpleasant;andheshouldhaveaskedusfirst,Ithink。’’AsIcouldnotpossiblyhavegone,itmakesverylittledifferencetome。’’ButIcouldhavegone;and,atanyrate,heshouldhavepaidusthecompliment:

  it’sonlyapropermarkofrespect,youknow。Soungrateful,too,whenIgaveupmydressing—roomonpurposeforhim!’’AndIdressedfordinnereverydayhewashere,ifweareeachtorecapitulatealloursacrificesonhisbehalf。ButforallthatIdidnotexpecttobeinvitedtohishouse。Ishallbeonlytoogladifhewillcomeagaintomine。’’I’veagreatmindnottoletCynthiago,’saidMrsGibson,reflectively。’Ican’tgo,mamma,’saidCynthia,colouring。’Mygownsareallsoshabby,andmyoldbonnetmustdoforthissummer。’’Well,butyoucanbuyanewone;andI’msureitishightimeyoushouldgetyourselfanothersilk—gown。Youmusthavebeensavingupagreatdeal,forIdon’tknowwhenyou’vehadanynewclothes。’Cynthiabegantosaysomething,butstoppedshort。Shewentonbutteringhertoast,butshehelditinherhandwithouteatingit;withoutlookingupeither,as,afteraminuteortwoofsilence,shespokeagain,—’Icannotgo。Ishouldlikeitverymuch;butIreallycannotgo。Please,mamma,writeatonce,andrefuseit。’’Nonsense,child!WhenamaninMrKirkpatrick’spositioncomesforwardtoofferafavour,itdoesnotdotodeclineitwithoutgivingasufficientreason。Sokindofhimasitis,too!’’Supposeyouoffertogoinsteadofme?’proposedCynthia。’No,no!thatwon’tdo,’saidMrGibson,decidedly。’Youcan’ttransferinvitationsinthatway。Butreallythisexcuseaboutyourclothesdoesappeartobeverytrivial,Cynthia,ifyouhavenootherreasontogive。’’Itisareal,truereasontome,’saidCynthia,lookingupathimasshespoke。’Youmustletmejudgeformyself。Itwouldnotdotogothereinastateofshabbiness,foreveninDoughtyStreet,Iremember,myauntwasveryparticularaboutdress;andnowthatMargaretandHelenaregrownup,andtheyvisitsomuch,—praydon’tsayanythingmoreaboutit,forIknowitwouldnotdo。’’Whathaveyoudonewithallyourmoney,Iwonder?’saidMrsGibson。’You’vetwentypoundsayear,thankstoMrGibsonandme;andI’msureyouhaven’tspentmorethanten。’’IhadnotmanythingswhenIcamebackfromFrance,’saidCynthia,inalowvoice,andevidentlytroubledbyallthisquestioning。’Prayletitbedecidedatonce;Ican’tgo,andthere’sanendofit。’Shegotup,andlefttheroomrathersuddenly。’Idon’tunderstanditatall,’saidMrsGibson。’Doyou,Molly?’’No。Iknowshedoesnotlikespendingmoneyonherdress,andisverycareful。’Mollysaidthismuch,andthenwasafraidshehadmademischief。’Butthenshemusthavegotthemoneysomewhere。Italwayshasstruckmethatifyouhavenotextravaganthabits,anddonotliveuptoyourincome,youmusthaveacertainsumtolaybyattheendoftheyear。HaveInotoftensaidso,MrGibson?’’Probably。’’Well,then,applythesamereasoningtoCynthia’scase;andthen,Iask,whathasbecomeofthemoney?’’Icannottell,’saidMolly,seeingthatshewasappealedto。’Shemayhavegivenitawaytosomeonewhowantsit。’MrGibsonputdownhisnewspaper。’ItisveryclearthatshehasneithergotthedressnorthemoneynecessaryforthisLondonvisit,andthatshedoesnotwantanymoreinquiriestobemadeonthesubject。Shelikesmysteries,infact,andIdetestthem。

  Still,Ithinkitisadesirablethingforhertokeepuptheacquaintance,orfriendship,orwhateveritistobecalled,withherfather’sfamily;

  andIshallgladlygivehertenpounds;andifthat’snotenough,why,eitheryoumusthelpherout,orshemustdowithoutsomesuperfluousarticleofdressoranother。’’I’msurethereneverwassuchakind,dear,generousmanasyouare,MrGibson,’saidhiswife。’Tothinkofyourbeingastepfather!andsogoodtomypoorfatherlessgirl!But,Mollymydear,Ithinkyou’llacknowledgethatyoutooareveryfortunateinyourstepmother。Arenotyou,love?

  Andwhathappytête—à—têtesweshallhavetogetherwhenCynthiagoestoLondon。I’mnotsureifIdon’tgetonbetterwithyoueventhanwithher,thoughsheismyownchild;for,asdearpapasayssotruly,thereisaloveofmysteryabouther;andifIhateanything,itistheslightestconcealmentorreserve。Tenpounds!Why,itwillquitesetherup,buyheracoupleofgownsandanewbonnet,andIdon’tknowwhatall!DearMrGibson,howgenerousyouare!’Somethingverylike’Pshaw!’wasgrowledoutfrombehindthenewspaper。’MayIgoandtellher?’saidMolly,risingup。’Yes,do,love。Tellheritwouldbesoungratefultorefuse;andtellherthatyourfatherwisheshertogo;andtellher,too,thatitwouldbequitewrongnottoavailherselfofanopeningwhichmayby—and—bybeextendedtotherestofthefamily。Iamsureiftheyaskme—whichcertainlytheyoughttodo—Iwon’tsaybeforetheyaskedCynthia,becauseIneverthinkofmyself,andamreallythemostforgivingpersonintheworld,inforgivingslights;—butwhentheydoaskme,whichtheyaresuretodo,Ishallneverbecontenttill,byputtinginalittlehinthereandalittlehintthere,I’veinducedthemtosendyouaninvitation。AmonthortwoinLondonwoulddoyousomuchgood,Molly。’Mollyhadlefttheroombeforethisspeechwasended,andMrGibsonwasoccupiedwithhisnewspaper;butMrsGibsonfinishedittoherselfverymuchtoherownsatisfaction;for,afterall,itwasbettertohavesomeoneofthefamilygoingonthevisit,thoughshemightnotbetherightperson,thantorefuseitaltogether,andnevertohavetheopportunityofsayinganythingaboutit。AsMrGibsonwassokindtoCynthia,shetoowouldbekindtoMolly,anddressherbecomingly,andinviteyoungmentothehouse;doallthethings,infact,whichMollyandherfatherdidnotwanttohavedone,andthrowtheoldstumbling—blocksinthewayoftheirunrestrainedintercourse,whichwastheonethingtheydesiredtohave,freeandopen,andwithouttheconstantdreadofherjealousy。

  chapter39CHAPTERXXXIXSECRETTHOUGHTSOOZEOUTMollyfoundCynthiainthedrawing—room,standinginthebow—window,lookingoutonthegarden。ShestartedasMollycameuptoher。’Oh,Molly,’saidshe,puttingherarmsouttowardsher,’Iamalwayssogladtohaveyouwithme!’ItwasoutburstsofaffectionsuchasthesethatalwayscalledMollyback,ifshehadbeeneversounconsciouslywaveringinherallegiancetoCynthia。

  ShehadbeenwishingdownstairsthatCynthiawouldbelessreserved,andnothavesomanysecrets;butnowitseemedalmostliketreasontohavewantedhertobeanythingbutwhatshewas。NeverhadanyonemorethanCynthiathepowerspokenofbyGoldsmithwhenhewrote,—Hethrewoffhisfriendslikeahuntsmanhispack,Forheknewwhenhelikedhecouldwhistlethemback。’’Doyouknow,Ithinkyou’llbegladtohearwhatI’vegottotellyou?’

  saidMolly。’IthinkyouwouldreallyliketogotoLondon;shouldnotyou?’’Yes,butitisofnouseliking,’saidCynthia。’Don’tyoubeginaboutit,Molly,forthethingissettled;andIcan’ttellyouwhy,butIcan’tgo。’’Itisonlythemoney,dear。Andpapahasbeensokindaboutit。Hewantsyoutogo;hethinksyououghttokeepuprelationships;andheisgoingtogiveyoutenpounds。’’Howkindheis!’saidCynthia。’ButIoughtnottotakeit。IwishIhadknownyouyearsago;IshouldhavebeendifferenttowhatIam。’’Nevermindthat!Welikeyouasyouare;wedon’twantyoudifferent。

  You’llreallyhurtpapaifyoudon’ttakeit。Whydoyouhesitate?DoyouthinkRogerwon’tlikeit?’’Roger!no,Iwasnotthinkingabouthim!Whyshouldhecare?Ishallbethereandbackagainbeforeheevenhearsaboutit。’’Thenyouwillgo?’saidMolly。Cynthiathoughtforaminuteortwo。’Yes,Iwill,’saidshe,atlength。

  ’Idaresayit’snotwise,butitwillbepleasant,andI’llgo。WhereisMrGibson?Iwanttothankhim。Oh,howkindheis!Molly,you’realuckygirl!’’I?’saidMolly,quitestartledatbeingtoldthis;forshehadbeenfeelingasifsomanythingsweregoingwrong,almostasiftheywouldnevergorightagain。’Thereheis!’saidCynthia。’Ihearhiminthehall!’Anddownsheflew,andlayingherhandsonMrGibson’sarm,shethankedhimwithsuchwarmimpulsiveness,andinsoprettyandcaressingamanner,thatsomethingofhisoldfeelingofpersonallikingforherreturned,andheforgotforatimethecausesofdisapprovalhehadagainsther。’There,there!’saidhe,’that’senough,mydear!Itisquiterightyoushouldkeepupwithyourrelations;there’snothingmoretobesaidaboutit。’’IdothinkyourfatheristhemostcharmingmanIknow,’saidCynthia,onherreturntoMolly;’andit’sthatwhichalwaysmakesmesoafraidoflosinghisgoodopinion,andfretgowhenIthinkheisdispleasedwithme。AndnowletusthinkallaboutthisLondonvisit。Itwillbedelightful,won’tit?Icanmaketenpoundsgoeversofar;andinsomewaysitwillbesuchacomforttogetoutofHollingford。’’Willit?’saidMolly,ratherwistfully。’Oh,yes!YouknowIdon’tmeanthatitwillbeacomforttoleaveyou;

  thatwillbeanythingbutacomfort。But,afterall,acountrytownisacountrytown,andLondonisLondon。Youneednotsmileatmytruisms;

  I’vealwayshadasympathywithM。delaPalisse,—M。delaPalisseestmortEnperdantsavie;Unquartd’heureavantsamortIlétaitenvie,’sangshe,insogayamannerthatshepuzzledMolly,assheoftendid,byherchangeofmoodfromthegloomydecisionwithwhichshehadrefusedtoaccepttheinvitationonlyhalfanhourago。ShesuddenlytookMollyroundthewaist,andbeganwaltzingroundtheroomwithher,totheimminentdangerofthevariouslittletables,loadedwith’objetsd’art’

  (asMrsGibsondelightedtocallthem)withwhichthedrawing—roomwascrowded。Sheavoidedthem,however,withherusualskill;buttheybothstoodstillatlast,surprisedatMrsGibson’ssurprise,asshestoodatthedoor,lookingatthewhirlgoingonbeforeher。’Uponmyword,Ionlyhopeyouarenotgoingcrazy,bothofyou?What’sallthisabout,pray?’’OnlybecauseI’msogladI’mgoingtoLondon,mamma,’saidCynthia,demurely。’I’mnotsureifit’squitethethingforanengagedyoungladytobesomuchbesideherselfattheprospectofgaiety。Inmytime,ourgreatpleasureinourlovers’absencewasinthinkingaboutthem。’’Ishouldhavethoughtthatwouldhavegivenyoupain,becauseyouwouldhavehadtorememberthattheywereaway,whichoughttohavemadeyouunhappy。Now,totellyouthetruth,justatthemomentIhadforgottenallaboutRoger。Ihopeitwasnotverywrong。OsbornelooksasifhedidallmyshareaswellashisownofthefrettingafterRoger。Howillhelookedyesterday!’’Yes,’saidMolly;’Ididnotknowifanyonebesidesmehadnoticedit。

  Iwasquiteshocked。’’Ah,’saidMrs。Gibson,’I’mafraidthatyoungmanwon’tlivelong—verymuchafraid,’andsheshookherheadominously。’Oh,whatwillhappenifhedies!’exclaimedMolly,suddenlysittingdown,andthinkingofthatstrange,mysteriouswifewhonevermadeherappearance,whoseveryexistencewasneverspokenabout—andRogerawaytoo!’Well,itwouldbeverysad,ofcourse,andweshouldallfeelitverymuch,I’venodoubt;forI’vealwaysbeenveryfondofOsborne;infact,beforeRogerbecame,asitwere,myownfleshandblood,IlikedOsbornebetter:butwemustnotforgettheliving,dearMolly’(forMolly’seyeswerefillingwithtearsatthedismalthoughtspresentedtoher)。’OurdeargoodRogerwould,Iamsure,doallinhispowertofillOsborne’splaceineveryway;andhismarriageneednotbesolongdelayed。’’Don’tspeakofthatinthesamebreathasOsborne’slife,mamma,’saidCynthia,hastily。’Why,mydear,itisaverynaturalthought。ForpoorRoger’ssake,youknow,onewishesitnottobesoveryverylonganengagement;andIwasonlyansweringMolly’squestion,afterall。Onecan’thelpfollowingoutone’sthoughts。Peoplemustdie,youknow—young,aswellasold。’’IfIeversuspectedRogeroffollowingouthisthoughtsinasimilarway,’

  saidCynthia,’I’dneverspeaktohimagain。’’Asifhewould!’saidMolly,warminherturn。’Youknowheneverwould;

  andyoushouldnotsupposeitofhim,Cynthia—no,notevenforamoment!’’Ican’tseethegreatharmofitall,formypart,’saidMrsGibson,plaintively。

  ’Ayoungmanstrikesusallaslookingveryill—andI’msureI’msorryforit;butillnessveryoftenleadstodeath。Surelyyouagreewithmethere,andwhat’stheharmofsayingso?ThenMollyaskswhatwillhappenifhedies;andItrytoanswerherquestion。Idon’tliketalkingorthinkingofdeathanymorethananyoneelse;butIshouldthinkmyselfwantinginstrengthofmindifIcouldnotlookforwardtotheconsequencesofdeath。Ireallythinkwe’recommandedtodoso,somewhereintheBibleorthePrayer—book。’’Doyoulookforwardtotheconsequencesofmydeath,mamma?’askedCynthia。’YoureallyarethemostunfeelinggirlIevermetwith,’saidMrsGibson,reallyhurt。’IwishIcouldgiveyoualittleofmyownsensitiveness,forIhavetoomuchformyhappiness。Don’tletusspeakofOsborne’slooksagain;tentooneitwasonlysometemporaryover—fatigue,orsomeanxietyaboutRoger,orperhapsalittlefitofindigestion。Iwasveryfoolishtoattributeittoanythingmoreserious,anddearpapamightbedispleasedifheknewIhaddoneso。Medicalmendon’tlikeotherpeopletobemakingconjecturesabouthealth;theyconsideritastrenchingontheirownparticularprovince,andveryproperI’msure。Nowletusconsideraboutyourdress,Cynthia;Icouldnotunderstandhowyouhadspentyourmoney,andmadesolittleshowwithit。’’Mammalitmaysoundverycross,butImusttellMollyandyou,andeverybody,onceforall,thatasIdon’twantanddidnotaskformorethanmyallowance,I’mnotgoingtoansweranyquestionsaboutwhatIdowithit。’Shedidnotsaythiswithanywantofrespect;butshesaiditwithquietdetermination,whichsubduedhermotherforthetime,thoughoftenafterwardswhenMrsGibsonandMollywerealone,theformerwouldstartthewonderastowhatCynthiacouldpossiblyhavedonewithhermoney,andhunteachpoorconjecturethroughwoodsandvalleysofdoubt,tillshewasweariedout;’andtheexcitingsportwasgivenupfortheday。Atpresent,however,sheconfinedherselftothepracticalmatterinhand;andthegeniusformillineryanddress,inherentinbothmotheranddaughter,soonsettledagreatmanyknottypointsofcontrivanceandtaste,andthentheyallthreesettoworkto’garauldclaeslookamaistasweel’sthenew。’Cynthia’srelationswiththesquirehadbeenverystationaryeversincethevisitshehadpaidtotheHallthepreviousautumn。Hehadreceivedthemallatthattimewithhospitablepoliteness,andhehadalsobeenmorecharmedwithCynthiathanhelikedtoacknowledgetohimselfwhenhethoughtthevisitalloverafterwards。’She’saprettylasssureenough,’thoughthe,’andhasprettywaysabouthertoo,andlikestolearnfromolderpeople,whichisagoodsign;butsomehowIdon’tlikemadamhermother,butstillsheishermother,andthegirlisherdaughter;yetshespoketoheronceortwiceasIshouldnotha’likedourlittleFannytohavespoken,ifithadpleasedGodforhertoha’lived。No,it’snottherightway,anditmaybeabitold—fashioned,butIliketherightway。Andthenagainshetookpossessiono’measI

  maysay,andlittleMollyhadtorunafterusinthegardenwalksthataretoonarrowforthree,justlikealittlefour—leggeddoggie;andtheotherwassofulloflisteningtome,sheneverturnedroundfortospeakawordtoMolly。Idon’tmeantosaythey’renotfondofeachother,andthat’sinRoger’ssweetheart’sfavour,andit’sveryungratefulinmetogoandfindfaultwithalasswhowassociviltome,andhadsuchaprettywaywithherofhangingoneverywordthatfellfrommylips。Well!adealmaycomeandgointwoyears!andtheladsaysnothingtomeaboutit。

点击下载App,搜索"WIVES AND DAUGHTERS",免费读到尾