登陆注册
4246000000051

第51章

Harriet bore the intelligence very well--blaming nobody--and in every thing testifying such an ingenuousness of disposition and lowly opinion of herself, as must appear with particular advantage at that moment to her friend.

Emma was in the humour to value simplicity and modesty to the utmost; and all that was amiable, all that ought to be attaching, seemed on Harriet's side, not her own. Harriet did not consider herself as having any thing to complain of. The affection of such a man as Mr. Elton would have been too great a distinction.--

She never could have deserved him--and nobody but so partial and kind a friend as Miss Woodhouse would have thought it possible.

Her tears fell abundantly--but her grief was so truly artless, that no dignity could have made it more respectable in Emma's eyes--and she listened to her and tried to console her with all her heart and understanding--really for the time convinced that Harriet was the superior creature of the two--and that to resemble her would be more for her own welfare and happiness than all that genius or intelligence could do.

It was rather too late in the day to set about being simple-minded and ignorant; but she left her with every previous resolution confirmed of being humble and discreet, and repressing imagination all the rest of her life. Her second duty now, inferior only to her father's claims, was to promote Harriet's comfort, and endeavour to prove her own affection in some better method than by match-making.

She got her to Hartfield, and shewed her the most unvarying kindness, striving to occupy and amuse her, and by books and conversation, to drive Mr. Elton from her thoughts.

Time, she knew, must be allowed for this being thoroughly done; and she could suppose herself but an indifferent judge of such matters in general, and very inadequate to sympathise in an attachment to Mr. Elton in particular; but it seemed to her reasonable that at Harriet's age, and with the entire extinction of all hope, such a progress might be made towards a state of composure by the time of Mr. Elton's return, as to allow them all to meet again in the common routine of acquaintance, without any danger of betraying sentiments or increasing them.

Harriet did think him all perfection, and maintained the non-existence of any body equal to him in person or goodness--and did, in truth, prove herself more resolutely in love than Emma had foreseen; but yet it appeared to her so natural, so inevitable to strive against an inclination of that sort unrequited, that she could not comprehend its continuing very long in equal force.

If Mr. Elton, on his return, made his own indifference as evident and indubitable as she could not doubt he would anxiously do, she could not imagine Harriet's persisting to place her happiness in the sight or the recollection of him.

Their being fixed, so absolutely fixed, in the same place, was bad for each, for all three. Not one of them had the power of removal, or of effecting any material change of society. They must encounter each other, and make the best of it.

Harriet was farther unfortunate in the tone of her companions at Mrs. Goddard's; Mr. Elton being the adoration of all the teachers and great girls in the school; and it must be at Hartfield only that she could have any chance of hearing him spoken of with cooling moderation or repellent truth. Where the wound had been given, there must the cure be found if anywhere; and Emma felt that, till she saw her in the way of cure, there could be no true peace for herself.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 再见只是陌生人

    再见只是陌生人

    三年前,在他生日那天,她牵着一个男人的手把他甩了。三年后,他们再次相遇:“夏依彤,你是我所见过的女人中最差的,这么缺男人,是因为我当初满足不了你吗?”三年来的寻找与思念,换来的就是就是这样的结果!那一刻,她终于决定放下这段感情离开这里。然而他又怎么可能会让她离去?从此以后,每天都活在他的欺辱之中……情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 女神的后裔

    女神的后裔

    人世间的悲欢离合,纷纷扰扰,皆因天地孕育人神族时多赐了一个感官,所以人神族的本能就生出了七情六欲,成为天地间最具智慧的一种高级生物,自然而然的站到了天地万物的最顶端,受万物供养。五万年前,天生异变,众生颠倒,人神族沦为畜生而成砧板鱼肉。为了挽救众生于水火......
  • 孕产妇健康生活指南

    孕产妇健康生活指南

    从优生学和生物学最新观念来讲,“座上喜”不利于优生。因为新婚蜜月期间,夫妻为筹备婚礼疲劳不堪,新婚佳期少不了陪酒吸烟,酒中乙醇、烟中尼古丁等都可间接或直接使发育中的精子和卵子受损害。加之蜜月期间性生活频繁,精子和卵子质量下降。这种受毒害而质量又不高的受精卵发育成胎儿,容易导致流产、死胎、胎儿畸形、智力低下等后果。因此,新婚夫妇不宜在蜜月期间怀孕。
  • 捡个王妃来当当

    捡个王妃来当当

    河湘王有两个女儿,长女幽冉郡主温婉动人,仪态万千,琴棋书画样样精通,为诸家公子意中人。小女嚣张跋扈,蛮横任性,不知礼数,人人唯恐避之不及。幽冉郡主与陛下胞弟择清王大婚前夜,这郡主连夜出逃,全府惶恐,无奈只好将小小姐送上喜轿。择清王娶妻本就非他所愿,更何况还娶错了人,心里一万个不爽,好在娶谁对他而言都没差,便也作罢,只是这二小姐怎么跟传闻不太一样。那个夜半持剑以一敌十诛杀刺客还拿剑抵他脖颈一双冷目叫他不要出声的真的是他王妃吗?那个女扮男装夜闯地牢将他救出,又统领江湖各路奇人的,真的是他王妃吗?
  • THE HOUSE OF PRIDE

    THE HOUSE OF PRIDE

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 跟比尔·盖茨学赚钱

    跟比尔·盖茨学赚钱

    比尔·盖茨创造了迅速赚钱的神话,但他的微软帝国绝不是神话缔造的。他是精通计算机的行家,他是一个拥有敏锐目光的投资家,他是一个头脑发达的天才企业家。当然他也是一个有血有肉的人,他的成功是有规律可循的。创业要早,赚钱要快,创新要“偷”,销售要“抢”,这就是比尔·盖茨的赚钱术。“这个世界并不会在意你的自尊,而是要求你在自我感觉良好之前先有所成就。”
  • 汉上骄子

    汉上骄子

    西汉灭亡,王莽篡位严苛酷吏,横征暴敛饿殍遍地,民不聊生问此世间谁能拯救万民于水火?且看不一样的光武皇帝谱写新的历史篇章!
  • 在修真界传播魔法

    在修真界传播魔法

    身为青岚宗大师兄的罗甘,本应带领师弟师妹努力修行,发展门派,继承师尊衣钵,走向人生巅峰。但,罗甘本人竟然无法修炼。直到心灰意冷的罗甘遇到一个白胡子,啊呸,一个金发大帅哥。帅哥曰“少年,想变强吗?那就跟我学魔法吧,只要你帮我把魔法在这世界传播下去。”罗甘是答应呢还是……答应呢。
  • 恶魔校草,来单挑!

    恶魔校草,来单挑!

    帝都薄少霸气威武无人匹敌,陆川川偏偏不怕死的杠上了薄靳爵不说还撂下狠话:“我陆川川一定要拿下薄靳爵!”“树大招风,听说总有人想千方百计的睡我?”他声色慵懒,又说“为此,某人还特地写下攻略108式手册?”陆川川拿着小册子的手一滞,跳脚炸毛“薄靳爵你别含血喷人,劳资可没说过千方百计的要睡你!!!”某人懒懒一笑,不给她反抗的任何机会,直接扑倒啃下肚。【日更√宠文√又名恶魔攻略一百零八式手册、如何成为一个良好合格的宿主!】
  • 惯性

    惯性

    十多年前的事吧。因为快过年了,我回老家看母亲。母亲话不多,父亲去世以后,母亲就更少说话了,除了事务性的应答之外,母子之间没有交流的话题。我问一句,她答一句,不问就不开口。倒是和小叔之间有话说。好像是捂雪天,天黑得比平日似乎要早一些,疯狂吼叫了几天的老北风也停息了,感觉不太冷,我早早地吃过晚饭,端着茶杯,踱步来到小叔家。铁锈色、双扇对开的防盗门,非常夸张,几乎占了半面墙,还有些拒人千里的意思,与周围的环境很不协调。