登陆注册
4711400000115

第115章

Elinor smiled, as the thought occurred to her, that this last act of rudeness was really trying to her good-nature, while she had never dreamed of resenting the interruption of the morning. But Miss Hubbard was only following the code of etiquette, tacitly adopted by the class of young ladies she belonged to, who never scrupled to make their manner to men, much more attentive and flattering than towards one of themselves, or even towards an older person of their own sex.

Elinor, however, had seen such manoeuvres before, and she would scarcely have noticed it at the moment, had it not been for Miss Emmeline's previous apology.

Mrs. Hilson soon approached her. "Has Emmeline been communicating our Longbridge intelligence, Miss Wyllys? Do you think it a good match?"

"I hope it will prove so; we were very glad to hear of it. Mary Van Horne is a great favourite of my aunt's, and Mr. Roberts, I hear, is highly spoken of."

"Yes; and he is very rich; too; she has nothing at all herself; I believe.''

"Do you know whether they are to live in New York? I hope they will not go very far from us."

"I suppose they will live in the city, as he is so wealthy; Mary will have an opportunity of tasting the fascinations of high life. I shall introduce her to a clique of great refinement at once. Don't you think Saratoga the most delightful place in the world, Miss Wyllys? I am never so happy as when here. I delight so much in the gay world; it appears to me that I breathe more freely in a crowd--solitude oppresses me; do you like it?"

"I have never tried it very long. If you like a crowd, you must be perfectly satisfied, just now."

''And so I am, Miss Wyllys, perfectly happy in these fashionable scenes. Do you know, it is a fact, that I lose my appetite unless I can sit down to table with at least thirty or forty fashionably dressed people about me; and I never sleep sounder than on board a steamboat, where the floor is covered with mattresses. I am not made for retirement, certainly. Ah, Monsieur Bonnet, here you are again, I see; what have you done with the Baron?--is not the Baron with you?"

"No, Madame; he has not finish his cigar. And where is Mlle.

Emmeline?--I hope she has not abandonne me!" said M. Bonnet, who, to do him justice, was a sufficiently respectable man, a French merchant in New York, and no way connected with the Baron.

"Oh, no; she is here; we were waiting for the Baron and you to escort us to the drawing-room; but we will remain until the Baron comes. I have heard something that will put you in good-humour, another of those marriages you admire so much--one of the parties rolling in wealth and luxury, the other poor as Job's turkey."

"Ah, vraiment; that is indeed delightful; cela est fort touchant; that show so much sensibilite, to appreciate le merite, though suffering from poverty. A marriage like that must be beau comme un reve d'Amour!"

{"vraiment" = truly; "cela est fort touchant" = that is very touching; "beau comme un reve d'Amour" = as beautiful as a dream of Love (French)}

"You are quite romantic on the subject; but don't people make such matches in France?"

"Ah, non, Madame; le froid calcul dominates there at such times.

I honour the beautiful practice that is common in votre jeune Amerique; cela rappelle le siecle d'or. Can there be a tableau more delicieux than a couple unis under such circonstances? The happy epoux, a young man perhaps, of forty, and la femme a creature angelique;" here M. Bonnet cast a glance at Miss Emmeline; "une creature angelique, who knows that he adores her, and who says to him, 'mon ami je t'aime, je veux faire ton bonheur,' and who bestows on him her whole heart, and her whole fortune; while he, of course, oppressed with gratitude, labours only to increase that fortune, that he may have it in his power to make the life of his bien aimee beautiful comme un jour de fete."

{"froid calcul" = cold calculation; "votre jeune..." = your young America; it reminds one of the golden age; "tableau more delicieux than a couple unis under such circonstances" = a prettier picture than a couple united under such circumstances; "epoux" = husband. "la femme a creature angelique" = the wife an angelic creature; "mon ami, je t'aime, je veux faire ton bonheur" = my friend, I love you, I wish to make you happy; "bien aimee beautiful comme un jour de fete" = beloved as beautiful as a day of festival (mixed French and English)}

"You are eloquent, Mr. Bonnet."

"N'est ce pas un sujet, Madame, to toucher le coeur de l'homme in a most delicate point; a man who could be insensible to such delicacy, to such aimable tendresse, would be no better than one of your sauvages, one of your Mohicans!"

{"N'est ce pas un sujet, Madame, to toucher le coeur de l'homme..." = Is this not a subject, Madame, which touches the heart of man...; "to such aimable tendresse" = to such pleasant affection (mixed French and English)}

"Well, I don't think so much of it, because it is very common here; such matches happen every day."

"And who are the happy couple you refer to at present?"

"'Tis a young gentleman of New York city, Mr. Roberts, who is going to marry a young lady, whose father is a neighbour of pa's."

"And what is the sum the young lady has bestowed upon her grateful adorateur?"

"Oh, the lady has not anything to bestow in this case; it is the gentleman, who is very wealthy, and doing a very handsome business in New York."

"Ah," said M. Bonnet, taking a pinch of snuff; "that is not so interesting I think, as when the mari is the favoured party. The heart of man is more susceptible of lasting gratitude for un tel bienfait."

{"mari" = husband; "un tel bienfait" = such a favor (French)}

"The gentleman has all the money, this time; I don't think Mary Van Horne will have a cent; do you, Miss Wyllys?"

But Elinor was gone. As the Baron appeared, however, Mrs. Hilson did not regret it.

"Ah, Baron, I thought you were never coming. You ought to be much obliged to me, for I had just told Monsieur Bonnet, we must not move till the Baron comes; the Baron will not know where to find us."

同类推荐
  • GAMBARA

    GAMBARA

    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。
  • 蠲戏斋诗话

    蠲戏斋诗话

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 孙文垣医案

    孙文垣医案

    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。
  • 太上灵宝净明九仙水经

    太上灵宝净明九仙水经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 相和歌辞·铜雀妓

    相和歌辞·铜雀妓

    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。
热门推荐
  • 智慧理财术(现代人智慧全书)

    智慧理财术(现代人智慧全书)

    《现代人智慧全书:智慧理财术》讲述的是教你怎么巧用智慧去理财。
  • 台城遗梦

    台城遗梦

    花枝缺处青楼开,艳歌一曲酒一杯,美人劝我急行乐,自古朱颜不再来,君不见外州客,长安道,一回来,一回老。————白居易大正朝廷已经击败了四方所有外部敌对势力,看似天下太平,事实上王朝内部已经危机重重,地方土地兼并造成贫富差距加大,士绅优待又让富人几乎不承担税收,全国各地到处都有民变的危险。朝廷对此也并非视若无睹,当朝内阁首辅大学士章鸣岳就力图推行新税法,对大正朝廷进行改革,可在这个节骨眼上深居内宫的皇上最关心的居然是用幼子替换太子,废立储君,从太子陪臣起家的章鸣岳自然不同意,宫中府中也因此对立起来。我们的主人公正是一位将门之后,但他并不想继承武职;他的出身与家庭有诸多秘密,但他并未全然知晓;他有着单纯而又天真的理想,却又从骨子里带着一股敏锐和狡猾,他想要靠书生意气救济天下,可现实却让他走上了一条与理想截然相反的道路。现在他已经来到了京城,这里的高台到底是他成功的奠基石还是他迷梦的开始,让我们一起揭开这番篇章。
  • 钻石婚约之独占神秘妻

    钻石婚约之独占神秘妻

    【淡漠如莲狐狸女pk铁血冰山腹黑狼,极致宠文,亲们放心入坑!】权景吾是谁?京城根正苗红的爷,人送外号“景爷”,亦是京城金字塔最顶峰的“大钻石”。然而,有一天,万人敬仰的“大钻石”被一个女人贴上了专属标签,还是他们最最瞧不起的人,京城所有人都傻眼了。简清是谁?家族的污点,被人唾弃的孽种,豪门世家的笑料,一朝归来,大放异彩,欠她的,也是时候一一偿还了。当层层身份被揭开,曾经看轻她的人无一不是“啪啪打脸”。第一次见面,她淡如清莲,身调款款,高调归来。第二次见面,她狠如斗兽,脸上噙着淡笑,下手却狠辣利落。第三次见面,她狡黠如狐,一声“小景”彻底缠住他的心,从此让他走向宠妻的道路一去不回头。狗粮剧场:属下,“boss,外面有人谣传夫人生来是克你的,与你八字不合。”景爷,“胡说八道。”“……”一众属下眼观鼻鼻观心,往后挪了一步,生怕受到自家boss的怒火。紧接着,只听得一道低沉的声音响起,携着几分宠溺的笑意,“她分明是生来给我宠,给我疼的。”猝不及防被硬喂了一嘴狗粮,众人瞬间累觉不爱了,心中不禁长啸。夫人,快来带走boss,boss又来虐狗了。
  • 幻境花

    幻境花

    幻境花,可破一切诅咒。前期的苦,是为了后期的甜。你赋予我的一切,我都愿意还给你。哪怕是哪些微小的幸福,也值得我去守候。不过,辱她之人,去死。欺她之人,去死。骗她之人,去死。玻璃渣里找糖。
  • 逃婚太子妃

    逃婚太子妃

    柳眉心穿越而来,被许给天子为妃,不满之下,女扮男装选择逃婚,半路与男主赵钰相遇,二人结伴同行。七夕节,二人去凑热闹,结果被人捉弄,赵钰对柳眉心产生异样感觉……【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 寻尸人

    寻尸人

    有许多的人会因为这种或那种的境遇而“生不见人,死不见尸”!即使至亲之人伤心欲绝,可是大千世界,茫茫人海,又能去哪里找寻呢?平庸少年张进宝,他凭借着自身的天赋异禀,帮助了许多客死异乡的人们回到故里……而张进宝也在之后的寻尸之旅中,遇到了神秘大师黎叔和他的首席大弟子丁一,他们一路上和张进宝并肩前行,一同走上了一条惊心动魄的冒险之旅。
  • THE HORSE AND HIS BOY (英文朗读版)

    THE HORSE AND HIS BOY (英文朗读版)

    《纳尼亚传奇》系列作品对后世作家影响深远,包括《哈利波特》系列的作者J·K·罗琳都曾表示自己深受C·S·刘易斯作品的影响。随着《纳尼亚传奇》系列故事改编成电影,全世界更多观众和读者开始认识这部不朽的作品。穿梭在一个又一个的纳尼亚冒险故事中,这绝对是你一生难忘的神奇旅程……
  • 网游之蝶舞沧海

    网游之蝶舞沧海

    如果某天,即将要跟你结婚的未婚夫抢先跟别人结婚了,你会怎么做?慕小蝶:杀他全家,放他全血,让他消失在这个世界上。不要误会这位姑娘,她说的,只是一个网络游戏。逼走渣男渣女后,她也跟着A了游戏,跑去跟朋友玩了全息网游。不过……在新游戏也能遇见这对渣男渣女!?哼!这是你们自找的!
  • 党委书记

    党委书记

    自从前几天总经理肖汉墨在职代会上脱口说出“今后就是要精简合并卖地皮、变卖资产过日子”的话,职工群众就一片哗然。事后,再联系他当总经理这两年的所作所为、愤愤不平地说这是在吃祖宗的饭、砸兄弟的碗,非把百华公司这点后劲折腾没了不可。党委书记朱辉清楚,在召开职代会之前,研究今明两年工作思路的时候,大家二致认为在当前形势下,结合公司的实际情况提出“二次创业”的口号可以振奋人心,在狠抓进销工作的同时,进一步深化企业内部的配套改革.
  • 薑斋诗话

    薑斋诗话

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。