登陆注册
5154600000075

第75章

Emily's heart acknowledged the truth of this assertion, but the joy she felt on thus meeting Valancourt, at the very moment when she was lamenting, that they must probably meet no more, soon melted into grief, as reflection stole over her thoughts, and imagination prompted visions of the future.She struggled to recover the calm dignity of mind, which was necessary to support her through this last interview, and which Valancourt found it utterly impossible to attain, for the transports of his joy changed abruptly into those of suffering, and he expressed in the most impassioned language his horror of this separation, and his despair of their ever meeting again.Emily wept silently as she listened to him, and then, trying to command her own distress, and to sooth his, she suggested every circumstance that could lead to hope.But the energy of his fears led him instantly to detect the friendly fallacies, which she endeavoured to impose on herself and him, and also to conjure up illusions too powerful for his reason.

'You are going from me,' said he, 'to a distant country, O how distant!--to new society, new friends, new admirers, with people too, who will try to make you forget me, and to promote new connections!

How can I know this, and not know, that you will never return for me--never can be mine.' His voice was stifled by sighs.

'You believe, then,' said Emily, 'that the pangs I suffer proceed from a trivial and temporary interest; you believe--'

'Suffer!' interrupted Valancourt, 'suffer for me! O Emily--how sweet--how bitter are those words; what comfort, what anguish do they give! I ought not to doubt the steadiness of your affection, yet such is the inconsistency of real love, that it is always awake to suspicion, however unreasonable; always requiring new assurances from the object of its interest, and thus it is, that I always feel revived, as by a new conviction, when your words tell me I am dear to you; and, wanting these, I relapse into doubt, and too often into despondency.' Then seeming to recollect himself, he exclaimed, 'But what a wretch am I, thus to torture you, and in these moments, too!

I, who ought to support and comfort you!'

This reflection overcame Valancourt with tenderness, but, relapsing into despondency, he again felt only for himself, and lamented again this cruel separation, in a voice and words so impassioned, that Emily could no longer struggle to repress her own grief, or to sooth his.Valancourt, between these emotions of love and pity, lost the power, and almost the wish, of repressing his agitation; and, in the intervals of convulsive sobs, he, at one moment, kissed away her tears, then told her cruelly, that possibly she might never again weep for him, and then tried to speak more calmly, but only exclaimed, 'O Emily--my heart will break!--I cannot--cannot leave you! Now--I gaze upon that countenance, now I hold you in my arms! a little while, and all this will appear a dream.I shall look, and cannot see you; shall try to recollect your features--and the impression will be fled from my imagination;--to hear the tones of your voice, and even memory will be silent!--I cannot, cannot leave you! why should we confide the happiness of our whole lives to the will of people, who have no right to interrupt, and, except in giving you to me, have no power to promote it? O Emily! venture to trust your own heart, venture to be mine for ever!' His voice trembled, and he was silent; Emily continued to weep, and was silent also, when Valancourt proceeded to propose an immediate marriage, and that at an early hour on the following morning, she should quit Madame Montoni's house, and be conducted by him to the church of the Augustines, where a friar should await to unite them.

The silence, with which she listened to a proposal, dictated by love and despair, and enforced at a moment, when it seemed scarcely possible for her to oppose it;--when her heart was softened by the sorrows of a separation, that might be eternal, and her reason obscured by the illusions of love and terror, encouraged him to hope, that it would not be rejected.'Speak, my Emily!' said Valancourt eagerly, 'let me hear your voice, let me hear you confirm my fate.'

she spoke not; her cheek was cold, and her senses seemed to fail her, but she did not faint.To Valancourt's terrified imagination she appeared to be dying; he called upon her name, rose to go to the chateau for assistance, and then, recollecting her situation, feared to go, or to leave her for a moment.

After a few minutes, she drew a deep sigh, and began to revive.The conflict she had suffered, between love and the duty she at present owed to her father's sister; her repugnance to a clandestine marriage, her fear of emerging on the world with embarrassments, such as might ultimately involve the object of her affection in misery and repentance;--all this various interest was too powerful for a mind, already enervated by sorrow, and her reason had suffered a transient suspension.But duty, and good sense, however hard the conflict, at length, triumphed over affection and mournful presentiment; above all, she dreaded to involve Valancourt in obscurity and vain regret, which she saw, or thought she saw, must be the too certain consequence of a marriage in their present circumstances; and she acted, perhaps, with somewhat more than female fortitude, when she resolved to endure a present, rather than provoke a distant misfortune.

同类推荐
  • The Metal Monster

    The Metal Monster

    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。
  • 佛母般若波罗蜜多圆集要义论

    佛母般若波罗蜜多圆集要义论

    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。
  • 石遗室诗话

    石遗室诗话

    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。
  • 赠桐乡丞

    赠桐乡丞

    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。
  • 佛说延寿妙门陀罗尼经

    佛说延寿妙门陀罗尼经

    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。
热门推荐
  • FBI教你破解身体语言 大全集

    FBI教你破解身体语言 大全集

    本书系统总结了FBI在身体语言方面的理论研究和实践经验,阅读本书,你将对身体语言的形态、内涵及其运用有全面深入的了解,从而揭开身体语言的密码,读懂他人的真实意图,窥破人际关系的秘密,掌握和运用比说话更高效的沟通技巧;你将学会如何解读他人的身体语言,知道你的老板、同事、商务伙伴、爱人到底在想什么,而不是仅仅知道他们在说什么;你将能够认清谁是你真正的朋友,谁一门心思想要欺骗你;你将可以轻松辨别某个人是不是真的爱上了你,还是仅仅是你自己的错觉;你将学会怎样控制非语言信号,只传递你希望传递的信息,让你在工作与生活中游刃有余,成就无往不利的事业和人生。
  • 我所梦想着的

    我所梦想着的

    我梦到了好多奇奇怪怪的梦,分享,以及一些小故事,然后因为不知道的原因章节错乱了。梦,以及一些小故事由于章节错乱,这是正确章节顺序,从左到右看1-6,55,58为本人奇怪的梦39-48,52校园幻想类故事56-57,59-68,7-38一个快穿的69-75总裁渣男小故事76-78男玄的极速烂尾故事53,79-82每章一个校园故事还有一些零散的其他的分享
  • 管理心智

    管理心智

    作者从管理的角度出发,编排了七个章节,共一百个话题,每个话题都是从轻松有趣,富有哲理,发人深省的故事谈起,让读者在轻松愉快的阅读中学习管理。
  • 王者荣耀之英雄乱入

    王者荣耀之英雄乱入

    一觉醒来之后,一切都这么离奇。反正我只想用一个字来形容—爽……
  • 风铃

    风铃

    只因无端陷入一桩匪夷所思的“狗血”绑架案,接受调查便成为杜连福全部生活内容。这一切让他猝不及防。知道我们为什么传唤你吗?……知道。太阳西沉,街灯未亮,这是一天中城市最昏暗的时刻。杜连福走出洗浴城大门抬眼向大街上空望望,诡异的暗黑不由得使他的心往下一沉,害冷似的打个战,下意识地往下拉拉帽檐,又将出门前未系的羽绒服纽扣一颗颗系好,这才迈步向前,穿过马路,走进更为黑暗的待拆城中村。老爷子,往前走,别转身。杜连福听到身后有压低声音的说话,正疑惑这话是不是冲着自己时,只觉后腰被一硬“家伙”顶住。枪,遭劫了。
  • 你是我此生难逃的劫数

    你是我此生难逃的劫数

    我用尽年少时的青春来爱你,以后便拿余下的一生来忘记你--沈沫在你爱我的时候我让你受尽伤害,以后便拿生生世世的爱来还你--云墨修
  • 东汉凡人传

    东汉凡人传

    《苍生》游戏究竟是何人操作,无人知晓,但是当越来越多的人们进去游戏世界,却慢慢的发现,这款游戏,并不是想象中的那么简单。东汉末年,游戏玩家究竟能否撼动天命所归的NPC,游戏具现,人类是否面临着新的纪元,或是终将被毁灭?《苍生》不过是蝼蚁,唯有实力,才能让人长生!
  • 甜蜜快穿

    甜蜜快穿

    “有人说你有外遇。”莫笙说,美男:“外遇是什么?我不认识她。”莫笙:“你骗人,你昨天晚上明明跟她在一起!!!”美男扶额:“我昨晚上明明呆在你房间。”美男内心吐槽(健忘症又犯了!没办法,谁让她是他媳妇呢!)呃……好像真的是啊!“我记错了,是前天晚上。”美男:“前天晚上你在我房间里呆了一晚上。”“可你又不在!”“那你旁边的人是谁?”“是猪”美男磨牙,内心咆哮:你才是猪,你全家都是猪!等等!这不是把自己也骂进去了吗?美男内心在深思,面上继续笑道:“还有吗?”“唔,听说对方是你的青梅竹马!”美男很淡定:“从小到大,我身边就你一个雌性!”靠!劳资是女的!女的!不是雌的!你过来,你惹我了!美男一笑:我等着
  • 佛说三摩竭经

    佛说三摩竭经

    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。
  • 爱情观

    爱情观

    在宋庄,大大小小的美术馆、画家工作室,一年到头似乎都在对外开放,画展的消息像春节时燃放鞭炮的声音,这边还没有炸完,那边就已经点燃,噼噼啪啪,有时同时开炸。每天都有观展的人三三两两结伴而来,看着画面评头论足。也有媒体扛着摄像机来采访、做专题,画商和收藏家到来时似乎都不动声息,静悄悄地把好几万元、几十万元的画卸下,提走。每年从这里送出去的画难以统计,流进来的资金是个天文数字。有人说当今中国的宋庄相当于十九世纪的巴黎,聚集着国内外一大批当代艺术家。有的画家近年收入千万,有的画家长年累月卖不出一幅画,几年下来,连房租都交不起。