登陆注册
5163200000008

第8章 MY FOURTH STAGE

Oh, the little more, and how much it is! R.BROWING.

Mrs.Milton-Cleave had one weakness--she was possessed by an inordinate desire for influence.This made her always eagerly anxious to be interesting both in her conversation and in her letters, and to this end she exerted herself with unwearying activity.She liked influencing Mr.Blackthorne, and spared no pains on him that afternoon; and indeed the curate was a good deal flattered by her friendship, and considered her one of the most clever and charming women he had ever met.

Sigismund and Gertrude returned to the ordinary world just as Mrs.Milton-Cleave was saying good-bye to the hostess.She glanced at them searchingly.

"Good-bye, Gertrude," she said a little coldly."Did you win at tennis?""Indeed we did," said Gertrude, smiling."We came off with flying colours.It was a love set."The girl was looking more beautiful than ever, and there was a tell- tale colour in her cheeks and an unusual light in her soft grey eyes.As for Zaluski, he was so evidently in love, and had the audacity to look so supremely happy, that Mrs.Milton-Cleave was more than ever impressed with the gravity of the situation.The curate handed her into her victoria, and she drove home through the sheltered lanes musing sadly over the story she had heard, and wondering what Gertrude's future would be.When she reached home, however, the affair was driven from her thoughts by her children, of whom she was devotedly fond.They came running to meet her, frisking like so many kittens round her as she went upstairs to her room, and begging to stay with her while she dressed for dinner.During dinner she was engrossed with her husband; but afterwards, when she was alone in the drawing-room, I found my opportunity for working on her restless mind.

"Dear me," she exclaimed, throwing aside the newspaper she had just taken up, "I ought to write to Mrs.Selldon at Dulminster about that G.F.S.girl!"As a matter of fact she ought not to have written then, the letter might well have waited till the morning, and she was over-tired and needed rest.But I was glad to see her take up her pen, for I knew I should come in most conveniently to fill up the second side of the sheet.

Before long Jane Stiggins, the member who had migrated from Muddleton to Dulminster, had been duly reported, wound up, and made over to the Archdeacon's wife.Then the tired hand paused.What more could she say to her friend?

"We are leading our usual quiet life here," she wrote, "with the ordinary round of tennis parties and picnics to enliven us.The children have all been wonderfully well, and I think you will see a great improvement in your god-daughter when you next come to stay with us"-- "Oh dear!" sighed Mrs.Milton-Cleave, "how dull and stupid I am to-night! I can't think of a single thing to say." Then at length I flashed into her mind, and with a sigh of relief and a little rising flush of excitement she went on much more rapidly.

"It is such a comfort to be quite at rest about them, and to see them all looking so well.But I suppose one can never be without some cause of worry, and just now I am very unhappy about that nice girl Gertrude Morley whom you admired so much when you were last here.The whole neighbourhood has been dominated this year by a young Polish merchant named Sigismund Zaluski, who is very clever and musical and knows well how to win popularity.He has taken Ivy Cottage for four mouths, and is, I fear, doing great mischief.The Morleys are his special friends, and I greatly fear he is making love to Gertrude.Now I know privately, on the very best authority, that although he has so completely deceived every one and has managed so cleverly to pose as a respectable man, that Mr.Zaluski is really a Nihilist, a free-lover, an atheist, and altogether a most unprincipled man.He is very clever, and speaks English most fluently, indeed he has lived in London since the spring of 1881--he told me so himself.I cannot help fancying that he must have been concerned in the assassination of the late Czar, which you will remember took place in that year early in March.It is terrible to think of the poor Morleys entering blindfold on such an undesirable connection;but, at the same time, I really do not feel that I can say anything about it.Excuse this hurried note, dear Charlotte, and with love to yourself and kindest remembrances to the Archdeacon,"Believe me, very affectionately yours, "GEORGINA MILTON-CLEAVE.

"P.S.It may perhaps be as well not to mention this affair about Gertrude Morley and Mr.Zaluski.They are not yet engaged, as far as I know, and I sincerely trust it may prove to be a mere flirtation."I had now grown to such enormous dimensions that any one who had known me in my infancy would scarcely have recognised me, while naturally the more I grew the more powerful I became, and the more capable both of impressing the minds which received me and of injuring Zaluski.Poor Zaluski, who was so foolishly, thoughtlessly happy! He little dreamed of the fate that awaited him! His whole world was bright and full of promise; each hour of love seemed to improve him, to deepen his whole character, to tone down his rather flippant manner, to awaken for him new and hitherto unthought-of realities.

But while he basked in his new happiness I travelled in my close stuffy envelope to Dulminster, and after having been tossed in and out of bags, shuffled, stamped, thumped, tied up, and generally shaken about, I arrived one morning at Dulminster Archdeaconry, and was laid on the breakfast table among other appetising things to greet Mrs.Selldon when she came downstairs.

同类推荐
  • 上清太一金阙玉玺金真纪

    上清太一金阙玉玺金真纪

    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。
  • The Writings

    The Writings

    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。
  • 宝章待访录

    宝章待访录

    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。
  • 路岐重赋

    路岐重赋

    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。
  • 黑鞑事略

    黑鞑事略

    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
  • 中国牛市80年

    中国牛市80年

    研判股市的全新力作,驰骋牛市的实战宝典。本书针对中国股市大牛的现状,深入剖析了当今中国股市走牛的动因,论证了未来中国股市走势,解析股民如何在历史上最大的牛市中选股、分析股票、买卖股票,帮助投资者在大牛市中制定正确的投资策略,着眼于长期牛市,分享中国牛市80年的硕果。
  • 骆驼祥子

    骆驼祥子

    《骆驼祥子》是老舍的代表作,也是现代文学史的重要收获。小说以二十年代末期北京市民的生活为背景,以人力车夫祥子坎坷、悲惨的生活遭遇为主线,向读者展示了底层贫苦市民努力改变命运却四处碰壁的图景,深刻揭露了那个时代对贫民大众生存的挤压。
  • 绝宠坏丫头:全明星恶魔殿下

    绝宠坏丫头:全明星恶魔殿下

    倔强的痞女、嗜血的魔鬼、顽昧的冥王、温暖的天使...恶魔、骑士、天使、修罗、吸血鬼、激情、邪恶、冷笑、全明星、风云校园、黑街、叫呛、干架、泡吧...华丽的词汇,导演盛世的全偶像剧。
  • 太上洞玄灵宝国王行道经

    太上洞玄灵宝国王行道经

    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。
  • 鞭影下的尼采

    鞭影下的尼采

    伟大领袖毛主席说,没有调查就没有发言权。三个月前,我向太太调查。对曰:晓得。大喜,追问:晓得啥子?对曰:他不是说,带上你的鞭子,去找你心爱的人!我当时很不谨慎地放声大笑,几至缺氧。该回答起码代表99.9999%的中国人民。我的笑其实有点道理。因为,尼采的原话是:“你要去女人那里吗?别忘了你的鞭子!”虽然从亚里斯多德开始,哲学就不大喜欢女人(哲学家喜欢女人的当然不乏其人),但这句话仍然当选哲学史恶毒污蔑女性口号的世界冠军。尼采由此遗臭万年。
  • 狂妃当道:王爷大叔靠边站

    狂妃当道:王爷大叔靠边站

    初识,她十一,他二十一,演绎了最萌的年龄差。五年后,她惊世绝艳,他紧步相随,她说:我若要逃,你拦不住。他腹黑轻笑:我若不松手,你便无处可逃。同样狂傲的两人,将擦出怎么样的火花?拭目以待!
  • 五味人生:杨宪益传

    五味人生:杨宪益传

    "这本书介绍了杨宪益传奇的一生,杨宪益是一位德披天下的著名翻译家。杨宪益还集传统与自由知识分子的品质于一身。他娶英国妻子戴乃迭,成就了一段异国婚姻佳话,本书还将杨宪益和戴乃迭的爱情故事融入其中。展现了杨宪益性格中的热情、勇敢与真挚。他德披天下,集传统与自由知识分子品质于一身。他译遍中国,一生作品之丰,无人能望其项背。他娶英国妻,成就一段异国婚姻佳话。在那样颠沛流离的生活里他是怎样用那一支笔译出一篇篇精彩的作品?翻译大师的五味人生和经典译著的诞生过程。《五味人生: 杨宪益传》会告诉你答案。"
  • 世界经典童话故事全集:官员商人的故事

    世界经典童话故事全集:官员商人的故事

    本套丛书包括《国王皇后的故事》、《王子少年的故事》、《公主千金的故事》、《官员商人的故事》、《庶民百姓的故事》、《能工巧匠的故事》、《女人儿童的故事》、《魔鬼妖怪的故事》、《动物植物的故事》和《生灵怪象的故事》等10册童话故事,其中包括安徒生、格林、豪夫和王尔德的作品,也包括了世界各国许多民间童话故事, 很具有代表性和普遍性。相信这套《世界经典童话故事全集》丛书,能够启迪儿童的心灵、陶冶儿童的情操、培养儿童的情趣、丰富儿童的知识、发展儿童的智力,成为广大父母和少年儿童们的良好读物和收藏品。
  • 夏目漱石四部曲

    夏目漱石四部曲

    本套书共四册,分别为《后来的事》《三四郎》《门》《我是猫》,是善于精细描写个人心理的日本国民大作家——夏目漱石的代表作!
  • 看见未来:改变互联网世界的人们

    看见未来:改变互联网世界的人们

    这是互联网群星闪耀的时代,巨人们用最尖端的技术和自成体系的哲学改变着我们的生活,甚至影响了整个世界和人类的历史进程。在这个时代,没有人可以避开互联网的渗透。互联网早已不是简单的技术变革,人们正试图赋予其精神和内涵,以期互联网能更好地为人类所用。本书作者采访了多位来自学界、商界、技术界的互联网领域顶尖人物,带来了最前沿的互联网观点和极其珍贵的一手资料,深入探讨了包括互联网的发展契机、未来趋势、技术拐点等影响人类未来命运的重大命题。在互联网时代,唯有思考的河流永不止息。在思想碰撞间,本书为读者开启了一次互联网的精神之旅。