登陆注册
5166200000066

第66章

Unreasonable enough, no doubt.But it was my state of mind as well.

I thoroughly understood him.If you will, for once in your life, remember that you are mortal, perhaps you will thoroughly understand him too.

The state of things, indoors and out, while Sergeant Cuff was on his way to Frizinghall, was briefly this:

Miss Rachel waited for the time when the carriage was to take her to her aunt's, still obstinately shut up in her own room.My lady and Mr.

Franklin breakfasted together.After breakfast, Mr.Franklin took one of his sudden resolutions, and went out precipitately to quiet his mind by a long walk.I was the only person who saw him go; and he told me he should be back before the Sergeant returned.The change in the weather, foreshadowed overnight, had come.Heavy rain had been followed, soon after dawn, by high wind.It was blowing fresh as the day got on.But though the clouds threatened more than once, the rain still held off.It was not a bad day for a walk, if you were young and strong, and could breast the great gusts of wind which came sweeping in from the sea.

I attended my lady after breakfast, and assisted her in the settlement of our household accounts.She only once alluded to the matter of the Moonstone, and that was in the way of forbidding any present mention of it between us.`Wait till that man comes back,' she said, meaning the Sergeant.`We must speak of it then: we are not obliged to speak of it now.'

After leaving my mistress, I found Penelope waiting for me in my room.

`I wish, father, you would come and speak to Rosanna,' she said.`Iam very uneasy about her.'

I suspected what was the matter readily enough.But it is a maxim of mine that men (being superior creatures) are bound to improve women --if they can.When a woman wants me to do anything (my daughter, or not, it doesn't matter), I always insist on knowing why.The oftener you make them rummage their own minds for a reason, the more manageable you will find them in all the relations of life.It isn't their fault (poor wretches!)that they act first, and think afterwards; it's the fault of the fools who humour them.

Penelope's reason why, on this occasion, may be given in her own words.

`I am afraid, father,' she said, `Mr.Franklin has hurt Rosanna cruelly, without intending it.'

`What took Rosanna into the shrubbery walk?' I asked.

`Her own madness,' says Penelope; `I can call it nothing else.She was bent on speaking to Mr.Franklin, this morning, come what might of it.

I did my best to stop her; you saw that.If I could only have got her away before she heard those dreadful words --'

`There! there!' I said, `don't lose your head.I can't call to mind that anything happened to alarm Rosanna.'

`Nothing to alarm her, father.But Mr.Franklin said he took no interest whatever in her -- and, oh, he said it in such a cruel voice!'

`He said it to stop the Sergeant's mouth,' I answered.

`I told her that,' says Penelope.`But you see, father (though Mr.Franklin isn't to blame), he's been mortifying and disappointing her for weeks and weeks past; and now this comes on the top of it all! She has no right, of course, to expect him to take any interest in her.It's quite monstrous that she should forget herself and her station in that way.But she seems to have lost pride, and proper feeling, and everything.She frightened me, father, when Mr.Franklin said those words.They seemed to turn her into stone.A sudden quiet came over her, and she has gone about her work, ever since, like a woman in a dream.'

I began to feel a little uneasy.There was something in the way Penelope put it which silenced my superior sense.I called to mind, now my thoughts were directed that way, what had passed between Mr.Franklin and Rosanna overnight.She looked cut to the heart on that occasion; and now, as ill-luck would have it, she had been unavoidably stung again, poor soul, on the tender place.Sad! sad! -- all the more sad because the girl had no reason to justify her, and no right to feel it.

I had promised Mr.Franklin to speak to Rosanna, and this seemed the fittest time for keeping my word.

同类推荐
  • 明伦汇编交谊典盟誓部

    明伦汇编交谊典盟誓部

    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。
  • 佛祖历代通载

    佛祖历代通载

    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。
  • 黄帝阴符经注

    黄帝阴符经注

    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。
  • 鸦片事略

    鸦片事略

    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。
  • 虚堂和尚语录

    虚堂和尚语录

    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。
热门推荐
  • 最好的时光,只因有你

    最好的时光,只因有你

    十年前,她天真单纯,为了爱可以不顾一切,所以固执地想要走进他的世界,直到被伤得体无完肤。十年前,他浪荡不羁,却只为一纸沉重的契约,只好冷酷地想要远离她的深情,任由时间锁上自己的心。十年后,他们相遇在青春的尾巴,他终于脱离枷锁,她却已貌似放下。她说:“楚杰,我以前那么爱你,我为你放下了个性,放下了脾气,现在我只想放下你。”他说:“舒娅,如果你真的完全放下,那么我在不在你身边又有多大的区别?”最美的爱情,就是相遇在彼此最好的年华,那么舒娅和楚杰该让这段好时光延续,还是让它停留在彼此的记忆里?
  • 红楼黛影

    红楼黛影

    她是下凡历劫归来的绛珠,虽然是已经还了一世的眼泪,可是却是欠着别人更大的情谊,所以只能再次的下界历劫,还当初的以命相救的恩情。西窗的群号码是94737621,欢迎加入一起讨论。喜欢则看,不喜莫入,绕道远行,勿坏和谐。推荐好友碧绿青竹的作品《红楼圆梦之情挽黛玉》推荐西窗的新作《黛魂玉影》推荐夏轻尘红楼新文《潇湘辞》
  • 宋词精品鉴赏(中华古文化经典丛书)

    宋词精品鉴赏(中华古文化经典丛书)

    宋词是中国古代文学皇冠上光辉夺目的一颗巨钻,在古代文学的阆苑里,她是一块芬芳绚丽的园圃。她以姹紫嫣红、千姿百态的丰神,与唐诗争奇,与元曲斗妍,历来与唐诗并称双绝,都代表一代文学之胜。《宋词精品鉴赏》收录了《临江仙》、《阳关引》、《竹马子》、《采桑子》、《水调歌头》、《蝶恋花》、《沁园春》、《清平乐》、《西江月》等作品,白话译解,力求以直译者方式准确传达原词意蕴,并对词进行解析和鉴赏,品析力求以简练、精要的艺术分析,为宋词爱好者领会、品鉴宋词艺术,提供一定的参考。
  • 还源篇

    还源篇

    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。
  • 错嫁

    错嫁

    “无论今生是贫是富,都要入赘王府。人在世,不背诺啊!”齐博看着一脸悲痛的母亲,想着大着肚子的落雪。他该怎么办?他能怎么办?新婚之夜,郡主。望着齐博好久,才轻轻而又认真地说:“如果她果真怀了你的孩子,那么她的孩子也是我的孩子!我不介意你这么快就纳妾……”“我没要纳妾!”
  • 重生之天命嫡女

    重生之天命嫡女

    十五岁的天山圣境废材天命嫡女,一朝重生,意外获得异宝,身怀随身空间,空间自带各种异能,从此开启逆袭之路!来自现代的灵魂,生怕麻烦,只答应原主顺便的话替她报个身死之仇,然后平淡的升级打怪兽。不曾想这躯壳的原主自带招黑体质,惹上的一身债,得她来偿!渣男未婚夫来了,那就接招吧;渣堂姐来了,那就废了她修为……然,这冷面神又是什么鬼?她不曾招惹他,他却先要控制她的人生自由。士可杀不可辱!她突然想通了,强者为尊的世界,实力才是一切,她得快速变强,变强,再变强!管你什么牛神马面,从此一边站去,她没有在怕的!
  • 漫威无限未来

    漫威无限未来

    简介无力,都说我的简介劝退,喜欢看我新书。
  • 涅槃宗要

    涅槃宗要

    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。
  • 无敌诸天万界

    无敌诸天万界

    打翻诸天,回溯时光,逆流无尽长河,我全知全能,我就是无敌,恒古不变,掌控一切,创造一切毁灭一切,我就是林帆(无女主),求支持!求票票!
  • 山村鬼奇谈

    山村鬼奇谈

    为何每天早上床尾总是有一片地方是湿的,为何村子里面的总是接二连三的死人,为何半夜的房子里面会传来朗朗的读书声,跟鬼打交道有很多避讳的大家都知道吗。