登陆注册
5229500000029

第29章 Chapter VIII. Mrs. Presty Makes a Discovery.(1)

The dinner-party had come to an end; the neighbors had taken their departure; and the ladies at Mount Morven had retired for the night.

On the way to her room Mrs. Presty knocked at her daughter's door. "I want to speak to you, Catherine. Are you in bed?"

"No, mamma. Come in."

Robed in a dressing-gown of delicately-mingled white and blue, and luxuriously accommodated on the softest pillows that could be placed in an armchair, Mrs. Linley was meditating on the events of the evening. "This has been the most successful party we have ever given," she said to her mother. "And did you notice how charmingly pretty Miss Westerfield looked in her new dress?"

"It's about that girl I want to speak to you," Mrs. Presty answered, severely. "I had a higher opinion of her when she first came here than I have now."

Mrs. Linley pointed to an open door, communicating with a second and smaller bed-chamber. "Not quite so loud," she answered, "or you might wake Kitty. What has Miss Westerfield done to forfeit your good opinion?"

Discreet Mrs. Presty asked leave to return to the subject at a future opportunity.

"I will merely allude now," she said, "to a change for the worse in your governess, which you might have noticed when she left the drawing-room this evening. She had a word or two with Herbert at the door; and she left him looking as black as thunder."

Mrs. Linley laid herself back on her pillows and burst out laughing. "Black as thunder? Poor little Sydney, what a ridiculous description of her! I beg your pardon, mamma; don't be offended."

"On the contrary, my dear, I am agreeably surprised. Your poor father--a man of remarkable judgment on most subjects--never thought much of your intelligence. He appears to have been wrong; you have evidently inherited some of my sense of humor. However, that is not what I wanted to say; I am the bearer of good news.

When we find it necessary to get rid of Miss Westerfield--"

Mrs. Linley's indignation expressed itself by a look which, for the moment at least, reduced her mother to silence. Always equal to the occasion, however, Mrs. Presty's face assumed an expression of innocent amazement, which would have produced a round of applause on the stage. "What have I said to make you angry?" she inquired. "Surely, my dear, you and your husband are extraordinary people."

"Do you mean to tell me, mamma, that you have said to Herbert what you said just now to me?"

"Certainly. I mentioned it to Herbert in the course of the evening. He was excessively rude. He said: 'Tell Mrs. MacEdwin to mind her own business--and set her the example yourself.'"

Mrs. Linley returned her mother's look of amazement, without her mother's eye for dramatic effect. "What has Mrs. MacEdwin to do with it?" she asked.

"If you will only let me speak, Catherine, I shall be happy to explain myself. You saw Mrs. MacEdwin talking to me at the party.

That good lady's head--a feeble head, as all her friends admit--has been completely turned by Miss Westerfield. 'The first duty of a governess' (this foolish woman said to me) 'is to win the affections of her pupils. _My_ governess has entirely failed to make the children like her. A dreadful temper; I have given her notice to leave my service. Look at that sweet girl and your little granddaughter! I declare I could cry when I see how they understand each other and love each other.' I quote our charming friend's nonsense, verbatim (as we used to say when we were in Parliament in Mr. Norman's time), for the sake of what it led to.

If, by any lucky chance, Miss Westerfield happens to be disengaged in the future, Mrs. MacEdwin's house is open to her--at her own time, and on her own terms. I promised to speak to you on the subject, and I perform my promise. Think over it; I strongly advise you to think over it."

Even Mrs. Linley's good nature declined to submit to this. "I shall certainly not think over what cannot possibly happen," she said. "Good-night, mamma."

"Good-night, Catherine. Your temper doesn't seem to improve as you get older. Perhaps the excitement of the party has been too much for your nerves. Try to get some sleep before Herbert comes up from the smoking-room and disturbs you."

Mrs. Linley refused even to let this pass unanswered. "Herbert is too considerate to disturb me, when his friends keep him up late," she said. "On those occasions, as you may see for yourself, he has a bed in his dressing-room."

同类推荐
  • 燕都日记

    燕都日记

    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。
  • 石室秘录

    石室秘录

    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。
  • 八识规矩论义

    八识规矩论义

    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。
  • 武林旧事

    武林旧事

    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。
  • 龙树菩萨劝诫王颂

    龙树菩萨劝诫王颂

    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
  • 我的创世笔记

    我的创世笔记

    这是一个初中生成为创世神之后,带着宠物穿梭于各个世界之间,为创造自己的世界而作准备,并愉快的收小弟的故事。安小茹:谁是宠物啊,给我说清楚,喊我姐!选错了作品分类,投错了区〔 ̄^ ̄U〕新人新书,请大家多多支持一下!
  • 云彼端的妖精

    云彼端的妖精

    云彼端,穿越北极之巅后的神秘净土,住着一群与世隔绝的精灵。在三个不同的世界里,精灵、恶魔、凡人,他们的相遇不是命运的牵绊,但却带来一场难分难舍的情感故事。爱情和友情,习惯和在乎,他们都只是十六七的少年,却又是在这个世界上活了上千年的非人类。他们的故事让我们铭记在心,美好是因为曾经拥有过。珍惜现在,无论未来何时到来。
  • 江月松风集

    江月松风集

    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。
  • 废女要翻身:凰惊天下

    废女要翻身:凰惊天下

    【这是一个霸道嚣张女杠上傲娇腹黑男的故事】【本文还有各种清奇画风的副CP的故事等你发现哟】你见过谁第一天穿越就莫名其妙睡了一个看起来谪仙一般的毒舌少年,然后负债累累吗?冰夜雪觉得可能没人比她更惨了。幸亏她占的便宜不少,从此抱着美男神宠虐渣渣,顺便拉拉红线当红娘什么的。只是谁来解释一下她貌美如花突然当妈是怎么回事?
  • 碧海青龙传系列三

    碧海青龙传系列三

    十万年前的洪荒之战,无数强者陨落天际,踏入轮回;十万年后,他们的转世逐一出现,当年的暗中布局,都渐渐地浮出水面;看似平静的人间界,终于再起波澜,大唐的烟尘,掩不住历史的脚印,唐朝的官场、江湖逐一出场,无数英杰也逐一隆重登场;但所有人,都只是一个人的陪衬……
  • 此生不愿错过你

    此生不愿错过你

    整个Y市的人都知道她是他的宠物。他说:“小猫,只要你乖乖的,我会对你好。”可是,他对她并不好。他说:“你是我的女人,但是别爱上我。”可是,她控制不了自己的心。她问他:“主人,我爱上你了怎么办?”他冷冷一笑,然后用行动告诉她,爱上他无异于飞蛾扑火。终于,她选择了离开,并不是不爱他了,只是……“主人,我也会心痛,爱你太累,这一次,我爱不起了。”
  • 书之书

    书之书

    《书之书》是著名小说家张抗抗第一部有关书的序跋创作谈选编,写书、读书、论书,共收入作品三十二篇,分为四部分:自序跋、创作谈、书评、讲演。作家紧紧围绕“书”这个主题,从自身创作谈起,从经年读书出发,表现了对文学、艺术、社会、人生及女性的独特思考与体悟,行文缜密而不失活泼,结构自由而不失谨严,极富感性而不失理趣,字里行间彰显出女作家独特的人文关怀和细腻的情感,耐人品读。此书为“小说家的散文”丛书之一。
  • 无限之末日使者

    无限之末日使者

    新人新作,文笔很烂勿吐槽。主要讲的是一个宅男意外进入到无限恐怖的世界,一步步成为最终boss的故事
  • 最强系统:鬼君大人杠上神偷妃

    最强系统:鬼君大人杠上神偷妃

    她是二十一世纪的无敌神偷,被国家最高等级小组炸到古代人丑名臭的北府二小姐身上,从此,壹大陆便多了一位风华绝代举世无双的……逗比!????哇靠,随手偷的淘宝系统也跟着穿了,还可以打怪升级赚积分,简直就是最有力的金手指呀!????系统在手,天下我有!虐渣男,坑渣妹,抽渣姐,搞渣婆,谁人有本无敌风光多!????这不重要,最重要的就是,收美人~????喂喂喂,这位紫眸邪尊谁家的,没人敢要,本无敌签收了哈!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 上帝之城(20世纪经典)

    上帝之城(20世纪经典)

    这是我们时代的真实记录,也是关于20世纪的躁动而悲伤的多声部叙事。我们可以从中读到各种各样的描写:宇宙理论、宗教生活、恋爱事件、哲学观点、流行歌曲、故事梗概、电影场景;可以见到形形色色的人物:科学家、哲学家、大屠杀幸存者、纳粹军官、内阁成员、神学家、电影制片人……这一切就像作者笔下的大都会纽约一样,光怪陆离而又散发出迷人的魅力。但作者绝不仅仅是在玩着后现代的“拼盘”游戏:在动荡而苦难的20世纪行将结束之时,多克特罗通过展示一位改宗的基督教神父和一位进化派犹太教女拉比的心灵世界,对人类精神生活和历史命运做出了真正的探索。