登陆注册
5242200000064

第64章 Chapter 5(1)

Mrs. Assingham and the Colonel, quitting Fawns before the end of September, had come back later on; and now, a couple of weeks after, they were again interrupting their stay, but this time with the question of their return left to depend on matters that were rather hinted at than importunately named. The Lutches and Mrs. Rance had also, by the action of Charlotte Stant's arrival, ceased to linger, though with hopes and theories, as to some promptitude of renewal, of which the lively expression, awaking the echoes of the great stone-paved, oak-panelled, galleried hall that was not the least interesting feature of the place, seemed still a property of the air. It was on this admirable spot that, before her October afternoon had waned, Fanny Assingham spent with her easy host a few moments which led to her announcing her own and her husband's final secession, at the same time as they tempted her to point the moral of all vain reverberations.

The double door of the house stood open to an effect of hazy autumn sunshine, a wonderful windless waiting golden hour under the influence of which Adam Verver met his genial friend as she came to drop into the post-box with her own hand a thick sheaf of letters. They presently thereafter left the house together and drew out half an hour on the terrace in a manner they were to revert to in thought, later on, as that of persons who really had been taking (192) leave of each other at a parting of the ways. He traced his impression, on coming to consider, back to a mere three words she had begun by using about Charlotte Stant. Charlotte simply "cleared them out"--those had been the three words, thrown off in reference to the general golden peace that the Kentish October had gradually ushered in, the "halcyon" days the full beauty of which had appeared to shine out for them after that young lady's arrival. For it was during these days that Mrs. Rance and the Miss Lutches had been observed to be gathering themselves for departure, and it was with that difference made that the sense of the whole situation showed most fair--the sense of how right they had been to engage for so ample a residence, and of all the pleasure so fruity an autumn there could hold in its lap. This was what had occurred, that their lesson had been learned; and what Mrs. Assingham had dwelt upon was that without Charlotte it would have been learned but half. It would certainly not have been taught by Mrs. Rance and the Miss Lutches if these ladies had remained with them as long as at one time seemed probable. Charlotte's light intervention had thus become a cause, operating covertly but none the less actively, and Fanny Assingham's speech, which she had followed up a little, echoed within him, fairly to startle him, as the indication of something irresistible.

He could see now how this superior force had worked, and he fairly liked to recover the sight--little harm as he dreamed of doing, little ill as he dreamed of wishing, the three ladies, whom he had after all entertained for a stiffish series of days. She had been so vague and quiet about (193) it, wonderful Charlotte, that he had n't known what was happening--happening, that is, as a result of her influence. "Their fires, as they felt her, turned to smoke," Mrs. Assingham remarked; which he was to reflect on indeed even while they strolled. He had retained, since his long talk with Maggie--the talk that had settled the matter of his own direct invitation to her friend--an odd little taste, as he would have described it, for hearing things said about this young woman, hearing, so to speak, what COULD be said about her: almost as if her portrait, by some eminent hand, were going on, so that he watched it grow under the multiplication of touches. Mrs. Assingham, it struck him, applied two or three of the finest in their discussion of their young friend--so different a figure now from that early playmate of Maggie's as to whom he could almost recall from of old the definite occasions of his having paternally lumped the two children together in the recommendation that they should n't make too much noise nor eat too much jam. His companion professed that in the light of Charlotte's prompt influence she had n't been a stranger to a pang of pity for their recent visitors. "I felt in fact privately so sorry for them that I kept my impression to myself while they were here--wishing not to put the rest of you on the scent; neither Maggie, nor the Prince, nor yourself, nor even Charlotte herself, if you did n't happen to notice. Since you did n't, apparently, I perhaps now strike you as extravagant. But I'm not--I followed it all.

One SAW the consciousness I speak of come over the poor things, very much as I suppose people at the court of the Borgias may have watched each (194) other begin to look queer after having had the honour of taking wine with the heads of the family. My comparison's only a little awkward, for I don't in the least mean that Charlotte was consciously dropping poison into their cup. She was just herself their poison, in the sense of mortally disagreeing with them--but she did n't know it."

"Ah she did n't know it?" Mr. Verver had asked with interest.

"Well, I THINK she did n't"--Mrs. Assingham had to admit that she had n't pressingly sounded her. "I don't pretend to be sure in every connexion of what Charlotte knows. She does n't certainly like to make people suffer--not, in general, as is the case with so many of us, even other women: she likes much rather to put them at their ease with her. She likes, that is--as all pleasant people do--to be liked."

"Ah she likes to be liked?" her companion had gone on.

"She did at the same time, no doubt, want to help us--to put us at our ease. That is she wanted to put you--and to put Maggie about you. So far as that went she had a plan. But it was only AFTER--it was not before, I really believe--that she saw how effectively she could work."

Again, as Mr. Verver felt, he must have taken it up. "Ah she wanted to help us?--wanted to help ME?"

同类推荐
  • 须知单

    须知单

    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。
  • 金刚寿命陀罗尼念诵法

    金刚寿命陀罗尼念诵法

    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。
  • 大射仪

    大射仪

    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。
  • 事林广记别集

    事林广记别集

    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。
  • 坐忘论

    坐忘论

    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。
热门推荐
  • 光头流浪记

    光头流浪记

    本章描写了光头流浪到大上海后的坎坷命运和遭遇,同时表现了光头不断寻找幸福的辛酸,无奈,幽默的流浪经历!
  • 并非闹剧

    并非闹剧

    偏僻的张沟村突然热闹起来。县委来了一位副书记。这位副书记是个女的,戴着一副宽边黑框的眼镜,村里人私下称她为“四眼书记”。实话实说,这外号的发明者是我。那年我刚满九岁,在张沟村小上二年级。“四眼书记”带了一支浩荡的队伍,光小车就有十几辆。不过张沟村通往山外的路不好走,要在山上盘五六个弯不说,前几天下暴雨,造成了多处塌方,有的地方过不了车。“四眼书记”带的长长的车队只能停在村外的半山腰上。她带着一行人艰难地跋涉了半个多小时才到张沟村。村口的老槐树下有一盘石磨,是过去生产队用来磨面用的。
  • 长歌李存勖

    长歌李存勖

    历史上的李存勖,生命虽短,却蕴藏深厚而多元——既有辉煌,也有龌龊,既有慈爱,也有暴戾就说对待人才,他能杀害郭崇韬,在此之前,却又言听计从;对女人,他想占有,多多益善,却不管或许也管不住他生命中最重要的女人刘彩珠这,也就是我想写他的原因...
  • 世界名人名言金典:爱情小语

    世界名人名言金典:爱情小语

    歌德说:“名言集和格言集是社会上最大的财宝——只要懂得在适当的场合把前者带进会话里,在适当的时间唤起对后者的记忆。”我们人类社会那些出类拔萃的名家巨人,在推动人类社会向前不断发展的同时,也给我们留下了宝贵的物质财富。他们通过自身的体验和观察研究,还给我们留下了许多有益的经验和感悟,他们将其付诸语言表达出来,被称之为名言或格言,其中蕴含并闪耀着智慧的光芒,成为世人宝贵的精神财富。人们将之作为座右铭,产生着无限的灵感、启发、智慧和力量,从而成为人生的航灯,照耀着成功的彼岸。
  • 掏心魔

    掏心魔

    一个温柔的师父和一个腹黑徒儿的故事,一向率真活泼的徒儿的真实身份是什么?她潜在师父身边的目的是什么?师父为什么会中了一种致命的毒,他经历了什么?
  • 重生为祸

    重生为祸

    逃婚路上她强吻了病殃殃的他,从此被他赖上了,他开启各种花式撩妹技能,他如鬼魅般如影随形,她想甩也甩不掉——恶毒渣男算计?他去打脸!未婚夫要退婚?不好意思,他请来圣旨,她摇身一变成了太子妃!她还是想逃,他委屈巴巴的拉着她的衣袖:“别逃了,好不好?大不了爷乖乖躺好,任你宠幸爷生生世世!”她闻言绝倒……(这是一个女强男强的故事,男女主绝对身心干净,喜欢的小主可以放心入坑哦!)
  • 遗世风情

    遗世风情

    主要是想让大家了解一下无爱家庭的内部生活。这是一个比较尴尬的话题!无爱家庭是被社会大众所蔑视排斥的。这种人士看似聪明,做下的事却很白痴。并且他还意识不到自身所存在的问题。这样的家庭只能是“无爱”的延续。
  • 僧伽吒经

    僧伽吒经

    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。
  • 每天学一点文学常识

    每天学一点文学常识

    当我们翻开书,去努力寻找时,才恍然发现,那些常识性的知识,是我们学习、工作、生活所必需的基础知识。常识是最基础的、最朴素的,但同时也是最丰富、最深刻的。《每天学一点常识》书系立意于打破学科壁垒,推广学科常识。本书《每天学一点文学常识》就是《每天学一点常识》书系之一。它通过知识+故事的形式,让你轻松悦读,并掌握文学常识。
  • 寻找救命血

    寻找救命血

    《寻找救命血》是以爱为主旋律贯穿全书的一本故事集。书中精选了作者近年来倾力打造的52篇精品故事,分“人间有爱”、“世事如棋”、“沉钩新说”三个板块展示广大读者。