登陆注册
5254800000110

第110章 CHAPTER XXXV RUTH IS NOT LIKE LORNA(2)

'That I did; and very fine they were. Now nine maidens out of ten would have feigned not to have heard one word that was said, and have borne black malice in their hearts. Come, Annie, now, would not you have done so?'

'I think,' said Annie, 'although of course I cannot tell, you know, John, that I should have been ashamed at hearing what was never meant for me, and should have been almost as angry with myself as anybody.'

'So you would,' replied my mother; 'so any daughter of mine would have done, instead of railing and reviling.

However, I am very sorry that any words of mine which the poor little thing chose to overhear should have made her so forget herself. I shall beg her pardon before she goes, and I shall expect her to beg mine.'

'That she will never do,' said I; 'a more resolute little maiden never yet had right upon her side;although it was a mere accident. I might have said the same thing myself, and she was hard upon you, mother dear.'

After this, we said no more, at least about that matter; and little Ruth, the next morning, left us, in spite of all that we could do. She vowed an everlasting friendship to my younger sister Eliza; but she looked at Annie with some resentment, when they said good-bye, for being so much taller. At any rate so Annie fancied, but she may have been quite wrong. Irode beside the little maid till far beyond Exeford, when all danger of the moor was past, and then I left her with John Fry, not wishing to be too particular, after all the talk about her money. She had tears in her eyes when she bade me farewell, and she sent a kind message home to mother, and promised to come again at Christmas, if she could win permission.

Upon the whole, my opinion was that she had behaved uncommonly well for a maid whose self-love was outraged, with spirit, I mean, and proper pride; and yet with a great endeavour to forgive, which is, meseems, the hardest of all things to a woman, outside of her own family.

After this, for another month, nothing worthy of notice happened, except of course that I found it needful, according to the strictest good sense and honour, to visit Lorna immediately after my discourse with mother, and to tell her all about it. My beauty gave me one sweet kiss with all her heart (as she always did, when she kissed at all), and I begged for one more to take to our mother, and before leaving, I obtained it. It is not for me to tell all she said, even supposing (what is not likely) that any one cared to know it, being more and more peculiar to ourselves and no one else. But one thing that she said was this, and I took good care to carry it, word for word, to my mother and Annie:--'I never can believe, dear John, that after all the crime and outrage wrought by my reckless family, it ever can be meant for me to settle down to peace and comfort in a simple household. With all my heart Ilong for home; any home, however dull and wearisome to those used to it, would seem a paradise to me, if only free from brawl and tumult, and such as I could call my own. But even if God would allow me this, in lieu of my wild inheritance, it is quite certain that the Doones never can and never will.'

Again, when I told her how my mother and Annie, as well as myself, longed to have her at Plover's Barrows, and teach her all the quiet duties in which she was sure to take such delight, she only answered with a bright blush, that while her grandfather was living she would never leave him; and that even if she were free, certain ruin was all she should bring to any house that received her, at least within the utmost reach of her amiable family. This was too plain to be denied, and seeing my dejection at it, she told me bravely that we must hope for better times, if possible, and asked how long I would wait for her.

'Not a day if I had my will,' I answered very warmly;at which she turned away confused, and would not look at me for awhile; 'but all my life,' I went on to say, 'if my fortune is so ill. And how long would you wait for me, Lorna?'

同类推荐
  • 外科附骨流注门

    外科附骨流注门

    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。
  • 重刻菩萨戒本疏

    重刻菩萨戒本疏

    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。
  • 太上除三尸九虫保生经

    太上除三尸九虫保生经

    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。
  • 杂式

    杂式

    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。
  • 佛说阿难同学经

    佛说阿难同学经

    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
  • 家妻难驯

    家妻难驯

    段春盈从小就与众不同,于是继母借此发作,把她当作疯子送到偏远的庄子上自生自灭。她带着两个小丫鬟,慢慢自给自足,过上舒舒服服的日子,段府把自己叫回去了。段春盈不把段府闹个鸡犬不宁,又如何能咽下这口气?
  • 帝少的二嫁萌妻

    帝少的二嫁萌妻

    嗷呜,醒来就发现身边躺着某个惹不起的男人,她拾起衣服就要火速逃走。一只大手拎着她的后领,淡淡地说道,“我们来谈谈负责的问题。”“负责?我不用你负责啊。”“是你对我负责!”他挑了挑眉,“你以为总裁是这么容易被睡的?”
  • 世界儿童必读经典:影响孩子一生的100个英雄故事

    世界儿童必读经典:影响孩子一生的100个英雄故事

    古今中外丰富多彩的故事是世界各国社会和生活的结晶,是高度艺术化的精神产品,具有永久的闪光魅力,非常集中、非常形象,是中小学生了解世界和社会的窗口,是走向世界、观摩社会的最佳捷径。这些著名故事,伴随着世界各国一代又一代的青少年茁壮成长,具有广泛而深远的影响。我们青少年只要带着有趣的欣赏的心态阅读这些美丽的故事,便非常有利于培养积极的和健康向上的心理、性格、思维和修养,便有利于了解世界各国的社会和生活,并能不断提高语言表达和社会交往的才能。
  • War and the Future

    War and the Future

    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。
  • 庶女策:冷王请上榻

    庶女策:冷王请上榻

    来自未来的军校教官,竟然一朝醒来,发现自己变成了一个被捉奸的小可怜!打小厮,讽姨娘,正面硬杠嫡女大姐,想要找她的麻烦?还以为她是那个被陷害了只会嘤嘤嘤哭的小可怜吗?!不过那位王爷,我报仇,你在一旁助威是什么意思?【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 孩子不可以

    孩子不可以

    这是一本有关儿童安全的小百科全书内容涵盖生活的各个方面针对现代社会有关儿童安全方面的各种隐患从实际生活入手……
  • 甜婚蜜令:爵少宠妻成瘾

    甜婚蜜令:爵少宠妻成瘾

    赵姝菡做梦也没想到,收到的快递居然是个人肉炸弹!只不过嘛,这个人还挺好看的……
  • 春风回梦记:刘云若作品精选

    春风回梦记:刘云若作品精选

    文学作品是以语言为手段塑造形象来反映社会生活、表达作者思想感情的一种艺术,是我们的一面镜子,对于我们的人生具有潜移默化的巨大启迪作用,能够开阔我们的视野,增长我们的知识,陶冶我们的情操。
  • 嫁入豪门:老婆我错了

    嫁入豪门:老婆我错了

    ———————————————————家族联姻,夏微寒娶纪玉卿,舍弃了肖婷婷。之后遇见杜小若,深深爱上她的美丽善良。不料,他深爱着的女人,却杀了他的情人,故此痛恨。而她为了留住他,竟然在他的酒杯里落药……“杜小若,你真狠!”他怒。他们的第一次,居然是被女人下药。他强了她!自古至今,下这类花药,貌似都是男人主动吧?她反了天了。她被他逼得生不如死……“夏微寒,虎毒不食子,我求求你,别动我的孩子,那是你的亲骨肉……我不要无痛流……还我孩子——”——她曾经爱过这样一个男人,不在乎他有家庭他有妻,不在乎他拥有多少个女人,不在乎他对她有多无情,她只要,一个健康的孩子来延续生命的意义。这一生,这一生,她也只有这一段情,融着血与泪,带到坟墓里,化成冷冷的灰。
  • 读书故事(影响青少年一生的中华典故)

    读书故事(影响青少年一生的中华典故)

    本书一共二十册,书中的故事具有很强的启迪性,对青少年的人生成长具有很大帮助性。