登陆注册
5262200000302

第302章 Chapter 10 THE DOLLS' DRESSMAKER DISCOVERS A W(4)

Bella cast about in her mind what could be his reason for this unaccountable behaviour; as she sat on his knee looking at him in astonishment and pouting a little. A weak reason presented itself.

'John dear, you never can be jealous of Mr Lightwood?'

'Why, my precious child,' returned her husband, laughing outright:

'how could I be jealous of him? Why should I be jealous of him?'

'Because, you know, John,' pursued Bella, pouting a little more, 'though he did rather admire me once, it was not my fault.'

'It was your fault that I admired you,' returned her husband, with a look of pride in her, 'and why not your fault that he admired you?

But, I jealous on that account? Why, I must go distracted for life, if I turned jealous of every one who used to find my wife beautiful and winning!'

'I am half angry with you, John dear,' said Bella, laughing a little, 'and half pleased with you; because you are such a stupid old fellow, and yet you say nice things, as if you meant them. Don't be mysterious, sir. What harm do you know of Mr Lightwood?'

'None, my love.'

'What has he ever done to you, John?'

'He has never done anything to me, my dear. I know no more against him than I know against Mr Wrayburn; he has never done anything to me; neither has Mr Wrayburn. And yet I have exactly the same objection to both of them.'

'Oh, John!' retorted Bella, as if she were giving him up for a bad job, as she used to give up herself. 'You are nothing better than a sphinx! And a married sphinx isn't a--isn't a nice confidential husband,' said Bella, in a tone of injury.

'Bella, my life,' said John Rokesmith, touching her cheek, with a grave smile, as she cast down her eyes and pouted again; 'look at me. I want to speak to you.'

'In earnest, Blue Beard of the secret chamber?' asked Bella, clearing her pretty face.

'In earnest. And I confess to the secret chamber. Don't you remember that you asked me not to declare what I thought of your higher qualities until you had been tried?'

'Yes, John dear. And I fully meant it, and I fully mean it.'

'The time will come, my darling--I am no prophet, but I say so,--when you WILL be tried. The time will come, I think, when you will undergo a trial through which you will never pass quite triumphantly for me, unless you can put perfect faith in me.'

'Then you may be sure of me, John dear, for I can put perfect faith in you, and I do, and I always, always will. Don't judge me by a little thing like this, John. In little things, I am a little thing myself--I always was. But in great things, I hope not; I don't mean to boast, John dear, but I hope not!'

He was even better convinced of the truth of what she said than she was, as he felt her loving arms about him. If the Golden Dustman's riches had been his to stake, he would have staked them to the last farthing on the fidelity through good and evil of her affectionate and trusting heart.

'Now, I'll go down to, and go away with, Mr Lightwood,' said Bella, springing up. 'You are the most creasing and tumbling Clumsy-Boots of a packer, John, that ever was; but if you're quite good, and will promise never to do so any more (though I don't know what you have done!) you may pack me a little bag for a night, while I get my bonnet on.'

He gaily complied, and she tied her dimpled chin up, and shook her head into her bonnet, and pulled out the bows of her bonnet-strings, and got her gloves on, finger by finger, and finally got them on her little plump hands, and bade him good-bye and went down. Mr Lightwood's impatience was much relieved when he found her dressed for departure.

'Mr Rokesmith goes with us?' he said, hesitating, with a look towards the door.

'Oh, I forgot!' replied Bella. 'His best compliments. His face is swollen to the size of two faces, and he is to go to bed directly, poor fellow, to wait for the doctor, who is coming to lance him.'

'It is curious,' observed Lightwood, 'that I have never yet seen Mr Rokesmith, though we have been engaged in the same affairs.'

'Really?' said the unblushing Bella.

'I begin to think,' observed Lightwood, 'that I never shall see him.'

'These things happen so oddly sometimes,' said Bella with a steady countenance, 'that there seems a kind of fatality in them. But I am quite ready, Mr Lightwood.'

They started directly, in a little carriage that Lightwood had brought with him from never-to-be-forgotten Greenwich; and from Greenwich they started directly for London; and in London they waited at a railway station until such time as the Reverend Frank Milvey, and Margaretta his wife, with whom Mortimer Lightwood had been already in conference, should come and join them.

That worthy couple were delayed by a portentous old parishioner of the female gender, who was one of the plagues of their lives, and with whom they bore with most exemplary sweetness and good-humour, notwithstanding her having an infection of absurdity about her, that communicated itself to everything with which, and everybody with whom, she came in contact. She was a member of the Reverend Frank's congregation, and made a point of distinguishing herself in that body, by conspicuously weeping at everything, however cheering, said by the Reverend Frank in his public ministration; also by applying to herself the various lamentations of David, and complaining in a personally injured manner (much in arrear of the clerk and the rest of the respondents)that her enemies were digging pit-falls about her, and breaking her with rods of iron. Indeed, this old widow discharged herself of that portion of the Morning and Evening Service as if she were lodging a complaint on oath and applying for a warrant before a magistrate.

同类推荐
  • 释门归敬仪通真记

    释门归敬仪通真记

    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。
  • MACBETH

    MACBETH

    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。
  • 鸣机夜课图记

    鸣机夜课图记

    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。
  • Grimm'  s Fairy Tales

    Grimm' s Fairy Tales

    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。
  • 大乘五蕴论

    大乘五蕴论

    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
  • 时忘人

    时忘人

    我不是顶天立地的英雄,也做不到面对刀山火海无所畏惧毫无怨言,就连当初在巷子里和黑社会青年争锋相对,我也那么怯懦地躲在衣柜后不敢出来。但我至少能不离不弃地陪在他身边,就算时间风化了他的苍凉,岁月掩盖了他的悲伤,我也依然会在这里,一直等到他醒来的那一天。我感激地回头看着他,他却已经走远,远远地只能看见他朝着下楼的方向在走。我追出去想道谢,却只能看见他逐渐变小的身影,远远地冲着他喊了声:“医生!谢谢您。”他十分随意地朝着我挥了挥手,露出手腕处造型独特的刺青。因为距离太远,我并没看清上面刺着什么图案,也没分心去看,远远地看着他消失在走廊尽头才走回房间坐下,看着仍在昏睡中的壹贰发呆。
  • 剧谈录

    剧谈录

    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。
  • 人一生要注意的50个细节

    人一生要注意的50个细节

    细节不容忽视,很多时候是细节决定成败。本书总结出决定人一生成败的50个细节,指出其对感情、生活、工作、处理等发挥的重大作用,并结合大量经典实例,有针对性地提出了把握这些细节的方法和窍门,使读者不仅能深刻地认为细节,提高人生境界,还能更好地抓住细节,最终达到成功目标。
  • 诸天万界我第一

    诸天万界我第一

    人生于世,当得第一,若不得第一,和半睡中的咸鱼,有什么区别?暂时先定个小目标——做个万古诸天世界的第一!做为一个身负金乌血脉,一个大型号的人形凶兽来说,应该不是什么太困难的事情。热血撒战场,龙蛇起舞中,天下第一雄霸者,风云骤起·····聊天加群:750610765
  • 快穿之黑化大佬不好惹

    快穿之黑化大佬不好惹

    当恶毒女配化身勾人小妖精,霸道总裁/高冷国师/傲娇学长/呆萌仙尊……个个撩遍。“瑾瑾过来,我们深入交流一下……”路瑾:我拒绝!系统:【宿主,你撩完就跑,渣的如此心安理得,良心不会痛吗?】路瑾:emmm……这明明是系统的锅,我不背……
  • 最佳初恋:前妻不复婚

    最佳初恋:前妻不复婚

    五年前,她是嚣张跋扈的大小姐,而他是平凡的穷小子,她无所不用其极的让他成为了自己的男朋友。五年后,他成为亚洲最大传媒公司的总裁,而她家破人亡,为了生计四处奔波。再相见,一组唯美的宣传照片,一起神秘的绑架事件,让她再度回到他身边,成为了人人羡慕的单氏总裁夫人,然而,婚礼的背后,又有怎样的阴谋……
  • 狂血狼颜

    狂血狼颜

    推荐曲新文【现代玄幻文】《绝品妖孽》本文女强,女主前期强,中期暴强,后期无敌强前世她强大。雪狼王出,谁与争锋,黑白两道闻风丧胆,却没想到死在自己最亲的人手上。异世重生,她居然被自己的亲人害的差点葬身兽腹?外祖父还要骂她野种,杀不了她誓不罢休?叔叔能忍,婶婶也不能忍!!!还真以为她是白痴野种不知道反抗吗?狼狈出逃,她对天立誓,总有一天,我要用我自己的力量,将你们都送进地狱,血,肉,分,离,万劫不复!!!害我之人,必用鲜血偿还!!!【有点彪悍】不会幻力?那又怎样?修炼斗气咱照样契约魔兽!幻力彪悍?就你会?抗着狼牙刀咱也会魔兽合体!你有神兽?切!咱本来就是个兽兽好不好!越级挑战?怕你?一群魔兽一块合体,看谁彪悍!力量封印打开,神秘奥义,齐天神兵,无敌魔兽伴她左右,从此她走上成长之路。踏遍苍穹大陆,横扫穹窿界,神界她为主。【加娜原则】我的世界里,没有原谅!想让我付出代价,你先付出一百倍利息!在我死前,我不会让我在意的人在我面前受伤我杀人从来不需要理由,就算你是神,我也照杀不误!你杀我一人,我杀你全家,绝不留后患!【出场GG】撒冷王,初见,加娜挥刀相助只为一瞬间心灵的契合,换得他一句,“同生共死,不离不弃!”布卢奇,相见似曾相识,在心中默默许下,无论何时我都要保护你。安达,‘你生我生,你死我死,你若死了,我们以前所有的痛苦还有什么意义?冰城,她待他冷漠如冰,他却无法管住自己的心,只愿站在她的身边。焰,魔潭交手,她一脚把他从天上踹下去,从此被她‘蹂躏’,成为她专业打手,任凭她走进他的心里。罗伊,一句‘你不是她,却胜于她’后,无人知道,他一直在她身后,直到她高不可触。杀幕,你未出生,我天天盼望着你的到来。并用自己的生命发誓,永远保护你,我亲爱的妹妹。【兽兽团】杜拉,精神帅气,酷酷逼人的黑色小帅哥。米莉,温柔可爱,腹黑气死人的白色小美女。红羽,哀怨无比,喜欢抱怨的金色美男。绿蚺,暴戾记仇,凶残无比的绿色锅锅。火,神经大条,喜欢生气头发就竖起来的妖娆美男。【某曲的话】※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※鉴于被某人威胁了-_-!,所以,人物被领养了O_O,如果真有喜欢的就跟曲说一声,不用客气哈……【加娜】被【我是刑冷墨】领养【撒冷王】被【蓝心雨爱】领养【焰】被【妖娆月魔】领养
  • 气象与自然灾害

    气象与自然灾害

    《气象与自然灾害》介绍了一些自然灾害和气象知识,让读者领略自然的威力并提高人们战胜自然灾害的智慧和勇气,主要内容包括:你知道大气由什么组成吗;空气有质量吗;常用气象名词有哪些;什么是气象观测等。以素质教育为目标,打造科学普及教育权威读本,全面提升青少年科学素养。
  • 蒙马

    蒙马

    每个男人的心中都有过仗剑天涯,美人相伴的江湖梦想吧!小时候的被视作绝世神剑的木棍,你可曾再次执起?被当做恶人强盗的无名草木,你是否还嫉恶如仇的看过一眼?一跃而下的土丘,你可曾故地重游?生活的压迫,是否已令这梦想在心底瑟瑟发抖,支离破碎?现在,你们的梦由我来实现,我,叫无昼,我已经拿起了剑,你们呢?
  • 田园五兄妹

    田园五兄妹

    现代白领丽人,穿成男尊女卑时期的古代农家受气女,面临非人的折磨,衣食无着的困境,濒临猪仔一样的下场,小小的身躯,悲惨的命运,一个极卑微的身份。怎样才能化险为夷,摆脱被人鱼肉的命运,挽救自己的人生,自立自强,发家致富。女主性格坚毅,智慧璀璨,勤劳简朴,步步为营,和各路的牛鬼蛇神周旋,维护自己的财富,坚守巩固自己的劳动成果。