登陆注册
5286500000061

第61章 CHAPTER XII(5)

"What have you gained?" asked Eugenia.

"An immense amount of wisdom."

"That 's a questionable advantage for a man who was already so wise!"

Acton shook his head. "No, I was a great fool before I knew you!"

"And being a fool you made my acquaintance? You are very complimentary."

"Let me keep it up," said Acton, laughing. "I hope, for our pleasure, that your brother's marriage will detain you."

"Why should I stop for my brother's marriage when I would not stop for my own?" asked the Baroness.

"Why should n't you stop in either case, now that, as you say, you have dissolved that mechanical tie that bound you to Europe?"

The Baroness looked at him a moment. "As I say?

You look as if you doubted it."

"Ah," said Acton, returning her glance, "that is a remnant of my old folly!

We have other attractions," he added. "We are to have another marriage."

But she seemed not to hear him; she was looking at him still.

"My word was never doubted before," she said.

"We are to have another marriage," Acton repeated, smiling.

Then she appeared to understand. "Another marriage?"

And she looked at the others. Felix was chattering to Gertrude;

Charlotte, at a distance, was watching them; and Mr. Brand, in quite another quarter, was turning his back to them, and, with his hands under his coat-tails and his large head on one side, was looking at the small, tender crescent of a young moon.

"It ought to be Mr. Brand and Charlotte," said Eugenia, "but it does n't look like it."

"There," Acton answered, "you must judge just now by contraries.

There is more than there looks to be. I expect that combination one of these days; but that is not what I meant."

"Well," said the Baroness, "I never guess my own lovers; so I can't guess other people's."

Acton gave a loud laugh, and he was about to add a rejoinder when Mr. Wentworth approached his niece. "You will be interested to hear," the old man said, with a momentary aspiration toward jocosity, "of another matrimonial venture in our little circle."

"I was just telling the Baroness," Acton observed.

"Mr. Acton was apparently about to announce his own engagement," said Eugenia.

Mr. Wentworth's jocosity increased. "It is not exactly that; but it is in the family. Clifford, hearing this morning that Mr. Brand had expressed a desire to tie the nuptial knot for his sister, took it into his head to arrange that, while his hand was in, our good friend should perform a like ceremony for himself and Lizzie Acton."

The Baroness threw back her head and smiled at her uncle; then turning, with an intenser radiance, to Robert Acton, "I am certainly very stupid not to have thought of that," she said.

Acton looked down at his boots, as if he thought he had perhaps reached the limits of legitimate experimentation, and for a moment Eugenia said nothing more. It had been, in fact, a sharp knock, and she needed to recover herself.

This was done, however, promptly enough. "Where are the young people?" she asked.

"They are spending the evening with my mother."

"Is not the thing very sudden?"

Acton looked up. "Extremely sudden. There had been a tacit understanding; but within a day or two Clifford appears to have received some mysterious impulse to precipitate the affair."

"The impulse," said the Baroness, "was the charms of your very pretty sister."

"But my sister's charms were an old story; he had always known her."

Acton had begun to experiment again.

Here, however, it was evident the Baroness would not help him.

"Ah, one can't say! Clifford is very young; but he is a nice boy."

"He 's a likeable sort of boy, and he will be a rich man."

This was Acton's last experiment. Madame Munster turned away.

She made but a short visit and Felix took her home. In her little drawing-room she went almost straight to the mirror over the chimney-piece, and, with a candle uplifted, stood looking into it.

"I shall not wait for your marriage," she said to her brother.

"To-morrow my maid shall pack up."

"My dear sister," Felix exclaimed, "we are to be married immediately!

Mr. Brand is too uncomfortable."

But Eugenia, turning and still holding her candle aloft, only looked about the little sitting-room at her gimcracks and curtains and cushions.

"My maid shall pack up," she repeated. "Bonte divine, what rubbish!

I feel like a strolling actress; these are my 'properties.' "

"Is the play over, Eugenia?" asked Felix.

She gave him a sharp glance. "I have spoken my part."

同类推荐
  • 大德昌国州图志

    大德昌国州图志

    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。
  • 道基

    道基

    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。
  • 海客论

    海客论

    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。
  • 花里活

    花里活

    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。
  • 包氏喉证家宝

    包氏喉证家宝

    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
  • 中国2012年度诗歌精选

    中国2012年度诗歌精选

    2012年的中国诗歌相对于以往,更加安静与结实了。安静指的是诗人的胸怀。诗人与诗人之间,无论是网上还是各种关于诗歌的集会,前些年那种相互之间的指责、诋毁,甚至谩骂几乎没有了,留下的是真正的诗歌论争的声音。起眼东西南北,各路诗人、各种拳脚与路数都认清了一个道理,“拿作品说话”。以往那种各自“我是天下第一”的幼稚已经随风飘去。结实指的是创作的姿态以及作品呈现出的思考。尽管我们现在很难在众多的诗歌里挑出一首成就一个诗人。但平心而论,即使朦胧诗时代、即使“第三代”留下的“经典”,与现在诗人们的创造相比,现在的诗歌从技术层面、思想层面的优势也是显而易见的。
  • 斋戒箓

    斋戒箓

    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。
  • 祸水要休夫

    祸水要休夫

    前世的剩女,穿越之后的祸水,下水道的重生竟然出嫁了?可有比嫁出去更让人兴奋的事情嘛!可还没兴奋够呢!成婚的当天,好端端地被人当街劫了车盖,呃?乱世吗?也有人好这一口?没拜堂,没洞房的,晚间还收到了一件更悲剧的“礼物”。竟然还发现是被当成礼品给送过来的,还是个令人讨厌的礼品?
  • 公主病王子改造计划

    公主病王子改造计划

    自家老爸一声令下,将她踢出家门,去做一个富家大少爷的贴身保镖。虽然她行为举止是偏男性化了点,可是她好歹也是女生!怎么可能让她去当一个男生的贴身保镖呢?这么说那个大少爷也太弱了点吧……等等,她要保护的人,不是个男的么?不是都叫他少爷么?不是个公子哥么?!怎么摇身一变,变成一个比她还要漂亮妩媚的美女?!好吧,她勉强答应做保镖好了,至少还能享受公主般的待遇,可是这个“美女”少爷处处针对她,赤果果的公主病啊!害她得罪了一堆人,不计前嫌救了他之后,居然还要跟着他一起女扮男装转到男子学院!到了男校也不得安宁,居然顶着“讨厌男生”的借口,霸占了她一半的卧室!还差遣她做这做那的,拜托,她是保镖,不是保姆!不行,她受不了了!公主病王子,从今天开始,改造计划正式启动!!◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇父亲是商界赫赫有名的任务,母亲是社交名媛,他出生非凡,却怎么也没想到居然染上了一种怪病。喜欢穿女装,带有优雅花纹的裙子最佳,如果颜色还是粉粉的话,那就再好不过了。不喜欢运动,不爱跟男生混在一起,只喜欢弹钢琴玩SD娃娃,顺便还看看各种言情小说。直到遇见她,让他对女生原本的想象出现了翻天覆地的变化。“哇啊啊啊~蜘蛛!”结果她手一伸,拿起旁边的报纸,一拍。“我不要穿这个,我要穿裙子!”结果她二话不说,将他直接打包绑上几圈丢给其他人。“粗汉子!我要吃甜食!”结果她直接回了他一句:“小姐”,是否需要芥末?“我喜欢你了怎么办?!”结果她瞪了他一眼,面无表情的,一脚将他踹到一边去。这家伙,真的是女生?!◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇算是比较小白……不爱看小白文的慎入~亮点一句话概括:男性化的女主,女性化的男主……晚仔的读者群:251332050(敲门砖:任意角色名,没填验证的不加哟~)↓↓↓↓↓喜欢的话,就请点击下面的加入书架吧↓↓↓↓↓
  • 命运之星

    命运之星

    《谢尔顿作品:命运之星》讲述昔日的小镇姑娘,怎样变身纽约地产王国的女皇?她是大众膜拜的偶像,是不择手段的商人,是迷,是传奇,也是渴望爱的女人。稳重可靠的男助手、横跨黑白两道的保护神,究竟是她的坚强后盾还是引发毁灭的导火索?不堪回首的童年,早已为她的人生埋下了最大伏笔。当获得完美的爱情时,她的世界也悄悄滑向了前所未有的险境……
  • 重生小仙妻

    重生小仙妻

    新文《我的极品甜宠女友》已开,欢迎大家过去收藏一个~夺舍到民国少女的身上,被恶霸欺凌却收获未婚夫一枚?受伤落水却找到恢复法力的办法……什么?九尾灵狐有点乱!要时时刻刻和自己的未婚夫待在一起,还要想方设法睡了他?对于她这个九尾灵狐来说,那还不是手到擒来的事情!可是……谁能跟她解释一下,自己的魂是怎么到那个男人身上的?
  • 蜡笔小新久违

    蜡笔小新久违

    只是日常,不喜勿喷,新手写作水平有限,实在要喷,别带脏字,不带亲戚,然后无所谓
  • 让你的演讲不再雷死人

    让你的演讲不再雷死人

    善于演讲的成功人士,并非在一夜之间就拥有了高超的演讲技能。他们早在默默无闻的时候,就已经开始利用各种机会来锻炼自己演讲的本领,显露自己的演讲才能。
  • 公子太腹黑

    公子太腹黑

    前世,她身披嫁衣,却惨死轿中。重生,变身云莲宫娇女,却遭暗杀连连。身边男子人前俊逸风流,奈何背后后却各个腹黑如狐,害她苦不堪言。哼哼,小样敢拿我当枪使,我就把你们都变成棒槌!——————这是乱套的时代,这是狗血的时代,这是女主经常死后重生的时代。江湖总是千变万化的?嗯!相公总是到处乱跑的?嗯!嗯!女主总是万能无敌的?嗯!嗯!嗯?!
  • 一场轰轰烈烈爱情

    一场轰轰烈烈爱情

    情不知所起,一往而深,难自拔;爱之有时,当精心守护,莫失去。人生在世,得有一条活路,两个人的未来,一人创造不了;而爱情应该导人向上,不应使人堕落,心心相印,才会互助互助,同甘共苦,就会一起进步,美好生活才会到来。