登陆注册
5292700000015

第15章 THE WAITING SUPPER(8)

The information,coupled with the infelicitous word 'proudly,'caused Nicholas to flush with mortification.He knew that it was in his aunt's nature to make a brag of that sort;but worse than the brag was the fact that this was the first occasion on which Christine had deigned to show her consciousness that such a marriage would be a source of pride to his relatives--the only two he had in the world.

'You are sorry,then,even to be thought my wife,much less to be it.'He dropped her hand,which fell lifelessly.

'It is not sorry exactly,dear Nic.But I feel uncomfortable and vexed,that after screwing up my courage,my fidelity,to the point of going to church,you should have so muddled--managed the matter that it has ended in neither one thing nor the other.How can I meet acquaintances,when I don't know what they are thinking of me?'

'Then,dear Christine,let us mend the muddle.I'll go away for a few days and get another licence,and you can come to me.'She shrank from this perceptibly.'I cannot screw myself up to it a second time,'she said.'I am sure I cannot!Besides,I promised Mr.Bealand.And yet how can I continue to see you after such a rumour?We shall be watched now,for certain.''Then don't see me.'

'I fear I must not for the present.Altogether--'

'What?'

'I am very depressed.'

These views were not very inspiriting to Nicholas,as he construed them.It may indeed have been possible that he construed them wrongly,and should have insisted upon her making the rumour true.

Unfortunately,too,he had come to her in a hurry through brambles and briars,water and weed,and the shaggy wildness which hung about his appearance at this fine and correct time of day lent an impracticability to the look of him.

'You blame me--you repent your courses--you repent that you ever,ever owned anything to me!'

'No,Nicholas,I do not repent that,'she returned gently,though with firmness.'But I think that you ought not to have got that licence without asking me first;and I also think that you ought to have known how it would be if you lived on here in your present position,and made no effort to better it.I can bear whatever comes,for social ruin is not personal ruin or even personal disgrace.But as a sensible,new-risen poet says,whom I have been reading this morning:-The world and its ways have a certain worth:

And to press a point while these oppose Were simple policy.Better wait.

As soon as you had got my promise,Nic,you should have gone away--yes--and made a name,and come back to claim me.That was my silly girlish dream about my hero.'

'Perhaps I can do as much yet!And would you have indeed liked better to live away from me for family reasons,than to run a risk in seeing me for affection's sake?O what a cold heart it has grown!

If I had been a prince,and you a dairymaid,I'd have stood by you in the face of the world!'

She shook her head.'Ah--you don't know what society is--you don't know.'

'Perhaps not.Who was that strange gentleman of about seven-and-twenty I saw at Mr.Bellston's christening feast?''Oh--that was his nephew James.Now he is a man who has seen an unusual extent of the world for his age.He is a great traveller,you know.''Indeed.'

'In fact an explorer.He is very entertaining.''No doubt.'

Nicholas received no shock of jealousy from her announcement.He knew her so well that he could see she was not in the least in love with Bellston.But he asked if Bellston were going to continue his explorations.

'Not if he settles in life.Otherwise he will,I suppose.''Perhaps I could be a great explorer,too,if I tried.''You could,I am sure.'

They sat apart,and not together;each looking afar off at vague objects,and not in each other's eyes.Thus the sad autumn afternoon waned,while the waterfall hissed sarcastically of the inevitableness of the unpleasant.Very different this from the time when they had first met there.

The nook was most picturesque;but it looked horridly common and stupid now.Their sentiment had set a colour hardly less visible than a material one on surrounding objects,as sentiment must where life is but thought.Nicholas was as devoted as ever to the fair Christine;but unhappily he too had moods and humours,and the division between them was not closed.

She had no sooner got indoors and sat down to her work-table than her father entered the drawing-room.

She handed him his newspaper;he took it without a word,went and stood on the hearthrug,and flung the paper on the floor.

'Christine,what's the meaning of this terrible story?I was just on my way to look at the register.'She looked at him without speech.

'You have married--Nicholas Long?'

'No,father.'

'No?Can you say no in the face of such facts as I have been put in possession of?''Yes.'

'But--the note you wrote to the rector--and the going to church?'She briefly explained that their attempt had failed.

'Ah!Then this is what that dancing meant,was it?By -,it makes me -.How long has this been going on,may I ask?''This what?'

'What,indeed!Why,making him your beau.Now listen to me.All's well that ends well;from this day,madam,this moment,he is to be nothing more to you.You are not to see him.Cut him adrift instantly!I only wish his volk were on my farm--out they should go,or I would know the reason why.However,you are to write him a letter to this effect at once.'

'How can I cut him adrift?'

'Why not?You must,my good maid!'

'Well,though I have not actually married him,I have solemnly sworn to be his wife when he comes home from abroad to claim me.It would be gross perjury not to fulfil my promise.Besides,no woman can go to church with a man to deliberately solemnize matrimony,and refuse him afterwards,if he does nothing wrong meanwhile.'

同类推荐
  • 赋得春风扇微和

    赋得春风扇微和

    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。
  • 钟情丽集

    钟情丽集

    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。
  • 佛说一切流摄守因经

    佛说一切流摄守因经

    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。
  • 新唐书

    新唐书

    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。
  • Legends and Lyrics

    Legends and Lyrics

    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
  • 上司的野蛮未婚妻

    上司的野蛮未婚妻

    大学毕业后失恋的曾呓,在求职过程中,幸运地认识了香艳性感的秘书伊燕。在公司底层打拼无暇顾及美色,但这野蛮又风骚的小秘书硬要往身边贴,这让纯情的曾呓“芳心暗动”。就在他准备不要脸皮地去接受这艳丽的奇遇时,却被告知一个晴天霹雳似的消息:美女伊燕居然是野兽上司的未婚妻!
  • 穿越星河遇见你

    穿越星河遇见你

    【已完结】珠宝璀璨的闪耀后,一双漆黑如夜的眸子俯瞰大地。景墨灏扯住女人的手腕:“洛溪,我是黑暗帝国未来的继承人,你敢反抗我?”洛溪冷笑一声:“呵呵,我可是未来整个星球的掌门人,屈屈一个澳洲继承人就想来驯服我?你做梦!”景墨灏一把将她堵在墙上:“哦?女人,听起来来头不小,不如我去收服个宇宙,看你还能往哪逃。”洛溪:“...”【带上你的笑点与泪点,跟我走吧~】
  • 坏坏酷少爷pk甜美小女佣

    坏坏酷少爷pk甜美小女佣

    聚尚嘴角慢慢扬起一丝诡异的笑容,指着夏芹:“很好,那就由你来,把这些菜‘统统再炒一遍’,只要能炒到我觉得美味,他们就可以不必被‘统统炒掉’,如何?”这家伙绝对是超级大魔王!竟然顺着自己歪曲的话!夏芹咬咬嘴唇,坚定地端起银盘接受挑战:“那请你好好期待吧,挑食大少爷!”
  • 方向对了,就不怕路远

    方向对了,就不怕路远

    方向正确,努力才会有价值。不要忙着出发,先找到值得你奋斗的理由。这是一本为年轻人量身打造的职业规划定位课,作者结合自身多年的职场经验和成功人士的奋斗经历,精心归纳总结出成功人士在工作、生活、理财等方面的独到见解,并以生动的案例进行了阐释,相信你能够受益匪浅。
  • 超神学院传奇雄兵连

    超神学院传奇雄兵连

    背景来自光年外的侵略地球奋起抵抗。人类史无前例达成统一战线。源自神河的超级基因被“太阳"激活。华夏诞生了一批黑色战神。恶魔席卷而来。巨峡号一伇,战神散落各地。黑色神之连队能否重聚?帝银空能否找齐六位骑士抵抗虚空?………………
  • Windsor Castle

    Windsor Castle

    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。
  • 曾国藩家书(精粹)

    曾国藩家书(精粹)

    曾国藩(1811—1872),初名子城,字伯函,号涤生,谥文正,同治时封侯爵,世袭。中国清朝时期的军事家、理学家、政治家、文学家,“中兴名臣”之一,晚清散文“湘乡派”创立人。有《曾国藩家书》传世,是研究其人及这一历史时期的重要资料。本书以清光绪三年的《曾文正公全集》为底本,从一千余万字的“全集”中选取了172篇对后世影响最深远、最能体现曾国藩思想精髓的“家书”,按时间顺序分为:养心之道、自勉之道、成事之道、为学之道、交往之道、理财之道、为政之道、养生之道八个方面。为便于读者深刻领会曾国藩思想的精髓,我们将每封书信的重要文字和名言警句摘录于标题之下,不仅美观,而且方便记忆。
  • 总裁太嚣张(全本)

    总裁太嚣张(全本)

    男主:蓝天豪,是兰雨集团的总裁先生。女主:前两部里都有提到她,弦上精灵——欧阳静妤,天使一般的女孩。想知道恶魔与天使纠缠十年的爱恨情仇,会以怎样的结局告终吗?不看后悔哦简介:蓝天豪修长的手指缓缓划过她白皙柔嫩的面颊,薄唇挑出一丝邪肆而魅惑的微笑:“angel,欧阳集团的将来会怎样,就看你了……”他也曾经有过家,全世界最幸福的家……轻而易举就毁了,父亲被陷害,死在监狱里。母亲跳楼自杀,他才十五岁,弟弟还在襁褓之中……他走的时候就发过誓,他要报仇!他要报仇!!!静妤扳着手指头数日子,她等了十年,三千六百多天,才等到大哥哥回来。她以为那是苦尽甘来的甜蜜幸福,她以为那是山盟海誓后的互守信约,却原来,它什么也不是。他已经忘了当初对她说过的话:“静妤妹妹,等你长大了,就做我的新娘子,好吗?”当尘埃落定,他站在最后的胜利面前,冷眼看着她倒下。那一刻,她才明白,所谓爱情,不过是朝露昙花,长恨一梦……*
  • 回望云蒸霞蔚里的高峰:徐志摩解读名人(再读徐志摩)

    回望云蒸霞蔚里的高峰:徐志摩解读名人(再读徐志摩)

    《再回望云蒸霞蔚里的高峰:徐志摩解读名人(再读徐志摩)》主要收录了徐志摩所写的有关世界各国文化名人的文章。《回望云蒸霞蔚里的高峰:徐志摩解读名人(再读徐志摩)》内容涉及名人的家世、个性、经历、爱好、情爱、治学以及一与徐志摩的交往等诸多方面,向读者展示了当时中外思想文化界真诚交流的生动情景,同时也为了解徐志摩所生活的那个时代的“名人群落”提供了多种视角。
  • 佛说华手经

    佛说华手经

    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。