登陆注册
5292700000029

第29章 ALICIA'S DIARY(4)

October 30.--As my sister's grief for her mother becomes more and more calmed,her love for M.de la Feste begins to reassume its former absorbing command of her.She thinks of him incessantly,and writes whole treatises to him by way of letters.Her blank disappointment at his announcement of his inability to pay us a visit quite so soon as he had promised,was quite tragic.I,too,am disappointed,for I wanted to see and estimate him.But having arranged to go to Holland to seize some aerial effects for his pictures,which are only to be obtained at this time of the autumn,he is obliged to postpone his journey this way,which is now to be made early in the new year.I think myself that he ought to have come at all sacrifices,considering Caroline's recent loss,the sad postponement of what she was looking forward to,and her single-minded affection for him.Still,who knows;his professional success is important.Moreover,she is cheerful,and hopeful,and the delay will soon be overpast.

CHAPTER IV.--SHE BEHOLDS THE ATTRACTIVE STRANGERFebruary 16.--We have had such a dull life here all the winter that Ihave found nothing important enough to set down,and broke off my journal accordingly.I resume it now to make an entry on the subject of dear Caroline's future.It seems that she was too grieved,immediately after the loss of our mother,to answer definitely the question of M.de la Feste how long the postponement was to be;then,afterwards,it was agreed that the matter should be discussed on his autumn visit;but as he did not come,it has remained in abeyance till this week,when Caroline,with the greatest simplicity and confidence,has written to him without any further pressure on his part,and told him that she is quite ready to fix the time,and will do so as soon as he arrives to see her.She is a little frightened now,lest it should seem forward in her to have revived the subject of her own accord;but she may assume that his question has been waiting on for an answer ever since,and that she has,therefore,acted only within her promise.In truth,the secret at the bottom of it all is that she is somewhat saddened because he has not latterly reminded her of the pause in their affairs--that,in short,his original impatience to possess her is not now found to animate him so obviously.I suppose that he loves her as much as ever;indeed,I am sure he must do so,seeing how lovable she is.It is mostly thus with all men when women are out of their sight;they grow negligent.

Caroline must have patience,and remember that a man of his genius has many and important calls upon his time.In justice to her I must add that she does remember it fairly well,and has as much patience as any girl ever had in the circumstances.He hopes to come at the beginning of April at latest.Well,when he comes we shall see him.

April 5.--I think that what M.de la Feste writes is reasonable enough,though Caroline looks heart-sick about it.It is hardly worth while for him to cross all the way to England and back just now,while the sea is so turbulent,seeing that he will be obliged,in any event,to come in May,when he has to be in London for professional purposes,at which time he can take us easily on his way both coming and going.When Caroline becomes his wife she will be more practical,no doubt;but she is such a child as yet that there is no contenting her with reasons.However,the time will pass quickly,there being so much to do in preparing a trousseau for her,which must now be put in hand in order that we may have plenty of leisure to get it ready.On no account must Caroline be married in half-mourning;I am sure that mother,could she know,would not wish it,and it is odd that Caroline should be so intractably persistent on this point,when she is usually so yielding.

April 30.--This month has flown on swallow's wings.We are in a great state of excitement--I as much as she--I cannot quite tell why.

He is really coming in ten days,he says.

May 9.Four p.m.--I am so agitated I can scarcely write,and yet am particularly impelled to do so before leaving my room.It is the unexpected shape of an expected event which has caused my absurd excitement,which proves me almost as much a school-girl as Caroline.

M.de la Feste was not,as we understood,to have come till to-morrow;but he is here--just arrived.All household directions have devolved upon me,for my father,not thinking M.de la Feste would appear before us for another four-and-twenty hours,left home before post time to attend a distant consecration;and hence Caroline and Iwere in no small excitement when Charles's letter was opened,and we read that he had been unexpectedly favoured in the dispatch of his studio work,and would follow his letter in a few hours.We sent the covered carriage to meet the train indicated,and waited like two newly strung harps for the first sound of the returning wheels.At last we heard them on the gravel;and the question arose who was to receive him.It was,strictly speaking,my duty;but I felt timid;Icould not help shirking it,and insisted that Caroline should go down.She did not,however,go near the door as she usually does when anybody is expected,but waited palpitating in the drawing-room.

He little thought when he saw the silent hall,and the apparently deserted house,how that house was at the very same moment alive and throbbing with interest under the surface.I stood at the back of the upper landing,where nobody could see me from downstairs,and heard him walk across the hall--a lighter step than my father's--and heard him then go into the drawing-room,and the servant shut the door behind him and go away.

同类推荐
  • 密斋笔记

    密斋笔记

    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。
  • Droll Stories

    Droll Stories

    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。
  • 病榻遗言

    病榻遗言

    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。
  • 笑林

    笑林

    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。
  • 听月楼

    听月楼

    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
  • 挑战女性弱点

    挑战女性弱点

    一本解析现代女人弱点的指导读本。要做一个美丽的、闪着的女人,首先也要从完善自己开始。女人是一个完整的个体,所以她和男人一样有着很多的弱点。诚然,女人的弱点是万众瞩目也是必不可少的。很多女人当别人提醒她一些弱点、毛病时,就会大发雷霆,恨不得生生把那个提建议的人生吞活剥了。殊不知,有弱点的女人不可怕,但不知道自己的弱点是什么的女人是最要不得的。
  • 为长生

    为长生

    吾住青湖边,颇有名气。远道而来的诗人在湖边吟诵着:一叶扁舟横,万点金光散。但见李仙缘,此生无可叹……醉意横生的文士在岸边高歌着:有波拍岸惊百里,不能渡我归家,有浪乘风横千丈,愿可荡吾生涯……文人墨客求见者络绎,赞美湖景者不绝。他们不知夏天水蚊子的狠毒,不知冬天冷风如刀刺骨……更不知吾之寿元不足一年。书生浩然之气,修士灵气之力,佛道功德香火,万民信仰。何以得长生?夜深人静时。远处湖泊寂静萧索,近旁湖面冷清无声。收拾行李,东市西市南市北市购置,绝尘而去。剑未佩妥,出门已是江湖。欲求长生。
  • tfboys叛逆公子哥

    tfboys叛逆公子哥

    和他一起,他,时而霸道,时而温柔,时而对她不理不睬,时而对她关心至极,可为什么偏偏爱上这样的你……多年不见,他已经不是她曾经认识的人了,不过,还好,我们还是互相爱着……外人眼里的他,放诞不羁,总是一副吊儿郎当的模样,她眼里的他,处处为她着想,细心体贴……彩虹:内容微偏霸道总裁,支持一下可好?
  • 塔木德智慧枕边书

    塔木德智慧枕边书

    犹太民族是人类大家庭中的伟大成员之一。她创造了以《圣经》和《塔木德》为代表的灿烂辉煌的希伯莱文化,造就了一大批杰出的思想大师、科学巨匠。研究犹太做生意的智慧、控制金钱的智慧,还不如学习犹太人的处世智慧,因为后者是前两者的基础。
  • 公主爱上谁

    公主爱上谁

    一位公主爱上一个失忆的男生他们之间发生种种事最后走到了一起
  • 霸龙嗜情:眷养迷糊妻

    霸龙嗜情:眷养迷糊妻

    他是商界闻风丧胆的修罗,却甘愿独宠那迷糊的找不着北的女人。她喜欢吃,没关系,他来养着她。她喜欢闯祸,没关系,他来善后。……她喜欢牵红线,一不小心擦枪走火,朋友被弄大肚子,没关系,他帮她摆平。“什么……”那该死的女人既然要他娶她的朋友,以此来减轻她的罪孽,还绝食来抗议,是可忍孰不可忍……
  • 孙谦小说散文集(山药蛋派经典文库)

    孙谦小说散文集(山药蛋派经典文库)

    孙谦是山药蛋派代表人物之一。他的艺术作品取材于他所了解的农村生活,具有现实主义风格,朴实、真挚、感人。
  • 重生之幸福

    重生之幸福

    摆脱了渣男,刚要开始崭新的生活,却悲催的杀害,世界上最悲惨的莫过于此,幸好,还有一次重来的机会。
  • 探寻恐龙的足迹

    探寻恐龙的足迹

    久远的时代,庞大的主宰者,神秘的史前世界,尚未破解的谜题。它们曾经是这个星球上的唯一霸主,它们曾经漬绎了波澜壮阔的进化史。恐龙对人类来说是一群神秘的生物,它们生存于几百万年以前,主宰地球达一亿七千年之久。迄今为止,人类巳经发现了上百种恐龙化石,它们形态各异,大小不一。本书汇集了恐龙家族中的众多种类,分门别类地介绍了它们的习性和特征,为你打造一场别开生面的恐龙盛会。
  • 雕刻在囧囧背后的密码

    雕刻在囧囧背后的密码

    “囧”字的含义是什么?“囧”字本意是光明,它从字典里复活,被赋予的新意是:悲伤、无奈或者极为尴尬的心情。安理解这一点非常容易,如果把“囧”字看成是一张脸,那么“人”就是两道因悲伤和沮丧而下垂的美貌,“口”则是张口结舌的那个口。当一个人说“我恨囧”的时候,可以想象他的那副表情完全和“囧”一样。但就是这样一个字,现在被赋予更多的意义,并发展成为一种奇特的网络文化。而“囧”字的发音和“窘”完全一致,简直再完美不过了。《雕刻在囧囧背后的密码》以流畅的语言,详实而饱含哲理的事例,介绍了人生逆境的众多应变术,文字优美隽永,感人肺腑,发人深省,值得我们揣摩。