登陆注册
5377900000194

第194章

She made up her mind to speak to Pansy, and she took an occasion on the same day, going to the girl's room before dinner.Pansy was already dressed; she was always in advance of the time: it seemed to illustrate her pretty patience and the graceful stillness with which she could sit and wait.At present she was seated, in her fresh array, before the bed-room fire; she had blown out her candles on the completion of her toilet, in accordance with the economical habits in which she had been brought up and which she was now more careful than ever to observe; so that the room was lighted only by a couple of logs.The rooms in Palazzo Roccanera were as spacious as they were numerous, and Pansy's virginal bower was an immense chamber with a dark, heavily-timbered ceiling.Its diminutive mistress, in the midst of it, appeared but a speck of humanity, and as she got up, with quick deference, to welcome Isabel, the latter was more than ever struck with her shy sincerity.Isabel had a difficult task-the only thing was to perform it as simply as possible.She felt bitter and angry, but she warned herself against betraying this heat.She was afraid even of looking too grave, or at least too stern; she was afraid of causing alarm.But Pansy seemed to have guessed she had come more or less as a confessor; for after she had moved the chair in which she had been sitting a little nearer to the fire and Isabel had taken her place in it, she kneeled down on a cushion in front of her, looking up and resting her clasped hands on her stepmother's knees.What Isabel wished to do was to hear from her own lips that her mind was not occupied with Lord Warburton; but if she desired the assurance she felt herself by no means at liberty to provoke it.The girl's father would have qualified this as rank treachery; and indeed Isabel knew that if Pansy should display the smallest germ of a disposition to encourage Lord Warburton her own duty was to hold her tongue.It was difficult to interrogate without appearing to suggest; Pansy's supreme simplicity, an innocence even more complete than Isabel had yet judged it, gave to the most tentative enquiry something of the effect of an admonition.As she knelt there in the vague firelight, with her pretty dress dimly shining, her hands folded half in appeal and half in submission, her soft eyes, raised and fixed, full of the seriousness of the situation, she looked to Isabel like a childish martyr decked out for sacrifice and scarcely presuming even to hope to avert it.When Isabel said to her that she had never yet spoken to her of what might have been going on in relation to her getting married, but that her silence had not been indifference or ignorance, had only been the desire to leave her at liberty, Pansy bent forward, raised her face nearer and nearer, and with a little murmur which evidently expressed a deep longing, answered that she had greatly wished her to speak and that she begged her to advise her now.

"It's difficult for me to advise you," Isabel returned."I don't know how I can undertake that.That's for your father; you must get his advice and, above all, you must act on it."At this Pansy dropped her eyes; for a moment she said nothing."Ithink I should like your advice better than papa's," she presently remarked.

"That's not as it should be," said Isabel coldly."I love you very much, but your father loves you better.""It isn't because you love me-it's because you're a lady," Pansy answered with the air of saying something very reasonable."A lady can advise a young girl better than a man.""I advise you then to pay the greatest respect to your father's wishes.""Ah yes," said the child eagerly, "I must do that.""But if I speak to you now about your getting married it's not for your own sake, it's for mine," Isabel went on."If I try to learn from you what you expect, what you desire, it's only that I may act accordingly."Pansy stared, and then very quickly, "Will you do everything Iwant?" she asked.

"Before I say yes I must know what such things are."Pansy presently told her that the only thing she wanted in life was to marry Mr.Rosier.He had asked her and she had told him she would do so if her papa would allow it.Now her papa wouldn't allow it.

"Very well then, it's impossible," Isabel pronounced.

"Yes, it's impossible," said Pansy without a sigh and with the same extreme attention in her clear little face.

"You must think of something else then," Isabel went on; but Pansy, sighing at this, told her that she had attempted that feat without the least success.

"You think of those who think of you," she said with a faint smile."I know Mr.Rosier thinks of me.""He ought not to," said Isabel loftily."Your father has expressly requested he shouldn't.""He can't help it, because he knows I think of him.""You shouldn't think of him.There's some excuse for him, perhaps;but there's none for you."

"I wish you would try to find one," the girl exclaimed as if she were praying to the Madonna.

"I should be very sorry to attempt it," said the Madonna with unusual frigidity."If you knew some one else was thinking of you, would you think of him?""No one can think of me as Mr.Rosier does; no one has the right.""Ah, but I don't admit Mr.Rosier's right!" Isabel hypocritically cried.

同类推荐
  • 蒙斋笔谈

    蒙斋笔谈

    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。
  • 绝句代书赠钱员外

    绝句代书赠钱员外

    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。
  • 于公案

    于公案

    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。
  • 禅林宝训拈颂

    禅林宝训拈颂

    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。
  • 画家知希录

    画家知希录

    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。
热门推荐
  • 巨龙穿行中原

    巨龙穿行中原

    亳州市是一片有着丰厚的历史文化底蕴的土地。那里曾经香车宝马,商贾云集;那里有一代圣君商汤指点江山的影迹;那里是集政治家、军事家、文学家于一身的一代枭雄曹操习兵演武痛饮狂歌的地方,他“东临碣石,以观沧海”的诗句至今尚在古城萦绕,留存的地下运兵道、习练水兵的涡水浅滩也还令今人瞩目;那里流传着“天资文藻、博闻强识”的魏文帝曹丕和出口成章、七步成诗的曹植的逸事;更有在中国军事上震古烁今的张良、曹仁、曹洪、夏侯渊、许褚……亳州地理位置在历史上也相当优越,更兼水陆之便,在经济上曾无比辉煌。
  • 吾乡风物

    吾乡风物

    散文集《吾乡风物》是刘旭东关于家乡风物的记叙和考订。文章精炼简短,描摹点到即止,承续了中国文人的博物传统,颇有古代小品文之风。收录风物范围极广,可以说是苏中地区乡村生活的百科全书。
  • 陆游文集3

    陆游文集3

    一个受时代陶熔而又努力陶熔时代的人,通过诗词发出声声战斗的呐喊,永远激励着千秋万代的中华儿女奋勇向前,读一代爱国诗人的经典文章,品官宦诗人的一生坎坷。
  • 从哈佛学院到耶鲁礼堂

    从哈佛学院到耶鲁礼堂

    世界著名学府哈佛大学及美国总统的摇篮耶鲁大学中学子聆听的人生哲理,现在,你也可以与他们共享。
  • 喵少来袭:娇妻快到碗里来

    喵少来袭:娇妻快到碗里来

    苗青青在暴雨天捡回来一只小奶猫,从此走上了一条猫奴的不归路。可是,渐渐的苗青青发现,她家的这只猫咪居然会做奥数题,还会发信息看股票!!!每天都被小奶猫鄙视的苗青青表示,这日子没法儿过了!“苗喵喵,你听好,你要是再敢用这种眼神看着我,扣你猫粮!”
  • 佛说无垢贤女经

    佛说无垢贤女经

    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。
  • 明智·留一个角落安放信仰

    明智·留一个角落安放信仰

    我们所认识的世界,所熟习的人,真的就是的确如此吗?有没有一颗时刻澄明的心能够去随时随地看透任何一个流转不息的人和瞬息万变的世界呢?当这样追问自己的心灵时,就会发现执著于自己一时一地、一人一物的幻象是多么可笑的事情。认识的主体在迁流变化,认识的客体也同样在迁流变化;我是有限的我,你也并非全知全能的你,那么为何那么确实地相信这个虚妄的、流动的自我呢?
  • 适度的艺术

    适度的艺术

    有个成语叫过犹不及,意思是说事情做得过火就和做得不够一样,都是不好的;还有个成语叫适可而止,意思是说做事做到了适当的程度就可以了。其实,这两个成语都说明了一个意思,做事要有度。
  • 腹黑医女难招惹

    腹黑医女难招惹

    她本是现代世界的医学天才,一场意外将她带至异世,变成了位“名医圣手”。他是众人皆羡的天之骄子,一次救助,一场交换,两个永远不可能相交的人产生了纠缠。一生一世,一情一孼。他坠入了她精心编织的情网,渴望着倾心一世,恩爱白头。已变身高手的某女却一声冷哼,“先追得上我再说!”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 我真是个废柴鬼

    我真是个废柴鬼

    快饿死的吸血鬼好不容易狩猎成功,‘叮’您的板砖英雄已上线。池遥遥:“(╯°Д°)╯︵┴┴我不要!还我口粮!”吃个宵夜险被绑架,‘叮’您的初恋已上线。池遥遥:“(╯°Д°)╯︵┴┴我不要!还我口粮!”逛个公园被请喝茶,“叮”您的黑月光已上线。池遥遥:“(╯°Д°)╯︵┴┴我不要!还我口粮!”逃个婚被拖入异世界,“叮”您的儿子们已上线。池遥遥:“(╯°Д°)╯︵┴┴我不要!还我……等等……给老子滚啊!这踏马是你的!你的!不是我的!”