登陆注册
5382100000085

第85章 CHAPTER XX(2)

how you do get abused! But I will tell Mr. Farquhar I will not let him interfere with me. If I do what papa bids me, no one has a right to notice whether I do it willingly or not." So then she tried to defy Mr. Farquhar, by doing and saying things that she knew he would disapprove. She went so far that he was seriously grieved, and did not even remonstrate and "lecture," and then she was disappointed and irritated; for, somehow, with all her indignation at interference, she liked to be lectured by him; not that she was aware of this liking of hers, but still it would have been more pleasant to be scolded than so quietly passed over. Her two little sisters, with their wide-awake eyes, had long ago put things together, and conjectured. Every day they had some fresh mystery together, to be imparted in garden walks and whispered talks. "Lizzie, did you see how the tears came into Mimie's eyes when Mr. Farquhar looked so displeased when she said good people were always dull? I think she's in love." Mary said the last words with grave emphasis, and felt like an oracle of twelve years of age. "I don't," said Lizzie. "I know I cry often enough when papa is cross, and I'm not in love with him." "Yes! but you don't look as Mimie did." "Don't call her Mimie--you know papa does not like it?" "Yes; but there are so many things papa does not like I can never remember them all. Never mind about that; but listen to something I've got to tell you, if you'll never, never tell." "No, indeed I won't, Mary. What is it?" "Not to Mrs. Denbigh?" "No, not even to Mrs. Denbigh." "Well, then, the other day--last Friday, Mimie----" "Jemima!" interrupted the more conscientious Elizabeth. "Jemima, if it must be so," jerked out Mary, "sent me to her desk for an envelope, and what do you. think I saw?" "What?" asked Elizabeth, expecting nothing else than a red-hot Valentine, signed Walter Farquhar, pro Bradshaw, Farquhar, & Co., in full. "Why, a piece of paper, with dull-looking lines upon it, just like the scientific dialogues; and I remember all about it. It was once when Mr.

Farquhar had been telling us that a bullet does not go in a straight line, but in a something curve, and he drew some lines on a piece of paper; and Mimie----" "Jemima!" put in Elizabeth. "Well, well! She had treasured it up, and written in corner, 'W. F., April 3rd.' Now, that's rather like love, is not it? For Jemima hates useful information just as much as I do, and that's saying a great deal; and yet she had kept this paper, and dated it." "If that's all, I know Dick keeps a paper with Miss Benson's name written on it, and yet he's not in love with her; and perhaps Jemima may like Mr.

Farquhar, and he may not like her. It seems such a little while since her hair was turned up, and he has always been a grave, middle-aged man ever since I can recollect; and then, have you never noticed how often he finds fault with her--almost lectures her?" "To be sure," said Mary; " but he may be in love, for all that. Just think how often papa lectures mamma; and yet, of course, they're in love with each other." "Well! we shall see," said Elizabeth. Poor Jemima little thought of the four sharp eyes that watched her daily course while she sat alone, as she fancied, with her secret in her own room. For, in a passionate fit of grieving, at the impatient, hasty temper which had made her so seriously displease Mr. Farquhar that he had gone away without remonstrance, without more leave-taking than a distant bow, she had begun to suspect that, rather than not be noticed at all by him, rather than be an object of indifference to him--oh! far rather would she be an object of anger and upbraiding; and the thoughts that followed this confession to herself stunned and bewildered her; and for once that they made her dizzy with hope, ten times they made her sick with fear. For an instant she planned to become and to be all he could wish her; to change her very nature for him. And then a great gush of pride came over her, and she set her teeth tight together, and determined that he should either love her as she was or not at all. Unless he could take her with all her faults, she would not care for his regard; "love" was too noble a word to call such cold, calculating feeling as his must be, who went about with a pattern idea in his mind, trying to find a wife to match. Besides, there was something degrading, Jemima thought, in trying to alter herself to gain the love of any human creature. And yet, if he did not care for her, if this late indifference were to last, what a great shroud was drawn over life! Could she bear it? From the agony she dared not look at, but which she was going to risk encountering, she was aroused by the presence of her mother. "Jemima! your father wants to speak to you in the dining-room." "What for?" asked the girl. "Oh! he is fidgeted by something Mr. Farquhar said to me and which I repeated.

同类推荐
  • 淡水厅筑城案卷

    淡水厅筑城案卷

    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。
  • 热河日记

    热河日记

    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。
  • 峡中行

    峡中行

    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。
  • THE CONFESSIONS

    THE CONFESSIONS

    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。
  • 蒙求

    蒙求

    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
  • 喊风来

    喊风来

    那一天太阳泛白,是人们常说的那种毒日头,光到最强烈时总是这种颜色。资江流域有句气象民谚说:白太阳久晴,红太阳近雨。唐家观就是匍匐在资江中下游北岸的一个小镇,这里的人都知道未济老师不怕太阳只怕雨。太阳有什么可怕?未济说,万物生长还靠太阳哩,要是真晒得我眼冒金星了,就往江河里一潜,与鱼儿们嬉戏耳语一阵,再上得岸来时,啧啧,红翅白翅就像是来寻伴一样,都会争着要往我的渔篓里飞。那才过瘾呢!未济老师口中津津乐道的红翅和白翅,是山溪里两种不同类型的小鱼。
  • 人之废除

    人之废除

    《人之废除》是英国作家C.S.路易斯于1943年在杜伦大学的演讲稿,于同年出版,副标题为“从高中英语教学出发反思教育”。
  • 范文正集

    范文正集

    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。
  • 江湖中的道士

    江湖中的道士

    侠以武犯禁,自古以来历朝历代一直在打压武术的发展,可是怎么打压的了,有人的地方就有江湖,有江湖的地方就有侠客
  • 我在你的爱情之外

    我在你的爱情之外

    苏夏爱傅斯琛,可当她背着他生下他的孩子时,孩子却被鉴定出不是他的。傅斯琛爱苏夏,但却只能用伤害的方式爱她……
  • 醒了,睡了:一个重患家属的心护日记

    醒了,睡了:一个重患家属的心护日记

    本书围绕作者以及其重患家属的心路历程,用随笔的方式,记录生命在遭遇波折或重创后,如何进行心理自我修复的故事。作者以责任为出发点,以别人睡着了他醒来了为契机,进行关于生命价值和意义的思考,并进而探讨使心灵富足而充盈的生活方式。
  • 捡到一座金靠山

    捡到一座金靠山

    前世季云菀救了座金靠山自己却不知道,把他当成了杂役使唤,后来过的是战战兢兢,生怕金靠山找她算账。重生后季云菀在见到金靠山的第一面,就是把他带回去当贵客供着,讨好的朝他笑,你以后可要报答我呀。再见面,金靠山竟然假装忘了她的救命之恩,半点想要报答的意思也没有。季云菀:呵,男人。金靠山那么多,我要换一座。祁承:……不许!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 没有不该承担的责任,只有不愿承担的责任

    没有不该承担的责任,只有不愿承担的责任

    不论是楔形文字,还是象形文字;不论古今,还是中外;不论家庭,还是职场。历史的变迁、地域的隔阂、工作的转换……却不妨碍我们对责任相同的理解,责任是人生命的一部分,应该承担的任务,应该完成的使命,应该承担的后果。
  • 霸宠调皮妻:总裁追妻路漫漫

    霸宠调皮妻:总裁追妻路漫漫

    席家和慕家是世交,那一年,七岁的席慕宇跟着爷爷来到欧家,第一次见到三岁半的欧小蝶,小小的人软软的甚是爱,略带婴儿肥的小脸随着她樱桃般的小嘴动着,席老爷子也就是那时和欧老爷子给他们订的娃娃亲。二十四岁的的席慕羽坐上了黑白两道的交椅,从美国归来迎娶小妻子,谁知小妻子一脸嫌弃的看着他说:“这都什么年代了还时兴办婚姻”。且看霸道总裁如何回归,吃掉小甜妻。纯爱小说无虐!!!!
  • 隐婚总裁

    隐婚总裁

    怀胎八月,就在即将分娩时,却意外得知,他要这个宝宝的真正目的……