登陆注册
5394400000011

第11章

Which of them is it?" asked Longueville of his friend, after they had bidden good-night to the three ladies and to Captain Lovelock, who went off to begin, as he said, the evening. They stood, when they had turned away from the door of Mrs. Vivian's lodgings, in the little, rough-paved German street.

"Which of them is what?" Gordon asked, staring at his companion.

"Oh, come," said Longueville, "you are not going to begin to play at modesty at this hour! Did n't you write to me that you had been making violent love?"

"Violent? No."

"The more shame to you! Has your love-making been feeble?"

His friend looked at him a moment rather soberly.

"I suppose you thought it a queer document--that letter I wrote you."

"I thought it characteristic," said Longueville smiling.

"Is n't that the same thing?"

"Not in the least. I have never thought you a man of oddities."

Gordon stood there looking at him with a serious eye, half appealing, half questioning; but at these last words he glanced away.

Even a very modest man may wince a little at hearing himself denied the distinction of a few variations from the common type.

Longueville made this reflection, and it struck him, also, that his companion was in a graver mood than he had expected; though why, after all, should he have been in a state of exhilaration?

"Your letter was a very natural, interesting one,"

Bernard added.

"Well, you see," said Gordon, facing his companion again, "I have been a good deal preoccupied."

"Obviously, my dear fellow!"

"I want very much to marry."

"It 's a capital idea," said Longueville.

"I think almost as well of it," his friend declared, "as if I had invented it. It has struck me for the first time."

These words were uttered with a mild simplicity which provoked Longueville to violent laughter.

"My dear fellow," he exclaimed, "you have, after all, your little oddities."

Singularly enough, however, Gordon Wright failed to appear flattered by this concession.

"I did n't send for you to laugh at me," he said.

"Ah, but I have n't travelled three hundred miles to cry!

Seriously, solemnly, then, it is one of these young ladies that has put marriage into your head?"

"Not at all. I had it in my head."

"Having a desire to marry, you proceeded to fall in love."

"I am not in love!" said Gordon Wright, with some energy.

"Ah, then, my dear fellow, why did you send for me?"

Wright looked at him an instant in silence.

"Because I thought you were a good fellow, as well as a clever one."

"A good fellow!" repeated Longueville. "I don't understand your confounded scientific nomenclature. But excuse me; I won't laugh.

I am not a clever fellow; but I am a good one." He paused a moment, and then laid his hand on his companion's shoulder. "My dear Gordon, it 's no use; you are in love."

"Well, I don't want to be," said Wright.

"Heavens, what a horrible sentiment!"

"I want to marry with my eyes open. I want to know my wife.

You don't know people when you are in love with them.

Your impressions are colored."

"They are supposed to be, slightly. And you object to color?"

"Well, as I say, I want to know the woman I marry, as I should know any one else. I want to see her as clearly."

"Depend upon it, you have too great an appetite for knowledge; you set too high an esteem upon the dry light of science."

"Ah!" said Gordon promptly; "of course I want to be fond of her."

Bernard, in spite of his protest, began to laugh again.

"My dear Gordon, you are better than your theories.

Your passionate heart contradicts your frigid intellect.

I repeat it--you are in love."

"Please don't repeat it again," said Wright.

Bernard took his arm, and they walked along.

"What shall I call it, then? You are engaged in making studies for matrimony."

"I don't in the least object to your calling it that.

My studies are of extreme interest."

同类推荐
  • 永定县志-康熙本

    永定县志-康熙本

    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。
  • 开辟演义

    开辟演义

    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。
  • 太上灵宝净明飞仙度人经法

    太上灵宝净明飞仙度人经法

    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。
  • 红楼复梦

    红楼复梦

    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。
  • 紫元君授道传心法

    紫元君授道传心法

    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
  • 要遇见温柔的人

    要遇见温柔的人

    我的冷漠里,藏着一半害羞一半自卑,你说你了解我,是真的吗?
  • 复活重生之凤珑女传奇

    复活重生之凤珑女传奇

    上一世,她身为凤家嫡长女,又深得北凉国皇太后喜爱,被北凉国皇帝封为“圣贤公主”,但她深深爱着北凉国五皇子,帮助他夺着皇位,而自己也当上了皇后,可到最后,自己所爱的和爱自己的人一一都被自己同父异母的妹妹杀害,自己也遭到他的背叛,与自己妹妹勾搭在一起,而自己最后才明白他并不是真正爱自己,而却从头到尾都只是利用凤家在朝中的势力,利用她能开启凤家富可敌别国的财富。但她死也不甘心,为什么,为什么?他要这样对待自己,她不服,不服她对他爱着那么深,到头来却是竹篮打水一场空。幸得上天眷顾,让她复活重生,有机会报复这对渣男烂女……
  • 妃不侍寝

    妃不侍寝

    她生来丑陋,自小被囚,一道神秘圣旨将她选召入宫,天子视她为掌心至宝,半年宠幸,寸步不离。可一个变脸,他又逼她下嫁北域,听闻那北域邪王,饮血为生、杀戮成性,不能人道。喜堂之上,诡异得悚人,头顶悬着白绫,眼前摆着棺木,新婚夫君从黑暗中而来,抱起她就扔入棺木,要将她生生活埋。索性她一个手快点了他的穴,正要逃,却被他从后揽住,魔鬼的气息犹若触手勒紧她的脖子。新婚一个月,她被诊有孕三个月,淫妇恶名冠上头,他却悠悠笑着,啄了口茶:“孤王准你生下他,反正这王府也需要香火。”她要逃——可她逃去天涯,他就追到海角。
  • 传教士的文化之旅

    传教士的文化之旅

    星云历四千五百七十三年,一个灵魂意外降入星辰界,他很迷茫也怀揣希望,在不可视丝线编织成的迷宫中竭力找寻着终点的方向。纵然会遇见新的迷宫、纵然将走到生命的尽头,他都要去看一看,看看有没有机会给织迷宫的家伙来上一次背刺。不信鬼魂不信神,修真觅道求长生。......慢热,前期糟糕,要素过多,以及除了换了一个第三人称外对全书毫无影响的变身顺带单身。
  • 紫皇炼度玄科

    紫皇炼度玄科

    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。
  • 般若波罗蜜多心经注解

    般若波罗蜜多心经注解

    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。
  • 锐读(第7期·悬疑新主张)

    锐读(第7期·悬疑新主张)

    《惊奇档案》专栏编辑,觅骨寻踪,亲历惊奇与惊险,探寻神秘的不可思议,用科学的态度解读怪谈与诡闻。
  • 30岁前要知道108个江湖阅历

    30岁前要知道108个江湖阅历

    无论是生意场、官场、职场、情场,还是社交场,都存在江湖。有江湖就有争斗,就有陷阱。尤其是20几岁的年轻人。他们阅历浅,难免会走一些弯路、碰一些钉子、上一些当;也难免在残酷的竞争中吃亏,又或者因为不懂某些规矩而得罪人、办错事。而《30岁前要知道的108个江湖阅历》,就是让那些“愣头青”们能在较短的时间内,拥有那些对人生很关键的江湖阅历,从而少走弯路,少中圈套,少碰墙壁,在工作和生活中顺风顺水、步步登高。
  • 引发青少年奇思妙想的创新故事(青少年潜能开发训练营)

    引发青少年奇思妙想的创新故事(青少年潜能开发训练营)

    没有莱克兄弟的飞翔之梦,人类怎能翱翔于天际?没有哥伦布的远洋航行,怎会有新大陆的发现?没有阿姆斯特朗在月球上跨出的一小步,怎么会有人类在浩淼太空中需找生命的一大步?世界日新月异的变化,是各行各业的人们不断创新进取的成果。本书用一个个生动的小故事告诉大家,什么是创新,如何创新,为了创新我们需要具备哪些素质,来教育读者要善于在生活中发散思维,勤于动脑,勇于创新。
  • 古玩指南

    古玩指南

    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。