登陆注册
5409500000019

第19章

She was faithful to her word;and when Willoughby called at the cottage,the same day,Elinor heard her express her disappointment to him in a low voice,on being obliged to forego the acceptance of his present.The reasons for this alteration were at the same time related,and they were such as to make further entreaty on his side impossible.His concern,however,was very apparent;and after expressing it with earnestness,he added in the same low voice-‘But,Marianne,the horse is still yours,though you cannot use it now.I shall keep it only till you can claim it.When you leave Barton to form your own establishment in a more lasting home,Queen Mab shall receive you.’

This was all overheard by Miss Dashwood;and in the whole of the sentence,in his manner of pronouncing it,and in his addressing her sister by her Christian name alone,she instantly saw an intimacy so decided,a meaning so direct,as marked a perfect agreement between them.From that moment she doubted not of their being engaged to each other;and the belief of it created no other surprise,than that she,or any of their friends,should be left by tempers so frank to discover it by accident.

Margaret related something to her the next day,which placed this matter in a still clearer light.Willoughby had spent the preceding evening with them,and Margaret,by being left some time in the parlour with only him and Marianne,had had opportunity for observations,which,with a most important face,she communicated to her eldest sister,when they were next by themselves.

‘Oh!Elinor,’she cried,‘I have such a secret to tell you about Marianne.I am sure she will be married to Mr Willoughby very soon.’

‘You have said so,’replied Elinor,‘almost every day since they first met on High-church Down;and they had not known each other a week,I believe,before you were certain that Marianne wore his picture round her neck;but it turned out to be only the miniature of our great-uncle.’

‘But indeed this is quite another thing.I am sure they will be married very soon,for he has got a lock of her hair.’

‘Take care,Margaret.It may be only the hair of some great-uncle of his.’

‘But,indeed,Elinor,it is Marianne's.I am almost sure it is,for I saw him cut it off.Last night after tea,when you and mama went out of the room,they were whispering and talking together as fast as could be,and he seemed to be begging something of her,and presently he took up her scissors and cut off a long lock of her hair,for it was all tumbled down her back;and he kissed it,and folded it up in a piece of white paper,and put it into his pocket-book.’

From such particulars,stated on such authority,Elinor could not withhold her credit:nor was she disposed to it,for the circumstance was in perfect unison with what she had heard and seen herself.

Margaret's sagacity was not always displayed in a way so satisfactory to her sister.When Mrs Jennings attacked her one evening at the Park,to give the name of the young man who was Elinor's particular favourite,which had been long a matter of great curiosity to her,Margaret answered by looking at her sister,and saying,‘I must not tell,may I,Elinor?’

This,of course,made everybody laugh;and Elinor tried to laugh too.But the effort was painful.She was convinced that Margaret had fixed on a person whose name she could not bear with composure to become a standing joke with Mrs Jennings.

Marianne felt for her most sincerely;but she did more harm than good to the cause,by turning very red,and saying,in an angry manner to Margaret,-

‘Remember,that whatever your conjectures may be,you have no right to repeat them.’

‘I never had any conjectures about it,’replied Margaret;‘it was you who told me of it yourself.’

This increased the mirth of the company,and Margaret was eagerly pressed to say something more.

‘Oh!pray,Miss Margaret,let us know all about it,’said Mrs Jennings.‘What is the gentleman's name?’

‘I must not tell,ma'am.But I know very well what it is;and I know where he is too.’

‘Yes,yes,we can guess where he is;at his own house at Norland,to be sure.He is the curate of the parish,I dare say.’

‘No,that he is not.He is of no profession at all.’

‘Margaret,’said Marianne,with great warmth,‘you know that all this is an invention of your own,and that there is no such person in existence.’

‘Well,then,he is lately dead,Marianne,for I am sure there was such a man once,and his name begins with an F.’

Most grateful did Elinor feel to Lady Middleton for observing at this moment,‘that it rained very hard’,though she believed the interruption to proceed less from any attention to her,than from her ladyship's great dislike of all such inelegant subjects of raillery as delighted her husband and mother.The idea,however,started by her,was immediately pursued by Colonel Brandon,who was on every occasion mindful of the feelings of others;and much was said on the subject of rain by both of them.Willoughby opened the pianoforte,and asked Marianne to sit down to it;and thus,amidst the various endeavours of different people to quit the topic,it fell to the ground.But not so easily did Elinor recover from the alarm into which it had thrown her.

A party was formed this evening for going on the following day to see a very fine place about twelve miles from Barton,belonging to a brother-in-law of Colonel Brandon,without whose interest it could not be seen,as the proprietor,who was then abroad,had left strict orders on that head.The grounds were declared to be highly beautiful,and Sir John,who was particularly warm in their praise,might be allowed to be a tolerable judge,for he had formed parties to visit them,at least,twice every summer for the last ten years.They contained a noble piece of water;a sail on which was to form a great part of the morning's amusement;cold provisions were to be taken,open carriages only to be employed,and everything conducted in the usual style of a complete party of pleasure.

同类推荐
  • Ulysses

    Ulysses

    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。
  • 玩转生活英语

    玩转生活英语

    本书是一本涵盖日常生活的英语口语书籍。全书信息量丰富,趣味性强,适合不同英语阶段的学习者使用。本书在内容编排上为了帮助读者巩固和提高英语能力,专门设计了“跟我练”栏目,保证能活学活用。
  • 当英语成为时尚:我与妈妈有个约会

    当英语成为时尚:我与妈妈有个约会

    有一种语言,无处不在,它被用来撰写了大多数对人类文明产生过影响的重要文献,它不仅成为全球沟通中被一致认可的明星品牌,更是当今社会深受追捧的时尚.它的名字叫英语。
  • Hollow Mountain (Part One) 空山(第一部)

    Hollow Mountain (Part One) 空山(第一部)

    《空山》描写了上个世纪50年代末期到90年代初,发生在一个叫机村的藏族村庄里的6个故事,主要人物有近三十个。《空山》由《随风飘散》和《天火》两部分组成,《随风飘散》写了私生子格拉与有些痴呆的母亲相依为命,受尽屈辱,最后含冤而死。《天火》写了在一场森林大火中,巫师多吉看到文革中周围世界发生的种种变化。
  • 那些年,那些诗(每天读一点英文)

    那些年,那些诗(每天读一点英文)

    《每天读一点英文:那些年,那些诗(诗歌卷)(英汉对照)》精选《乡愁》、《面朝大海,春暖花开》、《西风颂》、《一见钟情》等中外名诗,让你在诵读名句中,感受隽永的情谊!
热门推荐
  • 尸人难行

    尸人难行

    那一天,我在船上看见一位红衣女人向我招手……从此以后,我开始一步一步变成了一具行走的尸体。
  • 西藏岁月系列丛书·高原魂

    西藏岁月系列丛书·高原魂

    《西藏岁月系列丛书:高原魂》收入的是作者创作的诗词,共169首。第一部分是作者在西藏工作期间所创作的。作者讴歌以“老西藏”精神为代表的一大批具有高原精神的先进人物,做出超乎寻常的奉献,这就是高原魂。第二部分为大多是作者退休之后参加全国的书法活动而创作的。
  • 雄霸天下

    雄霸天下

    一个酷爱格斗游戏的宅男穿了,满怀希望,来到了兽族统治的世界。武力至上,有木有?美女很杀,有木有?哥咋就这么悲催呢,这不是逼俺这文明人发飙咩!!!邹神棍开始了他在阿蒙德兽神大陆的肆无忌惮的摧残之旅。规矩?木有规矩!原则?搞的就是原则!职业?啥职业都是浮云,哥玩的就是全能!不同的世界,一样的激情,一个小人物一步步雄霸天下的故事,骷髅的风格,感动,爆发,热血永存!
  • 精灵大师直播间

    精灵大师直播间

    不同以往的PM文,回归初心,以新角度看待世界!亚马逊森林的蛇中之王君主蛇、昆仑雪山的水晶之躯大岩蛇撒哈拉沙漠中地狱流沙大颚蚁、布兰肯万福洞穴超音叉字蝠夕阳黄金之塔法老之墓死神棺、加勒比海美人鱼之梦美纳斯我是精灵大师洛基,大家可以叫我洛爷,现在为大家直播徒手撕绿毛虫…(宠物小精灵又称:神奇宝贝、口袋妖怪、精灵宝可梦)(PS:已建Q群:585124491)
  • Sister Songs

    Sister Songs

    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。
  • 市委书记

    市委书记

    中巴车从马尾河桥面向北拐去,开始颠簸起来。一条县区之间的等级公路,怎么会颠簸呢?刘扬看了一眼小何,压低了声音问:“怎么回事?这路咋会不平呢?”不待小何回答,就近一位干部模样的中年人说:“新修的咋能平整呢?可惜了政府的钱啦!”小何刚要插嘴,司机提高嗓门大声说:“这个黑心的郑小桐咋不给枪决了呢?就是用钱糊,八千万也能把这点路铺到河阳去。”司机的话引起车上不少人的哄笑。刘扬静静听着,小何没敢吭声。
  • 人渣的打工日常

    人渣的打工日常

    本书又名《不务正业泡美男》时空管理局,顾名思义守护时空秩序的组织,敌对为首自然是那些穿越者重生者,还有趁机浑水摸鱼的修仙者,加上时空管理局的反叛员工,这些人组成了时空流寇,他们信奉我命由我不由天,而时空管理局则不允许时空中有任何意外发生。日月有常,星辰有行,。章欢作为时空管理局员工,手上经手任务无数,总会有些意外发生,这便是在她和朋友手上出错的丢脸记录。在失恋(误)和事业失败的双重打击下,章欢重拾旧业,成了一名普通的时空秩序员,可由于某些原因一直接不到任务,于是闲来无事的章欢只能蹭了朋友的任务,但没想到被时空流寇骚扰,一下子捅出了一个大篓子,既然情况危及,还是一逃了之为好。
  • 快穿:前方有坑,请绕行!

    快穿:前方有坑,请绕行!

    倾离是九天之上唯一的凤凰,也是最尊贵的存在,只因一着不慎,得罪了龙王之子,被贬去凡间维护世界,扮着各式各样的龙套。为了不崩人设,她不得不板起脸来装严肃,直到某一天,她遇到一个极品腹黑男,从那之后,剧情的发展便朝着她无法预知的方向一发不可收拾。苍天啊,谁来收了这货吧!扫雷:1、本文为IVI,男主从始至终一个人,HE2、猪脚将经历各种文:民国、穿越、重生、末世、娱乐圈、人妖等等(非排序)3、必须苏,必须甜,金手指必须有!4、小甜文,幽默风趣更新时间会在凌晨12点,中午12点左右与晚上8点左右哦,欢迎小天使们来访!(???)?
  • 王者荣耀之竞技梦

    王者荣耀之竞技梦

    一代王者的消逝,代表着另一个王者的诞生。金子蒙尘终归还是金子,只要擦去尘灰,它便会发出原有的光芒。当他不在迷茫,拨开心中的迷雾,王者便会归来!故事内容很多都是幻想出来的,各方面都不切实际,不可以真实对比。希望大家见谅
  • 婚后试爱

    婚后试爱

    “宋安然,我警告你,别让我再看到你动她一指头,否则我会让你生不如死,滚。”看着宋嘉美脸上的掌印,孟泽坤嗓音已经是阴沉万分。安然怔怔的捂着自己脸,被孟泽坤眼中的狠戾惊得忘了动作,呆呆的站在原地望着他,希望他可以告诉自己刚才那些话都是假的,可是,他却再也没有看她一眼,微暗的房间内只剩他轻声哄着怀中女人的柔声细语,那是她从来都没有听到过的温柔。看着这刺眼的一幕,她木然的转过身,踉……