登陆注册
5429600000142

第142章

The next comer was Mr Arabin, who was immediately informed of Mrs Clantantram's misfortune, and of her determination to pay neither master nor post-boy; although, as she remarked, she intended to get her lift home before she made known her mind upon that matter. Then a good deal of rustling was heard in the sort of lobby that was used for the ladies' outside cloaks; and the door having been thrown wide open, the servant announced, not in the most confident of voices, Mrs Lookaloft, and the Miss Lookalofts, and Mr Augustus Lookaloft.

Poor man!--we mean the footman. He knew, none better, that Mrs Lookaloft had no business there, that she was not wanted there, and would not be welcome. But he had not the courage to tell a stout lady with a low dress, short sleeves, and satin at eight shillings a yard, that she had come to the wrong tent; he had not dared to hint to young ladies with white dancing shoes and long gloves, that there was a place ready for them in the paddock. And thus Mrs Lookaloft carried her point, broke through the guards, and made her way into the citadel. That she would have to pass an uncomfortable time there, she had surmised before. But nothing now could rob her of the power of boasting that she had consorted on the lawn with the squire and Miss Thorne, with a countess, a bishop, and the country grandees, while Mrs Greenacres and such like were walking about with the ploughboys in the park. It was a great point gained by Mrs Lookaloft, and it might be fairly expected that from this time forward the tradesmen of Barchester would, with undoubting pens, address her husband and T. Lookaloft, Esquire.

Mrs Lookaloft's pluck carried her through everything, and she walked triumphant into the Ullathorne drawing-room; but her children did feel a little abashed at the sort of reception they met with. It was not in Miss Thorne's heart to insult her own guests; but neither was it in her disposition to overlook such effrontery.

'Oh, Mrs Lookaloft, is this you,' said she; 'and your daughters and son? Well, we're very glad to see you; but I'm sorry you've come in such low dresses, as we are all going out of doors. Could we lend you anything?'

'Oh dear no! thank ye, Miss Thorne,' said the mother; 'the girls and myself are quite used to low dresses, when we're out.'

'Are you, indeed?' said Miss Thorne shuddering; but the shudder was not lost on Mrs Lookaloft.

'And where's Lookaloft,' said the master of the house, coming up to welcome his tenant's wife. Let the faults of the family be what they would, he could not but remember that their rent was well paid; he was therefore not willing to give them a cold shoulder.

'Such a headache, Mr Thorne!' said Mrs Lookaloft. 'In fact he couldn't stir, or you may be certain on such a day he would not have absented himself.'

'Dear me,' said Miss Thorne. 'If he is so ill, I sure you'd wish to be with him.'

'Not at all!' said Mrs Lookaloft. 'Not at all, Miss Thorne.

It is only bilious you know, and when he's that way he can bear nobody nigh him.'

The fact however was that Mr Lookaloft, having either more sense or less courage than his wife, had not chosen to intrude on Miss Thorne's drawing-room; and as he could not very well have gone among the plebeians while his wife was with the patricians, he thought it most expedient to remain at Rosebank.

Mrs Lookaloft soon found herself on a sofa, and the Miss Lookalofts on two chairs, while Mr Augustus stood near the door; and here they remained till in due time they were seated all four together at the bottom of the dining-room table.

Then the Grantlys came; the archdeacon and Mrs Grantly and the two girls, and Dr Gwynne and Mr Harding; and as ill luck would have it, they were closely followed by Dr Stanhope's carriage. As Eleanor looked out of the carriage window, she saw her brother-in-law helping the ladies out, and threw herself back into her seat, dreading to be discovered. She had had an odious journey. Mr Slope's civility had been more than ordinarily greasy; and now, though he had not in fact said anything which she could notice, she had for the first time entertained a suspicion that he was intending to make love to her. Was it after all true that she had been conducting herself in a way that justified the world in thinking that she liked the man? After all, could it be possible that the archdeacon and Mr Arabin were right, and that she was wrong? Charlotte Stanhope had also been watching Mr Slope, and had come to the conclusion that it behoved her brother to lose no further time, if he meant to gain the widow. She almost regretted that it had not been contrived that Bertie should be at Ullathorne before them.

Dr Grantly did not see his sister-in-law in company with Mr Slope, but Mr Arabin did. Mr Arabin came out with Mr Thorne to the front door to welcome Mrs Grantly, and he remained in the courtyard till all their party had passed on. Eleanor hung back in the carriage as long as she well could, but she was nearest to the door, and when Mr Slope, having alighted, offered her his hand, she had no alternative but to take it.

Mr Arabin standing at the open door, while Mrs Grantly was shaking hands with someone within, saw a clergyman alight from the carriage whom he at once knew to be Mr Slope, and then she saw this clergyman hand out Mrs Bold. Having seen so much, Mr Arabin, rather sick at heart, followed Mrs Grantly into the house.

Eleanor was, however, spared any further immediate degradation, for Dr Stanhope gave her his arm across the courtyard, and Mr Slope was fain to throw away his attention upon Charlotte.

同类推荐
  • 入大乘论

    入大乘论

    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。
  • King Henry IV Part 1

    King Henry IV Part 1

    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。
  • 滹南集

    滹南集

    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。
  • 五事毗婆沙论

    五事毗婆沙论

    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。
  • His Own People

    His Own People

    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
  • 虚空藏菩萨神咒经

    虚空藏菩萨神咒经

    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。
  • 九冥史

    九冥史

    年少不轻狂,何来少年一说,肉乃女儿身,心是男儿魂。我若是你的敌人,谁还会是你的友?“你愿为我出生入死吗?”“在所不辞!”“孩子,你天生命不好,都怨我”“那就让我来终结这一切吧!”
  • 月之侍

    月之侍

    冰雪寒霜洞中天;苦候只为盼君颜;约定期陨随君逝;一花一露一株仙。世间万象,孰人能料侠义者便无阴暗,青楼女子必是乱情?曾几何时,一众少年拜入太月,梁哨心说:“那一夜,身中巫毒,妹妹失散。”楚一航说:“那一天,遇到了神仙姐姐。”离人潇说:“只为杀了那个人……”而这个故事便是从一座名为“日落峰”山脚下的小村庄开始的……
  • 愿你25岁的人生同我一样精彩

    愿你25岁的人生同我一样精彩

    本书记录了作者从留学、创业、爱情、追梦到最后敢于面对生活一切苦难豁达潇洒的心路历程。从中也穿插了了一些澳洲风土人情的介绍,相信从中你也能对当地文化有个比较全面的认识。当你跨越欧亚大陆,来到陌生的异国他乡,才知道留学梦并不是五彩缤纷的。
  • 天网

    天网

    天网恢恢,疏而不漏。不管作案手法多么精致微妙,案情总有大白于天下的一天。布偶藏尸案,凶灵赎罪案,催眠杀人案,雨夜凶灵案。一个个看似无头悬案,在犯罪心理学专家杜军抽丝剥茧的分析之下,正义虽然迟到,但终究没有缺席。
  • 开国功贼5:快哉风

    开国功贼5:快哉风

    窦建德执意北伐博陵,程名振劝谏无果,只好努力保全窦家军的后路。在与柴绍的战斗中,不幸暴露了自己的全部实力。窦建德兵败归来,愈发觉得程名振对自己是个威胁,同时又看上了平恩三县的膏腴之地。便摆下鸿门宴准备捉拿他。靠着旧相识蒋百龄的帮助,程名振连夜逃走,并趁机救下了被窦建德囚禁的好朋友王伏宝。
  • 销售礼仪的塑造

    销售礼仪的塑造

    销售人员的个人修养,在销售过程中主要体现在销售礼仪的表现上。如何做一个高素质的销售人员,掌握好销售礼仪十分重要。本书就从多方面入手,全方位地介绍销售过程中需要注意的礼仪问题。让读者可以成为一个令人印象深刻的成功者。
  • 七国之乱

    七国之乱

    《七国之乱》主要内容分为七国之乱、吕后专权、文景之治等章节。七国之乱的产生也不是偶然的,它受汉朝初期的经济影响,可以说是汉高祖刘邦分封制度的缺憾,是吕后专政、文景帝改革的产物。而七国之乱的过程又是极其复杂的,同时在这个时期发生了许多沧桑分合的巨大历史变化,留下了无数令人扼腕叹息的故事。
  • 解脫紀行錄

    解脫紀行錄

    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。
  • 鬼神劫

    鬼神劫

    《鬼神劫》是一部具有高度艺术性和思想深度的作品。主人公谷子形象鲜明,其性格的形成和发展具有一定的艺术特色。王家堡村民主动造 “神”以镇“邪”,致使村子“一下变得平静,变得温和,变得路不拾遗”。这是处于畸形社会的农民向恶势力行斗争的高智慧表现,也是特定历史条件下一种斗争策略的创造,它与后来的“历史人物纪念馆”有着不可分割的内在精神联系。