登陆注册
5429600000182

第182章

MR SLOPE'S PARTING INTERVIEW WITH THE SIGNORAOn the following day the signora was in her pride. She was dressed in her brightest of morning dresses, and had quite a levee round her couch. It was a beautifully bright October afternoon; all the gentlemen of the neighbourhood were in Barchester, and those who had the entry of Dr Stanhope's house were in the signora's back drawing-room. Charlotte and Mrs Stanhope were in the front room, and such of the lady's squires as could not for the moment get near the centre of attraction had to waste their fragrance on the mother and sister.

The first who came and the last to leave was Mr Arabin. This was the second visit he had paid to Madame Neroni since he had met her at Ullathorne. He came he knew not why, to talk about he knew not what. But, in truth, the feelings which now troubled him were new to him, and he could not analyse them. It may seem strange that he should thus come dangling about Madame Neroni because he was in love with Mrs Bold; but it was nevertheless the fact; and though he could not understand why he did so, Madame Neroni understood it well enough.

She had been gentle and kind to him, and had encouraged his staying. Therefore he stayed on. She pressed his hand when he first greeted her; and whispered to him little nothings. And then her eye, brilliant and bright, now mirthful, now melancholy, and invincible in either way! What man with warm feelings, blood unchilled, and a heat not guarded by a triple steel of experience could have withstood those eyes! The lady, it is true, intended to do no mortal injury; she merely chose to inhale a slight breath of incense before she handed the casket over to another. Whether Mrs Bold would willingly have spared even so much is another question.

And then came Mr Slope. All the world now knew that Mr Slope was a candidate for the deanery, and that he was generally considered to be the favourite. Mr Slope, therefore, walked rather largely upon the earth. He gave to himself a portly air, such as might become a dean, spoke but little to other clergymen, and shunned the bishop as much as possible. How the meagre little prebendary, and the burly chancellor, and all the minor canons and vicars choral, ay, and all the choristers too, cowered and shook and walked about with long faces when they read or heard of that article of the Jupiter.

Now were coming the days when nothing would avail to keep the impure spirit from the cathedral pulpit. That pulpit would indeed be his own. Precentors, vicars, and choristers might hang up their harps on the willows. Ichabod! Ichabod! The glory of their house was departing from them.

Mr Slope, great as he was with embryo grandeur, still came to see the signora. Indeed, he could not keep himself away. He dreamed of that soft hand which had kissed so often, and of the imperial brow which his lips had once pressed, and he then dreamed also of further favours.

And Mr Thorne was there also. It was the first visit he had ever paid to the signora, and he made it not without due preparation. Mr Thorne was a gentleman usually precise in his dress, and prone to make the most of himself in an unpretending way. The grey hairs in his whiskers were eliminated perhaps once a month; those on his head were softened by a mixture which we will not call a dye; it was only a wash. His tailor lived in St James's Street, and his bootmaker at the corner of that street and Piccadilly. He was particular in the article of gloves, and the getting up of his shirts was a matter not lightly thought of in the Ullathorne laundry. On the occasion of the present visit he had rather overdone his usual efforts, and caused some little uneasiness to his sister, who had not hitherto received very cordially the proposition for a lengthened visit from the signora at Ullathorne.

There were others also there--young men about the city who had not much to do, and who were induced by the lady's charms to neglect that little; but all gave way to Mr Thorne, who was somewhat of a grand signor, as a country gentleman always is in a provincial city.

'Oh, Mr Thorne, this is so kind of you!' said the signora. 'You promised to come; but I really did not expect it. I thought you country gentlemen never kept your pledges.'

'Oh, yea, sometimes,' said Mr Thorne, looking rather sheepish, and making salutations a little too much in the style of the last century.

'You deceive none but your consti-stit-stit; what do you call the people that carry you about in chairs and pelt you with eggs and apples when they make you a member of parliament?'

'One another also, sometimes, signora,' said Mr Slope, with a deanish sort of smirk on his face. 'Country gentlemen do deceive one another sometimes, don't they, Mr Thorne?'

Mr Thorne gave him a look which undressed him completely for the moment; but he soon remembered his high hopes, and recovering himself quickly, sustained his probable coming dignity by a laugh at Mr Thorne's expense.

'I never deceive a lady, at any rate,' said Mr Thorne; 'especially when the gratification of my own wishes is so strong an inducement to keep me true, as it now is.'

Mr Thorne went on thus awhile, with antediluvian grimaces and compliments which he had picked up from Sir Charles Grandison, and the signora at every grimace and at every bow smiled a little smile and bowed a little bow. Mr Thorne, however, was kept standing at the foot of the couch, for the new dean sat in the seat of honour near the table. Mr Arabin the while was standing with his back to the fire, his coat tails under his arms, gazing at her with all his eyes--not quite in vain, for every now and again a glance came up at him, bright as a meteor out of heaven.

'Oh, Mr Thorne, you promised to let me introduce my little girl to you. Can you spare a moment?--will you see her now?'

同类推荐
  • 洞神三皇七十二君斋方忏仪

    洞神三皇七十二君斋方忏仪

    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。
  • Tanglewood Tales

    Tanglewood Tales

    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。
  • 太上老君经律

    太上老君经律

    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。
  • 大方广三戒经

    大方广三戒经

    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。
  • The Man From Glengarry

    The Man From Glengarry

    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
  • 元曲三百首

    元曲三百首

    《古典诗词精品丛书·元曲三百首》收录了三百首元曲精品诗词供文学爱好者赏析。中国古典文学发展到元代出现了又一座丰碑,这就是我们常说的“元曲”。清末王国维在《宋元戏曲考序》中说:“凡一代有一代之文学:楚之骚,汉之赋,六代之骈语,唐之诗,宋之词,元之曲,皆所谓一代之文学,而后世莫能继焉者也。”这就充分肯定了元散曲在诗歌史上的地位。
  • 妖先生,请和我谈恋爱

    妖先生,请和我谈恋爱

    父亲被人陷害入狱,母亲给出承诺却一去不回。只能选择卖掉自己,换回父亲的自由。她以为是生命的终止,但却是幸福的开始。遇见了神话里才会有的妖。妖,也很可爱。“先生,是妖,我也爱。”
  • 或许再见

    或许再见

    二十三岁的徐布凡,在机场偶遇三年未见的曲嘉树,还有他心机重重的现任女友周语桐。原本以为这只是回国假期的一个短暂插曲,谁料从这以后,布凡不得不正视一个疼痛的事实。三年里,她从未忘记过他。无论布凡此后身边有多少男子近近远远,她在失去嘉树的那一刻,也注定丧失了再次爱上别人的能力。她和他的过去,魂牵梦绕的一直折磨着她。嘉树和语桐的婚礼将至,面对命运赐给她的一个机会,布凡必须做出选择。她好想问嘉树,如果重新来过,你还会不会再爱上我?
  • 隐秘主

    隐秘主

    2148年,从小失去父母,跟随姑姑长大的程潜,因为一次意外脑死亡,在寻求救治机会中,凭借植入一枚名叫“隐秘主”的生物芯片获得重生,没想到这枚芯片并不普通......生物芯片时代下的《哈利波特》隐秘主总群:907904446欢迎讨论、发帖分享读后感??
  • 富爸爸家训大全集(超值金版)

    富爸爸家训大全集(超值金版)

    本书上篇以上述研究为基础,针对我国家庭理财教育的现实,系统地借鉴和参考了西方发达国家理财教育理论和方法体系,相信会给读者带来有益的启发。本书的下篇主要讲述了如何从小培养孩子的领导力。在改革开放30多年后的今天,“富二代”接班的话题正在社会上讨论的如火如茶。其实,从小培养孩子的领导力不仅仅关系到家族企业领导人的传承问题,也关系到全社会年轻一代培养的问题,因为无论什么样的组织和团体,都越来越需要强有力的领导人物。上至国家、企业,下至社团、部门,都是如此。
  • 天才召唤师:冷妃戏邪帝

    天才召唤师:冷妃戏邪帝

    某女咬牙切齿:“你够了没有,不就是阴了你一回吗,你需要追着我不放吗?”某妖孽笑的很无良:“娘子,莫非觉得我该主动点?不要跟为夫闹了,捉迷藏玩够了,咱们回家吧。”某女嘴角抽搐。......某只妖孽睁着一双潋滟的紫眸,好奇的问:“娘子,为何不喜欢我?”某女勾唇浅笑:“你长的太抽象了。”某妖孽腹黑一笑:“娘子,你长的也很抽象,我们天生一对,很是相配。”某女万分无语……
  • 荷花深处

    荷花深处

    谁是幕后主谋?谁策划了惨案?谁是武功天下第一?谁得了天下第一剑?谁是亲生父母?谁最终掌握了皇权?究竟是兄妹之情,还是有夫妻之缘?阅尽了爱恨情仇悲欢离合,终知道荷花深处别有洞天。
  • 纵妻无度:双世宠夫

    纵妻无度:双世宠夫

    “什么!让我回去相亲?”高中还没有毕业的唐宝宝在自家哥哥嘴里听到这样劲爆的消息有点受不了,好吧,既然是家里的命令,那就勉强去吧,但是能不能看上对方就是另外一码事了。相亲现成:什么鬼?相亲的人呢?为什么来了一个中年发福油腻大叔?好吧好吧,病了来不了了,那就回去吧,可是!为什么她一回去就看见自家男朋友和某富家女勾搭一起了?为了钱?难道她堂堂唐家掌上明珠没有那暴发户有钱?等等,自己只是飙了个车,为什么会穿越?好吧既来之则安之。停停停,这个面瘫的男人是谁?怎么感觉有点眼熟?丫鬟:“公子,你瞧见长得俊俏的男子都觉得眼熟。”
  • 妖孽王爷极品妃

    妖孽王爷极品妃

    (全文已完,放心收藏)她,本是二十一世纪师父门下最宝贝的徒弟,天生一身灵力,世所罕见。一朝穿越,居然变成了名不见经传的废柴?被欺负、被抛弃?天下笑谈!从来只有她欺负别人的份,何时轮到别人欺负她。她会让世人看到,什么是废柴的崛起,天才的陨落。本是无心无情的她,无意中惹上一个邪肆妖孽,自此,甩也甩不掉,逃也逃不掉。他邪魅一笑,“宠一生,爱一世,一生一世一双人,不想要也得要!”当妖孽遇上腹黑,冷酷对上无情,是谁应了谁的劫,而谁又变成了谁的执念。
  • 夫来孕转

    夫来孕转

    被渣男背叛,盗用劳动成果,迟安安为了养活自己,什么都干。遇上沈初寒的那一天,他抛出橄榄枝:“做我的人,干不干?”迟安安微笑点头:“干!”某人欺身压上来,眸色深幽,迟安安退到角落,“你……你干什么?”沈初寒勾起唇角,笑得无辜又狡诈,“……你。”多年后,再次相遇。他将她拥入怀中,越缠越紧,“迟安安,想散伙可以,把我送你的定情信物还给我。”迟安安莫名其妙:“你什么时候送过我定情信物了?”沈初寒在她耳边吐气如丝,“多年前,我把我祖传的一条染色体送你了,你敢说没这回事?”