登陆注册
5429600000191

第191章

And he, though he knew little of women, even he knew that he was loved. He had only to ask and it would be all his own, that inexpressible loveliness, those ever speaking but yet now mute eyes, that feminine brightness and eager loving spirit which had so attracted him since first he had encountered it at St Ewold's. It might, must all be his own now. On no other supposition was it possible that she should allow her hand to remain thus clasped within his own. He had only to ask. Ah! but that was the difficulty. Did a minute suffice for all this? Nay, perhaps it might be more than a minute.

'Mrs Bold--' at last he said, and then stopped himself.

If he could not speak, how was she to do so? He had called her by her name, the same name that any merest stranger would have used!

She withdrew her hand from his, and moved as though to return to her seat. 'Eleanor!' he then said, in his softest tone, as though the courage were still afraid of giving offence, by the freedom which he took. She looked slowly, gently, almost piteously up into his face. There was at any rate no anger there to deter him.

'Eleanor!' he again exclaimed; and in a moment he had her clasped to his bosom. How this was done, whether the doing was with him, or her, whether she had flown thither conquered by the tenderness of his voice, or he with a violence not likely to give offence had drawn her to his breast, neither of them knew; nor can I declare.

There was now that sympathy between them which hardly admitted of individual motion. They were one and the same,--one flesh,--one spirit,--one life.

'Eleanor, my own Eleanor, my own, my wife!' She ventured to look at him through her tears, and he, bowing his face down over hers, pressed his lips upon her brow; his virgin lips, which since a beard first grew upon his chin, had never yet tasted the luxury of a woman's cheek.

She had been told that her yea must be yea, or her nay, nay; but she was called on for neither the one nor the other. She told Miss Thorne that she was engaged to Mr Arabin, but no such words had passed between them, no promises had been asked or given.

'Oh, let me go,' said she; 'let me go now. I am too happy to remain,--let me go, that I may be alone.' He did not try to hinder her; he did not repeat his kiss; he did not press another on her lips. He might have done so, had he been so minded. She was now all his own. He took his arm from round her waist, his arm that was trembling with a new delight, and let her go. She fled like a roe to her own chamber, and then, having turned the bolt, she enjoyed the full luxury of her love. She idolised, almost worshipped this man who had so meekly begged her pardon. And he was now her own.

Oh, how she wept and cried and laughed, as the hopes and fears and miseries of the last few weeks passed in remembrance through her mind.

Mr Slope! That any one should have dared to think that she who had been chosen by him could possibly have mated herself with Mr Slope!

That they should have dared to tell him, also, and subject her bright happiness to such a needless risk! And then she smiled with joy as she thought of all the comforts that she could give him; not that he cared for comforts, but that it would be so delicious for her to give.

She got up and rang for her maid that she might tell her little boy of his new father; and in her own way she did tell him. She desired her maid to leave her, in order that she might be alone with her child; and there, while he lay sprawling on the bed, she poured forth the praises, so unmeaning to him, of the man she had selected to guard his infancy.

She could not be happy, however, till she had made Mr Arabin take the child to himself, and thus, as it were, adopt him as his own.

The moment the idea struck her she took the baby in her arms, and, opening her door, ran quickly down to the drawing-room. She at once found, by the step still pacing on the floor, that he was there;and a glance within the room told her that he was alone. She hesitated a moment, and then hurried in with her precious charge.

Mr Arabin met her in the middle of the room. 'There,' said she, breathless with her haste; 'there, take him--take him and love him.'

Mr Arabin took the little fellow from her, and kissing him again and again, prayed God to bless him. 'He shall be all as my own--all as my own,' said he. Eleanor, as she stooped to take back her child, kissed the hand that held him, and then rushed back with her treasure to her chamber.

It was then that Mr Harding's younger daughter was won for the second time. At dinner neither she nor Mr Arabin were very bright, but their silence occasioned no remark. In the drawing-room, as we have before said, she told Miss Thorne what had occurred. The next morning she returned to Barchester, and Mr Arabin went over with his budget of news to the archdeacon. As Dr Grantly was not there, he could only satisfy himself by telling Mrs Grantly how that he intended himself the honour of becoming her brother-in-law. In the ecstasy of her joy at hearing such tidings, Mrs Grantly vouchsafed him a warmer welcome than any he had yet received from Eleanor.

'Good heavens!' she exclaimed--it was the general exclamation of the rectory. 'Poor Eleanor! Dear Eleanor. What monstrous injustice has been done her!--Well, it shall all be made up now.' And then she thought of the signora. 'What lies people tell,' she said to herself.

But people in this matter had told no lies at all.

同类推荐
  • 续补永平志

    续补永平志

    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。
  • 新传奇品

    新传奇品

    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。
  • 苑里志

    苑里志

    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。
  • 劝读十则

    劝读十则

    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。
  • 闽海纪略

    闽海纪略

    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
  • 旋风少女之一心一意

    旋风少女之一心一意

    他是她眼中认真努力的若白师兄,而她是他心里无法放下的爱人戚百草,如今风风雨雨都过去了,而幸福,就在眼前…
  • 重生腹黑娇妻

    重生腹黑娇妻

    《福气包带着空间重生了》已发布,请新老书友支持。白晓重生回到一九八五年自己十八岁高考放榜时,奶奶和小叔害怕她脱离他们的掌控,不惜藏起了录取通知书,这一次谁也休想阻碍她上大学的梦想,朴实的哥哥,出嫁的姐姐护她上一世,这辈子她来守护他们陈世美的渣爹,继母继妹都靠边站吧,咱不认识你们。…………已有百万完结文,坑品保证,欢迎新老书友的收藏推荐支持。
  • 绝色至尊灵枢篇

    绝色至尊灵枢篇

    一朝穿越,她成了大陆上臭名昭彰的蛇蝎美人,世人唾弃,人人喊杀。某天误闯禁地,招惹了一位万万人之上的妖孽邪王,从此……被他罩着上天入地,呼风唤雨!
  • An Open-Eyed Conspiracy

    An Open-Eyed Conspiracy

    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。
  • 暴君狂野

    暴君狂野

    出嫁那日,我是人人羡慕的新嫁娘,而就在这一幸福时刻,我的天空,没了晴天......
  • 非理性时代

    非理性时代

    露水很重。刘逸整夜都把脸埋在膝间,头发还是湿了。她没睡袋也没帐篷,完全无备而来。夜间她几次醒来,在极度困倦中强烈懊悔。本可以舒服地躺在宿舍床上,现在却在荒郊野外噩梦连连,漫漫长夜被纠缠不清的如丝梦线切成碎片。刺耳的喇叭声强行侵入梦中,召集人在催人集结。刘逸不想睁眼。扛了一宿却没参加行动,说来觉得滑稽,但她就想这样迷糊到中午。喇叭的催促越发焦急,语气里已略带责备,刘逸不能再睡,旁边的许悦也在推她。她们远离中心,其他人早就起来了,不乏女性身影。
  • 选择重于一切:扎克伯格给年轻人的37个人生忠告

    选择重于一切:扎克伯格给年轻人的37个人生忠告

    人们常常认为,那些很难做出改变的人,是出于懒惰和抗拒心理。恰恰相反,心理学家却认为,这些人看上去懒散,是因为他们已经耗尽了自己的精力。他们在无休止的分析中耗尽力量,以至于无力向前。事实上,一个清晰的目标就足以解救他们,使他们走出困境。
  • 环城术士

    环城术士

    逃离现实的沈言,闯进了一个瑰丽的奇幻世界。
  • 灵生一契

    灵生一契

    天地初分,混沌一气生出原始五神族和一些先天妖异,后而有人和万物,神族将神力的运用教于一些有天赋的人,是曰“灵能”,一些“灵能”能够自行生成力量,便成为“灵契”。时光飞逝,已到现代的人间依旧是不断有灵能和灵契存在的现象,在神族无故消失后,人族即将面临大灾变,这时的灵能者和灵契师又该何去何从……
  • 灵能之眼

    灵能之眼

    阮曦再不能见鬼的第三年,第一部全息恐怖游戏上线了,专以见鬼为第一要义。恰好,她的副业是个恐怖游戏主播,超凶的那种。------------------------------------------------------------男主超晚出场!女主是个沙雕。游戏世界并不是很恐怖(尤其是第一个新手世界)(虽然我连新手世界都还没写完)。脑洞来源于对全息恐怖游戏的向往。ORT会努力更新的。