第 40 节
作者:温暖寒冬      更新:2024-04-09 19:50      字数:9244
  right。 I’ll go to work; and do thee stay at home。”
  He   passed into  the   workshop   immediately;   followed by  Adam;
  while Lisbeth; automatically obeying her old habits; began to put
  away the breakfast things; as if she did not mean Dinah to take her
  place    any    longer。   Dinah    said   nothing;     but  presently     used    the
  opportunity of quietly joining the brothers in the workshop。
  They     had   already    got  on   their   aprons    and   paper    caps;   and
  Adam was standing with his left hand on Seth’s shoulder; while he
  pointed with the hammer in his right to some boards which they
  were   looking   at。   Their   backs   were   turned   towards   the   door   by
  which Dinah entered; and she came in so gently that they were not
  aware     of  her   presence     till  they  heard    her   voice   saying;    “Seth
  Bede!” Seth started; and they both turned round。 Dinah looked as
  if she did not see Adam; and fixed her eyes on Seth’s face; saying
  with   calm   kindness;   “I   won’t   say   farewell。   I   shall   see   you   again
  when you come   from   work。   So as   I’m   at  the   farm  before   dark; it
  will be quite soon enough。”
  “Thank you; Dinah; I should like   to  walk   home  with  you  once
  more。 It’ll perhaps be the last time。”
  There   was   a   little   tremor   in   Seth’s   voice。   Dinah   put   out   her
  hand and said; “You’ll have sweet peace in your mind to…day; Seth;
  for    your    tenderness       and    long…suffering      towards      your    aged
  mother。”
  She turned round and left the workshop as quickly and quietly
  as she had entered it。 Adam had been observing her closely all the
  while; but she had not looked at him。 As soon as she was gone; he
  said; “I don’t wonder at thee for loving her; Seth。 She’s got a face
  like a lily。”
  Seth’s    soul   rushed     to  his  eyes   and    lips:  he   had   never    yet
  George Eliot                                                        ElecBook Classics
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  confessed his secret to Adam; but now he felt a delicious sense of
  disburthenment; as he answered;
  “Aye; Addy; I do love her—too much; I doubt。 But  she   doesna
  love me; lad; only as one child o’ God loves another。 She’ll   never
  love any man as a husband—that’s my belief。”
  “Nay; lad; there’s no telling; thee mustna lose heart。 She’s made
  out o’ stuff  with  a   finer  grain  than most  o’   the   women; I   can   see
  that clear enough。 But if she’s better than they are in other things;
  I canna think she’ll fall short of ’em in loving。”
  No more was said。 Seth set out to the village; and Adam began
  his work on the coffin。
  “God   help   the   lad;   and   me   too;”   he   thought;   as   he   lifted   the
  board。   “We’re   like   enough   to   find   life   a  tough   job—hard       work
  inside and out。 It’s a strange thing to think of a man as can lift a
  chair   with   his   teeth   and   walk   fifty   mile   on   end;   trembling   and
  turning hot and cold at only a look from one woman out of all the
  rest i’ the world。 It’s a mystery we can give no account of; but no
  more we can of the sprouting o’ the seed; for that matter。”
  George Eliot                                                        ElecBook Classics
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  Chapter XII
  In the Wood
  hat same Thursday  morning; as Arthur  Donnithorne   was
  moving about in his dressing…room seeing his well…looking
  T
  British person reflected in the old…fashioned mirrors; and
  stared at; from a dingy olive…green piece of tapestry; by Pharaoh’s
  daughter and her maidens; who  ought  to  have  been   minding  the
  infant Moses; he was holding a discussion with himself; which; by
  the time his valet was tying the black silk sling over his shoulder;
  had issued in a distinct practical resolution。
  “I mean to go to Eagledale and fish for a week or  so;”   he   said
  aloud。 “I shall take you with me; Pym; and set off this morning; so
  be ready by half…past eleven。”
  The    low   whistle;  which   had   assisted   him   in  arriving   at  this
  resolution; here broke out into his loudest ringing  tenor;   and   the
  corridor; as he hurried along it; echoed to his favourite song from
  the Beggar’s Opera; “When the heart of a man is oppressed with
  care。” Not an heroic  strain; nevertheless   Arthur  felt  himself  very
  heroic as he strode towards the stables to give his orders about the
  horses。 His own approbation was necessary to him; and it was not
  an approbation to be enjoyed quite gratuitously; it must be won by
  a    fair  amount     of   merit。   He   had    never    yet   forfeited   that
  approbation; and he had considerable reliance on his own virtues。
  No   young   man   could   confess   his   faults   more   candidly;   candour
  was one of his favourite virtues; and how can a man’s candour be
  seen in all its lustre unless he has a few failings to talk of? But he
  George Eliot                                                    ElecBook Classics
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  had an agreeable confidence that his faults were all of a generous
  kind—impetuous;   warm…blooded;   leonine;   never   crawling;   crafty;
  reptilian。     It  was    not   possible     for  Arthur     Donnithorne        to   do
  anything mean; dastardly; or cruel。 “No! I’m a devil of a fellow for
  getting myself into a hobble; but I always take care the load shall
  fall   on   my    own    shoulders。”      Unhappily;       there   is  no    inherent
  poetical   justice   in   hobbles;   and   they   will   sometimes   obstinately
  refuse to inflict their worst consequences on the prime offender; in
  spite   of   his   loudly   expressed   wish。   It   was   entirely   owing   to   this
  deficiency  in   the   scheme   of   things   that  Arthur   had   ever   brought
  any one into trouble besides himself。 He was nothing if not good…
  natured; and all his pictures of  the  future;   when   he  should   come
  into the estate; were made up of a prosperous; contented tenantry;
  adoring   their   landlord;   who   would   be   the   model         of   an  English
  gentleman—mansion             in   first…rate   order;   all  elegance     and    high
  taste—jolly   housekeeping;   finest   stud   in   Loamshire—purse   open
  to all public objects—in short;   everything  as   different as   possible
  from what was now associated with the name of Donnithorne。 And
  one    of  the   first  good    actions   he   would     perform     in  that   future
  should be to increase Irwine’s income for the vicarage of Hayslope;
  so   that   he   might   keep   a   carriage   for   his   mother   and   sisters。   His
  hearty   affection   for   the   rector   dated   from   the   age   of   frocks   and
  trousers。 It was an affection partly filial; partly fraternal—fraternal
  enough   to   make   him   like   Irwine’s   company   better   than   that   of
  most younger men; and filial enough to make him shrink strongly
  from incurring Irwine’s disapprobation。
  You perceive that Arthur Donnithorne was “a good fellow”—all
  his college friends thought him such。 He couldn’t bear to see any
  one uncomfortable; he would have been sorry even in his angriest
  George Eliot                                                          ElecBook Classics
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  moods   for  any  harm   to   happen   to   his   grandfather;   and   his   Aunt
  Lydia   herself   had   the   benefit   of   that   soft…heartedness   which   he
  bore towards the whole sex。 Whether he would have self…mastery
  enough   to   be   always   as     harmless   and   purely   beneficent   as       his
  good…nature led him to desire; was a question that no one had yet
  decided against him; he was but twenty…one; you  remember; and
  we    don’t    inquire    too   closely   into   character     in   the   case   of  a
  handsome generous young fellow; who will have property enough
  to     support       numerous         peccadilloes—who;           if   he     should
  unfortunately break a man’s legs in his rash driving; will be able to
  pension      him    handsomely;       or   if  he  should     happen     to  spoil   a
  woman’s existence for her; will make it up to  her  with  expensive
  bon…bons;   packed   up   and   directed   by   his   own   hand。   It   would   be
  ridiculous to be prying and analytic in such cases;