第 25 节
作者:南方网      更新:2021-02-19 19:55      字数:9194
  again     became     perceptible。     He   was    not   in  spirits;  however;      he
  praised their house; admired its prospect; was attentive; and kind;
  but still he was not in spirits。 The whole family perceived it;   and
  Mrs。   Dashwood;   attributing   it   to   some   want   of   liberality   in      his
  mother; sat down to table indignant against all selfish parents。
  “What   are   Mrs。   Ferrars’s   views   for   you   at   present;   Edward?”
  said   she;   when   dinner   was   over   and   they   had   drawn   round   the
  fire; “are you still to be a great orator in spite of yourself?”
  “No。 I hope my mother is now  convinced   that  I   have   no more
  talents than inclination for a public life!”
  “But how is your fame to be established? for famous you must
  be to satisfy all your  family;   and   with no  inclination   for  expense;
  no   affection   for   strangers;   no   profession;   and   no   assurance;   you
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  may find it a difficult matter。”
  “I shall not attempt it。 I have no wish to be distinguished; and
  have every reason to hope I never shall。 Thank Heaven! I cannot
  be forced into genius and eloquence。”
  “You    have    no   ambition;    I  well  know。     Your   wishes    are   all
  moderate。”
  “As moderate as those of the rest of the world; I believe。 I wish
  as   well   as   every   body   else   to   be   perfectly   happy;   but;   like   every
  body else it must be in my own way。 Greatness will not make me
  so。”
  “Strange that it would!” cried Marianne。 “What have wealth or
  grandeur to do with happiness?”
  “Grandeur has but little;” said Elinor; “but wealth has much to
  do with it。”
  “Elinor;    for  shame!”     said   Marianne;     “money     can   only   give
  happiness      where     there   is  nothing    else   to  give   it。  Beyond    a
  competence; it can afford no real satisfaction; as far as mere self is
  concerned。”
  “Perhaps;”   said     Elinor;   smiling;   “we   may   come   to   the   same
  point。 Your competence and my wealth are very much alike; I dare
  say; and without them; as the world goes now; we shall both agree
  that  every  kind   of  external   comfort  must  be   wanting。   Your  ideas
  are only more noble than mine。 Come; what is your competence?”
  “About   eighteen   hundred   or   two   thousand   a   year;   not   more
  than that。”
  Elinor   laughed。   “Two   thousand        a  year!  One   is  my   wealth!    I
  guessed how it would end。”
  “And yet two thousand a…year is a very moderate income;” said
  Marianne。 “A family cannot well be maintained on a smaller。 I am
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  sure I am not extravagant in my demands。 A proper establishment
  of   servants;    a  carriage;   perhaps     two;   and   hunters;    cannot    be
  supported on less。”
  Elinor smiled again; to hear her sister describing so accurately
  their future expenses at Combe Magna。
  “Hunters!”       repeated     Edward—“but         why     must    you    have
  hunters? Every body does not hunt。”
  Marianne coloured as she replied; “But most people do。”
  “I  wish;”   said   Margaret;    striking   out   a  novel   thought;    “that
  somebody would give us all a large fortune apiece!”
  “Oh that they would!” cried Marianne; her eyes sparkling with
  animation;      and   her   cheeks    glowing     with   the   delight   of  such
  imaginary happiness。
  “We are all unanimous in that wish; I suppose;” said Elinor; “in
  spite of the insufficiency of wealth。”
  “Oh dear!” cried Margaret; “how happy I should be! I   wonder
  what I should do with it!”
  Marianne looked as if she had no doubt on that point。
  “I should be puzzled   to  spend  so  large   a   fortune myself;” said
  Mrs。   Dashwood;   “if   my   children   were   all   to   be   rich   without   my
  help。”
  “You must begin your improvements on this house;” observed
  Elinor; “and your difficulties will soon vanish。”
  “What     magnificent     orders    would    travel   from   this  family    to
  London;” said Edward; “in such  an   event!  What  a   happy  day  for
  booksellers; music…sellers; and print…shops!  You;   Miss  Dashwood;
  would give a general commission for every new print of merit to be
  sent you—and as for Marianne; I know her greatness of soul; there
  would     not   be   music    enough    in   London     to  content    her。   And
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  books!—Thomson;   Cowper;   Scott—she   would   buy   them   all   over
  and over again; she would buy up every copy; I believe; to prevent
  their falling into unworthy hands; and she would have every book
  that tells her how to admire an   old   twisted   tree。   Should   not  you;
  Marianne?   Forgive   me;   if   I   am   very   saucy。   But   I   was   willing   to
  shew you that I had not forgot our old disputes。”
  “I   love  to  be   reminded      of  the  past;   Edward—whether          it  be
  melancholy or gay; I love to recall it—and you will never offend me
  by  talking  of  former   times。   You   are   very   right   in   supposing   how
  my   money   would   be   spent—some   of   it;   at   least—my   loose   cash
  would certainly be employed in improving my collection of music
  and books。”
  “And the bulk of your fortune would be laid out in annuities on
  the authors or their heirs。”
  “No; Edward; I should have something else to do with it。”
  “Perhaps; then; you would bestow it as a reward on that person
  who wrote the ablest defence of your favourite maxim; that no one
  can ever be in love more than once in their life—your opinion on
  that point is unchanged; I presume?”
  “Undoubtedly。 At my time of life opinions are tolerably fixed。 It
  is   not   likely   that   I   should   now   see   or   hear   any   thing   to   change
  them。”
  “Marianne is as stedfast as   ever;   you  see;”   said   Elinor;   “she  is
  not at all altered。”
  “She is only grown a little more grave than she was。”
  “Nay;   Edward;”   said      Marianne;   “you      need   not   reproach   me。
  You are not very gay yourself。”
  “Why should you think so!” replied he; with a sigh。 “But gaiety
  never was a part of my character。”
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  “Nor do I think it a part of Marianne’s;” said Elinor; “I should
  hardly call her a lively girl—she is very earnest; very eager in all
  she     does—sometimes           talks   a   great    deal    and    always     with
  animation—but she is not often really merry。”
  “I believe you are right;” he replied; “and yet I have always set
  her down as a lively girl。”
  “I   have   frequently   detected   myself   in   such   kind   of   mistakes;”
  said Elinor; “in a total misapprehension of character in some point
  or other: fancying people so much more gay or grave; or ingenious
  or stupid than they really are; and I can hardly tell why or in what
  the   deception   originated。   Sometimes   one   is   guided   by   what   they
  say of themselves; and very frequently by what other people say of
  them; without giving oneself time to deliberate and judge。”
  “But    I  thought    it  was   right;   Elinor;”   said   Marianne;     “to   be
  guided      wholly    by  the   opinion     of  other   people。    I  thought     our
  judgments       were    given   us  merely   to   be   subservient     to  those   of
  neighbours。 This has always been your doctrine; I am sure。”
  “No;    Marianne;      never。   My    doctrine    has   never    aimed    at  the
  subjection      of  the  understanding。       All   I  have   ever   attempted     to
  influence      has   been   the   behaviour。    You    must   not   confound      my
  meaning。 I am guilty; I confess; of having often wished you to treat
  our acquaintance in general with greater attention; but when have
  I   advised   you   to   adopt   their   sentiments   or   to   conform     to   their
  judgment in serious matters?”
  “You have not been able to bring your sister over to your plan
  of   general     civility;”  said   Edward      to  Elinor