第 56 节
作者:南方网      更新:2021-02-19 19:55      字数:9291
  with an affection for him so strong; still as strong as her own; and
  with   a   mind   tormented   by   self…reproach;   which   must   attend   her
  through   life。   Surely   this   comparison   must   have   its   use   with   her。
  She will feel her own sufferings to be nothing。 They proceed from
  no misconduct; and can bring no disgrace。 On the contrary; every
  friend   must   be   made   still   more   her   friend   by   them。   Concern   for
  her    unhappiness;        and   respect     for  her    fortitude    under     it;  must
  strengthen   every  attachment。   Use   your   own   discretion;   however;
  in   communicating   to   her   what   I   have   told   you。   You   must   know
  best what will be its effect; but  had   I  not  seriously;   and   from my
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  heart   believed   it   might   be   of   service;   might   lessen   her   regrets;   I
  would not have suffered myself to trouble you with this account of
  my family afflictions; with a recital which may seem to have been
  intended to raise myself at the expense of others。”
  Elinor’s thanks followed this speech with grateful earnestness;
  attended       too   with    the   assurance      of   her   expecting      material
  advantage       to  Marianne;      from    the  communication         of  what    had
  passed。
  “I   have   been   more   pained;”   said   she;   “by   her   endeavours   to
  acquit him than by all the rest; for it irritates her mind more than
  the    most    perfect   conviction     of  his   unworthiness       can   do。  Now;
  though      at  first  she  will   suffer   much;    I  am   sure    she   will  soon
  become   easier。   Have   you;”   she   continued;   after   a   short   silence;
  “ever seen Mr。 Willoughby since you left him at Barton?”
  “Yes;”     he  replied    gravely;    “once    I  have。    One    meeting     was
  unavoidable。”
  Elinor; startled by his manner; looked at him anxiously; saying;
  “What? have you met him to—”
  “I   could   meet   him   no   other   way。   Eliza   had   confessed   to   me;
  though      most   reluctantly;     the  name     of  her   lover;   and   when     he
  returned   to   town;   which   was   within   a   fortnight   after   myself;   we
  met   by   appointment;   he   to   defend;   I   to   punish   his   conduct。   We
  returned      unwounded;         and   the    meeting;     therefore;     never    got
  abroad。”
  Elinor   sighed   over   the   fancied   necessity   of   this;   but   to   a   man
  and a soldier she presumed not to censure it。
  “Such;”   said     Colonel    Brandon;   after   a    pause;    “has   been   the
  unhappy  resemblance  between   the  fate   of  mother   and   daughter!
  and so imperfectly have I discharged my trust!”
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  “Is she still in town?”
  “No; as soon as she recovered from her lying…in; for I found her
  near  her  delivery;   I   removed   her  and   her   child   into   the   country;
  and there she remains。”
  Recollecting;   soon   afterwards;   that   he   was   probably   dividing
  Elinor  from   her  sister;   he   put   an   end   to   his   visit;   receiving   from
  her again the same grateful acknowledgments; and leaving her full
  of compassion and esteem for him。
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  CHAPTER X
  hen the particulars of this conversation were repeated
  Wby                  Miss    Dashwood       to  her   sister;   as  they   very    soon
  were;   the   effect   on   her   was   not   entirely   such   as   the
  former had hoped to see。 Not that Marianne appeared to distrust
  the truth  of any part of it;   for  she   listened   to  it  all   with  the   most
  steady      and   submissive       attention;     made     neither    objection     nor
  remark;   attempted   no   vindication   of   Willoughby;   and   seemed   to
  shew by her tears that she felt it to be impossible。 But though this
  behaviour       assured     Elinor    that   the  conviction      of  this  guilt  was
  carried   home   to   her   mind;   though   she   saw   with   satisfaction   the
  effect   of   it;   in   her  no   longer  avoiding   Colonel   Brandon   when   he
  called;  in  her  speaking  to   him;   even   voluntarily   speaking;   with   a
  kind of compassionate respect; and though she saw her spirits less
  violently irritated than before; she did not see   her  less   wretched。
  Her     mind    did   become      settled;   but   it  was   settled    in  a  gloomy
  dejection。   She      felt   the  loss  of   Willoughby’s     character      yet  more
  heavily  than she   had   felt  the   loss   of   his   heart;   his   seduction   and
  desertion   of   Miss   Williams;   the   misery   of   that   poor   girl;   and   the
  doubt of what his designs might once have been on herself; preyed
  altogether so much on her spirits; that she could not bring herself
  to   speak   of   what   she   felt   even   to   Elinor;   and;   brooding   over   her
  sorrows   in   silence;   gave more   pain   to   her   sister   than   could   have
  been      communicated          by   the    most     open    and     most     frequent
  confession of them。
  To    give   the   feelings    or  the   language     of  Mrs。    Dashwood        on
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  receiving   and   answering   Elinor’s   letter   would   be   only   to   give   a
  repetition   of   what   her   daughters   had   already   felt   and   said;   of   a
  disappointment          hardly    less   painful    than    Marianne’s;       and    an
  indignation       even   greater    than    Elinor’s。    Long    letters   from    her;
  quickly succeeding each other; arrived to tell all that she suffered
  and thought; to express her anxious solicitude for Marianne; and
  entreat   she   would   bear   up   with   fortitude   under   this   misfortune。
  Bad indeed must the nature of Marianne’s affliction be; when her
  mother could talk of fortitude! mortifying and humiliating must be
  the    origin   of   those   regrets;    which   she    could    wish    her   not   to
  indulge!
  Against      the   interest    of  her    own     individual     comfort;     Mrs。
  Dashwood had determined that it would be better for Marianne to
  be   any   where;   at   that   time;   than   at   Barton;   where   every   thing
  within her view would be bringing back the past in the strongest
  and     most    afflicting   manner;      by   constantly     placing    Willoughby
  before      her;   such    as   she    had    always     seen     him    there。    She
  recommended  it  to  her  daughters;   therefore;  by  all  means   not   to
  shorten   their  visit   to   Mrs。   Jennings;   the   length   of   which;   though
  never exactly fixed; had been expected by all to comprise at least
  five   or   six  weeks。    A   variety   of   occupations;     of  objects;    and   of
  company;        which    could    not   be   procured      at  Barton;     would     be
  inevitable   there;   and   might   yet;      she   hoped;   cheat   Marianne;   at
  times;     into  some     interest   beyond      herself;   and   even    into   some
  amusement; much as the ideas of both might now be spurned by
  her。
  From      all  danger     of   seeing    Willoughby       again;    her   mother
  considered her to be at least equally safe in town as in the country;
  since   his   acquaintance   must   now   be   dropped   by   all   who   called
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  themselves   her   friends。   Design   could   never   bring   them   in   each
  other’s     way:   negligence      could   never    leave    them    exposed     to  a
  surprise; and chance had less in its favour in the crowd of London
  than   even   in   the   retirement  of   Barton;   where   it   might   force   him
  before   her   while   paying   that   visit   at   Allenham   on   his   marriage;
  which Mrs。 Dashwood; from foreseeing at first as a prob