第 80 节
作者:南方网      更新:2021-02-19 19:56      字数:9308
  countenance with which she entered; and an attempt at cordiality
  in   her   behaviour   to   herself。   She   even   proceeded   so   far   as   to   be
  concerned to find that Elinor and her sister were so soon to leave
  town;     as  she   had    hoped    to  see   more     of  them;—an       exertion    in
  which   her   husband;   who   attended   her   into   the   room;   and   hung
  enamoured   over   her   accents;   seemed   to   distinguish   every   thing
  that was most affectionate and graceful。
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  CHAPTER VI
  ne    other   short   call  in  Harley…street;     in  which    Elinor
  received her brother’s congratulations on their travelling
  O
  so    far  towards    Barton     without    any   expense;     and   on
  Colonel Brandon’s being to  follow  them   to  Cleveland  in   a day  or
  two;    completed     the   intercourse     of  the  brother    and    sisters  in
  town;—and        a  faint  invitation   from   Fanny;    to  come    to  Norland
  whenever it should happen to be in their way; which of all things
  was   the   most   unlikely   to   occur;   with   a   more   warm;   though   less
  public;   assurance;   from   John   to   Elinor;   of   the   promptitude   with
  which he should come to see her at Delaford; was all that foretold
  any meeting in the country。
  It    amused      her   to   observe     that   all  her    friends    seemed
  determined       to  send   her  to  Delaford;—a      place;   in  which;   of  all
  others; she would now least chuse to visit; or wish to reside; for not
  only was it considered as her future home by her brother and Mrs。
  Jennings; but  even   Lucy;   when   they   parted;   gave   her   a   pressing
  invitation to visit her there。
  Very   early   in   April;  and   tolerably    early   in  the  day;  the  two
  parties    from   Hanover…square        and   Berkeley…street     set   out  from
  their respective homes; to meet; by appointment; on the road。 For
  the convenience of Charlotte and her child; they were to be more
  than two  days   on  their  journey;   and   Mr。   Palmer;   travelling  more
  expeditiously with Colonel Brandon; was to join them at Cleveland
  soon after their arrival。
  Marianne; few as had been her hours of comfort in London; and
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  eager as she had long been to quit it; could not; when   it  came  to
  the point; bid adieu to the house in which she had for the last time
  enjoyed   those   hopes;   and   that   confidence;   in   Willoughby;   which
  were now extinguished for ever; without great pain。 Nor could she
  leave    the   place    in  which    Willoughby       remained;      busy   in   new
  engagements; and new schemes; in which she could have no share;
  without shedding many tears。
  Elinor’s    satisfaction;    at  the   moment       of  removal;     was   more
  positive。 She had no such object for her  lingering  thoughts   to  fix
  on;   she   left   no   creature   behind;   from   whom   it   would   give   her   a
  moment’s regret to be divided for ever; she was pleased to be free
  herself from the persecution of Lucy’s friendship; she was grateful
  for   bringing     her   sister   away    unseen     by   Willoughby      since   his
  marriage; and she looked forward with hope to what a few months
  of   tranquility   at   Barton   might   do   towards   restoring   Marianne’s
  peace of mind; and confirming her own。
  Their   journey   was   safely   performed。   The   second   day   brought
  them into the cherished; or the prohibited; county of Somerset; for
  as such was it dwelt on by turns in Marianne’s imagination; and in
  the forenoon of the third they drove up to Cleveland。
  Cleveland   was   a   spacious;   modern…built   house;   situated   on   a
  sloping     lawn。    It  had   no   park;   but   the   pleasure…grounds        were
  tolerably extensive; and like every other place of the same degree
  of importance; it had its open shrubbery; and closer wood walk; a
  road of smooth gravel winding round a plantation; led to the front;
  the lawn was dotted over with timber; the house itself was under
  the guardianship of the fir; the mountain…ash; and the acacia; and
  a thick screen of them altogether; interspersed with tall Lombardy
  poplars; shut out the offices。
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  Marianne entered the house with a heart swelling with emotion
  from   the   consciousness   of   being   only   eighty   miles   from   Barton;
  and not thirty from Combe Magna; and before she had  been   five
  minutes      within    its  walls;  while    the  others    were    busily   helping
  Charlotte   to   show   her   child     to   the  housekeeper;       she  quitted    it
  again;   stealing   away   through   the   winding   shrubberies;   now   just
  beginning to be in beauty; to gain a distant eminence; where; from
  its Grecian temple; her eye; wandering over a wide tract of country
  to the south…east; could fondly rest on the farthest ridge of hills in
  the   horizon;   and   fancy   that   from     their   summits      Combe     Magna
  might be seen。
  In such moments of precious; invaluable misery; she rejoiced in
  tears    of  agony    to   be  at  Cleveland;      and   as   she   returned     by  a
  different   circuit   to   the   house;   feeling   all   the   happy   privilege   of
  country      liberty;  of  wandering       from   place    to  place   in  free   and
  luxurious      solitude;   she   resolved    to   spend   almost   every   hour   of
  every day while she remained with the Palmers; in the indulgence
  of such solitary rambles。
  She returned just in time to join the others as they quitted the
  house; on an excursion through its more immediate premises; and
  the rest of the morning was easily whiled away; in lounging round
  the    kitchen    garden;     examining      the  bloom     upon    its  walls;   and
  listening to the gardener’s lamentations upon blights; in dawdling
  through   the   green…house;   where   the   loss   of   her   favourite   plants;
  unwarily   exposed;   and   nipped   by   the   lingering   frost;   raised   the
  laughter of Charlotte;—and in visiting her poultry…yard; where; in
  the disappointed hopes of her dairy…maid; by hens forsaking their
  nests;    or   being   stolen   by   a  fox;  or  in  the   rapid   decrease     of  a
  promising young brood; she found fresh sources of merriment。
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  The   morning   was   fine   and   dry;   and   Marianne;   in   her   plan   of
  employment abroad; had not calculated for any change of weather
  during their stay at Cleveland。 With  great  surprise   therefore;   did
  she find herself prevented by a settled rain from   going  out  again
  after dinner。 She had depended on a twilight walk to the Grecian
  temple; and perhaps all over the grounds; and an evening merely
  cold or damp would not have deterred her from it; but a heavy and
  settled rain even she could not fancy  dry  or  pleasant  weather  for
  walking。
  Their party was small; and the hours passed quietly away。 Mrs。
  Palmer   had   her   child;   and   Mrs。   Jennings   her   carpet…work;   they
  talked     of   the   friends    they    had    left  behind;     arranged     Lady
  Middleton’s engagements; and wondered whether Mr。 Palmer and
  Colonel      Brandon      would    get   farther    than   Reading      that   night。
  Elinor;   however   little   concerned   in   it;   joined   in   their   discourse;
  and   Marianne;   who   had   the   knack   of   finding   her   way   in   every
  house to the library; however it might be avoided by the family in
  general; soon procured herself a book。
  Nothing was wanting  on   Mrs。   Palmer’s side   that constant  and
  friendly   good     humour   could   do;     to   make    them    feel  themselves
  welcome。 The openness and heartiness of her manner more than
  atoned for that want of recollection and elegance which made her
  often     deficient     in   the    forms     of   politeness;     her    kindness;
  recommended by so pretty a face; was engaging; her folly; though
  evident     was   not   disgusting;