第 81 节
作者:南方网      更新:2021-02-19 19:56      字数:9297
  recommended by so pretty a face; was engaging; her folly; though
  evident     was   not   disgusting;    because     it  was   not   conceited;    and
  Elinor could have forgiven every thing but her laugh。
  The two gentlemen arrived the next day to a very  late   dinner;
  affording a pleasant enlargement of the party; and a very welcome
  variety   to   their   conversation;   which   a   long   morning   of   the   same
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  continued rain had reduced very low。
  Elinor   had   seen   so   little   of   Mr。   Palmer;   and   in   that   little   had
  seen so much variety in his address to her sister and herself; that
  she   knew not   what   to   expect   to   find   him   in   his   own   family。   She
  found   him;   however;   perfectly  the  gentleman   in   his   behaviour   to
  all   his  visitors;   and    only   occasionally   rude       to   his  wife   and   her
  mother;       she    found      him    very     capable      of   being     a   pleasant
  companion; and only prevented from being so always; by too great
  an aptitude to fancy himself as much superior to people in general;
  as he must feel himself to be to Mrs。 Jennings and Charlotte。 For
  the   rest  of  his   character  and   habits;   they  were   marked;   as   far   as
  Elinor could perceive; with no traits at all unusual in his sex and
  time of life。 He was nice in his eating; uncertain in his hours; fond
  of   his   child;   though     affecting     to  slight   it;  and    idled   away     the
  mornings        at  billiards;    which     ought     to   have    been     devoted     to
  business。   She   liked   him;   however;   upon   the   whole;   much   better
  than   she   had   expected;   and   in   her   heart   was   not   sorry   that   she
  could like him no more;—not sorry to be driven by the observation
  of   his   Epicurism;      his   selfishness;     and   his   conceit;    to  rest   with
  complacency on the remembrance of Edward’s generous temper;
  simple taste; and diffident feelings。
  Of    Edward;      or   at  least   of   some     of  his   concerns;      she   now
  received   intelligence   from   Colonel   Brandon;   who   had   been   into
  Dorsetshire        lately;    and     who;     treating     her    at   once     as    the
  disinterested   friend        of  Mr。   Ferrars;     and   the   kind    confidante     of
  himself;   talked   to   her   a   great  deal   of   the   parsonage   at   Delaford;
  described       its  deficiencies;     and    told   her   what     he   meant     to   do
  himself towards removing them。—His behaviour to her in this; as
  well as in every other particular; his open pleasure in meeting her
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  after an absence of  only  ten   days;   his   readiness   to  converse   with
  her; and his deference for her opinion; might very well justify Mrs。
  Jennings’s   persuasion   of   his   attachment;           and   would   have     been
  enough;   perhaps;   had   not   Elinor   still;   as   from   the   first;   believed
  Marianne his real favourite; to make her suspect it herself。 But as
  it was; such a notion had scarcely ever entered her head; except by
  Mrs。     Jennings’s     suggestion;      and    she   could    not   help    believing
  herself     the  nicest    observer     of  the   two;—she      watched      his  eyes;
  while Mrs。 Jennings thought only of his behaviour;—and while his
  looks of anxious solicitude on Marianne’s feeling; in her head and
  throat;   the   beginning   of   a   heavy   cold;   because        unexpressed   by
  words;   entirely   escaped   the   latter   lady’s   observation;—she   could
  discover in them the quick feelings; and needless alarm of a lover。
  Two delighful twilight walks on the third and fourth evenings of
  her being there; not merely on the dry gravel of the shrubbery; but
  all   over   the   grounds;   and   especially   in   the   most   distant   parts   of
  them;   where   there   was   something   more   of   wildness   than   in   the
  rest; where the trees were the oldest; and the grass was the longest
  and     wettest;    had—assisted        by   the   still  greater    imprudence       of
  sitting in her wet shoes and stockings—given Marianne a cold so
  violent  as;   though  for  a   day   or   two   trifled   with   or   denied;   would
  force   itself by  increasing   ailments   on   the   concern   of   every   body;
  and     the   notice     of  herself。    Prescriptions       poured     in   from     all
  quarters;      and   as   usual;    were    all  declined。    Though      heavy     and
  feverish; with a pain in her limbs; and a cough; and a sore throat; a
  good night’s rest was to cure her entirely; and it was with difficulty
  that Elinor prevailed on her; when she went to bed; to try one or
  two of the simplest of the remedies。
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  CHAPTER VII
  arianne got up the next morning at her usual time; to
  every inquiry replied that she was better; and tried to
  M
  prove     herself   so;  by   engaging    in   her  accustomary
  employments。   But   a   day   spent   in   sitting   shivering   over   the   fire
  with a book in her hand; which she was unable to read; or in lying;
  weary and languid; on a sofa; did not speak much in favour of her
  amendment;   and  when; at   last;   she   went   early   to   bed;   more   and
  more     indisposed;    Colonel    Brandon     was   only   astonished    at  her
  sister’s   composure;   who;   though   attending   and   nursing   her   the
  whole     day;   against   Marianne’s     inclination;   and    forcing   proper
  medicines on her at night; trusted; like Marianne; to the certainty
  and efficacy of sleep; and felt no real alarm。
  A   very   restless   and   feverish   night;   however;   disappointed   the
  expectation of both; and when Marianne; after persisting in rising;
  confessed herself unable to sit up; and returned voluntarily to her
  bed;   Elinor   was   very   ready   to   adopt   Mrs。   Jennings’s   advice;   of
  sending for the Palmers’ apothecary。
  He   came;   examined   his   patient; and   though  encouraging   Miss
  Dashwood to expect that a very few days would restore her sister
  to   health;   yet;  by  pronouncing       her  disorder    to  have   a  putrid
  tendency; and allowing the word “infection” to pass his lips; gave
  instant    alarm    to   Mrs。   Palmer;     on   her   baby’s   account。    Mrs。
  Jennings;      who    had    been    inclined    from     the   first  to  think
  Marianne’s complaint more serious than Elinor; now looked   very
  grave on Mr。 Harris’s report; and confirming Charlotte’s fears and
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  caution;   urged   the   necessity   of   her   immediate   removal   with   her
  infant;   and   Mr。   Palmer;   though   treating   their   apprehensions   as
  idle; found the anxiety and importunity of his wife too great to be
  withstood。 Her departure;   therefore;   was   fixed   on;   and   within   an
  hour after Mr。 Harris’s arrival; she set off; with her little boy and
  his   nurse;   for   the   house   of   a   near   relation   of   Mr。   Palmer’s;   who
  lived a few miles on the other side of Bath; whither her husband
  promised; at her earnest entreaty; to join her in a day or two; and
  whither      she    was    almost     equally    urgent     with    her    mother     to
  accompany her。 Mrs。 Jennings; however; with a kindness of heart
  which made Elinor really love her; declared her resolution of not
  stirring  from   Cleveland as long  as   Marianne   remained ill;   and   of
  endeavouring; by her own attentive care; to supply to her the place
  of   the   mother   she   had   taken   her   from;   and   Elinor   found   her   on
  every   occasion   a   most   willing   and   active   helpmate;   desirous           to
  share   in   all   her   fatigues;   and   often   by   her   better   experience   in
  nursing; of material use。
  Poor Marianne; languid and low from the nature of her malady;
  and     feeling    herself   universally      ill;  could   no   longer    hope     that
  tomorrow        w