第 3 节
作者:绝对601      更新:2022-04-16 12:12      字数:9312
  by   the   family;   as   Sir   Walter   considered   him   unworthy   of   it:   all
  acquaintance between them had ceased。
  This     very   awkward       history    of  Mr。    Elliot   was    still;  after  an
  interval   of   several   years;   felt   with   anger   by   Elizabeth;   who   had
  liked the man for himself; and still more for being her father’s heir;
  and   whose   strong   family   pride   could   see   only   in   him   a   proper
  match   for   Sir   Walter   Elliot’s   eldest   daughter。         There     was   not   a
  baronet   from   A   to   Z   whom   her   feelings   could   have   so   willingly
  acknowledged   as   an   equal。   Yet   so   miserably   had   he   conducted
  himself; that though she was at this present time (the summer of
  1814) wearing black ribbons for his wife; she could not admit him
  to  be   worth   thinking   of   again。   The   disgrace   of   his   first   marriage
  might; perhaps; as there was no reason to suppose it perpetuated
  by  offspring;   have   been   got  over;   had   he   not  done   worse;   but   he
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  had; as by the accustomary intervention of kind friends; they had
  been     informed;     spoken     most    disrespectfully      of  them    all;  most
  slightingly and contemptuously of the very blood he belonged   to;
  and the  honours   which  were  hereafter  to  be   his   own。   This  could
  not be pardoned。
  Such   were   Elizabeth   Elliot’s   sentiments   and   sensations;   such
  the   cares   to   alloy;   the   agitations   to   vary;   the   sameness   and   the
  elegance; the prosperity and the nothingness of her scene of life—
  such the feelings to give interest to a long; uneventful residence in
  one country circle; to fill the vacancies which there were no habits
  of   utility  abroad;     no   talents   or  accomplishments          for  home;    to
  occupy。
  But    now;    another     occupation       and   solicitude     of  mind     was
  beginning to be added to these。 Her father was growing distressed
  for money。 She knew; that when he now took up the Baronetage; it
  was     to   drive    the   heavy     bills  of   his   tradespeople;       and    the
  unwelcome   hints   of   Mr。   Shepherd;   his   agent;   from   his   thoughts。
  The   Kellynch   property   was   good;   but   not   equal   to   Sir   Walter’s
  apprehension   of   the   state   required   in   its   possessor。   While   Lady
  Elliot   lived;   there   had   been   method;   moderation;   and   economy;
  which had just kept him within his income; but with her had died
  all   such   right…mindedness;        and    from    that  period    he   had    been
  constantly exceeding it。 It had not been possible for him to spend
  less;    he   had    done    nothing     but    what    Sir   Walter     Elliot   was
  imperiously called on to do; but blameless as he was; he   was   not
  only growing dreadfully in debt; but was hearing of it so often; that
  it became vain to attempt concealing it longer; even partially; from
  his daughter。 He had given her some hints of it the last spring in
  town; he had gone so far even as to say; “Can we retrench? Does it
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  occur     to  you   that   there    is  any   one   article   in  which     we   can
  retrench?”—and          Elizabeth;    to   do  her   justice;   had;   in  the   first
  ardour of female alarm; set seriously to think what could be done;
  and had finally proposed these two branches of economy; to cut off
  some   unnecessary   charities;   and   to   refrain   from   new   furnishing
  the drawing…room; to which expedients she afterwards added the
  happy   thought   of   their   taking   no   present   down   to   Anne;   as   had
  been the usual yearly custom。 But these measures; however good
  in themselves; were insufficient for the real extent of the evil; the
  whole of which Sir Walter found himself obliged to confess to her
  soon     afterwards。     Elizabeth     had   nothing     to  propose     of  deeper
  efficacy。    She    felt  herself   ill…used   and    unfortunate;     as   did   her
  father; and they were neither of them able to devise any means of
  lessening   their   expenses   without   compromising   their   dignity;   or
  relinquishing their comforts in a way not to be borne。
  There was only a small part of his estate that Sir Walter could
  dispose of; but had every acre been alienable; it would have made
  no difference。 He had condescended to mortgage as far as he had
  the power;   but  he   would   never  condescend  to  sell。   No;   he   would
  never   disgrace   his   name   so   far。   The   Kellynch   estate   should   be
  transmitted whole and entire; as he had received it。
  Their two confidential friends; Mr。 Shepherd; who lived in the
  neighbouring        market     town;    and   Lady    Russell;    were    called   to
  advise them; and both father and daughter seemed to expect that
  something   should   be   struck   out   by   one   or   the   other   to   remove
  their    embarrassments         and    reduce     their   expenditure;      without
  involving the loss of any indulgence of taste or pride。
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  CHAPTER II
  r   Shepherd;      a  civil;  cautious    lawyer;    who;    whatever
  might   be   his   hold   or   his   views   on   Sir   Walter;   would
  M                                     disagreeable
  rather     have    the                    prompted       by   anybody
  else;   excused   himself   from   offering   the   slightest   hint;   and       only
  begged leave to recommend an implicit reference to the excellent
  judgment of Lady Russell—from whose known good sense he fully
  expected to have just such resolute measures advised as he meant
  to see finally adopted。
  Lady   Russell   was   most   anxiously   zealous   on   the   subject;   and
  gave   it   much   serious   consideration。   She   was   a   woman   rather   of
  sound   than   of  quick   abilities;   whose difficulties in coming  to  any
  decision   in   this   instance   were   great;   from   the   opposition   of   two
  leading      principles。    She    was    of  strict  integrity    herself;    with   a
  delicate   sense   of   honour;   but   she   was   as   desirous   of   saving   Sir
  Walter’s      feelings;   as  solicitous    for   the  credit    of  the   family;   as
  aristocratic in   her  ideas   of  what  was due   to  them;   as   anybody   of
  sense and honesty could well be。 She was a benevolent; charitable;
  good woman; and capable of strong attachments;   most  correct  in
  her conduct;   strict in   her notions   of decorum; and   with  manners
  that were held a standard of good…breeding。 She had a cultivated
  mind;   and   was;   generally   speaking;   rational   and   consistent;   but
  she   had   prejudices   on   the   side   of   ancestry;   she   had   a   value   for
  rank and   consequence;   which blinded   her  a little   to  the   faults   of
  those who possessed them。 Herself the widow of only a knight; she
  gave     the    dignity    of  a   baronet     all  its   due;   and    Sir   Walter;
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  independent   of   his   claims   as   an   old   acquaintance;   an         attentive
  neighbour;       an   obliging   landlord;     the   husband   of   her   very   dear
  friend; the father of Anne and her sisters; was; as being Sir Walter;
  in   her   apprehension;   entitled   to   a   great   deal   of   compassion   and
  consideration under his present difficulties。
  They must retrench; that did not admit of a doubt。 But she was
  very   anxious   to   have   it   done   with   the   least   possible   pain   to   him
  and   Elizabeth。   She   drew   up   plans   of   economy;   she   made   exact
  calculations; and she did what nobody else   thought  of  doing:   she
  consulted   Anne;   who   never   seemed   considered   by   the   others   as
  having any interest in the question。 She consulted; and in a degree
  was influenced by her in marking out the scheme of retrenchment
  which   was   at   last   submitted   to   Sir   Walter。   Every   emen