第 11 节
作者:绝对601      更新:2022-04-16 12:12      字数:9266
  have been all this morning—very unfit to be left alone; I am sure。
  Suppose I were to be seized of a sudden in some dreadful way; and
  not able to ring the bell! So; Lady Russell would not get out。 I do
  not think she has been in this house three times this summer。”
  Anne   said   what   was   proper;   and   enquired   after   her   husband。
  “Oh!   Charles   is   out   shooting。   I   have   not   seen   him   since   seven
  o’clock。 He would go; though I told him how ill I was。 He said he
  should not stay out long; but he has never come back; and now it is
  almost   one。   I   assure   you;   I   have   not   seen   a   soul   this   whole   long
  morning。”
  “You have had your little boys with you?”
  “Yes;    as  long   as   I  could   bear   their   noise;   but   they   are   so
  unmanageable          that  they   do   me    more    harm     than   good。    Little
  Charles does not mind a word I say; and Walter is growing quite as
  bad。”
  “Well;   you   will   soon   be   better   now;”   replied   Anne;   cheerfully。
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  “You     know     I  always    cure   you    when     I  come。    How    are   your
  neighbours at the Great House?”
  “I can give you no account of them。 I have not seen one of them
  to…day; except Mr。 Musgrove; who just stopped and spoke through
  the   window;   but   without   getting   off   his   horse;   and   though   I   told
  him how ill I was; not one of them have been near me。 It did not
  happen to suit the Miss Musgroves; I suppose; and they never put
  themselves out of their way。”
  “You will see them yet; perhaps; before the morning is gone。 It
  is early。”
  “I never want them; I assure you。 They talk and laugh a great
  deal too much for me。 Oh! Anne; I am so very unwell! It was quite
  unkind of you not to come on Thursday。”
  “My dear Mary; recollect what a comfortable account you sent
  me of yourself! You wrote in the cheerfullest manner; and said you
  were   perfectly   well;   and   in   no   hurry   for   me;   and   that   being   the
  case;   you   must   be   aware   that   my   wish   would   be   to   remain   with
  Lady Russell to the last: and besides what I felt on her account; I
  have really been so busy; have had so much to do; that I could not
  very conveniently have left Kellynch sooner。”
  “Dear me! what can you possibly have to do?”
  “A great many things; I assure you。 More than I can recollect in
  a moment: but I can tell you some。 I have been making a duplicate
  of   the   catalogue   of   my   father’s   books   and   pictures。   I   have   been
  several times in the garden with Mackenzie; trying to understand;
  and   make      him   understand;      which   of   Elizabeth’s    plants   are  for
  Lady Russell。 I have   had   all my  own little   concerns   to  arrange—
  books and music to divide; and all my trunks to repack; from not
  having understood in time what was intended as to the waggons。
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  And   one   thing   I   have   had   to   do;   Mary;   of   a   more   trying   nature;
  going to almost every house in the parish; as a sort of take…leave。 I
  was told that they wished it。 But all these   things   took   up   a   great
  deal of time。”
  “Oh! well!”—and after a moment’s pause; “but you have never
  asked me one word about our dinner at the Pooles yesterday。”
  “Did     you    go   then?    I  have     made     no   enquiries;     because      I
  concluded you must have been obliged to give up the party。”
  “Oh   yes!   I   went。   I   was   very   well   yesterday;   nothing   at   all   the
  matter with me till this   morning。   It  would   have   been strange if  I
  had not gone。”
  “I   am  very   glad   you   were   well   enough;   and   I   hope   you   had   a
  pleasant party。”
  “Nothing remarkable。 One always knows beforehand what the
  dinner      will   be;   and    who     will   be    there;    and    it  is  so   very
  uncomfortable  not   having  a   carriage   of   one’s   own。   Mr。   and   Mrs。
  Musgrove   took   me;   and   we   were   so   crowded!   They   are   both   so
  very large; and take up so much room! And Mr。 Musgrove always
  sits   forward。   So;   there     was   I;  crowded   into   the     back   seat   with
  Henrietta and Louise。 And I think it very likely that my illness to…
  day may be owing to it。”
  A     little   further     perseverance         in    patience      and     forced
  cheerfulness   on   Anne’s   side   produced   nearly   a   cure   on   Mary’s。
  She   could   soon   sit   upright   on   the   sofa;   and   began   to   hope   she
  might be able to leave it by dinner…time。 Then; forgetting to think
  of it; she was at the other end of the room; beautifying a nosegay;
  then;   she   ate   her   cold   meat;   and   then   she   was   well   enough   to
  propose a little walk。
  “Where       shall   we   go?”    said   she;   when     they   were    ready。    “I
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  suppose   you   will   not   like   to   call   at   the   Great   House   before   they
  have been to see you?”
  “I   have    not   the  smallest   objection      on   that   account;”     replied
  Anne。   “I   should   never   think   of   standing   on   such   ceremony   with
  people I know so well as Mrs。 and the Miss Musgroves。”
  “Oh! but they ought to call upon you as soon as possible。 They
  ought to feel what is due to you as my sister。 However; we may as
  well   go   and   sit   with   them   a   little   while;   and   when   we   have   that
  over; we can enjoy our walk。”
  Anne     had    always    thought   such   a     style   of   intercourse   highly
  imprudent;   but   she   had   ceased   to   endeavour   to   check            it;  from
  believing that; though there were on each side continual subjects
  of   offence;   neither   family   could   now   do   without   it。   To   the   Great
  House   accordingly  they  went;   to  sit  the   full   half  hour   in   the   old…
  fashioned square parlour; with a small carpet and shining floor; to
  which   the   present   daughters   of   the   house   were   gradually   giving
  the   proper   air   of   confusion   by   a   grand   piano…forte   and   a   harp;
  flower…stands and little tables placed in every direction。 Oh! could
  the    originals    of   the   portraits    against    the   wainscot;      could    the
  gentlemen in brown velvet and the ladies in blue satin have seen
  what was going on; have been conscious of such an overthrow of
  all   order   and   neatness!   The   portraits   themselves   seemed   to   be
  staring in astonishment。
  The Musgroves; like their houses; were in a state of alteration;
  perhaps of  improvement。   The   father  and   mother  were   in   the   old
  English   style;   and   the     young   people   in     the   new。   Mr。   and    Mrs。
  Musgrove were a very good sort of people; friendly and hospitable;
  not   much   educated;   and   not   at   all      elegant。    Their   children     had
  more modern minds and manners。 There was a numerous family;
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  but the only two grown up; excepting Charles; were Henrietta and
  Louisa;   young   ladies   of   nineteen   and   twenty;   who   had   brought
  from school at Exeter all the usual stock of accomplishments; and
  were     now     like  thousands       of  other    young     ladies;   living   to   be
  fashionable; happy; and merry。 Their dress had every advantage;
  their  faces   were   rather  pretty;   their   spirits   extremely   good;   their
  manner   unembarrassed   and   pleasant;   they   were   of   consequence
  at home; and favourites abroad。 Anne always contemplated them
  as   some   of   the   happiest   creatures   of   her   acquaintance;   but   still;
  saved   as   we   all   are;   by   some   comfortable   feeling   of   superiority
  from wishing for  the   possibility  of  exchange;   she   would  not  have
  given   up   her  own   more   elegant and   cultivated   mind   for   all   their
  enjoyments; and envied them nothing but  that  seemingly  perfect
  good understanding and agreement together; that good…humoured