第 30 节
作者:绝对601      更新:2022-04-16 12:12      字数:9266
  while you were at dinner; and going on now for Crewkherne; in his
  way to Bath and London。”
  “Elliot!”    Many     had    looked     on   each    other;   and    many     had
  repeated the name; before all this had been got through; even by
  the smart rapidity of a waiter。
  “Bless me!” cried Mary; “it must be our cousin;—it must be our
  Mr。    Elliot;   it  must;    indeed!—Charles;         Anne;    must     not   it?  In
  mourning;       you   see;   just  as  our   Mr。    Elliot  must    be。   How    very
  extraordinary! In the very same inn with us! Anne; must not it be
  our   Mr。   Elliot;   my   father’s   next   heir?   Pray   sir;”   (turning   to   the
  waiter);   “did   not   you   hear;   did   not   his   servant   say   whether   he
  belonged to the Kellynch family?”
  “No;   ma’am;   he   did   not   mention   no   particular   family;   but   he
  said    his  master     was    a  very   rich   gentleman;      and    would     be  a
  baronight some day。”
  “There! you see!” cried Mary in an ecstasy; “just as I said! Heir
  to Sir Walter Elliot!—I was sure that would come out; if it was so。
  Depend   upon   it;   that   is   a   circumstance   which   his   servants   take
  care to publish; wherever he goes。 But; Anne;   only  conceive   how
  extraordinary!   I   wish   I   had   looked   at   him   more。   I   wish   we   had
  been     aware     in  time;    who    it  was;    that   he   might    have     been
  introduced       to  us。  What     a  pity  that   we    should    not   have    been
  introduced       to   each    other!—Do       you    think    he   had    the   Elliot
  countenance? I hardly looked at him; I was looking at the horses;
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  but I think he had something of the Elliot countenance; I wonder
  the arms did not strike me! Oh!—the great…coat was hanging over
  the   panel;   and   hid   the   arms;   so   it   did;   otherwise;   I   am  sure;  I
  should have observed them; and the livery too; if the servant had
  not been in mourning; one should have known him by the livery。”
  “Putting all   these   very  extraordinary  circumstances   together;”
  said     Captain     Wentworth;       “we    must     consider     it   to  be    the
  arrangement of Providence; that you should not be introduced to
  your cousin。”
  When she could command Mary’s attention; Anne quietly tried
  to convince her that their father and Mr。 Elliot had not; for many
  years; been on such terms as to make the power of attempting an
  introduction at all desirable。
  At   the   same    time;   however;     it  was   a  secret   gratification    to
  herself to have seen her cousin; and to know that the future owner
  of Kellynch was undoubtedly a gentleman; and had an air of good
  sense。 She would not; upon any account; mention her having met
  with   him   the   second   time;   luckily   Mary   did   not   much   attend   to
  their   having   passed   close   by   him   in   their   earlier   walk;   but   she
  would      have   felt  quite   ill…used    by  Anne’s     having    actually    run
  against  him in  the   passage; and   received   his   very  polite   excuses;
  while   she   had   never  been near  him   at all; no;   that  cousinly  little
  interview must remain a perfect secret。
  “Of course;” said Mary; “you will mention our seeing Mr。 Elliot;
  the next time you write to Bath。 I think my father certainly ought
  to hear of it; do mention all about him。”
  Anne   avoided   a   direct   reply;   but   it   was   just   the   circumstance
  which      she    considered       as   not    merely      unnecessary       to    be
  communicated; but  as   what  ought  to  be   suppressed。   The   offence
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  which   had   been   given   her   father;   many   years   back;   she       knew;
  Elizabeth’s      particular    share    in  it  she  suspected;     and    that  Mr。
  Elliot’s   idea   always     produced     irritation   in   both   was   beyond     a
  doubt。 Mary never wrote to Bath herself; all the toil of keeping up
  a   slow   and   unsatisfactory   correspondence   with   Elizabeth   fell   on
  Anne。
  Breakfast   had   not   been   long   over;   when   they   were   joined   by
  Captain and Mrs。 Harville and Captain Benwick; with whom they
  had appointed to take their last walk about Lyme。 They ought  to
  be setting off for Uppercross by one; and in the meanwhile were to
  be all together; and out of doors as long as they could。
  Anne found Captain Benwick getting near her; as soon as they
  were     all  fairly  in  the  street。   Their   conversation      the   preceding
  evening did not disincline him to seek her again; and they walked
  together some time; talking as before of Mr。 Scott and Lord Byron;
  and   still   as  unable   as   before;   and   as   unable    as  any   other   two
  readers; to think exactly alike of the merits of either; till something
  occasioned   an   almost   general   change         amongst   their   party;     and
  instead of Captain Benwick; she had Captain Harville by her side。
  “Miss   Elliot;”   said   he;   speaking   rather   low;   “you   have   done   a
  good deed in making that poor fellow talk so much。 I wish he could
  have such company oftener。 It is bad for him; I know; to be shut up
  as he is; but what can we do? We cannot part。”
  “No;” said Anne; “that I can easily believe to be impossible; but
  in   time;   perhaps—we         know    what    time    does   in   every   case    of
  affliction;   and   you   must   remember;   Captain         Harville;    that   your
  friend may  yet   be   called   a   young   mourner—Only   last   summer;   I
  understand。”
  “Ay; true enough;” (with a deep sigh) “only June。”
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  “And not known to him; perhaps; so soon。”
  “Not till the first week of August; when he came home from the
  Cape;—just made into the Grappler。 I was at Plymouth; dreading
  to   hear   of   him;   he   sent   in   letters;   but   the   Grappler   was   under
  orders for Portsmouth。 There the news must follow him; but who
  was to tell it? not I。 I would as soon have been run up to the yard…
  arm。 Nobody could do it; but that good fellow (pointing to Captain
  Wentworth)。        The    Laconia      had    come    into   Plymouth       the   week
  before;   no   danger   of   her   being   sent   to   sea   again。   He   stood   his
  chance   for   the   rest;—wrote   up   for   leave   of   absence;   but   without
  waiting      the    return;    travelled     night    and     day    till  he   got   to
  Portsmouth; rowed off to the Grappler that instant; and never left
  the   poor   fellow   for   a   week;   that’s   what   he   did;   and   nobody   else
  could have saved poor James。 You may think; Miss Elliot; whether
  he is dear to us!”
  Anne did think on the question with perfect decision; and said
  as   much   in   reply   as   her   own   feeling  could   accomplish;   or   as   his
  seemed able   to   bear;   for   he   was   too   much   affected   to   renew   the
  subject;   and     when     he   spoke    again;   it  was   of  something       totally
  different。
  Mrs。 Harville’s giving it as her opinion that her husband would
  have      quite   walking      enough      by   the    time    he   reached      home;
  determined   the   direction   of  all   the   party  in   what  was  to  be   their
  last   walk;   they   would   accompany   them   to   their   door;   and   then
  return and set off themselves。  By  all   their  calculations   there   was
  just time for this; but as they drew near the Cobb; there was such a
  general wish to walk along it once more; all were so inclined; and
  Louisa soon grew so determined; that the difference of a quarter of
  an hour; it was found; would be no difference at all; so with all the
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  kind leave…taking; and all the kind interchange of invitations and
  promises  which  may  be   imagined;   they  parted   from   Captain and
  Mrs。 Harville at their own door; and still accompanied by Captain
  Benwick;   who   seemed   to   cling   to   them   to   the   last;   procee