第 51 节
作者:绝对601      更新:2022-04-16 12:12      字数:9271
  honourably and kindly; only anxious with true parental   hearts   to
  promote their daughter’s comfort。 All this is much; very  much  in
  favour of their happiness; more than perhaps—”
  He stopped。 A sudden recollection seemed to occur; and to give
  him    some    taste   of  that  emotion     which    was   reddening     Anne’s
  cheeks     and   fixing  her   eyes   on  the   ground。—After       clearing   his
  throat; however; he proceeded thus;
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  “I   confess    that   I  do   think   there    is  a  disparity;   too   great   a
  disparity;   and   in   a   point   no   less   essential   than   mind。—I   regard
  Louisa Musgrove as a very amiable; sweet…tempered girl; and not
  deficient in understanding; but Benwick is something more。 He is
  a clever man; a reading man—and I confess; that I do consider his
  attaching himself to her with some surprise。 Had it been the effect
  of gratitude; had he learnt to love her; because he believed her to
  be preferring him; it would have been another thing。 But I have no
  reason to suppose it so。 It seems; on the contrary; to have been a
  perfectly     spontaneous;       untaught      feeling    on   his  side;   and    this
  surprises      me。   A   man    like   him;   in   his  situation!    with    a  heart
  pierced;     wounded;       almost    broken!     Fanny     Harville    was    a  very
  superior       creature;     and    his   attachment        to   her    was    indeed
  attachment。 A man does not recover from such  a  devotion   of  the
  heart to such a woman!—He ought not—he does not。”
  Either   from     the   consciousness;      however;      that   his  friend   had
  recovered;   or  from   other   consciousness;   he   went   no   farther;   and
  Anne   who;   in   spite   of   the   agitated   voice   in   which   the   latter   part
  had been uttered; and in spite of all the various noises of the room;
  the    almost    ceaseless     slam    of  the   door;   and    ceaseless    buzz    of
  persons      walking     through;     had    distinguished       every    word;    was
  struck;   gratified;   confused;   and   beginning   to   breathe   very   quick;
  and feel an hundred things in a moment。 It was impossible for her
  to   enter   on   such   a   subject;   and    yet;  after  a  pause;    feeling    the
  necessity of speaking; and having not the smallest wish for a total
  change; she only deviated so far as to say—
  “You were a good while at Lyme; I think?”
  “About a  fortnight。   I   could  not  leave   it  till   Louisa’s   doing  well
  was   quite   ascertained。   I   had   been   too   deeply   concerned   in   the
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  mischief to be soon at peace。 It had been my doing—solely mine。
  She   would   not   have   been   obstinate  if   I   had   not   been   weak。   The
  country round Lyme is very fine。 I walked and rode a great deal;
  and the more I saw; the more I found to admire。”
  “I should very much like to see Lyme again;” said Anne。
  “Indeed! I should not have supposed that you could have found
  anything      in   Lyme     to  inspire    such   a   feeling。   The    horror    and
  distress   you   were   involved   in—the   stretch   of   mind;   the   wear   of
  spirits!—I     should     have   thought     your   last  impressions       of  Lyme
  must have been strong disgust。”
  “The last hours were certainly very painful;” replied Anne: “but
  when      pain    is  over;   the   remembrance         of  it  often   becomes      a
  pleasure。 One does not love a place the less for having suffered in
  it;   unless   it   has   been   all   suffering;   nothing   but   suffering—which
  was by no means the case at Lyme。 We were only in anxiety and
  distress during the last two hours; and previously there had been a
  great    deal   of  enjoyment。      So   much   novelty      and   beauty!    I  have
  travelled   so   little;   that   every   fresh   place   would   be   interesting   to
  me—but there is real beauty at Lyme; and in short” (with a faint
  blush   at   some   recollections);   “altogether   my   impressions   of   the
  place are very agreeable。”
  As   she   ceased;   the   entrance   door   opened   again;   and   the   very
  party   appeared   for   whom   they   were   waiting。   “Lady   Dalrymple;
  Lady     Dalrymple;”       was    the   rejoicing    sound;    and    with    all  the
  eagerness   compatible   with   anxious   elegance;   Sir   Walter   and   his
  two ladies stepped forward to meet her。 Lady Dalrymple and Miss
  Carteret;     escorted     by   Mr。   Elliot   and   Colonel     Wallis;   who    had
  happened to arrive nearly at the same instant; advanced into the
  room。 The others joined them; and it was a group in which Anne
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  found     herself    also   necessarily     included。     She   was    divided    from
  Captain       Wentworth。       Their    interesting;      almost    too    interesting
  conversation   must   be   broken   up   for   a   time;   but   slight   was   the
  penance compared   with  the   happiness   which  brought   it   on!   She
  had   learnt;   in   the   last   ten   minutes;   more   of   his   feelings   towards
  Louisa; more of all his feelings than she dared to think of! and she
  gave     herself    up   to  the   demands       of  the   party;    to  the   needful
  civilities     of   the    moment;        with    exquisite;      though      agitated
  sensations。   She   was   in   good   humour   with   all。   She   had   received
  ideas which  disposed   her  to  be   courteous   and kind   to  all;   and   to
  pity every one; as being less happy than herself。
  The     delightful     emotions      were     a   little  subdued;      when      on
  stepping      back    from    the   group;    to  be   joined    again    by   Captain
  Wentworth; she saw that he was gone。 She was just in time to see
  him      turn    into    the   Concert      Room。      He     was    gone—he        had
  disappeared;   she   felt   a   moment’s   regret。   But   “they   should   meet
  again。   He   would   look   for   her—he   would   find   her   out   before   the
  evening were over—and at present; perhaps; it  was as   well   to  be
  asunder。 She was in need of a little interval for recollection。”
  Upon   Lady   Russell’s   appearance   soon   afterwards;              the   whole
  party     was    collected;     and    all  that    remained      was    to   marshal
  themselves; and proceed into the Concert Room; and be of all the
  consequence   in   their   power;   draw   as   many   eyes;   excite   as   many
  whispers; and disturb as many people as they could。
  Very; very happy were both Elizabeth and Anne Elliot as   they
  walked in。 Elizabeth arm in arm  with  Miss   Carteret;   and  looking
  on   the   broad back   of  the   dowager   Viscountess   Dalrymple   before
  her; had nothing to wish for which did not seem within her reach;
  and     Anne—but        it  would    be  an   insult   to   the  nature     of  Anne’s
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  felicity;   to   draw  any   comparison   between   it   and   her   sister’s;   the
  origin     of   one    all  selfish    vanity;    of   the    other    all   generous
  attachment。
  Anne     saw    nothing;     thought    nothing     of  the   brilliancy    of   the
  room。 Her happiness was from  within。   Her  eyes   were bright  and
  her    cheeks     glowed;—but        she   knew     nothing     about    it。  She   was
  thinking   only   of   the   last   half   hour;   and   as   they   passed   to   their
  seats; her mind took a hasty range over it。 His choice of subjects;
  his   expressions;   and   still   more   his   manner   and   look;   had   been
  such   as   she   could   see   in   only   one   light。   His   opinion    of  Louisa
  Musgrove’s inferiority; an opinion which he had seemed solicitous
  to give; his wonder at  Captain   Benwick;   his   feelings   as   to  a   first;
  strong attachment;—sentences begun which he could not finish—
  his   half averted   eyes   and   more   than   half   expressive   glance;—all;
  all   declared   that   he   had   a