首页 >出版文学> Mansfield Parkby>第2章
  Thedivisionofgratifyingsensationsoughtnot,instrictjustice,tohavebeenequal;forSirThomaswasfullyresolvedtobetherealandconsistentpatronoftheselectedchild,andMrs。Norrishadnottheleastintentionofbeingatanyexpensewhateverinhermaintenance。
  Asfaraswalking,talking,andcontrivingreached,shewasthoroughlybenevolent,andnobodyknewbetterhowtodictateliberalitytoothers;butherloveofmoneywasequaltoherloveofdirecting,andsheknewquiteaswellhowtosaveherownastospendthatofherfriends。
  Havingmarriedonanarrowerincomethanshehadbeenusedtolookforwardto,shehad,fromthefirst,fanciedaverystrictlineofeconomynecessary;
  andwhatwasbegunasamatterofprudence,soongrewintoamatterofchoice,asanobjectofthatneedfulsolicitudewhichtherewerenochildrentosupply。
  Hadtherebeenafamilytoprovidefor,Mrs。Norrismightneverhavesavedhermoney;buthavingnocareofthatkind,therewasnothingtoimpedeherfrugality,orlessenthecomfortofmakingayearlyadditiontoanincomewhichtheyhadneverlivedupto。Underthisinfatuatingprinciple,counteractedbynorealaffectionforhersister,itwasimpossibleforhertoaimatmorethanthecreditofprojectingandarrangingsoexpensiveacharity;
  thoughperhapsshemightsolittleknowherselfastowalkhometotheParsonage,afterthisconversation,inthehappybeliefofbeingthemostliberal-mindedsisterandauntintheworld。
  Whenthesubjectwasbroughtforwardagain,herviewsweremorefullyexplained;and,inreplytoLadyBertram’scalminquiryof“Whereshallthechildcometofirst,sister,toyouortous?“SirThomasheardwithsomesurprisethatitwouldbetotallyoutofMrs。Norris’spowertotakeanyshareinthepersonalchargeofher。
  HehadbeenconsideringherasaparticularlywelcomeadditionattheParsonage,asadesirablecompaniontoanauntwhohadnochildrenofherown;buthefoundhimselfwhollymistaken。Mrs。Norriswassorrytosaythatthelittlegirl’sstayingwiththem,atleastasthingsthenwere,wasquiteoutofthequestion。
  PoorMr。Norris’sindifferentstateofhealthmadeitanimpossibility:hecouldnomorebearthenoiseofachildthanhecouldfly;if,indeed,heshouldevergetwellofhisgoutycomplaints,itwouldbeadifferentmatter:
  sheshouldthenbegladtotakeherturn,andthinknothingoftheinconvenience;butjustnow,poorMr。Norristookupeverymomentofhertime,andtheverymentionofsuchathingshewassurewoulddistracthim。
  “Thenshehadbettercometous,“saidLadyBertram,withtheutmostcomposure。AfterashortpauseSirThomasaddedwithdignity,“Yes,letherhomebeinthishouse。
  Wewillendeavourtodoourdutybyher,andshewill,atleast,havetheadvantageofcompanionsofherownage,andofaregularinstructress。“
  “Verytrue,“criedMrs。Norris,“whicharebothveryimportantconsiderations;anditwillbejustthesametoMissLeewhethershehasthreegirlstoteach,oronlytwo——therecanbenodifference。IonlywishI
  couldbemoreuseful;butyouseeIdoallinmypower。
  Iamnotoneofthosethatsparetheirowntrouble;
  andNannyshallfetchher,howeveritmayputmetoinconveniencetohavemychiefcounsellorawayforthreedays。Isuppose,sister,youwillputthechildinthelittlewhiteattic,neartheoldnurseries。
  Itwillbemuchthebestplaceforher,sonearMissLee,andnotfarfromthegirls,andclosebythehousemaids,whocouldeitherofthemhelptodressher,youknow,andtakecareofherclothes,forIsupposeyouwouldnotthinkitfairtoexpectEllistowaitonheraswellastheothers。Indeed,Idonotseethatyoucouldpossiblyplaceheranywhereelse。“
  LadyBertrammadenoopposition。
  “Ihopeshewillproveawell-disposedgirl,“
  continuedMrs。Norris,“andbesensibleofheruncommongoodfortuneinhavingsuchfriends。“
  “Shouldherdispositionbereallybad,“saidSirThomas,“wemustnot,forourownchildren’ssake,continueherinthefamily;butthereisnoreasontoexpectsogreatanevil。Weshallprobablyseemuchtowishalteredinher,andmustprepareourselvesforgrossignorance,somemeannessofopinions,andverydistressingvulgarityofmanner;butthesearenotincurablefaults;nor,Itrust,cantheybedangerousforherassociates。Hadmydaughtersbeen_younger_thanherself,Ishouldhaveconsideredtheintroductionofsuchacompanionasamatterofveryseriousmoment;but,asitis,Ihopetherecanbenothingtofearfor_them_,andeverythingtohopefor_her_,fromtheassociation。“
  “ThatisexactlywhatIthink,“criedMrs。Norris,“andwhatIwassayingtomyhusbandthismorning。
  Itwillbeaneducationforthechild,saidI,onlybeingwithhercousins;ifMissLeetaughthernothing,shewouldlearntobegoodandcleverfrom_them_。“
  “Ihopeshewillnotteasemypoorpug,“saidLadyBertram;
  “IhavebutjustgotJuliatoleaveitalone。“
  “Therewillbesomedifficultyinourway,Mrs。Norris,“
  observedSirThomas,“astothedistinctionpropertobemadebetweenthegirlsastheygrowup:howtopreserveinthemindsofmy_daughters_theconsciousnessofwhattheyare,withoutmakingthemthinktoolowlyoftheircousin;
  andhow,withoutdepressingherspiritstoofar,tomakeherrememberthatsheisnota_MissBertram_。
  Ishouldwishtoseethemverygoodfriends,andwould,onnoaccount,authoriseinmygirlsthesmallestdegreeofarrogancetowardstheirrelation;butstilltheycannotbeequals。Theirrank,fortune,rights,andexpectationswillalwaysbedifferent。Itisapointofgreatdelicacy,andyoumustassistusinourendeavourstochooseexactlytherightlineofconduct。“
  Mrs。Norriswasquiteathisservice;andthoughsheperfectlyagreedwithhimastoitsbeingamostdifficultthing,encouragedhimtohopethatbetweenthemitwouldbeeasilymanaged。
  ItwillbereadilybelievedthatMrs。Norrisdidnotwritetohersisterinvain。Mrs。Priceseemedrathersurprisedthatagirlshouldbefixedon,whenshehadsomanyfineboys,butacceptedtheoffermostthankfully,assuringthemofherdaughter’sbeingaverywell-disposed,good-humouredgirl,andtrustingtheywouldneverhavecausetothrowheroff。
  Shespokeofherfartherassomewhatdelicateandpuny,butwassanguineinthehopeofherbeingmateriallybetterforchangeofair。Poorwoman!sheprobablythoughtchangeofairmightagreewithmanyofherchildren。
  Thelittlegirlperformedherlongjourneyinsafety;
  andatNorthamptonwasmetbyMrs。Norris,whothusregaledinthecreditofbeingforemosttowelcomeher,andintheimportanceofleadingherintotheothers,andrecommendinghertotheirkindness。
  FannyPricewasatthistimejusttenyearsold,andthoughtheremightnotbemuchinherfirstappearancetocaptivate,therewas,atleast,nothingtodisgustherrelations。Shewassmallofherage,withnoglowofcomplexion,noranyotherstrikingbeauty;
  exceedinglytimidandshy,andshrinkingfromnotice;
  butherair,thoughawkward,wasnotvulgar,hervoicewassweet,andwhenshespokehercountenancewaspretty。
  SirThomasandLadyBertramreceivedherverykindly;
  andSirThomas,seeinghowmuchsheneededencouragement,triedtobeallthatwasconciliating:buthehadtoworkagainstamostuntowardgravityofdeportment;
  andLadyBertram,withouttakinghalfsomuchtrouble,orspeakingonewordwherehespoketen,bythemereaidofagood-humouredsmile,becameimmediatelythelessawfulcharacterofthetwo。
  Theyoungpeoplewereallathome,andsustainedtheirshareintheintroductionverywell,withmuchgoodhumour,andnoembarrassment,atleastonthepartofthesons,who,atseventeenandsixteen,andtalloftheirage,hadallthegrandeurofmenintheeyesoftheirlittlecousin。
  Thetwogirlsweremoreatalossfrombeingyoungerandingreateraweoftheirfather,whoaddressedthemontheoccasionwithratheraninjudiciousparticularity。
  Buttheyweretoomuchusedtocompanyandpraisetohaveanythinglikenaturalshyness;andtheirconfidenceincreasingfromtheircousin’stotalwantofit,theyweresoonabletotakeafullsurveyofherfaceandherfrockineasyindifference。
  Theywerearemarkablyfinefamily,thesonsverywell-looking,thedaughtersdecidedlyhandsome,andallofthemwell-grownandforwardoftheirage,whichproducedasstrikingadifferencebetweenthecousinsinperson,aseducationhadgiventotheiraddress;andnoonewouldhavesupposedthegirlssonearlyofanageastheyreallywere。TherewereinfactbuttwoyearsbetweentheyoungestandFanny。
  JuliaBertramwasonlytwelve,andMariabutayearolder。
  Thelittlevisitormeanwhilewasasunhappyaspossible。
  Afraidofeverybody,ashamedofherself,andlongingforthehomeshehadleft,sheknewnothowtolookup,andcouldscarcelyspeaktobeheard,orwithoutcrying。
  Mrs。NorrishadbeentalkingtoherthewholewayfromNorthamptonofherwonderfulgoodfortune,andtheextraordinarydegreeofgratitudeandgoodbehaviourwhichitoughttoproduce,andherconsciousnessofmiserywasthereforeincreasedbytheideaofitsbeingawickedthingforhernottobehappy。Thefatigue,too,ofsolongajourney,becamesoonnotriflingevil。
  Invainwerethewell-meantcondescensionsofSirThomas,andalltheofficiousprognosticationsofMrs。Norristhatshewouldbeagoodgirl;invaindidLadyBertramsmileandmakehersitonthesofawithherselfandpug,andvainwaseventhesightofagooseberrytarttowardsgivinghercomfort;shecouldscarcelyswallowtwomouthfulsbeforetearsinterruptedher,andsleepseemingtobeherlikeliestfriend,shewastakentofinishhersorrowsinbed。
  “Thisisnotaverypromisingbeginning,“saidMrs。Norris,whenFannyhadlefttheroom。“AfterallthatIsaidtoheraswecamealong,Ithoughtshewouldhavebehavedbetter;
  Itoldherhowmuchmightdependuponheracquittingherselfwellatfirst。Iwishtheremaynotbealittlesulkinessoftemper——herpoormotherhadagooddeal;
  butwemustmakeallowancesforsuchachild——andI
  donotknowthatherbeingsorrytoleaveherhomeisreallyagainsther,for,withallitsfaults,it_was_
  herhome,andshecannotasyetunderstandhowmuchshehaschangedforthebetter;butthenthereismoderationinallthings。“