首页 >出版文学> Mansfield Parkby>第80章

第80章

  Sam,loudandoverbearingashewas,sheratherregrettedwhenhewent,forhewascleverandintelligent,andgladtobeemployedinanyerrandinthetown;andthoughspurningtheremonstrancesofSusan,givenastheywere,thoughveryreasonableinthemselves,withill-timedandpowerlesswarmth,wasbeginningtobeinfluencedbyFanny’sservicesandgentlepersuasions;andshefoundthatthebestofthethreeyoungeroneswasgoneinhim:
  TomandCharlesbeingatleastasmanyyearsastheywerehisjuniorsdistantfromthatageoffeelingandreason,whichmightsuggesttheexpediencyofmakingfriends,andofendeavouringtobelessdisagreeable。Theirsistersoondespairedofmakingthesmallestimpressionon_them_;
  theywerequiteuntameablebyanymeansofaddresswhichshehadspiritsortimetoattempt。Everyafternoonbroughtareturnoftheirriotousgamesalloverthehouse;andsheveryearlylearnedtosighattheapproachofSaturday’sconstanthalf-holiday。
  Betsey,too,aspoiledchild,traineduptothinkthealphabethergreatestenemy,lefttobewiththeservantsatherpleasure,andthenencouragedtoreportanyevilofthem,shewasalmostasreadytodespairofbeingabletoloveorassist;andofSusan’stempershehadmanydoubts。Hercontinualdisagreementswithhermother,herrashsquabbleswithTomandCharles,andpetulancewithBetsey,wereatleastsodistressingtoFannythat,thoughadmittingtheywerebynomeanswithoutprovocation,shefearedthedispositionthatcouldpushthemtosuchlengthmustbefarfromamiable,andfromaffordinganyreposetoherself。
  SuchwasthehomewhichwastoputMansfieldoutofherhead,andteachhertothinkofhercousinEdmundwithmoderatedfeelings。Onthecontrary,shecouldthinkofnothingbutMansfield,itsbelovedinmates,itshappyways。
  Everythingwhereshenowwasinfullcontrasttoit。
  Theelegance,propriety,regularity,harmony,andperhaps,aboveall,thepeaceandtranquillityofMansfield,werebroughttoherremembranceeveryhouroftheday,bytheprevalenceofeverythingoppositetothem_here_。
  Thelivinginincessantnoisewas,toaframeandtemperdelicateandnervouslikeFanny’s,anevilwhichnosuperaddedeleganceorharmonycouldhaveentirelyatonedfor。Itwasthegreatestmiseryofall。
  AtMansfield,nosoundsofcontention,noraisedvoice,noabruptbursts,notreadofviolence,waseverheard;
  allproceededinaregularcourseofcheerfulorderliness;
  everybodyhadtheirdueimportance;everybody’sfeelingswereconsulted。Iftendernesscouldbeeversupposedwanting,goodsenseandgoodbreedingsupplieditsplace;andastothelittleirritationssometimesintroducedbyauntNorris,theywereshort,theyweretrifling,theywereasadropofwatertotheocean,comparedwiththeceaselesstumultofherpresentabode。Hereeverybodywasnoisy,everyvoicewasloudexcepting,perhaps,hermother’s,whichresembledthesoftmonotonyofLadyBertram’s,onlywornintofretfulness。Whateverwaswantedwashallooedfor,andtheservantshallooedouttheirexcusesfromthekitchen。Thedoorswereinconstantbanging,thestairswereneveratrest,nothingwasdonewithoutaclatter,nobodysatstill,andnobodycouldcommandattentionwhentheyspoke。
  Inareviewofthetwohouses,astheyappearedtoherbeforetheendofaweek,FannywastemptedtoapplytothemDr。Johnson’scelebratedjudgmentastomatrimonyandcelibacy,andsay,thatthoughMansfieldParkmighthavesomepains,Portsmouthcouldhavenopleasures。
  FannywasrightenoughinnotexpectingtohearfromMissCrawfordnowattherapidrateinwhichtheircorrespondencehadbegun;Mary’snextletterwasafteradecidedlylongerintervalthanthelast,butshewasnotrightinsupposingthatsuchanintervalwouldbefeltagreatrelieftoherself。Herewasanotherstrangerevolutionofmind!
  Shewasreallygladtoreceivetheletterwhenitdidcome。
  Inherpresentexilefromgoodsociety,anddistancefromeverythingthathadbeenwonttointeresther,aletterfromonebelongingtothesetwhereherheartlived,writtenwithaffection,andsomedegreeofelegance,wasthoroughlyacceptable。Theusualpleaofincreasingengagementswasmadeinexcusefornothavingwrittentoherearlier;“AndnowthatIhavebegun,“
  shecontinued,“myletterwillnotbeworthyourreading,fortherewillbenolittleofferingofloveattheend,nothreeorfourlines_passionnees_fromthemostdevotedH。C。intheworld,forHenryisinNorfolk;
  businesscalledhimtoEveringhamtendaysago,orperhapsheonlypretendedtocall,forthesakeofbeingtravellingatthesametimethatyouwere。Butthereheis,and,bythebye,hisabsencemaysufficientlyaccountforanyremissnessofhissister’sinwriting,fortherehasbeenno’Well,Mary,whendoyouwritetoFanny?
  IsnotittimeforyoutowritetoFanny?’tospurmeon。
  Atlast,aftervariousattemptsatmeeting,Ihaveseenyourcousins,’dearJuliaanddearestMrs。Rushworth’;
  theyfoundmeathomeyesterday,andweweregladtoseeeachotheragain。We_seemed__very_gladtoseeeachother,andIdoreallythinkwewerealittle。
  Wehadavastdealtosay。ShallItellyouhowMrs。Rushworthlookedwhenyournamewasmentioned?
  Ididnotusetothinkherwantinginself-possession,butshehadnotquiteenoughforthedemandsofyesterday。
  Uponthewhole,Juliawasinthebestlooksofthetwo,atleastafteryouwerespokenof。TherewasnorecoveringthecomplexionfromthemomentthatIspokeof’Fanny,’andspokeofherasasistershould。
  ButMrs。Rushworth’sdayofgoodlookswillcome;
  wehavecardsforherfirstpartyonthe28th。Thenshewillbeinbeauty,forshewillopenoneofthebesthousesinWimpoleStreet。Iwasinittwoyearsago,whenitwasLadyLascelle’s,andpreferittoalmostanyIknowinLondon,andcertainlyshewillthenfeel,touseavulgarphrase,thatshehasgotherpennyworthforherpenny。Henrycouldnothaveaffordedhersuchahouse。Ihopeshewillrecollectit,andbesatisfied,aswellasshemay,withmovingthequeenofapalace,thoughthekingmayappearbestinthebackground;
  andasIhavenodesiretoteaseher,Ishallnever_force_
  yournameuponheragain。Shewillgrowsoberbydegrees。
  FromallthatIhearandguess,BaronWildenheim’sattentionstoJuliacontinue,butIdonotknowthathehasanyseriousencouragement。Sheoughttodobetter。
  Apoorhonourableisnocatch,andIcannotimagineanylikinginthecase,fortakeawayhisrants,andthepoorbaronhasnothing。Whatadifferenceavowelmakes!
  Ifhisrentswerebutequaltohisrants!YourcousinEdmundmovesslowly;detained,perchance,byparishduties。
  TheremaybesomeoldwomanatThorntonLaceytobeconverted。
  Iamunwillingtofancymyselfneglectedfora_young_one。
  Adieu!mydearsweetFanny,thisisalongletterfromLondon:
  writemeaprettyoneinreplytogladdenHenry’seyes,whenhecomesback,andsendmeanaccountofallthedashingyoungcaptainswhomyoudisdainforhissake。“
  Therewasgreatfoodformeditationinthisletter,andchieflyforunpleasantmeditation;andyet,withalltheuneasinessitsupplied,itconnectedherwiththeabsent,ittoldherofpeopleandthingsaboutwhomshehadneverfeltsomuchcuriosityasnow,andshewouldhavebeengladtohavebeensureofsuchalettereveryweek。
  HercorrespondencewithherauntBertramwasheronlyconcernofhigherinterest。
  AsforanysocietyinPortsmouth,thatcouldatallmakeamendsfordeficienciesathome,therewerenonewithinthecircleofherfather’sandmother’sacquaintancetoaffordherthesmallestsatisfaction:shesawnobodyinwhosefavourshecouldwishtoovercomeherownshynessandreserve。Themenappearedtoherallcoarse,thewomenallpert,everybodyunderbred;andshegaveaslittlecontentmentasshereceivedfromintroductionseithertooldornewacquaintance。Theyoungladieswhoapproachedheratfirstwithsomerespect,inconsiderationofhercomingfromabaronet’sfamily,weresoonoffendedbywhattheytermed“airs“;for,assheneitherplayedonthepianofortenorworefinepelisses,theycould,onfartherobservation,admitnorightofsuperiority。
  ThefirstsolidconsolationwhichFannyreceivedfortheevilsofhome,thefirstwhichherjudgmentcouldentirelyapprove,andwhichgaveanypromiseofdurability,wasinabetterknowledgeofSusan,andahopeofbeingofservicetoher。Susanhadalwaysbehavedpleasantlytoherself,butthedeterminedcharacterofhergeneralmannershadastonishedandalarmedher,anditwasatleastafortnightbeforeshebegantounderstandadispositionsototallydifferentfromherown。Susansawthatmuchwaswrongathome,andwantedtosetitright。Thatagirloffourteen,actingonlyonherownunassistedreason,shoulderrinthemethodofreform,wasnotwonderful;
  andFannysoonbecamemoredisposedtoadmirethenaturallightofthemindwhichcouldsoearlydistinguishjustly,thantocensureseverelythefaultsofconducttowhichitled。
  Susanwasonlyactingonthesametruths,andpursuingthesamesystem,whichherownjudgmentacknowledged,butwhichhermoresupineandyieldingtemperwouldhaveshrunkfromasserting。Susantriedtobeuseful,where_she_couldonlyhavegoneawayandcried;andthatSusanwasusefulshecouldperceive;thatthings,badastheywere,wouldhavebeenworsebutforsuchinterposition,andthatbothhermotherandBetseywererestrainedfromsomeexcessesofveryoffensiveindulgenceandvulgarity。
  Ineveryargumentwithhermother,Susanhadinpointofreasontheadvantage,andneverwasthereanymaternaltendernesstobuyheroff。Theblindfondnesswhichwasforeverproducingevilaroundhershehadneverknown。
  Therewasnogratitudeforaffectionpastorpresenttomakeherbetterbearwithitsexcessestotheothers。