首页 >出版文学> Mansfield Parkby>第84章

第84章

  andIknowyoucannotspeakorwriteafalsehood,solongonlyshallyoubeconsideredaswell。“
  Fannythankedhimagain,butwasaffectedanddistressedtoadegreethatmadeitimpossibleforhertosaymuch,oreventobecertainofwhatsheoughttosay。
  Thiswastowardsthecloseoftheirwalk。Heattendedthemtothelast,andleftthemonlyatthedooroftheirownhouse,whenheknewthemtobegoingtodinner,andthereforepretendedtobewaitedforelsewhere。
  “Iwishyouwerenotsotired,“saidhe,stilldetainingFannyafteralltheotherswereinthehouse——“IwishI
  leftyouinstrongerhealth。IsthereanythingIcandoforyouintown?IhavehalfanideaofgoingintoNorfolkagainsoon。IamnotsatisfiedaboutMaddison。
  Iamsurehestillmeanstoimposeonmeifpossible,andgetacousinofhisownintoacertainmill,whichI
  designforsomebodyelse。Imustcometoanunderstandingwithhim。ImustmakehimknowthatIwillnotbetrickedonthesouthsideofEveringham,anymorethanonthenorth:thatIwillbemasterofmyownproperty。
  Iwasnotexplicitenoughwithhimbefore。Themischiefsuchamandoesonanestate,bothastothecreditofhisemployerandthewelfareofthepoor,isinconceivable。
  IhaveagreatmindtogobackintoNorfolkdirectly,andputeverythingatonceonsuchafootingascannotbeafterwardsswervedfrom。Maddisonisacleverfellow;
  Idonotwishtodisplacehim,providedhedoesnottrytodisplace_me_;butitwouldbesimpletobedupedbyamanwhohasnorightofcreditortodupeme,andworsethansimpletolethimgivemeahard-hearted,gripingfellowforatenant,insteadofanhonestman,towhomIhavegivenhalfapromisealready。Woulditnotbeworsethansimple?ShallIgo?Doyouadviseit?“
  “Iadvise!Youknowverywellwhatisright。“
  “Yes。Whenyougivemeyouropinion,Ialwaysknowwhatisright。Yourjudgmentismyruleofright。“
  “Oh,no!donotsayso。Wehaveallabetterguideinourselves,ifwewouldattendtoit,thananyotherpersoncanbe。Good-bye;Iwishyouapleasantjourneyto-morrow。“
  “IstherenothingIcandoforyouintown?“
  “Nothing;Iammuchobligedtoyou。“
  “Haveyounomessageforanybody?“
  “Mylovetoyoursister,ifyouplease;andwhenyouseemycousin,mycousinEdmund,IwishyouwouldbesogoodastosaythatIsupposeIshallsoonhearfromhim。“
  “Certainly;andifheislazyornegligent,Iwillwritehisexcusesmyself。“
  Hecouldsaynomore,forFannywouldbenolongerdetained。
  Hepressedherhand,lookedather,andwasgone。
  _He_wenttowhileawaythenextthreehoursashecould,withhisotheracquaintance,tillthebestdinnerthatacapitalinnaffordedwasreadyfortheirenjoyment,and_she_turnedintohermoresimpleoneimmediately。
  Theirgeneralfareboreaverydifferentcharacter;
  andcouldhehavesuspectedhowmanyprivations,besidesthatofexercise,sheenduredinherfather’shouse,hewouldhavewonderedthatherlookswerenotmuchmoreaffectedthanhefoundthem。ShewassolittleequaltoRebecca’spuddingsandRebecca’shashes,broughttotable,astheyallwere,withsuchaccompanimentsofhalf-cleanedplates,andnothalf-cleanedknivesandforks,thatshewasveryoftenconstrainedtodeferherheartiestmealtillshecouldsendherbrothersintheeveningforbiscuitsandbuns。
  AfterbeingnursedupatMansfield,itwastoolateinthedaytobehardenedatPortsmouth;andthoughSirThomas,hadheknownall,mighthavethoughthisnieceinthemostpromisingwayofbeingstarved,bothmindandbody,intoamuchjustervalueforMr。Crawford’sgoodcompanyandgoodfortune,hewouldprobablyhavefearedtopushhisexperimentfarther,lestshemightdieunderthecure。
  Fannywasoutofspiritsalltherestoftheday。
  ThoughtolerablysecureofnotseeingMr。Crawfordagain,shecouldnothelpbeinglow。Itwaspartingwithsomebodyofthenatureofafriend;andthough,inonelight,gladtohavehimgone,itseemedasifshewasnowdesertedbyeverybody;itwasasortofrenewedseparationfromMansfield;andshecouldnotthinkofhisreturningtotown,andbeingfrequentlywithMaryandEdmund,withoutfeelingssonearakintoenvyasmadeherhateherselfforhavingthem。
  Herdejectionhadnoabatementfromanythingpassingaroundher;afriendortwoofherfather’s,asalwayshappenedifhewasnotwiththem,spentthelong,longeveningthere;andfromsixo’clocktillhalf-pastnine,therewaslittleintermissionofnoiseorgrog。Shewasverylow。ThewonderfulimprovementwhichshestillfanciedinMr。Crawfordwasthenearesttoadministeringcomfortofanythingwithinthecurrentofherthoughts。
  Notconsideringinhowdifferentacircleshehadbeenjustseeinghim,norhowmuchmightbeowingtocontrast,shewasquitepersuadedofhisbeingastonishinglymoregentleandregardfulofothersthanformerly。
  And,ifinlittlethings,mustitnotbesoingreat?
  Soanxiousforherhealthandcomfort,soveryfeelingashenowexpressedhimself,andreallyseemed,mightnotitbefairlysupposedthathewouldnotmuchlongerpersevereinasuitsodistressingtoher?
  Chapter43CHAPTERXLIII
  ItwaspresumedthatMr。Crawfordwastravellingback,toLondon,onthemorrow,fornothingmorewasseenofhimatMr。Price’s;andtwodaysafterwards,itwasafactascertainedtoFannybythefollowingletterfromhissister,openedandreadbyher,onanotheraccount,withthemostanxiouscuriosity:——
  “Ihavetoinformyou,mydearestFanny,thatHenryhasbeendowntoPortsmouthtoseeyou;thathehadadelightfulwalkwithyoutothedockyardlastSaturday,andonestillmoretobedweltonthenextday,ontheramparts;whenthebalmyair,thesparklingsea,andyoursweetlooksandconversationwerealtogetherinthemostdeliciousharmony,andaffordedsensationswhicharetoraiseecstasyeveninretrospect。This,aswellasIunderstand,istobethesubstanceofmyinformation。
  Hemakesmewrite,butIdonotknowwhatelseistobecommunicated,exceptthissaidvisittoPortsmouth,andthesetwosaidwalks,andhisintroductiontoyourfamily,especiallytoafairsisterofyours,afinegirloffifteen,whowasofthepartyontheramparts,takingherfirstlesson,Ipresume,inlove。Ihavenottimeforwritingmuch,butitwouldbeoutofplaceifIhad,forthisistobeamereletterofbusiness,pennedforthepurposeofconveyingnecessaryinformation,whichcouldnotbedelayedwithoutriskofevil。Mydear,dearFanny,ifIhadyouhere,howIwouldtalktoyou!
  Youshouldlistentometillyouweretired,andadvisemetillyouwerestilltiredmore;butitisimpossibletoputahundredthpartofmygreatmindonpaper,soIwillabstainaltogether,andleaveyoutoguesswhatyoulike。Ihavenonewsforyou。Youhavepolitics,ofcourse;anditwouldbetoobadtoplagueyouwiththenamesofpeopleandpartiesthatfillupmytime。
  Ioughttohavesentyouanaccountofyourcousin’sfirstparty,butIwaslazy,andnowitistoolongago;
  sufficeit,thateverythingwasjustasitoughttobe,inastylethatanyofherconnexionsmusthavebeengratifiedtowitness,andthatherowndressandmannersdidherthegreatestcredit。Myfriend,Mrs。Fraser,ismadforsuchahouse,anditwouldnotmake_me_miserable。
  IgotoLadyStornawayafterEaster;sheseemsinhighspirits,andveryhappy。IfancyLordS。isverygood-humouredandpleasantinhisownfamily,andIdonotthinkhimsoveryill-lookingasIdid——atleast,oneseesmanyworse。
  HewillnotdobythesideofyourcousinEdmund。
  Ofthelast-mentionedhero,whatshallIsay?IfI
  avoidedhisnameentirely,itwouldlooksuspicious。
  Iwillsay,then,thatwehaveseenhimtwoorthreetimes,andthatmyfriendshereareverymuchstruckwithhisgentlemanlikeappearance。Mrs。Frasernobadjudge
  declaressheknowsbutthreemenintownwhohavesogoodaperson,height,andair;andImustconfess,whenhedinedheretheotherday,therewerenonetocomparewithhim,andwewereapartyofsixteen。Luckilythereisnodistinctionofdressnowadaystotelltales,but——but——
  butYoursaffectionately。“
  IhadalmostforgotitwasEdmund’sfault:hegetsintomyheadmorethandoesmegoodoneverymaterialthingI
  hadtosayfromHenryandmyself——ImeanaboutourtakingyoubackintoNorthamptonshire。Mydearlittlecreature,donotstayatPortsmouthtoloseyourprettylooks。
  Thosevilesea-breezesaretheruinofbeautyandhealth。
  Mypoorauntalwaysfeltaffectedifwithintenmilesofthesea,whichtheAdmiralofcourseneverbelieved,butIknowitwasso。IamatyourserviceandHenry’s,atanhour’snotice。Ishouldlikethescheme,andwewouldmakealittlecircuit,andshewyouEveringhaminourway,andperhapsyouwouldnotmindpassingthroughLondon,andseeingtheinsideofSt。George’s,HanoverSquare。
  OnlykeepyourcousinEdmundfrommeatsuchatime:
  Ishouldnotliketobetempted。Whatalongletter!
  onewordmore。Henry,Ifind,hassomeideaofgoingintoNorfolkagainuponsomebusinessthat_you_approve;