首页 >出版文学> Mansfield Parkby>第95章

第95章

  ThatJuliaescapedbetterthanMariawasowing,insomemeasure,toafavourabledifferenceofdispositionandcircumstance,butinagreatertoherhavingbeenlessthedarlingofthatveryaunt,lessflatteredandlessspoilt。
  Herbeautyandacquirementshadheldbutasecondplace。
  ShehadbeenalwaysusedtothinkherselfalittleinferiortoMaria。Hertemperwasnaturallytheeasiestofthetwo;
  herfeelings,thoughquick,weremorecontrollable,andeducationhadnotgivenhersoveryhurtfuladegreeofself-consequence。
  ShehadsubmittedthebesttothedisappointmentinHenryCrawford。Afterthefirstbitternessoftheconvictionofbeingslightedwasover,shehadbeentolerablysooninafairwayofnotthinkingofhimagain;
  andwhentheacquaintancewasrenewedintown,andMr。Rushworth’shousebecameCrawford’sobject,shehadhadthemeritofwithdrawingherselffromit,andofchusingthattimetopayavisittoherotherfriends,inordertosecureherselffrombeingagaintoomuchattracted。
  Thishadbeenhermotiveingoingtohercousin’s。
  Mr。Yates’sconveniencehadhadnothingtodowithit。
  Shehadbeenallowinghisattentionssometime,butwithverylittleideaofeveracceptinghim;
  andhadnothersister’sconductburstforthasitdid,andherincreaseddreadofherfatherandofhome,onthatevent,imaginingitscertainconsequencetoherselfwouldbegreaterseverityandrestraint,madeherhastilyresolveonavoidingsuchimmediatehorrorsatallrisks,itisprobablethatMr。Yateswouldneverhavesucceeded。
  Shehadnotelopedwithanyworsefeelingsthanthoseofselfishalarm。Ithadappearedtohertheonlythingtobedone。Maria’sguilthadinducedJulia’sfolly。
  HenryCrawford,ruinedbyearlyindependenceandbaddomesticexample,indulgedinthefreaksofacold-bloodedvanityalittletoolong。Onceithad,byanopeningundesignedandunmerited,ledhimintothewayofhappiness。
  Couldhehavebeensatisfiedwiththeconquestofoneamiablewoman’saffections,couldhehavefoundsufficientexultationinovercomingthereluctance,inworkinghimselfintotheesteemandtendernessofFannyPrice,therewouldhavebeeneveryprobabilityofsuccessandfelicityforhim。
  Hisaffectionhadalreadydonesomething。Herinfluenceoverhimhadalreadygivenhimsomeinfluenceoverher。
  Wouldhehavedeservedmore,therecanbenodoubtthatmorewouldhavebeenobtained,especiallywhenthatmarriagehadtakenplace,whichwouldhavegivenhimtheassistanceofherconscienceinsubduingherfirstinclination,andbroughtthemveryoftentogether。
  Wouldhehavepersevered,anduprightly,Fannymusthavebeenhisreward,andarewardveryvoluntarilybestowed,withinareasonableperiodfromEdmund’smarryingMary。
  Hadhedoneasheintended,andasheknewheought,bygoingdowntoEveringhamafterhisreturnfromPortsmouth,hemighthavebeendecidinghisownhappydestiny。
  ButhewaspressedtostayforMrs。Fraser’sparty;
  hisstayingwasmadeofflatteringconsequence,andhewastomeetMrs。Rushworththere。Curiosityandvanitywerebothengaged,andthetemptationofimmediatepleasurewastoostrongforamindunusedtomakeanysacrificetoright:heresolvedtodeferhisNorfolkjourney,resolvedthatwritingshouldanswerthepurposeofit,orthatitspurposewasunimportant,andstaid。HesawMrs。Rushworth,wasreceivedbyherwithacoldnesswhichoughttohavebeenrepulsive,andhaveestablishedapparentindifferencebetweenthemforever;buthewasmortified,hecouldnotbeartobethrownoffbythewomanwhosesmileshadbeensowhollyathiscommand:hemustexerthimselftosubduesoproudadisplayofresentment;itwasangeronFanny’saccount;hemustgetthebetterofit,andmakeMrs。RushworthMariaBertramagaininhertreatmentofhimself。
  Inthisspirithebegantheattack,andbyanimatedperseverancehadsoonre-establishedthesortoffamiliarintercourse,ofgallantry,offlirtation,whichboundedhisviews;butintriumphingoverthediscretionwhich,thoughbeginninginanger,mighthavesavedthemboth,hehadputhimselfinthepoweroffeelingsonhersidemorestrongthanhehadsupposed。Shelovedhim;
  therewasnowithdrawingattentionsavowedlydeartoher。
  Hewasentangledbyhisownvanity,withaslittleexcuseofloveaspossible,andwithoutthesmallestinconstancyofmindtowardshercousin。TokeepFannyandtheBertramsfromaknowledgeofwhatwaspassingbecamehisfirstobject。SecrecycouldnothavebeenmoredesirableforMrs。Rushworth’screditthanhefeltitforhisown。WhenhereturnedfromRichmond,hewouldhavebeengladtoseeMrs。Rushworthnomore。
  Allthatfollowedwastheresultofherimprudence;
  andhewentoffwithheratlast,becausehecouldnothelpit,regrettingFannyevenatthemoment,butregrettingherinfinitelymorewhenallthebustleoftheintriguewasover,andaveryfewmonthshadtaughthim,bytheforceofcontrast,toplaceayethighervalueonthesweetnessofhertemper,thepurityofhermind,andtheexcellenceofherprinciples。
  Thatpunishment,thepublicpunishmentofdisgrace,shouldinajustmeasureattend_his_shareoftheoffenceis,weknow,notoneofthebarrierswhichsocietygivestovirtue。Inthisworldthepenaltyislessequalthancouldbewished;butwithoutpresumingtolookforwardtoajusterappointmenthereafter,wemayfairlyconsideramanofsense,likeHenryCrawford,tobeprovidingforhimselfnosmallportionofvexationandregret:
  vexationthatmustrisesometimestoself-reproach,andregrettowretchedness,inhavingsorequitedhospitality,soinjuredfamilypeace,soforfeitedhisbest,mostestimable,andendearedacquaintance,andsolostthewomanwhomhehadrationallyaswellaspassionatelyloved。
  Afterwhathadpassedtowoundandalienatethetwofamilies,thecontinuanceoftheBertramsandGrantsinsuchcloseneighbourhoodwouldhavebeenmostdistressing;
  buttheabsenceofthelatter,forsomemonthspurposelylengthened,endedveryfortunatelyinthenecessity,oratleastthepracticability,ofapermanentremoval。
  Dr。Grant,throughaninterestonwhichhehadalmostceasedtoformhopes,succeededtoastallinWestminster,which,asaffordinganoccasionforleavingMansfield,anexcuseforresidenceinLondon,andanincreaseofincometoanswertheexpensesofthechange,washighlyacceptabletothosewhowentandthosewhostaid。
  Mrs。Grant,withatempertoloveandbeloved,musthavegonewithsomeregretfromthescenesandpeopleshehadbeenusedto;butthesamehappinessofdispositionmustinanyplace,andanysociety,secureheragreatdealtoenjoy,andshehadagainahometoofferMary;
  andMaryhadhadenoughofherownfriends,enoughofvanity,ambition,love,anddisappointmentinthecourseofthelasthalf-year,tobeinneedofthetruekindnessofhersister’sheart,andtherationaltranquillityofherways。
  Theylivedtogether;andwhenDr。Granthadbroughtonapoplexyanddeath,bythreegreatinstitutionarydinnersinoneweek,theystilllivedtogether;forMary,thoughperfectlyresolvedagainsteverattachingherselftoayoungerbrotheragain,waslonginfindingamongthedashingrepresentatives,oridleheir-apparents,whowereatthecommandofherbeauty,andher20,000,anyonewhocouldsatisfythebettertasteshehadacquiredatMansfield,whosecharacterandmannerscouldauthoriseahopeofthedomestichappinessshehadtherelearnedtoestimate,orputEdmundBertramsufficientlyoutofherhead。
  Edmundhadgreatlytheadvantageofherinthisrespect。
  Hehadnottowaitandwishwithvacantaffectionsforanobjectworthytosucceedherinthem。ScarcelyhadhedoneregrettingMaryCrawford,andobservingtoFannyhowimpossibleitwasthatheshouldevermeetwithsuchanotherwoman,beforeitbegantostrikehimwhetheraverydifferentkindofwomanmightnotdojustaswell,oragreatdealbetter:whetherFannyherselfwerenotgrowingasdear,asimportanttohiminallhersmilesandallherways,asMaryCrawfordhadeverbeen;
  andwhetheritmightnotbeapossible,anhopefulundertakingtopersuadeherthatherwarmandsisterlyregardforhimwouldbefoundationenoughforweddedlove。
  Ipurposelyabstainfromdatesonthisoccasion,thateveryonemaybeatlibertytofixtheirown,awarethatthecureofunconquerablepassions,andthetransferofunchangingattachments,mustvarymuchastotimeindifferentpeople。Ionlyentreateverybodytobelievethatexactlyatthetimewhenitwasquitenaturalthatitshouldbeso,andnotaweekearlier,EdmunddidceasetocareaboutMissCrawford,andbecameasanxioustomarryFannyasFannyherselfcoulddesire。
  Withsucharegardforher,indeed,ashishadlongbeen,aregardfoundedonthemostendearingclaimsofinnocenceandhelplessness,andcompletedbyeveryrecommendationofgrowingworth,whatcouldbemorenaturalthanthechange?Loving,guiding,protectingher,ashehadbeendoingeversinceherbeingtenyearsold,hermindinsogreatadegreeformedbyhiscare,andhercomfortdependingonhiskindness,anobjecttohimofsuchcloseandpeculiarinterest,dearerbyallhisownimportancewithherthananyoneelseatMansfield,whatwastherenowtoadd,butthatheshouldlearntoprefersoftlighteyestosparklingdarkones。
  Andbeingalwayswithher,andalwaystalkingconfidentially,andhisfeelingsexactlyinthatfavourablestatewhicharecentdisappointmentgives,thosesoftlighteyescouldnotbeverylonginobtainingthepre-eminence。
  Havingoncesetout,andfeltthathehaddonesoonthisroadtohappiness,therewasnothingonthesideofprudencetostophimormakehisprogressslow;
  nodoubtsofherdeserving,nofearsofoppositionoftaste,noneedofdrawingnewhopesofhappinessfromdissimilarityoftemper。Hermind,disposition,opinions,andhabitswantednohalf-concealment,noself-deceptiononthepresent,norelianceonfutureimprovement。Eveninthemidstofhislateinfatuation,hehadacknowledgedFanny’smentalsuperiority。Whatmustbehissenseofitnow,therefore?Shewasofcourseonlytoogoodforhim;
  butasnobodymindshavingwhatistoogoodforthem,hewasverysteadilyearnestinthepursuitoftheblessing,anditwasnotpossiblethatencouragementfromhershouldbelongwanting。Timid,anxious,doubtingasshewas,itwasstillimpossiblethatsuchtendernessashersshouldnot,attimes,holdoutthestrongesthopeofsuccess,thoughitremainedforalaterperiodtotellhimthewholedelightfulandastonishingtruth。Hishappinessinknowinghimselftohavebeensolongthebelovedofsuchaheart,musthavebeengreatenoughtowarrantanystrengthoflanguageinwhichhecouldclotheittoherortohimself;