’Butyouwillseehimyourself？’
’No，mother；nottillIhavebeentoAllington。ThenIwillseehimagainornot，justashepleases。IshallstopatGuestwick，andwillwritetoalinefromthence。Ifmyfatherdecidesondoinganything，letmeknowatonce，asitwillbenecessarythatIshouldgetridoftheleaseofmyhouse。’
’Oh，Henry！’
’Ihavethoughtagreatdealaboutit，mother，andIbelieveIamright。
WhetherIamrightorwrong，Ishalldoit。Iwillnotaskyounowforanypromiseorpledge；butshouldMissCrawleybecomemywife，Ihopethatyouatleastwillnotrefusetoseeherasyourdaughter。’Havingsospoken，hekissedhismother，andwasabouttoleavetheroom；butsheheldhimbyhisarm，andhesawthathereyeswerefulloftears。
’Dearestmother，ifIgrieveyouIamsorryindeed。’
’Notme，notme，notme，’shesaid。
’Formyfather，Icannothelpit。HadhenotthreatenedmeIshouldhavetoldhimalso。Ashehasdoneso，youmusttellhim。Butgivehimmykindestlove。’
’Oh，Henry；youwillberuined。Youwill，indeed。Canyounotwait？
Rememberhowheadstrongyourfatheris，andhowgood；——andhowhelovesyou！Thinkofallhethathehasdoneforyou。Whendidherefuseyouanything？’
’Hehasbeengoodtome，butinthisIcannotobeyhim。Heshouldnotaskme。’
’Youarewrong。Youareindeed。Hehasarighttoexpectthatyouwillnotbringdisgraceuponthefamily。’
’NorwillI；——exceptsuchdisgraceasshallattenduponpoverty。
Good—bye，mother。Iwishyoucouldhavesaidonekindwordtome。’
’HaveInotsaidakindword？’
’Notasyet，mother。’
’Iwouldnotfortheworldspeakunkindlytoyou。IfitwerenotforyourfatherIwouldbidyoubringwhomyoupleasedhometomeasyourwife；andIwouldbeasamothertoher。Andifthisgirlshouldbecomeyourwife——’
’Itshallnotbemyfaultifshedoesnot。’
’Iwilltrytoloveher——someday。’
Thenthemajorwent，leavingEdithattherectory，asrequestedbyhismother。Hisowndog—cartandservantwereatPlumstead，andhedrovehimselfhometoCosbyLodge。
Whenthearchdeaconreturnedthenewswastoldtohimatonce。’HenryhasgonetoAllingtontoproposetoMissCrawley，’saidMrsGrantly。
’Gone——withoutspeakingtome！’
’Helefthislove，andsaidthatitwasuselessremaining，asheknewheshouldonlyoffendyou。’
’Hehasmadehisbed，andhemustlieuponit，’saidthearchdeacon。
AndthentherewasnotanotherwordsaidaboutGraceCrawleyonthatoccasion。
CHAPTERXXIII
MISSLILYDALE’SRESOLUTION
TheladiesattheSmallHouseatAllingtonbreakfastedalwaysatnine——aliberalnine；andthepostmanwhosedutyitwastodeliverlettersinthatvillageathalf—pasteight，beingalsoliberalinhisideasastotime，alwaysarrivedpunctuallyinthemiddleofbreakfast，sothatMrsDaleexpectedherletters，andLilyhers，justbeforethesecondcupoftea，asthoughthelettersformedapartofthemorningmeal。Jane，themaidservant，alwaysbroughtthemin，andhandedthemtoMrsDale——forLilyhadinthesedayscometopresideatthebreakfasttable；andthentherewouldbeanexaminationoftheoutsidesbeforetheenvelopeswereviolated，andaseachpartyknewprettywellthecircumstancesofthecorrespondenceoftheother，therewouldbesomeguessingastowhatthisorthatepistlemightcontain；andafterthatareadingoutloudofpassages，andnotunfrequentlytheentireletter。Butnow，atthetimeofwhichIamspeaking，GraceCrawleywasattheSmallHouse，andthereforethecommonpracticewassomewhatinabeyance。
OnoneofthefirstdaysofthenewyearJanebroughtinthelettersasusual，andhandedthemtoMrsDale。Lilywasatthetimeoccupiedwiththeteapot，butstillshesawtheletters，andhadnotherhandssofullastobedebarredfromtheexpressionofherusualanxiety。’Mamma，I’msureIseetwothereforme，’shesaid。’Onlyoneforyou，Lily，’saidMrsDale。Lilyinstantlyknewfromthetoneofthevoicethatsomeletterhadcome，whichbytheveryaspectofthehandwritinghaddisturbinghermother。’Thereisoneforyou，mydear，’saidMrsDale，throwingaletteracrossthetableGrace。’Andoneforyou，Lily，fromBell。Theothersareforme。’’Andwhomareyouyoursfrom，mamma？’
askedLily。’OneisfromMrsJones；andtheother，Ithink，isaletteronbusiness。’ThenLilysaidnothingfurther，butsheobservedthathermotheronlyopenedoneofherlettersatthebreakfast—table。Lilywasverypatient；——notbenature，Ithink，butbyexerciseandpractice。Shehad，onceinherlife，beentoomuchinahurry；andhavingthenburnedherselfgrievously，shenowfearedthefire。Shedidnotthereforefollowhermotherafterbreakfast，butsatwithGraceoverthefire，hemmingdiligentlyatcertainarticlesofclothingwhichwereintendedforuseintheHogglestockparsonage。ThetwogirlsweremakingasetofnewshirtsforMrCrawley。’ButIknowhewillaskwheretheycomefrom，’saidGrace；’andthenmammawillbescolded。’’ButIhopehe’llwearthem，’saidLily。’Sooneroflaterhewill，’saidGrace；’becausemammamanagesgenerallytohaveherwayatlast。’Thentheywentonforanhourorso，talkingaboutthehomeaffairsatHogglestock。ButduringthewholetimeLily’smindwasintentuponhermother’sletter。
Nothingwassaidaboutitatlunch，andnothingwhentheywalkedoutafterlunch，forLilywasverypatient。ButduringthewalkMrsDalebecameawarethatherdaughterwasuneasy。Thesetwowatchedeachotherunconsciouslywithaclosenesswhichhardlyallowedaglanceoftheeye，certainlynotatoneofthevoice，topassunobserved。ToMrsDaleitwaseverythingintheworldthatherdaughtershouldbe，ifnothappyatheart，atleasttranquil；andtoLily，whoknewthathermotherwasalwaysthinkingofher，andofheralone，hermotherwastheonlyhumandivinitynowworthyofadoration。Butnothingwassaidabouttheletterduringthewalk。
Whentheycamehomeitwasnearlydusk，anditwastheirhabittositupforawhilewithoutcandles，talking，tilltheeveninghadintruthsetinandtheunmistakableandenforcedidlenessofremainingwithoutcandleswasapparent。Duringthistime，Lily，demandingpatienceofherselfallthewhile，wasthinkingwhatshewoulddo，orratherwhatshewouldsay，abouttheletter。ThatnothingwouldbedoneorsaidinthepresenceofGraceCrawleywasamatterofcourse，norwouldshedoorsayanythingtogetridofGrace。Shewouldbeverypatient；butshewould，atlast，askhermotherabouttheletter。
Andthen，asluckwouldhaveit，GraceCrawleygotupandlefttheroom。
Lilystillwaitedforafewminutes，and，inorderthathepatiencemightbethoroughlyexercised，shesaidawordortwoabouthersisterBell；howtheeldestchild’swhooping—coughwasnearlywell，andhowthebabywasdoingwonderfulthingswithitsfirsttooth。ButasMrsDalehadalreadyseenBell’sletter，allthiswasnotintenselyinteresting。AtlastLilycametothepointandaskedherquestion。
’Mamma，fromwhomwasthatotherletterwhichyougotthismorning？’
OurstorywillperhapsbebesttoldbycommunicatingthelettertothereaderbeforeitwasdiscussedwithLily。Theletterwasasfollows：—
’GENERALCOMMITTEEOFFICE，——January，186—’
IshouldhavesaidthatMrsDalehadnotopenedthelettertillshehadfoundherselfinthesolitudeofherownbedroom；andthatthen，beforedoingso，shehadexaminedthehandwritingwithanxiouseyes。Whenshefirstreceiveditshethoughtsheknewthewriter，butwasnotsure。
Thenshehadglancedattheimpressionoverthefastening，andhadknownatoncefromwhomtheletterhadcome。ItwasfromMrCrosbie，themanwhohadbroughtsomuchtroubleintoherhouse，whohadjiltedherdaughter；theonlymanintheworldwhomshehadarighttor...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：