’Butnevermindthat。EverybodyknowsthatMariaClutterbuckwasverymuchadmired。OfcourseI’mnotgoingtotellyouoranyothergentlemanallherhistory。’
’Iwasinhopesyouwere。’
’Thencertainlyyourhopeswillbefrustrated，MrEames。ButundoubtedlywhenshetoldusthatshewasgoingtotakeDobbsBroughton，wewerealittledisappointed。MariaClutterbuckhadbeenusedtoabetterkindoflife。YouunderstandwhatImean，MrEames？’
’Oh，exactly；——andyetit’snotabadkindoflife，either。’
’No，no；thatistrue。Ithasitsattractions。Shekeepshercarriage，seesagooddealofcompany，hasanexcellenthouse，andgoesabroadforsixweekseveryyear。Butyouknow，MrEames，thereis，perhaps，alittleuncertaintyaboutit。’
’Lifeisalwaysuncertain，MissDemolines。’
’You’requizzingnow，Iknow。Butdon’tyoufeelnow，really，thatCitymoneyisalwaysverychancy？Itcomesandgoessoquick。’
’Asregardsthegoing，Ithinkthat’sthesamewithallmoney，’saidJohnny。
’Notwithland，orthefunds。Mammahaseveryshillinglaidoutinafirst—classmortgageonlandatfourpercent。thatdoesmakeonefeelsosecure！Thelandcan’trunaway。’
’ButyouthinkpoorBroughton’smoneymay？’
’It’sallspeculation，youknow。Idon’tbelieveshemindsit；Idon’tindeed。Shelivesthatkindoffeveredlifenowthatshelikesexcitement。OfcourseweallknowthatMrDobbsBroughtonisnotwhatwecancallaneducatedgentleman。Hismannersareagainsthim，andheisveryignorant。EvendearMariawouldadmitthat。’
’Onewouldperhapsletthatpasswithoutaskingheropinionatall。’
’Shehasacknowledgedittome，twentytimes。Butheisverygood—natured，andletsherdoprettynearlyanythingthatshelikes。I
onlyhopeshewon’ttrespassonhisgood—nature。Ido，indeed。’
’Youmean，spendtoomuchmoney？’
’No；Ididn’tmeanthatexactly。Ofcoursesheoughttobemoderate，andIhopesheis。Tothatkindoffeveredexistenceprofuseexpenditureisperhapsnecessary。ButIwasthinkingofsomethingelse。Ifearsheisalittlegiddy。’
’Dearme！Ishouldhavethoughtshewastoo——too——too——’
’Youmeantoooldforanythingofthatkind。MariaBroughtonmustbethirty—threeifshe’saday。’
’Thatwouldmakeyoujusttwenty—five，’saidJohnny，feelingperfectlysureashesaidsothattheladywhomhewasaddressingwasatanyratepastthirty！
’Nevermindmyage，MrEames；whetherIamtwenty—five，orahundredandfive，hasnothingtodowithpoorMariaClutterbuck。ButnowI’lltellyouwhyImentionallthistoyou。YoumusthaveseenhowfoolishsheisaboutyourfriendMrDalrymple？’
’Uponmyword，Ihaven’t。’
’Nonsense，MrEames；youhave。Ifshewereyourwife，wouldyoulikehertocallamanConway？Ofcourseyouwouldnot。Idon’tmeantosaythatthere’sanythinginit。IknowMaria’sprinciplestoowelltosuspectthat。It’smerelybecauseshe’sflightyandfevered。’
’Thatfeveredexistenceaccountsforitall，’saidJohnny。
’Nodoubtitdoes，’saidMissDemolines，withanodofherhead，whichwasintendedtoshowthatshewaswillingtogiveherfriendthefullbenefitofanyexcusewhichcouldbeofferedforher。’Butdon’tyouthinkyoucoulddosomething，MrEames？’
’Idosomething？’
’Yes，you。YouandMrDalrymplearesuchfriends！Ifyouwerejusttopointouttohimyouknow——’
’Pointoutwhat？Tellhimthatheoughtn’ttobecalledConway？
Because，afterall，Isupposethat’stheworstofit。IfyoumeantosaythatDalrympleisinlovewithMrsBroughton，younevermadeagreatermistakeinyourlife。’
’Oh，no；notinlove。Thatwouldbeterrible，youknow。’AndMissDemolinesshookherheadsadly。’Buttheremaybesomuchmischiefdonewithoutanythingofthatkind！Thoughtlessness，youknow，MrEames——purethoughtlessness！ThinkofwhatIhavesaid，andifyoucanspeakawordtoyourfriend，do。AndnowIwanttoaskyousomethingelse。I’msogladyouarecome，becausecircumstanceshaveseemedtomakeitnecessarythatyouandIshouldknoweachother。Wemaybeofsomuchuseifweputourheadstogether。’Johnnybowedwhenheheardthis，butmadenoimmediatereply。’Haveyouheardanythingaboutacertainpicturethatisbeingplanned？’Johnnydidnotwishtoanswerthisquestion，butMissDemolinespausedsolong，andlookedsoearnestlyintohisface，thathefoundhimselfforcedtosaysomething。
’Whatpicture？’
’Acertainpicturethatis——，or，perhaps，thatisnottobe，paintedbyMrDalrymple？’
’IhearsomuchaboutDalrymple’spictures！Youdon’tmeantheportraitofLadyGlencoraPalliser？Thatisnearlyfinished，andwillbeintheExhibitionthisyear。’
’Idon’tmeanthatatall。Imeanapicturethathasnotyetbeenbegun。’
’Aportrait，Isuppose？’
’AstothatIcannotquitesay。Itisatanyratetobealikeness。I
amsureyouhaveheardofit。Come，MrEames，itwouldbebetterthatweshouldbecandidwitheachother。YourememberMissVanSiever，ofcourse？’
’IrememberthatshedinedattheBroughtons。’
’AndyouhaveheardofJael，Isuppose，andSisera？’
’Yes；inageneralway——intheBible。’
’AndnowwillyoutellmewhetheryouhavenotheardthenamesofJaelandMissVanSievercoupledtogether？Iseeyouknowallaboutit。’
’Ihaveheardofitcertainly。’
’Ofcourseyouhave。SohaveI，asyouperceive。Now，MrEames，’——andMissDemoline’svoicebecametremulouslyeagerassheaddressedhim——’itisyourduty，anditismyduty，totakecarethatthatpicturewillneverbepainted。’
’Butwhyshoulditnotbepainted？’
’Youdon’tknowMissVanSiever，yet。’
’Notintheleast。’
’NorMrsVanSiever。’
’Ineverspokeawordtoher。’
’Ido。Iknowthemboth——well。’TherewassomethingalmostgrandlytragicinMissDemoline’svoiceasshethusspoke。’Yes，MrEames，I
knowthemwell。Ifthatschemebecontinued，itwillworkterriblemischief。YouandImustpreventit。’
’ButIdon’tseewhatharmitwilldo。’
’ThinkofConwayDalrymplepassingsomanyhoursinMaria’ssitting—roomupstairs！Thepictureistobepaintedthere，youknow。’
’ButMissVanSieverwillbepresent。Won’tthatmakeitallright？
WhatistherewrongaboutMissVanSiever？’
’Iwon’tdenythatClaraVanSieverhasacertainbeautyofherown。TomesheiscertainlythemostunattractivewomanthatIevercamenear。
Sheissimplyrepulsive！’HereuponMissDemolinesheldupherhandasthoughshewerebanishingMissVanSieverforeverfromhersight，andshudderedslightly。’Menthinkherhandsome，andsheishandsome。Butsheisfalse，covetous，malicious，cruel，anddishonest。’
’Whatafiendinpetticoats！’
’Youmaysaythat，MrEames。Andthenhermother！Hermotherisnotsobad。Hermotherisdifferent。Butthemotherisanodiouswoman，too。ItwasanevildayforMariaClutterbuckwhenshefirstsaweitherthemotherorthedaughter。Itellyouthatinconfidence。’
’ButwhatcanIdo？’saidJohnny，whobegantobeshatteredandalmostinterestedbytheeagernessofthewoman。
’I’lltellyouwhatyoucando。Don’tletyourfriendgotoMrBroughton’shousetopaintthepicture。Ifhedoesdoit，therewillbemischiefcomeofit。Ofcourseyoucanpreventhim。’
’IshouldnotthinkoftryingtopreventhimunlessIknewwhy。’
’She’sanastyproudminx，anditwouldsetherupeversohigh——tothinkthatshewasbeingpaintedbyMrDalrymple！Butthatisn’tthereason。Mariawouldgetintoterribletroubleaboutit，therewouldbenoendofmischief。Imustnottellyoumorenow，andifyoudonotbelieveme，Icannothelpit。Surely，MrEames，mywordmaybetakenasgoingforsomething？AndwhenIaskyoutohelpmeinthis，Idoexpectthatyouwillno...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：