shesaid；’thatmustbemyprotection。’SoshefollowedMissVanSieverdownstairs，leavingMrDalrympleinpossessionofherboudoir。’Ishallgiveyoujustonehour，’shesaid，’andthenIshallcomeandturnyouout。’Soshewentdown，and，asMissVanSieverwouldnotstaytolunchwithher，sheateherlunchbyherself，sendingaglassofsherryandabiscuituptothepoorpainterathiswork。
Exactlyattheendofthehourshereturnedtohim。’Now，Conway，youmustgo，’shesaid。
’Butwhyinsuchahurry？’
’BecauseIsaythatitmustbeso。WhenIsayso，prayletthatbesufficient。’ButstillDalrymplewentonpainting。
’Conway，’shesaid，’howcanyoutreatmewithsuchdisdain？’
’Disdain，MrsBroughton！’
’Yes，disdain。HaveInotbeggedyoutounderstandthatIcannotallowyoutoremainhere，andyetyoupaynoattentiontomywishes。’
’Ihavedonenow’；andhebegantoputhisbrushesandpaintstogether。
’Isupposeallthesethingsmayremainhere？’
’Yes；theymayremain。Theymustdoso，ofcourse。There；ifyouwillputtheeaselinthecorner，withthecanvasbehindit，theywillnotbeseenifheshouldchancetocomeintotheroom。’
’Hewouldnotbeangry，Isuppose，ifheshouldsawthem？’
’Thereisnoknowing。Menaresounreasonable。Allmenare，Ithink。
AllthosearewhomIhavehadthefortunetoknow。Womengenerallysaythatmenareselfish。Idonotcomplainsomuchthattheyareselfishasthattheyarethoughtless。Theyareheadstronganddonotlookforwardtoresults。Nowyou——Idonotthinkyouwouldwillinglydomeaninjury？’
’IdonotthinkIwould。’
’Iamsureyouwouldnot；——butyetyouwouldforgettosavemefromone。’
’Whatinjury？’
’Oh，nevermind。Iamnotthinkingofanythinginparticular。Frommyself，forinstance。Butwewillnottalkaboutthat。Thatwaymadnesslies。Tellme，Conway；——whatdoyouthinkofClaraVanSiever？’
’Sheisveryhandsome，certainly。’
’Andclever？’
’Decidedlyclever。Ishouldthinkshehasatemperofherown。’
’Whatwomanisthereworthastrawthathasnot？IfClaraVanSieverwereill—used，shewouldresentit。Idonotdoubtthatforamoment。I
shouldnotliketobethemanwhowoulddoit。’
’NorI，either，’saidConway。
’Butthereisplentyoffemininesoftnessinthatcharacter，ifsheweretreatedwithloveandkindness。Conway，ifyouwilltakemyadviceyouwillaskClaraVanSievertobeyourwife。Butperhapsyouhavealready。’
’Who；I？’
’Yes；you。’
’Ihavenotdoneityet，certainly，MrsBroughton。’
’Andwhyshouldyounotdoit？’
’Therearetwoorthreereasons；——butperhapsnoneofanygreatimportance。Doyouknowofnone，MrsBroughton？’
’Iknowofnone，’saidMrsBroughtoninaveryserious——inalmostatragictone；——’ofnonethatshouldweighforamoment。AsfarasIamconcerned，nothingwouldgivememorepleasure。’
’Thatissokindofyou！’
’Imeantobekind。Ido，indeed，Conway。Iknowitwillbebetterforyouthatyoushouldbesettled——verymuchbetter。Anditwillbebetterforme。Idonotmindadmittingthat；——thoughinsayingsoItrustgreatlytoyourgenerositytointerpretmywordsproperly。’
’Ishallnotflattermyself，ifyoumeanthat。’
’Thereisnoquestionofflattery，Conway。Thequestionissimplyoftruthandprudence。Doyounotknowthatitwouldbebetterforyourselfthatyoushouldbemarried？’
’Notunlessacertaingentlemanweretodiefirst，’saidConwayDalrymple，ashedepositedthelastofhispaintingparaphernaliaintherecesswhichhadbeenpreparedforthembyMrsBroughton。
’Conway，howcanyouspeakinthatwicked，wickedway？’
’IcanassurethatIdonotwishthegentlemaninquestiontheslightestharmintheworld。Ifhiswelfaredependedonme，heshouldbesafeastheBankofEngland。’
’Andyouwillnottakemyadvice？’
’Whatadvice？’
’AboutClara？’
’MrsBroughton，matrimonyisaveryimportantthing。’
’Indeed，itis；——oh，whocansayhowimportant！Therewasatime，Conway，whenIthoughtthatyouhadgivenyourhearttoMadelinaDemolines。’
’Heavenforbid！’
’AndIgrieved，becauseIthoughtthatshewasnotworthyofyou。’
’Therewasneveranythinginthat，MrsBroughton。’
’Shethoughtthattherewas。Atanyrate，shesaidso。Iknowthatforcertain。Shetoldmesoherself。Butletthatpass。ClaraVanSieverisineveryrespectverydifferentfromMadalina。Clara，Ithink，isworthyofyou。AndConway——ofcourseitisnotformetodictatetoyou；butthisImusttellyou——’
’Whatmustyoutellme？’
’Iwilltellyounothingmore。IfyoucannotunderstandwhatIhavesaid，youmustbemoredullofcomprehensionthanIbelieveyoutobe。
Nowgo。Whyareyounotgonethishalf—hour？’
’HowcouldIgowhileyouweregivingmeallthisgoodadvice？’
’Ihavenotaskedyoutostay。Gonow，atanyrate。And，remember，Conway，ifthispictureistogoon，Iwillnothaveyouremaininghereaftertheworkisdone。Willyourememberthat？’Andsheheldhimbythehandwhilehedeclaredthathewouldrememberit。
MrsDobbsBroughtonwasnomoreinlovewithConwayDalrymplethanshewasinlovewithKingCharlesonhorsebackatCharingCross。And，overandbeyondtheprotectionwhichcametoherinthecourseofnaturefromimpassionedfeelingsinthisspecialphaseofherlife——andindeed，ifI
maysay，ineveryphaseofherlife——itmustbeacknowledgedonherbehalfthatshedidenjoythatprotectionwhichcomesfromwhatwecallprinciple——thoughtheprinciplewasnotperhapsveryhighofitskind。
MadalinaDemolineshadbeenrightwhenshetalkedofherfriendMaria’sprinciples。DobbsBroughtonhadbeensofarluckyinthatjumpinthedarkwhichhadmadeintakingawifetohimself，thathehadnotfallenuponareallyviciouswoman，oruponawomanofstrongfeeling。IthadcometobethelotofMrsDobbsBroughtontohavesixhours’workeverydayofherlife，Ithinkthattheworkwouldhavebeendonebadly，butthatitwouldhavekeptherfiresfromalldanger。Asitwasshehadnothingtodo。Shehadnochild。Shewasnotgiventomuchreading。Shecouldnotsitwithaneedleinherhandallday。ShehadnoaptitudeforMaymeetings，ortheexcitementofcharitablegoodworks。Lifewithherwasverydull，andshefoundnoamusementwithinherreachsoeasyandsopleasantastheamusementofpretendingtobeinlove。Ifallthatshedidandallthatshesaidcouldonlyhavebeentakenforitsworthandfornothingmore，bythedifferentpersonsconcerned，therewasverylittleinittoflatterMrDalrympleortogivecausefortribulationtoMrBroughton。Sheprobablycaredbutlittleforeitherofthem。Shewasoneofthosewomentowhomitisnotgivenbynaturetocareverymuchforanybody。But，ofthetwo，shecertainlycaredthemostforMrDobbsBroughton——becauseMrDobbsBroughtonbelongedtoher。AstoleavingMrDobbsBroughton’shouse，andputtingherselfintothehandsofanotherman——noImogenofawifewaseverlesslikelytotakestepsowicked，sodangerous，andsogenerallydisagreeabletoallthepartiesconcerned。
ButConwayDalrymple——thoughnowandagainhehadgotasideglanceathertruecharacterwithaclear—seeingeye——didallowhimselftobeflatteredanddeceived。Heknewthatshewasfoolishandignorant，andthatsheoftentalkedwonderfulnonsense。Heknewalsothatshewascontinuallycontradictingherself——aswhenshewouldstrenuouslybeghimtoleaveher，whileshewouldcontinuetotalktohiminastrainthatpreventedthepossibilityofhisgoing。But，nevertheless，hewasflattered，andhedidbelievethatshelovedhim。Astohisloveforher——heknewverywellthatitamountedtonothing。Nowandagain，perhaps，twiceaweek，ifhesawherasoften，hewouldsaysomethingwhichwouldimplyadeclarationofaffection。Hefeltthatasmuchasthatwasexpectedfromhim，a...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：