’Idon’tseethat，mydear。’
’IfeeltobetoooldtothinkthatIshalleverlikeanymorenewpeople。ThreeyearsagoIshouldhavebeenquitesurethatIshouldloveanewcousin。Itwouldhavebeenlikehavinganewdress。ButI’vecometothinkthatanolddressisthemostcomfortable，andanoldcousincertainlythebest。’
ThesquirehadtakenforthemagloomylodginginSackvilleStreet。
LodgingsinLondonarealwaysgloomy。Gloomycolourswearbetterthanbrightonesforcurtainsandcarpets，andthekeepersoflodgingsinLondonseemtothinkthatacertaindinginessofappearanceisrespectable。IneversawaLondonlodginginwhichanyattemptatcheerfulnesshadbeenmade，andIdonotthinkthatanysuchattempt，ifmade，wouldpay。Thelodging—seekerwouldbefrightenedanddismayed，andwouldunconsciouslybeledtofancythatsomethingwaswrong。Ideasofburglarsandimproperpersonswouldpresentthemselves。ThisissocertainlythecasethatIdoubtwhetheranywell—conditionedlodging—housematroncouldbeinducedtoshowroomsthatwereprettilydrapedorpleasantlycoloured。Thebigdrawing—roomandtwolargebedroomswhichthesquiretookwereallthatwasproper，andwereasbrown，andasgloomy，andasill—suitedforthecomfortsofordinarylifeasthoughtheyhadbeenpreparedfortwoprisoners。ButLilywasnotsoignorantastoexpectcheerfullodgingsinLondon，andwassatisfied。’Andwhatarewetodonow？’saidLily，assoonastheyfoundthemselvessettled。ItwasstillMarch，andwhatevermayhavebeenthenatureoftheweatheratAllington，itwasverycoldinLondon。TheyreachedSackvilleStreetaboutfiveintheevening，andanhourwastakenupinunpackingtheirtrunksandmakingthemselvesascomfortableastheircircumstancesallowed。’Andnowwhatarewetodonow？’saidLily。
’Itoldthemtohavedinnerforusathalf—pastsix。’
’Andwhatafterthat？Won’tBernardcometoustonight？Iexpectedhimtobestandingonthedoor—stepswaitingforuswithhisbrideinhishand。’
’Idon’tsupposeBernardwillbeheretonight，’saidthesquire。’Hedidnotsaythathewould，andasforMissDunstable，Ipromisedtotakeyoutoheraunt’shousetomorrow。’
’ButIwantedtoseehertonight。Well；——ofcoursebridesmaidsmustwaituponbrides。Andladieswithtwentythousandpoundscan’tbeexpectedtorunaboutlikecommonpeople。AsforBernard——butBernardneverwasinahurry。’Thentheydined，andwhenthesquirehadverynearlyfallenasleepoverabottleofportwinewhichhadbeensentinforhimfromsomeneighbouringpublic—house，Lilybegantofeelthatitwasverydull。Andshelookedroundtheroom，andshethoughthatitwasveryugly。Andshecalculatedthatthirtyeveningssospentwouldseemtobeverylong。AndshereflectedthatthehourswereprobablygoingmuchmorequicklywithEmilyDunstable，who，nodoubt，atthismomenthadBernardDalebyherside。Andthenshetoldherselfthatthehourswerenottediouswithherathome，whilesittingwithhermother，withallherdailyoccupationswithinherreach。Butinsotellingherselfshetookherselftotask，inquiringofherselfwhethersuchanassurancewasaltogethertrue。Werenotthehourssometimestediousevenathome？
Andinthiswayhermindwanderedofftothoughtsuponlifeingeneral，andsherepeatedtoherselfoverandoveragainthetwowordswhichshehadtoldJohnEamesthatshewouldwriteinherjournal。Thereaderwillrememberthosetwowords——OldMaid。Andshehadwrittentheminherbook，makingeachletteracapital，androundthemshehaddrawnascroll，ornamentedafterherownfashion，andshehadaddedthedateinquaintlyformedfigures——forinsuchmattersLilyhadsomelittleskillandadashoffuntodirectit；andshehadinscribedbelowitanItalianmotto：——’Whogoessoftly，goessafely’；andaboveherworkofartshehadputaheading——AsarrangedfateforL。D。’Nowshethoughtofallthis，andreflectedwhetherEmilyDunstablewasintruthveryhappy。
Presentlythetearscameintohereyes，andshegotupandwenttothewindow，asthoughshewereafraidthatherunclemightwakeandseethem。Andasshelookedoutontheblankstreet，shemutteredawordortwo——’Dearmother！Dearestmother！’Thenthedoorwasopened，andhercousinBernardannouncedhimself。Shehadnotheardhisknockatthedoorasshehadbeenthinkingofthetwowordsinherbook。
’What；Bernard！——ah，yes，ofcourse，’saidthesquire，rubbinghiseyesashestrovetowakehimself。’Iwasn’tsureyouwouldcome，butI’mdelightedtoseeyou。Iwishyoujoywithallmyheart——withallmyheart。’
’Ofcourse，Ishouldcome，’saidBernard。’DearLily，thisissogoodofyou。Emilyissodelighted。’ThenLilyspokehercongratulationswarmly，andtherewasnotraceofatearinhereyes，andshewasthoroughlyhappyasshesatbyhercousin’sside，andlistenedtohisrapturesaboutEmilyDunstable。’Andyouwillbesofondofheraunt，’
hesaid。
’Butisshenotawfullyrich？’saidLily。
’Frightfullyrich，’saidBernard；’butreallyyouwouldhardlyfinditoutifnobodytoldyou。Ofcourseshelivesinabighouse，andhasaheapofservants；butshecan’thelpthat。’
’Ihateaheapofservants，’saidLily。
Thentherecameanotherknockatthedoor，andwhoshouldentertheroombutJohnEames。Lilyforamomentwastakenaback，butitwasonlyforamoment。Shehadbeenthinkingsomuchofhimthathispresencedisturbedherforaninstant。’HeprobablywillnotknowthatIamhere，’shehadsaidtoherself；butshehadnotyetbeenthreehoursinLondon，andhewasalreadywithher！Atfirsthehardlyspoketoher，addressinghimselftothesquire。’LadyJuliatoldmeyouweretobehere，andasI
startfortheContinentearlytomorrowmorning，IthoughtyouwouldletmecomeandseeyoubeforeIwent。’
’I’malwaysgladtoseeyou，John，’saidthesquire——’veryglad。Andsoyouaregoingabroad，areyou？’
ThenJohnnycongratulatedhisoldacquaintance，BernardDale，astohiscomingmarriage，andexplainedtothemhowLadyJuliainoneofherlettershadtoldhimallaboutit，andhadevengivenhimthenumberinSackvilleStreet。’Isupposeshelearneditfromyou，Lily，’saidthesquire。’Yesuncle，shedid。’AndthentherecamequestionsastoJohn’sprojectedjourneytotheContinent，andheexplainedthathewasgoingonlaw—business，onbehalfofMrCrawley，tocatchthedeanandMrsArabin，ifitmightbepossible。’Yousee，sir，MrToogood，whoisMrCrawley’scousin，andalsohislawyer，ismycousintoo；andthat’swhyI’mgoing。’AndstilltherehadbeenhardlyawordspokenbetweenhimandLily。
’Butyou’renotalawyer，John；areyou？’saidthesquire。
’No。I’mnotalawyermyself。’
’Noralawyer’sclerk？’
’Certainlynotalawyer’sclerk，’saidJohn，laughing。
’Thenwhyshouldyougo？’askedBernardDale。
ThenJohnnyhadtoexplain，andindoingsohebecameveryeloquentastothehardshipsofMrCrawley’scase。’Yousee，sir，nobodycanpossiblybelievethatsuchamanasthatstoletwentypounds。’
’Idonotforone，’saidLily。
’GodforbidthatIshouldsayhedid，’saidthesquire。
’I’mquitesurehedidn’t，’saidJohnny，warmingtohissubject。’Itcouldn’tbethatsuchamanasthatshouldbecomeathiefallatonce。
It’snothumannature，sir；isit？’
’It’sveryhardtoknowwhathumannatureis，’saidthesquire。
’It’sthegeneralopiniondowninBarsetshirethathedidstealit，’
saidBernard。’DrThornewasoneofthemagistrateswhocommittedhim，andIknowhethinksso。’
’Idon’tblamethemagistratesintheleast，’saidJohnny。
’That’skindofyou，’saidthesquire。
’Ofcourseyou’lllaughatme，sir；butyou’llseethatweshallcomeoutright。There’ssomemysteryinitofwhichwehaven’tgotatthebottomasyet；andifthereisanybodythatcanhelpusitisthedean。’
’Ifthedeanknowsanything，whyhashenotwrittenandtoldwhatheknows？’saidthesquire。
’That’swhatIcan’tsay。Thedeanhasnothadanopportunityofwritingsinceheheard——eveni...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：