ButeventothispropositionMrsCrawleycouldgivenoassent，thoughsheexpressednodirectdissent。Asregardedherownfeelings，shewouldmuchpreferredtohavebeenlefttolivethroughhermiseryalone；butshecouldnotbutappreciatethekindnesswhichendeavouredtothrowoverandhersintheirtroubletheaegisoffirst—ratecountyrespectability。ShewassavedfromthenecessityofgivingadirectanswertothissuggestionbythereturnofMrsRobartsandGraceherself。Thedoorwasopenedslowly，andtheycreptintotheroomasthoughtheywereawarethattheirpresencewouldbehardlywelcomed。
’Isthecarriagethere，Fanny？’saidLadyLufton。’Itisalmosttimeforustothinkofreturninghome。’
MrsRobartssaidthatthecarriagewasstandingwithintwentyyardsofthedoor。
’ThenIthinkwewillmakeastart，’saidLadyLufton。’HaveyousucceededinpersuadingMissCrawleytocomeovertoFramleyinApril？’
MrsRobartsmadenoanswertothis，butlookedatGrace；andGracelookeddownupontheground。
’IhavespokentoMrsCrawley，’saidLadyLufton，’andtheywillthinkofit。’Thenthetwoladiestooktheirleave，andwalkedouttotheircarriage。
’Whatdoesshesayaboutyourplan？’MrsRobartsasked。
’Sheistoobroken—heartedtosayanything。’LadyLuftonanswered。
’Shouldithappenthatheisconvicted，wemustcomeoverandtakeher。
Shewillhavenopowertoresistusinanything。’
CHAPTERLI
MRSDOBBSBROUGHTONPILESHERFAGGOTS
ThepicturestillprogressedupinMrsDobbsBroughton’sroom，andthesecretwasstillkept，orsupposedtobekept。MissVanSieverwas，atanyrate，certainthathermotherhadheardnothingofit，andMrsBroughtonreportedfromdaytodaythatherhusbandhadnotasyetinterfered。NeverthelesstherewasinthesedaysagreatgloomupontheDobbsBroughtonhousehold，somuchsothatConwayDalrymplehadmorethanoncesuggestedtoMrsBroughtonthattheworkshouldbediscontinued。Butthemistressofthehousewouldnotconsenttothis。
Inanswertotheseoffers，shewaswonttodeclareinsomewhatmysteriouslanguage，thatanymiserycominguponherselfwasamatterofmomenttonobody——hardlyeventoherself，asshewasquitepreparedtoencountermoralandsocialdeathwithoutdelay，ifnotanabsolutephysicaldemise；astowhichlatteralternative，sheseemedtothinkthateventhatmightnotbesofardistantassomepeoplechosetobelieve。WhatwasthecauseofthegloomoverthehouseneitherConwayDalrymplenorMissVanSieverunderstood，andtospeakthetruthMrsBroughtondidnotquiteunderstandthecauseherself。Sheknewwellenough，nodoubt，thatherhusbandcamehomealwayssullen，andsometimestipsy，andthatthingswerenotgoingwellintheCity。ShehadneverunderstoodmuchabouttheCity，beingsatisfiedwithanassurancethathadcometoherintheearlydaysfromherfriends，thattherewasamineofwealthinHookCourt，fromwhencewouldalwayscomeforheruse，houseandfurniture，acarriageandsomehorses，dressesandjewels，whichlatter，ifnotquitereal，shouldbemanufacturedwiththebestshamsubstituteknown。SoonafterherbrilliantmarriagewithMrDobbsBroughton，shehaddiscoveredthatthecarriageandhorses，andtheshamjewels，didnotlifthersocompletelyintoaterrestrialparadiseasshehadtaughtherselftoexpectthattheywoulddo。Herbrilliantdrawing—room，withDobbsBroughtonforacompanion，wasnotanelysium。Butthoughshehadfoundoutearlyinhermarriedlifethatsomethingwasstillwantingtoher，shehadbynomeansconfessedtoherselfthatthecarriageandhorsesandshamjewelswerebad，anditcanhardlybesaidthatshehadrepented。Shehadendeavouredtopatchupmatterswithalittleromance，andthenhadfallenuponConwayDalrymple——meaningnoharm。Indeed，lovewithher，asitnevercouldhavemeantmuchgood，wasnotlikelytomeanmuchharm。Thatsomebodyshouldpretendtoloveher，towhichpretenceshemightreplybyapretenceoffriendship——thiswasthelittleexcitementwhichshecraved，andbywhichshehadonceflatteredherselfthatsomethingofanelysiummightyetbecreatedforher。MrDobbsBroughtonhadunreasonablyexpressedadisliketothisinnocentamusement——veryunreasonably，knowing，asheoughttohaveknown，thathehimselfdidsoverylittletowardsprovidingthenecessaryelysiumbyanyqualitiesofhisown。Forafewweeksthisinterferencefromherhusbandhadenhancedtheamusement，givinganadditionalexcitementtothegame。Shefeltherselftobewomanmisunderstoodandill—used；andtosomewomenthereisnothingsocharmingasalittlemildill—usage，whichdoesnotinterferewiththeircreaturecomforts，withtheirclothes，ortheircarriage，ortheirshamjewels；butsufficestoaffordthemtheindulgenceofagrievance。Oflate，however，MrDobbsBroughtonhadbecomealittletooroughinhislanguage，andthingshadgoneuncomfortably。ShesuspectedthatConwayDalrymplewasnottheonlycauseofallthis。ShehadanideathatMrMusselboroandMrsVanSieverhaditintheirpowertomakethemselvesunpleasant，andthattheywereexercisingthispower。OfhisbusinessintheCityherhusbandneverspoketoher，norshetohim。Herownfortunehadbeenverysmall，somecoupleofthousandpoundsorso，andsheconceivedthatshehadnopretextonwhichshecould，unasked，interrogatehimabouthismoney。Shehadnoknowledgethatmarriageofitselfhadgivenhertherighttosuchinterference；andhadsuchknowledgebeenhersshewouldhavehadnodesiretointerfere。Shehopedthatthecarriageandshamjewelswouldbecontinuedtoher；butshedidnotknowhowtoframeanyquestiononthesubject。Touchingtheotherdifficulty——theConwayDalrympledifficulty——shehadherideas。Thetendernessofherfriendshiphadbeentroddenuponbyandoutragedbytheroughfootofanoverbearinghusband，andshewasill—used。Shewouldobey。Itwasbecomingtoherasawifethatsheshouldsubmit。ShewouldgiveupConwayDalrymple，andwouldinducehim——inspiteofhisviolentattachmenttoherself——totakeawife。Sheherselfwouldchooseawifeforhim。Sheherselfwould，withsuicidalhands，destroytheloveofherownlife，sinceanoverbearing，brutalhusbanddemandedthatitshouldbedestroyed。Shewouldsacrificeherownfeelings，anddoallinherpowertobringConwayDalrympleandClaraVanSievertogether。If，afterthat，somepoetdidnotimmortaliseherfriendshipinByronicverse，shecertainlywouldnotgetherdue。PerhapsConwayDalrymplewouldhimselfbecomeapoetinorderthatthismightbedoneproperly。
Foritmustbeunderstoodthat，thoughsheexpectedConwayDalrympletomarry，sheexpectedalsothatheshouldByronicallywretchedafterhismarriageonaccountofhisloveforherself。
ButtherewascertainlysomethingwrongoverandbeyondtheDalrympledifficulty。Theservantswerenotascivilastheyusedtobe，andherhusband，whenshesuggestedtohimalittledinner—party，snubbedhermostunmercifully。Thegivingofdinner—partieshadbeenhisglory，andshehadmadethesuggestionsimplywiththeviewofpleasinghim。’Iftheworldweregoinground，thewrongway，awomanwouldstillwantaparty，’hehadsaid，sneeringather。’ItwasofyouIwasthinking，Dobbs，’shereplied；’notofmyself。Icarelittleforsuchgatherings。’
Afterthatsheretiredtoherownroomwitharomantictearineacheye，andtoldherselfthat，hadchancethrownConwayDalrympleintoherwaybeforeshehadseenDobbsBroughton，shewouldhavebeenthehappiestwomanintheworld。Shesatforawhilelookingintovacancy，andthinkingthatitwouldbeverynicetobreakherheart。Howshouldshesetaboutit？Shouldshetaketoherbedandgrowthin？Shewouldbeginbyeatingnodinnerforeversomaydaysaltogether。Atlunchherhusbandwasneverpresent，andthereforethebrokenheartcouldbedisplayedatdinnerwithoutmuchpositivesuffering。InthemeantimeshewouldimploreConwayDalrympletogethimselfmarriedwithaslittledelayaspossible，andshewouldlayuponhimherpositiveordertorestrainhimselffromanywordofaffectionaddressedtoherself。She，atanyrate，wouldbepure，high—minded，andself—sacrificing——althoughromanticandpoeticalso，aswashernature。
Thepicturewasprogressing，andsoalso，asithadcomeabout，wasthelove—affairbetweentheartistandhismodel。ConwayDalrymplehadbeguntothinkthathemight，afterall，doworsethan...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：