ThemajorcouldnotbuttellhimselfthatMrHardinghadbeenamaneasytoplease，easytosatisfy，and，inthatrespect，verydifferentfromhisfather。Butofcoursehesaidnothingofthis。’Iwilldomybest，’
hereplied。
’Do，myboy。Honourthyfather——thatthydaysmaybelongintheland。’
ItseemedtothemajorashedroveawayfromBarchesterthateverybodywasagainsthim；andyethewassurethathehimselfwasright。HecouldnotgiveupGraceCrawley；andunlessheweretodosohecouldnotliveatCosbyLodge。
CHAPTERLIX
ALADYPRESENTSHERCOMPLIMENTSTOMISSL。D。
OnemorningwhileLilyDalewasstayingwithMrsThorneinLondon，therewasbroughtuptoherroom，asshewasdressingfordinner，aletterwhichthepostmanhadjustleftforher。Theaddresswaswritteninafemininehand，andLilywasatonceawarethatshedidnotknowthewriting。Theangleswereveryacute，andthelineswereverystraight，andthevowelslookedtobecruelandfalse，withtheirsharppointsandtheiropeneyes。Lilyatonceknewthatitwastheperformanceofawomanwhohadbeentaughttowriteatschool，andnotathome，andshebecameprejudicedagainstthewriterbeforesheopenedtheletter。Whenshehadopenedtheletterandreadit，herfeelingstowardsthewriterwerenotofakindlynature。Itwasasfollows：—
’AladypresentshercomplimentstoMissLDandearnestlyimploresMissLDtogiveheranswertothefollowingquestion：IsMissLDengagedtomarryMrJE？TheladyinquestionpledgesherselfnottointerferewithMissLDinanyway，shouldtheanswerbeintheaffirmative。TheladyearnestlyrequeststhatareplytothisquestionmaybesenttoMD
Post—office455EdgwareRoad。InorderthatLDmaynotdoubtthatMD
hadaninterestinJE，MDenclosesthelastnoteshereceivedfromhimbeforehestartedfortheContinent。’Thentherewasascrap，whichLilywellknewtobeinthehandwritingofJohnEames，andthescrapwasasfollows：——’DearestM——punctuallyat8。30。EverandalwaysyourunalterableJE。Lily，asshereadthis，didnotcomprehendthatJohn’snotetoMDhadbeeninitselfajoke。
LilyDalehadheardofanonymouslettersbefore，buthadneverreceivedone，orevenreceivedone。Nowthatshehadoneinherhand，itseemedtoherthattherecouldbenothingmoreabominablethanthewritingofsuchaletter。Sheletitdropfromherasthoughthereceiving，andopening，andreadingithadbeenastaintoher。Asitlayonthegroundatherfeet，shetroduponit。Ofwhatsortcouldawomanbewhowrotesuchaletterasthat？Answerit！Ofcourseshewouldnotanswerit。Itneveroccurredtoherforamomentthatitcouldbecomehertoanswerit。Hadshebeenathomewithhermother，shewouldhavecalledhermothertoher，andMrsDalewouldhavetakenitfromtheground，andhavereadit，andthendestroyedit。Asitwas，shemustpickitupherself。Shedidso，anddeclaredtoherselfthatthereshouldbeanendtoit。Itmightberightthatsomebodyshouldseeit，andthereforeshewouldshowittoEmilyDunstable；afterthatitshouldbedestroyed。
Ofcoursethelettercouldhavenoeffectuponher。Soshetoldherself。Butitdidhaveaverystrongeffect，andprobablytheexacteffectwhichthewriterhadintendedthatitshouldhave。JEwas，ofcourse，JohnEames。Therewasnodoubtaboutthat。WhatafoolthewritermusthavebeentotalkofLDintheletter，whentheoutsidecoverwasplainlyaddressedtoLilyDale！Buttherearesomepeopleforwhomthepretendedmysteryofinitiallettershasacharm，andwholovethedarknessofanonymousletters。AsLilythoughtofthis，shestampedontheletteragain。WhowastheMDtowhomshewasrequiredtosendananswer——withwhomJohnEamescorrespondedinthemostaffectionateterms？ShehadresolvednoteventoaskaquestionaboutMD，andyetshecouldnotdiverthermindfromtheinquiry。Itwas，atanyrate，afactthattheremustbesomewomandesignatedbytheletters——somewomanwhohad，atanyrate，chosentocallherselfMD。andJohnEameshadcalledherM。Theremust，atanyrate，besuchawoman。Thisfemale，beshewhoshemight，hadthoughtitworthherwhiletomakethisinquiryaboutJohnEames，andhadmanifestlylearnedsomethingofLily’sownhistory。AndthewomanhadpledgedherselfnottointerferewithJohnEames，ifLDwouldonlycondescendtosaythatshewasengagedtohim！
AsLilythoughtoftheproposition，shetrodupontheletterforthethirdtime。Thenshepickeditup，andhavingnoplaceofcustodyunderlockandkeyreadytoherhandsheputitinherpocket。
Atnight，beforeshewenttobed，sheshowedthelettertoEmilyDunstable。’Isitnotsurprisingthatanywomancouldbringherselftowritesuchaletter？’saidLily。
ButMissDunstablehardlysawitinthesamelight。’IfanybodyweretowritemesuchaletteraboutBernard，’saidshe，’Ishouldshowtohimasagoodjoke。’
’Thatwouldbeverydifferent。YouandBernard，ofcourse，understandeachother。’
’AndsowillyouandMrEames——someday，Ihope。’
’Nevermorethanwedonow，dear。Thethingthatannoysmeisthatsuchawomanasthatshouldhaveevenheardmynameatall。’
’Aslongaspeoplehavegotearsandtongues，peoplewillhearotherpeople’snames。’
Lilypausedamoment，andthenspokeagain，askinganotherquestion。’I
supposethiswomandoesknowhim？Shemustknowhim，becausehehaswrittentoher。’
’Sheknowssomethingabouthim，nodoubt，andhassomereasonsforwishingthatyouwillquarrelwithhim。IfIwereyou，Ishouldtakecarenottogratifyher。AsforMrEames’snote，itisajoke。’
’Itisnothingtome，’saidLily。
’Isuppose，’continuedEmily，’thatmostgentlemenbecomeacquaintedwithsomepeoplethattheywouldnotwishalltheirfriendstoknowthattheyknew。Theygoaboutsomuchmorethanwedo，andmeetpeopleofallsorts。’
’Nogentlemanshouldbecomeintimatelyacquaintedwithawomanwhocouldwritesuchaletterasthat，’saidLily。AndasshespokesherememberedacertainepisodeinJohnEames’searlylife，whichhadreachedherfromasourcewhichshehadnotdoubted，andwhichhadgivenherpainandoffendedher。ShehadbelievedthatJohnEameshadinthatcasebehavedverycruellytoayoungwoman，andhadthoughtthatheroffencehadcomesimplyfromthatfeeling。’Butofcourseitisnothingtome，’shesaid。
’MrEamescanchoosehisfriendsashelikes。Ionlywishthatmynamemightnotbementionedtothem。’
’Itisnotfromhimthatshehasheardit。’
’Perhapsnot。AsIsaidbefore，ofcourse，itdoesnotsignify；onlythereissomethingverydisagreeableaboutthewholething。Theideaissohateful！OfcoursethiswomanmeansmetounderstandthatsheconsidersherselftohaveaclaimuponMrEames，andthatIstandinherway。’
’Andwhyshouldyounotstandinherway？’
’Iwillstandinnobody’sway。MrEameshasarighttogivehishandtoanyonethathepleases。I，atanyrate，canhavenocauseofoffenceagainsthim。TheonlythingisthatIdowishthatmynamecouldbeleftalone。’Lily，whenshewasinherownroomagain，diddestroytheletter；butbeforeshedidsoshereaditagain，anditbecamesoindeliblyimpressedonhermemorythatshecouldnotforgeteventhewordsofit。Theladywhowrotehadpledgedherself，undercertainconditions，’nottointerferewithMissLD。’’Interferewithme！’Lilysaidtoherself；’nobodyhaspowertodoso。’Assheturneditoverinhermind，herheartbecamehardagainstJohnEames。Nowomanwouldhavetroubledherselftowritesuchaletterwithoutsomecauseforthewriting。Thatthewriterwasvulgar，false，unfeminine，Lilythoughtthatshecouldperceivefromtheletteritself；butnodoubtthewomanknewJohnEameshadsomeinterestinthequestionofhismarriage，andwasentitledtosomeanswertoherquestion——onlywasnotentitledtosuchanswerfromLilyDale。
Forsomeweekspastnow，uptothehouratwhichtheanonymousletterhadreachedherhands，Lily’shearthadbeengrowingsoftandstillsoftertowardsJohnEames；andnowagainithadbecomehardened。IthinkthattheappearanceofAdolphusCrosbieinthePark，thatmomentaryvisionoftherealmanbywhichthedivinityoftheimaginaryApollohadbeendashedtotheground，haddoneaservicetothecauseofherotherlover；oftheloverwhohadneverbeenagod，butwhooflateyearshadatanyrategrownintothefulldimensionofaman。Unfort...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：