’Idon’tknowwhatyoucallslow，MrCrawley。IwaseversomuchovertwohourscomingherefromBarchester。Hestumbledalmostateverystep。’
’Didhefallwhileyouwereonhim？’askedthemajor。
’Indeedhedid，sir。Youneversawsuchathing，MajorGrantly。Lookhere。’ThenMrThumble，turninground，showedthattherearportionofhisclotheshadnotescapedwithoutinjury。
’Itwaswellthathewasnotgoingfast，oryouwouldhavecomeontoyourhead，’saidGrantly。
’Itwasamercy，’saidThumble。’But，sir，asitwas，Icametothegroundwithmuchviolence。ItwasonSpigglewickHill，wheretheroadiscoveredwithloosestones。Isee，sir，youhaveagigandhorsehere，withaservant。Perhaps，asthecircumstancesaresoverypeculiar——’
ThenMrThumblestopped，andlookedupintothemajor’sfacewithimploringeyes。Butthemajorhadnotendernessforsuchsufferings。
’I’msorrytosaythatIamgoingquitetheotherway，’hesaid。’IamreturningtoSilverbridge。’
MrThumblehesitated，andthenmadearenewedrequest。’IfyouwouldnotmindtakingmetoSilverbridge，Icouldgethomefromthencebyrailway；andperhapsyouwouldallowyourservanttotakethehorsetoBarchester。’
MajorGrantlywasforamomentdumbfounded。’Therequestismostunreasonable，sir。’saidMrCrawley。
’ThatisasMajorGrantlypleasestolookatit，’saidMrThumble。
’Iamsorrytosaythatitisquiteoutofmypower，’saidthemajor。
’Youcansurelywalk，leadingthebeast，ifyoufeartomounthim，’saidMrCrawley。
’IshalldoasIpleaseaboutthat，’saidMrThumble。’And，MrCrawley，ifyouwillhavethekindnesstoleavethingsintheparishjustastheyare——justastheyare，Iwillbeobligedtoyou。Itisthebishop’swishthatyoushouldtouchnothing。’MrThumblewasbythistimeonthestep，andMrCrawleyinstantlyslammedthedoor。’ThegentlemanisaclergymanfromBarchester，’saidMrCrawley，modestlyfoldinghishandsuponhisbreast，’whomthebishophassentoverheretotakeuponhimselftemporarilytheservicesofthechurch，anditappears，thedutiesalsooftheparish。Irefrainfromanimadvertinguponhislordship’schoice。’
’AndyouareleavingHogglestock？’
’WhenIhavefoundashelterformywifeandchildrenIshalldoso；
nay，peradventure，Imustdosobeforeanysuchsheltercanbefound。I
shallproceedinthatmatterasIambid。Iamonewhocanregardmyselfasnolongerpossessingtheprivilegeoffreeactioninanything。ButwhileIhavearoomatyourservice，permitmetoaskyoutoenterit。’
ThenMrCrawleymotionedhiminwithhishand，andMajorGrantlyfoundhimselfinthepresenceofMrsCrawleyandheryoungerdaughter。
Helookedatthembothforamoment，andcouldtracemuchofthelinesofthatfacewhichhelovedsowell。Butthetroublesoflifehadalmostrobbedtheelderladyofherbeauty；andwiththeyounger，theawkwardthinnessofthelastyearsoffemininechildhoodhadnotyetgivenplacetothefulfilmentoffemininegrace。Butthelikenessineachwasquiteenoughtomakehimfeelthatheoughttobeathomeinthatroom。Hethoughtthathecouldlovethewomanashismother，andthegirlashissister。Hefounditverydifficulttobeginanyconversationintheirpresence，andyetitseemedtobehisdutytobegin。MrCrawleyhadmarshalledhimintotheroom，andhavingdoneso，stoodasidenearthedoor。MrsCrawleyhadreceivedhimverygraciously，andhavingdoneso，seemedtobeashamedofherownhospitality。PoorJanehadshrunkbackintoadistantcorner，neartheopenstandingdeskatwhichshewasaccustomedtoreadGreektoherfather，and，ofcourse，couldnotbeexpectedtospeak。IfMajorGrantlycouldhavefoundhimselfalonewithanyoneofthethree——nay，ifhecouldhavebeentherewithanytwo，hecouldhaveopenedhisbudgetatonce；but，beforeallthefamily，hefeltthedifficultyofhissituation。’MrsCrawley，’saidhe，’Ihavebeenmostanxioustomakeyouracquaintance，andItrustyouwillexcusethelibertyIhavetakenincalling。’
’Ifeelgratefultoyou，asIamsuredoesalsomyhusband。’Somuchshesaid，andthenfeltangrywithherselfforsayingsomuch。Wasshenotexpressingthestronghopethathemightstandfastbyherchild，wherebythewholeCrawleyfamilywouldgainsomuch——andtheGrantlyfamilylosemuch，inthesameproportion？
’Sir，’saidMrCrawley，’Ioweyouthanks，stillunexpressed，inthatyoucameforwardtogetherwithMrRobartsofFramley，tosatisfythenotunnaturalrequisitionofthemagistratesbeforewhomIwascalledupontoappearintheearlywinter。Iknownotwhyanyoneshouldhaveventuredintosuchjeopardyonmyaccount。’
’Therewasnojeopardy，MrCrawley。Anyoneinthecountywouldhavedoneit。’
’Iknownotthat；norcanIseethattherewasnojeopardy。ItrustthatImayassureyouthatthereisnodanger；——none，Imean，toyou。
Thedangertomyselfandthosebelongingtome，is，alas，veryurgent。
Thefactsofmypositionarepressingcloseuponme。MethinksIsuffermorefromthevisitofthegentlemanwhohasjustdepartedfrommethananythingthathasyethappenedtome。Andyetheisright；——heisaltogetherright。’
’No，papa；heisnot，’saidJane，fromherstandinggroundneartheuprightdesk。
’Mydear，’saidherfather，’youshouldbesilentonsuchasubject。Itisamatterhardtobeunderstoodinallitsbearings——evenbythosewhoaremostconversantwiththem。ButasthisweneednottroubleMajorGrantly。’
Afterthattherewassilenceamongthem，andforawhileitseemedasthoughtherecouldbenoapproachtothesubjectonwhichGrantlyhadcomehithertoexpresshimself。MrsCrawley，inherdespair，saidsomethingabouttheweather；andthemajor，tryingtodrawnearthespecialsubject，becameboldenoughtoremark’thathehadthepleasureofseeingMissCrawleyatFramley。’’MrsRobartshasbeenverykind，’
saidMrsCrawley，’verykindindeed。Youcanunderstand，MajorGrantly，thatthismustbeaverysadhouseforayoungperson。’’Idon’tthinkitisatallsad，’saidJane，stillstandinginthecornerbytheuprightdesk。
ThenMajorGrantlyrosefromhisseatandwalkedacrosstothegirlandshookherhand。’Youaresolikeyoursister，’saidhe。’Yoursisterisagreatfriendofmine。Shehasoftenspokentomeofyou。Ihopeweshallbefriendssomeday。’ButJanecouldmakenoanswertothis，thoughshehadbeenabletovindicatethegeneralcharacterofthehousewhileshewasleftinthecornerbyherself。’Iwonderwhetheryouwouldbeangrywithme，’continuedthemajor，’ifItoldyouIwantedtospeakawordtoyourfatherandmotheralone？’TothisJanemadenoreply，butwasoutoftheroomalmostbeforethewordshadreachedtheearsofherfatherandmother。Thoughshewasonlysixteen，andhadasyetreadnothingbutLatinandGreek——unlesswearetocountthetwelvebooksofEuclidandWood’sAlgebra，andsundrysmallerexercisesofthesamedescription——sheunderstood，aswellasanyonepresent，thereasonwhyherabsencewasrequired。
Assheclosedthedoorthemajorpausedforamoment，expecting，orperhapshoping，thatthefatherorthemotherwouldsayaword。Butneitherofthemhadawordtosay。Theysatsilent，andasthoughconscience—stricken。Herewasarichman，ofwhomtheyhadheardthathemightprobablywishtowedtheirdaughter。Itwasmanifestenoughtobothofthemthatnomancouldmarryintotheirfamilywithoutsubjectinghimselftoaheavyportionofthatreproachanddisgracewhichwasattachedtothem。Buthowwasitpossibl...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：