’Clara，’saidConway，’IdonotknowwhenImayhaveanotherchanceofaskingforananswertomyquestion。Youheardmyquestion？’
’Yes，Iheardit。’
’Andwillyouanswerit？’
’Ifyouwishit，Iwill。’
’OfcourseIwishit。YouunderstandwhatIsaiduponthedoor—stepyesterday？’
’Idon’tthinkmuchofthat；mensaythosethingssooften。Whatyousaidbeforewasserious，Isuppose？’
’Serious！Heavens！DoyouthinkthatIamjoking？’
’MammawantsmetomarryMrMusselboro。’
’Heisavulgarbrute。Itwouldbeimpossible。’
’Itisimpossible；butmammaisveryobstinate。Ihavenofortuneofmyown——notashilling。Shetoldmetodaythatshewouldturnmeoutintothestreet。Sheforbademetocomehere，thinkingIshouldmeetyou；butIcame，becauseIhadpromisedMrsBroughton。Iamsurethatshewillnevergivemeoneshilling。’
Dalrymplepausedforamoment。ItwascertainlytruethathehadregardedClaraVanSieverasanheiress，andhadatfirstbeenattractedtoherbecausehethoughtitexpedienttomarryanheiress。Buttherehadsincecomesomethingbeyondthat，andtherewasperhapslessofregretthanmostmenwouldhavefeltashegaveuphisgoldenhopes。Hetookherintohisarmsandkissedher，andcalledherhisown。’Nowweunderstandeachother，’hesaid。
’Ifyouwishittobeso。’
’Idowishit。’
’AndIshalltellmymothertodaythatIamengagedtoyou——unlesssherefusestoseeme。GotoMrsBroughtonnow。Ifeelthatwearealmostcrueltobethinkingofourselvesinthishouseatsuchatime。’UponthisDalrymplewent，andClaraVanSieverwaslefttoherreflections。
Shehadneverbeforehadalover。Shehadneverhadevenafriendwhomshelovedandtrusted。Herlifehadbeenpassedatschooltillshewasnearlytwenty，andsincethenhadbeenvainlyendeavouringtoaccommodateherselfintotheabsolutepowerofamanwhowasnearlyastrangetoher！Butshedidlovehim，asshehadneverlovedanyoneelse；——andthen，ontheotherside，therewasMrMusselboro！
Dalrymplewentupstairsforanhour，andClaradidnotseehimagainbeforeheleftthehouse。Itwascleartoher，fromMrsBroughton’sfirstwords，thatConwayhadtoldherwhathadpassed。’OfcourseI
shallneverseenanythingmoreofeitherofyounow？’saidMrsBroughton。
’Ishouldsaythatprobablyyouwillseeagreatdealofusboth。’
’Therearesomepeople，’saidMrsBroughton，’whocandowellfortheirfriends，butcanneverdowellforthemselves。Iamoneofthem。Isawatoncehowgreatathingitwouldbeforbothofyoutobringyoutwotogether——especiallyforyou，Clara；andthereforeIdidit。ImaysaythatIneverhaditoutofmymindformonthspast。PoorDobbsmisunderstoodwhatIwasdoing。Godknowshowfarthatmayhavebroughtaboutwhathashappened。’
’Oh，MrsBroughton！’
’Ofcoursehecouldnotbeblindtoonething；——norwasI。Imentionitnowbecauseitisright，butIshallnever，neveralludetoagain。Ofcoursehesaw，andIsaw，thatConway——wasattachedtome。PoorConwaymeantnoharm。Iwasawareofthat。Buttherewastheterriblefact。I
knewatoncethattheonlycureforhimwasamarriagewithsomegirlhecouldrespect。AdmiringyouasIdo，Iimmediatelyresolvedonbringingyoutotogether。Mydear，Ihavebeensuccessful，andIheartilytrustthatyoumaybehappierthanMariaBroughton。’
MissVanSieverknewthewoman，understoodallthefacts，andpityingtheconditionofthewretchedcreature，boreallthiswithoutawordofrebuke。Shescornedtoputoutherstrengthagainstonewhowasintruthsoweak。
CHAPTERLXVI
REQUIESCATINPACE
Thingsweregloomyatthepalace。IthasalreadybeensaidthatformaydaysafterDrTempest’svisittoBarchestertheintercoursebetweenthebishopandMrsProudiehadnotbeenofapleasantnature。Hehadbecomesosilent，sosullen，andsosolitaryinhisways，thatevenhercouragehadbeenalmostcowed，andforawhileshehadcondescendedtousegentlermethods，withthehopethatshemightthusbringherlordroundtohisusualstateofactivesubmission；orperhaps，ifwestrivetodoherfulljustice，wemaysayofherthathereffortwasmadeconscientiously，withtheideaofinducinghimtodohisdutywithproperactivity。Forshewasawomannotwithoutaconscience，andbynomeansindifferenttotherealservicewhichherhusband，asbishopofthediocese，wasboundtorendertotheaffairsoftheChurcharoundher。Ofherownstrugglesafterpersonaldominionshewasherselfunconscious；andnodoubttheygaveher，whenrecognisedandacknowledgedbyherself，manystabstoherinnerself，ofwhichnosinglebeingintheworldknewanything。Andnow，asafterawhileshefailedinproducinganyameliorationinthebishop’smood，hertemperalsogaveway，andthingswerebecomingverygloomyandunpleasant。
Thebishopandhiswifewereatpresentaloneinthepalace。Theirmarrieddaughterandherhusbandhadleftthem，andtheunmarrieddaughterwasalsoaway。Howfarthebishop’smoodmayhaveproducedthissolitudeinthevasthouseIwillnotsay。ProbablyMrsProudie’sstateofmindmayhavepreventedherfromhavingotherguestsintheplaceofthosewhohadgone。Shefeltherselftobealmostdisgracedintheeyesofallthosearoundherbyherhusband’slongabsencefromthecommonroomsofthehouseandbyhisdoggedsilenceatmeals。Itwasbetter，shethought，thattheytwoshouldbealoneinthepalace。
Herowneffortstobringhimbacktosomethinglikelife，tosomeactivityofmindifnotbody，weremadeconstantly；andwhenshefailed，asshedidfaildayafterday，shewouldgoslowlytoherownroom，andlockherdoor，andlookbackinsolitudeatallthedaysofherlife。
Shehadagoniesintheseminutesofwhichnoonenearherknewanything。
Shewouldseizewithherarmthepartofthebednearwhichshewouldstand，andholdbyit，graspingit，asthoughshewereafraidtofall；
andthen，whenitwasattheworstwithher，shewouldgotohercloset——aclosetthatnoeyeseversawunlockedbutherown——andfillforherselfandswallowsomedraughtandthenshewouldsitdownwiththeBiblebeforeher，andreaditsedulously。ShespenthourseverydaywithherBiblebeforeher，repeatingtoherselfwholechapters，whichsheknewalmostbyheart。
Itcannotbesaidthatshewasabadwoman，thoughshehadinhertimedoneanindescribableamountofevil。Shehadendeavouredtodogood，failingpartlybyignoranceandpartlyfromtheeffectsofanunbridled，ambitioustemper。Andnow，evenamidstherkeenestsufferings，herambitionwasbynomeansdead。Shestilllongedtorulethediocesebymeansofherhusband，butwasmadetopauseandhesitatebytheunwontedmoodthathadfallenuponhim。Beforethis，onmorethanoneoccasion，andononeverymemorableoccasion，hehadendeavouredtocombather。Hehadfoughtwithher，strivingtoputherdown。Hehadfailed，andgivenupthehopeofanyescapefrohimselfinthatdirection。Onthoseoccasionshercouragehadneverquailedforamoment。Whileheopenlystruggledtobemaster，shecouldopenlystruggletobemistress——andcouldenjoythestruggle。Butnothinglikethishadevercomeuponhimbefore。
Shehadyieldedtoitformanydays，strivingtocoaxhimbylittlesoftnessesofwhichsheherselfhadbeenashamedasshepractisedthem。
Theyhadservedhernothing，andatlastshedeterminedthatsomethingelsemustbedone。Ifonlyforhissake，tokeepsomelifeinhim，somethingelsemustbedone。Werehetocontinueashewasnow，hemustgiveupthediocese，or，atanyrate，declarehimselftooilltokeepuptheworkingofitinhisownhands。HowshehatedMrCrawleyforallthesorrowthathehadbroughtuponherandherhouse！
AnditwasstilltheaffairofMrCrawleywhichurgedherontofurtheraction。WhenthebishopreceivedMrCrawley’sletterhesaidnothingofittoher；buthehandeditovertohischaplain。Thechaplain，fearingtoactuponithimself，handedittoMrThumble，whoheknewtobeoneofthebishop’scommission，andMrThumble，equallyfearingresponsibilityinthepresentstateofaffairsatthepalace，foundhimselfobligedtoconsultMrsProudie。MrsProudiehadnodoubtastowhatshouldbedone。Themanhadabdicatedhisliving，andofcoursesomeprovisionmustbemadefortheservices。Shewouldagainmakeanattemptuponherhusband，andthereforeshewentintohisroomholdingMrCrawley’sletterinherhand。
’Mydear，’shesaid，’hereisMrCrawley’sletter。Isupposeyouhavereadit。’
’Yes，’saidthebishop；’Ihavereadit。’
’Andwhatwillyoudoaboutit？Somethingmustbedone。’
’Idon’tknow，’saidhe。Hedidnotevenlookatherashespoke。Hehadnotturnedhiseyesuponhersinceshehadenteredtheroom。
’But，bishop，itisaletterthatrequirestobeacteduponatonce。Wecannotdoubtthatthemanisdoingrightatlast。Heissubmittinghimselfwherehissubmissionis...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：