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Mansfield Parkby
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第2章
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Thedivisionofgratifyingsensationsoughtnot,instrictjustice,tohavebeenequal;forSirThomaswasfullyresolvedtobetherealandconsistentpatronoftheselectedchild,andMrs。Norrishadnottheleastintentionofbeingatanyexpensewhateverinhermaintenance。

Asfaraswalking,talking,andcontrivingreached,shewasthoroughlybenevolent,andnobodyknewbetterhowtodictateliberalitytoothers;butherloveofmoneywasequaltoherloveofdirecting,andsheknewquiteaswellhowtosaveherownastospendthatofherfriends。

Havingmarriedonanarrowerincomethanshehadbeenusedtolookforwardto,shehad,fromthefirst,fanciedaverystrictlineofeconomynecessary;

andwhatwasbegunasamatterofprudence,soongrewintoamatterofchoice,asanobjectofthatneedfulsolicitudewhichtherewerenochildrentosupply。

Hadtherebeenafamilytoprovidefor,Mrs。Norrismightneverhavesavedhermoney;buthavingnocareofthatkind,therewasnothingtoimpedeherfrugality,orlessenthecomfortofmakingayearlyadditiontoanincomewhichtheyhadneverlivedupto。Underthisinfatuatingprinciple,counteractedbynorealaffectionforhersister,itwasimpossibleforhertoaimatmorethanthecreditofprojectingandarrangingsoexpensiveacharity;

thoughperhapsshemightsolittleknowherselfastowalkhometotheParsonage,afterthisconversation,inthehappybeliefofbeingthemostliberal-mindedsisterandauntintheworld。

Whenthesubjectwasbroughtforwardagain,herviewsweremorefullyexplained;and,inreplytoLadyBertram’scalminquiryof“Whereshallthechildcometofirst,sister,toyouortous?“SirThomasheardwithsomesurprisethatitwouldbetotallyoutofMrs。Norris’spowertotakeanyshareinthepersonalchargeofher。

HehadbeenconsideringherasaparticularlywelcomeadditionattheParsonage,asadesirablecompaniontoanauntwhohadnochildrenofherown;buthefoundhimselfwhollymistaken。Mrs。Norriswassorrytosaythatthelittlegirl’sstayingwiththem,atleastasthingsthenwere,wasquiteoutofthequestion。

PoorMr。Norris’sindifferentstateofhealthmadeitanimpossibility:hecouldnomorebearthenoiseofachildthanhecouldfly;if,indeed,heshouldevergetwellofhisgoutycomplaints,itwouldbeadifferentmatter:

sheshouldthenbegladtotakeherturn,andthinknothingoftheinconvenience;butjustnow,poorMr。Norristookupeverymomentofhertime,andtheverymentionofsuchathingshewassurewoulddistracthim。

“Thenshehadbettercometous,“saidLadyBertram,withtheutmostcomposure。AfterashortpauseSirThomasaddedwithdignity,“Yes,letherhomebeinthishouse。

Wewillendeavourtodoourdutybyher,andshewill,atleast,havetheadvantageofcompanionsofherownage,andofaregularinstructress。“

“Verytrue,“criedMrs。Norris,“whicharebothveryimportantconsiderations;anditwillbejustthesametoMissLeewhethershehasthreegirlstoteach,oronlytwo——therecanbenodifference。IonlywishI

couldbemoreuseful;butyouseeIdoallinmypower。

Iamnotoneofthosethatsparetheirowntrouble;

andNannyshallfetchher,howeveritmayputmetoinconveniencetohavemychiefcounsellorawayforthreedays。Isuppose,sister,youwillputthechildinthelittlewhiteattic,neartheoldnurseries。

Itwillbemuchthebestplaceforher,sonearMissLee,andnotfarfromthegirls,andclosebythehousemaids,whocouldeitherofthemhelptodressher,youknow,andtakecareofherclothes,forIsupposeyouwouldnotthinkitfairtoexpectEllistowaitonheraswellastheothers。Indeed,Idonotseethatyoucouldpossiblyplaceheranywhereelse。“

LadyBertrammadenoopposition。

“Ihopeshewillproveawell-disposedgirl,“

continuedMrs。Norris,“andbesensibleofheruncommongoodfortuneinhavingsuchfriends。“

“Shouldherdispositionbereallybad,“saidSirThomas,“wemustnot,forourownchildren’ssake,continueherinthefamily;butthereisnoreasontoexpectsogreatanevil。Weshallprobablyseemuchtowishalteredinher,andmustprepareourselvesforgrossignorance,somemeannessofopinions,andverydistressingvulgarityofmanner;butthesearenotincurablefaults;nor,Itrust,cantheybedangerousforherassociates。Hadmydaughtersbeen_younger_thanherself,Ishouldhaveconsideredtheintroductionofsuchacompanionasamatterofveryseriousmoment;but,asitis,Ihopetherecanbenothingtofearfor_them_,andeverythingtohopefor_her_,fromtheassociation。“

“ThatisexactlywhatIthink,“criedMrs。Norris,“andwhatIwassayingtomyhusbandthismorning。

Itwillbeaneducationforthechild,saidI,onlybeingwithhercousins;ifMissLeetaughthernothing,shewouldlearntobegoodandcleverfrom_them_。“

“Ihopeshewillnotteasemypoorpug,“saidLadyBertram;

“IhavebutjustgotJuliatoleaveitalone。“

“Therewillbesomedifficultyinourway,Mrs。Norris,“

observedSirThomas,“astothedistinctionpropertobemadebetweenthegirlsastheygrowup:howtopreserveinthemindsofmy_daughters_theconsciousnessofwhattheyare,withoutmakingthemthinktoolowlyoftheircousin;

andhow,withoutdepressingherspiritstoofar,tomakeherrememberthatsheisnota_MissBertram_。

Ishouldwishtoseethemverygoodfriends,andwould,onnoaccount,authoriseinmygirlsthesmallestdegreeofarrogancetowardstheirrelation;butstilltheycannotbeequals。Theirrank,fortune,rights,andexpectationswillalwaysbedifferent。Itisapointofgreatdelicacy,andyoumustassistusinourendeavourstochooseexactlytherightlineofconduct。“

Mrs。Norriswasquiteathisservice;andthoughsheperfectlyagreedwithhimastoitsbeingamostdifficultthing,encouragedhimtohopethatbetweenthemitwouldbeeasilymanaged。

ItwillbereadilybelievedthatMrs。Norrisdidnotwritetohersisterinvain。Mrs。Priceseemedrathersurprisedthatagirlshouldbefixedon,whenshehadsomanyfineboys,butacceptedtheoffermostthankfully,assuringthemofherdaughter’sbeingaverywell-disposed,good-humouredgirl,andtrustingtheywouldneverhavecausetothrowheroff。

Shespokeofherfartherassomewhatdelicateandpuny,butwassanguineinthehopeofherbeingmateriallybetterforchangeofair。Poorwoman!sheprobablythoughtchangeofairmightagreewithmanyofherchildren。

Thelittlegirlperformedherlongjourneyinsafety;

andatNorthamptonwasmetbyMrs。Norris,whothusregaledinthecreditofbeingforemosttowelcomeher,andintheimportanceofleadingherintotheothers,andrecommendinghertotheirkindness。

FannyPricewasatthistimejusttenyearsold,andthoughtheremightnotbemuchinherfirstappearancetocaptivate,therewas,atleast,nothingtodisgustherrelations。Shewassmallofherage,withnoglowofcomplexion,noranyotherstrikingbeauty;

exceedinglytimidandshy,andshrinkingfromnotice;

butherair,thoughawkward,wasnotvulgar,hervoicewassweet,andwhenshespokehercountenancewaspretty。

SirThomasandLadyBertramreceivedherverykindly;

andSirThomas,seeinghowmuchsheneededencouragement,triedtobeallthatwasconciliating:buthehadtoworkagainstamostuntowardgravityofdeportment;

andLadyBertram,withouttakinghalfsomuchtrouble,orspeakingonewordwherehespoketen,bythemereaidofagood-humouredsmile,becameimmediatelythelessawfulcharacterofthetwo。

Theyoungpeoplewereallathome,andsustainedtheirshareintheintroductionverywell,withmuchgoodhumour,andnoembarrassment,atleastonthepartofthesons,who,atseventeenandsixteen,andtalloftheirage,hadallthegrandeurofmenintheeyesoftheirlittlecousin。

Thetwogirlsweremoreatalossfrombeingyoungerandingreateraweoftheirfather,whoaddressedthemontheoccasionwithratheraninjudiciousparticularity。

Buttheyweretoomuchusedtocompanyandpraisetohaveanythinglikenaturalshyness;andtheirconfidenceincreasingfromtheircousin’stotalwantofit,theyweresoonabletotakeafullsurveyofherfaceandherfrockineasyindifference。

Theywerearemarkablyfinefamily,thesonsverywell-looking,thedaughtersdecidedlyhandsome,andallofthemwell-grownandforwardoftheirage,whichproducedasstrikingadifferencebetweenthecousinsinperson,aseducationhadgiventotheiraddress;andnoonewouldhavesupposedthegirlssonearlyofanageastheyreallywere。TherewereinfactbuttwoyearsbetweentheyoungestandFanny。

JuliaBertramwasonlytwelve,andMariabutayearolder。

Thelittlevisitormeanwhilewasasunhappyaspossible。

Afraidofeverybody,ashamedofherself,andlongingforthehomeshehadleft,sheknewnothowtolookup,andcouldscarcelyspeaktobeheard,orwithoutcrying。

Mrs。NorrishadbeentalkingtoherthewholewayfromNorthamptonofherwonderfulgoodfortune,andtheextraordinarydegreeofgratitudeandgoodbehaviourwhichitoughttoproduce,andherconsciousnessofmiserywasthereforeincreasedbytheideaofitsbeingawickedthingforhernottobehappy。Thefatigue,too,ofsolongajourney,becamesoonnotriflingevil。

Invainwerethewell-meantcondescensionsofSirThomas,andalltheofficiousprognosticationsofMrs。Norristhatshewouldbeagoodgirl;invaindidLadyBertramsmileandmakehersitonthesofawithherselfandpug,andvainwaseventhesightofagooseberrytarttowardsgivinghercomfort;shecouldscarcelyswallowtwomouthfulsbeforetearsinterruptedher,andsleepseemingtobeherlikeliestfriend,shewastakentofinishhersorrowsinbed。

“Thisisnotaverypromisingbeginning,“saidMrs。Norris,whenFannyhadlefttheroom。“AfterallthatIsaidtoheraswecamealong,Ithoughtshewouldhavebehavedbetter;

Itoldherhowmuchmightdependuponheracquittingherselfwellatfirst。Iwishtheremaynotbealittlesulkinessoftemper——herpoormotherhadagooddeal;

butwemustmakeallowancesforsuchachild——andI

donotknowthatherbeingsorrytoleaveherhomeisreallyagainsther,for,withallitsfaults,it_was_

herhome,andshecannotasyetunderstandhowmuchshehaschangedforthebetter;butthenthereismoderationinallthings。“

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫,醒来一梦似千年,重生于下堂妃身躯中的她,将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读

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