登陆注册
26289300000047

第47章 CHAPTER XII(2)

"I wish we were," said he.

"We can realize it by dwelling on it, don't you think?"

"We can begin climbing."

"Oh!" she squeezed herself shadowily.

"Which mountain shall it be?" said Vernon, in the right real earnest tone.

Miss Middleton suggested a lady's mountain first, for a trial.

"And then, if you think well enough of me--if I have not stumbled more than twice, or asked more than ten times how far it is from the top, I should like to be promoted to scale a giant."

They went up to some of the lesser heights of Switzerland and Styria, and settled in South Tyrol, the young lady preferring this district for the strenuous exercise of her climbing powers because she loved Italian colour; and it seemed an exceedingly good reason to the genial imagination she had awakened in Mr. Whitford.

"Though," said he, abruptly, "you are not so much Italian as French."

She hoped she was English, she remarked.

"Of course you are English; . . . yes." He moderated his ascent with the halting affirmative.

She inquired wonderingly why he spoke in apparent hesitation.

"Well, you have French feet, for example: French wits, French impatience," he lowered his voice, "and charm"

"And love of compliments."

"Possibly. I was not conscious of paying them"

"And a disposition to rebel?"

"To challenge authority, at least."

"That is a dreadful character."

"At all events, it is a character."

"Fit for an Alpine comrade?"

"For the best of comrades anywhere."

"It is not a piece of drawing-room sculpture: that is the most one can say for it!" she dropped a dramatic sigh.

Had he been willing she would have continued the theme, for the pleasure a poor creature long gnawing her sensations finds in seeing herself from the outside. It fell away. After a silence, she could not renew it; and he was evidently indifferent, having to his own satisfaction dissected and stamped her a foreigner.

With it passed her holiday. She had forgotten Sir Willoughby: she remembered him and said. "You knew Miss Durham, Mr. Whitford?"

He answered briefly, "I did."

"Was she? . . ." some hot-faced inquiry peered forth and withdrew.

"Very handsome," said Vernon.

"English?"

"Yes; the dashing style of English."

"Very courageous."

"I dare say she had a kind of courage."

"She did very wrong."

"I won't say no. She discovered a man more of a match with herself; luckily not too late. We're at the mercy . .

"Was she not unpardonable?"

"I should be sorry to think that of any one."

"But you agree that she did wrong."

"I suppose I do. She made a mistake and she corrected it. if she had not, she would have made a greater mistake."

"The manner. . ."

"That was bad--as far as we know. The world has not much right to judge. A false start must now and then be made. It's better not to take notice of it, I think."

"What is it we are at the mercy of?"

"Currents of feeling, our natures. I am the last man to preach on the subject: young ladies are enigmas to me; I fancy they must have a natural perception of the husband suitable to them, and the reverse; and if they have a certain degree of courage, it follows that they please themselves."

"They are not to reflect on the harm they do?" said Miss Middleton.

"By all means let them reflect; they hurt nobody by doing that."

"But a breach of faith!"

"If the faith can be kept through life, all's well."

"And then there is the cruelty, the injury!"

"I really think that if a young lady came to me to inform me she must break our engagement--I have never been put to the proof, but to suppose it:--I should not think her cruel."

"Then she would not be much of a loss."

"And I should not think so for this reason, that it is impossible for a girl to come to such a resolution without previously showing signs of it to her. . . the man she is engaged to. I think it unfair to engage a girl for longer than a week or two, just time enough for her preparations and publications."

"If he is always intent on himself, signs are likely to be unheeded by him," said Miss Middleton.

He did not answer, and she said, quickly:

"It must always be a cruelty. The world will think so. It is an act of inconstancy."

"If they knew one another well before they were engaged."

"Are you not singularly tolerant?" said she.

To which Vernon replied with airy cordiality:--"In some cases it is right to judge by results; we'll leave severity to the historian, who is bound to be a professional moralist and put pleas of human nature out of the scales. The lady in question may have been to blame, but no hearts were broken, and here we have four happy instead of two miserable."

His persecuting geniality of countenance appealed to her to confirm this judgement by results, and she nodded and said:

"Four," as the awe-stricken speak.

From that moment until young Crossjay fell into the green-rutted lane from a tree, and was got on his legs half stunned, with a hanging lip and a face like the inside of a flayed eel-skin, she might have been walking in the desert, and alone, for the pleasure she had in society.

They led the fated lad home between them, singularly drawn together by their joint ministrations to him, in which her delicacy had to stand fire, and sweet good-nature made naught of any trial. They were hand in hand with the little fellow as physician and professional nurse.

同类推荐
  • 张积中传

    张积中传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 将赴黔州先寄本府中

    将赴黔州先寄本府中

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 褚氏遗书

    褚氏遗书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 维摩疏释前小序抄

    维摩疏释前小序抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 西夏事略

    西夏事略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 真实的天空

    真实的天空

    国术,如何才能对抗枪炮呢?一个因为日全食而被迫穿越到未来的国术少年,惊恐的发现在未来的时代,地球已经被外星人侵占。逃离地球的幸存者们,在另外的星球开辟出了新的家园——遗迹。但是人们心底里,却渴望着回归自己真正故乡的那一天。崇拜王超的国术少年王宗师,也在这未来的世界里,找到了真正能够以国术对抗枪炮的武器。
  • 忆往昔,易缕烊光

    忆往昔,易缕烊光

    他姓易,却不容易…她姓韩,且心寒…一场青梅竹马的邂逅,一段两情相悦的爱恋,能否走到最后?一生一世一双人,一心一意一钟情……
  • 租个手机做情人

    租个手机做情人

    很多时候觉得自己是个无耻的女孩,眼前这个干净的大男孩是我男朋友,是大二那年用我手机号码骗来的,准确的来说,我这个手机号码是他曾经用过的...缘分和我开了一个不大不小的玩笑,手把手的教会了他恋爱后,我又把他推向了另一女人的怀抱,她叫陈筱华,一个美的让我这个系花都有点嫉妒的老师。
  • 缚绑王爷

    缚绑王爷

    花盼春一个字都没来得及说,两队人马训练有素,动作利落整齐,将她五花大绑,押送官府待审。果然是凶兆——偏偏这个刚好排行老七、职业王爷的家伙十分青番,不管她说什么,他老大不听就是不听!算了,邪恶坏王爷最大,他要怎么处置都随便啦。
  • 活人禁忌

    活人禁忌

    生活之中流传着很多的禁忌,譬如吃饭的时候筷子不能插在碗里,走夜路的时候不能回头……可是,偏偏有人不相信。那么后果就是死,或者是,生不如死!我们的村子里口口相传的一个禁忌,就是不能动井边的那块石碑,一直到村里的八爷动了之后,恐怖的事情,就开始接二连三的发生了……
  • 雪城之焰

    雪城之焰

    有人说冰雪可以冻结一切!可以将晶莹的眼泪冻结成珍珠。不让它随意滑落,在落地时摔的支离破碎。有人说火焰可以燃烧一切!可以将美好的回忆燃烧成灰烬。不让它扰人心弦,在夜深人静时拨弄心扉。雪城的一切就像是一幅画,那里走着失落的人,寻找着从新来过的答案。雪城的一切就像是一场梦,那里没有尽头,有的只是开始与结束。(非专业写手,可以保证每天更新。不过更新的多与少不敢说,最少两章吧!就看大家的支持了。喜欢的人多了,自然就有动力。本文短篇,预计几十万左右。希望各位能够喜欢!)
  • 陛下的另类宠妃:提线木偶格莱斯

    陛下的另类宠妃:提线木偶格莱斯

    格莱斯从来都没想到,自己有一天能够浴火重生,从一个木偶,成为一个真正的人,还拥有了一份属于自己的感情。第一次遇见他,她问:“你是谁“”我?你可以叫我魅""Mei?妹???“额,好吧,"某人傻了,不明白为什么一个男生会叫女生的名字。。。。
  • 一路天衍

    一路天衍

    泯灭不了内心的罪恶,放弃不了所做的选择,既然无法救赎,不妨从此沉沦,永生坠落。
  • 天赋石嘴山

    天赋石嘴山

    石嘴山是一座古老的城市,不仅有着悠久的历史,更有着灿烂的文化。本书是《美丽石嘴山丛书》之一,是众多史志学专家智慧和心血的凝结,具有非常重要的存史、资政、教化价值的文献。
  • 超级监控

    超级监控

    当李阳得到一款来自未来的监控系统后,最想要做的就是用它来观赏一下美人浴,不过这货的口味有点重,只选择那些仙女级别的。在我眼中,世间再没有秘密!