vanity fair(名利场)-第9节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


towards　his　favourite　Hessian　boots。
〃Let　us　have　some　music；　Miss　SedleyAmelia；〃　said
George；　who　felt　at　that　moment　an　extraordinary；
almost　irresistible　impulse　to　seize　the　above…mentioned
young　woman　in　his　arms；　and　to　kiss　her　in　the　face　of
the　company；　and　she　looked　at　him　for　a　moment；　and
if　I　should　say　that　they　fell　in　love　with　each　other　at
that　single　instant　of　time；　I　should　perhaps　be　telling
an　untruth；　for　the　fact　is　that　these　two　young　people
had　been　bred　up　by　their　parents　for　this　very　purpose；
and　their　banns　had；　as　it　were；　been　read　in　their
respective　families　any　time　these　ten　years。　　They　went
off　to　the　piano；　which　was　situated；　as　pianos　usually
are；　in　the　back　drawing…room；　and　as　it　was　rather　dark；
Miss　Amelia；　in　the　most　unaffected　way　in　the　world；
put　her　hand　into　Mr。　Osborne's；　who；　of　course；　could
see　the　way　among　the　chairs　and　ottomans　a　great　deal
better　than　she　could。　　But　this　arrangement　left　Mr。
Joseph　Sedley　tete…a…tete　with　Rebecca；　at　the
drawing…room　table；　where　the　latter　was　occupied
in　knitting　a　green　silk　purse。
〃There　is　no　need　to　ask　family　secrets；〃　said　Miss
Sharp。　　〃Those　two　have　told　theirs。〃
〃As　soon　as　he　gets　his　company；〃　said　Joseph；　〃I
believe　the　affair　is　settled。　　George　Osborne　is　a　capital
fellow。〃
〃And　your　sister　the　dearest　creature　in　the　world；〃
said　Rebecca。　　〃Happy　the　man　who　wins　her！〃　With
this；　Miss　Sharp　gave　a　great　sigh。
When　two　unmarried　persons　get　together；　and　talk
upon　such　delicate　subjects　as　the　present；　a　great　deal
of　confidence　and　intimacy　is　presently　established
between　them。　　There　is　no　need　of　giving　a　special　report
of　the　conversation　which　now　took　place　between　Mr。
Sedley　and　the　young　lady；　for　the　conversation；　as　may
be　judged　from　the　foregoing　specimen；　was　not　especially
witty　or　eloquent；　it　seldom　is　in　private　societies；　or
anywhere　except　in　very　high…flown　and　ingenious　novels。
As　there　was　music　in　the　next　room；　the　talk　was
carried　on；　of　course；　in　a　low　and　becoming　tone；　though；
for　the　matter　of　that；　the　couple　in　the　next　apartment
would　not　have　been　disturbed　had　the　talking　been　ever
so　loud；　so　occupied　were　they　with　their　own　pursuits。
Almost　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　Mr。　Sedley　found
himself　talking；　without　the　least　timidity　or　hesitation；
to　a　person　of　the　other　sex。　　Miss　Rebecca　asked　him　a
great　number　of　questions　about　India；　which　gave　him
an　opportunity　of　narrating　many　interesting　anecdotes
about　that　country　and　himself。　　He　described　the　balls
at　Government　House；　and　the　manner　in　which　they
kept　themselves　cool　in　the　hot　weather；　with　punkahs；
tatties；　and　other　contrivances；　and　he　was　very　witty
regarding　the　number　of　Scotchmen　whom　Lord　Minto；
the　Governor…General；　patronised；　and　then　he　described
a　tiger…hunt；　and　the　manner　in　which　the　mahout　of　his
elephant　had　been　pulled　off　his　seat　by　one　of　the
infuriated　animals。　　How　delighted　Miss　Rebecca　was　at
the　Government　balls；　and　how　she　laughed　at　the　stories
of　the　Scotch　aides…de…camp；　and　called　Mr。　Sedley　a
sad　wicked　satirical　creature；　and　how　frightened　she　was
Joseph　Sedley　tete…a…tete　with　Rebecca；　at　the
drawing…room　table；　where　the　latter　was　occupied
in　knitting　a　green　silk　purse。
〃There　is　no　need　to　ask　family　secrets；〃　said　Miss
Sharp。　　〃Those　two　have　told　theirs。〃
〃As　soon　as　he　gets　his　company；〃　said　Joseph；　〃I
believe　the　affair　is　settled。　　George　Osborne　is　a　capital
fellow。〃
〃And　your　sister　the　dearest　creature　in　the　world；〃
said　Rebecca。　　〃Happy　the　man　who　wins　her！〃　With
this；　Miss　Sharp　gave　a　great　sigh。
When　two　unmarried　persons　get　together；　and　talk
upon　such　delicate　subjects　as　the　present；　a　great　deal
of　confidence　and　intimacy　is　presently　established
between　them。　　There　is　no　need　of　giving　a　special　report
of　the　conversation　which　now　took　place　between　Mr。
Sedley　and　the　young　lady；　for　the　conversation；　as　may
be　judged　from　the　foregoing　specimen；　was　not　especially
witty　or　eloquent；　it　seldom　is　in　private　societies；　or
anywhere　except　in　very　high…flown　and　ingenious　novels。
As　there　was　music　in　the　next　room；　the　talk　was
carried　on；　of　course；　in　a　low　and　becoming　tone；　though；
for　the　matter　of　that；　the　couple　in　the　next　apartment
would　not　have　been　disturbed　had　the　talking　been　ever
so　loud；　so　occupied　were　they　with　their　own　pursuits。
Almost　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　Mr。　Sedley　found
himself　talking；　without　the　least　timidity　or　hesitation；
to　a　person　of　the　other　sex。　　Miss　Rebecca　asked　him　a
great　number　of　questions　about　India；　which　gave　him
an　opportunity　of　narrating　many　interesting　anecdotes
about　that　country　and　himself。　　He　described　the　balls
at　Government　House；　and　the　manner　in　which　they
kept　themselves　cool　in　the　hot　weather；　with　punkahs；
tatties；　and　other　contrivances；　and　he　was　very　witty
regarding　the　number　of　Scotchmen　whom　Lord　Minto；
the　Governor…General；　patronised；　and　then　he　described
a　tiger…hunt；　and　the　manner　in　which　the　mahout　of　his
elephant　had　been　pulled　off　his　seat　by　one　of　the
infuriated　animals。　　How　delighted　Miss　Rebecca　was　at
the　Government　balls；　and　how　she　laughed　at　the　stories
of　the　Scotch　aides…de…camp；　and　called　Mr。　Sedley　a
sad　wicked　satirical　creature；　and　how　frightened　she　was
at　the　story　of　the　elephant！　〃For　your　mother's　sake；
dear　Mr。　Sedley；〃　she　said；　〃for　the　sake　of　all　your
friends；　promise　NEVER　to　go　on　one　of　those　horrid
expeditions。〃
〃Pooh；　pooh；　Miss　Sharp；〃　said　he；　pulling　up　his　shirt…
collars；　〃the　danger　makes　the　sport　only　the　pleasanter。〃
He　had　never　been　but　once　at　a　tiger…hunt；　when　the
accident　in　question　occurred；　and　when　he　was　half
killednot　by　the　tiger；　but　by　the　fright。　　And　as　he
talked　on；　he　grew　quite　bold；　and　actually　had　the
audacity　to　ask　Miss　Rebecca　for　whom　she　was
knitting　the　green　silk　purse？　He　was　quite　surprised
and　delighted　at　his　own　graceful　familiar　manner。
〃For　any　one　who　wants　a　purse；〃　replied　Miss
Rebecca；　looking　at　him　in　the　most　gentle　winning　way。
Sedley　was　going　to　make　one　of　the　most　eloquent
speeches　possible；　and　had　begun〃O　Miss　Sharp；
how〃　when　some　song　which　was　performed　in　the
other　room　came　to　an　end；　and　caused　him　to　hear
his　own　voice　so　distinctly　that　he　stopped；　blushed；　and
blew　his　nose　in　great　agitation。
〃Did　you　ever　hear　anything　like　your　brother's
eloquence？〃　whispered　Mr。　Osborne　to　Amelia。　　〃Why；
your　friend　has　worked　miracles。〃
〃The　more　the　better；〃　said　Miss　Amelia；　who；　like
almost　all　women　who　are　worth　a　pin；　was　a　match…
maker　in　her　heart；　and　would　have　been　delighted　that
Joseph　should　carry　back　a　wife　to　India。　　She　had；　too；
in　the　course　of　this　few　days'　constant　intercourse；
warmed　into　a　most　tender　friendship　for　Rebecca；　and
discovered　a　million　of　virtues　and　amiable　qualities　in
her　which　she　had　not　perceived　when　they　were　at
Chiswick　together。　　For　the　affection　of　young　ladies　is
of　as　rapid　growth　as　Jack's　bean…stalk；　and　reaches　up
to　the　sky　in　a　night。　　It　is　no　blame　to　them　that　after
marriage　this　Sehnsucht　nach　der　Liebe　subsides。　　It　is
what　sentimentalists；　who　deal　in　very　big　words；　call　a
yearning　after　the　Ideal；　and　simply　means　that　women
are　commonly　not　satisfied　until　they　have　husbands
and　children　on　whom　they　may　centre　affections；　which
are　spent　elsewhere；　as　it　were；　in　small　change。
Having　expended　her　little　store　of　songs；　or　having
stayed　long　enough　in　the　back　drawing…room；　it　now
appeared　proper　to　Miss　Amelia　to　ask　her　friend　to
sing。　　〃You　would　not　have　listened　to　me；〃　she　said　to
Mr。　Osborne　（though　she　knew　she　was　telling　a　fib）；
〃had　you　heard　Rebecca　first。〃
〃I　give　Miss　Sharp　warning；　though；〃　said　Osborne；
〃that；　right　or　wrong；　I　consider　Miss　Amelia　Sedley
the　first　singer　in　the　world。〃
〃You　shall　hear；〃　said　Amelia；　and　Joseph　Sedley　was
actually　polite　enough　to　carry　the　candles　to　the　piano。
Osborne　hinted　that　he　should　like　quite　as　well　to　sit
in　the　dark；　but　Miss　Sedley；　laughing；　declined　to　bear
him　company　any　farther；　and　the　two　accordingly
followed　Mr。　Joseph。　　Rebecca　sang　far　better　than　her
friend　（though　of　course　Osborne　was　free　to　keep　his
opinion）；　and　exerted　herself　to　the　utmost；　and；
indeed；　to　the　wonder　of　Amelia；　who　had　never　known
her　perform　so　well。　　She　sang　a　French　song；　which
Joseph　did　not　understand　in　the　least；　and　which　George
confessed　he　did　not　understand；　and　then　a　number　of
those　simple　ballads　which　were　the　fashion　forty　years
ago；　and　in　which　British　tars；　our　King；　poor　Susan；
blue…eyed　Mary；　and　the　like；　were　the　principal　themes。
They　are　not；　it　is　said；　very　brilliant；　in　a　musical　point
of　view；　but　contain　numberless　good…natured；　simple
appeals　to　the　affections；　which　people　understood　better
than　the　milk…and…water　lagrime；　sospiri；　and　felicita
of　the　eternal　Donizettian　music　with　which　we　are
favoured　now…a…days。
Conversation　of　a　sentimental　sort；　befitting　the
subject；　was　carried　on　between　the　songs；　to　which
Sambo；　after　he　had　brought　the　tea；　the　deli