第 61 节
作者:独来读网      更新:2022-11-28 19:18      字数:9322
  of view she had determined to change。
  There lay open to her two directions in which to move。  She might
  annex herself to the easy…going high by wedding an old nobleman; or
  she might join for good and all the easy…going low; by plunging back
  to the level of her family; giving up all her ambitions for them;
  settling as the wife of a provincial music…master named Julian; with
  a little shop of fiddles and flutes; a couple of old pianos; a few
  sheets of stale music pinned to a string; and a narrow back parlour;
  wherein she would wait for the phenomenon of a customer。  And each
  of these divergent grooves had its fascinations; till she reflected
  with regard to the first that; even though she were a legal and
  indisputable Lady Mountclere; she might be despised by my lord's
  circle; and left lone and lorn。  The intermediate path of accepting
  Neigh or Ladywell had no more attractions for her taste than the
  fact of disappointing them had qualms for her conscience; and how
  few these were may be inferred from her opinion; true or false; that
  two words about the spigot on her escutcheon would sweep her lovers'
  affections to the antipodes。  She had now and then imagined that her
  previous intermarriage with the Petherwin family might efface much
  besides her surname; but experience proved that the having been wife
  for a few weeks to a minor who died in his father's lifetime; did
  not weave such a tissue of glory about her course as would resist a
  speedy undoing by startling confessions on her station before her
  marriage; and her environments now。
  36。 THE HOUSE IN TOWN
  Returning by way of Knollsea; where she remained a week or two;
  Ethelberta appeared one evening at the end of September before her
  house in Exonbury Crescent; accompanied by a pair of cabs with the
  children and luggage; but Picotee was left at Knollsea; for reasons
  which Ethelberta explained when the family assembled in conclave。
  Her father was there; and began telling her of a surprising change
  in Menlovean unasked…for concession to their cause; and a vow of
  secrecy which he could not account for; unless any friend of
  Ethelberta's had bribed her。
  'O nothat cannot be;' said she。  Any influence of Lord Mountclere
  to that effect was the last thing that could enter her thoughts。
  'However; what Menlove does makes little difference to me now。'  And
  she proceeded to state that she had almost come to a decision which
  would entirely alter their way of living。
  'I hope it will not be of the sort your last decision was;' said her
  mother。
  'No; quite the reverse。  I shall not live here in state any longer。
  We will let the house throughout as lodgings; while it is ours; and
  you and the girls must manage it。  I will retire from the scene
  altogether; and stay for the winter at Knollsea with Picotee。  I
  want to consider my plans for next year; and I would rather be away
  from town。  Picotee is left there; and I return in two days with the
  books and papers I require。'
  'What are your plans to be?'
  'I am going to be a schoolmistressI think I am。'
  'A schoolmistress?'
  'Yes。  And Picotee returns to the same occupation; which she ought
  never to have forsaken。  We are going to study arithmetic and
  geography until Christmas; then I shall send her adrift to finish
  her term as pupil…teacher; while I go into a training…school。  By
  the time I have to give up this house I shall just have got a little
  country school。'
  'But;' said her mother; aghast; 'why not write more poems and sell
  'em?'
  'Why not be a governess as you were?' said her father。
  'Why not go on with your tales at Mayfair Hall?' said Gwendoline。
  'I'll answer as well as I can。  I have decided to give up romancing
  because I cannot think of any more that pleases me。  I have been
  trying at Knollsea for a fortnight; and it is no use。  I will never
  be a governess again:  I would rather be a servant。  If I am a
  schoolmistress I shall be entirely free from all contact with the
  great; which is what I desire; for I hate them; and am getting
  almost as revolutionary as Sol。  Father; I cannot endure this kind
  of existence any longer; I sleep at night as if I had committed a
  murder:  I start up and see processions of people; audiences;
  battalions of lovers obtained under false pretencesall denouncing
  me with the finger of ridicule。  Mother's suggestion about my
  marrying I followed out as far as dogged resolution would carry me;
  but during my journey here I have broken down; for I don't want to
  marry a second time among people who would regard me as an upstart
  or intruder。  I am sick of ambition。  My only longing now is to fly
  from society altogether; and go to any hovel on earth where I could
  be at peace。'
  'Whathas anybody been insulting you?' said Mrs。 Chickerel。
  'Yes; or rather I sometimes think he may have:  that is; if a
  proposal of marriage is only removed from being a proposal of a very
  different kind by an accident。'
  'A proposal of marriage can never be an insult;' her mother
  returned。
  'I think otherwise;' said Ethelberta。
  'So do I;' said her father。
  'Unless the man was beneath you; and I don't suppose he was that;'
  added Mrs。 Chickerel。
  'You are quite right; he was not that。  But we will not talk of this
  branch of the subject。  By far the most serious concern with me is
  that I ought to do some good by marriage; or by heroic performance
  of some kind; while going back to give the rudiments of education to
  remote hamleteers will do none of you any good whatever。'
  'Never you mind us;' said her father; 'mind yourself。'
  'I shall hardly be minding myself either; in your opinion; by doing
  that;' said Ethelberta dryly。 'But it will be more tolerable than
  what I am doing now。  Georgina; and Myrtle; and Emmeline; and Joey
  will not get the education I intended for them; but that must go; I
  suppose。'
  'How full of vagaries you are;' said her mother。  'Why won't it do
  to continue as you are?  No sooner have I learnt up your schemes;
  and got enough used to 'em to see something in 'em; than you must
  needs bewilder me again by starting some fresh one; so that my mind
  gets no rest at all。'
  Ethelberta too keenly felt the justice of this remark; querulous as
  it was; to care to defend herself。  It was hopeless to attempt to
  explain to her mother that the oscillations of her mind might arise
  as naturally from the perfection of its balance; like those of a
  logan…stone; as from inherent lightness; and such an explanation;
  however comforting to its subject; was little better than none to
  simple hearts who only could look to tangible outcrops。
  'Really; Ethelberta;' remonstrated her mother; 'this is very odd。
  Making yourself miserable in trying to get a position on our account
  is one thing; and not necessary; but I think it ridiculous to rush
  into the other extreme; and go wilfully down in the scale。  You may
  just as well exercise your wits in trying to swim as in trying to
  sink。'
  'Yes; that's what I think;' said her father。 'But of course Berta
  knows best。'
  'I think so too;' said Gwendoline。
  'And so do I;' said Cornelia。 'If I had once moved about in large
  circles like Ethelberta; I wouldn't go down and be a schoolmistress…
  …not I。'
  'I own it is foolishsuppose it is;' said Ethelberta wearily; and
  with a readiness of misgiving that showed how recent and hasty was
  the scheme。  'Perhaps you are right; mother; anything rather than
  retreat。  I wonder if you are right!  Well; I will think again of it
  to…night。  Do not let us speak more about it now。'
  She did think of it that night; very long and painfully。  The
  arguments of her relatives seemed ponderous as opposed to her own
  inconsequent longing for escape from galling trammels。  If she had
  stood alone; the sentiment that she had begun to build but was not
  able to finish; by whomsoever it might have been entertained; would
  have had few terrors; but that the opinion should be held by her
  nearest of kin; to cause them pain for life; was a grievous thing。
  The more she thought of it; the less easy seemed the justification
  of her desire for obscurity。  From regarding it as a high instinct
  she passed into a humour that gave that desire the appearance of a
  whim。  But could she really set in train events; which; if not
  abortive; would take her to the altar with Viscount Mountclere?
  In one determination she never faltered; to commit her sin
  thoroughly if she committed it at all。  Her relatives believed her
  choice to lie between Neigh and Ladywell alone。  But once having
  decided to pass over Christopher; whom she had loved; there could be
  no pausing for Ladywell because she liked him; or for Neigh in that
  she was influenced by him。  They were both too near her level to be
  trusted to bear the shock of receiving her from her father's hands。
  But it was possible that though her genesis might tinge with
  vulgarity a commoner's household; susceptible of such depreciation;
  it might show as a picturesque contrast in the family circle of a
  peer。  Hence it was just as well to go to the end of her logic;
  where reasons for tergiversation would be most pronounced。  This
  thought of the viscount; however; was a secret for her own breast
  alone。
  Nearly the w