第 101 节
作者:南方网      更新:2021-02-19 19:56      字数:9296
  attendance   was   by   this   means   secured;   and   the   rest   followed   in
  course。 Instead of talking of Edward; they came gradually to talk
  only   of   Robert;—a   subject   on   which   he   had   always   more   to   say
  than   on   any   other;   and   in   which   she   soon   betrayed   an   interest
  even equal to his own; and in short; it became speedily evident to
  both; that he had entirely supplanted his brother。 He was proud of
  his    conquest;     proud     of  tricking    Edward;      and    very    proud    of
  marrying        privately      without      his    mother’s       consent。      What
  immediately        followed    is  known。     They    passed     some    months     in
  great   happiness   at   Dawlish;   for   she   had   many   relations   and   old
  acquaintances to cut—and he drew several   plans   for  magnificent
  cottages;—and         from    thence     returning     to   town;    procured      the
  forgiveness of Mrs。 Ferrars;   by  the   simple   expedient  of  asking it;
  which; at Lucy’s instigation; was adopted。 The forgiveness; at first;
  indeed; as was reasonable; comprehended only Robert; and Lucy;
  who     had    owed    his  mother     no   duty    and   therefore     could    have
  transgressed none; still remained some weeks longer unpardoned。
  But   perseverance   in   humility   of   conduct   and   messages;   in   self…
  condemnation          for   Robert’s      offence;     and    gratitude      for   the
  unkindness        she   was    treated    with;    procured     her    in  time    the
  haughty   notice   which   overcame   her   by   its   graciousness;   and   led
  soon afterwards; by rapid degrees; to the highest state of affection
  and influence。 Lucy became as necessary to Mrs。 Ferrars; as either
  Robert or Fanny; and while Edward was never cordially forgiven
  for    having    once    intended      to  marry     her;   and    Elinor;    though
  superior to her in fortune and birth; was spoken of as an intruder;
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  she     was     in    every     thing    considered;       and     always      openly
  acknowledged;         to   be   a  favourite    child。   They     settled   in   town;
  received   very   liberal   assistance   from   Mrs。   Ferrars;   were   on   the
  best terms imaginable with the Dashwoods; and setting aside the
  jealousies   and   ill…will   continually   subsisting   between   Fanny   and
  Lucy; in which their husbands of course took a part; as well as the
  frequent       domestic      disagreements        between      Robert     and    Lucy
  themselves; nothing  could   exceed   the   harmony  in   which   they   all
  lived together。 What Edward had done to forfeit the right of eldest
  son; might have puzzled many people to find out; and what Robert
  had done to succeed to it; might have puzzled them still more。 It
  was an   arrangement;   however;   justified   in   its   effects;   if not  in its
  cause;   for nothing  ever  appeared   in   Robert’s   style   of   living   or   of
  talking     to  give   a  suspicion     of  his   regretting    the   extent    of  his
  income; as either leaving his brother too little; or bringing himself
  too    much;—and         if  Edward      might    be   judged     from    the    ready
  discharge      of  his   duties   in  every    particular;    from    an  increasing
  attachment        to  his   wife   and    his   home;    and    from    the   regular
  cheerfulness of his spirits; he might be supposed no less contented
  with his lot; no less free from every wish of an exchange。
  Elinor’s marriage divided her as little from her family as could
  well be contrived; without rendering the cottage at Barton entirely
  useless;   for   her   mother   and   sisters   spent   much   more   than   half
  their    time   with    her。  Mrs。    Dashwood       was   acting    on   motives    of
  policy as well as pleasure in the frequency of her visits at Delaford;
  for her wish of bringing Marianne and Colonel Brandon together
  was     hardly   less   earnest;    though   rather   more      liberal   than   what
  John   had   expressed。   It   was   now   her   darling   object。   Precious   as
  was   the  company  of  her  daughter  to  her;   she   desired   nothing   so
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  much   as   to   give   up   its   constant   enjoyment   to   her   valued   friend;
  and to see Marianne settled at the mansion…house was equally the
  wish of Edward and Elinor。 They each felt his sorrows; and their
  own obligations; and Marianne; by general consent; was to be the
  reward of all。
  With     such   a  confederacy       against    her—with      a  knowledge       so
  intimate of his goodness—with a conviction of his fond attachment
  to   herself;   which   at   last;   though   long   after   it   was   observable   to
  everybody else—burst on her—what could she do?
  Marianne   Dashwood   was   born   to   an   extraordinary   fate。   She
  was   born   to   discover   the   falsehood   of   her   own   opinions;   and   to
  counteract;   by  her  conduct;   her  most  favourite   maxims。 She   was
  born     to   overcome      an    affection    formed     so   late   in   life  as  at
  seventeen; and   with  no  sentiment  superior  to  strong   esteem   and
  lively   friendship;   voluntarily   to   give   her   hand   to   another!—and
  that other; a man who had suffered no less than herself under the
  event   of   a   former   attachment;   whom;   two   years   before;   she   had
  considered       too   old   to  be   married;—and         who    still  sought     the
  constitutional safeguard of a flannel waistcoat!
  But   so   it   was。   Instead   of   falling   a   sacrifice   to   an  irresistible
  passion; as once she had fondly flattered herself with expecting;—
  instead   of   remaining  even   for  ever   with   her   mother;   and   finding
  her  only  pleasures in   retirement  and study;   as   afterwards   in   her
  more      calm   and    sober    judgment      she   had    determined       on;—she
  found      herself    at   nineteen;      submitting      to   new     attachments;
  entering on new duties; placed in a new home; a wife; the mistress
  of a family; and the patroness of a village。
  Colonel Brandon was now as happy; as all those who best loved
  him; believed he deserved to be;—in Marianne he was consoled for
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  every     past   affliction;—her      regard     and   her    society   restored     his
  mind      to  animation;      and    his   spirits   to  cheerfulness;       and    that
  Marianne found her own happiness in forming his; was equally the
  persuasion and   delight  of  each  observing  friend。   Marianne   could
  never   love   by   halves;   and   her   whole   heart   became;   in   time;   as
  much devoted to her husband; as it had once been to Willoughby。
  Willoughby could not hear of her marriage without a pang; and
  his   punishment   was   soon   afterwards   complete   in   the   voluntary
  forgiveness   of   Mrs。   Smith;   who;   by   stating   his   marriage   with   a
  woman       of  character;     as  the   source    of  her   clemency;      gave    him
  reason   for   believing   that   had   he   behaved   with   honour   towards
  Marianne;   he might  at  once   have   been   happy   and   rich。   That   his
  repentance         of   misconduct;         which      thus    brought       its   own
  punishment; was sincere; need not be doubted;—nor that he long
  thought      of  Colonel     Brandon      with   envy;    and    of  Marianne      with
  regret。   But   that   he   was   for   ever   inconsolable;   that   he   fled   from
  society;   or   contracted   an   habitual   gloom   of   temper;   or   died   of   a
  broken   heart;   must  not   be   depended   on—for   he   did   neither。   He
  lived   to   exert;   and   frequently   to   enjoy   himself。   His   wife   was   not
  always out of humour; nor his home always uncomfortable; and in
  his   breed   of   horses   and   dogs;   and   in   sporting   of   every   kind;   he
  found no inconsiderable degree of domestic felicity。
  For   Marianne;   however—in   spite   of   his   incivility   in   surviving
  her loss—he always retained that decided regard which interested
  him     in  every    thing    that   befell   her;   and    made