第 21 节
作者:绝对601      更新:2022-04-16 12:12      字数:9291
  the   pain   of   finding   very   altered   manners;   and   of   seeing   Captain
  Wentworth。
  Mrs。   Musgrove   and   Mrs。   Hayter   were   sisters。   They   had   each
  had money; but their marriages had made a material difference in
  their degree of consequence。 Mr。 Hayter had some property of his
  own; but it was insignificant compared with Mr。 Musgrove’s; and
  while     the   Musgroves       were    in  the   first  class   of  society    in   the
  country;   the   young   Hayters   would;   from   their   parents’   inferior;
  retired;    and    unpolished      way    of  living;   and   their   own    defective
  education;      have    been    hardly     in  any   class   at   all;  but  for   their
  connexion   with   Uppercross;   this   eldest   son   of   course   excepted;
  who   had   chosen   to  be   a   scholar   and   a   gentleman;   and   who   was
  very superior in cultivation and manners to all the rest。
  The   two   families   had   always       been    on   excellent   terms;     there
  being   no   pride   on   one   side;   and   no   envy   on   the   other;   and   only
  such   a    consciousness       of  superiority     in  the   Miss   Musgroves;       as
  made       them      pleased      to    improve       their    cousins。—Charles’s
  attentions      to  Henrietta      had   been    observed      by   her   father    and
  mother      without     any    disapprobation。       “It  would     not   be   a  great
  match   for   her;   but   if   Henrietta     liked   him;”—and        Henrietta  did
  seem to like him。
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  Henrietta   fully   thought   so   herself;   before   Captain   Wentworth
  came;   but   from   that   time   Cousin   Charles   had   been   very   much
  forgotten。
  Which of the two  sisters   was preferred   by  Captain   Wentworth
  was   as   yet   quite   doubtful;   as   far   as   Anne’s   observation   reached。
  Henrietta was perhaps the prettiest; Louisa had the higher spirits;
  and she knew not now; whether the more gentle or the more lively
  character were most likely to attract him。
  Mr。   and   Mrs。   Musgrove;   either   from   seeing   little;   or   from   an
  entire confidence in the discretion of both their daughters; and of
  all   the    young     men     who    came     near    them;     seemed      to  leave
  everything       to   take    its  chance。     There     was    not    the   smallest
  appearance   of   solicitude   or   remark   about   them   in   the   Mansion…
  house; but it was different at the Cottage: the young couple there
  were     more     disposed      to  speculate      and    wonder;      and    Captain
  Wentworth   had         not   been   above   four   or   five   times   in  the   Miss
  Musgroves’         company;        and     Charles      Hayter      had     but    just
  reappeared;        when    Anne     had    to  listen   to  the   opinions     of  her
  brother and sister; as to which was the one liked best。 Charles gave
  it for Louisa; Mary for Henrietta; but quite agreeing  that  to  have
  him marry either could be extremely delightful。
  Charles “had never seen a pleasanter man in his life; and from
  what he had once heard Captain Wentworth himself say; was very
  sure that he had not made less   than   twenty  thousand pounds   by
  the war。 Here was a   fortune   at  once; besides   which;   there   would
  be   the   chance   of   what   might   be   done   in   any   future   war;   and   he
  was   sure   Captain   Wentworth   was   as   likely   a   man   to   distinguish
  himself as any officer in the navy。 Oh! it would be a capital match
  for either of his sisters。”
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  “Upon my word it would;” replied Mary。 “Dear me! If he should
  rise   to  any    very   great   honours!     If  he  should    ever   be   made    a
  baronet!   ‘Lady   Wentworth’         sounds     very   well。  That   would   be    a
  noble   thing;   indeed;   for   Henrietta!   She   would   take   place   of   me
  then; and Henrietta would not dislike that。 Sir Frederick and Lady
  Wentworth! It would be but a new creation; however; and I never
  think much of your new creations。”
  It suited Mary best to think Henrietta the one preferred on the
  very account of Charles Hayter; whose pretensions she wished to
  see    put  an   end   to。  She   looked    down     very   decidedly     upon    the
  Hayters;   and   thought  it  would   be   quite   a   misfortune   to   have   the
  existing   connection   between   the   families   renewed—very   sad   for
  herself and her children。
  “You know;” said she; “I cannot think him at all a fit match for
  Henrietta;      and   considering      the  alliances    which    the   Musgroves
  have made; she has no right to throw herself away。 I do not think
  any    young     woman     has   a  right   to  make     a  choice   that   may    be
  disagreeable and inconvenient to the principal part of her family;
  and be giving bad connections to those who have not been used to
  them。   And;   pray;   who   is   Charles   Hayter?   Nothing   but   a   country
  curate。 A most improper match for Miss Musgrove of Uppercross。
  Her    husband;     however;     would     not   agree   with   her   here;   for
  besides   having   a   regard   for   his   cousin;   Charles   Hayter   was   an
  eldest son; and he saw things as an eldest son himself。
  “Now      you   are   taking    nonsense;      Mary;”     was   therefore     his
  answer。 “It would not be a great match for Henrietta; but Charles
  has a very fair chance; through the Spicers; of getting something
  from the Bishop in the course of a year or two; and you will please
  to remember; that he is the eldest son; whenever my uncle dies; he
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  steps into very pretty property。 The estate at Winthrop is not less
  than two hundred and fifty acres; besides the farm near Taunton;
  which is some of the best land in the country。 I grant you; that any
  of them but Charles would be a very shocking match for Henrietta;
  and    indeed     it  could   not   be;  he   is  the  only   one   that   could    be
  possible; but he is a very good…natured; good sort of a fellow; and
  whenever Winthrop comes into his hands; he will make a different
  sort of place of it; and live in a very different sort of way; and with
  that property; he will never be a contemptible man。 Good; freehold
  property。   No;   no;   Henrietta   might   do   worse   than   marry   Charles
  Hayter;      and    if  she    has   him;    and     Louisa     can   get    Captain
  Wentworth; I shall be very well satisfied。”
  “Charles may say what he pleases;” cried Mary to Anne; as soon
  as   he   was   out   of   the   room;   “but   it   would   be   shocking   to   have
  Henrietta marry Charles Hayter; a very bad thing for her; and still
  worse   for  me;   and   therefore   it   is   very   much   to   be   wished     that
  Captain Wentworth may soon put him quite out of her head; and I
  have  very  little  doubt  that  he  has。 She  took   hardly  any   notice   of
  Charles   Hayter   yesterday。   I   wish   you   had   been   there   to   see   her
  behaviour。 And as to Captain Wentworth’s liking Louisa as well as
  Henrietta;      it  is  nonsense     to  say   so;  for  he   certainly   does    like
  Henrietta a great deal the best。 But Charles is so positive! I wish
  you had been with us yesterday; for then you might have decided
  between us; and I am sure you would have thought as I did; unless
  you had been determined to give it against me。
  A   dinner   at   Mr。   Musgrove’s   had   been   the   occasion   when   all
  these things should have been seen by Anne; but she had staid at
  home; under the mixed plea of a headache of her own; and some
  return   of   indisposition   in   little   Charles。   She   had   thought   only   of
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  avoiding Captain Wentworth; but an escape from being appealed
  to as umpire was now added to the advantages of a quiet evening。
  As    to  Captain     Wentworth’s       views;    she   deemed      it  of  more
  consequence that he should know his own mind early enough not
  to be endan