第 34 节
作者:绝对601      更新:2022-04-16 12:12      字数:9305
  some   trouble   from   the   good   people   she   was   with;   they   might   at
  least relieve Mrs。 Harville from the care of her own children; and
  in   short;   they    were    so  happy     in  the   decision;    that   Anne     was
  delighted   with   what   she   had   done;   and   felt   that   she      could   not
  spend her last morning at Uppercross better than in assisting their
  preparations; and   sending  them   off   at  an   early   hour;   though   her
  being left to the solitary range of the house was the consequence。
  She   was   the   last;   excepting   the   little   boys   at   the   cottage;   she
  was the very last; the only remaining one of all that had filled and
  animated       both    houses;     of  all   that   had    given    Uppercross       its
  cheerful character。 A few days had made a change indeed!
  If  Louisa     recovered;     it  would    all  be   well   again。   More     than
  former happiness would be restored。 There could not be a doubt;
  to her mind there was none; of what would follow her recovery。 A
  few months hence; and the room now so deserted; occupied but by
  her   silent;   pensive   self;   might   be    filled  again   with   all  that   was
  happy and gay; all that was glowing and bright in prosperous love;
  all that was most unlike Anne Elliot!
  An   hour’s   complete   leisure   for   such   reflections   as   these;   on   a
  dark November day; a small thick rain almost blotting out the very
  few objects ever to be discerned from the windows; was enough to
  make the sound of  Lady  Russell’s carriage  exceedingly  welcome;
  and     yet;  though     desirous     to  be   gone;    she   could    not   quit   the
  Mansion   House;   or   look   an   adieu   to   the   Cottage;   with   its   black;
  dripping      and   comfortless      veranda;     or  even    notice    through     the
  misty glasses the last  humble   tenements   of  the   village;   without  a
  saddened heart。—Scenes had passed in Uppercross which made it
  precious。     It   stood   the  record    of   many   sensations      of  pain;   once
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  severe;     but   now    softened;     and   of  some     instances     of  relenting
  feeling;   some   breathings   of   friendship   and   reconciliation;   which
  could never be looked for again; and which could never cease to be
  dear。   She left  it  all behind   her; all   but   the   recollection   that   such
  things had been。
  Anne     had    never    entered     Kellynch     since    her   quitting    Lady
  Russell’s house in September。 It had not been necessary; and the
  few occasions of its being possible for her to go to the Hall she had
  contrived      to  evade     and   escape     from。    Her   first  return     was   to
  resume   her   place   in   the   modern   and   elegant   apartments   of   the
  Lodge; and to gladden the eyes of its mistress。
  There     was    some    anxiety     mixed     with   Lady     Russell’s    joy  in
  meeting   her。   She   knew   who   had   been   frequenting   Uppercross。
  But happily; either Anne was improved in plumpness and looks; or
  Lady      Russell     fancied     her    so;   and    Anne;     in   receiving     her
  compliments   on   the   occasion;   had   the   amusement   of   connecting
  them with the silent admiration of her cousin; and of hoping that
  she was to be blessed with a second spring of youth and beauty。
  When   they   came   to   converse;   she   was   soon   sensible   of   some
  mental change。 The subjects of which her heart had been full   on
  leaving     Kellynch;     and    which     she   had    felt  slighted;    and   been
  compelled   to   smother   among   the   Musgroves;   were   now   become
  but   of   secondary   interest。   She   had   lately   lost   sight   even   of   her
  father and sister and Bath。 Their concerns had   been   sunk   under
  those    of   Uppercross;      and   when     Lady    Russell    reverted     to  their
  former hopes and fears; and spoke her satisfaction in the house in
  Camden…place;   which   had   been   taken;   and   her   regret   that   Mrs。
  Clay should still be with them; Anne would have been ashamed to
  have   it   known   how   much   more   she   was   thinking   of   Lyme   and
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  Louisa Musgrove; and all her acquaintance there; how much more
  interesting to her was the home and the friendship of the Harvilles
  and   Captain   Benwick;   than   her   own   father’s   house   in   Camden…
  place;    or   her   own    sister’s   intimacy     with    Mrs。    Clay。   She    was
  actually forced to exert herself to meet Lady Russell with anything
  like   the   appearance   of   equal   solicitude;   on   topics   which   had   by
  nature the first claim on her。
  There   was   a   little   awkwardness   at   first   in   their   discourse   on
  another subject。   They  must speak   of  the   accident  at  Lyme。   Lady
  Russell had not been arrived five minutes the day before; when a
  full   account   of   the   whole   had   burst   on   her;   but   still   it   must   be
  talked      of;  she    must     make     enquiries;      she    must    regret     the
  imprudence;   lament   the   result;   and   Captain   Wentworth’s   name
  must be mentioned by both。 Anne was conscious of not doing it so
  well   as   Lady   Russell。   She   could   not   speak   the   name;   and   look
  straight   forward   to   Lady   Russell’s   eye;   till   she   had   adopted   the
  expedient of telling her briefly what she thought of the attachment
  between him and Louisa。 When this was told; his name distressed
  her no longer。
  Lady   Russell   had      only   to   listen   composedly;   and      wish   them
  happy;      but  internally     her   heart   revelled    in   angry    pleasure;    in
  pleased contempt; that the man who at twenty…three had seemed
  to   understand   somewhat   of   the   value   of   an   Anne   Elliot;   should;
  eight years afterwards; be charmed by a Louisa Musgrove。
  The     first  three   or   four   days    passed    most     quietly;   with    no
  circumstance to mark them excepting the receipt of a note or two
  from Lyme; which found their way to Anne; she could not tell how;
  and brought a rather improving account of Louisa。 At the   end   of
  that period; Lady Russell’s politeness could repose no longer; and
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  the fainter self…threatenings of the past became in a decided tone;
  “I must call on Mrs。 Croft; I really must call upon her soon。 Anne;
  have you courage to go with me; and pay a visit in that house? It
  will be some trial to us both。”
  Anne   did not  shrink   from   it;   on   the   contrary;   she   truly   felt   as
  she said; in observing;
  “I think you are very likely to suffer the most of the two; your
  feelings are less reconciled to the change than mine。 By remaining
  in the neighbourhood; I am become inured to it。”
  She could have said more on the subject; for she had in fact so
  high  an   opinion   of   the   Crofts;   and   considered   her   father   so   very
  fortunate   in   his   tenants;   felt   the   parish   to   be   so   sure   of   a   good
  example;      and    the   poor    of  the   best   attention     and    relief;  that
  however sorry and ashamed for the necessity of the removal; she
  could not but in conscience feel that they were gone who deserved
  not  to  stay;   and   that  Kellynch  Hall   had   passed   into better  hands
  than     its  owners’。    These    convictions     must    unquestionably        have
  their  own   pain;   and  severe   was   its  kind;  but  they  precluded   that
  pain which Lady Russell would suffer in entering the house again;
  and returning through the well…known apartments。
  In   such    moments      Anne     had   no   power    of  saying    to  herself;
  “These rooms ought to belong only to us。 Oh; how fallen   in   their
  destination! How unworthily occupied! An ancient family to be so
  driven   away!   Strangers   filling  their   place!”   No;   except   when   she
  thought of her mother; and remembered where she had been used
  to sit and preside; she had no sigh of that description to heave。
  Mrs。 Croft always met her with a kindness which gave her the
  pleasure      of  fancying     herself    a  favourite;    and    on   the   pr