第 53 节
作者:绝对601      更新:2022-04-16 12:12      字数:9288
  music was to give delight or the gapes; as real or affected taste for
  it   prevailed。   To   Anne;   it   chiefly   wore   the   prospect   of   an   hour   of
  agitation。   She   could   not   quit   that   room   in   peace   without   seeing
  Captain   Wentworth   once   more;   without   the   interchange   of   one
  friendly look。
  In   re…settling   themselves   there   were   now   many   changes;   the
  result   of   which   was   favourable   for   her。   Colonel   Wallis   declined
  sitting   down   again;   and   Mr。   Elliot   was   invited   by   Elizabeth   and
  Miss Carteret; in a manner not to be refused; to sit between them;
  and   by   some   other   removals;   and   a   little   scheming   of   her   own;
  Anne   was   enabled   to   place   herself   much   nearer   the   end   of   the
  bench   than   she   had   been   before;   much   more   within   reach   of   a
  passer…by。   She   could   not   do   so;   without   comparing   herself   with
  Miss   Larolles;   the   inimitable   Miss   Larolles;—but   still   she   did   it;
  and     not   with    much      happier     effect;   though     by   what     seemed
  prosperity       in  the    shape    of   an   early    abdication      in  her    next
  neighbours; she found herself at the very end of the bench before
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  the concert closed。
  Such   was     her   situation;    with   a  vacant   space   at   hand;    when
  Captain Wentworth was again in sight。 She saw him not far off。 He
  saw her too; yet he looked grave; and seemed irresolute; and only
  by very slow degrees came at last near enough to speak to her。 She
  felt    that   something       must     be   the   matter。     The    change      was
  indubitable。   The   difference   between   his   present   air   and   what   it
  had been in the Octagon Room was strikingly great。—Why was it?
  She thought of her father—of Lady Russell。 Could there have been
  any   unpleasant   glances?   He   began          by   speaking     of  the  concert
  gravely;   more   like   the   Captain  Wentworth   of   Uppercross;   owned
  himself   disappointed;   had   expected   singing;   and   in   short;   must
  confess     that   he   should    not   be   sorry   when     it  was   over。   Anne
  replied; and spoke in defence of the performance so well; and yet
  in   allowance   for   his   feelings   so   pleasantly;   that   his   countenance
  improved; and he   replied again   with  almost  a  smile。  They  talked
  for   a   few   minutes   more;   the   improvement   held;   he   even   looked
  down   towards   the   bench;   as   if   he   saw   a   place   on   it   well   worth
  occupying; when at that moment a touch on her shoulder obliged
  Anne     to   turn  round。—It   came        from   Mr。   Elliot。  He    begged    her
  pardon; but she must be applied to; to explain Italian again。 Miss
  Carteret was very anxious to have a general idea of what was next
  to be sung。 Anne could not refuse; but never had she sacrificed to
  politeness with a more suffering spirit。
  A   few    minutes;    though     as   few   as  possible;    were    inevitably
  consumed; and   when   her  own   mistress again;   when   able   to   turn
  and   look   as   she   had   done   before;   she   found   herself   accosted   by
  Captain Wentworth; in a reserved yet hurried sort of farewell。 “He
  must wish her good night。 He was going—he should get home as
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  fast as he could。”
  “Is not this song worth staying for?” said Anne; suddenly struck
  by an idea which made her yet more anxious to be encouraging。
  “No!”     he   replied    impressively;     “there    is  nothing     worth    my
  staying for;” and he was gone directly。
  Jealousy      of  Mr。   Elliot!   It  was   the   only    intelligible   motive。
  Captain      Wentworth       jealous    of   her   affection!    Could    she    have
  believed      it  a  week    ago—three      hours    ago!    For   a  moment       the
  gratification     was    exquisite。    But   alas!  there    were    very   different
  thoughts to succeed。 How  was   such  jealousy  to  be   quieted?  How
  was the truth to reach him? How; in all the peculiar disadvantages
  of   their   respective     situations;   would     he   ever   learn   of  her   real
  sentiments?   It   was   misery   to   think      of  Mr。   Elliot’s   attentions。—
  Their evil was incalculable。
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  CHAPTER IX
  nne     recollected      with   pleasure     the    next   morning       her
  Apromise   of   going   to   Mrs。   Smith;   meaning   that   it   should
  engage her from home at the time when Mr。 Elliot would
  be   most   likely   to   call;   for   to   avoid   Mr。   Elliot   was   almost   a   first
  object。
  She  felt   a   great  deal   of   good…will   towards   him。   In   spite   of   the
  mischief   of   his   attentions;   she     owed    him    gratitude    and   regard;
  perhaps   compassion。   She   could           not   help  thinking   much   of      the
  extraordinary circumstances   attending  their  acquaintance;   of  the
  right   which   he   seemed   to   have   to   interest   her;   by   everything   in
  situation; by his own sentiments; by his early prepossession。 It was
  altogether very extraordinary。—Flattering; but painful。 There was
  much      to  regret。    How    she   might     have    felt  had   there    been    no
  Captain Wentworth in the case; was not worth enquiry; for  there
  was   a   Captain   Wentworth;   and   be   the   conclusion   of   the   present
  suspense   good   or  bad;   her affection   would be   his   for   ever。   Their
  union;   she   believed;   could   not   divide   her   more   from   other   men;
  than their final separation。
  Prettier   musings   of   high…wrought   love   and   eternal   constancy;
  could never have passed along the streets of Bath; than Anne was
  sporting   with   from   Camden…place   to   Westgate…buildings。   It   was
  almost enough to spread purification and perfume all the way。
  She   was   sure   of   a   pleasant   reception;   and   her   friend   seemed
  this morning particularly obliged to her for coming; seemed hardly
  to have expected her; though it had been an appointment。
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  An account of the concert was immediately claimed; and Anne’s
  recollections   of  the   concert  were   quite   happy  enough  to   animate
  her features and make her rejoice to talk of it。 All that  she could
  tell she told most gladly; but the all was little for one who had been
  there; and unsatisfactory for such an enquirer as Mrs。 Smith; who
  had   already   heard;   through   the   short   cut   of   a   laundress   and   a
  waiter;   rather   more   of     the  general    success    and   produce      of  the
  evening   than   Anne   could   relate;   and   who   now   asked   in   vain   for
  several      particulars      of   the    company。       Every      body     of   any
  consequence or notoriety in Bath was well know by name to Mrs。
  Smith。
  “The   little   Durands   were   there;   I   conclude;”   said   she;   “with
  their   mouths   open   to   catch   the   music;   like   unfledged   sparrows
  ready to be fed。 They never miss a concert。”
  “Yes; I did not see them myself; but I heard Mr。 Elliot say they
  were in the room。”
  “The   Ibbotsons—were   they   there?   and   the   two   new   beauties;
  with the tall Irish officer; who is talked of for one of them。”
  “I do not know。—I do not think they were。”
  “Old Lady Mary Maclean? I need not ask after her。 She never
  misses; I know; and you must have seen her。 She must have been
  in your own circle; for as you went with Lady Dalrymple; you were
  in the seats of grandeur; round the orchestra; of course。”
  “No;     that   was   what     I  dreaded。     It  would     have    been    very
  unpleasant   to   me   in   every   respect。   But   happily   Lady   Dalrymple
  always   chooses   to   be   farther   off;   and   we   were   exceedingly   well
  placed—that  is;   for  hearing;   I   must   not   say   for   seei