In the plain English and more matter-of-fact way of the year of grace eighteen hundred and seventy, it is given to my hard steel broad-point to be dipped in the ordinary infusion2 of galls3 and copperas—rather bitty by the way, and given to turn mouldy—and then, when well-charged with the ink-rusting fluid to declare that we have a long arrear4 to fetch up relative to the proceedings5 of Ella Bedford, which could not well be told until the career of the two country families had reached the point recorded in the last chapter.
Ella’s had been a weary life at Crescent Villas6, and she had had much to contend with: the evil tempers of three spoiled children, who resented every word of correction, complained to their weak mother, and enlisted7 her sympathy; the pettish8 frivolous9 complaints of the lady herself; and the bitter knowledge that, according to all appearances, she was being made a screen for the foolish flirting10 attentions of Max Bray11.
At one time she was under the impression that the attentions to Mrs Marter were an excuse for obtaining the entrée of the house; but the conduct of Max was so entirely12 different: he spoke13 to her so seldom, and then in so quiet and gentlemanly a tone, that, from being watchful14 and distant, Ella was at length completely thrown off her guard, though there seemed no occasion now for her to trouble herself respecting the visits paid to the house.
Vain to an excess, both Mr and Mrs Marter seemed to approve highly of the visits of so distinguished15 a leader of the fashion; but Mr Marter had his own ideas upon the subject, telling his lady that it would be a fine thing for Miss Bedford; whereupon the weak little woman nodded and smiled.
To use a very trite16 expression, there was not the slightest harm in Mrs Marter; but, all the same, she adored incense17 and the offerings of concert and opera tickets with an escort; when, had it not been for the said escort, she could not have gone, Mr Marter being a man without, so his lady said, a single taste; but all the same we must do Mrs Marter the credit of saying that she would not have stirred an inch to have seen the finest opera in the world without Ella Bedford was of the party; and hence it followed that, willing or no, Ella’s visits to places of amusement were not very few.
But Ella was far from being at ease in her mind. She foresaw that the present state of things could not last; and during some capricious fit of Mrs Marter, when ill-temper, weakness, and petty annoyance18 were all employed to make her wretched, she would think that to stay out the year was a sheer impossibility. At such times, too, she would feel convinced that Max Bray was playing a part; so that, in spite of his distant respect, she became more cool and guarded in her behaviour; while, as to leaving, she determined19 to bear all, telling herself, with a feeling of something like despair, that, go where she would, she must be tracked. Then her thoughts turned on Charley Vining, whom she knew to have called; and, as she congratulated herself upon having escaped him—upon his having given up the quest in despair—the warm tears fell, and she knew in her heart of hearts that she was bitterly disappointed.
But it was quite right,—it was as matters should be, she thought; and she hastily dashed away the tears, little thinking that letter after letter had been sent to her, to be smiled over by Mrs Marter and Max, as the latter redirected them to the sender, telling Mrs Marter the while that she was doing an act of kindness and thoughtfulness towards the motherless girl looking to her for protection.
In fact, Max Bray most carefully flattered the self-esteem of Mrs Marter, till the foolish little woman felt herself to be a perfect paragon20 of matronly greatness and virtue21. Mr Marter, too, was taken into their confidence upon this matter of Charley Vining’s attentions to Ella.
“Of course, Mr and Mrs Marter, you can act as you please; for you see, bai Jove! it would ill become me to be offering advice upon such a matter; but for my part, I should never let him write to her, or see her for a moment. It’s a great pity, bai Jove it is, that the young men of the present day have not better aspirations22.”
“Quite agree with you, Mr Bray—I do indeed!” said Mr Marter, while his lady smiled her approbation23.
“You see, bai Jove! it hardly becomes me, as a near neighbour, to say anything against Vining: but I know as a fact that he worried the poor girl till she was obliged to leave Mrs Brandon’s, the lady’s, you know, where she went to last; and when a man has behaved, bai Jove! shabbily to another man’s own sister, bai Jove! it’s enough to make another man speak!”
“Very true, Mr Bray—very true. I quite agree with you,” said Mr Marter, in a satisfied air.
“But, there, bai Jove! don’t let me come hyar dictating24 to you. It’s like my dooced confounded impudence25 to say a word. I’m only too grateful to find a welcome, and a little refined female society; for to a man situated26 as I am, London is a very dreary27 place. One can get amongst set after set of fellows, and into plenty of inane28 fashionable drawing-rooms; but, bai Jove! Mr Marter, that isn’t the sort of thing, if I may be allowed to say so, that a man of soul thirsts after. He wants something to satisfy his brain—something that when he’s spent an evening, he can go and lay his head down upon his pillow, bai Jove! and say to himself, ‘Look here, bai Jove! old fellow: you’ve been out this evening; you’ve been in refined and improving society; and, bai Jove! here you are, just as you ought to be at the end of another day—a better man, bai Jove!’”
“Ah, Saint Clair,” sighed Mrs Marter, “if you could only say that of a night!”
“To be sure,” said Max, “mai dear fellow, you’ve no idea how much better you feel—you haven’t indeed; but, bai Jove! we must change the conversation.”
With all due modesty29 on his part, Max changed the conversation; for just then Ella, in obedience30 to orders, entered the room, playing pianoforte piece after piecer till the hour for Mr Bray’s departure, when—was she deceived? or was that a quiet firm pressure of the hand he was bestowing31 upon her at parting?
The next minute he had gone, and Ella felt a strange shiver pass through her; for if there had been any mistake about the pressure of the hand, there could have been none concerning the look which followed.
“Bai Jove!” ejaculated Max, as he sought a cab on his departure, “how confoundedly slow! But it’s nearly ripe at last!”
Then to make up for the slowness, Max Bray had himself driven to a highly genteel tavern32 in Saint James’s, where the society was decidedly fast; so that, on returning about three to his apartments, and laying his head upon his pillow, the slow and the fast society must have balanced one another; for he snored very pleasantly, no doubt feeling a better man, bai Jove!
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1
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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2
infusion
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| n.灌输 | |
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3
galls
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| v.使…擦痛( gall的第三人称单数 )；擦伤；烦扰；侮辱 | |
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arrear
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| n.欠款 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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7
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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8
pettish
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| adj.易怒的，使性子的 | |
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9
frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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10
flirting
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 ) | |
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11
bray
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| n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫 | |
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12
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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13
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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14
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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15
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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16
trite
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| adj.陈腐的 | |
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17
incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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18
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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19
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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paragon
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| n.模范，典型 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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22
aspirations
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| 强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音 | |
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23
approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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24
dictating
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的现在分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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27
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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28
inane
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| adj.空虚的，愚蠢的，空洞的 | |
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29
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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30
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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31
bestowing
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| 砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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32
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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