She did stop the second letter,—and told her daughter that she had done so.
"Papa didn't say I wasn't to have my letters," pleaded Lady Frances.
"Your papa did not suppose for a moment that you would submit to anything so indecent."
"It is not indecent."
"I shall make myself the judge of that. You are now in my care. Your papa can do as he likes when he comes back." There was a long altercation8, but it ended in victory on the part of the Marchioness. The young lady, when she was told that, if necessary, the postmistress in the village should be instructed not to send on any letter addressed to George Roden, believed in the potency9 of the threat. She felt sure also that she would be unable to get at any letters addressed to herself if the quasi-parental authority of the Marchioness were used to prevent it. She yielded, on the condition, however, that one letter should be sent; and the Marchioness, not at all thinking that her own instructions would have prevailed with the post-mistress, yielded so far.
The tenderness of the letter readers can appreciate and understand without seeing it expressed in words. It was very tender, full of promises, and full of trust. Then came the short passage in which her own uncomfortable position was explained;—"You will understand that there has come one letter which I have not been allowed to see. Whether mamma has opened it I do not know, or whether she has destroyed it. Though I have not seen it, I take it as an assurance of your goodness and truth. But it will be useless for you to write more till you hear from me again; and I have promised that this, for the present, shall be my last to you. The last and the first! I hope you will keep it till you have another, in order that you may have something to tell you how well I love you." As she sent it from her she did not know how much of solace10 there was even in the writing of a letter to him she loved, nor had she as yet felt how great was the torment11 of remaining without palpable notice from him she loved.
After the episode of the letter life at K?nigsgraaf was very bitter and very dull. But few words were spoken between the Marchioness and her stepdaughter, and those were never friendly in their tone or kindly13 in their nature. Even the children were taken out of their sister's way as much as possible, so that their morals should not be corrupted14 by evil communication. When she complained of this to their mother the Marchioness merely drew herself up and was silent. Were it possible she would have altogether separated her darlings from contact with their sister, not because she thought that the darlings would in truth be injured,—as to which she had no fears at all, seeing that the darlings were subject to her own influences,—but in order that the punishment to Lady Frances might be the more complete. The circumstances being such as they were, there should be no family love, no fraternal sports, no softnesses, no mercy. There must, she thought, have come from the blood of that first wife a stain of impurity15 which had made her children altogether unfit for the rank to which they had unfortunately been born. This iniquity16 on the part of Lady Frances, this disgrace which made her absolutely tremble as she thought of it, this abominable17 affection for an inferior creature, acerbated her feelings even against Lord Hampstead. The two were altogether so base as to make her think that they could not be intended by Divine Providence18 to stand permanently19 in the way of the glory of the family. Something certainly would happen. It would turn out that they were not truly the legitimate20 children of a real Marchioness. Some beautiful scheme of romance would discover itself to save her and her darlings, and all the Traffords and all the Montressors from the terrible abomination with which they were threatened by these interlopers. The idea dwelt in her mind till it became an almost fixed21 conviction that Lord Frederic would live to become Lord Hampstead,—or probably Lord Highgate, as there was a third title in the family, and the name of Hampstead must for a time be held to have been disgraced,—and in due course of happy time Marquis of Kingsbury. Hitherto she had been accustomed to speak to her own babies of their elder brother with something of that respect which was due to the future head of the family; but in these days she altered her tone when they spoke12 to her of Jack22, as they would call him, and she, from herself, never mentioned his name to them. "Is Fanny naughty?" Lord Frederic asked one day. To this she made no reply. "Is Fanny very naughty?" the boy persisted in asking. To this she nodded her head solemnly. "What has Fanny done, mamma?" At this she shook her head mysteriously. It may, therefore, be understood that poor Lady Frances was sadly in want of comfort during the sojourn23 at K?nigsgraaf.
About the end of August the Marquis returned. He had hung on in London till the very last days of the Session had been enjoyed, and had then pretended that his presence had been absolutely required at Trafford Park. To Trafford Park he went, and had spent ten miserable24 days alone. Mr. Greenwood had indeed gone with him; but the Marquis was a man who was miserable unless surrounded by the comforts of his family, and he led Mr. Greenwood such a life that that worthy25 clergyman was very happy when he was left altogether in solitude26 by his noble friend. Then, in compliance27 with the promise which he had absolutely made, and aware that it was his duty to look after his wicked daughter, the Marquis returned to K?nigsgraaf. Lady Frances was to him at this period of his life a cause of unmitigated trouble. It must not be supposed that his feelings were in any way akin28 to those of the Marchioness as to either of his elder children. Both of them were very dear to him, and of both of them he was in some degree proud. They were handsome, noble-looking, clever, and to himself thoroughly29 well-behaved. He had seen what trouble other elder sons could give their fathers, what demands were made for increased allowances, what disreputable pursuits were sometimes followed, what quarrels there were, what differences, what want of affection and want of respect! He was wise enough to have perceived all this, and to be aware that he was in some respects singularly blest. Hampstead never asked him for a shilling. He was a liberal man, and would willingly have given many shillings. But still there was a comfort in having a son who was quite contented30 in having his own income. No doubt a time would come when those little lords would want shillings. And Lady Frances had always been particularly soft to him, diffusing31 over his life a sweet taste of the memory of his first wife. Of the present Marchioness he was fond enough, and was aware how much she did for him to support his position. But he was conscious ever of a prior existence in which there had been higher thoughts, grander feelings, and aspirations32 which were now wanting to him. Of these something would come back in the moments which he spent with his daughter; and in this way she was very dear to him. But now there had come a trouble which robbed his life of all its sweetness. He must go back to the grandeur33 of his wife and reject the tenderness of his daughter. During these days at Trafford he made himself very unpleasant to the devoted34 friend who had always been so true to his interests.
When the battle about the correspondence was explained to him by his wife, it, of course, became necessary to him to give his orders to his daughter. Such a matter could hardly be passed over in silence,—though he probably might have done so had he not been instigated35 to action by the Marchioness.
"Fanny," he said, "I have been shocked by these letters."
"I only wrote one, papa."
"Well, one. But two came."
"I only had one, papa."
"That made two. But there should have been no letter at all. Do you think it proper that a young lady should correspond with,—with,—a gentleman in opposition36 to the wishes of her father and mother?"
"I don't know, papa."
This seemed to him so weak that the Marquis took heart of grace, and made the oration37 which he felt that he as a father was bound to utter upon the entire question. For, after all, it was not the letters which were of importance, but the resolute38 feeling which had given birth to the letters. "My dear, this is a most unfortunate affair." He paused for a reply; but Lady Frances felt that the assertion was one to which at the present moment she could make no reply. "It is, you know, quite out of the question that you should marry a young man so altogether unfitted for you in point of station as this young man."
"But I shall, papa."
"Fanny, you can do no such thing."
"I certainly shall. It may be a very long time first; but I certainly shall,—unless I die."
"It is wicked of you, my dear, to talk of dying in that way."
"What I mean is, that however long I may live I shall consider myself engaged to Mr. Roden."
"He has behaved very, very badly. He has made his way into my house under a false pretence39."
"He came as Hampstead's friend."
"It was very foolish of Hampstead to bring him,—very foolish,—a Post Office clerk."
"Mr. Vivian is a clerk in the Foreign Office. Why shouldn't one office be the same as another?"
"They are very different;—but Mr. Vivian wouldn't think of such a thing. He understands the nature of things, and knows his own position. There is a conceit40 about the other man."
"A man should be conceited41, papa. Nobody will think well of him unless he thinks well of himself."
"He came to me in Park Lane."
"What! Mr. Roden?"
"Yes; he came. But I didn't see him. Mr. Greenwood saw him."
"What could Mr. Greenwood say to him?"
"Mr. Greenwood could tell him to leave the house,—and he did so. There was nothing more to tell him. Now, my dear, let there be no more about it. If you will put on your hat, we will go out and walk down to the village."
To this Lady Frances gave a ready assent42. She was not at all disposed to quarrel with her father, or to take in bad part what he had said about her lover. She had not expected that things would go very easily. She had promised to herself constancy and final success; but she had not expected that in her case the course of true love could be made to run smooth. She was quite willing to return to a condition of good humour with her father, and,—not exactly to drop her lover for the moment,—but so to conduct herself as though he were not paramount43 in her thoughts. The cruelty of her stepmother had so weighed upon her that she found it to be quite a luxury to be allowed to walk with her father.
"I don't know that anything can be done," the Marquis said a few days afterwards to his wife. "It is one of those misfortunes which do happen now and again!"
"That such a one as your daughter should give herself up to a clerk in the Post Office!"
"What's the use of repeating that so often? I don't know that the Post Office is worse than anything else. Of course it can't be allowed;—and having said so, the best thing will be to go on just as though nothing had happened."
"And let her do just what she pleases?"
"Who's going to let her do anything? She said she wouldn't write, and she hasn't written. We must just take her back to Trafford, and let her forget him as soon as she can."
The Marchioness was by no means satisfied, though she did not know what measure of special severity to recommend. There was once a time,—a very good time, as Lady Kingsbury thought now,—in which a young lady could be locked up in a convent, or perhaps in a prison, or absolutely forced to marry some suitor whom her parents should find for her. But those comfortable days were past. In a prison Lady Frances was detained now; but it was a prison of which the Marchioness was forced to make herself the gaoler, and in which her darlings were made to be fellow-prisoners with their wicked sister. She herself was anxious to get back to Trafford and the comforts of her own home. The beauties of K?nigsgraaf were not lovely to her in her present frame of mind. But how would it be if Lady Frances should jump out of the window at Trafford and run away with George Roden? The windows at K?nigsgraaf were certainly much higher than those at Trafford.
They had made up their mind to return early in September, and the excitement of packing up had almost commenced among them when Lord Hampstead suddenly appeared on the scene. He had had enough of yachting, and had grown tired of books and gardening at Hendon. Something must be done before the hunting began, and so, without notice, he appeared one day at K?nigsgraaf. This was to the intense delight of his brothers, over whose doings he assumed a power which their mother was unable to withstand. They were made to gallop44 on ponies45 on which they had only walked before; they were bathed in the river, and taken to the top of the Castle, and shut up in the dungeon46 after a fashion which was within the reach of no one but Hampstead. Jack was Jack, and all was delight, as far as the children were concerned; but the Marchioness was not so well pleased with the arrival. A few days after his coming a conversation arose as to Lady Frances which Lady Kingsbury would have avoided had it been possible, but it was forced upon her by her stepson.
"I don't think that Fanny ought to be bullied," said her stepson.
"Hampstead, I wish you would understand that I do not understand strong language."
"Teased, tormented47, and made wretched."
"If she be wretched she has brought it on herself."
"But she is not to be treated as though she had disgraced herself."
"She has disgraced herself."
"I deny it. I will not hear such a word said of her even by you." The Marchioness drew herself up as though she had been insulted. "If there is to be such a feeling about her in your house I must ask my father to have her removed, and I will make a home for her. I will not see her broken-hearted by cruel treatment. I am sure that he would not wish it."
"You have no right to speak to me in this manner."
"I surely have a right to protect my sister, and I will exercise it."
"You have brought most improperly48 a young man into the house—"
"I have brought into the house a young man whom I am proud to call my friend."
"And now you mean to assist him in destroying your sister."
"You are very wrong to say so. They both know, Roden and my sister also, that I disapprove49 of this marriage. If Fanny were with me I should not think it right to ask Roden into the house. They would both understand that. But it does not follow that she should be cruelly used."
"No one has been cruel to her but she herself."
"It is easy enough to perceive what is going on. It will be much better that Fanny should remain with the family; but you may be sure of this,—that I will not see her tortured." Then he took himself off, and on the next day he had left K?nigsgraaf. It may be understood that the Marchioness was not reconciled to her radical50 stepson by such language as he had used to her. About a week afterwards the whole family returned to England and to Trafford.
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1
incumbent
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| adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的 | |
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2
comely
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| adj.漂亮的，合宜的 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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repudiate
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| v.拒绝，拒付，拒绝履行 | |
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adorn
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| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
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6
profess
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| v.声称，冒称，以...为业，正式接受入教，表明信仰 | |
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7
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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8
altercation
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| n.争吵，争论 | |
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9
potency
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| n. 效力，潜能 | |
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10
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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11
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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12
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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13
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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14
corrupted
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| （使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏 | |
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15
impurity
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| n.不洁，不纯，杂质 | |
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16
iniquity
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| n.邪恶；不公正 | |
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17
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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18
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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20
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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21
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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22
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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23
sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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26
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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compliance
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| n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从 | |
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28
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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29
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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30
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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31
diffusing
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| （使光）模糊，漫射，漫散( diffuse的现在分词 )； （使）扩散； （使）弥漫； （使）传播 | |
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32
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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33
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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34
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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35
instigated
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| v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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oration
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| n.演说，致辞，叙述法 | |
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38
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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39
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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40
conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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41
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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42
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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paramount
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| a.最重要的，最高权力的 | |
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44
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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45
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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46
dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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47
tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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48
improperly
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| 不正确地，不适当地 | |
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49
disapprove
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| v.不赞成，不同意，不批准 | |
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50
radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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