Among the duties prescribed to herself by Mrs. Miles was none stronger than that of maintaining the family position of the Launays. She was one of those who not only think that blue blood should remain blue, but that blood not blue should be allowed no azure2 mixture. The proper severance3 of classes was a religion to her. Bessy was a gentlewoman, so much had been admitted, and therefore she had been brought into the drawing-room instead of being relegated4 among the servants, and had thus grown up to be, oh, so dangerous! She was a gentlewoman, and fit to be a gentleman’s wife, but not fit to be the wife of the heir of the Launays. The reader will understand, perhaps, that I, the writer of this little history, think her to have been fit to become the wife of any man who might have been happy enough to win her young heart, however blue his blood. But Mrs. Miles had{113} felt that precautions and remedies and arrangements were necessary.
Mrs. Miles had altogether approved of the journey to Japan. That had been a preventive, and might probably afford time for an arrangement. She had even used her influence to prolong the travelling till the arrangements should be complete; but in this she had failed. She had written to her son, saying that, as his sojourn6 in strange lands would so certainly tend to the amelioration of the human races generally—for she had heard of the philanthropic inquiries7, of the book, and the botany—she would by no means press upon him her own natural longings8. If another year was required, the necessary remittances9 should be made with a liberal hand. But Philip, who had chosen to go because he liked it, came back when he liked it, and there he was at Launay before a certain portion of the arrangements had been completed, as to which Mrs. Miles had been urgent during the last six months of his absence.
A good-looking young clergyman in the neighbourhood, with a living of ￡400 a year, and a fortune of ￡6,000 of his own, had during the time been proposed to Bessy by Mrs. Miles. Mr. Morrison, the Rev5. Alexander Morrison, was an excellent young man; but it may be doubted whether the patronage10 by which he was put into the living of Budcombe at an early age, over the head of many senior curates, had been exercised with sound clerical motives11. Mrs. Miles was herself the patroness, and, having for the last six years{114} felt the necessity of providing a husband for Bessy, had looked about for a young man who should have good gifts and might probably make her happy. A couple of thousand pounds added had at first suggested itself to Mrs. Miles. Then love had ensnared her, and Bessy had become dear to every one, and money was plenty. The thing should be made so beautiful to all concerned that there should be no doubt of its acceptance. The young parson didn’t doubt. Why should he? The living had been a wonderful stroke of luck for him! The portion proposed would put him at once among the easy-living gentlemen of the county; and then the girl herself! Bessy had loomed12 upon him as feminine perfection from the first moment he had seen her. It was to him as though the heavens were raining their choicest blessings13 on his head.
Nor had Mrs. Miles any reason to find fault with Bessy. Had Bessy jumped into the man’s arms directly he had been offered to her as a lover, Mrs. Miles would herself have been shocked. She knew enough of Bessy to be sure that there would be no such jumping. Bessy had at first been startled, and, throwing herself into her old friend’s arms, had pleaded her youth. Mrs. Miles had accepted the embrace, had acknowledged the plea, and had expressed herself quite satisfied, simply saying that Mr. Morrison would be allowed to come about the house, and use his own efforts to make himself agreeable. The young parson had come about the house, and had shown himself to be good-humoured and pleasant. Bessy never said a word against him;{115} did in truth try to persuade herself that it would be nice to have him as a lover; but she failed. “I think he is very good,” she said one day, when she was pressed by Mrs. Miles.
“And he is a gentleman.”
“Oh, yes,” said Bessy.
“And good-looking.”
“I don’t know that that matters.”
“No, my dear, no; only he is handsome. And then he is very fond of you.” But Bessy would not commit herself, and certainly had never given any encouragement to the gentleman himself.
This had taken place just before Philip’s return. At that time his stay at Launay was to be short; and during his sojourn his hands were to be very full. There would not be much danger during that fortnight, as Bessy was not prone14 to put herself forward in any man’s way. She met him as his little pet of former days, and treated him quite as though he were a superior being. She ran about for him as he arranged his botanical treasures, and took in all that he said about the races. Mrs. Miles, as she watched them, still trusted that there might be no danger. But she went on with her safeguards. “I hope you like Mr. Morrison,” she said to her son.
“Very much indeed, mother; but why do you ask?”
“It is a secret; but I’ll tell you. I think he will become the husband of our dear Bessy.”
“Marry Bessy!”
“Why not?” Then there was a pause. “You{116} know how dearly I love Bessy. I hope you will not think me wrong when I tell you that I propose to give what will be for her a large fortune, considering all things.”
“You should treat her just as though she were a daughter and a sister,” said Philip.
“Not quite that! But you will not begrudge15 her six thousand pounds?”
“It is not half enough.”
“Well, well. Six thousand pounds is a large sum of money to give away. However, I am sure we shall not differ about Bessy. Don’t you think Mr. Morrison would make her a good husband?” Philip looked very serious, knitted his brows, and left the room, saying that he would think about it.
To make him think that the marriage was all but arranged would be a great protection. There was a protection to his mother also in hearing him speak of Bessy as being almost a sister. But there was still a further protection. Down away in Cornwall there was another Launay heiress coming up, some third or fourth cousin, and it had long since been settled among certain elders that the Launay properties should be combined. To this Philip had given no absolute assent16; had even run away to Japan just when it had been intended that he should go to Cornwall. The Launay heiress had then only been seventeen, and it had been felt to be almost as well that there should be delay, so that the time was not passed by the young man in dangerous neighbourhoods. The South Sea Islands and Patagonia{117} had been safe. And now when the idea of combining the properties was again mooted17, he at first said nothing against it. Surely such precautions as these would suffice, especially as Bessy’s retiring nature would not allow her to fall in love with any man within the short compass of a fortnight.
Not a word more was said between Mrs. Miles and her son as to the prospects18 of Mr. Morrison; not a word more then. She was intelligent enough to perceive that the match was not agreeable to him; but she attributed this feeling on his part to an idea that Bessy ought to be treated in all respects as though she were a daughter of the house of Launay. The idea was absurd, but safe. The match, if it could be managed, would of course go on, but should not be mentioned to him again till it could be named as a thing absolutely arranged. But there was no present danger. Mrs. Miles felt sure that there was no present danger. Mrs. Miles had seen Bessy grow out of meagre thinness and early want of ruddy health, into gradual proportions of perfect feminine loveliness; but, having seen the gradual growth, she did not know how lovely the girl was. A woman hardly ever does know how omnipotent19 may be the attraction which some feminine natures, and some feminine forms, diffuse20 unconsciously on the young men around them.
But Philip knew, or rather felt. As he walked about the park he declared to himself that Alexander Morrison was an insufferably impudent21 clerical prig; for which assertion there was, in truth, no ground whatsoever22.{118} Then he accused his mother of a sordid23 love of money and property, and swore to himself that he would never stir a step towards Cornwall. If they chose to have that red-haired Launay girl up from the far west, he would go away to London, or perhaps back to Japan. But what shocked him most was that such a girl as Bessy, a girl whom he treated always just like his own sister, should give herself to such a man as that young parson at the very first asking! He struck the trees among which he was walking with his stick as he thought of the meanness of feminine nature. And then such a greasy24, ugly brute25! But Mr. Morrison was not at all greasy, and would have been acknowledged by the world at large to be much better looking than Philip Launay.
Then came the day of his departure. He was going up to London in March to see his book through the press, make himself intimate at his club, and introduce himself generally to the ways of that life which was to be his hereafter. It had been understood that he was to pass the season in London, and that then the combined-property question should come on in earnest. Such was his mother’s understanding; but by this time, by the day of his departure, he was quite determined26 that the combined-property question should never receive any consideration at his hands.
Early on that day he met Bessy somewhere about the house. She was very sweet to him on this occasion, partly because she loved him dearly,—as her adopted{119} brother; partly because he was going; partly because it was her nature to be sweet! “There is one question. I want to ask you,” he said suddenly, turning round upon her with a frown. He had not meant to frown, but it was his nature to do so when his heart frowned within him.
“What is it, Philip?” She turned pale as she spoke27, but looked him full in the face.
“Are you engaged to that parson?” She went on looking at him, but did not answer a word. “Are you going to marry him? I have a right to ask.” Then she shook her head. “You certainly are not?” Now as he spoke his voice was changed, and the frown had vanished. Again she shook her head. Then he got hold of her hand, and she left her hand with him, not thinking of him as other than a brother. “I am so glad. I detest28 that man.”
“Oh, Philip; he is very good!”
“I do not care two-pence for his goodness. You are quite sure?” Now she nodded her head. “It would have been most awful, and would have made me miserable29; miserable. Of course, my mother is the best woman in the world; but why can’t she let people alone to find husbands and wives for themselves?” There was a slight frown, and then with a visible effort he completed his speech. “Bessy, you have grown to be the loveliest woman that ever I looked upon.”
She withdrew her hand very suddenly. “Philip, you should not say such a thing as that.”
“Why not, if I think it?{120}”
“People should never say anything to anybody about themselves.”
“Shouldn’t they?”
“You know what I mean. It is not nice. It’s the sort of stuff which people who ain’t ladies and gentlemen put into books.”
“I should have thought I might say anything.”
“So you may; and of course you are different. But there are things that are so disagreeable!”
“And I am one of them?”
“No, Philip, you are the truest and best of brothers.”
“At any rate you won’t——” Then he paused.
“No, I won’t.”
“That’s a promise to your best and dearest brother?” She nodded her head again, and he was satisfied.
He went away, and when he returned to Launay at the end of four months he found that things were not going on pleasantly at the Park. Mr. Morrison had been refused, with a positive assurance from the young lady that she would never change her mind, and Mrs. Miles had become more stern than ever in the performance of her duty to her family.
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1
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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2
azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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3
severance
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| n.离职金；切断 | |
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4
relegated
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| v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类 | |
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rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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6
sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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7
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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8
longings
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| 渴望，盼望( longing的名词复数 ) | |
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remittances
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| n.汇寄( remittance的名词复数 )；汇款，汇款额 | |
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patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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11
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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12
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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13
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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14
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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15
begrudge
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| vt.吝啬，羡慕 | |
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16
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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17
mooted
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| adj.未决定的，有争议的，有疑问的v.提出…供讨论( moot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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19
omnipotent
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| adj.全能的，万能的 | |
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20
diffuse
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| v.扩散；传播；adj.冗长的；四散的，弥漫的 | |
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21
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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22
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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23
sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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24
greasy
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| adj. 多脂的，油脂的 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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26
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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27
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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28
detest
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| vt.痛恨，憎恶 | |
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29
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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