“It must disturb you a great deal, Sir Walter.{372}”
“Oh, dear—dreadfully! What would my old friend, your father, think of having to do this kind of thing? Though, when I was at Christchurch and he at Wadham, we used to be gay enough. I’m not quite sure that I don’t owe it to you.”
“To me, Sir Walter!”
“I rather think you put the girls up to it.” Then he laughed as though it were a very good joke and told the Major where he would find the ladies. He had been expressly desired by his wife to be genial2 to the Major, and had been as genial as he knew how.
Rossiter, as he went out on to the lawn, saw Mr. Burmeston, the brewer3, walking with Edith, the third daughter. He could not but admire the strategy of Lady Wanless when he acknowledged to himself how well she managed all these things. The brewer would not have been allowed to walk with Gertrude, the fourth daughter, nor even with Maria, the naughty girl who liked the curate,—because it was Edith’s turn. Edith was certainly the plainest of the family, and yet she had her turn. Lady Wanless was by far too good a mother to have favourites among her own children.
He then found the mother, the eldest4 daughter, and Gertrude overseeing the decoration of a tent, which had been put up as an addition to the dining-room. He expected to find Mr. Cobble, to whom he had taken a liking5, a nice, pleasant, frank young country gentleman; but Mr. Cobble was not wanted for any express purpose, and might have been in the way. Mr. Cobble was landed and safe. Before long he found himself{373} walking round the garden with Lady Wanless herself. The other girls, though they were to be his sisters, were never thrown into any special intimacy6 with him. “She will be down before long now that she knows you are here,” said Lady Wanless. “She was fatigued7 a little, and I thought it better that she should lie down. She is so impressionable, you know.” “She” was Georgiana. He knew that very well. But why should Georgiana be called “She” to him, by her mother? Had “She” been in truth engaged to him it would have been intelligible8 enough. But there had been nothing of the kind. As “She” was thus dinned9 into his ears, he thought of the very small amount of conversation which had ever taken place between himself and the young lady.
Then there occurred to him an idea that he would tell Lady Wanless in so many words that there was a mistake. The doing so would require some courage, but he thought that he could summon up manliness10 for the purpose,—if only he could find the words and occasion. But though “She” were so frequently spoken of, still nothing was said which seemed to give him the opportunity required. It is hard for a man to have to reject a girl when she has been offered,—but harder to do so before the offer has in truth been made. “I am afraid there is a little mistake in your ideas as to me and your daughter.” It was thus that he would have had to speak, and then to have endured the outpouring of her wrath11, when she would have declared that the ideas were only in his own arrogant{374} brain. He let it pass by and said nothing, and before long he was playing lawn-tennis with Georgiana, who did not seem to have been in the least fatigued.
“My dear, I will not have it,” said Lady Wanless about an hour afterwards, coming up and disturbing the game. “Major Rossiter, you ought to know better.” Whereupon she playfully took the racket out of the Major’s hand. “Mamma is such an old bother,” said Georgiana as she walked back to the house with her Major. The Major had on a previous occasion perceived that the second Miss Wanless rode very well, and now he saw that she was very stout12 at lawn-tennis; but he observed none of that peculiarity13 of mental or physical development which her mother had described as “impressionable.” Nevertheless she was a handsome girl, and if to play at lawn-tennis would help to make a husband happy, so much at any rate she could do.
This took place on the day before the meeting,—before the great day. When the morning came the girls did not come down early to breakfast, and our hero found himself left alone with Mr. Burmeston. “You have known the family a long time,” said the Major as they were sauntering about the gravel14 paths together, smoking their cigars.
“No, indeed,” said Mr. Burmeston. “They only took me up about three months ago,—just before we went over to Owless. Very nice people;—don’t you think so?”
“Very nice,” said the Major.{375}
“They stand so high in the county, and all that sort of thing. Birth does go a long way, you know.”
“So it ought,” said the Major.
“And though the Baronet does not do much in the world, he has been in the House, you know. All those things help.” Then the Major understood that Mr. Burmeston had looked the thing in the face, and had determined15 that for certain considerations it was worth his while to lead one of the Miss Wanlesses to the hymeneal altar. In this Mr. Burmeston was behaving with more manliness than he,—who had almost made up his mind half-a-dozen times, and had never been satisfied with the way he had done it.
About twelve the visitors had begun to come, and Sophia with Mr. Cobble were very soon trying their arrows together. Sophia had not been allowed to have her lover on the previous day, but was now making up for it. That was all very well, but Lady Wanless was a little angry with her eldest daughter. Her success was insured for her. Her business was done. Seeing how many sacrifices had been made to her during the last twelvemonths, surely now she might have been active in aiding her sisters, instead of merely amusing herself.
The Major was not good at archery. He was no doubt an excellent Deputy Inspector-General of Cavalry16; but if bows and arrows had still been the weapons used in any part of the British army, he would not, without further instruction, have been qualified{376} to inspect that branch. Georgiana Wanless, on the other hand, was a proficient17. Such shooting as she made was marvellous to look at. And she was a very image of Diana, as with her beautiful figure and regular features, dressed up to the work, she stood with her bow raised in her hand and let twang the arrows. The circle immediately outside the bull’s-eye was the farthest from the mark she ever touched. But good as she was and bad as was the Major, nevertheless they were appointed always to shoot together. After a world of failures the Major would shoot no more,—but not the less did he go backwards19 and forwards with Georgiana when she changed from one end to the other, and found himself absolutely appointed to that task. It grew upon him during the whole day that this second Miss Wanless was supposed to be his own,—almost as much as was the elder the property of Mr. Cobble. Other young men would do no more than speak to her. And when once, after the great lunch in the tent, Lady Wanless came and put her hand affectionately upon his arm, and whispered some word into his ear in the presence of all the assembled guests, he knew that the entire county had recognised him as caught.
There was old Lady Deepbell there. How it was that towards the end of the day’s delights Lady Deepbell got hold of him he never knew. Lady Deepbell had not been introduced to him, and yet she got hold of him. “Major Rossiter, you are the luckiest man of the day,” she said to him.{377}
“Pretty well,” said he, affecting to laugh; “but why so?”
“She is the handsomest young woman out. There hasn’t been one in London this season with such a figure.”
“You are altogether wrong in your surmise20, Lady Deepbell.”
“No, no; I am right enough. I see it all. Of course the poor girl won’t have any money; but then how nice it is when a gentleman like you is able to dispense21 with that. Perhaps they do take after their father a little, and he certainly is not bright; but upon my word, I think a girl is all the better for that. What’s the good of having such a lot of talkee-talkee?”
“Lady Deepbell, you are alluding22 to a young lady without the slightest warrant,” said the Major.
“Warrant enough;—warrant enough,” said the old woman, toddling23 off.
Then young Cobble came to him, and talked to him as though he were a brother of the house. Young Cobble was an honest fellow, and quite in earnest in his matrimonial intentions. “We shall be delighted if you’ll come to us on the first,” said Cobble. The first of course meant the first of September. “We ain’t so badly off just for a week’s shooting. Sophia is to be there, and we’ll get Georgiana too.”
The Major was fond of shooting, and would have been glad to accept the offer; but it was out of the question that he should allow himself to be taken in{378} at Cobble Hall under a false pretext24. And was it not incumbent25 on him to make this young man understand that he had no pretensions26 whatever to the hand of the second Miss Wanless? “You are very good,” said he.
“We should be delighted,” said young Cobble.
“But I fear there is a mistake. I can’t say anything more about it now because it doesn’t do to name people;—but there is a mistake. Only for that I should have been delighted. Good-bye.” Then he took his departure, leaving young Cobble in a state of mystified suspense27.
The day lingered on to a great length. The archery and the lawn-tennis were continued till late after the so-called lunch, and towards the evening a few couples stood up to dance. It was evident to the Major that Burmeston and Edith were thoroughly28 comfortable together. Gertrude amused herself well, and even Maria was contented29, though the curate as a matter of course was not there. Sophia with her legitimate30 lover was as happy as the day and evening were long. But there came a frown upon Georgiana’s brow, and when at last the Major, as though forced by destiny, asked her to dance, she refused. It had seemed to her a matter of course that he should ask her, and at last he did;—but she refused. The evening with him was very long, and just as he thought that he would escape to bed, and was meditating31 how early he would be off on the morrow, Lady Wanless took possession of him and carried him off alone into one of the desolate{379} chambers32. “Is she very tired?” asked the anxious mother.
“Is who tired?” The Major at that moment would have given twenty guineas to have been in his lodgings33 near St. James’s Street.
“My poor girl,” said Lady Wanless, assuming a look of great solicitude34.
It was vain for him to pretend not to know who was the “she” intended. “Oh, ah, yes; Miss Wanless.”
“Georgiana.”
“I think she is tired. She was shooting a great deal. Then there was a quadrille;—but she didn’t dance. There has been a great deal to tire young ladies.”
“You shouldn’t have let her do so much.”
How was he to get out of it? What was he to say? If a man is clearly asked his intentions he can say that he has not got any. That used to be the old fashion when a gentleman was supposed to be dilatory35 in declaring his purpose. But it gave the oscillating lover so easy an escape! It was like the sudden jerk of the hand of the unpractised fisherman: if the fish does not succumb36 at once it goes away down the stream and is no more heard of. But from this new process there is no mode of immediate18 escape. “I couldn’t prevent her because she is nothing to me.” That would have been the straightforward37 answer;—but one most difficult to make. “I hope she will be none the worse to-morrow morning,” said the Major.
“I hope not, indeed. Oh, Major Rossiter!” The{380} mother’s position was also difficult, as it is of no use to play with a fish too long without making an attempt to stick the hook into his gills.
“Lady Wanless!”
“What am I to say to you? I am sure you know my feelings. You know how sincere is Sir Walter’s regard.”
“I am very much flattered, Lady Wanless.”
“That means nothing.” This was true, but the Major did not mean to intend anything. “Of all my flock she is the fairest.” That was true also. The Major would have been delighted to accede38 to the assertion of the young lady’s beauty, if this might have been the end of it. “I had thought——”
“Had thought what, Lady Wanless?”
“If I am deceived in you, Major Rossiter, I never will believe in a man again. I have looked upon you as the very soul of honour.”
“I trust that I have done nothing to lessen39 your good opinion.”
“I do not know. I cannot say. Why do you answer me in this way about my child?” Then she held her hands together and looked up into his face imploringly40. He owned to himself that she was a good actress. He was almost inclined to submit and to declare his passion for Georgiana. For the present that way out of the difficulty would have been so easy!
“You shall hear from me to-morrow morning,” he said, almost solemnly.
“Shall I?” she asked, grasping his hand. “Oh,{381} my friend, let it be as I desire. My whole life shall be devoted41 to making you happy,—you and her.” Then he was allowed to escape.
Lady Wanless, before she went to bed, was closeted for awhile with the eldest daughter. As Sophia was now almost as good as a married woman, she was received into closer counsel than the others. “Burmeston will do,” she said; “but, as for that Cavalry man, he means it no more than the chair.” The pity was that Burmeston might have been secured without the archery meeting, and that all the money, spent on behalf of the Major, should have been thrown away.
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1
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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brewer
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| n. 啤酒制造者 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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8
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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9
dinned
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| vt.喧闹（din的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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manliness
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| 刚毅 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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17
proficient
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| adj.熟练的，精通的；n.能手，专家 | |
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18
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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dispense
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| vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施 | |
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22
alluding
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| 提及，暗指( allude的现在分词 ) | |
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toddling
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| v.（幼儿等）东倒西歪地走( toddle的现在分词 )；蹒跚行走；溜达；散步 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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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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pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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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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meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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dilatory
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| adj.迟缓的，不慌不忙的 | |
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succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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accede
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| v.应允，同意 | |
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lessen
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| vt.减少，减轻；缩小 | |
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imploringly
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| adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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