And yet his carriage is now entering the courtyard of Monmouth House, and, in all probability, a few minutes would introduce him to that presence before which he had, ere this, trembled. The Marquess was at home, and anxious to see Mr. Rigby. In a few minutes that gentleman was ascending7 the private staircase, entering the antechamber, and waiting to be received in the little saloon, exactly as our Coningsby did more than five years ago, scarcely less agitated9, but by feelings of a very different character.
‘Well, you made a good fight of it,’ exclaimed the Marquess, in a cheerful and cordial tone, as Mr. Rigby entered his dressing-room. ‘Patience! We shall win next time.’
This reception instantly reassured10 the defeated candidate, though its contrast to that which he expected rather perplexed11 him. He entered into the details of the election, talked rapidly of the next registration12, the propriety13 of petitioning; accustomed himself to hearing his voice with its habitual14 volubility in a chamber8 where he had feared it might not sound for some time.
‘D——n politics!’ said the Marquess. ‘These fellows are in for this Parliament, and I am really weary of the whole affair. I begin to think the Duke was right, and it would have been best to have left them to themselves. I am glad you have come up at once, for I want you. The fact is, I am going to be married.’
This was not a startling announcement to Mr. Rigby; he was prepared for it, though scarcely could have hoped that he would have been favoured with it on the present occasion, instead of a morose15 comment on his misfortunes. Marriage, then, was the predominant idea of Lord Monmouth at the present moment, in whose absorbing interest all vexations were forgotten. Fortunate Rigby! Disgusted by the failure of his political combinations, his disappointments in not dictating16 to the county and not carrying the borough, and the slight prospect17 at present of obtaining the great object of his ambition, Lord Monmouth had resolved to precipitate18 his fate, was about to marry immediately, and quit England.
‘You will be wanted, Rigby,’ continued the Marquess. ‘We must have a couple of trustees, and I have thought of you as one. You know you are my executor; and it is better not to bring in unnecessarily new names into the management of my affairs. Lord Eskdale will act with you.’
Rigby then, after all, was a lucky man. After such a succession of failures, he had returned only to receive fresh and the most delicate marks of his patron’s good feeling and consideration. Lord Monmouth’s trustee and executor! ‘You know you are my executor.’ Sublime19 truth! It ought to be blazoned20 in letters of gold in the most conspicuous21 part of Rigby’s library, to remind him perpetually of his great and impending22 destiny. Lord Monmouth’s executor, and very probably one of his residuary legatees! A legatee of some sort he knew he was. What a splendid memento23 mori! What cared Rigby for the borough of Darlford? And as for his political friends, he wished them joy of their barren benches. Nothing was lost by not being in this Parliament.
It was then with sincerity24 that Rigby offered his congratulations to his patron. He praised the judicious25 alliance, accompanied by every circumstance conducive26 to worldly happiness; distinguished27 beauty, perfect temper, princely rank. Rigby, who had hardly got out of his hustings’ vein28, was most eloquent29 in his praises of Madame Colonna.
‘An amiable30 woman,’ said Lord Monmouth, ‘and very handsome. I always admired her; and an agreeable person too; I dare say a very good temper, but I am not going to marry her.’
‘Might I then ask who is—’
‘Her step-daughter, the Princess Lucretia,’ replied the Marquess, quietly, and looking at his ring.
Here was a thunderbolt! Rigby had made another mistake. He had been working all this time for the wrong woman! The consciousness of being a trustee alone sustained him. There was an inevitable31 pause. The Marquess would not speak however, and Rigby must. He babbled32 rather incoherently about the Princess Lucretia being admired by everybody; also that she was the most fortunate of women, as well as the most accomplished33; he was just beginning to say he had known her from a child, when discretion34 stopped his tongue, which had a habit of running on somewhat rashly; but Rigby, though he often blundered in his talk, had the talent of extricating35 himself from the consequence of his mistakes.
‘And Madame must be highly gratified by all this?’ observed Mr. Rigby, with an enquiring36 accent. He was dying to learn how she had first received the intelligence, and congratulated himself that his absence at his contest had preserved him from the storm.
‘Madame Colonna knows nothing of our intentions,’ said Lord Monmouth. ‘And by the bye, that is the very business on which I wish to see you, Rigby. I wish you to communicate them to her. We are to be married, and immediately. It would gratify me that the wife of Lucretia’s father should attend our wedding. You understand exactly what I mean, Rigby; I must have no scenes. Always happy to see the Princess Colonna under my roof; but then I like to live quietly, particularly at present; harassed37 as I have been by the loss of these elections, by all this bad management, and by all these disappointments on subjects in which I was led to believe success was certain. Madame Colonna is at home;’ and the Marquess bowed Mr. Rigby out of the room.
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1
borough
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| n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇 | |
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2
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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3
tapers
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| （长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛 | |
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4
tadpoles
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| n.蝌蚪( tadpole的名词复数 ) | |
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5
insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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6
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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7
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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8
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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9
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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10
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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11
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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12
registration
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| n.登记，注册，挂号 | |
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13
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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14
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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15
morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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16
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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17
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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18
precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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19
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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20
blazoned
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| v.广布( blazon的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布；夸示；装饰 | |
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21
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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memento
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| n.纪念品，令人回忆的东西 | |
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24
sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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conducive
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| adj.有益的，有助的 | |
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27
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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28
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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29
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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30
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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31
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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32
babbled
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| v.喋喋不休( babble的过去式和过去分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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33
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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34
discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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35
extricating
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| v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的现在分词 ) | |
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36
enquiring
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| a.爱打听的，显得好奇的 | |
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37
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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