Nor could he indeed by any combination see the means to extricate8 himself from the perils9 that were encompassing10 him. There was something about his grandfather that defied persuasion11. Prone12 as eloquent13 youth generally is to believe in the resistless power of its appeals, Coningsby despaired at once of ever moving Lord Monmouth. There had been a callous14 dryness in his manner, an unswerving purpose in his spirit, that at once baffled all attempts at influence. Nor could Coningsby forget the look he received when he quitted the room. There was no possibility of mistaking it; it said at once, without periphrasis, ‘Cross my purpose, and I will crush you!’
This was the moment when the sympathy, if not the counsels, of friendship might have been grateful. A clever woman might have afforded even more than sympathy; some happy device that might have even released him from the mesh15 in which he was involved. And once Coningsby had turned his horse’s head to Park Lane to call on Lady Everingham. But surely if there were a sacred secret in the world, it was the one which subsisted16 between himself and Edith. No, that must never be violated. Then there was Lady Wallinger; he could at least speak with freedom to her. He resolved to tell her all. He looked in for a moment at a club to take up the ‘Court Guide’ and find her direction. A few men were standing17 in a bow window. He heard Mr. Cassilis say,
‘So Beau, they say, is booked at last; the new beauty, have you heard?’
‘I saw him very sweet on her last night,’ rejoined his companion. ‘Has she any tin?’
‘Deuced deal, they say,’ replied Mr. Cassilis.’ The father is a cotton lord, and they all have loads of tin, you know. Nothing like them now.’
‘He is in Parliament, is not he?’
‘’Gad, I believe he is,’ said Mr. Cassilis; ‘I never know who is in Parliament in these days. I remember when there were only ten men in the House of Commons who were not either members of Brookes’ or this place. Everything is so deuced changed.’
‘I hear ‘tis an old affair of Beau,’ said another gentleman. ‘It was all done a year ago at Rome or Paris.’
‘They say she refused him then,’ said Mr. Cassilis.
‘Well, that is tolerably cool for a manufacturer’s daughter,’ said his friend. ‘What next?’
‘I wonder how the Duke likes it?’ said Mr. Cassilis.
‘Or the Duchess?’ added one of his friends.
‘Or the Everinghams?’ added the other.
‘The Duke will be deuced glad to see Beau settled, I take it,’ said Mr. Cassilis.
‘A good deal depends on the tin,’ said his friend.
Coningsby threw down the ‘Court Guide’ with a sinking heart. In spite of every insuperable difficulty, hitherto the end and object of all his aspirations and all his exploits, sometimes even almost unconsciously to himself, was Edith. It was over. The strange manner of last night was fatally explained. The heart that once had been his was now another’s. To the man who still loves there is in that conviction the most profound and desolate18 sorrow of which our nature is capable. All the recollection of the past, all the once-cherished prospects19 of the future, blend into one bewildering anguish20. Coningsby quitted the club, and mounting his horse, rode rapidly out of town, almost unconscious of his direction. He found himself at length in a green lane near Willesden, silent and undisturbed; he pulled up his horse, and summoned all his mind to the contemplation of his prospects.
Edith was lost. Now, should he return to his grandfather, accept his mission, and go down to Darlford on Friday? Favour and fortune, power, prosperity, rank, distinction would be the consequence of this step; might not he add even vengeance21? Was there to be no term to his endurance? Might not he teach this proud, prejudiced manufacturer, with all his virulence22 and despotic caprices, a memorable23 lesson? And his daughter, too, this betrothed24, after all, of a young noble, with her flush futurity of splendour and enjoyment25, was she to hear of him only, if indeed she heard of him at all, as of one toiling26 or trifling27 in the humbler positions of existence; and wonder, with a blush, that he ever could have been the hero of her romantic girlhood? What degradation28 in the idea? His cheek burnt at the possibility of such ignominy!
It was a conjuncture in his life that required decision. He thought of his companions who looked up to him with such ardent29 anticipations30 of his fame, of delight in his career, and confidence in his leading; were all these high and fond fancies to be balked31? On the very threshold of life was he to blunder? ‘Tis the first step that leads to all, and his was to be a wilful32 error. He remembered his first visit to his grandfather, and the delight of his friends at Eton at his report on his return. After eight years of initiation33 was he to lose that favour then so highly prized, when the results which they had so long counted on were on the very eve of accomplishment34? Parliament and riches, and rank and power; these were facts, realities, substances, that none could mistake. Was he to sacrifice them for speculations35, theories, shadows, perhaps the vapours of a green and conceited36 brain? No, by heaven, no! He was like Caesar by the starry37 river’s side, watching the image of the planets on its fatal waters. The die was cast.
The sun set; the twilight38 spell fell upon his soul; the exaltation of his spirit died away. Beautiful thoughts, full of sweetness and tranquillity39 and consolation40, came clustering round his heart like seraphs. He thought of Edith in her hours of fondness; he thought of the pure and solemn moments when to mingle41 his name with the heroes of humanity was his aspiration6, and to achieve immortal42 fame the inspiring purpose of his life. What were the tawdry accidents of vulgar ambition to him? No domestic despot could deprive him of his intellect, his knowledge, the sustaining power of an unpolluted conscience. If he possessed43 the intelligence in which he had confidence, the world would recognise his voice even if not placed upon a pedestal. If the principles of his philosophy were true, the great heart of the nation would respond to their expression. Coningsby felt at this moment a profound conviction which never again deserted44 him, that the conduct which would violate the affections of the heart, or the dictates45 of the conscience, however it may lead to immediate46 success, is a fatal error. Conscious that he was perhaps verging47 on some painful vicissitude48 of his life, he devoted49 himself to a love that seemed hopeless, and to a fame that was perhaps a dream.
It was under the influence of these solemn resolutions that he wrote, on his return home, a letter to Lord Monmouth, in which he expressed all that affection which he really felt for his grandfather, and all the pangs50 which it cost him to adhere to the conclusions he had already announced. In terms of tenderness, and even humility51, he declined to become a candidate for Darlford, or even to enter Parliament, except as the master of his own conduct.
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1
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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aspiration
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| n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出 | |
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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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8
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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encompassing
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| v.围绕( encompass的现在分词 )；包围；包含；包括 | |
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11
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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callous
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| adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的 | |
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mesh
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| n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络 | |
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16
subsisted
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| v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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17
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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18
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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virulence
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| n.毒力，毒性；病毒性；致病力 | |
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memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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25
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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26
toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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28
degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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29
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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30
anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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31
balked
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| v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑 | |
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wilful
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| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
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initiation
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| n.开始 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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35
speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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38
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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39
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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40
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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41
mingle
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| vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往 | |
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42
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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43
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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44
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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45
dictates
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| n.命令，规定，要求( dictate的名词复数 )v.大声讲或读( dictate的第三人称单数 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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46
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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47
verging
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| 接近，逼近（verge的现在分词形式） | |
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48
vicissitude
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| n.变化，变迁，荣枯，盛衰 | |
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49
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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50
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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51
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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