“You’ll hardly believe what has happened,” said Louisa.
“Why, what’s the matter?” exclaimed Vincent, looking in surprise from the one to the other.
“We none of us can tell where we may find ourselves in another month,” continued Louisa. “I foretell2 that I shall be finishing my education in Jersey3, and Arabella in the Isle4 of Man.”
“What has happened?” cried Vincent impatiently; “anything in which our pretty step-mother is concerned?”
“Pretty step-mother, indeed!” exclaimed Arabella. “She has begun to change and overturn everything in the house. Nothing is free from her meddling5. She has turned off Mademoiselle Lafleur without so much as the shadow of a reason.”
“Turned off mademoiselle!” cried Vincent. “Well, I don’t break my heart about that; but it was a bold stroke for a beginning.”
“Then Mrs. Ventner.”
“Mrs. Ventner!” echoed Vincent in amazement6. “I should have as soon expected to hear of her moving the Monument of London!”
“It won’t end here,” said Lady Selina oracularly, pursing in her thin lips, as if to restrain them from uttering some dread7 prognostication.
“Is it really Mrs. Effingham who is turning everything topsy-turvy?” cried the schoolboy; “why, she looked as gentle as a dove!”
“A dove!—she’s a vulture,” said Louisa.
“What I cannot bear,” observed Lady Selina, “is the art with which she conceals9 her designs. Smooth above, false beneath—wearing a mask of such perfect innocence10, that she would take in any one who was unaccustomed to the ways of the world. I confess,” she added, in a tone of self-depreciation, “that I was deceived myself by her manner.”
“Oh! if she’s artful, I shall hate her,” exclaimed Vincent; “I can’t endure anything sly.”
“And so hypocritical,” chimed in Louisa; “she would pass herself off for such a saint. I believe that poor dear mademoiselle’s grand offence was liking11 a French book that was a little witty—a book which Mrs. Effingham unluckily hit upon when she came spying into our school-room in her fawning12, hypocritical manner.”
“And to bring in such an ally to support her, before she dared let us know what she had done.”
“Yes,” said Lady Selina, “I am perfectly13 convinced—and I am one not often mistaken—that the arrival of Captain Thistlewood was a preconcerted arrangement.”
“Captain Thistlewood—who may he be?” inquired Vincent.
“Mrs. Effingham’s uncle,” replied Louisa. “The funniest old quiz—”
“The most blustering14 savage—”
“A low, vulgar fellow,” joined in Lady Selina; “one who thinks that he may swagger in a gentleman’s house as if he were on the deck of a whaler.”
“And does papa suffer it?” exclaimed Vincent.
“Mr. Effingham is infatuated, quite infatuated,” said the lady, apparently15 addressing the fire and not any one present, and speaking so low, that Vincent had to lean forward in order to catch her accents. “I do not know why it should be—I do not pretend to guess, but he certainly has not been like the same man ever since his second marriage.”
“Papa has grown much graver,” observed Louisa.
“And sadder,” joined in Arabella.
Lady Selina only uttered an “Ah!” with a slight jerk of the head; but what a world of meaning was condensed into the brief exclamation16! Compassion17 for the infatuated husband, contempt for the man?uvring wife, sympathy with the persecuted18 children. It was the sigh of wisdom and experience over what was wrong in the world in general, and in the Effingham family in particular.
It is no wonder that Vincent was not proof against the contagion19 of prejudice, hatred20, and malice21, when entering the scene where they all were rife22. He threw himself, heart and soul, into the cause of the insurgents23, in the war of independence; and determined24, with all the vehemence25 of boyhood, to oppose his step-mother in everything, and not to be daunted26 by the “swaggering bully,” whom she had so cunningly brought to London to aid her in tyrannizing over his sisters, and altering all the good old customs of the house.
Clemence sat lonely and heavy-hearted in her own room, her eyelids27 swollen28 with weeping. She felt so unwilling29 to face the family at the approaching meal, that twice her hand was on the bell-rope, to summon a servant to convey the message that, having a severe headache, she would not come down to luncheon30. The excuse would have been a true one, for her temples throbbed31 painfully, and a weight seemed to press on her brain; but a little reflection induced Clemence to change her intention. When a trial is to be faced, the sooner and the more boldly that it is faced the better; the nettle-leaves grasped by a firm hand are less likely to sting than when touched by a timid and shrinking finger. There would be moral cowardice32 in secluding33 herself from envious34 eyes and bitter tongues, which would only serve to encourage malice. But Clemence’s strongest incentive35 was consideration for her uncle, who might return early, and who must not be left to face the enemy alone; so she washed all trace of tears from her eyes, and descended36 at the summons of the gong. Clemence was glad to find that Captain Thistlewood was yet out on his exploring expedition.
Lady Selina did not please to appear at table. Mrs. Effingham breathed more freely in her absence. But the meal was a very uncomfortable one, as must ever be the case where hatred and strife37 are guests at the board. Hardly a word was spoken to Clemence, but many were spoken at her; every effort which she made to commence conversation ended in making her more painfully aware of her position in regard to her husband’s children. Even her meek39 and quiet spirit might have been roused to anger, had not the recollection of her debt, of the confession40 of extravagance to be made to Mr. Effingham, rendered her too much dissatisfied with herself to be easily stirred up to indignation against others.
Clemence would willingly have taken an airing in her carriage during the brief hours of the winter’s afternoon—the rapid motion, the freedom from vexatious interruptions, would have been welcome to her harassed41 mind; but Lady Selina was certain to require a drive, and, as usual, it was yielded up to her by Mrs. Effingham, rather as a matter of right than of courtesy. Clemence contented42 herself with a rapid, solitary43 walk in the square.
The air was intensely cold, but its freshness braced44 and invigorated her spirits, and helped to restore them to their wonted healthy tone. The dark clouds which flitted across the sky, the leafless trees whose dark branches waved in the gale45, in their very wintry dreariness46 spoke38 to the young heart of hope. Those clouds would soon be succeeded by sunshine. Spring would clothe those bare boughs47 with beauty, the piercing blast would change to the soft zephyr48 beneath the genial49 influence of a milder season! And were not bright days in store for herself! Clemence struggled to throw off her depression, made earnest resolutions, breathed silent prayers, and determined not yet to despair even of conquering hatred by the power of gentleness, and prejudice by the strength of patience.
“There goes one of Fortune’s favourites!” remarked Lady Praed to her daughter, as, driving through Belgrave Square, she recognized Mrs. Effingham; “young, lovely, rich, with good health, good establishment, good position—she has everything that the world can give. I should think that Mrs. Effingham must be one of the happiest beings to be found on the face of the earth!”
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1
emancipated
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| adj.被解放的，不受约束的v.解放某人（尤指摆脱政治、法律或社会的束缚）( emancipate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
foretell
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| v.预言，预告，预示 | |
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jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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isle
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| n.小岛，岛 | |
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meddling
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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8
vampire
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| n.吸血鬼 | |
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conceals
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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12
fawning
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| adj.乞怜的，奉承的v.（尤指狗等）跳过来往人身上蹭以示亲热( fawn的现在分词 )；巴结；讨好 | |
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13
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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14
blustering
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| adj.狂风大作的，狂暴的v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的现在分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹 | |
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15
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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contagion
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| n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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rife
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| adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的 | |
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insurgents
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| n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 ) | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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vehemence
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| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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28
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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31
throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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33
secluding
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| v.使隔开，使隔绝，使隐退( seclude的现在分词 ) | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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incentive
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| n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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38
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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39
meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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40
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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41
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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42
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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43
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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44
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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45
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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46
dreariness
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| 沉寂，可怕，凄凉 | |
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47
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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48
zephyr
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| n.和风，微风 | |
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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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