MISS Weatherby was the only child of a wealthy man, almost idolized by her parents, flattered by her dependants1, and never contradicted even by those who called themselves her friends: I cannot give a better description than by the following lines.
The lovely maid whose form and face
Nature has deck'd with ev'ry grace,
But in whose breast no virtues2 glow,
Whose heart ne'er felt another's woe3,
Whose hand ne'er smooth'd the bed of pain,
Or eas'd the captive's galling4 chain;
But like the tulip caught the eye,
Born just to be admir'd and die;
When gone, no one regrets its loss,
Or scarce remembers that it was.
Such was Miss Weatherby: her form lovely as nature could make it, but her mind uncultivated, her heart unfeeling, her passions impetuous, and her brain almost turned with flattery, dissipation, and pleasure; and such was the girl, whom a partial grandfather left independent mistress of the fortune before mentioned.
She had seen Temple frequently; and fancying she could never be happy without him, nor once imagining he could refuse a girl of her beauty and fortune, she prevailed on her fond father to offer the alliance to the old Earl of D——, Mr. Temple's father.
The Earl had received the offer courteously5: he thought it a great match for Henry; and was too fashionable a man to suppose a wife could be any impediment to the friendship he professed6 for Eldridge and his daughter.
Unfortunately for Temple, he thought quite otherwise: the conversation he had just had with his father, discovered to him the situation of his heart; and he found that the most affluent7 fortune would bring no increase of happiness unless Lucy Eldridge shared it with him; and the knowledge of the purity of her sentiments, and the integrity of his own heart, made him shudder8 at the idea his father had started, of marrying a woman for no other reason than because the affluence9 of her fortune would enable him to injure her by maintaining in splendor10 the woman to whom his heart was devoted11: he therefore resolved to refuse Miss Weatherby, and be the event what it might, offer his heart and hand to Lucy Eldridge.
Full of this determination, he fought his father, declared his resolution, and was commanded never more to appear in his presence. Temple bowed; his heart was too full to permit him to speak; he left the house precipitately12, and hastened to relate the cause of his sorrows to his good old friend and his amiable13 daughter.
In the mean time, the Earl, vexed14 to the soul that such a fortune should be lost, determined15 to offer himself a candidate for Miss Weatherby's favour.
What wonderful changes are wrought16 by that reigning17 power, ambition! the love-sick girl, when first she heard of Temple's refusal, wept, raved18, tore her hair, and vowed19 to found a protestant nunnery with her fortune; and by commencing abbess, shut herself up from the sight of cruel ungrateful man for ever.
Her father was a man of the world: he suffered this first transport to subside20, and then very deliberately21 unfolded to her the offers of the old Earl, expatiated22 on the many benefits arising from an elevated title, painted in glowing colours the surprise and vexation of Temple when he should see her figuring as a Countess and his mother-in-law, and begged her to consider well before she made any rash vows23.
The DISTRESSED24 fair one dried her tears, listened patiently, and at length declared she believed the surest method to revenge the slight put on her by the son, would be to accept the father: so said so done, and in a few days she became the Countess D——.
Temple heard the news with emotion: he had lost his father's favour by avowing25 his passion for Lucy, and he saw now there was no hope of regaining26 it: “but he shall not make me miserable,” said he. “Lucy and I have no ambitious notions: we can live on three hundred a year for some little time, till the mortgage is paid off, and then we shall have sufficient not only for the comforts but many of the little elegancies of life. We will purchase a little cottage, my Lucy,” said he, “and thither27 with your reverend father we will retire; we will forget there are such things as splendor, profusion28, and dissipation: we will have some cows, and you shall be queen of the dairy; in a morning, while I look after my garden, you shall take a basket on your arm, and sally forth29 to feed your poultry30; and as they flutter round you in token of humble31 gratitude32, your father shall smoke his pipe in a woodbine alcove33, and viewing the serenity34 of your countenance35, feel such real pleasure dilate36 his own heart, as shall make him forget he had ever been unhappy.”
Lucy smiled; and Temple saw it was a smile of approbation37. He sought and found a cottage suited to his taste; thither, attended by Love and Hymen, the happy trio retired38; where, during many years of uninterrupted felicity, they cast not a wish beyond the little boundaries of their own tenement39. Plenty, and her handmaid, Prudence40, presided at their board, Hospitality stood at their gate, Peace smiled on each face, Content reigned41 in each heart, and Love and Health strewed42 roses on their pillows.
Such were the parents of Charlotte Temple, who was the only pledge of their mutual43 love, and who, at the earnest entreaty44 of a particular friend, was permitted to finish the education her mother had begun, at Madame Du Pont's school, where we first introduced her to the acquaintance of the reader.
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1
dependants
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受赡养者,受扶养的家属( dependant的名词复数 ) | |
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2
virtues
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美德( virtue的名词复数 ); 德行; 优点; 长处 | |
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3
woe
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n.悲哀,苦痛,不幸,困难;int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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4
galling
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adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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5
courteously
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adv.有礼貌地,亲切地 | |
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6
professed
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公开声称的,伪称的,已立誓信教的 | |
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7
affluent
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adj.富裕的,富有的,丰富的,富饶的 | |
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8
shudder
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v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动 | |
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9
affluence
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n.充裕,富足 | |
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10
splendor
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n.光彩;壮丽,华丽;显赫,辉煌 | |
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11
devoted
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adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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12
precipitately
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adv.猛进地 | |
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13
amiable
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adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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14
vexed
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adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论 | |
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15
determined
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adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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16
wrought
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v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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17
reigning
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adj.统治的,起支配作用的 | |
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18
raved
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v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 );愤怒地说;咆哮;痴心地说 | |
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19
vowed
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起誓,发誓(vow的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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20
subside
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vi.平静,平息;下沉,塌陷,沉降 | |
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21
deliberately
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adv.审慎地;蓄意地;故意地 | |
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22
expatiated
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v.详述,细说( expatiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
vows
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誓言( vow的名词复数 ); 郑重宣布,许愿 | |
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24
distressed
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痛苦的 | |
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25
avowing
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v.公开声明,承认( avow的现在分词 ) | |
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26
regaining
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复得( regain的现在分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地 | |
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27
thither
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adv.向那里;adj.在那边的,对岸的 | |
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28
profusion
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n.挥霍;丰富 | |
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29
forth
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adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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30
poultry
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n.家禽,禽肉 | |
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31
humble
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adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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32
gratitude
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adj.感激,感谢 | |
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33
alcove
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n.凹室 | |
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34
serenity
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n.宁静,沉着,晴朗 | |
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35
countenance
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n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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36
dilate
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vt.使膨胀,使扩大 | |
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37
approbation
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n.称赞;认可 | |
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38
retired
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adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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39
tenement
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n.公寓;房屋 | |
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40
prudence
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n.谨慎,精明,节俭 | |
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41
reigned
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vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式) | |
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42
strewed
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v.撒在…上( strew的过去式和过去分词 );散落于;点缀;撒满 | |
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43
mutual
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adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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44
entreaty
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n.恳求,哀求 | |
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