"O vulgarity!" said Lady Allonby, recovering her somewhat rumpled1 dignity, "the sweet child is yet unpolished. But, I suppose, we may regard the matter as settled?"
"Yes," said Mr. Erwyn, "I think, dear lady, we may with safety regard the matter as settled."
"Dorothy is of an excitable nature," she observed, and seated herself upon the divan2; "and you, dear Mr. Erwyn, who know women so thoroughly3, will overlook the agitation4 of an artless girl placed in quite unaccustomed circumstances. Nay5, I myself was affected6 by my first declaration,"'
"Doubtless," said Mr. Erwyn, and sank beside her. "Lord Stephen was very moving."
"I can assure you," said she, smiling, "that he was not the first."
"I' gad," said he, "I remember perfectly7, in the old days, when you were betrothed8 to that black-visaged young parson—"
"Well, I do not remember anything of the sort," Lady Allonby stated; and she flushed.
"You wore a blue gown," he said.
"Indeed?" said she.
"And—"
"La, if I did," said Lady Allonby, "I have quite forgotten it, and it is now your manifest duty to do likewise."
"Never in all these years," said Mr. Erwyn, sighing, "have I been able to forget it."
"I was but a girl, and 'twas natural that at first I should be mistaken in my fancies," Lady Allonby told him, precisely9 as she had told Simon Orts: "and at all events, there is nothing less well-bred than a good memory. I would decline to remain in the same room with one were it not that Dorothy has deserted10 you in this strange fashion. Whither, pray, has she gone?"
Mr. Erwyn smiled. "Her tender heart," said Mr. Erwyn, "is affected by the pathetic and moving spectacle of the poor hungry swans, pining for their native land and made a raree-show for visitors in the Pantiles; and she has gone to stay them with biscuits and to comfort them with cakes."
"Really!" said Lady Allonby.
"And," Mr. Erwyn continued, "to defend her from the possible ferocity of the gold-fish, Captain Audaine had obligingly afforded service as an escort."
"Oh," said Lady Allonby; then added, "in the circumstances she might permissibly11 have broken the engagement."
"But there is no engagement," said Mr. Erwyn—"as yet."
"Indeed?" said she.
"Harkee," said he; "should he make a declaration this afternoon she will refuse him."
"Why, but of course!" Lady Allonby marveled.
"And the eighth time," said he.
"Undoubtedly," said she; "but at whatever are you hinting?"
"Yet the ninth time—"
"Well, what is it, you grinning monster?"
Erwyn declared, "there will be an engagement."
"Mr. Erwyn!" cried Lady Allonby, with widened eyes, "I had understood that
Dorothy looked favorably upon your suit."
"'Tis the first I had heard of it," said Mr. Erwyn.
"Surely—" she began.
"Nay, but far more surely," said he, "in consideration of the fact that, not a half-hour since, you deigned14 to promise me your hand in marriage—"
"O la now!" cried Lady Allonby; and, recovering herself, smiled courteously15. "'Tis the first I had heard of it," said she.
They stared at each other in wonderment. Then Lady Allonby burst into laughter.
"D'ye mean—?" said she.
"Indeed," said Mr. Erwyn, "so unintentional was I of aspiring16 to Miss Allonby's affections that all my soul was set upon possessing the heart and person of a lady, in my humble17 opinion, far more desirable."
"I had not dreamed—" she commenced.
"Behold," said Mr. Erwyn, bitterly, "how rightly is my presumption18 punished. For I, with a fop's audacity19, had thought my love for you of sufficient moment to have been long since observed; and, strong in my conceit20, had scorned a pleasing declaration made up of faint phrases and whining21 ballad-endings. I spoke22 as my heart prompted me; but the heart has proven a poor counsellor, dear lady, and now am I rewarded. For you had not even known of my passion, and that which my presumption had taken for a reciprocal tenderness proves in the ultimate but a kindly23 aspiration24 to further my union with another."
"Indeed," said Mr. Erwyn, "I have loved you all my life, first with a boyish inclination26 that I scarce knew was love, and, after your marriage with an honorable man had severed27 us, as I thought, irrevocably, with such lore28 as an ingenuous29 person may bear a woman whom both circumstances and the respect in which he holds her have placed beyond his reach,—a love that might not be spoken, but of which I had considered you could never be ignorant."
"Mr. Erwyn," said she, "at least I have not been ignorant—"
"They had each one of them some feature that reminded me of you. That was the truth of it, a truth so patent that we will not discuss it. Instead, dear madam, do you for the moment grant a losing gamester the right to rail at adverse30 fate! for I shall trouble you no more. Since your widowhood I have pursued you with attentions which, I now perceive, must at many times have proven distasteful. But my adoration31 had blinded me; and I shall trouble you no more. I have been too serious, I did not know that our affair was but a comedy of the eternal duel32 between man and woman; nor am I sorry, dear opponent, that you have conquered. For how valorously you fought! Eh, let it be! for you have triumphed in this duel, O puissant33 lady, and I yield the victor—a devoted34 and, it may be, a rather heavy heart; and I shall trouble you no more."
"Ah, sir," said Lady Allonby, "you are aware that once—"
"Indeed," said Mr. Erwyn, "'twas the sand on which I builded. But I am wiser now, and I perceive that the feeling you entertain toward me is but the pallid35 shadow of a youthful inclination. I shall not presume upon it. Oh, I am somewhat proud, dear Anastasia; I have freely given you my heart, such as it is; and were you minded to accept it, even at the eleventh hour, through friendship or through pity only, I would refuse. For my love of you has been the one pure and quite unselfish, emotion of my life, and I may not barter36 it for an affection of lesser37 magnitude either in kind or in degree. And so, farewell!"
"Yet hold, dear sir—" said Lady Allonby. "Lord, but will you never let me have the woman's privilege of talking!"
"—since, as this betokens—"
"'Tis a tasteful handkerchief," said Mr. Erwyn—"but somewhat moist!"
"And—my eyes?"
"Red," said Mr. Erwyn.
"I have been weeping, toad, with my head on the pin-cushion, and the maid trying to tipsify me with brandy."
"Why?" said Mr. Erwyn.
"I thought you were to marry Dorothy."
Mr. Erwyn resumed his seat. "You objected?" he said.
"I think, old monster," Lady Allonby replied, "that I would entertain the same objection to seeing any woman thus sacrificed—"
"Well?" said Mr. Erwyn.
"—except—"
"Incomparable Anastasia!" said Mr. Erwyn.
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1
rumpled
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| v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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divan
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| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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7
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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8
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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9
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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10
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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permissibly
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| 得到许可地，获准地 | |
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12
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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13
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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16
aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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17
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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18
presumption
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| n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定 | |
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19
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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20
conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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21
whining
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| n. 抱怨，牢骚 v. 哭诉，发牢骚 | |
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22
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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23
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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24
aspiration
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| n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出 | |
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toad
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| n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆 | |
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26
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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27
severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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28
lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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29
ingenuous
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| adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的 | |
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30
adverse
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| adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的 | |
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31
adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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32
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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33
puissant
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| adj.强有力的 | |
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34
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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35
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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36
barter
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| n.物物交换，以货易货，实物交易 | |
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37
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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