Eager to prove that he was not a sycophant1, Forester, when he returned home with his friend Henry, took every possible occasion to contradict him, with even more than his customary rigidity2; nay3, he went further still, to vindicate4 his sincerity5.
Flora6 Campbell had never entirely7 recovered our hero’s esteem8, since she had unwittingly expressed her love for Scotch9 reels; but she was happily unconscious of the crime she had committed, and was wholly intent upon pleasing her father and mother, her brother Henry, and herself. She had a constant flow of good spirits, and the charming domestic talent of making every trifle a source of amusement to herself and others: she was sprightly10, without being frivolous11; and the uniform sweetness of her temper showed, that she was not in the least in want of flattery, or dissipation, to support her gaiety. But Forester, as the friend of her brother, thought it incumbent12 upon him to discover faults in her which no one else could discover, and to assist in her education, though she was only one year younger than himself. She had amused herself, the morning that Forester and her brother were at the brewery13, with painting a pasteboard covering for the flower-pot which held the poor little girl’s geranium. Flora had heard from her brother of his intention to place it in the middle of the supper-table, at the ball; and she flattered herself, that he would like to see it ornamented14 by her hands at his return. She produced it after dinner. Henry thanked her, and her father and mother were pleased to see her eagerness to oblige her brother. The cynical15 Forester alone refused his sympathy. He looked at the flower-pot with marked disdain16. Archibald, who delighted to contrast himself with the unpolished Forester, and who remarked that Flora and her brother were both somewhat surprised at his unsociable silence, slyly said, “There’s something in this flower-pot Miss Campbell, which does not suit Mr. Forester’s correct taste; I wish he would allow us to profit by his criticisms.”
Forester vouchsafed17 not a reply.
“Don’t you like it, Forester?” said Henry.
“No, he does not like it,” said Flora, smiling; “don’t force him to say that he does.”
“Force me to say I like what I don’t like!” repeated Forester; “no, I defy any body to do that.”
“But why,” said Dr. Campbell, laughing, “why such a waste of energy and magnanimity about a trifle? If you were upon your trial for life or death, Mr. Forester, you could not look more resolutely18 guarded — more as if you had ‘worked up each corporal agent’ to the terrible feat19!”
“Sir,” said Forester, who bore the laugh that was raised against him with the air of a martyr20, “I can bear even your ridicule21 in the cause of truth.” The laugh continued at the solemnity with which he pronounced these words. “I think,” pursued Forester, “that those who do not respect truth in trifles, will never respect it in matters of consequence.”
Archibald Mackenzie laughed more loudly, and with affectation, at this speech: Henry and Dr. Campbell’s laughter instantly ceased.
“Do not mistake us,” said Dr. Campbell; “we did not laugh at your principles, we only laughed at your manner.”
“And are not principles of rather more consequence than manners?”
“Of infinitely22 more consequence,” said Dr. Campbell: “but why, to excellent principles, may we not add agreeable manners? Why should not truth be amiable23, as well as respectable? You, who have such enlarged views for the good of the whole human race, are, I make no doubt, desirous that your fellow-creatures should love truth, as well as you love it yourself.”
“Certainly, I wish they did,” said Forester.
“And have your observations upon the feelings of others, and upon your own, led you to conclude, that we are most apt to like those things which always give us pain? And do you, upon this principle, wish to make truth as painful as possible, in order to increase our love for it?”
“I don’t wish to make truth painful,” said Forester; “but, at the same time, it is not my fault if people can’t bear pain. I think people who can’t bear pain, both of body and mind, cannot be good for any thing; for, in the first place, they will always,” said Forester, glancing his eye at Flora and her flower-pot,—“they will always prefer flattery to truth, as all weak people do.”
At this sarcastic24 reflection, which seemed to be aimed at the sex, Lady Catherine, Mrs. Campbell, and all the ladies present, except Flora, began to speak at once in their own vindication25.
As soon as there was any prospect26 of peace, Dr. Campbell resumed his argument in the calmest voice imaginable.
“But, Mr. Forester, without troubling ourselves for the present with the affairs of the ladies, or of weak people, may I ask what degree of unnecessary pain you think it the duty of a strong person, a moral Samson, to bear?”
“Unnecessary pain! I do not think it is any body’s duty to bear unnecessary pain.”
“Nor to make others bear it?”
“Nor to make others bear it.”
“Then we need argue no further. I congratulate you, Mr. Forester, upon your becoming so soon a proselyte to politeness.”
“To politeness!” said Forester, starting back.
“Yes, my good sir; real politeness only teaches us to save others from unnecessary pain; and this you have just allowed to be your wish.— And now for the grand affair of Flora’s flower-pot. You are not bound by politeness to tell any falsehoods; weak as she is, and a woman, I hope she can bear to hear the painful truth upon such an important occasion.”
“Why,” said Forester, who at last suffered his features to relax into a smile, “the truth then is, that I don’t know whether the flower-pot be pretty or ugly, but I was determined27 not to say it was pretty.”
“But why,” said Henry, “did you look so heroically severe about the matter?”
“The reason I looked grave,” said Forester, “was, because I was afraid your sister Flora would be spoiled by all the foolish compliments that were paid to her and her flower-pot.”
“You are very considerate; and Flora, I am sure, is much obliged to you,” said Dr. Campbell, smiling, “for being so clear-sighted to the dangers of female vanity. You would not then, with a safe conscience, trust the completion of her education to her mother, or to myself?”
“I am sure, sir,” said Forester, who now, for the first time, seemed sensible that he had not spoken with perfect propriety29, “I would not interfere30 impertinently for the world. You are the best judges; only I thought parents were apt to be partial. Henry has saved my life, and I am interested for every thing that belongs to him. So I hope, if I said any thing rude, you will attribute it to a good motive31. I wish the flower-pot had never made its appearance, for it has made me appear very impertinent.”
Flora laughed with so much good humour at this odd method of expressing his contrition32, that even Forester acknowledged the influence of engaging manners and sweetness of temper. He lifted up the flower-pot, so as completely to screen his face, and, whilst he appeared to be examining it, he said, in a low voice, to Henry, “She is above the foibles of her sex.”
“Oh, Mr. Forester, take care!” cried Flora.
“Of what?” said Forester, starting.
“It is too late now,” said Flora.
And it was too late. Forester, in his awkward manner of lifting the flower-pot and its painted case, had put his thumbs into the mould, with which the flower-pot had been newly filled. It was quite soft and wet. Flora, when she called to him, saw the two black thumbs just ready to stamp themselves upon her work, and her warning only accelerated its fate; for, the instant she spoke28, the thumbs closed upon the painted covering, and Forester was the last to perceive the mischief33 that he had done.
There was no possibility of effacing34 the stains, nor was there time to repair the damage, for the ball was to commence in a few hours, and Flora was obliged to send her disfigured work, without having had the satisfaction of hearing the ejaculation which Forester pronounced in her praise behind the flower-pot.
收听单词发音 |
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sycophant
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| n.马屁精 | |
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rigidity
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| adj.钢性，坚硬 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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vindicate
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| v.为…辩护或辩解，辩明；证明…正确 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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incumbent
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| adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的 | |
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brewery
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| n.啤酒厂 | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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sarcastic
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| adj.讥讽的，讽刺的，嘲弄的 | |
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vindication
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| n.洗冤，证实 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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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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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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contrition
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| n.悔罪，痛悔 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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effacing
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| 谦逊的 | |
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