When Henry found that Forester was not in his room in the morning, he concluded that he had rambled1 out towards Salisbury Craigs, whither he talked the preceding day of going to botanize.
“I am surprised,” said Dr. Campbell, “that the young gentleman is out so early, for I have a notion that he has not had much sleep since we parted, unless he walks in his sleep, for he has been walking over my poor head half the night.”
Breakfast went on — no Forester appeared. Lady Catherine began to fear that he had broken his neck upon Salisbury Craigs, and related all the falls she had ever had, or had ever been near having, in carriages, on horseback, or otherwise. She then entered into the geography of Salisbury Craigs, and began to dispute upon the probability of his having fallen to the east or to the west.
“My dear Lady Catherine,” said Dr. Campbell, “we are not sure that he has been upon Salisbury Craigs; whether he has fallen to the east or to the west, we cannot, therefore, conveniently settle.”
But Lady Catherine, whose prudential imagination travelled fast, went on to inquire of Dr. Campbell, to whom the great Forester estate would go in case of any accident having happened or happening to the young gentleman before he should come of age.
Dr. Campbell was preparing to give her ladyship satisfaction upon this point, when a servant put a letter into his hands. Henry looked in great anxiety. Dr. Campbell glanced his eye over the letter, put it into his pocket, and desired the servant to show the person who brought the letter into his study.
“It’s only a little boy,” said Archibald; “I saw him as I passed through the hall.”
“Cannot a little boy go into my study?” said Dr. Campbell, coolly.
Archibald’s curiosity was strongly excited, and he slipped out of the room a few minutes afterward4, resolved to speak to the boy, and to discover the purpose of his embassy. But Dr. Campbell was behind him before he was aware of his approach, and just as Archibald began to cross-examine the boy in these words, “So you came from a young man who is about my size?” Dr. Campbell put both his hands upon his shoulders, saying, “He came from a young man who does not in the least resemble you, believe me, Mr. Archibald Mackenzie.”
Archibald started, turned round, and was so abashed5 by the civilly contemptuous look with which Dr. Campbell pronounced these words, that he retired6 from the study without even attempting any of his usual equivocating7 apologies for his intrusion. Dr. Campbell now read Forester’s letter. It was as follows:—
“Dear Sir,
“Though I have quitted your house thus abruptly8, I am not insensible of your kindness. For the step I have taken, I can offer no apology merely to my guardian9; but you have treated me, Dr, Campbell, as your friend, and I shall lay my whole soul open to you.
“Notwithstanding your kindness,— notwithstanding the friendship of your son Henry, whose excellent qualities I know how to value,— I most ingenuously10 own to you that I have been far from happy in your house. I feel that I cannot be at ease in the vortex of dissipation; and the more I see of the higher ranks of society, the more I regret that I was born a gentleman. Neither my birth nor my fortune shall, however, restrain me from pursuing that line of life which, I am persuaded, leads to virtue11 and tranquillity12. Let those who have no virtuous13 indignation obey the voice of fashion, and at her commands let her slaves eat the bread of idleness till it palls14 upon the sense! I reproach myself with having yielded, as I have done of late, my opinions to the persuasions15 of friendship; my mind has become enervated16, and I must fly from the fatal contagion17. Thank Heaven, I have yet the power to fly: I have yet sufficient force to break my chains. I am not yet reduced to the mental degeneracy of the base monarch18, who hugged his fetters19 because they were of gold.
“I am conscious of powers that fit me for something better than to waste my existence in a ball-room; and I will not sacrifice my liberty to the absurd ceremonies of daily dissipation. I, that have been the laughing-stock of the mean and frivolous20, have yet sufficient manly21 pride, unextinguished in my breast, to assert my claim to your esteem22: to assert, that I never have committed, or shall designedly commit, any action unworthy of the friend of your son.
“I do not write to Henry, lest I should any way involve him in my misfortunes: he is formed to shine in the polite world, and his connexion with me might tarnish24 the lustre25 of his character in the eyes of the ‘nice-judging fair.’ I hope, however, that he will not utterly26 discard me from his heart, though I cannot dance a reel. I beg that he will break open the lock of the trunk that is in my room, and take out of it my Goldsmith’s Animated27 Nature, which he seemed to like.
“In my table-drawer there are my Martyn’s Letters on Botany, in which you will find a number of plants that I have dried for Flora28 —Miss Flora Campbell, I should say. After what passed last night, I can scarcely hope they will be accepted. I would rather have them burned than refused; therefore please to burn them, and say nothing more upon the subject. Dear sir, do not judge harshly of me; I have had a severe conflict with myself before I could resolve to leave you. But I would rather that you should judge of me with severity than that you should extend to me the same species of indulgence with which you last night viewed the half-intoxicated baronet.
“I can bear any thing but contempt.
“Yours, &c.
“P.S. I trust that you will not question the bearer; he knows where I am; I therefore put you on your guard. I mean to earn my own bread as a gardener; I have always preferred the agricultural to the commercial system.”
To this letter, in which the mixture of sense and extravagance did not much surprise Dr. Campbell, he returned the following answer:—
“My dear cobbler, gardener, orator29, or by whatever other name you choose to be addressed, I am too old to be surprised at any thing, otherwise I might have been rather surprised at some things in your eloquent30 letter. You tell me that you have the power to fly, and that you do not hug your chains, though they are of gold! Are you an alderman, or Daedalus? or are these only figures of speech? You inform me, that you cannot live in the vortex of dissipation, or eat the bread of idleness, and that you are determined31 to be a gardener. These things seem to have no necessary connexion with each other. Why you should reproach yourself so bitterly for having spent one evening of your life in a ball-room, which I suppose is what you allude32 to when you speak of a vortex of dissipation, I am at a loss to discover. And why you cannot, with so much honest pride yet unextinguished in your breast, find any occupation more worthy23 of your talents, and as useful to society, as that of a gardener, I own, puzzles me a little. Consider these things coolly; return to dinner, and we will compare at our leisure the advantages of the mercantile and the agricultural system. I forbear to question your messenger, as you desire; and I shall not show your letter to Henry till after we have dined. I hope by that time you will insist upon my burning it; which, at your request, I shall do with pleasure, although it contains several good sentences. As I am not yet sure you have departed this life, I shall not enter upon my office of executor; I shall not break open the lock of your trunk (of which I hope you will some time, when your mind is less exalted33, find the key), nor shall I stir in the difficult case of Flora’s legacy34. When next you write your will, let me, for the sake of your executor, advise you to be more precise in your directions; for what can be done if you order him to give and burn the same thing in the same sentence? As you have, amongst your other misfortunes, the misfortune to be born heir to five or six thousand a year, you should learn a little how to manage your own affairs, lest you should, amongst your poor or rich companions, meet with some who are not quite so honest as yourself.
“If, instead of returning to dine with us, you should persist in your gardening scheme, I shall have less esteem for your good sense, but I shall forbear to reproach you. I shall leave you to learn by your own experience, if it be not in my power to give you the advantages of mine gratis35. But, at the same time, I shall discover where you are, and shall inform myself exactly of all your proceedings36. This, as your guardian, is my duty. I should further warn you, that I shall not, whilst you choose to live in a rank below your own, supply you with your customary yearly allowance. Two hundred guineas a year would be an extravagant37 allowance in your present circumstances. I do not mention money with any idea of influencing your generous mind by mercenary motives38; but it is necessary that you should not deceive yourself by inadequate39 experiments: you cannot be rich and poor at the same time. I gave you the day before yesterday five ten-pound notes for your last quarterly allowance; I suppose you have taken these with you, therefore you cannot be in any immediate40 distress41 for money. I am sorry, I own, that you are so well provided, because a man who has fifty guineas in his pocket-book cannot distinctly feel what it is to be compelled to earn his own bread.
“Do not, my dear ward2, think me harsh; my friendship for you gives me courage to inflict42 present pain, with a view to your future advantage. You must not expect to see any thing of your friend Henry until you return to us. I shall, as his father and your guardian, request that he will trust implicitly43 to my prudence44 upon this occasion; that he will make no inquiries45 concerning you; and that he will abstain46 from all connexion with you whilst you absent yourself from your friends. You cannot live amongst the vulgar (by the vulgar I mean the ill-educated, the ignorant, those who have neither noble sentiments nor agreeable manners), and at the same time enjoy the pleasures of cultivated society. I shall wait, not without anxiety, till your choice be decided47.
“Believe me to be
“Your sincere friend and guardian,
“H. CAMPBELL.”
As soon as Dr. Campbell had despatched this letter, he returned to the company. The ladies, after breakfast, proceeded to the charity-school; but Henry was so anxious to learn what was become of his friend Forester, that he could scarcely enjoy the effects of his own benevolent48 exertions49. It was with difficulty, such as he had never before experienced, that Dr. Campbell obtained from him the promise to suspend all intercourse50 with Forester. Henry’s first impulse, when he read the letter, which his father now found it prudent3 to show him, was to search for his friend instantly. “I am sure,” said he, “I shall be able to find him out; and if I can but see him, and speak to him, I know I could prevail upon him to return to us.”
“Yes,” said Dr. Campbell, “perhaps you might persuade him to return; but that is not the object: unless his understanding be convinced, what should we gain?”
“It should be convinced. I could convince him,” cried Henry.
“I have, my dear son,” said Dr. Campbell, smiling, “the highest opinion of your logic51 and eloquence52; but are your reasoning powers stronger to-day than they were yesterday? Have you any new arguments to produce? I thought you had exhausted53 your whole store without effect.”
Henry paused.
“Believe me,” continued his father, lowering his voice, “I am not insensible to your friend’s good, and, I will say, great qualities; I do not leave him to suffer evils, without feeling as much perhaps as you can do; but I am convinced, that the solidity of his character, and the happiness of his whole life, will depend upon the impression that is now made upon his mind by realities. He will see society as it is. He has abilities and generosity54 of mind which will make him a first-rate character, if his friends do not spoil him out of false kindness.”
Henry, at these words, held out his hand to his father, and gave him the promise which he desired.
“But,” added he, “I still have hopes from your letter — I should not be surprised to see Forester at dinner to-day,”
“I should,” said Dr. Campbell.
Dr. Campbell, alas55! was right. Henry looked eagerly towards the door every time it opened, when they were at dinner: but he was continually disappointed. Flora, whose gaiety usually enlivened the evenings, and agreeably relieved her father and brother after their morning studies, was now silent.
Whilst Lady Catherine’s volubility overpowered even the philosophy of Dr. Campbell, she wondered — she never ceased wondering — that Mr. Forester did not appear, and that the doctor and Mrs. Campbell, and Henry and Flora, were not more alarmed. She proposed sending twenty different messengers after him. She was now convinced, that he had not fallen from Salisbury Craigs, because Dr. Campbell assured her ladyship, that he had a letter from him in his pocket, and that he was safe; but she thought that there was imminent56 danger of his enlisting57 in a frolic, or, perhaps, marrying some cobbler’s daughter in a pet. She turned to Archibald Mackenzie, and exclaimed, “He was at a cobbler’s; it could not be merely to mend his shoes. What sort of a lassy is the cobbler’s daughter? or has the cobbler a daughter?”
“She is hump-backed, luckily,” said Dr. Campbell, coolly.
“That does not signify,” said Lady Catherine; “I’m convinced she is at the bottom of the whole mystery; for I once heard Mr. Forester say — and I’m sure you must recollect58 it, Flora, my dear, for he looked at you at the time — I once heard him say, that personal beauty was no merit, and that ugly people ought to be liked — or some such thing — out of humanity. Now, out of humanity, with his odd notions, it’s ten to one, Dr. Campbell, he marries this cobbler’s hump-backed daughter. I’m sure, if I were his guardian, I could not rest an instant with such a thought in my head.”
“Nor I,” said Dr. Campbell, quietly; and in spite of her ladyship’s astonishment59, remonstrances60, and conjectures61, he maintained his resolute62 composure.
收听单词发音 |
1
rambled
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的过去式和过去分词 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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equivocating
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| v.使用模棱两可的话隐瞒真相( equivocate的现在分词 ) | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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ingenuously
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| adv.率直地，正直地 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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palls
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| n.柩衣( pall的名词复数 )；墓衣；棺罩；深色或厚重的覆盖物v.（因过多或过久而）生厌，感到乏味，厌烦( pall的第三人称单数 ) | |
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15
persuasions
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| n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰 | |
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enervated
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| adj.衰弱的，无力的v.使衰弱，使失去活力( enervate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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fetters
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| n.脚镣( fetter的名词复数 )；束缚v.给…上脚镣，束缚( fetter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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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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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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tarnish
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| n.晦暗，污点；vt.使失去光泽；玷污 | |
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lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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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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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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32
allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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legacy
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| n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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gratis
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| adj.免费的 | |
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36
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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38
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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39
inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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40
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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41
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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42
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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44
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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45
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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46
abstain
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| v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免 | |
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47
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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48
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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49
exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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50
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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51
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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52
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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53
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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54
generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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55
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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56
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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57
enlisting
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| v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的现在分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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58
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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59
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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60
remonstrances
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| n.抱怨，抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 ) | |
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61
conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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62
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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