CHAPTER XLI. MAJOR ASHTON'S ENGAGEMENT.

 The announcement that her aunt had agreed to marry Major Ashton was intensely disagreeable to Grace Dearborn. She knew, if her aunt did not, that he was simply a mercenary adventurer, who, failing to secure her hand and fortune, was now scheming for her aunt's larger fortune, and willing to take her hand with it, in spite of the disparity in their years.

"My dear aunt," she said, "I hope you will consider well the step you propose to take."

"Why should I need to consider?" asked Mrs. Sheldon, somewhat displeased¹. "I have known the major for a considerable time, and I know the estimation in which he is held in Chicago."

"I do not think he is an honorable, reliable man."

"Oh, I understand very well why you are prejudiced against him, Grace," said her aunt, sharply.

"And why, Aunt Caroline?"

"Because he was a suitor of yours, and you are mortified² to think he should accept your rejection³ as final, and so soon pay his attentions in another quarter."

[Pg 274]"My dear aunt," said Grace, earnestly, "you were never more mistaken. I feel no interest in him or his marriage, save as it affects you."

Mrs. Sheldon was inwardly sensible that she was acting⁴ foolishly, and this made her only the more indisposed to listen to her niece's remonstrances⁵.

"What objections can you possibly think of, Grace? Perhaps you do not think well of second marriages."

"It is not that, Aunt Caroline. I think second marriages are often wise."

"And why not in this case?" demanded Mrs. Sheldon, coldly.

"You are aware, Aunt Caroline, that you are considerably⁶ older than Major Ashton."

"Not so very much older. Major Ashton tells me he is thirty-eight."

"He does not look that. But even then you——"

"Are a little older," admitted the widow, wondering whether Grace knew her real age. At any rate, she knew it would be of no use to call herself forty, as her niece had something like a correct idea of how much she exceeded that age. "However," she added, quickly steering⁷ away from a topic which was not acceptable, "that is Major Ashton's affair. I myself made that objection, and mentioned my age, but he said, like a true gentleman as he is, that it was unimportant[Pg 275] in comparison with the similarity of our tastes."

"I had not supposed that you and Major Ashton were so similar in your tastes," said Grace, puzzled.

"Because you have never understood or appreciated the major, Grace," returned her aunt.

"Then you are quite decided⁸ upon this marriage, Aunt Caroline?" said Grace, wistfully.

"Quite so, Grace."

"Then I can only hope, Aunt Caroline, that it will meet your wishes and expectations."

"I am willing to run the risk, Grace," said her aunt, complacently⁹.

As Grace left the room Mrs. Sheldon said to herself:

"I expected Grace would feel disturbed. She may say what she likes, but it is clear to me that she is jealous and mortified that the major has so soon recovered from her rejection of him."

1 displeased   

a.不快的

参考例句：

• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。
• He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。

2 mortified   

v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等）

参考例句：

• She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了，直羞得无地自容。
• The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 remonstrances   

n.抱怨，抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were remonstrances, but he persisted notwithstanding. 虽遭抗议，他仍然坚持下去。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Mr. Archibald did not give himself the trouble of making many remonstrances. 阿奇博尔德先生似乎不想自找麻烦多方规劝。 来自辞典例句

6 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

7 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 complacently   

adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地

参考例句：

• He complacently lived out his life as a village school teacher. 他满足于一个乡村教师的生活。
• "That was just something for evening wear," returned his wife complacently. “那套衣服是晚装，"他妻子心安理得地说道。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹