Mrs Bonteen was of opinion that there was a change. “She was always uncertain, you know, and would scratch like a cat if you offended her.”
“And won’t she scratch now?” asked Miss Fitzgibbon.
“I’m afraid she’ll scratch oftener. It was always a trick of hers to pretend to think nothing of rank — but she values her place as highly as any woman in England.”
This was Mrs Bonteen’s opinion; but Lady Baldock, who was present, differed. This Lady Baldock was not the mother, but the sister-in-law of that Augusta Boreham who had lately become Sister Veronica John. “I don’t believe it,” said Lady Baldock. “She always seems to me to be like a great school girl who has been allowed too much of her own way. I think people give way to her too much, you know.” As Lady Baldock was herself the wife of a peer, she naturally did not stand so much in awe9 of a duchess as did Mrs Bonteen, or Miss Fitzgibbon.
“Have you seen the young Duke?” asked Mr Ratler of Barrington Erle.
“Yes; I have been with him this morning.”
“How does he like it?”
“He’s bothered out of his life — as a hen would be if you were to throw her into water. He’s so shy, he hardly knows how to speak to you; and he broke down altogether when I said something about the Lords.
“He’ll not do much more.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Erle. “He’ll get used to it, and go into harness again. He’s a great deal too good to be lost.”
“He didn’t give himself airs?”
“What! — Planty Pall10! If I know anything of a man he’s not the man to do that because he’s a duke. He can hold his own against all comers, and always could. Quiet as he always seemed, he knew who he was, and who other people were. I don’t think you’ll find much difference in him when he has got over the annoyance11.” Mr Ratler, however, was of a different opinion. Mr Ratler had known many docile12 members of the House of Commons who had become peers by the death of uncles and fathers, and who had lost all respect for him as soon as they were released from the crack of the whip. Mr Ratler rather depised peers who had been members of the House of Commons, and who passed by inheritance from a scene of unparalleled use and influence to one of idle and luxurious13 dignity.
Soon after their arrival in London the Duchess wrote the following very characteristic letter:
“ DEAR LORD CHILTERN, Mr Palliser — [Then having begun with a mistake, she scratched the word through with her pen.] The Duke has asked me to write about Trumpeton Wood, as he knows nothing about it, and I know just as little. But if you say what you want, it shall be done. Shall we get foxes and put them there? Or ought there to be a special fox-keeper? You mustn’t be angry because the poor old Duke was too feeble to take notice of the matter. Only speak, and it shall be done.
“Yours faithfully, “ GLENCORA O.
“Madame Goesler spoke14 to me about it; but at that time we were in trouble.”
The answer was as characteristic:
“ DEAR DUCHESS OF OMNIUM,
“Thanks. What is wanted, is that keepers should know that there are to be foxes. When keepers know that foxes are really expected, there always are foxes. The men latterly have known just the contrary. It is all a question of shooting. I don’t mean to say a word against the late Duke. When he got old the thing became bad. No doubt it will be right now.
“Faithfully yours, “ CHILTERN
“Our hounds have been poisoned in Trumpeton Wood. This would never have been done had not the keepers been against the hunting.”
Upon receipt of this she sent the letter to Mr Fothergill, with a request that there might be no more shooting in Trumpeton Wood. “I’ll be shot if we’ll stand that, you know,” said Mr Fothergill to one of his underlings. “There are two hundred and fifty acres in Trumpeton Wood, and we’re never to kill another pheasant because Lord Chiltern is Master of the Brake Hounds. Property won’t be worth having at that rate.”
The Duke by no means intended to abandon the world of politics, or even the narrower sphere of ministerial work, because he had been ousted15 from the House of Commons, and from the possibility of filling the office which he had best liked. This was proved to the world by the choice of his house for a meeting of the party on the 3Oth of March. As it happened, this was the very day on which he and the Duchess returned to London; but nevertheless the meeting was held there, and he was present at it. Mr Gresham then repeated his reasons for opposing Mr Daubeny’s bill; and declared that even while doing so he would, with the approbation16 of his party, pledge himself to bring in a bill somewhat to the same effect, should he ever again find himself in power. And he declared that he would do this solely17 with the view of showing how strong was his opinion that such a measure should not be left in the hands of the Conservative party. It was doubted whether such a political proposition had ever before been made in England. It was a simple avowal18 that on this occasion men were to be regarded, and not measures. No doubt such is the case, and ever has been the case, with the majority of active politicians. The double pleasure of pulling down an opponent, and of raising oneself, is the charm of a politician’s life. And by practice this becomes extended to so many branches, that the delights — and also the disappointments — are very widespread. Great satisfaction is felt by us because by some lucky conjunction of affairs our man, whom we never saw, is made Lord-Lieutenant of a county, instead of another man, of whom we know as little. It is a great thing to us that Sir Samuel Bobwig, an excellent Liberal, is seated high on the bench of justice, instead of that time-serving Conservative, Sir Alexander McSilk. Men and not measures are, no doubt, the very life of politics. But then it is not the fashion to say so in public places. Mr Gresham was determined19 to introduce that fashion on the present occasion. He did not think very much of Mr Daubeny’s Bill. So he told his friends at the Duke’s house. The Bill was full of faults — went too far in one direction, and not far enough in another. It was not difficult to pick holes in the Bill. But the sin of sins consisted in this — that it was to be passed, if passed at all, by the aid of men who would sin against their consciences by each vote they gave in its favour. What but treachery could be expected from an army in which every officer, and every private, was called upon to fight against his convictions? The meeting passed off with dissension, and it was agreed that the House of Commons should be called upon to reject the Church Bill simply because it was proposed from that side of the House on which the minority was sitting. As there were more than two hundred members present on the occasion, by none of whom were any objections raised, it seemed probable that Mr Gresham might be successful. There was still, however, doubt in the minds of some men. “It’s all very well,” said Mr Ratler, “but Turnbull wasn’t there, you know.”
But from what took place the next day but one in Park Lane it would almost seem that the Duchess had been there. She came at once to see Madame Goesler, having very firmly determined that the Duke’s death should not have the appearance of interrupting her intimacy20 with her friend. “Was it not very disagreeable,” — asked Madame Goesler — “just the day you came to town?”
“We didn’t think of that at all. One is not allowed to think of anything now. It was very improper21, of course, because of the Duke’s death — but that had to be put on one side. And then it was quite contrary to etiquette that Peers and Commoners should be brought together. I think there was some idea of making sure of Plantagenet, and so they all came and wore out our carpets. There wasn’t above a dozen peers; but they were enough to show that all the old landmarks22 have been upset. I don’t think anyone would have objected if I had opened the meeting myself, and called upon Mrs Bonteen to second me.”
“Why Mrs Bonteen?”
“Because next to myself she’s the most talkative and political woman we have. She was at our house yesterday, and I’m not quite sure that she doesn’t intend to cut me out.”
“We must put her down, Lady Glen.”
“Perhaps she’ll put me down now that we’re half shelved. The men did make such a racket, and yet no one seemed to speak for two minutes except Mr Gresham, who stood upon my pet footstool, and kicked it almost to pieces.”
“Was Mr Finn there?”
“Everybody was there, I suppose. What makes you ask particularly about Mr Finn?”
“Because he’s a friend.”
“That’s come up again, has it? He’s the handsome Irishman, isn’t he, that came to Matching, the same day that brought you there?”
“He is an Irishman, and he was at Matching, that day.”
“He’s certainly handsome. What a day that was, Marie! When one thinks of it all — of all the perils23 and all the salvations, how strange it is! I wonder whether you would have liked it now if you were the Dowager Duchess.”
“I should have had some enjoyment24, I suppose.”
“I don’t know that it would have done us any harm, and yet how keen I was about it. We can’t give you the rank now, and you won’t take the money.”
“Not the money, certainly.”
“Plantagenet says you’ll have to take it — but it seems to me he’s always wrong. There are so many things that one must do that one doesn’t do. He never perceives that everything gets changed every five years. So Mr Finn is the favourite again?”
“He is a friend whom I like. I may be allowed to have a friend, I suppose.”
“A dozen, my dear — and all of them good-looking. Goodbye, dear. Pray come to us. Don’t stand off and make yourself disagreeable. We shan’t be giving dinner parties, but you can come whenever you please. Tell me at once — do you mean to be disagreeable?”
Then Madame Goesler was obliged to promise that she would not be more disagreeable than her nature had made her.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
banished
|
|
| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
funereal
|
|
| adj.悲哀的；送葬的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
accomplished
|
|
| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
ministry
|
|
| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
hamper
|
|
| vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
dependence
|
|
| n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
thronged
|
|
| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
etiquette
|
|
| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
awe
|
|
| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
pall
|
|
| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
annoyance
|
|
| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
docile
|
|
| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
luxurious
|
|
| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
ousted
|
|
| 驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
approbation
|
|
| n.称赞；认可 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
solely
|
|
| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
avowal
|
|
| n.公开宣称，坦白承认 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
intimacy
|
|
| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
improper
|
|
| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
landmarks
|
|
| n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
perils
|
|
| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
enjoyment
|
|
| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |