This drive, it may be remarked, was also the common highway to the lower village, and hence Lady Constantine’s residence and park, as is occasionally the case with old-fashioned manors6, possessed7 none of the exclusiveness found in some aristocratic settlements. The parishioners looked upon the park avenue as their natural thoroughfare, particularly for christenings, weddings, and funerals, which passed the squire’s mansion with due considerations as to the scenic8 effect of the same from the manor5 windows. Hence the house of Constantine, when going out from its breakfast, had been continually crossed on the doorstep for the last two hundred years by the houses of Hodge and Giles in full cry to dinner. At present these collisions were but too infrequent, for though the villagers passed the north front door as regularly as ever, they seldom met a Constantine. Only one was there to be met, and she had no zest9 for outings before noon.
The long, low front of the Great House, as it was called by the parish, stretching from end to end of the terrace, was in darkness as the vicar slackened his pace before it, and only the distant fall of water disturbed the stillness of the manorial10 precincts.
On gaining admittance he found Lady Constantine waiting to receive him. She wore a heavy dress of velvet11 and lace, and being the only person in the spacious12 apartment she looked small and isolated13. In her left hand she held a letter and a couple of at-home cards. The soft dark eyes which she raised to him as he entered — large, and melancholy14 by circumstance far more than by quality — were the natural indices of a warm and affectionate, perhaps slightly voluptuous15 temperament16, languishing17 for want of something to do, cherish, or suffer for.
Mr. Torkingham seated himself. His boots, which had seemed elegant in the farm-house, appeared rather clumsy here, and his coat, that was a model of tailoring when he stood amid the choir18, now exhibited decidedly strained relations with his limbs. Three years had passed since his induction20 to the living of Welland, but he had never as yet found means to establish that reciprocity with Lady Constantine which usually grows up, in the course of time, between parsonage and manor-house — unless, indeed, either side should surprise the other by showing respectively a weakness for awkward modern ideas on landownership, or on church formulas, which had not been the case here. The present meeting, however, seemed likely to initiate21 such a reciprocity.
There was an appearance of confidence on Lady Constantine’s face; she said she was so very glad that he had come, and looking down at the letter in her hand was on the point of pulling it from its envelope; but she did not. After a moment she went on more quickly: ‘I wanted your advice, or rather your opinion, on a serious matter,- -on a point of conscience.’ Saying which she laid down the letter and looked at the cards.
It might have been apparent to a more penetrating22 eye than the vicar’s that Lady Constantine, either from timidity, misgiving23, or reconviction, had swerved24 from her intended communication, or perhaps decided19 to begin at the other end.
The parson, who had been expecting a question on some local business or intelligence, at the tenor25 of her words altered his face to the higher branch of his profession.
‘I hope I may find myself of service, on that or any other question,’ he said gently.
‘I hope so. You may possibly be aware, Mr. Torkingham, that my husband, Sir Blount Constantine, was, not to mince26 matters, a mistaken — somewhat jealous man. Yet you may hardly have discerned it in the short time you knew him.’
‘I had some little knowledge of Sir Blount’s character in that respect.’
‘Well, on this account my married life with him was not of the most comfortable kind.’ (Lady Constantine’s voice dropped to a more pathetic note.) ‘I am sure I gave him no cause for suspicion; though had I known his disposition27 sooner I should hardly have dared to marry him. But his jealousy28 and doubt of me were not so strong as to divert him from a purpose of his — a mania29 for African lion-hunting, which he dignified30 by calling it a scheme of geographical31 discovery; for he was inordinately32 anxious to make a name for himself in that field. It was the one passion that was stronger than his mistrust of me. Before going away he sat down with me in this room, and read me a lecture, which resulted in a very rash offer on my part. When I tell it to you, you will find that it provides a key to all that is unusual in my life here. He bade me consider what my position would be when he was gone; hoped that I should remember what was due to him — that I would not so behave towards other men as to bring the name of Constantine into suspicion; and charged me to avoid levity33 of conduct in attending any ball, rout34, or dinner to which I might be invited. I, in some contempt for his low opinion of me, volunteered, there and then, to live like a cloistered35 nun36 during his absence; to go into no society whatever — scarce even to a neighbour’s dinner-party; and demanded bitterly if that would satisfy him. He said yes, held me to my word, and gave me no loophole for retracting37 it. The inevitable38 fruits of precipitancy have resulted to me: my life has become a burden. I get such invitations as these’ (holding up the cards), ‘but I so invariably refuse them that they are getting very rare. . . . I ask you, can I honestly break that promise to my husband?’
Mr. Torkingham seemed embarrassed. ‘If you promised Sir Blount Constantine to live in solitude39 till he comes back, you are, it seems to me, bound by that promise. I fear that the wish to be released from your engagement is to some extent a reason why it should be kept. But your own conscience would surely be the best guide, Lady Constantine?’
‘My conscience is quite bewildered with its responsibilities,’ she continued, with a sigh. ‘Yet it certainly does sometimes say to me that — that I ought to keep my word. Very well; I must go on as I am going, I suppose.’
‘If you respect a vow40, I think you must respect your own,’ said the parson, acquiring some further firmness. ‘Had it been wrung41 from you by compulsion, moral or physical, it would have been open to you to break it. But as you proposed a vow when your husband only required a good intention, I think you ought to adhere to it; or what is the pride worth that led you to offer it?’
‘Very well,’ she said, with resignation. ‘But it was quite a work of supererogation on my part.’
‘That you proposed it in a supererogatory spirit does not lessen42 your obligation, having once put yourself under that obligation. St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, says, “An oath for confirmation43 is an end of all strife44.” And you will readily recall the words of Ecclesiastes, “Pay that which thou hast vowed45. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.” Why not write to Sir Blount, tell him the inconvenience of such a bond, and ask him to release you?’
‘No; never will I. The expression of such a desire would, in his mind, be a sufficient reason for disallowing46 it. I’ll keep my word.’
Mr. Torkingham rose to leave. After she had held out her hand to him, when he had crossed the room, and was within two steps of the door, she said, ‘Mr. Torkingham.’ He stopped. ‘What I have told you is only the least part of what I sent for you to tell you.’
Mr. Torkingham walked back to her side. ‘What is the rest of it, then?’ he asked, with grave surprise.
‘It is a true revelation, as far as it goes; but there is something more. I have received this letter, and I wanted to say — something.’
‘Then say it now, my dear lady.’
‘No,’ she answered, with a look of utter inability. ‘I cannot speak of it now! Some other time. Don’t stay. Please consider this conversation as private. Good-night.’
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
trotted
|
|
| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
onward
|
|
| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
ambush
|
|
| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
mansion
|
|
| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
manor
|
|
| n.庄园，领地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
manors
|
|
| n.庄园（manor的复数形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
scenic
|
|
| adj.自然景色的，景色优美的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
zest
|
|
| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
manorial
|
|
| adj.庄园的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
velvet
|
|
| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
spacious
|
|
| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
isolated
|
|
| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
voluptuous
|
|
| adj.肉欲的，骄奢淫逸的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
temperament
|
|
| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
languishing
|
|
| a. 衰弱下去的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
choir
|
|
| n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
induction
|
|
| n.感应，感应现象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
initiate
|
|
| vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
penetrating
|
|
| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
misgiving
|
|
| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
swerved
|
|
| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
tenor
|
|
| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
mince
|
|
| n.切碎物；v.切碎，矫揉做作地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
disposition
|
|
| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
jealousy
|
|
| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
mania
|
|
| n.疯狂；躁狂症，狂热，癖好 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
dignified
|
|
| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
geographical
|
|
| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
inordinately
|
|
| adv.无度地，非常地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
levity
|
|
| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
rout
|
|
| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
cloistered
|
|
| adj.隐居的，躲开尘世纷争的v.隐退，使与世隔绝( cloister的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
nun
|
|
| n.修女，尼姑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
retracting
|
|
| v.撤回或撤消( retract的现在分词 )；拒绝执行或遵守；缩回；拉回 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
inevitable
|
|
| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
solitude
|
|
| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
vow
|
|
| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
wrung
|
|
| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
lessen
|
|
| vt.减少，减轻；缩小 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
confirmation
|
|
| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
strife
|
|
| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
vowed
|
|
| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
disallowing
|
|
| v.不承认（某事物）有效( disallow的现在分词 )；不接受；不准；驳回 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |