In all the confidential8 effusions with Plantagenet, Venetia had never dwelt upon this mysterious subject; indeed, in these conversations, when they treated of their real and not ideal life, Venetia was a mere9 recipient10: all that she could communicate, Plantagenet could observe; he it was who avenged11 himself at these moments for his habitual12 silence before third persons; it was to Venetia that he poured forth13 all his soul, and she was never weary of hearing his stories about Morpeth, and all his sorrows, disgusts, and afflictions. There was scarcely an individual in that little town with whom, from his lively narratives14, she was not familiar; and it was to her sympathising heart that he confided15 all his future hopes and prospects16, and confessed the strong pride he experienced in being a Cadurcis, which from all others was studiously concealed17.
It had happened that the first Christmas Day after the settlement of the Cadurcis family at the abbey occurred in the middle of the week; and as the weather was severe, in order to prevent two journeys at such an inclement18 season, Lady Annabel persuaded Mrs. Cadurcis to pass the whole week at the hall. This arrangement gave such pleasure to Plantagenet that the walls of the abbey, as the old postchaise was preparing for their journey, quite resounded19 with his merriment. In vain his mother, harassed20 with all the mysteries of packing, indulged in a thousand irritable21 expressions, which at any other time might have produced a broil22 or even a fray23; Cadurcis did nothing but laugh. There was at the bottom of this boy’s heart, with all his habitual gravity and reserve, a fund of humour which would occasionally break out, and which nothing could withstand. When he was alone with Venetia, he would imitate the old maids of Morpeth, and all the ceremonies of a provincial24 tea party, with so much life and genuine fun, that Venetia was often obliged to stop in their rambles25 to indulge her overwhelming mirth. When they were alone, and he was gloomy, she was often accustomed to say, ‘Now, dear Plantagenet, tell me how the old ladies at Morpeth drink tea.’
This morning at the abbey, Cadurcis was irresistible26, and the more excited his mother became with the difficulties which beset27 her, the more gay and fluent were his quips and cranks. Puffing28, panting, and perspiring29, now directing her waiting-woman, now scolding her man-servant, and now ineffectually attempting to box her son’s ears, Mrs. Cadurcis indeed offered a most ridiculous spectacle.
‘John!’ screamed Mrs. Cadurcis, in a voice of bewildered passion, and stamping with rage, ‘is that the place for my cap-box? You do it on purpose, that you do!’
‘John,’ mimicked30 Lord Cadurcis, ‘how dare you do it on purpose?’
‘Take that, you brat,’ shrieked31 the mother, and she struck her own hand against the doorway32. ‘Oh! I’ll give it you, I’ll give it you,’ she bellowed33 under the united influence of rage and pain, and she pursued her agile34 child, who dodged35 her on the other side of the postchaise, which he persisted in calling the family carriage.
‘Oh! ma’am, my lady,’ exclaimed the waiting-woman, sallying forth from the abbey, ‘what is to be done with the parrot when we are away? Mrs. Brown says she won’t see to it, that she won’t; ‘taynt her place.’
This rebellion of Mrs. Brown was a diversion in favour of Plantagenet. Mrs. Cadurcis waddled36 down the cloisters37 with precipitation, rushed into the kitchen, seized the surprised Mrs. Brown by the shoulder, and gave her a good shake; and darting38 at the cage, which held the parrot, she bore it in triumph to the carriage. ‘I will take the bird with me,’ said Mrs. Cadurcis.
‘We cannot take the bird inside, madam,’ said Plantagenet, ‘for it will overhear all our conversation, and repeat it. We shall not be able to abuse our friends.’
Mrs. Cadurcis threw the cage at her son’s head, who, for the sake of the bird, dexterously39 caught it, but declared at the same time he would immediately throw it into the lake. Then Mrs. Cadurcis began to cry with rage, and, seating herself on the open steps of the chaise, sobbed40 hysterically41. Plantagenet stole round on tip-toe, and peeped in her face: ‘A merry Christmas and a happy new year, Mrs. Cadurcis,’ said her son.
‘How can I be merry and happy, treated as I am?’ sobbed the mother. ‘You do not treat Lady Annabel so. Oh! no; it is only your mother whom you use in this manner! Go to Cherbury. Go by all means, but go by yourself; I shall not go: go to your friends, Lord Cadurcis; they are your friends, not mine, and I hope they are satisfied, now that they have robbed me of the affections of my child. I have seen what they have been after all this time. I am not so blind as some people think. No! I see how it is. I am nobody. Your poor mother, who brought you up, and educated you, is nobody. This is the end of all your Latin and French, and your fine lessons. Honour your father and your mother, Lord Cadurcis; that’s a finer lesson than all. Oh! oh! oh!’
This allusion42 to the Herberts suddenly calmed Plantagenet. He felt in an instant the injudiciousness of fostering by his conduct the latent jealousy43 which always lurked44 at the bottom of his mother’s heart, and which nothing but the united talent and goodness of Lady Annabel could have hitherto baffled. So he rejoined in a kind yet playful tone, ‘If you will be good, I will give you a kiss for a Christmas-box, mother; and the parrot shall go inside if you like.’
‘The parrot may stay at home, I do not care about it: but I cannot bear quarrelling; it is not my temper, you naughty, very naughty boy.’
‘My dear mother,’ continued his lordship, in a soothing45 tone, ‘these scenes always happen when people are going to travel. I assure you it is quite a part of packing up.’
‘You will be the death of me, that you will,’ said the mother, ‘with all your violence. You are worse than your father, that you are.’
‘Come, mother,’ said her son, drawing nearer, and just touching46 her shoulder with his hand, ‘will you not have my Christmas-box?’
The mother extended her cheek, which the son slightly touched with his lip, and then Mrs. Cadurcis jumped up as lively as ever, called for a glass of Mountain, and began rating the footboy.
At length the postchaise was packed; they had a long journey before them, because Cadurcis would go round by Southport, to call upon a tradesman whom a month before he had commissioned to get a trinket made for him in London, according to the newest fashion, as a present for Venetia. The commission was executed; Mrs. Cadurcis, who had been consulted in confidence by her son on the subject, was charmed with the result of their united taste. She had good-naturedly contributed one of her own few, but fine, emeralds to the gift; upon the back of the brooch was engraved:—
TO VENETIA, FROM HER AFFECTIONATE BROTHER, PLANTAGENET.
‘I hope she will be a sister, and more than a sister, to you,’ said Mrs. Cadurcis.
‘Why?’ inquired her son, rather confused.
‘You may look farther, and fare worse,’ said Mrs. Cadurcis. Plantagenet blushed; and yet he wondered why he blushed: he understood his mother, but he could not pursue the conversation; his heart fluttered.
A most cordial greeting awaited them at Cherbury; Dr. Masham was there, and was to remain until Monday. Mrs. Cadurcis would have opened about the present immediately, but her son warned her on the threshold that if she said a word about it, or seemed to be aware of its previous existence, even when it was shown, he would fling it instantly away into the snow; and her horror of this catastrophe47 bridled48 her tongue. Mrs. Cadurcis, however, was happy, and Lady Annabel was glad to see her so; the Doctor, too, paid her some charming compliments; the good lady was in the highest spirits, for she was always in extremes, and at this moment she would willingly have laid down her life if she had thought the sacrifice could have contributed to the welfare of the Herberts.
Cadurcis himself drew Venetia aside, and then, holding the brooch reversed, he said, with rather a confused air, ‘Read that, Venetia.’
‘Oh! Plantagenet!’ she said, very much astonished.
‘You see, Venetia,’ he added, leaving it in her hand, ‘it is yours.’
Venetia turned the jewel; her eye was dazzled with its brilliancy.
‘It is too grand for a little girl, Plantagenet,’ she exclaimed, a little pale.
‘No, it is not,’ said Plantagenet, firmly; ‘besides, you will not always be a little girl; and then, if ever we do not live together as we do now, you will always remember you have a brother.’
‘I must show it mamma; I must ask her permission to take it, Plantagenet.’
Venetia went up to her mother, who was talking to Mrs. Cadurcis. She had not courage to speak before that lady and Dr. Masham, so she called her mother aside.
‘Mamma,’ she said, ‘something has happened.’
‘What, my dear?’ said Lady Annabel, somewhat surprised at the seriousness of her tone.
‘Look at this, mamma!’ said Venetia, giving her the brooch.
Lady Annabel looked at the jewel, and read the inscription49. It was a more precious offering than the mother would willingly have sanctioned, but she was too highly bred, and too thoughtful of the feelings of others, to hesitate for a moment to admire it herself, and authorise its acceptance by her daughter. So she walked up to Cadurcis and gave him a mother’s embrace for his magnificent present to his sister, placed the brooch itself near Venetia’s heart, and then led her daughter to Mrs. Cadurcis, that the gratified mother might admire the testimony50 of her son’s taste and affection. It was a most successful present, and Cadurcis felt grateful to his mother for her share in its production, and the very proper manner in which she received the announcement of its offering.
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1
engrossing
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| adj.使人全神贯注的，引人入胜的v.使全神贯注( engross的现在分词 ) | |
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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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recurring
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| adj.往复的，再次发生的 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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ostensible
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| adj.(指理由)表面的，假装的 | |
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6
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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8
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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9
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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recipient
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| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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11
avenged
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| v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的过去式和过去分词 )；为…报复 | |
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12
habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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narratives
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| 记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分 | |
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15
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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16
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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17
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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18
inclement
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| adj.严酷的，严厉的，恶劣的 | |
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19
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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21
irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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22
broil
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| v.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂；n.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂 | |
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23
fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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24
provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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25
rambles
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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26
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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28
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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29
perspiring
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| v.出汗，流汗( perspire的现在分词 ) | |
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30
mimicked
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| v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的过去式和过去分词 )；酷似 | |
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31
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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33
bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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34
agile
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| adj.敏捷的，灵活的 | |
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35
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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36
waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
cloisters
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| n.（学院、修道院、教堂等建筑的）走廊( cloister的名词复数 )；回廊；修道院的生活；隐居v.隐退，使与世隔绝( cloister的第三人称单数 ) | |
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38
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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39
dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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40
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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41
hysterically
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| ad. 歇斯底里地 | |
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42
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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43
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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44
lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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45
soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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46
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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47
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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48
bridled
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的过去式和过去分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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49
inscription
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| n.（尤指石块上的）刻印文字，铭文，碑文 | |
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50
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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