They said of old the Soul had human shape, But smaller, subtler than the fleshly self, So wandered forth1 for airing when it pleased. And see! beside her cherub-face there floats A pale-lipped form aerial whispering Its promptings in that little shell her ear."
News is often dispersed2 as thoughtlessly and effectively as that pollen3 which the bees carry off (having no idea how powdery they are) when they are buzzing in search of their particular nectar. This fine comparison has reference to Fred Vincy, who on that evening at Lowick Parsonage heard a lively discussion among the ladies on the news which their old servant had got from Tantripp concerning Mr. Casaubon's strange mention of Mr. Ladislaw in a codicil4 to his will made not long before his death. Miss Winifred was astounded5 to find that her brother had known the fact before, and observed that Camden was the most wonderful man for knowing things and not telling them; whereupon Mary Garth said that the codicil had perhaps got mixed up with the habits of spiders, which Miss Winifred never would listen to. Mrs. Farebrother considered that the news had something to do with their having only once seen Mr. Ladislaw at Lowick, and Miss Noble made many small compassionate6 mewings.
Fred knew little and cared less about Ladislaw and the Casaubons, and his mind never recurred8 to that discussion till one day calling on Rosamond at his mother's request to deliver a message as he passed, he happened to see Ladislaw going away. Fred and Rosamond had little to say to each other now that marriage had removed her from collision with the unpleasantness of brothers, and especially now that he had taken what she held the stupid and even reprehensible9 step of giving up the Church to take to such a business as Mr. Garth's. Hence Fred talked by preference of what he considered indifferent news, and "a propos of that young Ladislaw" mentioned what he had heard at Lowick Parsonage.
Now Lydgate, like Mr. Farebrother, knew a great deal more than he told, and when he had once been set thinking about the relation between Will and Dorothea his conjectures10 had gone beyond the fact. He imagined that there was a passionate7 attachment11 on both sides, and this struck him as much too serious to gossip about. He remembered Will's irritability12 when he had mentioned Mrs. Casaubon, and was the more circumspect13. On the whole his surmises14, in addition to what he knew of the fact, increased his friendliness15 and tolerance16 towards Ladislaw, and made him understand the vacillation17 which kept him at Middlemarch after he had said that he should go away. It was significant of the separateness between Lydgate's mind and Rosamond's that he had no impulse to speak to her on the subject; indeed, he did not quite trust her reticence18 towards Will. And he was right there; though he had no vision of the way in which her mind would act in urging her to speak.
When she repeated Fred's news to Lydgate, he said, "Take care you don't drop the faintest hint to Ladislaw, Rosy19. He is likely to fly out as if you insulted him. Of course it is a painful affair."
Rosamond turned her neck and patted her hair, looking the image of placid20 indifference21. But the next time Will came when Lydgate was away, she spoke22 archly about his not going to London as he had threatened.
"I know all about it. I have a confidential23 little bird," said she, showing very pretty airs of her head over the bit of work held high between her active fingers. "There is a powerful magnet in this neighborhood."
"To be sure there is. Nobody knows that better than you," said Will, with light gallantry, but inwardly prepared to be angry.
"It is really the most charming romance: Mr. Casaubon jealous, and foreseeing that there was no one else whom Mrs. Casaubon would so much like to marry, and no one who would so much like to marry her as a certain gentleman; and then laying a plan to spoil all by making her forfeit24 her property if she did marry that gentleman-- and then--and then--and then--oh, I have no doubt the end will be thoroughly25 romantic."
"Great God! what do you mean?" said Will, flushing over face and ears, his features seeming to change as if he had had a violent shake. "Don't joke; tell me what you mean."
"You don't really know?" said Rosamond, no longer playful, and desiring nothing better than to tell in order that she might evoke26 effects.
"No!" he returned, impatiently.
"Don't know that Mr. Casaubon has left it in his will that if Mrs. Casaubon marries you she is to forfeit all her property?"
"How do you know that it is true?" said Will, eagerly.
"My brother Fred heard it from the Farebrothers." Will started up from his chair and reached his hat.
"I dare say she likes you better than the property," said Rosamond, looking at him from a distance.
"Pray don't say any more about it," said Will, in a hoarse27 undertone extremely unlike his usual light voice. "It is a foul28 insult to her and to me." Then he sat down absently, looking before him, but seeing nothing.
"Now you are angry with _me_," said Rosamond. "It is too bad to bear _me_ malice29. You ought to be obliged to me for telling you."
"So I am," said Will, abruptly30, speaking with that kind of double soul which belongs to dreamers who answer questions.
"I expect to hear of the marriage," said Rosamond, playfully.
"Never! You will never hear of the marriage!"
With those words uttered impetuously, Will rose, put out his hand to Rosamond, still with the air of a somnambulist, and went away.
When he was gone, Rosamond left her chair and walked to the other end of the room, leaning when she got there against a chiffonniere, and looking out of the window wearily. She was oppressed by ennui31, and by that dissatisfaction which in women's minds is continually turning into a trivial jealousy32, referring to no real claims, springing from no deeper passion than the vague exactingness33 of egoism, and yet capable of impelling34 action as well as speech. "There really is nothing to care for much," said poor Rosamond inwardly, thinking of the family at Quallingham, who did not write to her; and that perhaps Tertius when he came home would tease her about expenses. She had already secretly disobeyed him by asking her father to help them, and he had ended decisively by saying, "I am more likely to want help myself."
收听单词发音 |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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pollen
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| n.[植]花粉 | |
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codicil
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| n.遗嘱的附录 | |
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astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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compassionate
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| adj.有同情心的，表示同情的 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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recurred
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| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
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reprehensible
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| adj.该受责备的 | |
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conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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irritability
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| n.易怒 | |
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circumspect
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| adj.慎重的，谨慎的 | |
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surmises
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的第三人称单数 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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tolerance
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| n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差 | |
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vacillation
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| n.动摇；忧柔寡断 | |
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reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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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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forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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evoke
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| vt.唤起，引起，使人想起 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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ennui
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| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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33
exactingness
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| 正确，精确 | |
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impelling
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| adj.迫使性的，强有力的v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的现在分词 ) | |
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