LORD CHARLES SPENCER paused in the centre of the triangle.
“A very pretty performance,” he said with a sneer1, “a very proper performance—to sing Jacobite ballads2 here!”
“I trow they are not the first that have been sung here, brother,” retorted Lady Betty pertly.
“You have a saucy3 tongue, Elizabeth,” replied her brother rudely, turning white rather than red, for in this young man’s disposition4 anger went white, not red. “’Twould go hard with you if my father heard that.”
“’Twould go hard with you if my father heard that!” mocked Lady Betty incorrigible5. “Come, come, Charles, talk of something agreeable. What is the volume under your arm? Noah’s observations on droughts? or Adam’s reflections on mothers-in-law? or Cain’s on brotherly love? Faith, I always expect[Pg 12] something profound from the most erudite ornament6 of the Whig party.”
“I wish I might look as certainly for discretion7 in Elizabeth Spencer,” he replied with acrimony.
“In Elizabeth Clancarty,” corrected the countess, flashing an indignant glance at him.
“You are a hypocrite, Spencer!” she said, stamping her foot.
“Family insults in public are always becoming,” said Lord Spencer, controlling himself with an effort, but white to the lips.
“Forsooth, who began it?” recriminated his high-spirited sister; “you might better indeed talk of other things. Of your fine clothes, for instance; you are truly ‘the glass of fashion,’ my lord, pink satin waistcoat and breeches, gray plush coat, point of Venice ruffles11, white silk stockings, clocked, too, with pink, French shoes and buckles,—mercy on us, sir! what splendor12 for beggarly Lady Clancarty and quiet Althorpe!”
Lord Spencer, who was indeed dressed in the extreme of fashion, bit his lip, scowling[Pg 13] darkly at Lady Betty and Alice, who remained discreetly13 in the background.
“You do well to boast of your dishonored name, madam,” he said coldly, “but my Lord Sunderland intends that you shall be divorced from that disreputable Irish rebel.”
“You are a fool,” said Spencer sharply; “happy you would be—dragged into exile by a rake and a scapegrace—but, pshaw! what nonsense I talk—”
“Nonsense because Clancarty does not want you.” He continued, with a provoking drawl, “Where is your husband, my lady? Forsooth you do not know—but I do! At Saint Germain and at Paris; a gambler, a rake, a cutpurse, with half a dozen lady-loves to—”
“Silence!” cried Lady Betty furiously, rising in her indignation. “Shame on you, sir, to insult a woman and she your sister, and to blacken a gallant16 gentleman behind his back. Is that your virtue17? Faith, I believe a witty18 rogue19 would be a happier companion than a virtuous20 bore!”
[Pg 14]“Your tongue will cut your throat yet, madam,” said Spencer harshly; “you have worked yourself into this passion; you have never seen your husband since childhood, and you do not know him. It is my duty as your brother, a painful duty, I admit,” he said pompously21, “to tell you the truth. Lord Clancarty is a notorious scamp, a dissolute fellow, a murderer and oppressor; and, as for you, what does he care for you? You little fool, he has never sought you—and never will!” and with this taunt22 my lord turned on his heel and walked decorously but swiftly away, wise enough to fly before his sister could retaliate23.
Lady Betty stood as he had left her for a moment, her little hands clenched24 and her face crimson10.
“The mean hypocrite!” she cried, “to fling it in my teeth. I vow25 I sometimes almost hate Spencer—and yet he is my brother. I’m a beast, Alice, a wretch26! but oh!” and suddenly her mood changed; she threw herself on the garden-seat, trembling with emotion, tears on her dark lashes27. “Oh, why must I be so cruelly insulted? ’Tis true, Alice, ’tis true; Clancarty has never even cared to claim his wife! Think of it, I—I—Betty Spencer,[Pg 15] scorned by an Irish Jacobite!” and she burst into tears.
“My lady,” purred a smooth voice, as the other attendant suddenly and softly stepped into view, from the friendly shadow of an elm; “be consoled, ’tis even as Lord Spencer—”
“Go!” cried the countess furiously, dashing away her tears and stamping her foot at Melissa. “Go! What do I want of your consolation28, you eavesdropper29!”
“Go!” repeated the countess imperiously, with a gesture of disdain31. “When I want you, I will summon you.”
With a look of ill-disguised anger on her smooth face, but with an attempted air of humility32, the attendant withdrew as softly as she had approached, and Lady Betty recalled her dignity.
“Pshaw!” she said, “what a creature I am, Alice, so to betray myself, and to stoop to quarrel with that worm, Melissa! I did not think, I never think; but, oh, my girl, my lot has many thorns! Alas33, and alas!
[Pg 16]and a widow by desertion. Ah, how I hate the taunt!” and she stamped her foot.
“Heed it not, dear Lady Betty,” murmured Alice, “’tis not true.”
“Ah, but it is, girl, it is,” cried Lady Clancarty, with an impatient gesture, “and I despise myself for caring.”
“Are you sure, madam, that Lord Clancarty has made no effort to claim his bride, or to see you?” Alice asked soberly, standing36 alone in the triangle opposite Lady Betty, the sun shining in a friendly fashion on her comely37, honest face.
“Am I sure?” repeated the countess in surprise, and her expression changed swiftly; “do you think he may have tried to communicate with me and failed?”
“Why not, my lady?” replied the handmaid simply; “we know how my Lord Spencer feels; and your father, the earl, madam, is, perhaps, as little inclined toward your husband.”
“It may be so,” she said thoughtfully; “your brain is growing keen, Alice, from crossing swords with mine!” and she laughed, for she was an April creature with swift-changing moods. She rose, throwing out her hands[Pg 17] with a pretty gesture, as though she threw care to the winds.
“O Donough Macarthy, Earl of Clancarty, art worthy39 all these heart beats of mine?” she cried, and laughed as gayly as a child. “I tell thee, Alice, he has not seen me for years, not since I was eleven, and he pictures me with a turned-up nose and freckles40 and red hair, and is half frightened to death at the thought of his English bride.”
“Your hair was never red, my lady,” said Alice soberly.
“Pshaw, child, he has forgotten, poor lad!” laughed Lady Betty, herself again; “he may think my nose red, too!”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
sneer
|
|
| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
ballads
|
|
| 民歌，民谣，特别指叙述故事的歌( ballad的名词复数 )； 讴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
saucy
|
|
| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
disposition
|
|
| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
incorrigible
|
|
| adj.难以纠正的，屡教不改的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
ornament
|
|
| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
discretion
|
|
| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
irony
|
|
| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
crimsoned
|
|
| 变为深红色（crimson的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
crimson
|
|
| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
ruffles
|
|
| 褶裥花边( ruffle的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
splendor
|
|
| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
discreetly
|
|
| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
defiance
|
|
| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
defiantly
|
|
| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
gallant
|
|
| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
virtue
|
|
| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
witty
|
|
| adj.机智的，风趣的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
rogue
|
|
| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
virtuous
|
|
| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
pompously
|
|
| adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
taunt
|
|
| n.辱骂，嘲弄；v.嘲弄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
retaliate
|
|
| v.报复，反击 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
clenched
|
|
| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
vow
|
|
| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
wretch
|
|
| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
lashes
|
|
| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
consolation
|
|
| n.安慰，慰问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
eavesdropper
|
|
| 偷听者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
stammered
|
|
| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
disdain
|
|
| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
humility
|
|
| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
alas
|
|
| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
maiden
|
|
| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
woe
|
|
| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
comely
|
|
| adj.漂亮的，合宜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
gravel
|
|
| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
freckles
|
|
| n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |