About the time of my introduction to Mr. Mannion — or, to speak more correctly, both before and after that period — certain peculiarities1 in Margaret’s character and conduct, which came to my knowledge by pure accident, gave me a little uneasiness and even a little displeasure. Neither of these feelings lasted very long, it is true; for the incidents which gave rise to them were of a trifling3 nature in themselves. While I now write, however, these domestic occurrences are all vividly4 present to my recollection. I will mention two of them as instances. Subsequent events, yet to be related, will show that they are not out of place at this part of my narrative6.
One lovely autumn morning, I called rather before the appointed time at North Villa7. As the servant opened the front garden-gate, the idea occurred to me of giving Margaret a surprise, by entering the drawing room unexpectedly, with a nosegay gathered for her from her own flower-bed. Telling the servant not to announce me, I went round to the back garden, by a gate which opened into it at the side of the house. The progress of my flower-gathering led me on to the lawn under one of the drawing-room windows, which was left a little open. The voices of my wife and her mother reached me from the room. It was this part of their conversation which I unintentionally overheard:—
“I tell you, mamma, I must and will have the dress, whether papa chooses or not.”
This was spoken loudly and resolutely8; in such tones as I had never heard from Margaret before.
“Pray — pray, my dear, don’t talk so,” answered the weak, faltering9 voice of Mrs. Sherwin; “you know you have had more than your year’s allowance of dresses already.”
“I won’t be allowanced. His sister isn’t allowanced: why should I be?”
“My dear love, surely there is some difference —”
“I’m sure there isn’t, now I am his wife. I shall ride some day in my carriage, just as his sister does. He gives me my way in everything; and so ought you.”
“It isn’t me, Margaret: if I could do anything, I’m sure I would; but I really couldn’t ask your papa for another new dress, after his having given you so many this year, already.”
“That’s the way it always is with you, mamma — you can’t do this, and you can’t do that — you are so excessively tiresome10! But I will have the dress, I’m determined11. He says his sister wears light blue crape of an evening; and I’ll have light blue crape, too — see if I don’t! I’ll get it somehow from the shop, myself. Papa never takes any notice, I’m sure, what I have on; and he needn’t find out anything about what’s gone out of the shop, until they ‘take stock,’ or whatever it is he calls it. And then, if he flies into one of his passions —”
“My dear! my dear! you really ought not to talk so of your papa — it is very wrong, Margaret, indeed — what would Mr. Basil say if he heard you?”
I determined to go in at once, and tell Margaret that I had heard her — resolving, at the same time, to exert some firmness, and remonstrate12 with her, for her own good, on much of what she had said, which had really surprised and displeased13 me. On my unexpected entrance, Mrs. Sherwin started, and looked more timid than ever. Margaret, however, came forward to meet me with her wonted smile, and held out her hand with her wonted grace. I said nothing until we had got into our accustomed corner, and were talking together in whispers as usual. Then I began my remonstrance14 — very tenderly, and in the lowest possible tones. She took precisely15 the right way to stop me in full career, in spite of all my resolution. Her beautiful eyes filled with tears directly — the first I had ever seen in them: caused, too, by what I had said!— and she murmured a few plaintive16 words about the cruelty of being angry with her for only wanting to please me by being dressed as my sister was, which upset every intention I had formed but the moment before. I involuntarily devoted17 myself to soothing18 her for the rest of the morning. Need I say how the matter ended? I never mentioned the subject more; and I made her a present of the new dress.
Some weeks after the little home-breeze which I have just related, had died away into a perfect calm, I was accidentally witness of another domestic dilemma19 in which Margaret bore a principal share. On this occasion, as I walked up to the house (in the morning again), I found the front door open. A pail was on the steps — the servant had evidently been washing them, had been interrupted in her work, and had forgotten to close the door when she left it. The nature of the interruption I soon discovered as I entered the hall.
“For God’s sake, Miss!” cried the housemaid’s voice, from the dining-room, “for God’s sake, put down the poker20! Missus will be here directly; and it’s her cat!”
“I’ll kill the vile21 brute22! I’ll kill the hateful cat! I don’t care whose it is!— my poor dear, dear, dear bird!” The voice was Margaret’s. At first, its tones were tones of fury; they were afterwards broken by hysterical23 sobs24.
“Poor thing,” continued the servant, soothingly25, “I’m sorry for it, and for you too, Miss! But, oh! do please to remember it was you left the cage on the table, in the cat’s reach —”
“Hold your tongue, you wretch26! How dare you hold me?— let me go!”
“Oh, you mustn’t — you mustn’t indeed! It’s missus’s cat, recollect5 — poor missus’s, who’s always ill, and hasn’t got nothing else to amuse her.”
“I don’t care! The cat has killed my bird, and the cat shall be killed for doing it!— it shall!— it shall!!— it shall!!! I’ll call in the first boy from the street to catch it, and hang it! Let me go! I will go!”
“I’ll let the cat go first, Miss, as sure as my name’s Susan!”
The next instant, the door was suddenly opened, and puss sprang past me, out of harm’s way, closely followed by the servant, who stared breathless and aghast at seeing me in the hall. I went into the dining-room immediately.
On the floor lay a bird-cage, with the poor canary dead inside (it was the same canary that I had seen my wife playing with, on the evening of the day when I first met her). The bird’s head had been nearly dragged through the bent28 wires of the cage, by the murderous claws of the cat. Near the fire-place, with the poker she had just dropped on the floor by her side, stood Margaret. Never had I seen her look so beautiful as she now appeared, in the fury of passion which possessed29 her. Her large black eyes were flashing grandly through her tears — the blood was glowing crimson30 in her cheeks — her lips were parted as she gasped31 for breath. One of her hands was clenched32, and rested on the mantel-piece; the other was pressed tight over her bosom33, with the fingers convulsively clasping her dress. Grieved as I was at the paroxysm of passion into which she had allowed herself to be betrayed, I could not repress an involuntary feeling of admiration34 when my eyes first rested on her. Even anger itself looked lovely in that lovely face!
She never moved when she saw me. As I approached her, she dropped down on her knees by the cage, sobbing35 with frightful36 violence, and pouring forth37 a perfect torrent38 of ejaculations of vengeance39 against the cat. Mrs. Sherwin came down; and by her total want of tact40 and presence of mind, made matters worse. In brief, the scene ended by a fit of hysterics.
To speak to Margaret on that day, as I wished to speak to her, was impossible. To approach the subject of the canary’s death afterwards, was useless. If I only hinted in the gentlest way, and with the strongest sympathy for the loss of the bird, at the distress41 and astonishment42 she had caused me by the extremities43 to which she had allowed her passion to hurry her, a burst of tears was sure to be her only reply — just the reply, of all others, which was best calculated to silence me. If I had been her husband in fact, as well as in name; if I had been her father, her brother, or her friend, I should have let her first emotions have their way, and then have expostulated with her afterwards. But I was her lover still; and, to my eyes, Margaret’s tears made virtues44 even of Margaret’s faults.
Such occurrences as these, happening but at rare intervals45, formed the only interruptions to the generally even and happy tenour of our intercourse46. Weeks and weeks glided47 away, and not a hasty or a hard word passed between us. Neither, after one preliminary difference had been adjusted, did any subsequent disagreement take place between Mr. Sherwin and me. This last element in the domestic tranquillity48 of North Villa was, however, less attributable to his forbearance, or to mine, than to the private interference of Mr. Mannion.
For some days after my interview with the managing clerk, at his own house, I had abstained49 from calling his offered services into requisition. I was not conscious of any reason for this course of conduct. All that had been said, all that had happened during the night of the storm, had produced a powerful, though vague impression on me. Strange as it may appear, I could not determine whether my brief but extraordinary experience of my new friend had attracted me towards him, or repelled50 me from him. I felt an unwillingness51 to lay myself under an obligation to him, which was not the result of pride, or false delicacy52, or sullenness53, or suspicion — it was an inexplicable54 unwillingness, that sprang from the fear of encountering some heavy responsibility; but of what nature I could not imagine. I delayed and held back, by instinct; and, on his side, Mr. Mannion made no further advances. He maintained the same manner, and continued the same habits, during his intercourse with the family at North Villa, which I had observed as characterising him before I took shelter from the storm, in his house. He never referred again to the conversation of that evening, when we now met.
Margaret’s behaviour, when I mentioned to her Mr. Mannion’s willingness to be useful to us both, rather increased than diminished the vague uncertainties55 which perplexed56 me, on the subject of accepting or rejecting his overtures57.
I could not induce her to show the smallest interest about him. Neither his house, his personal appearance, his peculiar2 habits, or his secrecy58 in relation to his early life — nothing, in short, connected with him — appeared to excite her attention or curiosity in the slightest degree. On the evening of his return from the continent, she had certainly shown some symptoms of interest in his arrival at North Villa, and some appearance of attention to him, when he joined our party. Now, she seemed completely and incomprehensibly changed on this point. Her manner became almost petulant59, if I persisted long in making Mr. Mannion a topic of conversation — it was as if she resented his sharing my thoughts with her in the slightest degree. As to the difficult question whether we should engage him in our interests or not, that was a matter which she always seemed to think too trifling to be discussed between us at all.
Ere long, however, circumstances decided60 me as to the course I should take with Mr. Mannion.
A ball was given by one of Mr. Sherwin’s rich commercial friends, to which he announced his intention of taking Margaret. Besides the jealousy61 which I felt — naturally enough, in my peculiar situation — at the idea of my wife going out as Miss Sherwin, and dancing in the character of a young unmarried lady with any young gentlemen who were introduced to her, I had also the strongest possible desire to keep Margaret out of the society of her own class, until my year’s probation62 was over, and I could hope to instal her permanently63 in the society of my class. I had privately64 mentioned to her my ideas on this subject, and found that she fully65 agreed with them. She was not wanting in ambition to ascend66 to the highest degree in the social scale; and had already begun to look with indifference67 on the society which was offered to her by those in her own rank.
To Mr. Sherwin I could confide68 nothing of this. I could only object, generally, to his taking Margaret out, when neither she nor I desired it. He declared that she liked parties — that all girls did — that she only pretended to dislike them, to please me — and that he had made no engagement to keep her moping at home a whole year on my account. In the case of the particular ball now under discussion, he was determined to have his own way; and he bluntly told me as much.
Irritated by his obstinacy69 and gross want of consideration for my defenceless position, I forgot all doubts and scruples70; and privately applied71 to Mr. Mannion to exert the influence which he had promised to use, if I wished it, in my behalf.
The result was as immediate27 as it was conclusive72. The very next evening, Mr. Sherwin came to us with a note which he had just written, and informed me that it was an excuse for Margaret’s non-appearance at the ball. He never mentioned Mr. Mannion’s name, but sulkily and shortly said, that he had reconsidered the matter, and had altered his first decision for reasons of his own.
Having once taken a first step in the new direction, I soon followed it up, without hesitation73, by taking many others. Whenever I wished to call oftener than once a-day at North Villa, I had but to tell Mr. Mannion, and the next morning I found the permission immediately accorded to me by the ruling power. The same secret machinery74 enabled me to regulate Mr. Sherwin’s incomings and outgoings, just as I chose, when Margaret and I were together in the evening. I could feel almost certain, now, of never having any one with us, but Mrs. Sherwin, unless I desired it — which, as may be easily imagined, was seldom enough.
My new ally’s ready interference for my advantage was exerted quietly, easily, and as a matter of course. I never knew how, or when, he influenced his employer, and Mr. Sherwin on his part, never breathed a word of that influence to me. He accorded any extra privilege I might demand, as if he acted entirely75 under his own will, little suspecting how well I knew what was the real motive76 power which directed him.
I was the more easily reconciled to employing the services of Mr. Mannion, by the great delicacy with which he performed them. He did not allow me to think — he did not appear to think himself — that he was obliging me in the smallest degree. He affected77 no sudden intimacy78 with me; his manners never altered; he still persisted in not joining us in the evening, but at my express invitation; and if I referred in any way to the advantages I derived79 from his devotion to my interests, he always replied in his brief undemonstrative way, that he considered himself the favoured person, in being permitted to make his services of some use to Margaret and me.
I had told Mr. Mannion, when I was leaving him on the night of the storm, that I would treat his offers as the offers of a friend; and I had now made good my words, much sooner and much more unreservedly than I had ever intended, when we parted at his own house-door.
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peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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remonstrate
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| v.抗议，规劝 | |
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displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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abstained
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| v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票） | |
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repelled
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| v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开 | |
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unwillingness
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| n. 不愿意，不情愿 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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sullenness
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| n. 愠怒, 沉闷, 情绪消沉 | |
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inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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uncertainties
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| 无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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overtures
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| n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲 | |
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secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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probation
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| n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期) | |
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permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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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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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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conclusive
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| adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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74
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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75
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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76
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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77
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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78
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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79
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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