THE fair Indiana participated not in the philosophy of her preceptor. The first mention of taking lessons produced an aversion unconquerable to their teacher; and the first question he asked her at the appointed hour for study, was answered by a burst of tears.
To Dr. Orkborne this sorrow would have proved no impediment to their proceeding2, as he hardly noticed it; but Sir Hugh, extremely affected3, kindly4 kissed her, and said he would beg her off for this time. The next day, however, gave rise but to a similar scene; and the next which followed would precisely5 have resembled it, had not the promise of some new finery of attire6 dispersed7 the pearly drops that were preparing to fall.
The uncommon8 beauty of Indiana had made her infancy9 adored, and her childhood indulged by almost all who had seen her. The brilliant picture she presented to the eye by her smiles and her spirits, rendered the devastation10 caused by crying, pouting11, or fretfulness so striking, and so painful to behold12, that not alone her uncle, but every servant in the house, and every stranger who visited it, granted to her lamentations whatever they demanded, to relieve their own impatience13 at the loss of so pleasing an image. Accustomed, therefore, never to weep without advantage, she was in the constant habit of giving unbridled vent14 to her tears upon the smallest contradiction, well knowing that not to spoil her pretty eyes by crying, was the current maxim15 of the whole house.
Unused, by this means, to any trouble or application, the purposed tuition of Dr. Orkborne appeared a burden to her intolerable; yet weeping, her standing16 resource, was with him utterly17 vain; her tears were unimportant to one who had taken no notice of her smiles; and intent upon his own learned ruminations, he never even looked at her.
Bribery18, day after day, could procure19 but a few instants’ attention, given so unwillingly20, and so speedily withdrawn21, that trinkets, dress, and excursions were soon exhausted22, without the smallest advancement23. The general indulgence of the baronet made partial favours of small efficacy; and Indiana was sooner tired of receiving, than he of presenting his offerings.
She applied24, therefore, at length, to the governess, whose expostulations, she knew by experience, were precisely what Sir Hugh most sedulously25 aimed to avoid.
Miss Margland was a woman of family and fashion, but reduced, through the gaming and extravagance of her father, to such indigence26, that, after sundry27 failures in higher attempts, she was compelled to acquiesce28 in the good offices of her friends, which placed her as a governess in the house of Sir Hugh.
To Indiana, however, she was but nominally29 a tutress; neglected in her own education, there was nothing she could teach, though, born and bred in the circle of fashion, she imagined she had nothing to learn. And, while a mind proudly shallow kept her unacquainted with her own deficiencies, her former rank in society imposed an equal ignorance of them upon Sir Hugh. But, notwithstanding he implicitly30 gave her credit for possessing whatever she assumed, he found her of a temper so unpleasant, and so irritable31 to offence, that he made it a rule never to differ from her. The irksomeness of this restraint induced him to keep as much as possible out of her way; though respect and pity for her birth and her misfortunes, led him to resolve never to part with her till Indiana was married.
The spirit of Miss Margland was as haughty32 as her intellects were weak; and her disposition33 was so querulous, that, in her constant suspicion of humiliation34, she seemed always looking for an affront35, and ready primed for a contest.
She seized with pleasure the opportunity offered her by Indiana, of remonstrating36 against this new system of education; readily allowing, that any accomplishment37 beyond what she had herself acquired, would be completely a work of supererogation. She represented dictatorily her objections to the baronet. Miss Lynmere, she said, though both beautiful and well brought up, could never cope with so great a disadvantage as the knowledge of Latin: ‘Consider, Sir,’ she cried, ‘what an obstacle it will prove to her making her way in the great world, when she comes to be of a proper age for thinking of an establishment. What gentleman will you ever find that will bear with a learned wife? except some mere38 downright fogrum, that no young lady of fashion could endure.’
She then spoke39 of the danger of injuring her beauty by study; and ran over all the qualifications really necessary for a young lady to attain40, which consisted simply of an enumeration41 of all she had herself attempted; a little music, a little drawing, and a little dancing; which should all, she added, be but slightly pursued, to distinguish a lady of fashion from an artist.
Sir Hugh, a good deal disturbed, because unable to answer her, thought it would be best to interest Dr. Orkborne in his plan, and to beg him to reconcile her to its execution. He sent, therefore, a message to the Doctor, to beg to speak with him immediately.
Dr. Orkborne promised to wait upon him without delay: but he was at that moment hunting for a passage in a Greek author, and presently forgot both the promise and the request.
Sir Hugh, concluding nothing but sickness could detain him, went to his apartment; where, finding him perfectly42 well, he stared at him a moment; and then, sitting down, begged him to make no apology, for he could tell his business there as well as any where else.
He gave a long and copious43 relation of the objections of Miss Margland, earnestly begging Dr. Orkborne would save him from such another harangue44, it being bad for his health, by undertaking45 to give her the proper notion of things himself.
The Doctor, who had just found the passage for which he had been seeking, heard not one word that he said.
Sir Hugh, receiving no answer, imagined him to be weighing the substance of his narration46; and, therefore, bidding him not worry his brain too much, offered him half an hour to fix upon what should be done; and returned quietly to his own room.
Here he sat, counting the minutes, with his watch in his hand, till the time stipulated47 arrived: but finding Dr. Orkborne let it pass without any notice, he again took the trouble of going back to his apartment.
He then eagerly asked what plan he had formed?
Dr. Orkborne, much incommoded by this second interruption, coldly begged to know his pleasure.
Sir Hugh, with great patience, though much surprise, repeated the whole, word for word, over again: but the history was far too long for Dr. Orkborne, whose attention, after the first sentence or two, was completely restored to his Greek quotation48, which he was in the act of transcribing49 when Sir Hugh re-entered the room.
The baronet, at length, more categorically said, ‘Don’t be so shy of speaking out, Doctor; though I am afraid, by your silence, you’ve rather a notion poor Indiana will never get on; which, perhaps, makes you think it not worth while contradicting Mrs. Margland? Come, speak out!–Is that the case with the poor girl?’
‘Yes, sir,’ answered Dr. Orkborne, with great composure; though perfectly unconscious of the proposition to which he assented50.
‘Lack a-day! if I was not always afraid she had rather a turn to being a dunce! So it’s your opinion it won’t do, then?’
‘Yes, sir,’ again replied the Doctor; his eye the whole time fastened upon the passage which occupied his thoughts.
‘Why then we are all at a stand again! This is worse than I thought for! So the poor dear girl has really no head?–Hay, Doctor?–Do speak, pray?–Don’t mind vexing51 me. Say so at once, if you can’t help thinking it.’
Another extorted52, ‘Yes, sir,’ completely overset Sir Hugh; who, imputing53 the absent and perplexed54 air with which it was pronounced to an unwillingness55 to give pain, shook him by the hand, and, quitting the room, ordered his carriage, and set off for Etherington.
‘Oh, brother,’ he cried; ‘Indiana’s the best girl in the world, as well as the prettiest; but, do you know, Dr. Orkborne says she has got no brains! So there’s an end of that scheme! However, I have now thought of another that will settle all differences.’
Mr. Tyrold hoped it was an entire discontinuance of all pupilage and tutorship; and that Dr. Orkborne might henceforth be considered as a mere family friend.
‘No, no, my dear brother, no! ’tis a better thing than that, as you shall hear. You must know I have often been concerned to think how glum56 poor Clermont will look when he hears of my will in favour of Eugenia; which was my chief reason in my own private mind, for not caring to see him before he went abroad; but I have made myself quite easy about him now, by resolving to set little Eugenia upon learning the classics.’
‘Eugenia! and of what benefit will that prove to Clermont?’
‘Why, as soon as she grows a little old, that is to say, a young woman, I intend, with your good will and my sister’s , to marry her to Clermont.’
Mr. Tyrold smiled, but declared his entire concurrence57, if the young people, when they grew up, wished for the alliance.
‘As to that,’ said he, ‘I mean to make sure work, by having them educated exactly to fit one another. I shall order Clermont to think of nothing but his studies till the proper time; and as to Eugenia, I shall make her a wife after his own heart, by the help of this gentleman; for I intend to bid him teach her just like a man, which, as she’s so young, may be done from the beginning, the same as if she was a boy.’
He then enumerated58 the advantages of this project, which would save Clermont from all disappointment, by still making over to him his whole fortune, with a wife ready formed into a complete scholar for him into the bargain. It would also hinder Eugenia from being a prey59 to some sop1 for her money, who, being no relation, could not have so good a right to it; and it would prevent any affront to Dr. Orkborne, by keeping him a constant tight task in hand.
Mr. Tyrold forbore to chagrin60 him with any strong expostulation, and he returned, therefore, to Cleves in full glee. He repaired immediately to the apartment of the Doctor, who, only by what was now said, was apprized of what had passed before. Somewhat, therefore, alarmed, to understand that the studies of Indiana were to be relinquished61, he exerted all the alacrity62 in his power for accepting his new little pupil: not from any idea of preference; for he concluded that incapacity of Indiana to be rather that of her sex than of an individual; but from conceiving that his commodious63 abode64 at Cleves depended upon his retaining one scholar in the family. Eugenia therefore was called, and the lessons were begun.
The little girl, who was naturally of a thoughtful turn, and whose state of health deprived her of most childish amusements, was well contented65 with the arrangement, and soon made a progress so satisfactory to Dr. Orkborne, that Sir Hugh, letting his mind now rest from all other schemes, became fully66 and happily occupied by the prosecution67 of his last suggestion.
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sop
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| n.湿透的东西，懦夫；v.浸，泡，浸湿 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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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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uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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devastation
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| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
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pouting
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的现在分词 ) | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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bribery
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| n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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sedulously
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| ad.孜孜不倦地 | |
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indigence
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| n.贫穷 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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acquiesce
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| vi.默许，顺从，同意 | |
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nominally
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| 在名义上，表面地； 应名儿 | |
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implicitly
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| adv. 含蓄地, 暗中地, 毫不保留地 | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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affront
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| n./v.侮辱，触怒 | |
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remonstrating
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的现在分词 )；告诫 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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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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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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enumeration
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| n.计数，列举；细目；详表；点查 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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copious
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| adj.丰富的，大量的 | |
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44
harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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46
narration
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| n.讲述，叙述；故事；记叙体 | |
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stipulated
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| vt.& vi.规定；约定adj.[法]合同规定的 | |
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quotation
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| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
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49
transcribing
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| （用不同的录音手段）转录( transcribe的现在分词 )； 改编（乐曲）（以适应他种乐器或声部）； 抄写； 用音标标出（声音） | |
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50
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
vexing
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| adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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52
extorted
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| v.敲诈( extort的过去式和过去分词 )；曲解 | |
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imputing
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| v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的现在分词 ) | |
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54
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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55
unwillingness
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| n. 不愿意，不情愿 | |
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56
glum
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| adj.闷闷不乐的，阴郁的 | |
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concurrence
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| n.同意；并发 | |
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enumerated
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| v.列举，枚举，数( enumerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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60
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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61
relinquished
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| 交出，让给( relinquish的过去式和过去分词 )； 放弃 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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commodious
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| adj.宽敞的；使用方便的 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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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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prosecution
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| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
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