CAMILLA now felt more permanently1 revived, because better satisfied with the rectitude of her conduct. She could no longer be accused of interfering2 between Edgar and Indiana; that affair would take its natural course, and, be it what it might, while absent from both parties, she concluded she should at least escape all censure3.
Peaceably, therefore, she returned to take possession of her usual apartment, affectionately accompanied by her eldest4 sister.
The form and the mind of Lavinia were in the most perfect harmony. Her polished complexion5 was fair, clear, and transparent6; her features were of the extremest delicacy7, her eyes of the softest blue, and her smile displayed internal serenity8. The unruffled sweetness of her disposition9 bore the same character of modest excellence10. joy, hope, and prosperity, sickness, sorrow, and disappointment, assailed11 alike in vain the uniform gentleness of her temper: yet though thus exempt13 from all natural turbulence14, either of pleasure or of pain, the meekness15 of her composition degenerated16 not into insensibility; it was open to all the feminine feelings of pity, of sympathy, and of tenderness.
Thus copiously17 gifted with ‘all her sex’s softness,’ her society would have contributed to restore Camilla to repose18, had they continued together without interruption; but, in a few minutes, the room door was opened, and Lionel, rushing into the apartment, called out, ‘How do, do, my girls? how do, do?’ and shook them each by the hand, with a swing that nearly brought them to the ground.
Camilla always rejoiced at his sight; but Lavinia gravely said, ‘I thought, brother, you had been at Dr. Marchmont’s ?’
‘All in good time, my dear! I shall certainly visit the old gentleman before long.’
‘Did you not sleep there, then, last night?’
‘No, child.’
‘Good God, Lionel!-if my mother–’
‘My dear little Lavinia,’ cried he, chucking her under the chin, ‘I have a vast notion of making visits at my own time, instead of my mamma’s .’
‘O Lionel! and can you, just now–’
‘Come, come,’ interrupted he, ‘don’t let us waste our precious minutes in old moralizing. If I had not luckily been hard by, I should not have known the coast was clear. Pray where are they gone, tantivying?’
‘To Cleves.’
‘To Cleves! what a happy escape! I was upon the point of going thither19 myself. Camilla, what is the matter with thee?’
‘Nothing–I am only thinking-pray when do you go to Oxford20?’
‘Pho, pho,-what do you talk of Oxford for? you are grown quite stupid, girl. I believe you have lived too long with Miss Margland. Pray how does that dear creature do? I am afraid she will grow melancholy21 from not seeing me so long. Is she as pretty as she used to be? I have some notion of sending her a suitor.’
‘O brother,’ said Lavinia, ‘is it possible you can have such spirits?’
‘O hang it, if one is not merry when one can, what is the world good for? besides, I do assure you, I fretted22 so consumed hard at first, that for the life of me I can fret23 no longer.’
‘But why are you not at Dr. Marchmont’s ?’
‘Because, my dear, you have no conception the pleasure those old doctors take in lecturing a youngster who is in any disgrace.’
‘Disgrace!’ repeated Camilla.
‘At all events,’ said Lavinia, ‘I beseech24 you to be a little careful; I would not have my poor mother find you here for the world.’
‘O, as to that, I defy her to desire the meeting less than I do. But come, let’s talk of something else. How go on the classics? Is my old friend, Dr. Orkborne, as chatty and amusing as ever?’
‘My dear Lionel,’ said Camilla, ‘I am filled with apprehension25 and perplexity. Why should my mother wish not to see you? And why-and how is it possible you can wish not to see her?’
‘What, don’t you know it all?’
‘I know only that something must be wrong; but how, what, or which way, I have not heard.’
‘Has not Lavinia told you, then?’
‘No,’ answered Lavinia; ‘I could be in no haste to give her pain.’
‘You are a good girl enough. But how came you hither, Camilla? and what is the reason you have not seen my mother yourself?’
‘Not seen her! I have been with her this half hour.’
‘What! and in all that time did not she tell you?’
‘She did not name you.’
‘Is it possible!–Well, she’s a noble creature! I wonder how she could ever have such a son as me. And I am still less like my father than her. I suppose I was changed in the cradle. Will you countenance26 me, young ladies, if some villainous attorney or exciseman should by and by come to own me?’
‘Dear Lionel,’ cried Camilla, ‘do explain to me what has happened. You make me think it important and trifling27 twenty times in a minute.’
‘O, a horrid28 business!–Lavinia must tell it you. I’ll go away till she has done. Don’t despise me, Camilla; I am confounded sorry, I promise you.’
He then hurried out of the room, evidently feeling more emotion than he cared to display.
Yet Lavinia had but just begun her relation, when he abruptly29 returned. ‘Come, I had better tell it you myself,’ cried he, ‘for she’ll make such a dismal30 ditty of it, that it won’t be over this half year; the sooner we have done with it the better; it will only put you out of spirits.’
Then, sitting down, and taking her hand, he began, ‘You must know I was in rather a bad scrape at Oxford last year —’
‘Last year! and you never told us of it before!’
‘O, ’twas about something you would not understand, so I shall not mention particulars now. It is enough for you to know that two or three of us wanted a little cash!-well, so-in short, I sent a letter-somewhat of a threatening sort-to poor old uncle Relvil!’—
‘O Lionel!’
‘O, I did not sign it,-it was only begging a little money, which he can afford to spare very well; and just telling him, if he did not come to a place I mentioned, he would have his brains blown out.’—
‘How horrible!’
‘Pho, pho,-he had only to send the money, you know, and then his brains might keep their place; besides, you can’t suppose there was gunpowder31 in the words. So I got this copied, and took the proper measures for concealment32, and,-would you believe it! the poor old gull33 was fool enough actually to send the money where he was bid?’
‘Fie, Lione!’ cried Lavinia; ‘do you call him a fool because you terrified him?’
‘Yes, to be sure, my dear; and you both think him so too, only you don’t hold it pretty to say so. Do you suppose, if he had had half the wit of his sister, he would have done it? I believe, in my conscience, there was some odd mistake in their births, and that my mother took away the brains of the man, and left the woman’s for the noddle of my poor uncle.’
‘Fie, fie, brother!’ said Lavinia again; ‘you know how sickly he has always been from his birth, and how soon therefore he might be alarmed.’
‘Why, yes, Lavinia–I believe it was a very bad thing-and I would give half my little finger I had not done it. But it’s over, you know; so what signifies making the worst of it?’
‘And did he not discover you?’
‘No; I gave him particular orders, in my letter, not to attempt anything of that sort, assuring him there were spies about him to watch his proceedings34. The good old ass12 took it all for gospel. So there the matter dropt. However, as ill luck would have it, about three months ago we wanted another sum —’
‘And could you again —’
‘Why, my dear, it was only taking a little of my own fortune beforehand, for I am his heir; so we all agreed it was merely robbing myself; for we had several consultations35 about it, and one of us is to be a lawyer.’
‘But you give me some pleasure here,’ said Camilla; ‘for I had never heard that my uncle had made you his heir.’
‘No more have I neither, my dear; but I take it for granted. Besides, our little lawyer put it into my head. Well, we wrote again, and told the poor old gentleman-for which I assure you I am heartily36 repentant-that if he did not send me double the sum, in the same manner, without delay, his house was to be burnt to the ground the first night that he and all his family were asleep in bed.–Now don’t make faces and shruggings, for, I promise you, I think already I deserve to be hanged for giving him the fright; though I would not really have hurt him, all the time, for half his fortune. And who could have guessed he would have bit so easily? The money, however, came, and we thought it all secure, and agreed to get the same sum annually37.’
‘Annually!’ repeated Camilla, with uplifted hands.
‘Yes, my dear. You have no conception how convenient it would have been for our extra expenses. But, unluckily, uncle grew worse, and went abroad, and then consulted with some crab38 of a friend, and that friend with some demagogue of a magistrate39, and so all is blown!–However, we had managed it so cleverly, it cost them near three months to find it out, owing, I must confess, to poor uncle’s cowardice40 in not making his enquiries before the money was carried off, and he himself over the seas and far away. The other particulars Lavinia must give you; for I have talked of it now till I have made myself quite sick. Do tell me something diverting to drive it a little out of my head. Have you seen any thing of my enchanting41 widow lately?’
‘No, she does not desire to be seen by me. She would not admit me.’
‘She is frankness itself, and does not pretend to care a fig42 for any of her own sex.–O, but, Camilla, I have wanted to ask you this great while, if you think there is any truth in this rumour43, that Mandlebert intends to propose to Indiana?’
‘To propose! I thought it had all long since been settled.’
‘Ay, so the world says; but I don’t believe a word of it. Do you think, if that were the case, he would not have owned it to me? There’s nothing fixed44 yet, depend upon it.’
Camilla, struck, amazed, and delighted, involuntarily embraced her brother; though, recollecting45 herself amost at the same moment, she endeavoured to turn oft the resistless impulse into taking leave, and hurrying him away.
Lionel, who to want of solidity and penetration46 principally owed the errors of his conduct, was easily put upon a wrong scent47, and assured her he would take care to be off in time. ‘But what,’ cried he, ‘has carried them to Cleves? Are they gone to tell tales? Because I have lost one uncle by my own fault, must I lose another by their’s ?’
‘No,’ answered Lavinia, ‘they have determined48 not to name you. They have settled that my uncle Hugh shall never be told of the affair, nor anybody else, if they can help it, except your sisters, and Dr. Marchmont.’
‘Well, they are good souls,’ cried he, attempting to laugh, though his eyes were glistening49; ‘I wish I deserved them better; I wish, too, it was not so dull to be good. I can be merry and harmless here at the same time,-and so I can at Cleves;-but at Oxford-or in London,-your merry blades there–I can’t deny it, my dear sisters-your merry blades there are but sad fellows. Yet there is such fun, such spirit, such sport amongst them, I cannot for my life keep out of their way. Besides, you have no conception, young ladies, what a bye word you become among them if they catch you flinching50. ’
‘I would not for the world say anything to pain you, my dear brother,’ cried Lavinia; ‘but yet I must hope that, in future, your first study will be to resist such dangerous examples, and to drop such unworthy friends?’
‘If it is not to tell tales, then, for what else are they gone to Cleves, just at this time?’
‘For my mother to take leave of Eugenia and my uncle before her journey.’
‘Journey! Why whither is she going?’
‘Abroad.’
‘The deuce she is!–And what for?’
‘To try to make your peace with her brother; or at least to nurse him herself till he is tolerably recovered.’
Lionel slapped his hat over his eyes, and saying, ‘This is too much!-if I were a man I should shoot myself!’-rushed out of the room.
The two sisters rapidly followed him, and caught his arm before he could quit the house. They earnestly besought51 him to return, to compose himself, and to promise he would commit no rash action.
‘My dear sisters,’ cried he, ‘I am worked just now only as I ought to be; but I will give you any promise you please. However, though I have never listened to my father as I ought to have listened, he has implanted in my mind a horror of suicide, that will make me live my natural life, be it as good for nothing as it may.’
He then suffered his sisters to lead him back to their room, where he cast himself upon a chair, in painful rumination52 upon his own unworthiness, and his parents’ excellence; but the tender soothings of Lavinia and Camilla, who trembled lest his remorse53 should urge him to some act of violence, soon drew him from reflections of which he hated the intrusion; and he attended, with complacency, to their youthful security of perfect reconciliations54, and re-established happiness.
With reciprocal exultation55, the eyes of the sisters congratulated each other on having saved him from despair; and seeing him now calm, and, they hoped, safe, they mutually, though tacitly, agreed to obtrude56 no further upon meditations57 that might be useful to him, and remained silently by his side.
For some minutes all were profoundly still; Lionel then suddently started up; the sisters, affrighted, hastily arose at the same instant; when, stretching himself and yawning, he called out, ‘Pr’ythee, Camilla, what is become of that smug Mr. Dubster?’
Speechless with amazement58, they looked earnestly in his face, and feared he was raving59.
They were soon, however undeceived; the tide of penitence60 and sorrow was turned in his buoyant spirits, and he was only restored to his natural volatile61 self.
‘You used him most shabbily,’ he continued, ‘and he was a very pretty fellow. The next time I have nothing better to do, I’ll send him to you, that you may make it up.’
This quick return of gaiety caused a sigh to Lavinia, and much surprise to Camilla; but neither of them could prevail with him to depart, till Mr. and Mrs. Tyrold were every moment expected; they then, though with infinite difficulty, procured62 his promise that he would go straight to Dr. Marchmont, according to an arrangement made for that purpose by Mrs. Tyrold herself.
Lavinia, when he was gone, related some circumstances of this affair which he had omitted. Mr. Relvil, the elder brother of Mrs. Tyrold, was a country gentleman of some fortune, but of weak parts, and an invalid63 from his infancy64. He had suffered these incendiary letters to prey65 upon his repose, without venturing to produce them to any one, from a terror of the menaces hurled66 against him by the writer, till at length he became so completely hypochondriac, that his rest was utterly67 broken, and, to preserve his very existence, he resolved upon visiting another climate.
The day that he set out for Lisbon, his destined68 harbour, he delivered his anonymous69 letters to a friend, to whom he left in charge to discover, if possible, their author.
This discovery, by the usual means of enquiries and rewards, was soon made; but the moment Mr. Relvil learnt that the culprit was his nephew, he wrote over to Mrs. Tyrold a statement of the transaction, declaring he should disinherit Lionel from every shilling of his estate. His health was so much impaired70, he said, by the disturbance71 this had given to his mind, that he should be obliged to spend the ensuing year in Portugal; and he even felt uncertain if he might ever return to his own country.
Mrs. Tyrold, astonished and indignant, severely72 questioned her son, who covered, with shame, surprise, and repentance73, confessed his guilt74. Shocked and grieved in the extreme, she ordered him from her sight, and wrote to Dr. Marchmont to receive him. She then settled with Mr. Tyrold the plan of her journey and voyage, hoping by so immediately following, and herself nursing her incensed75 brother, to soften76 his wrath77, and avert78 its final ill consequences.
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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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interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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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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serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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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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excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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exempt
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| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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turbulence
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| n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流 | |
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meekness
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| n.温顺，柔和 | |
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degenerated
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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copiously
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| adv.丰富地，充裕地 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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beseech
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| v.祈求，恳求 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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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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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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abruptly
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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gunpowder
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| n.火药 | |
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concealment
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| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
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gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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consultations
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| n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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annually
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| adv.一年一次，每年 | |
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crab
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| n.螃蟹，偏航，脾气乖戾的人，酸苹果；vi.捕蟹，偏航，发牢骚；vt.使偏航，发脾气 | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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fig
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rumour
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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recollecting
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| v.记起，想起( recollect的现在分词 ) | |
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penetration
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| n.穿透，穿人，渗透 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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flinching
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的现在分词 ) | |
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besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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rumination
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| n.反刍，沉思 | |
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remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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reconciliations
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| 和解( reconciliation的名词复数 )； 一致； 勉强接受； （争吵等的）止息 | |
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exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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obtrude
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| v.闯入；侵入；打扰 | |
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meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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penitence
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| n.忏悔，赎罪；悔过 | |
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volatile
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| adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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65
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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66
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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68
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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anonymous
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| adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的 | |
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70
impaired
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| adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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71
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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73
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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74
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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75
incensed
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| 盛怒的 | |
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76
soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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