What was most remarkable1, and most interesting, in the character of Berengaria was her energy. She had the power of exciting others to action in a degree rarely possessed2. She had always some considerable object in contemplation, occasionally more than one, and never foresaw difficulties. Her character was, however, singularly feminine; she never affected3 to be a superior woman. She never reasoned, did not read much, though her literary taste was fine and fastidious. Though she required constant admiration4 and consequently encouraged it, she was not a heartless coquette. Her sensibility was too quick, and as the reign5 of her favourites was sometimes brief, she was looked upon as capricious. The truth is, what seemed whimsical in her affections was occasioned by the subtlety6 of her taste, which was not always satisfied by the increased experience of intimacy7. Whenever she made a friend not unworthy of her, she was constant and entirely8 devoted9.
At present, Berengaria had two great objects; one was to sustain the Whig government in its troubles, and the other was to accomplish an unprecedented10 feat11 in modern manners, and that was no less than to hold a tournament, a real tournament, in the autumn, at the famous castle of her lord in the North of England.
The lord-lieutenant had not been in his county for two years; he had even omitted to celebrate Christmas at his castle, which had shocked everybody, for its revelry was looked upon almost as the tenure12 by which the Montforts held their estates. His plea of ill health, industriously13 circulated by all his agents, obtained neither sympathy nor credence14. His county was rather a weak point with Lord Montfort, for though he could not bear his home, he was fond of power, and power depended on his territorial15 influence. The representation of his county by his family, and authority in the local parliamentary boroughs16, were the compensations held out to him for the abolition17 of his normal seats. His wife dexterously18 availed herself of this state of affairs to obtain his assent19 to her great project, which, it would appear, might not only amuse him, but, in its unprecedented magnificence and novelty, must sweep away all discontents, and gratify every class.
Lord Montfort had placed unlimited20 resources at the disposal of Berengaria for the fulfilment of her purpose, and at times even showed some not inconsiderable though fitful interest in her progress. He turned over the drawings of the various costumes and armour21 with a gracious smile, and, having picked up on such subjects a great deal of knowledge, occasionally made suggestions which were useful and sometimes embarrassing. The heralds22 were all called into council, and Garter himself deigned23 to regulate the order of proceedings24. Some of the finest gentlemen in London, of both parties in the state, passed the greater part of their spring mornings in jousting25, and in practising all the manoeuvres of the lists. Lady Montfort herself was to be the Queen of the Tournament, and she had prevailed on Lady Roehampton to accept the supreme26 office of Queen of Beauty.
It was the early part of May, and Zenobia held one of her great assemblies. Being in high good humour, sanguine27 and prophetic of power, she had asked all the great Whig ladies, and, the times being critical, they had come. Berengaria seemed absorbed by the details of her tournament. She met many of her knights28, and she conferred with them all; the Knight29 of the Bleeding Heart, the Knight of Roses, the Knight of the Crystal Shield.
Endymion, who was not to be a knight, but a gentleman-at-arms in attendance on the Queen of the Tournament, mentioned that Prince Florestan much wished to be a jouster30; he had heard this from the Duke of St. Angelo, and Lady Montfort, though she did not immediately sanction, did not absolutely refuse, the request.
Past midnight, there was a sudden stir in the saloons. The House of Commons had broken up and many members were entering. There had been a division on the Jamaica question, and the ministers had only a majority of five. The leader of the House of Commons had intimated, not to say announced, their consequent resignation.
“Have you heard what they say?” said Endymion anxiously to Lady Montfort.
“Yes, I heard; but do not look so grave.”
“Do I look grave?”
“As if it were the last day.”
“I fear it is.”
“I am not so sure. I doubt whether Sir Robert thinks it ripe enough; and after all, we are not in a minority. I do not see why we should have resigned. I wish I could see Lord Roehampton.”
Affairs did not proceed so rapidly as the triumphant31 Zenobia expected. They were out, no question about that; but it was not so certain who was in. A day passed and another day, and even Zenobia, who knew everything before anybody, remained in the dark. The suspense32 became protracted33 and even more mysterious. Almost a week had elapsed; noble lords and right honourable34 gentlemen were calling on Sir Robert every morning, according to the newspapers, but no one could hear from any authority of any appointments being really made. At last, there was a whisper very late one night at Crockford’s, which was always better informed on these matters than the political clubs, and people looked amazed, and stared incredulously in each other’s face. But it was true; there was a hitch35, and in four-and-twenty hours the cause of the hitch was known. It seemed that the ministry36 really had resigned, but Berengaria, Countess of Montfort, had not followed their example.
What a dangerous woman! even wicked! Zenobia was for sending her to the Tower at once. “It was clearly impossible,” she declared, “for Sir Robert to carry on affairs with such a Duchesse de Longueville always at the ear of our young Queen, under the pretence37 forsooth of being the friend of Her Majesty’s youth.”
This was the famous Bed–Chamber Plot, in which the Conservative leaders, as is now generally admitted, were decidedly in error, and which terminated in the return of the Whigs to office.
“But we must reconstruct,” said Lady Montfort to the prime minister. “Sidney Wilton must be Secretary of State. And you,” she said to Endymion, when she communicated to him the successful result of her interference, “you will go with him. It is a great thing at your age to be private secretary to a Secretary of State.”
收听单词发音 |
1
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
affected
|
|
| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
reign
|
|
| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
subtlety
|
|
| n.微妙，敏锐，精巧；微妙之处，细微的区别 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
intimacy
|
|
| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
unprecedented
|
|
| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
feat
|
|
| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
tenure
|
|
| n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
industriously
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
credence
|
|
| n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
territorial
|
|
| adj.领土的，领地的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
boroughs
|
|
| （尤指大伦敦的）行政区( borough的名词复数 )； 议会中有代表的市镇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
abolition
|
|
| n.废除，取消 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
dexterously
|
|
| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
assent
|
|
| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
unlimited
|
|
| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
armour
|
|
| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
heralds
|
|
| n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
deigned
|
|
| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
proceedings
|
|
| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
jousting
|
|
| （骑士）骑马用长矛比武( joust的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
supreme
|
|
| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
sanguine
|
|
| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
knights
|
|
| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
knight
|
|
| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
jouster
|
|
| 罢免，废黜，革职 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
triumphant
|
|
| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
suspense
|
|
| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
protracted
|
|
| adj.拖延的；延长的v.拖延“protract”的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
honourable
|
|
| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
hitch
|
|
| v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
ministry
|
|
| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
pretence
|
|
| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |