Not far from the source of the famous river, which rises in the mountains between Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond, and divides the Highlands and the Lowlands of Scotland, travelers arrive at the venerable gray walls of Mount Morven; and, after consulting their guide books, ask permission to see the house.
What would be called, in a modern place of residence, the first floor, is reserved for the occupation of the family. The great hall of entrance, and its quaint1 old fireplace; the ancient rooms on the same level opening out of it, are freely shown to strangers. Cultivated travelers express various opinions relating to the family portraits, and the elaborately carved ceilings. The uninstructed public declines to trouble itself with criticism. It looks up at the towers and the loopholes, the battlements and the rusty2 old guns, which still bear witness to the perils3 of past times when the place was a fortress4 — it enters the gloomy hall, walks through the stone-paved rooms, stares at the faded pictures, and wonders at the lofty chimney-pieces hopelessly out of reach. Sometimes it sits on chairs which are as cold and as hard as iron, or timidly feels the legs of immovable tables which might be legs of elephants so far as size is concerned. When these marvels5 have been duly admired, and the guide books are shut up, the emancipated6 tourists, emerging into the light and air, all find the same social problem presented by a visit to Mount Morven: “How can the family live in such a place as that?”
If these strangers on their travels had been permitted to ascend7 to the first floor, and had been invited (for example) to say good-night to Mrs. Linley’s pretty little daughter, they would have seen the stone walls of Kitty’s bed-chamber snugly8 covered with velvet9 hangings which kept out the cold; they would have trod on a doubly-laid carpet, which set the chilly10 influences of the pavement beneath it at defiance11; they would have looked at a bright little bed, of the last new pattern, worthy12 of a child’s delicious sleep; and they would only have discovered that the room was three hundred years old when they had drawn13 aside the window curtains, and had revealed the adamantine solidity of the outer walls. Or, if they had been allowed to pursue their investigations14 a little further, and had found their way next into Mrs. Linley’s sitting room, here again a transformation15 scene would have revealed more modern luxury, presented in the perfection which implies restraint within the limits of good taste. But on this occasion, instead of seeing the head of a lively little child on the pillow, side by side with the head of her doll, they would have encountered an elderly lady of considerable size, fast asleep and snoring in a vast armchair, with a book on her lap. The married men among the tourists would have recognized a mother-in-law, and would have set an excellent example to the rest; that is to say, the example of leaving the room.
The lady composed under the soporific influence of literature was a person of importance in the house — holding rank as Mrs. Linley’s mother; and being otherwise noticeable for having married two husbands, and survived them both.
The first of these gentlemen — the Right Honorable Joseph Norman — had been a member of Parliament, and had taken office under Government. Mrs. Linley was his one surviving child. He died at an advanced age; leaving his handsome widow (young enough, as she was always ready to mention, to be his daughter) well provided for, and an object of matrimonial aspiration16 to single gentlemen who admired size in a woman, set off by money. After hesitating for some little time, Mrs. Norman accepted the proposal of the ugliest and dullest man among the ranks of her admirers. Why she became the wife of Mr. Presty (known in commercial circles as a merchant enriched by the sale of vinegar) she was never able to explain. Why she lamented17 him, with tears of sincere sorrow, when he died after two years of married life, was a mystery which puzzled her nearest and dearest friends. And why when she indulged (a little too frequently) in recollections of her married life, she persisted in putting obscure Mr. Presty on a level with distinguished18 Mr. Norman, was a secret which this remarkable19 woman had never been known to reveal. Presented by their widow with the strictest impartiality20 to the general view, the characters of these two husbands combined, by force of contrast, the ideal of manly21 perfection. That is to say, the vices22 of Mr. Norman were the virtues23 of Mr. Presty; and the vices of Mr. Presty were the virtues of Mr. Norman.
Returning to the sitting-room24 after bidding Kitty goodnight, Mrs. Linley discovered the old lady asleep, and saw that the book on her mother’s lap was sliding off. Before she could check the downward movement, the book fell on the floor, and Mrs. Presty woke.
“Oh, mamma, I am so sorry! I was just too late to catch it.”
“It doesn’t matter, my dear. I daresay I should go to sleep again, if I went on with my novel.”
“Is it really as dull as that?”
“Dull?” Mrs. Presty repeated. “You are evidently not aware of what the new school of novel writing is doing. The new school provides the public with soothing25 fiction.”
“Are you speaking seriously, mamma?”
“Seriously, Catherine — and gratefully. These new writers are so good to old women. No story to excite our poor nerves; no improper26 characters to cheat us out of our sympathies, no dramatic situations to frighten us; exquisite27 management of details (as the reviews say), and a masterly anatomy28 of human motives30 which — I know what I mean, my dear, but I can’t explain it.”
“I think I understand, mamma. A masterly anatomy of human motives which is in itself a motive29 of human sleep. No; I won’t borrow your novel just now. I don’t want to go to sleep; I am thinking of Herbert in London.”
Mrs. Presty consulted her watch.
“Your husband is no longer in London,” she announced; “he has begun his journey home. Give me the railway guide, and I’ll tell you when he will be here tomorrow. You may trust me, Catherine, to make no mistakes. Mr. Presty’s wonderful knowledge of figures has been of the greatest use to me in later life. Thanks to his instructions, I am the only person in the house who can grapple with the intricacies of our railway system. Your poor father, Mr. Norman, could never understand time-tables and never attempted to conceal31 his deficiencies. He had none of the vanity (harmless vanity, perhaps) which led poor Mr. Presty to express positive opinions on matters of which he knew nothing, such as pictures and music. What do you want, Malcolm?”
The servant to whom this question was addressed answered: “A telegram, ma’am, for the mistress.”
Mrs. Linley recoiled32 from the message when the man offered it to her. Not usually a very demonstrative person, the feeling of alarm which had seized on her only expressed itself in a sudden change of color. “An accident!” she said faintly. “An accident on the railway!”
Mrs. Presty opened the telegram.
“If you had been the wife of a Cabinet Minister,” she said to her daughter, “you would have been too well used to telegrams to let them frighten you. Mr. Presty (who received his telegrams at his office) was not quite just to the memory of my first husband. He used to blame Mr. Norman for letting me see his telegrams. But Mr. Presty’s nature had all the poetry in which Mr. Norman’s nature was deficient33. He saw the angelic side of women — and thought telegrams and business, and all that sort of thing, unworthy of our mission. I don’t exactly understand what our mission is —”
“Mamma! mamma! is Herbert hurt?”
“Stuff and nonsense! Nobody is hurt; there has been no accident.”
“They why does he telegraph to me?”
Hitherto, Mrs. Presty had only looked at the message. She now read it through attentively34 to the end. Her face assumed an expression of stern distrust. She shook her head.
“Read it yourself,” she answered; “and remember what I told you, when you trusted your husband to find a governess for my grandchild. I said: ‘You do not know men as I do.’ I hope you may not live to repent35 it.”
Mrs. Linley was too fond of her husband to let this pass. “Why shouldn’t I trust him?” she asked. “He was going to London on business — and it was an excellent opportunity.”
Mrs. Presty disposed of this weak defense36 of her daughter’s conduct by waving her hand. “Read your telegram,” she repeated with dignity, “and judge for yourself.”
Mrs. Linley read:
“I have engaged a governess. She will travel in the same train with me. I think I ought to prepare you to receive a person whom you may be surprised to see. She is very young, and very inexperienced; quite unlike the ordinary run of governesses. When you hear how cruelly the poor girl has been used, I am sure you will sympathize with her as I do.”
Mrs. Linley laid down the message, with a smile.
“Poor dear Herbert!” she said tenderly. “After we have been eight years married, is he really afraid that I shall be jealous? Mamma! Why are you looking so serious?”
Mrs. Presty took the telegram from her daughter and read extracts from it with indignant emphasis of voice and manner.
“Travels in the same train with him. Very young, and very inexperienced. And he sympathizes with her. Ha! I know the men, Catherine — I know the men!”
收听单词发音 |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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emancipated
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| adj.被解放的，不受约束的v.解放某人（尤指摆脱政治、法律或社会的束缚）( emancipate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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snugly
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| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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aspiration
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| n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出 | |
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lamented
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| adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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impartiality
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| n. 公平, 无私, 不偏 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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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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sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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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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improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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