SHAKESPEARE
We now return to Valancourt, who, it may be remembered, remained at Tholouse, some time after the departure of Emily, restless and miserable1. Each morrow that approached, he designed should carry him from thence; yet to-morrow and to-morrow came, and still saw him lingering in the scene of his former happiness. He could not immediately tear himself from the spot, where he had been accustomed to converse2 with Emily, or from the objects they had viewed together, which appeared to him memorials of her affection, as well as a kind of surety for its faithfulness; and, next to the pain of bidding her adieu, was that of leaving the scenes which so powerfully awakened3 her image. Sometimes he had bribed5 a servant, who had been left in the care of Madame Montoni’s chateau6, to permit him to visit the gardens, and there he would wander, for hours together, rapt in a melancholy7, not unpleasing. The terrace, and the pavilion at the end of it, where he had taken leave of Emily, on the eve of her departure from Tholouse, were his most favourite haunts. There, as he walked, or leaned from the window of the building, he would endeavour to recollect8 all she had said, on that night; to catch the tones of her voice, as they faintly vibrated on his memory, and to remember the exact expression of her countenance9, which sometimes came suddenly to his fancy, like a vision; that beautiful countenance, which awakened, as by instantaneous magic, all the tenderness of his heart, and seemed to tell with irresistible10 eloquence11 — that he had lost her forever! At these moments, his hurried steps would have discovered to a spectator the despair of his heart. The character of Montoni, such as he had received from hints, and such as his fears represented it, would rise to his view, together with all the dangers it seemed to threaten to Emily and to his love. He blamed himself, that he had not urged these more forcibly to her, while it might have been in his power to detain her, and that he had suffered an absurd and criminal delicacy12, as he termed it, to conquer so soon the reasonable arguments he had opposed to this journey. Any evil, that might have attended their marriage, seemed so inferior to those, which now threatened their love, or even to the sufferings, that absence occasioned, that he wondered how he could have ceased to urge his suit, till he had convinced her of its propriety13; and he would certainly now have followed her to Italy, if he could have been spared from his regiment14 for so long a journey. His regiment, indeed, soon reminded him, that he had other duties to attend, than those of love.
A short time after his arrival at his brother’s house, he was summoned to join his brother officers, and he accompanied a battalion15 to Paris; where a scene of novelty and gaiety opened upon him, such as, till then, he had only a faint idea of. But gaiety disgusted, and company fatigued16, his sick mind; and he became an object of unceasing raillery to his companions, from whom, whenever he could steal an opportunity, he escaped, to think of Emily. The scenes around him, however, and the company with whom he was obliged to mingle17, engaged his attention, though they failed to amuse his fancy, and thus gradually weakened the habit of yielding to lamentation18, till it appeared less a duty to his love to indulge it. Among his brother-officers were many, who added to the ordinary character of a French soldier’s gaiety some of those fascinating qualities, which too frequently throw a veil over folly19, and sometimes even soften20 the features of vice21 into smiles. To these men the reserved and thoughtful manners of Valancourt were a kind of tacit censure22 on their own, for which they rallied him when present, and plotted against him when absent; they gloried in the thought of reducing him to their own level, and, considering it to be a spirited frolic, determined23 to accomplish it.
Valancourt was a stranger to the gradual progress of scheme and intrigue24, against which he could not be on his guard. He had not been accustomed to receive ridicule25, and he could ill endure its sting; he resented it, and this only drew upon him a louder laugh. To escape from such scenes, he fled into solitude26, and there the image of Emily met him, and revived the pangs27 of love and despair. He then sought to renew those tasteful studies, which had been the delight of his early years; but his mind had lost the tranquillity28, which is necessary for their enjoyment29. To forget himself and the grief and anxiety, which the idea of her recalled, he would quit his solitude, and again mingle in the crowd — glad of a temporary relief, and rejoicing to snatch amusement for the moment.
Thus passed weeks after weeks, time gradually softening30 his sorrow, and habit strengthening his desire of amusement, till the scenes around him seemed to awaken4 into a new character, and Valancourt, to have fallen among them from the clouds.
His figure and address made him a welcome visitor, wherever he had been introduced, and he soon frequented the most gay and fashionable circles of Paris. Among these, was the assembly of the Countess Lacleur, a woman of eminent31 beauty and captivating manners. She had passed the spring of youth, but her wit prolonged the triumph of its reign32, and they mutually assisted the fame of each other; for those, who were charmed by her loveliness, spoke33 with enthusiasm of her talents; and others, who admired her playful imagination, declared, that her personal graces were unrivalled. But her imagination was merely playful, and her wit, if such it could be called, was brilliant, rather than just; it dazzled, and its fallacy escaped the detection of the moment; for the accents, in which she pronounced it, and the smile, that accompanied them, were a spell upon the judgment34 of the auditors35. Her petits soupers were the most tasteful of any in Paris, and were frequented by many of the second class of literati. She was fond of music, was herself a scientific performer, and had frequently concerts at her house. Valancourt, who passionately36 loved music, and who sometimes assisted at these concerts, admired her execution, but remembered with a sigh the eloquent37 simplicity38 of Emily’s songs and the natural expression of her manner, which waited not to be approved by the judgment, but found their way at once to the heart.
Madame La Comtesse had often deep play at her house, which she affected39 to restrain, but secretly encouraged; and it was well known among her friends, that the splendour of her establishment was chiefly supplied from the profits of her tables. But her petits soupers were the most charming imaginable! Here were all the delicacies40 of the four quarters of the world, all the wit and the lighter41 efforts of genius, all the graces of conversation — the smiles of beauty, and the charm of music; and Valancourt passed his pleasantest, as well as most dangerous hours in these parties.
His brother, who remained with his family in Gascony, had contented42 himself with giving him letters of introduction to such of his relations, residing at Paris, as the latter was not already known to. All these were persons of some distinction; and, as neither the person, mind, or manners of Valancourt the younger threatened to disgrace their alliance, they received him with as much kindness as their nature, hardened by uninterrupted prosperity, would admit of; but their attentions did not extend to acts of real friendship; for they were too much occupied by their own pursuits, to feel any interest in his; and thus he was set down in the midst of Paris, in the pride of youth, with an open, unsuspicious temper and ardent43 affections, without one friend, to warn him of the dangers, to which he was exposed. Emily, who, had she been present, would have saved him from these evils by awakening44 his heart, and engaging him in worthy45 pursuits, now only increased his danger;— it was to lose the grief, which the remembrance of her occasioned, that he first sought amusement; and for this end he pursued it, till habit made it an object of abstract interest.
There was also a Marchioness Champfort, a young widow, at whose assemblies he passed much of his time. She was handsome, still more artful, gay and fond of intrigue. The society, which she drew round her, was less elegant and more vicious, than that of the Countess Lacleur: but, as she had address enough to throw a veil, though but a slight one, over the worst part of her character, she was still visited by many persons of what is called distinction. Valancourt was introduced to her parties by two of his brother officers, whose late ridicule he had now forgiven so far, that he could sometimes join in the laugh, which a mention of his former manners would renew.
The gaiety of the most splendid court in Europe, the magnificence of the palaces, entertainments, and equipages, that surrounded him — all conspired46 to dazzle his imagination, and re-animate his spirits, and the example and maxims47 of his military associates to delude48 his mind. Emily’s image, indeed, still lived there; but it was no longer the friend, the monitor, that saved him from himself, and to which he retired49 to weep the sweet, yet melancholy, tears of tenderness. When he had recourse to it, it assumed a countenance of mild reproach, that wrung50 his soul, and called forth51 tears of unmixed misery52; his only escape from which was to forget the object of it, and he endeavoured, therefore, to think of Emily as seldom as he could.
Thus dangerously circumstanced was Valancourt, at the time, when Emily was suffering at Venice, from the persecuting53 addresses of Count Morano, and the unjust authority of Montoni; at which period we leave him.
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1
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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2
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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3
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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4
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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5
bribed
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| v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂 | |
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6
chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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7
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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8
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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9
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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10
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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11
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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12
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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13
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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14
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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15
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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16
fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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17
mingle
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| vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往 | |
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18
lamentation
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| n.悲叹，哀悼 | |
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19
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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20
soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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21
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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22
censure
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| v./n.责备；非难；责难 | |
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23
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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24
intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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25
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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26
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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27
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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28
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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29
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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30
softening
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| 变软，软化 | |
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31
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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32
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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33
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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34
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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35
auditors
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| n.审计员，稽核员( auditor的名词复数 )；（大学课程的）旁听生 | |
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36
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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37
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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38
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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39
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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40
delicacies
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| n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到 | |
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41
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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42
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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43
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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44
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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45
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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46
conspired
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| 密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致 | |
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47
maxims
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| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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48
delude
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| vt.欺骗；哄骗 | |
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49
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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50
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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51
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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52
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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53
persecuting
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的现在分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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