"I am glad you have at last deigned2 to take some small notice of me," says he, with a faint touch of pique3 in his tone. And then, looking at him again, she sees it is the young man who had nearly ridden over her some time ago, and tells herself she has been just a little rude to his Grace the Duke of Lauderdale.
"And I went to the utmost trouble to get an introduction," goes on Lauderdale, in an aggrieved4 voice; "because I thought you might not care about that impromptu5 ceremony at the lodge-gate; and yet what do I receive for my pains but disappointment? Have you quite forgotten me?"
"No. Of course I remember you now," says Mona, taking all this nonsense as quite bona fide sense in a maddeningly fascinating fashion. "How unkind I have been! But I was listening to the music, not to our introduction, when Sir Nicholas brought you up to me, and—and that is my only excuse." Then, sweetly, "You love music?"
"Well, I do," says the duke. "But I say that perhaps as a means of defence. If I said otherwise, you might think me fit only 'for treasons, stratagems6, and spoils.'"
"Oh, no! you don't look like that," says Mona, with a heavenly smile. "You do not seem like a man that could not be 'trusted.'"
He is delighted with her ready response, her gayety, her sweetness, her freshness; was there ever so fair a face? Every one in the room by this time is asking who is the duke's partner, and Lady Chetwoode is beset7 with queries8. All the women, except a very few, are consumed with jealousy9; all the men are devoured10 with envy of the duke. Beyond all doubt the pretty Irish bride is the rage of the hour.
She chatters11 on gayly to the duke, losing sight of the fact of his rank, and laughing and making merry with him as though he were one of the ordinary friends of her life. And to Lauderdale, who is susceptible12 to beauty and tired of adulation, such manner has its charm, and he is perhaps losing his head a little, and is conning13 a sentence or two of a slightly tender nature, when another partner coming up claims Mona, and carries her away from what might prove dangerous quarters.
"Malcolm, who was that lovely creature you were talking to just now?" asks his mother, as Lauderdale draws near her.
"That? Oh, that was the bride, Mrs. Rodney," replies he. "She is lovely, if you like."
"Oh, indeed!" says the duchess, with some faint surprise. Then she turns to Lady Rodney, who is near her, and who is looking cold and supercilious14. "I congratulate you," she says, warmly. "What a face that child has! How charming! How full of feeling! You are fortunate in securing so fair a daughter."
"Thank you," says Lady Rodney, coldly, letting her lids fall over her eyes.
"I am sorry I have missed her so often," says the duchess, who had been told that Mona was out when she called on her the second time, and who had been really not at home when Mona returned her calls. "But you will introduce me to her soon, I hope."
Just at this moment Mona comes up to them, smiling and happy.
"Ah! here she is," says the duchess, looking at the girl's bright face with much interest, and turning graciously towards Mona. And then nothing remains15 but for Lady Rodney to get through the introduction as calmly as she can, though it is sorely against her will, and the duchess, taking her hand, says something very pretty to her, while the duke looks on with ill-disguised admiration16 in his face.
They are all standing17 in a sort of anteroom, curtained off, but only partly concealed18 from the ballroom19. Young Lady Chetwoode, who, as I have said, is a special pet with the duchess, is present, with Sir Guy and one or two others.
"You must give me another dance, Mrs. Rodney, before your card is quite full," says the duke, smiling. "If, indeed, I am yet in time."
"Yes, quite in time," says Mona. Then she pauses, looking at him so earnestly that he is compelled to return her gaze. "You shall have another dance," she says, in her clear voice, that is perfectly20 distinct to every one; "but you must not call me Mrs. Rodney: I am only Mrs. Geoffrey!"
"No?" says Lauderdale, laughing. "But why, then? There is no other Mrs. Rodney, is there?"
"No. But there will be when Captain Rodney marries. And Lady Rodney says I have no claim to the name at all. I am only Mrs. Geoffrey."
She says it all quite simply, with a smile, and a quick blush that arises merely from the effort of having to explain, not from the explanation itself. There is not a touch of malice23 in her soft eyes or on her parted lips.
Lady Chetwoode looks at her fan and then at Sir Guy. The duchess, with a grave expression, looks at Lady Rodney. Can her old friend have proved herself unkind to this pretty stranger? Can she have already shown symptoms of that tyrannical temper which, according to the duchess, is Lady Rodney's chief bane? She says nothing, however, but, moving her fan with a beckoning24 gesture, draws her skirts aside, and motions to Mona, to seat herself beside her.
Mona obeys, feeling no shrinking from the kindly25 stout26 lady who is evidently bent27 on being "all things" to her. It does occur, perhaps, to her laughter-loving mind that there is a paucity28 of nose about the duchess, and a rather large amount of "too, too solid flesh;" but she smothers29 all such iniquitous30 reflections, and commences to talk with her gayly and naturally.
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1
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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2
deigned
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3
pique
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| v.伤害…的自尊心，使生气 n.不满，生气 | |
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4
aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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impromptu
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| adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地) | |
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6
stratagems
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| n.诡计，计谋( stratagem的名词复数 )；花招 | |
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7
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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8
queries
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| n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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10
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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11
chatters
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的第三人称单数 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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12
susceptible
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| adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的 | |
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13
conning
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| v.诈骗，哄骗( con的现在分词 )；指挥操舵( conn的现在分词 ) | |
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14
supercilious
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| adj.目中无人的，高傲的；adv.高傲地；n.高傲 | |
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15
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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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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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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ballroom
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| n.舞厅 | |
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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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21
scenting
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| vt.闻到（scent的现在分词形式） | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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24
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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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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27
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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paucity
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| n.小量，缺乏 | |
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29
smothers
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的第三人称单数 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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iniquitous
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| adj.不公正的；邪恶的；高得出奇的 | |
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