Never sleep again! My waking mis’ry
Were peace to this—and yet it was not sleep.”
Our hero, on his pillow, instead of seeking rest from the hopes and fears, the distracting anxieties of the day, commenced again, in fancy, the busy scene. The undisguised admiration1 of the Marquis for Julia had awakened2 new terrors; his addresses would be approved of by all her friends. Edmund shuddered3 to think of the consequences to which such approval might ultimately lead; yet imagination would[222] go forward, devising new tortures, till he leaped from his bed, threw open his window, and strove to force his thoughts into some other channel.
The remembrance of the mysterious understanding which seemed to exist between Julia and Henry, next arose like a spectre, and laid its icy grasp on every warm fibre of his heart. The pang4, however, was but momentary5; this subject had not yet fastened on each faculty6, with the withering7, lasting8 hold it was one day destined9 to possess. It was reserved for time and absence to weaken the blissful, internal evidence, derived10 from look, voice, manner; and to strengthen into certainty and misery11 every vague suspicion to which any untoward12 coincidence had ever given birth. At present, the very circumstances necessarily connected with such suspicions, led,[223] by the association of ideas, to a vivid recollection of some of the latest, and strongest proofs of tenderness, he had himself ever received from Julia. He now dwelt on these, till he yielded again to the delightful13 hope, that she really loved him, although she had thought it necessary to check his mad declaration of a passion, which could never meet with the sanction of her father. If then she loved him, surely she would not marry another! No, she would reject this Marquis of H?? And, as to Henry, she must have rejected him already! The emotion she had shown when conversing14 apart with him, must have been occasioned by regret at being obliged to give pain. He therefore returned to his pillow, and busied himself in recalling every look, every word, on which his hopes of being secretly beloved were founded. Fear and doubt vanished, and fancy, for a few[224] blissful moments, pictured the realization15 of all his hopes.
But hope, on such a subject, was not consistent with honour, with duty—how then could a virtuous16 mind cling to it with unalloyed felicity. Conscience spoke17, and demanded a sacrifice!—a sacrifice which the heart knew not how to yield! His secret wishes now seemed his accusers; and dear as they had long been, he next strove to deny, even to himself, their actual existence. But the compromise was not accepted; still conscience repeated, that it was his duty to fly a temptation, which he evidently had not strength to resist. Should the discovery of his birth never be made; or, when made, should it not prove such as to give him pretensions18 to Julia’s hand; was it consistent with honour and right feeling, that he should, during the period of uncertainty19, endeavour[225] to gain her affections—perhaps succeed in so doing! But this thought again bewildered, again left him incapable20 of a rational reflection, or a right resolve.
Such is the mental warfare21, such the wild rebellion of will, which lays waste the peace of him, who suffers the voice of passion to mingle22 in the counsels of conscience.
Edmund slept; still undecided, and in his dreams endured once more a recapitulation of each anxious feeling, and unfinished conflict.
点击收听单词发音
1 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 awakened | |
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 shuddered | |
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 pang | |
n.剧痛,悲痛,苦闷 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 momentary | |
adj.片刻的,瞬息的;短暂的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 withering | |
使人畏缩的,使人害羞的,使人难堪的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 lasting | |
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 derived | |
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 misery | |
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 untoward | |
adj.不利的,不幸的,困难重重的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 conversing | |
v.交谈,谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 realization | |
n.实现;认识到,深刻了解 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 virtuous | |
adj.有品德的,善良的,贞洁的,有效力的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 spoke | |
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 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 pretensions | |
自称( pretension的名词复数 ); 自命不凡; 要求; 权力 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 uncertainty | |
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 incapable | |
adj.无能力的,不能做某事的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 warfare | |
n.战争(状态);斗争;冲突 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 mingle | |
vt.使混合,使相混;vi.混合起来;相交往 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |