Inconceivable—is he my father?”
Edmund, on his return to the ball room, made the best of his way, scarcely conscious what he did, to the very spot he had left; where, fixing his eyes again on the same object on which he had been gazing when called away by the juggler1, he fell into a profound reverie. “What could have been the motive2 of the violence offered him? To whom could his existence—to whom could his destruction be of so much importance? He was not then too contemptible3 to have enemies!” A strange sensation, approaching to satisfaction, accompanied the thought.
[344]
The bustle4 attendant on changing partners, reminded him that Julia was engaged to him for the next set; he put in his claim, and was soon recalled to a sense of pleasure, for Julia was leaning on his arm. A shudder5 followed, however, as he thought of the mysterious words of the ruffian stranger. Again and again he told himself that they had been uttered but to throw him off his guard. While the villain6 spoke7, had not his eye been ever watchful8? had not his hand grasped the drawn9 sword beneath his cloak? evidently awaiting a moment of excited feeling, to strike the blow the more securely. But this solution of the affair, rational and just as it was, did not suffice to set his mind at rest. Might he not be connected with Julia’s family in some way as disgraceful to himself as fatal to his mad attachment10? Might not some secret agent have been in consequence employed to put an end to his miserable11 existence, lest he should entail[345] disgrace and crime on all connected with him? There were then beings connected with him! Who were those beings? and where were they? A thought of horror next crossed his mind: could it have been a parent who had employed the murderer’s hand, to blot12 out shame with blood? and his heart shrunk from a surmise13 too dreadful to be dwelt upon.
It had been previously14 arranged that the dance now about to commence was to take place in another apartment. The couples accordingly set out; Julia and Edmund led their own party, while before, behind, and on either side, moved a consolidated15 crowd in the same direction; so that retreat from the relative position once taken up was quite out of the question. Our hero and heroine were, consequently, obliged to keep, for a considerable time, a very painful situation in the immediate16 rear of a talkative party, who, without once looking behind them, proceeded with the following dialogue.
[346]
“We seem to abound17 in naval18 characters to-night,” observed a gentleman.
“You know it is quite a naval affair,” said a naval officer.
“True; commemoration of the battle of ?.”
“The day is worth remembering, sir!”
“Is Lord Fitz-Ullin here to-night?”
“No, but Captain Montgomery is, I understand.”
“Which is Captain Montgomery?” cried a lady.
“Which is Captain Montgomery?” said a second lady.
“Who is Captain Montgomery?” with emphasis on the word who, said a third lady, who was, by her own size and weight, making way for two slim little girls, her daughters, who, by the pressure of the crowd, were squeezed into the fat sides of their mother, like the off-shoots of a bulbous root.
[347]
“That is a question not so easily answered,” replied an equally fat gentleman.
“Is he any relation of Lord Fitz-Ullin’s?” enquired19 some one.
“None whatever,” replied an elderly naval officer, dryly.
“Lord Fitz-Ullin, then, was merely his patron?” said a young naval officer. “Merely,” resumed the elder, “and one half the talent and spirit, shown by Captain Montgomery, would have ensured to any young man Fitz-Ullin’s favour: he is quite enthusiastic about the service.”
“Fitz-Ullin was a very gay fellow in his youth,” observed a corpulent gentleman, “and Captain Montgomery being of unknown origin, may, after all, be no very distant relation of his lordship’s.”
“Very improbable!” rejoined the elder officer, “Fitz-Ullin would give one half his paternal21 estates for such a son, even in the way to which you allude22.”
[348]
“His lordship has a son?”
“Yes, but Ormond, though a good-natured fellow, is quite unfit for his profession.”
“Strange that, too!” puffed23 out the corpulent gentleman, “for he is strikingly like his father.”
“There are some officers on before us,” said one of the young ladies, “I wonder is Captain Montgomery among them!” “I quite long to see him, I understand he is so handsome,” said a third lady. “He seems to be a general favourite with the ladies,” said the younger officer: “he is to be married shortly, I hear, to Lady Susan Morven: luck that! she has fifty thousand, I’m told.” “To Lady Julia L?, I have heard,” interposed the elder officer. “I beg your pardon,” said the fat lady, “Lady Julia L? is to be married immediately to the Marquis of H?.” “A more suitable match, no doubt,” replied the elder officer; “but heiresses will sometimes please themselves, you know; and I have[349] heard, that Lady Julia L? has been attached to Captain Montgomery from her infancy24; and that she is determined25 to marry him in spite of all her friends, as soon as she shall be of age.” Just at this particular moment, Edmund found the impelling26 torrent27 press so weightily against his fair companion, that it was absolutely imperative28 upon him to draw her closer to himself than she had been.
“And Lord L?’s great estates,” added the younger officer, “must go between his daughters, at his death, whoever they marry; so the gallant29 Captain knows what he is about, it seems.”
“He is accustomed to capturing rich prizes!” said the corpulent gentleman. A laugh followed this most original piece of wit.
“The friends,” interposed the plump lady, “can never consent to a young woman of her high connexions, throwing herself away upon a mere20 soldier of fortune.”
[350]
“I have always understood,” observed another gentleman, “that Lady Julia L? was engaged to her cousin, Mr. St. Aubin. Indeed I had it from one who, I think, said that he had it from St. Aubin himself; or, at least, that St. Aubin admitted it.”
All this passed among a group, who, though masked, evidently knew each other. Their arrival at the apartment they had been all this time imperceptibly approaching, and the consequent spreading of the crowd, at length enabled Julia and Edmund to hasten from the vicinity of the party, which had so long annoyed them. Edmund, notwithstanding his causes for abstraction, was aroused by topics so interesting; he thought of the strange aside speeches of Henry, during the mummery of the juggler, and longed to know how Julia would treat the subject of her supposed engagement to her cousin. As to what had been said of himself, he dare not allude to it, he dare not[351] even think of it. At length he ventured to whisper a sort of introductory sentence, in the shape of an unmeaning compliment, saying—“How enviable a lot would Henry’s be, if there were any truth in the surmises30 of those people!” Julia blushed, but made no reply. So absurd a report did not seem to require contradiction; and, as she was too innocent to think any compliment of Edmund’s unmeaning, his implied question was lost in the pleasure of hearing him say, that to be preferred by her would be an enviable lot; nor did she perceive that her silence and her blush had at least surprised, if not alarmed him.
The dance now commenced, and put an end to conversation. It concluded, and Edmund, as he led Julia out of the set, began to say something about the necessity he should be under, of leaving Arandale the next morning at a very early hour; in pursuance of the journey, which was this morning so agreeably[352] interrupted. At this moment Julia’s hand was claimed by Lord K?.
Previous to sitting down to supper, the whole assembly assumed an appearance of uninterrupted splendour. Every coarse or unbecoming disguise, was exchanged for its very opposite of elegance31, or magnificence; every one being determined to look as well as possible unmasked. The young lady who cried primroses32, proved to be the first public singer of the day; the remainder of the group of flower girls, the rest of the best set, engaged by Lord Arandale for the occasion. They performed, during supper, some of the best scenes of a favourite opera. A ballet followed, led by the pert miss of the wheelbarrow, who was an excellent dancer.
Those, however, who best knew the Earl, could perceive, notwithstanding the efforts he made to entertain his company, that during this evening of unparalleled gaiety and splendour,[353] there was a slight shade of melancholy33 on his brow; and a tendency, while he sat at supper, to that, scarcely observable, movement of the head, before mentioned.
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收听单词发音
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1
juggler
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| n. 变戏法者, 行骗者 | |
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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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contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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7
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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8
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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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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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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13
surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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14
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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consolidated
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| a.联合的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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enquired
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| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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impelling
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| adj.迫使性的，强有力的v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的现在分词 ) | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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30
surmises
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的第三人称单数 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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31
elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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32
primroses
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| n.报春花( primrose的名词复数 )；淡黄色；追求享乐（招至恶果） | |
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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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