酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

Frivolous Cupid-Part9_Anthony Hope(1863-1933)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页
vivacious, amusing, and, above all, sympathetic. She sympathized



at once with Lady Queenborough in her maternal anxieties, with

Trix on her charmingromance, with Newhaven on his sweet



devotedness, with the rest of us in our obvious desolation--and,

after a confidential chat with Dora, she sympathized most



strongly with poor Mr. Ives on his unfortunate attachment.

Nothing would satisfy her, so Dora told me, except the



opportunity of plying Mr. Ives with her soothing balm; and Dora

was about to sit down and write him a note, when he strolled in



through the drawing room window, and announced that his cook's

mother was ill, and that he should be very much obliged if Mrs.



Polton would give him some dinner that evening. Trix and

Newhaven happened to enter by the door at the same moment, and



Jack darted up to them, and shook hands with the greatest

effusion. He had evidently buried all unkindness--and with it,



we hoped, his mistaken folly. However that might be, he made no

effort to engross Trix, but took his seat most docilely by his



hostess--and she, of course, introduced him to Mrs. Wentworth.

His behavior was, in fact, so exemplary that even Lady



Queenborough relaxed her severity, and condescended to cross-

examine him on the morals and manners of the old women of the



parish. "Oh, the vicar looks after them," said Jack; and he

turned to Mrs. Wentworth again.



There can be no doubt that Mrs. Wentworth had a remarkable power

of sympathy. I took her in to dinner, and she was deep in the



subject of my "noble and inspiring art" before the soup was off

the table. Indeed, I'm sure that my life's ambitions would have



been an open book to her by the time that the joint arrived, had

not Jack Ives, who was sitting on the lady's other side, cut into



the conversation just as Mrs. Wentworth was comparing my early

struggles with those of Mr. Carlyle. After this intervention of



Jack's I had not a chance. I ate my dinner without the sauce of

sympathy, substituting for it a certain amusement which I



derived from studying the face of Miss Trix Queenborough, who was

placed on the opposite side of the table. And if Trix did look



now and again at Mrs. Wentworth and Jack Ives, I cannot say that

her conduct was unnatural. To tell the truth, Jack was so



obviously delighted with his new friend that it was quite

pleasant--and, as I say, under the circumstances, rather



amusing--to watch them. We felt that the squire was justified in

having a hit at Jack when Jack said, in the smoking room, that he



found himself rather at a loss for a subject for his next sermon.

"What do you say," suggested my cousin, puffing at his pipe, "to



takingconstancy as your text?"

Jack considered the idea for a moment, but then he shook his



head.

"No. I think," he said reflectively, "that I shall preach on the



power of sympathy."

That sermon afforded me--I must confess it, at the risk of



seeming frivolous--very great entertainment. Again I secured a

place by Miss Trix--on her left, Newhaven being on her right, and



her face was worth study when Jack Ives gave us a most eloquent

description of the wonderful gift in question. It was, he said,



the essence and the crown of true womanliness, and it showed

itself--well, to put it quite plainly, it showed itself,



according to Jack Ives, in exactly that sort of manner and

bearing which so honorably and gracefullydistinguished Mrs.



Wentworth. The lady was not, of course, named, but she was

clearly indicated. "Your gift, your precious gift," cried the



curate, apostrophizing the impersonation of sympathy, "is given

to you, not for your profit, but for mine. It is yours, but it



is a trust to be used for me. It is yours, in fact, to share

with me." At this climax, which must have struck upon her ear



with a certain familiarity, Miss Trix Queenborough,

notwithstanding the place and occasion, tossed her pretty head



and whispered to me, "What horrid stuff!"

In the ensuing week Jack Ives was our constantcompanion; the



continued illness of his servant's mother left him stranded, and

Dora's kind heart at once offered him the hospitality of her



roof. For my part I was glad, for the little drama which now

began was not without its interest. It was a pleasant change to






文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号