a simpleton-第2章

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in　arrestingI　attack　the　cause　instead　of　the　symptoms；　which　is
the　old　practiceand　so　that　detained　me。　　You　forgive　me？〃

〃Of　course。　　Poor　man！only　you　said　you　wanted　to　see　papa；　and
he　always　goes　out　at　two。〃

When　she　had　been　betrayed　into　saying　this；　she　drew　in　suddenly；
and　blushed　with　a　pretty　consciousness。

〃Then　don't　let　me　lose　another　minute；〃　said　the　lover。　　〃Have　you
prepared　him　forforwhat　I　am　going　to　have　the　audacity　to
say？〃

Rosa　answered；　with　some　hesitation；　〃I　MUST　havea　little。　　When
I　refused　Colonel　Brightyou　need　not　devour　my　hand　quitehe　is
forty。〃

Her　sentence　ended；　and　away　went　the　original　topic；　and
grammatical　sequence　along　with　it。　　Christopher　Staines　recaptured
them　both。　　〃Yes；　dear；　when　you　refused　Colonel　Bright〃

〃Well；　papa　was　astonished；　for　everybody　says　the　colonel　is　a
most　eligible　match。　　Don't　you　hate　that　expression？　　I　do。
Eligible！〃

Christopher　made　due　haste；　and　recaptured　her。　　〃Yes；　love；　your
papa　said〃

〃I　don't　think　I　will　tell　you。　　He　asked　me　was　there　anybody
else；　and　of　course　I　said　'No。'〃

〃Oh！〃

〃Oh；　that　is　nothing；　I　had　not　time　to　make　up　my　mind　to　tell　the
truth。　　I　was　taken　by　surprise；　and　you　know　one's　first　impulse
is　to　fibabout　THAT。〃

〃But　did　you　really　deceive　him？〃

〃No；　I　blushed；　and　he　caught　me；　so　he　said；　'Come；　now；　there
was。'〃

〃And　you　said；　'Yes；　there　is；'　like　a　brave　girl　as　you　are。〃

〃What；　plump　like　that？　　No；　I　was　frightened　out　of　my　wits；　like
a　brave　girl　as　I　am　not；　and　said　I　should　never　marry　any　one　he
could　disapprove；　and　thenoh；　then　I　believe　I　began　to　cry。
Christopher；　I'll　tell　you　something；　I　find　people　leave　off
teasing　you　when　you　crygentlemen；　I　mean。　　Ladies　go　on　all　the
more。　　So　then　dear　papa　kissed　me；　and　told　me　I　must　not　be
imprudent；　and　throw　myself　away；　that　was　all；　and　I　promised　him
I　never　would。　　I　said　he　would　be　sure　to　approve　my　choice；　and
he　said　he　hoped　so。　　And　so　he　will。〃

Dr。　Staines　looked　thoughtful；　and　said　he　hoped　so　too。　　〃But　now
it　comes　to　the　point　of　asking　him　for　such　a　treasure；　I　feel　my
deficiencies。〃

〃Why；　what　deficiencies？　　You　are　young；　and　handsome；　and　good；
and　ever　so　much　cleverer　than　other　people。　　You　have　only　to　ask
for　me；　and　insist　on　having　me。　　Come；　dear；　go　and　get　it　over。〃
She　added；　mighty　coolly；　〃There　is　nothing　so　DREADFUL　as
suspense。〃

〃I'll　go　this　minute；〃　said　he；　and　took　a　step　towards　the　door；
but　he　turned；　and　in　a　moment　was　at　her　knees。　　He　took　both　her
hands　in　his；　and　pressed　them　to　his　beating　bosom；　while　his
beautiful　eyes　poured　love　into　hers　point…blank。　　〃May　I　tell　him
you　love　me？　　Oh；　I　know　you　cannot　love　me　as　I　love　you；　but　I
may　say　you　love　me　a　little；　may　I　not？that　will　go　farther　with
him　than　anything　else。　　May　I；　Rosa；　may　I？a　little？〃

His　passion　mastered　her。　　She　dropped　her　head　sweetly　on　his
shoulder；　and　murmured；　〃You　know　you　may；　my　own。　　Who　would　not
love　you？〃

He　parted　lingeringly　from　her；　then　marched　away；　bold　with　love
and　hope；　to　demand　her　hand　in　marriage。

Rosa　leaned　back　in　her　chair；　and　quivered　a　little　with　new
emotions。　　Christopher　was　right；　she　was　not　capable　of　loving
like　him；　but　still　the　actual　contact　of　so　strong　a　passion　made
her　woman's　nature　vibrate。　　A　dewy　tear　hung　on　the　fringes　of　her
long　lashes；　and　she　leaned　back　in　her　chair　and　fluttered　awhile。

That　emotion；　almost　new　to　her；　soon　yielded；　in　her　girlish　mind；
to　a　complacent　languor；　and　that；　in　its　turn；　to　a　soft　reverie。
So　she　was　going　to　be　married！　　To　be　mistress　of　a　house；　settle
in　London　（THAT　she　had　quite　determined　long　ago）；　be　able　to　go
out　into　the　streets　all　alone；　to　shop；　or　visit；　have　a　gentleman
all　her　own；　whom　she　could　put　her　finger　on　any　moment　and　make
him　take　her　about；　even　to　the　opera　and　the　theatre；　to　give
dinner…parties　her　own　self；　and　even　a　little　ball　once　in　a　way；
to　buy　whatever　dresses　she　thought　proper；　instead　of　being
crippled　by　an　allowance；　have　the　legal　right　of　speaking　first　in
society；　even　to　gentlemen　rich　in　ideas　but　bad　starters；　instead
of　sitting　mumchance　and　mock…modest；　to　be　Mistress；　instead　of
Misscontemptible　title；　to　be　a　woman；　instead　of　a　girl；　and　all
this　rational　liberty；　domestic　power；　and　social　dignity　were　to
be　obtained　by　merely　wedding　a　dear　fellow；　who　loved　her；　and　was
so　nice；　and　the　bright　career　to　be　ushered　in　with　several
delights；　each　of　them　dear　to　a　girl's　very　soul：　presents　from
all　her　friends；　as　many　beautiful　new　dresses　as　if　she　was
changing　her　body　or　her　hemisphere；　instead　of　her　name；　eclat；
going　to　church；　which　is　a　good　English　girl's　theatre　of　display
and　temple　of　vanity；　and　there　tasting　delightful　publicity　and
whispered　admiration；　in　a　heavenly　long　veil；　which　she　could　not
wear　even　once　if　she　remained　single。

This　bright　variegated　picture　of　holy　wedlock；　and　its　essential
features；　as　revealed　to　young　ladies　by　feminine　tradition；　though
not　enumerated　in　the　Book　of　Common　Prayer　writ　by　grim　males；　so
entranced　her；　that　time　flew　by　unheeded；　and　Christopher　Staines
came　back　from　her　father。　　His　step　was　heavy；　he　looked　pale；　and
deeply　distressed；　then　stood　like　a　statue；　and　did　not　come　close
to　her；　but　cast　a　piteous　look；　and　gasped　out　one　word；　that
seemed　almost　to　choke　him；〃REFUSED！〃

Miss　Lusignan　rose　from　her　chair；　and　looked　almost　wildly　at　him
with　her　great　eyes。　　〃Refused？〃　said　she；　faintly。

〃Yes；〃　said　he；　sadly。　　〃Your　father　is　a　man　of　business；　and　he
took　a　mere　business　view　of　our　love：　he　asked　me　directly　what
provision　I　could　make　for　his　daughter　and　her　children。　　Well；　I
told　him　I　had　three　thousand　pounds　in　the　Funds；　and　a　good
profession；　and　then　I　said　I　had　youth；　health；　and　love；
boundless　love；　the　love　that　can　do；　or　suffer；　the　love　that　can
conquer　the　world。〃

〃Dear　Christopher！　　And　what　COULD　he　say　to　all　that？〃

〃He　ignored　it　entirely。　　There！　　I'll　give　you　his　very　words。　　He
said；　'In　that　case；　Dr。　Staines；　the　simple　question　is；　what　does
your　profession　bring　you　in　per　annum？'〃

〃Oh！　　There！　　I　always　hated　arithmetic；　and　now　I　abominate　it。〃

〃Then　I　was　obliged　to　confess　I　had　scarcely　received　a　hundred
pounds　in　fees　this　year；　but　I　told　him　the　reason；　this　is　such　a
small　district；　and　all　the　ground　occupied。　　London；　I　said；　was
my　sphere。〃

〃And　so　it　is；〃　said　Rosa；　eagerly；　for　this　jumped　with　her　own
little　designs。　　〃Genius　is　wasted　in　the　country。　　Besides；
whenever　anybody　worth　curing　is　ill　down　here；　they　always　send　to
London　for　a　doctor。〃

〃I　told　him　so；　dearest；〃　said　the　lover。　　〃But　he　answered　me
directly；　then　I　must　set　up　in　London；　and　as　soon　as　my　books
showed　an　income　to　keep　a　wife；　and　servants；　and　children；　and
insure　my　life　for　five　thousand　pounds〃

〃Oh；　that　is　so　like　papa。　　He　is　director　of　an　insurance　company；
so　all　the　world　must　insure　their　lives。〃

〃No；　dear；　he　was　quite　right　there：　professional　incomes　are　most
precarious。　　Death　spares　neither　young　nor　old；　neither　warm
hearts　nor　cold。　　I　should　be　no　true　physician　if　I　could　not　see
my　own　mortality。〃　　He　hung　his　head　and　pondered　a　moment；　then
went　on；　sadly；　〃It　all　comes　to　thisuntil　I　have　a　professional
income　of　eight　hundred　a　year　at　least；　he　will　not　hear　of　our
marrying；　and　the　cruel　thing　is；　he　will　not　even　consent　to　an
engagement。　　But；〃　said　the　rejected；　with　a　look　of　sad　anxiety；
〃you　will　wait　for　me　without　that；　dear　Rosa？〃

She　could　give　him　that　comfort；　and　she　gave　it　him　with　loving
earnestness。　　〃Of　course　I　will；　and　it　shall　not　be　very　long。
Whilst　you　are　making　your　fortune；　to　please　papa；　I　will　keep
fretting；　and　pouting；　and　crying；　till　he　sends　for　you。〃

〃Bless　you；　dearest！　　Stop！not　to　make　yourself　ill！　not　for　all
the　world。〃　　The　lover　and　the　physician　spoke　in　turn。

He　came；　all　gratitude；　to　her　side；　and　they　sat；　hand　in　hand；
comforting　each　other：　indeed；　parting　was　such　sweet　sorrow　that
they　sat