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第29章

charlotte temple(夏洛特·藤布尔)-第29章

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officer never  lived; he   is   so   good to   us   all;   and  as to Miss Julia;  all   the 

poor folk almost worshipped her。〃 

     〃Gracious heaven;〃 cried Charlotte; 〃is Montraville unjust then to none 

but me。 〃 

     The    soldier   now    shewed    her   Colonel    Crayton's    door;   and;   with   a 

beating heart; she knocked for admission。 



                                CHAPTER XXXI。 



                                 SUBJECT CONTINUED。 

     WHEN the door was opened; Charlotte; in a voice rendered scarcely 

articulate; through cold and the extreme agitation of her mind; demanded 

whether Mrs。 Crayton was at home。 The servant hesitated: he knew that 

his   lady   was   engaged   at   a   game   of   picquet   with   her   dear   Corydon;   nor 

could     he  think   she   would     like  to  be   disturbed    by   a  person    whose 

appearance spoke her of so little consequence as Charlotte; yet there was 

something in her countenance that rather interested him in her favour; and 

he   said   his   lady   was   engaged;   but   if   she   had   any   particular   message   he 

would deliver it。 

     〃Take up this letter;〃 said Charlotte: 〃tell her the unhappy writer of it 

waits   in   her   hall   for   an   answer。〃   The   tremulous   accent;   the   tearful   eye; 

must have moved any heart not composed of adamant。 The man took the 

letter from the poor suppliant; and hastily ascended the stair case。 

     〃A  letter;   Madam;〃   said   he;   presenting   it   to   his   lady:   〃an   immediate 

answer is required。 〃 

     Mrs。 Crayton glanced her eye carelessly over the contents。 〃What stuff 

is this;〃 cried she haughtily; 〃have not I told you a thousand times that I 

will   not   be   plagued   with   beggars;   and   petitions   from   people   one   knows 

nothing about? Go tell the woman I can't do any thing in it。 I'm sorry; but 

one can't relieve every body。〃 

     The servant bowed; and heavily returned with this chilling message to 

Charlotte。 

     〃Surely;〃 said she; 〃Mrs。 Crayton has not read my letter。 Go; my good 



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friend; pray  go   back to her;   tell her it is Charlotte Temple   who   requests 

beneath   her   hospitable   roof   to   find   shelter   from   the   inclemency   of   the 

season。〃 

     〃Prithee; don't plague me; man;〃 cried Mrs。 Crayton impatiently; as the 

servant   advanced   something   in   behalf   of   the   unhappy   girl。   〃I   tell   you   I 

don't know her。〃 

     〃Not know me;〃 cried Charlotte; rushing into the room; (for she had 

followed   the     man   up   stairs)  〃not   know    me;   not   remember      the  ruined 

Charlotte     Temple;     who;    but   for  you;    perhaps    might    still  have   been 

innocent; still have been happy。 Oh! La Rue; this is beyond every thing I 

could have believed possible。〃 

     〃Upon      my   honour;    Miss;〃    replied   the   unfeeling    woman      with   the 

utmost effrontery; 〃this is a most unaccountable address: it is beyond my 

comprehension。 John;〃 continued she;  turning to the servant;  〃the   young 

woman is certainly out of her senses: do pray take her away; she terrifies 

me to death。 〃 

     〃Oh God;〃 cried Charlotte; clasping her hands in an agony; 〃this is too 

much; what will become of   me? but I will not leave you; they shall not 

tear   me   from   you;   here   on   my   knees   I   conjure   you   to   save   me   from 

perishing in the streets; if you really have forgot me; oh for charity's sweet 

sake this night let me be sheltered from the winter's piercing cold。〃 The 

kneeling figure of Charlotte in her affecting situation might have moved 

the heart of a stoic to compassion; but Mrs。 Crayton remained inflexible。 

In   vain   did   Charlotte   recount   the   time   they   had   known   each   other   at 

Chichester; in vain mention their being in the same ship; in vain were the 

names   of   Montraville   and   Belcour   mentioned。   Mrs。   Crayton   could   only 

say she was sorry for her imprudence; but could not think of having her 

own reputation endangered   by encouraging a   woman of that   kind in her 

own house; besides she did not know what trouble and expense she might 

bring upon her husband by giving shelter to a woman in her situation。 

     〃I can at least die here;〃 said Charlotte; 〃I feel I cannot long survive 

this dreadful conflict。 Father of mercy; here let me finish my existence。〃 

Her agonizing sensations   overpowered her;  and she fell senseless on the 

floor。 



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     〃Take her away;〃 said Mrs。 Crayton; 〃she will really frighten me into 

hysterics; take her away I say this instant。〃 

     〃And   where   must   I   take   the   poor   creature?〃   said   the   servant   with   a 

voice and look of compassion。 

     〃Any where;〃 cried she hastily; 〃only don't let me ever see her again。 I 

declare she has flurried me so I shan't be myself again this fortnight。〃 

     John; assisted by his fellow…servant; raised and carried her down stairs。 

〃Poor soul;〃 said he; 〃you shall not lay in the street this night。 I have a bed 

and a poor little hovel; where my wife and her little ones rest them; but 

they shall watch to night; and you shall be sheltered from danger。〃 They 

placed   her   in   a   chair;   and   the   benevolent   man;   assisted   by   one   of   his 

comrades;   carried   her   to   the   place   where   his   wife   and   children   lived。 A 

surgeon   was   sent   for:   he   bled   her;   she   gave   signs   of   returning   life;   and 

before the dawn gave birth to a female infant。 After this event she lay for 

some hours in a kind of stupor; and if at any time she spoke; it was with a 

quickness and incoherence that plainly evinced the total deprivation of her 

reason。 



                                CHAPTER XXXII。 



                        REASONS WHY AND WHEREFORE。 

     THE   reader   of   sensibility   may   perhaps   be   astonished   to   find   Mrs。 

Crayton      could    so  positively    deny    any   knowledge       of  Charlotte;    it  is 

therefore but just that her conduct should in some measure be accounted 

for。 She had ever been fully sensible of the superiority of Charlotte's sense 

and virtue; she was conscious that she had never swerved from rectitude; 

had it not been for her bad precepts and worse example。 These were things 

as yet unknown to her husband; and she wished not to have that part of her 

conduct exposed to him; as she had great reason to fear she had already 

lost   considerable   part   of   that   power   she   once   maintained   over   him。   She 

trembled whilst Charlotte was in the house; lest the Colonel should return; 

she   perfectly   well   remembered   how   much   he   seemed   interested   in   her 

favour   whilst   on   their   passage   from   England;   and   made   no   doubt;   but; 

should   he   see her in her present   distress;  he   would offer   her   an   asylum; 

and   protect   her   to   the   utmost   of   his   power。   In   that   case   she   feared   the 



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unguarded nature of Charlotte might discover to the Colonel the part she 

had taken in the unhappy girl's elopement; and she well knew the contrast 

between her own and Charlotte's conduct would make the former appear 

in no very respectable light。 Had she reflected properly; she would have 

afforded the poor girl protection; and by enjoining her silence; ensured it 

by acts   of   repeated kindness; but   vice in general   blinds its   votaries;  and 

they    discover    their   real  characters    to  the   world   

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