elinor wyllys-2-第22章

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r　and　his　secretary。　Harry　heard　some　Rio　Janeiro　news　too；　which　seemed　to　amuse　him；　but　would　scarcely　have　any　interest　for　the　reader。　At　length；　as　Mr。　Henley　and　Harry　were　picking　their　nuts；　the　minister　happened　to　enquire　the　day　of　the　month。

〃It　is　the　twentieth；　I　believe；　sir；　and　by　the　same　token；　to…morrow　will　be　my　birth…day；〃

〃Your　birth…day；　will　it？How　old　may　you　be？〃

〃Twenty…seven；　if　I　remember　right。〃

〃I　had　thought　you　two　or　three　years　younger。　Well；　I　wish　you　a　long　life　and　a　happy！〃

〃Thank　you；　sir；　I　am　much　obliged　to　you　for　the　interest　you　have　always　shown　me。〃

〃No　need　of　thanks；　Harry；　it　is　only　what　your　father's　son　had　a　right　to　expect　from　me。〃

A　silence　of　a　moment　ensued；　when　Mr。　Henley　again　spoke。

〃You　are　seven…and…twenty；　you　say；　Hazlehurst？let　me　give　you　a　piece　of　advicedon't　let　the　next　ten　years　pass　without　marrying。〃

〃I　was　just　about　making　up　my　mind；　at　Rio；　to　be　a　gay　bachelor；　my　dear　sir；〃　said　Harry。

〃Yes；　I　remember　to　have　heard　you　say　something　of　the　kind；　but　take　my　advice；　and　marry；　unless　you　have　some　very　good　reason　for　not　doing　so。〃

Hazlehurst　made　no　answer；　but　helped　himself　to　another　supply　of　nuts。　〃More　easily　said　than　done；　perhaps；〃　he　observed。

〃Nonsense！There　are　many　amiable　young　women　who　would　suit　you；　and　it　would　be　strange　if　you　could　not　meet　with　one　that　would　have　you。　Some　pretty；　lady…like　girl。　I　dare　say　you　know　twenty　such；　in　Philadelphia；　or　even　here；　at　Saratoga。〃

〃Five　hundred；　no　doubt；〃　replied　Harry；　〃but　suppose　the　very　woman　I　should　fancy；　would　not　fancy　me。〃　Whether　he　was　thinking　of　his　past　experience　with　Jane；　or　not；　we　cannot　say。

〃I　don't　see　that　a　woman　can　find　any　reasonable　fault　with　youyou　do　well　enough；　my　good　fellow；　as　the　world　goes；　and　I　am　sure　there　are；　as　you　say；　five　hundred　young　women　to　choose　from。　In　that　point　a　man　has　the　best　of　it；　young　girls　of　a　certain　class；　if　not　angels；　are　at　least　generally　unexceptionable；　but　there　are　many　men；　unhappily；　whose　moral　reputations　are；　and　should　be　obstacles　in　a　woman's　eyes。〃

'A　regular　old　bachelor's　notion；　a　mere　marriage　of　convenience；'　thought　Harry；　who　rather　resented　the　idea　of　the　five　hundred　congenial　spirits；　in　the　shape　of　suitable　young　ladies。

〃You　are　surprised；　perhaps；　to　hear　this　from　me；〃　continued　Mr。　Henley。

〃No；　sir：　for　I　once　before　heard　you　express　much　the　same　opinion。〃

〃Did　you？I　don't　often　think　or　speak　on　such　matters；　but　I　remember　to　have　heard　you　talk　about　a　single　life　occasionally；　at　Rio；　and　I　always　intended　to　give　this　piece　of　advice　to　my　nephews；　and　to　you；　Harry。　If　I　were　to　live　my　life　over　again；　I　should　marry　myself；　for　of　late　years　I　have　felt　the　want　of　a　home；　and　one　can't　have　a　pleasant　home　without　the　women。〃

〃There　I　agree　with　you；　sir；　entirely。〃

〃That　is　more　than　some　gay；　rattling　young　fellows　would　admit。　Since　you　think　so；〃　continued　Mr。　Henley；　smiling；　〃perhaps　you　have　also　fixed　upon　some　amiable　young　girl；　who　would　be　a　pleasant　companion　for　you。〃

Hazlehurst　was　silent。

〃I　dare　say　you　have；　and　I　might　have　spared　you　the　advice。　If　that　is　the　case；　you　must　make　the　most　of　the　next　three　months；　persuade　her　to　marry　you；　and　we　can　take　her　to　Russia；　to　do　the　honours　for　us。〃

〃Things　have　not　gone　quite　so　far　as　that；　yet；〃　said　Harry；　just　a　little　embarrassed。

〃Well；　my　good　fellow；　settle　the　matter　your　own　way；　I　have　at　least　satisfied　my　conscience；　by　telling　you　not　to　follow　my　own　bad　example；〃　said　the　minister；　as　he　rose　from　table。

It　seemed　that　Mr。　Henley；　like　most　old　bachelors；　regretted　not　having　married；　though　he　thought　that　his　habits　had　all　become　too　confirmed；　to　make　it　worth　while　to　attempt　a　change。　As　a　general　rule；　it　will　be　found　that　your　decidedly　old　maid　is　contented　with　her　lot；　while　your　very　old　bachelor　is　dissatisfied　with　his。　The　peculiar　evils　of　a　single　lifefor　every　life　must　have　its　ownare　most　felt　by　women　early　in　the　day；　by　men；　in　old　age。　The　world　begins　very　soon　to　laugh　at　the　old　maid；　and　continues　to　laugh；　until　shamed　out　of　the　habit　by　her　good　nature；　and　her　respectable　life。　The　bachelor；　on　the　contrary；　for　a　long　time　finds　an　ally　in　the　world；　he　goes　on　enjoying　the　pleasures　it　offers；　until　old　age　makes　him　weary　of　themand　then；　as　his　head　grows　grey；　when　he　finds　himself　going　out　of　favour；　he　begins　to　feel　the　want　of　something　bettera　home　to　retreat　to。　He　looks　about　him；　and　he　finds　that　his　female　contemporary　has　outlived　her　peculiar　annoyances；　〃the　world　forgetting；　by　the　world　forgot；〃　she　has　long　since　found　some　collateral　home；　or；　in　her　right　as　a　woman；　has　made　a　home　for　herself；　where　she　lives　as　pleasantly　as　her　neighbours。　Perhaps　he　sets　about　imitating　her　example；　but；　poor　fellow；　he　finds　it　an　awkward　task；　he　can　never　succeed　in　making　his　household　gods　smile　with　a　good　will；　on　a　home　where　no　female　voice　is　heard　at　the　fire…side。

｛〃the　world　forgetting。。。。〃　=　Alexander　Pope　（English　poet；　1688…1744）；　〃Eloisa　to　Abelard〃　I。207…208：　〃How　happy　is　the　blameless　Vestal's　lot！　The　world　forgetting；　by　the　world　forgot。〃｝

So　thought　Mr。　Henley；　and　he　had　been　intending　to　recommend　to　Harry　to　look　out　for　a　wife；　for　some　time　past。　The　minister's　ideas　on　the　subject　of　love　and　matrimony　were；　to　be　sure；　rather　matter　of　fact；　and　statesmanlike；　he　would　have　been　quite　satisfied　if　Hazlehurst　had　married　the　first　young　girl；　of　a　respectable　family；　that　he　met　with；　the　hundredth　part　of　Mrs。　Creighton's　attractions　he　would　have　thought　sufficient。　Harry　forgave　him；　however；　for　the　sake　of　the　kindness　intended　by　the　advice　he　had　given；　and　the　minister　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　his　secretary；　that　evening；　at　a　concert；　quite　gallant　and　attentive　to　a　party　of　ladies；　several　of　whom　were　young　and　pretty；　although　one　was　young　and　ugly。

〃Who　is　that？〃　he　asked　of　a　friend；　〃that　lady　to　whom　Hazlehurst　is　talking？　Half　the　young　people　here　have　grown　up；　since　I　was　last　at　home。〃

〃That　is　Mrs。　Creighton。〃

〃No；　not　Mrs。　Creighton；　I　know　hera　charming　woman；　the　lady　on　the　right。〃

〃That　is　Miss　Van　Alstyne。　Mrs。　St。　Leger　is　next　to　her；　the　young　girl　before　her　is　Miss　Emma　Taylor。〃

〃A　pretty　girlbut　noisy；　it　seems。〃

〃On　the　next　bench；　with　Ellsworth；　are　Mrs。　Tallman　Taylor；　the　great　beauty；　and　Miss　Wyllys；　the　heiress。〃

〃Yes；　I　know　the　family　very　well；　but　I　never　saw　Mr。　Wyllys's　granddaughter　before。〃

〃She　is　quite　plain；〃　observed　one　gentleman。

〃Very　plain；〃　replied　the　other；　turning　away。

The　evening　proved　very　sultry；　and　after　accompanying　the　ladies　home　from　the　concert；　Mr。　Ellsworth　proposed　to　Harry　a　stroll　in　the　open　air。　The　friends　set　out　together；　taking　the　direction　of　the　spring；　and；　being　alone；　their　conversation　gradually　became　of　a　confidential　nature。　They　touched　upon　politics；　Mr。　Henley's　character　and　views；　and　various　other　topics；　concluding　with　their　own　personal　affairs。　At　length；　when　they　had　been　out　some　little　time；　Mr。　Ellsworth；　after　a　moment's　silence；　turned　to　Harry　and　said：

〃Hazlehurst；　I　have　a　confession　to　make；　but　I　dare　say　you　will　not　give　me　much　credit　for　franknessyou　have　very　probably　guessed　already　what　I　have　to　tell。〃

〃I　certainly　have　had　some　suspicions　of　my　own　for　the　last　few　days；　but　I　may　be　mistaken；　I　am　not　very　good　at　guessing。〃

〃I　can　have　no　motive；〃　continued　Mr。　Ellsworth；　〃in　concealing　from　you　my　regard　for　Miss　Wyllys；　and　I　hope　you　will　wish　me　success。〃

〃Certainly；〃　replied　Harry；　who　was　evidently　somewhat　prepared　for　the　disclosure。

〃It　is　now　some　time　since　I　have　been　attached　to　her；　but　it　is　only　lately　that　I　have　been　able　to　urge　my　suit　as　I　could　wish。　The　better　I　know　Elinor　Wyllys；　the　more　anxious　I　am　for　success。　I　never　met　with　a　woman　of　a　more　lovely　character。〃

〃You　only　do　her　justice。〃

〃There　is　something　about　her　that　is　peculiar；　different　from　the　common…place　set　of　young　ladies　one　meets　with　every　day；　an