elinor wyllys-2-第23章

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〃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；　and　yet　she　is　perfectly　feminine　and　womanly。〃

And　Mr。　Ellsworth　here　ran　over　various　good　qualities　of　Elinor's。　It　is　impossible　to　say；　whether　Harry　smiled　or　not；　at　this　lover…like　warmth：　if　he　did；　it　was　too　dark　for　his　friend　to　observe　it。

〃In　a　situation　like　mine；　with　a　daughter　to　educate；　the　choice　of　a　wife　is　particularly　important。　Of　course　I　feel　much　anxiety　as　to　the　decision　of　a　woman　like　Miss　Wyllys；　one　whose　good　opinion　is　worth　the　wooing：　and　yet；　if　I　do　not　deceive　myself；　her　manner　is　not　discouraging。〃

〃Is　she　aware　of　your　feelings？〃　asked　Harry。

〃Yes；　I　have　only　proposed　in　form　quite　lately；　however；　a　day　or　two　after　you　arrived。　Miss　Wyllys　scarcely　seemed　prepared　for　my　declaration；　although　I　thought　I　had　spoken　sufficiently　distinctly　to　be　understood；　some　time　since。　She　wished　for　time　to　consider：　I　was　willing　to　wait　as　long　as　she　pleased；　with　the　hope　of　eventually　succeeding。　Her　friends　are　quite　well　disposed　towards　me；　think。　Mr。　Wyllys's　manner　to　me　has　always　been　gratifying；　and　I　hope　her　aunt　is　in　my　favour。　To　speak　frankly；　there　have　been　times　when　I　have　felt　much　encouraged　as　regards　Miss　Wyllys　herself。　You　will　not　think　me　a　coxcomb；　Hazlehurst；　for　opening　my　heart　to　you　in　this　way。〃

〃Certainly　not；　you　honour　me　by　your　confidence。〃

〃I　should　like　to　have　your　honest　opinion　as　to　my　future　prospects；　for；　of　course；　one　can　never　feel　sure　until　everything　is　settled。　Josephine　is　hardly　a　fair　judgeshe　is　very　sanguine；　but　like　myself　she　is　interested　in　the　affair。〃

〃Mrs。　Creighton　has　so　much　discernment；　that　I　should　think　she　could　not　be　easily　deceived。　If　my　kinswoman　knows　your　views；　I　should　say　that　you　have　reason　to　be　encouraged　by　her　manner。　There　is　nothing　like　coquetry　about　her；　I　am　convinced　she　thinks　highly　of　you。〃

〃Thank　you；　it　gives　me　great　pleasure　to　hear　you　say　so。　The　question　must　now　be　decided　before　long。　I　was　only　prevented　from　explaining　myself　earlier；　by　the　fear　of　speaking　too　soon。　For　though　I　have　known　Miss　Wyllys　some　time；　yet　we　have　seldom　met。　I　dare　say　you　are　surprised　that　I　did　not　declare　myself　sooner；　I　am　inclined　to　think　you　would　have　managed　an　affair　of　the　kind　more　expeditiously；　for　you　are　more　rapid　in　most　of　your　movements　than　myself。　But　although　I　might　imagine　love　at　first　sight；　I　never　could　fancy　a　declaration　worth　hearing；　the　first　day。〃

〃Do　you　insinuate　that　such　is　the　practice　of　your　humble　servant？〃　asked　Hazlehurst；　smiling。

〃Oh；　no；　but　I　was　afraid　you　might　disapprove　of　my　deliberation。　My　chief　hope　rests　upon　Miss　Wyllys's　good　sense　and　the　wishes　of　her　friends；　who；　I　think；　are　evidently　favourable　to　me。　She　has　no　silly；　high…flown　notions；　she　is　now　of　an　agethree　or　four…and…twenty　I　thinkto　take　a　reasonable　view　of　the　world；　and　I　hope　she　will　find　the　sincere　affection　of　a　respectable　man；　whose　habits　and　position　resemble　her　own；　sufficient　for　her。〃

〃You　wish；　I　suppose；　to　hear　me　repeat；　that　such　will　undoubtedly　be　the　result；〃　said　Harry；　smiling　again。

〃Perhaps　I　do；〃　replied　Mr。　Ellsworth；　in　the　same　tone。　〃I　suppose　you　are　discerning　enough　to　be　aware　that　I　have　a　rival　in　Mr。　Stryker。〃

〃Stryker　attentive　to　Elinor？　It　has　not　struck　me；　I　had　fancied　him　rather　an　admirer　of　Mrs。　Creighton's。〃

〃Of　Josephine？　Oh；　no；　she　can't　endure　him；　they　are　quarrelling　half　the　time　when　together。　No；　it　is　very　evident　that　Stryker　is　courting　Miss　Wyllys's　favour。　But　I　confess　I　feel　encouraged　by　her　conduct　towards　him；　there　is　a　quiet　civility　in　it；　which　speaks　anything　but　very　decided　approbation。〃

〃I　know　Elinor　too　well；　not　to　feel　assured　she　must　despise　a　man　of　Stryker's　character；〃　said　Harry；　with　some　indignation。　〃He　can't　appreciate　her；　it　can　be　nothing　more；　on　his　part；　than　downright　fortune…hunting。〃

〃No　doubt；　there　you　mention　another　motive　I　have；　for　not　being　too　hasty　in　my　declaration　to　Miss　Wyllys。　I　could　wish　to　convince　her　that　my　attachment　is　sincere。〃

〃Certainly。　I　forget　twenty　times　a　day　that　she　is　now　a　fortune；　until　I　see　some　fellow；　like　William　Hunter；　or　Stryker；　paying　their　court　to　her。　I　have　never　been　accustomed　to　consider　her　in　that　light；　of　old。　In　fact　I　had　no　idea　of　her　reputation　as　an　heiress；　until　I　found　it　so　well　established　when　I　arrived　here。　But　Saratoga　is　just　the　place　to　make　such　discoveries。　I　was　quite　behind　the　age　in　every　respect；　it　seems；　for　although　it　did　not　require　much　penetration　to　find　out　your　secret；　Ellsworth；　yet　I　was　taken　entirely　by　surprise。　You　never　made　any　allusion　to　anything　of　the　kind；　in　your　letters　to　me。〃

〃It　was　so　seldom　that　I　met　Miss　Wyllys；　that　for　a　time　my　mind　was　undecided。　But；　of　course；　I　should　have　written　you　word；　if　anything　had　been　finally　settled；　even　if　you　had　not　come　to　look　after　me　in　propria　persona。〃

Having　reached　their　hotel；　the　gentlemen　parted。　Mr。　Ellsworth　would；　in　all　probability；　have　been　less　communicative　with　his　friend　Hazlehurst；　on　the　subject　of　their　recent　conversation；　had　he　been　aware　of　the　state　of　things　which　formerly　existed　between　Elinor　and　himself。　He　had　only　heard　some　vague　stories　of　an　engagement　between　them；　but　had　always　supposed　it　mere　gossip；　from　having　seen　Harry's　attention　to　Jane；　when　they　were　all　in　Paris　together；　while　he　knew；　on　the　other　hand；　that　Hazlehurst　had　always　been　on　the　most　intimate　terms　with　the　Wyllyses；　as　a　family　connexion。　He　was　aware　that　Harry　had　been　very　much　in　love　with　Miss　Graham；　for　he　had　remarked　it　himself；　and　he　supposed　that　if　there　had　ever　been　any　foundation　for　the　report　of　an　engagement　with　Elinor；　it　had　probably　been　a　mere　childish　caprice；　soon　broken；　and　which　had　left　no　lasting　impression　on　either　party。



CHAPTER　IX　｛XXXII｝。

〃Nor　have　these　eyes；　by　greener　hills　Been　soothed；　in　all　my　wanderings。〃　WORDSWORTH。

｛William　Wordsworth　（English　poet；　1770…1850）；　〃Yarrow　Visited；　September　1814〃　lines　11…12｝

CHARLIE　HUBBARD　had　been　at　Lake　George　for　some　days；　and　it　was　a　settled　thing；　that　after　he　had　established　himself　there；　and　fixed　upon　a　point　for　his　picture；　his　friends　from　Saratoga　were　to　pay　him　a　visit。　Accordingly；　the　Wyllyses；　with　a　party　large　enough　to　fill　a　coach；　set　out　for　the　excursion；　leaving　Mrs。　Stanley；　Jane；　her　sister；　Mrs。　Hazlehurst；　and　their　children；　at　the　Springs。　The　weather　was　fine；　and　they　set　out　gaily；　with　pleasant　prospects　before　them。

Charlie　was　very　glad　to　see　them；　and　as　he　had　already　been　some　time　on　the　ground；　he　thought　himself　qualified　to　play　cicerone。　Most　of　the　party　had　a　relish　for　natural　scenery；　and　of　course　they　were　prepared　to　enjoy　very　much；　a　visit　to　such　a　lovely　spot。　Robert　Hazlehurst；　it　is　true；　was　indifferent　to　everything　of　the　kind；　he　acknowledged　himself　a　thorough　utilitarian　in　taste；　and　avowed　his　preference　for　a　muddy　canal；　running　between　fields；　well　covered　with　corn　and　pumpkins；　turnips　and　potatoes；　rather　than　the　wildest　lake；　dotted　with　useless　islands；　and　surrounded　with　inaccessible　Alps；　but　as　he　frankly　confessed　his　want　of　taste；　and　assured　his　friends　that　he　accompanied　them　only　for　the　sake　of　their　society；　they　were　bound　to　overlook　the　defect。　Mr。　Stryker　also　said　a　great　deal　about　his　indifference　towards　les　ormeaux；　les　rameaux；　et　les　hameaux；　affecting　much　more　than　he　felt；　and　affirming　that　the　only　lakes　he　liked；　were　the　ponds　of　the　Tuileries；　and　the　parks　of　London；　the　only　trees；　those　of　the　Boulevards；　and　as　for　villages；　he　could　never　endure　one；　not　even　the　Big　Village　of　Washington。　He　only　came；　he　said；　because　he　must　follow　the　ladies；　and　was　particularly　anxious　to　give　Mrs。　Creighton　an　opportunity　of　finishing　his　education；　andto　fish。　Some　of　the　party　were：　sorry　he　had　joined　them；　but　Mrs。　Creighton　had　asked　him。

｛〃cicerone〃　=　guide　（Italian）；　〃les　ormeaux；　les　ram