elinor wyllys-2-第7章

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the　two　singing　angels　（〃perhaps　I　should　call　them　cherubs）　at　the　foot　of　the　throne。　He　commissioned　the　American　sculptor　Horatio　Greenough　（1805…1852）　to　sculpt　for　him　a　group　called　〃The　Chanting　Cherubs；〃　based　the　angels　or　cherubs｝

Mrs。　Hilson；　unwilling　to　be　thrown　out　of　the　conversation；　again　addressed　Elinor。

〃When　you　joined　us；　Miss　Wyllys；　we　were　speaking　of　the　fire　opposite　your　hotel。　Were　you　not　dreadfully　alarmed？　I　hear　you　were　there；　although　I　did　not　find　you　at　home　when　I　called。〃

〃We　were　disturbed；　of　course；　but　I　can't　say　that　we　were　personally　alarmed。　The　wind；　you　may　remember；　carried　everything　in　the　opposite　direction。〃

〃Did　it？　Well；　I　was　too　much　frightened　to　notice　anything；　you　know　it　was　in　the　same　block　as　our　boarding…house。〃

〃Yes；　you　were　nearer　the　danger　than　we　were。〃

〃Oh；　I　was　dreadfully　frightened。　There　was　one　of　our　ladies　wanted　to　persuade　me　to　look　at　Trinity　Church；　lighted　up　by　the　fire；　I　believe　she　really　thought　it　a　fascinating　sight。　Here　comes　a　gentleman　who　was　staying　at　your　hotel；　and　has　not　got　over　his　fright　yet；　it　is　one　of　my　escortsI　have　two；　the　Baron　and　this　gentleman；　but　the　Baron　is　not　on　deck　nowlet　me　introduce　you；　Monsieur　Bonnet；　Miss　Wyllys。　I　do　believe；　Monsieur　Bonnet；　you　were　as　much　alarmed　as　I　was。〃

〃AlarmAh；　Madame；　I　was　ebloui　by　the　fire。　In　all　my　life；　I　never　saw　real　incendie　before；　though；　of　course；　I　saw　the　Panorama　of　the　incendie　de　MoscouI　was　not　in　Russie　with　l'Empereur。　At　the　spectacle　we　have　incendies　sometimes；　but　never　in　the　street。　Ah；　I　did　not　see　that　house　until　the　roof　fall；　when　light　burst　through　my　volets；　and　I　spring　to　the　window。〃

｛〃ebloui〃　=　dazzled；　〃incendie　de　Moscou〃　=　the　fire　which　destroyed　Moscow　in　1812；　while　it　was　being　occupied　by　the　Emperor　Napoleon；　〃spectacle〃　=　theater；　〃volets〃　=　shutters　（French）｝

〃I　should　have　thought　the　noise　would　have　called　you　out　before　that。〃

〃Du　tout；　when　I　hear　cries；　and　people　marching；　I　think　tout　bonnement　it　was　an　emeute；　and　I　turn　round　to　finish　my　sleep；　I　think　myself　happy　not　to　belong　to　the　Garde　Nationale　of　New　York；　and　not　be　afraid　of　the　rappel。〃

｛〃du　tout〃　=　not　at　all；　〃tout　bonnement〃　=　simply；　〃emeute〃　=　riot；　〃rappel〃　=　call　to　arms　（French）｝

〃What　did　you　think　it　was？〃

〃An　emeute；　sans　doute；　say　I　to　myself。　It　was　un　tintamarre　epouvantable。〃

｛〃un　tintamarre　epouvantable〃　=　a　frightful　uproar　（French）｝

〃Emeute；　pray；　what　is　that？〃

〃Emeute？　A　little　revolution；　as　we　have　in　Paris　constamment。〃

〃Why；　my　dear　sir；　our　revolutionary　war　took　place　more　than　fifty　years　ago。　Did　you　expect　to　find　us　fighting　now？〃

〃Certainement；　I　thought　the　wheel　I　hear　was　cannon。　But　mon　ami　Eel…SUN　tell　me　next　day；　there　is　incendie　every　night　somewhere　in　New　York。　Un　drole　de　divertisement；　vraiment。　It　is　a　great　desagrement；　of　a　city　otherwise　so　beautiful；　with　so　many　charming　ladies。〃

｛〃un　drole　de　divertisement；　vraiment〃　=　truly；　a　strange　form　of　entertainment。　〃desagrement〃　=　unpleasant　feature　（French）｝

〃Thank　you；　sir；　you　are　very　polite。　I　believe；　Miss　Wyllys；　that　French　gentlemen；　no　matter　what　they　talk　about；　always　find　an　opportunity　to　pay　a　compliment。〃

〃C'est　tout　naturel；　cela　va　sans　dire；　it　is　only　our　devoir；　Madame；　to　exprimer　to　the　ladies　some　of　the　many　agreeable　things　they　inspire。〃

｛〃C'est　tout　naturel。。。〃　=　it's　only　natural；　it　goes　without　saying；　it　is　only　our　duty；　Madame；　to　express　to　the　ladies。。。　（French）｝

〃Worse　and　worse；〃　said　Mrs。　Hilson；　laughing。　〃How　different　you　are　from　Captain　Kockney；　he　never　said　a　civil　thing　to　me；　all　the　time　he　was　in　New　York。〃

〃Le　capitaine　Coquenais　was　an　Anglais；　who　cannot　feel　the　true　politesse　Francaise。〃

〃He　used　to　say　it　is　not　aristocratic　to　be　polite　to　other　people；　he　belongs　to　the　English　aristocracy；　you　know。〃

〃L'aristocratie！　Oh；　that　is　a　vile　state　of　things。　La　vieille　aristocratie　of　France；　Madame；　was　the　cause　of　our　revolution。　But　in　France　now；　and　in　America；　those　happy　countree；　the　spirit　of　aristocracy　is　extinct。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　Monsieur　Bonnet；〃　said　Mrs。　Hilson；　quite　indignantly。　〃It　is　true　there　are　many　plebeians　in　this　country；　but　we　have　also　many　people　of　the　highest　aristocracy。〃

〃Ah；　vous　plaisantez　avec　tant　de　grace；　Madame！〃

｛〃vous　plaisantez。。。。〃　=　You　joke　so　gracefully；　Madame　（French）｝

〃It　is　pleasant；　certainly；　to　me；　though　some　people　may　not　appreciate　it。　I　am　a　very　aristocratic　spirit。〃

〃Ah；　sans　doute；　Madame；　you　have　so　much　esprit；　you　laugh　at　me；〃　said　the　Frenchman；　who　took　Mrs。　Hilson's　protestation　as　a　joke。

｛〃esprit〃　=　wit　（French）｝

〃No；　indeed；　I　never　was　more　serious　in　my　life。　I　should　suppose　you　would　have　been　struck　with　the　high　state　of　aristocracy　at　our　boarding…house；　for　instance。〃

Monsieur　Bonnet　could　only　shrug　his　shoulders；　being　quite　at　a　loss　for　the　lady's　meaning。

〃Yes；　I　am　thoroughly　patrician　and　aristocratic；　if　we　only　had　a　despotic　government；　to　take　away　all　privileges　from　plebeians；　I　should　be　perfectly　happy。　My　language　surprises　you；　I　perceive；　but　it　is　quite　natural　that　a　descendant　of　a　Scotch　Baronet；　the　Duke　of　Percy；　should　have　similar　feelings。〃

More　and　more　bewildered；　Monsieur　Bonnet　was　reduced　to　a　bow。　Happily；　as　he　thought；　the　warning　bell　was　rung；　and　the　usual　cry；　〃Passengers　for　West　Point　please　look　out　for　their　baggage！〃　changed　the　current　of　Mrs。　Hilson's　ideas；　or　rather　the　flow　of　her　words。

In　another　moment；　Mrs。　Hilson　and　Monsieur　Bonnet；　with　a　score　or　two　of　others；　were　landed　at　West　Point；　and　the　ladies　of　Mr。　Wyllys's　party　felt　it　no　little　relief　to　be　rid　of　so　much　aristocracy。

The　boat　had　soon　reached　Poughkeepsie；　and　much　to　Mr。　Ellsworth's　regret；　Mr。　Wyllys　and　his　family　went　on　shore。　Mr。　Ellsworth　had　been　introduced　to　Elinor　at　Jane's　wedding。　He　was　a　man　of　thirty；　a　widower；　with　an　only　child；　and　had　for　several　years　been　thinking　of　marrying　again。　After　having　made　up　his　mind　to　take　the　step；　he　next　determined　that　he　would　not　marry　in　a　hurry。　He　was　not　a　man　of　quick　passions；　and　was　sometimes　accused　of　being　fastidious　in　his　tastes。　He　thought　Elinor's　manner　charming；　and　soon　discovered　that　she　had　every　recommendation　but　beauty；　the　want　of　which　was　her　only　drawback；　he　liked　her　family；　and　probably　was　not　sorry　to　hear　that　she　would　have　a　large　property。　But；　unfortunately；　he　seldom　met　Miss　Elinor　Wyllys；　she　was　a　great　part　of　her　time　in　the　country；　and　he　knew　nobody　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood。　He　had　not　been　asked　to　Wyllys…Roof；　nor　was　he；　a　very　recent　acquaintance；　on　terms　sufficiently　intimate；　to　present　himself　at　the　door；　bag　and　baggage；　without　an　invitation。　More　than　a　twelvemonth　intervened；　in　the　mean　time；　but　he　was　still　thinking　enough　of　Elinor　to　make　him　wish　for　a　meeting；　when；　accidentally；　they　passed　a　few　days　together　at　Old　Point　Comfort；　and　afterwards　met　again；　not　exactly　by　accident　it　is　believed；　at　the　Sulphur　Springs；　in　Virginia。　His　good　opinion　of　Elinor　was　not　only　confirmed　by　this　intercourse；　but　his　admiration　very　much　increased。　It　was　only　natural　it　should　be　so；　the　more　one　knew　Elinor；　the　more　one　loved　her；　good　sense；　intelligence；　sweetness　of　disposition　like　her's；　united　to　the　simple　grace　of　manner；　peculiarly　her　own；　were　best　appreciated　by　those　who　saw　her　daily。　Quite　unaware　of　Mr。　Ellsworth's　views；　and　unconsciously　influenced　at　first；　perhaps；　by　the　fact　that　he　was　an　old　friend　of　Harry's；　she　soon　liked　him　as　a　companion；　and　received　him　with　something　more　than　mere　politeness。　〃It　is　always　pleasant　to　meet　with　an　agreeable；　gentlemanly；　well…informed　man；〃　thought　Elinor：　a　train　of　reflection　which　has　sometimes　carried　young　ladies　farther　than　they　at　first　intended。　Under　such　circumstances；　some　ardent　spirits　would　have　settled　the　question　during　a　fortnight　passed　with　the　lady　they　admired；　but　Mr。　Ellsworth；　though　he　thought　Elinor's　manner　encouraging；　did　not　care　to　hazard　a　hasty　declarat