elinor wyllys-2-第78章

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=　from　William　Cowper　（English　poet；　1731…1800）；　〃Hope〃　line　25｝

Adeline　is　improved　in　many　respects；　her　mother's　advice　has　had　a　good　effect　on　her；　still　it　is　amusing　to　see　her　already　training　up　several　little　girls　for　future　belles；　on　her　own　pattern；　rather　it　is　believed　to　the　annoyance　of　her　quiet　husband。　Emma　Taylor　is　decidedly　less　lively；　she　too　having　in　some　measure　composed　herself；　after　achieving　belle…ship　and　matrimony。

Mr。　and　Mrs。　Uncle　Dozie　removed　from　Longbridge　not　long　after　their　marriage；　they　have　since　returned　there　again；　and　now；　by　the　last　accounts；　they　are　again　talking　of　leaving　the　place。

Mrs。　Hilson　still　continues　to　annoy　her　family　with　a　persevering　ingenuity；　for　which　certain　silly　women　appear　peculiarly　well　qualified；　at　times　she　talks　of　taking　the　veil　in　a　nunnery；　at　others；　of　again　entering　the　bands　of　Hymen　with　some　English　aristocrat　of　illustrious　lineage；　she　confesses　that　either　step　would　be　sufficiently　romantic　and　aristocratic　to　suit　her　refined　tastes；　but　which　she　will　eventually　adopt　cannot　yet　be　known。　Fortunately；　her　sister　Emmeline　has　profited　much　more　than　the　〃city　lady〃　herself　by　the　follies　of　the　past；　she　has　lately　married　a　respectable　man；　one　of　their　Longbridge　neighbours；　much　to　her　father's　satisfaction。

Mary　Van　Alstyne　remains　single；　and　passes　much　of　her　time　with　Elinor。

Some　eighteen　months　after　Harry's　marriage；　one　evening　as　he　was　sitting　on　the　piazza　at　Wyllys…Roof；　he　received　a　letter　which　made　him　smile；　calling　Elinor　from　the　drawing…room；　he　communicated　the　contents　to　her。　It　was　from　Ellsworth；　announcing　his　approaching　marriage　with　the　lovely　Mrs。　Taylor；　or　in　other　words；　our　friend　Jane。　Harry　laughed　a　good　deal；　and　coloured　a　little　too；　as　he　plainly　saw　by　the　tone　of　the　letter；　that　his　friend　was　going　through　precisely　the　same　process　as　himself；　during　his　Paris　days；　when　he　first　discovered　such　wisdom　in　the　depths　of　Jane's　dark　eyes；　such　delicacy　of　sentiment　in　the　purity　of　her　complexion；　such　tenderness　in　every　common　smile　of　her　beautiful　lips。　Ellsworth；　however；　would　probably　not　find　out　as　soon　as　himself；　that　all　these　beauties　made　up　a　lovely　picture　indeed；　but　nothing　more；　for　his　friend　was　an　accepted　suitor；　and　might　indulge　himself　by　keeping　agreeable　fancies　alive　as　long　as　he　chose；　while　Harry　had　been　rather　rudely　awakened　from　his　trance　by　very　shabby　treatment　in　the　first　place；　and　a　refusal　at　last。　To　Hazlehurst；　the　most　amusing　part　of　Ellsworth's　story　was；　an　allusion　to　a　certain　resemblance　in　character　between　Mrs。　Taylor　and　'one　whom　he　had　so　much　admired；　one　whom　he　must　always　admire。'

〃Now；　Elinor；　do　me　the　justice　to　say　I　was　never　half　so　bad　as　that；　I　never　pretended　to　think　Jane　like　you；　in　one　good　quality。〃

〃It　would　be　a　pity　if　you　hadJane　has　good　qualities　of　her　own。　But　I　am　rejoiced　to　hear　the　news；　it　is　an　excellent　match　for　both　parties。〃

〃Yes；　though　Jane　is　a　lovely　puppet；　and　nothing　more；　yet　it　is　a　good　match　on　that　very　account；　Ellsworth　will　look　after　her。　It　is　to　be　hoped　they　are　satisfied；　I　think　we　are；　my　sweet　wife；　don't　you？〃

His　frank；　natural；　affectionate　smile　as　he　spoke；　was　tolerably　satisfactory；　certainly　as　to　his　estimate　of　his　own　fate；　and　it　is　to　be　hoped　the　reader　is　by　this　time　sufficiently　well　acquainted　with　Elinor　and　Harry；　to　credit　his　account　of　the　matter。　From　all　we　know　of　both；　we　are　ourselves　disposed　to　believe　them　very　well　qualified　to　pass　through　life　happily　together；　making　the　cheerful　days　pleasanter；　and　the　dark　hours　less　gloomy　to　each　other。

Harry　seems　to　have　given　up　his　diplomatic　pursuits　for　the　present　at　least；　he　remains　at　home；　making　himself　useful　both　in　private　and　public　life。　Last　year　he　and　Elinor　were　at　the　Rip…Raps；　accompanied　by　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Miss　Agnes；　and　a　little　family　of　their　ownseveral　engaging；　clever；　well…trained　children。　The　little　girls；　without　being　beauties；　are　not　plain；　they　are　indeed　quite　as　pretty　as　Jane's　daughters；　the　only　ugly　face　in　the　young　troop　belongs　to　a　fine…spirited　little　fellow；　to　whom　it　is　of　no　consequence　at　all；　as　he　has　just　discarded　his　petticoats　for　ever。　Perhaps　both　father　and　mother　are　pleased　that　such　is　the　case；　the　feeling　would　seem　to　be　one　of　those　weaknesses　which　will　linger　about　every　parent's　heart。　Yet　Elinor　acknowledges　that　she　is　herself　a　happy　woman　without　beauty；　and　Harry；　loving　her　as　he　does　for　a　thousand　good　reasons；　and　inclinations；　and　partialities；　sometimes　actually　believes　that　he　loves　her　the　better　for　that　plain　face　which　appeals　to　his　more　generous　feelings。　Many　men　will　always　laugh　at　an　ugly　woman；　and　the　idea　of　loving　her；　but　is　it　an　error　in　Hazlehurst's　biographer　to　suppose　that　there　are　others　who；　placed　in　similar　circumstances；　would　feel　as　Harry　felt？

｛〃the　Rip…Raps〃　=　sea　resort　at　Hampton；　Virginia；　near　Old　Point　Comfort；　where　Mr。　Ellsworth　had　seen　Elinor　in　Vol。　II；　Chapter　II｝　





End　Volume　2