登陆注册
38037500000005

第5章 Chapter 2(2)

Sir Walter would quit Kellynch Hall; and after a very few days more of doubt and indecision, the great question of whither he should go was settled, and the first outline of this important change made out.

There had been three alternatives, London, Bath, or another house in the country. All Anne's wishes had been for the latter.

A small house in their own neighbourhood, where they might still have Lady Russell's society, still be near Mary, and still have the pleasure of sometimes seeing the lawns and groves of Kellynch, was the object of her ambition. But the usual fate of Anne attended her, in having something very opposite from her inclination fixed on.

She disliked Bath, and did not think it agreed with her; and Bath was to be her home.

Sir Walter had at first thought more of London; but Mr Shepherd felt that he could not be trusted in London, and had been skillful enough to dissuade him from it, and make Bath preferred. It was a much safer place for a gentleman in his predicament: he might there be important at comparatively little expense. Two material advantages of Bath over London had of course been given all their weight: its more convenient distance from Kellynch, only fifty miles, and Lady Russell's spending some part of every winter there; and to the very great satisfaction of Lady Russell, whose first views on the projected change had been for Bath, Sir Walter and Elizabeth were induced to believe that they should lose neither consequence nor enjoyment by settling there.

Lady Russell felt obliged to oppose her dear Anne's known wishes.

It would be too much to expect Sir Walter to descend into a small house in his own neighbourhood. Anne herself would have found the mortifications of it more than she foresaw, and to Sir Walter's feelings they must have been dreadful. And with regard to Anne's dislike of Bath, she considered it as a prejudice and mistake arising, first, from the circumstance of her having been three years at school there, after her mother's death; and secondly, from her happening to be not in perfectly good spirits the only winter which she had afterwards spent there with herself.

Lady Russell was fond of Bath, in short, and disposed to think it must suit them all; and as to her young friend's health, by passing all the warm months with her at Kellynch Lodge, every danger would be avoided; and it was in fact, a change which must do both health and spirits good. Anne had been too little from home, too little seen. Her spirits were not high. A larger society would improve them. She wanted her to be more known.

The undesirableness of any other house in the same neighbourhood for Sir Walter was certainly much strengthened by one part, and a very material part of the scheme, which had been happily engrafted on the beginning. He was not only to quit his home, but to see it in the hands of others; a trial of fortitude, which stronger heads than Sir Walter's have found too much.

Kellynch Hall was to be let. This, however, was a profound secret, not to be breathed beyond their own circle.

Sir Walter could not have borne the degradation of being known to design letting his house. Mr Shepherd had once mentioned the word "advertise," but never dared approach it again. Sir Walter spurned the idea of its being offered in any manner; forbad the slightest hint being dropped of his having such an intention; and it was only on the supposition of his being spontaneously solicited by some most unexceptionable applicant, on his own terms, and as a great favour, that he would let it at all.

How quick come the reasons for approving what we like! Lady Russell had another excellent one at hand, for being extremely glad that Sir Walter and his family were to remove from the country. Elizabeth had been lately forming an intimacy, which she wished to see interrupted.

It was with the daughter of Mr Shepherd, who had returned, after an unprosperous marriage, to her father's house, with the additional burden of two children. She was a clever young woman, who understood the art of pleasing--the art of pleasing, at least, at Kellynch Hall; and who had made herself so acceptable to Miss Elliot, as to have been already staying there more than once, in spite of all that Lady Russell, who thought it a friendship quite out of place, could hint of caution and reserve.

Lady Russell, indeed, had scarcely any influence with Elizabeth, and seemed to love her, rather because she would love her, than because Elizabeth deserved it. She had never received from her more than outward attention, nothing beyond the observances of complaisance; had never succeeded in any point which she wanted to carry, against previous inclination. She had been repeatedly very earnest in trying to get Anne included in the visit to London, sensibly open to all the injustice and all the discredit of the selfish arrangements which shut her out, and on many lesser occasions had endeavoured to give Elizabeth the advantage of her own better judgement and experience; but always in vain: Elizabeth would go her own way; and never had she pursued it in more decided opposition to Lady Russell than in this selection of Mrs Clay; turning from the society of so deserving a sister, to bestow her affection and confidence on one who ought to have been nothing to her but the object of distant civility.

From situation, Mrs Clay was, in Lady Russell's estimate, a very unequal, and in her character she believed a very dangerous companion; and a removal that would leave Mrs Clay behind, and bring a choice of more suitable intimates within Miss Elliot's reach, was therefore an object of first-rate importance.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 销售员实战心法

    销售员实战心法

    销售心态作为销售员的一种职业素质是可以培养和修炼的。本书为读者提供的正是一套简单易学,行之有效的销售心法。本书在针对销售人员在销售和培训中遇到的问题,为销售人员提供了修炼良好销售心态的多种技巧。书中通过大量的案例来说明,怎样运用八大制胜销售心态来超越自己,创造销售业绩的奇迹。如果你正奋战在销售第一线,本书会帮你跨越心理障碍,培育强有力的销售心态,实现超高业绩。如果你正领导着一个销售团队,本书会帮你培训优秀的销售员,打造战无不胜的销售团队。
  • 战始长歌

    战始长歌

    她身负灭国之恨,杀亲之仇。手染鲜血,一心只为复国。那一年初见,她一身白衣,言笑晏晏,救他于危难,他一见倾心;再见,她银甲红袍手握长枪,血染战场。他退兵十里以报当年相救之情,从此他们是战场敌人,生死较量胜者为王。狼烟遍地,哀鸿遍野,他盯着她的双眸,逐字逐句的问她:“木长歌,这就是你要的?”当一切真相大白,水落石出。木长歌发现,自己一直坚信不疑的真相不过是层层谎言掩盖下的欺骗。一直以来支撑她走下去的信念顷刻间轰然倒塌,如果这世间连亲情都可以被利用,连至亲至爱之人的话都不可信,那还有什么是可信的呢?长歌当哭,从此以后木长歌再也不会哭泣。
  • 白氏药庐

    白氏药庐

    白元芯,一个浑身都是秘密的半吊子大夫,在一次地震之后,不得不背井离乡的离开隐居了千年的洞府,重新出现在世人的眼前。一心想要隐居深山的白元芯这次失算了,每次想借故消失,都会被同一个男人给逮个正着。“我真的只是一个未成年少女,我什么都不知道,求你放我走吧,555555。”白元芯第N次假哭求饶。男人全程漠视白元芯眼泪鼻涕一把的邋遢样:“当我傻?每次你都恰好出现,哪有那么多的巧合,你是谁的人,老实交代,坦白从宽,抗拒从严。”白元芯泪流满面????,只差对天发誓了:“真的是巧合啊,我能说我其实是在找隐居之地吗?”两个互相讨厌的人,也不知道从什么时候开始,竟然变成了最佳拍档。经过一次次的危险,白元芯才发现自己身上有太多的隐藏技能,更是一步步的发现自己的身世之谜。
  • 青春爱恋:冷校草的小逃妻

    青春爱恋:冷校草的小逃妻

    [我不能保证,点击本书的人会喜欢本书,或者收藏本书。但是,我只能说自己一直在努力!请求大家给个机会,支持我!谢谢!]她,曾是一个人人宠爱的小公主,一夜之间变成弃儿,父母双亡。一直陪她长大的好闺蜜居然是对她步步相逼,步步陷害,她却毫无知情?他,是一个赫赫有名企业董事的私生子。当他遇到了她,凌亦宸:“小白兔,不许你再逃。好好留下来陪我。”韩云萱:“哼!不要用吻过别人的嘴跟我讲话!”“小白兔,你在吃醋嘛?”某妖孽一笑。某女倾城回眸:“我才没有。哼!”“乖,你逃不掉,安安静静陪着我,给我生一堆娃。”“……怕你养不起!”“爷穷的只剩下钱了。”
  • 一笺恩思

    一笺恩思

    释迦恩vs容笺。容笺嘴硬心软又双标,迦恩内心刚硬遇容笺误终身。释迦恩自出生起便有显赫的身份,天生的神力,父母恩爱,是被幸福围绕长大的孩子。容笺出生便被自己的母亲封印住一半血脉,从小就要告诉他复仇,向他的父亲复仇。容笺一直以为天帝是他的父亲,但等到血脉觉醒,才知道一切都是阴谋。看他们如何强强联手,推翻这场阴谋。
  • 那时遇见了你

    那时遇见了你

    一段刻骨铭心的爱恋,一段永久的回忆~(不论过去多少年,王小越永远都不会忘记2017年7月10日,那是她和林迁相识的第一天)
  • 晓魇

    晓魇

    你相信自己的梦么,你相信某个晚上当你仰望星空的时候会听见星星说话么,你怀疑过自己到底来自哪里么?或许突然一个晚上,所有的事情都变了。
  • 三国之霸业徐州

    三国之霸业徐州

    军工硕士陶应因研发大规模杀伤性武器失败,回到了战乱纷争的汉末徐州。194年的徐州曹操兵临城下欲屠尽徐州鸡犬不留,刘备城中大获人心,还有吕布骑着赤兔马滴滴地赶往徐州的路上,而他不幸穿越成了人见人恨的陶谦二子……英雄辈出的汉末有人弹指间樯橹灰飞烟灭,有人一声怒吼吓退百万雄师,而弱小的陶应只有一个愿望,那就是——保卫徐州!
  • 西游记之破仙局

    西游记之破仙局

    当年,唐三藏带三徒弟西天取经,修了正果,成了佛;或许是一个局,一个惊天大局。而孙悟道就要破这棋局,就要让这天地变色。
  • 绝对划分

    绝对划分

    纵横黑白两道数年的沈浪胎穿了,胎穿的沈爷从娘胎里就开始修炼,别的婴儿肚子里长身体,沈浪肚子里长修为。于是他出生的那天,终于锤炼出了最强的天赋和血脉。沈浪:“这就是传说中的,赢在起跑线上!”