Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

Two days later, Miss Ley arrived in Tkenbury as scheduled, Bella met her at the station, and told her that, according to their arrangement, the wedding had not yet been announced.Bella only said that Herbert Field would come to her house for tea that day so that she could introduce him to her father.The presiding pastor happily received Miss Ley. "Honey, it's really an honor for our remote place to have you come." He took her hand and said. "Don't touch my hand, Algernon. I'm still afraid of being proposed to me on Saturday night." "Oh, Mary, please do tell us the whole story," cried Miss Langton cheerfully.

"No! I told Algernon this only because I noticed that men in general don't pay much attention to a woman unless she is marriageable." "Why didn't you bring your friend Dr. Herrier?" asked the pastor. "I bought a Latin curio today with seventeenth-century writing on it. I'm sure he will be very interested." "Dear Algernon, you speak as if he could read the words! Besides, I think it's good enough that you can hold a sign out of the ashes at a time." "Ah, Polly, I don't want to stand in your shoes and think on Judgment Day," he replied, his eyes fluttering.

"I very much doubt you will be able to step in," replied Miss Ley quickly, stretching her small, graceful foot forward. "My dear, it's the sin of pride!" said our presiding pastor, wagging his finger at Miss Ley. "All kinds of pride, for only Satan himself can be satisfied with his excellent understanding." "Algernon, I don't care—if you say I am, I am," replied Miss Ley, smiling. "I know I'm not stupid, and besides, my gloves have six fingers." The servants brought in the tea, and presently Herbert Field joined him.Our presiding pastor, who is fascinated by all things young, shook his hand warmly.

"I've heard Bella mention you. For some reason, she's always been reluctant to let me see you." He told the boy about his old school, but found the boy interested in Tkenbury antiquities, and suppressed his enthusiasm.The presiding priest brought out some relics of the city's old churches from his recent collection.Bella observed the old and the young in front of her. The young handsome face was in contrast with her father's white hair and kind face under the lamp.She was delighted with the friendship that seemed to be developing between the two, and especially hoped that they could spend a few more evenings together sharing ideas about books and pictures; while she could look after them as if they were hers child like that.

"Now that you have taken the first step, you must come often," said the old vicar, shaking the young man's hand, as Herbert bade him good-bye. "I will show you my study, and, If you like old books, I dare say I have plenty of copies you'd want to get your hands on." "It is very kind of you," replied Herbert, blushing a little, for our chaplain's old-fashioned zeal was so irresistible, and because he had to take his daughter afterward, it plunged him into In the midst of great sadness, the warmth and friendliness of the moment is therefore all the more worthy.

After Herbert left, the old vicar said he must go back to his study to finish an article for a scholarly journal on orators in the post-Roman period. "Dad, can you stay a little longer?" Bella asked. "I have something to tell you." "Of course, dear," he replied, and sat down.Then he turned to Miss Ley and said with a smile: "In the past, when Bella had something important to announce, my heart would sink to the bottom of my feet, because I always expected her to announce her impending marriage. But Now, I'm at peace because she's always courting me at times like this, just to get some voiceless child into the choir, or to provide a home for some widow who should be cared for."

"Do you think I'm too old to get married now?" Bella asked, laughing. "My dear, for twenty years you have turned away all those qualified and ambitious young men. Shall we tell Polly the story of the last one?" "You tell me." "Just two months ago one of our clergymen solemnly proposed to Bella. But she turned him down because he has seven children by his first wife." "Aside from that, he's a very boring man," Bella replied. "You're talking nonsense, my dear; he owns the first edition of The Pilgrim's Progress."

"Do you like Mr. Field?" Bella asked softly. "Very much," replied the father. "He seems like a quiet, unassuming young man." "Papa, I'm glad to hear that, because I'm engaged to him." The chaplain then began to wheeze; it took him so much that for a long time he could not speak, and then he began to tremble.Miss Langton watched him anxiously. "It can't be, Bella," he said at last, "you must be joking." "why?" "He is twenty years younger than you." "Yes, that's true. If it weren't for his consumption, I wouldn't want to marry him. I'd rather be his nurse than his wife."

"But he's not a gentleman," said the father, looking at her gravely. "Father, how can you say that!" Bella blushed and cried angrily. "I have never met a man with a gentleman's heart like him. He is so kind and pure." "Women never know anything about these things. They can never tell if a man is a gentleman. What does his father do?" "His father was a merchant. But a heart is more important than a crown." The priest bit his lips.At this moment, he had recovered from the shock, and stood in front of Bella with a serious and indifferent expression.

"But, I venture to say, a good heart does not make a gentleman. Polly would agree with me." "The biggest bastard I ever knew was Lord William Heather," Miss Ley said, turning. "He was a liar, a blackmailer. He committed all crimes, big and small, but by some miraculous He was never thrown into jail because of his reasons and the influence of his family. Yet no one would deny the idea that he was a gentleman. I have never met a gentleman like him. It can be seen that gentlemanliness has nothing to do with the Ten Commandments .” "Don't you join me against me, Mary," cried Bella, "I want your help." She went to her father and took his hand. "Dear papa, this was not a decision I made on the spur of the moment. I have given the matter serious consideration, and I assure you that my motives were neither base nor worthless. I am willing to Do anything in pain, I do it because I know it is my responsibility. I beg you to agree to this marriage, I beg you to think about it, all these years, I have been doing it for you to be able to Give up your own life to live better."

Father let go of his hand. "I didn't know that you thought it was a tiresome task," he replied coldly, "and, how do you know this man is willing to marry you?" He grabbed Bella's arm with all his might Dragging Bella to the mirror, "Look at yourself. Do you think a boy would want to marry someone old enough to be his mother?" He began to take a sharp look at his daughter's face and the wrinkles around her mouth. "Look at your own hands. They're almost old women's hands. I misjudged your friend. He's just an unscrupulous marriage-rich man." Bella turned around with a sigh.She couldn't understand how her gentle father could become so cruel. "I know I'm old and not pretty," she cried, "and I don't think Herbert loves me. It would never have occurred to him to marry me if I hadn't suggested it first. But only if he Take it abroad to save his life." The priest bowed his head in thought for a moment. "Bella, if he gets sick and has to go abroad for recuperation, I'll pay for everything he needs." "But Daddy, I love him," she replied, blushing. "Are you serious?" "yes." Next, tears began to flow from his eyes and slowly trickled down his cheeks.When he answered again, the previous rigidity had disappeared, and his voice became choked. "Bella, are you going to leave me alone? Can't you wait until I'm dead? I won't live long." "Father, don't say that. Heaven knows, I don't mean to make you miserable. It hurts me to think of leaving you. Let me marry him and go to Italy with us. Then we will all three Very happy." However, at this time, our pastor withdrew his hand, wiped away his tears, and showed a stern look again. "No, Bella, I would never do that. I've been reminding myself all my life that I'm a Christian priest and that pride in my race is in my blood. I'm proud of my blood, and I'm going to way to honor it. But if you marry this man, you are not only insulting yourself, you are insulting me. How can you change your honorable last name for such a poor man standing at the counter! I have no right to prevent you from marrying , because I am but an old and helpless man, and you have made me completely dependent on you, but I have the right to ask you not to dishonor our family name." Miss Ley had never seen such a severe side of the gentle minister.An extraordinary rage had driven away the most charming qualities of the minister, and now there were only two rages on his cheeks.His voice was starting to be very harsh, and he just stood there, stern and grim, like one of those ancient Roman senators who knew their sacred duty.However, Bella was not moved in the slightest. "Dad, I'm sorry you're looking at it so narrowly. I've never considered it demeaning to take the last name of a man I love. Even if you disagree, I'm afraid I'll still go by my willing to act." He looked at her sharply for a moment. "Disobedience to your father is serious business, Bella. I think it's the first time in your life." "I understand that." "Then I tell you, if you leave this mansion and marry this man, neither you nor he will set foot in this house again." "Father, if it suits you, do it. I will always follow my husband." Then the presiding pastor walked out of the room slowly. "He's never going to change his mind," said Bella, turning to Miss Ley, despairingly, "because Bertha Ley married a farmer, and he's been refusing to see her. He behaves so gentlemanly." , so kind that people might think he's humble, but in fact, that's who he really is when he says that racial pride is in his blood. I guess, only I know, he How great is this pride." "Then what do you want to do now?" Miss Ley asked. "What else can I do? It means I can only choose between my father and Herbert, and now Herbert needs me more." They didn't see the presiding priest again until dinner time, and when he reappeared, he was again impeccably attired: silk stockings and shoes with belt buckles, almost attire.He sat down at the table in silence, barely eating, and unconcerned with the forced, trivial conversation at the table between Bella and Miss Ley.Tears streamed down his cheeks from time to time.He has always been a methodical person, and he always sits in the living room until ten o'clock at night.So, in this case, he sat like everyone else and picked up the Guardian, but Bella noticed that he wasn't reading because he was staring blankly at the same place for a long time , and from time to time took out a handkerchief to wipe tears.When the bell at last rang, he rose, looking very pitiful, weary and sullen. "Good night, Polly," he said, "I hope Bella can see that you have everything you want." He moved towards the door, but Miss Langton stopped him. "Dad, are you going to leave without kissing me? You know, it's like a knife cut my heart to see you so sad." "Bella, I don't think we need to discuss this anymore," he replied coldly. "As you remind me, you've reached the age where you can make your own decisions. I have nothing to say, but I I will stand by my decision." He stepped out again, and closed the door behind him; then, they heard the sound of his study door being locked. "He never used to go to bed without kissing me," Bella said bitterly. "Even when he came home late from going out, he would come to my room and say good night. Poor thing." Son, I may have caused him terrific pain." She looked at Miss Ley very painfully. "Mary, in one's life, it's really hard to be good to one person without hurting others! Responsibilities often point in two different directions, and the pleasure of performing a duty is far greater than that of others. Far less than the pain of ignoring the other party." "Do you want me to go talk to your father?" "It may not help if you go. You don't know what kind of indestructible heart lies behind his humility and gentleness." The pastor sat at his desk, buried his face in his hands, and when he finally went to bed, he couldn't sleep, just thinking about the possible changes in his life.What he thought of was not only what he would do without Bella, but also the incongruity and horror of the combination of young Herbert Field and Bella.The next day, he was even paler, slumped, and gaunt, and paced up and down the room incessantly.He silently avoided Bella's concerned eyes: due to the weakness of old age, he couldn't stop the tears that he regarded as shame, and wanted to hide his sadness to avoid arousing his daughter's sympathy.Miss Ley tried to reason with him, but it was of no avail.He showed a very stubborn look for a while, and started begging again for a while. "Polly, she can't leave me now," he said. "Doesn't she know I'm very old? Doesn't she know how much I need her? Let her wait, I don't want me to die." It's time for strangers to close my eyes." "But you will not die, my dear Algernon. The two largest branches of our family share two distinguishing traits: stubbornness and longevity; you have twenty more years to live. After all, Bella has given you That's a lot of work. Don't you realize that she's just trying to make a life of her own? Honey, you haven't noticed how she's changed over the years. She's not a girl anymore, she's an independent person now. There is indeed a price to pay when an unmarried woman starts to have her mind. I have always believed that human beings should not hinder the behavior of their neighbors for their own self-interest. Why can't you change and go with them What about Italy?" "I will soon begin to live alone until my death," he cried suddenly, in a sudden rage. "The women in our family have always married gentlemen. You pretend to ignore your birth, and therefore think you are open-minded. But I was born Convinced that my ancestors have bequeathed to me a noble name, I would rather die an early death than defile it. I will always be reminded of this whenever I am tempted throughout my life, if I am true to my Too proud of my race, I ask God to forgive me." He is truly unshakable.Miss Ley, who found this point of view extremely ridiculous, shrugged her shoulders and turned her head.The scene fell into silence, and on the following Friday, which was the day Bella and Herbert agreed to marry, Bella put on a travel outfit with a heavy heart.They will leave by train immediately after the ceremony, and take an afternoon boat to Calais, from which they will go directly to Milan.After Miss Ley told the presiding pastor about the arrangement, he didn't say a word.Bella goes to her father's study to say goodbye to him before leaving for church.She wanted to make one last attempt, hoping to soften her father and ask his forgiveness. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer; she turned the handle and found it locked. "Daddy, can I come in?" she called. "I'm busy," he replied in a trembling voice. "Please open the door, I just came to say goodbye and I'm leaving." There was a brief pause as Bella waited, her heart beating wildly. "Father," she called again. "I said, I'm busy, don't bother me." She sobbed a bit, then left. "I think virtue is the saddest thing," she murmured. Miss Ley was waiting for her in the corridor, and after the rendezvous they walked silently to the church where Bella's wedding was to be held.Herbert stood on the altar, and Bella was suddenly filled with courage again when she saw his warm and bright smile, and she no longer doubted the wisdom of her decision.Miss Ley made way for her.It was a very austere ceremony, but after that, in the chapel, Herbert kissed his bride tenderly.Bella then laughed with great excitement and fought back tears. "Thank goodness it's over!" she said. Their luggage had been sent to the station before them, so they walked slowly towards the station.Soon, the train arrived, and the happy couple officially embarked on their long journey.However, when the pastor realized that his daughter was gone, and left him forever, he walked out of the study.Distraught, he went to his daughter's room and saw everything was empty; he went to the living room, which was also empty.He sat for a while, yielding at last to his despairing grief as no one saw him.He asked himself what he could hope for in the future, and with folded hands, he prayed to God to end his extremely miserable life as soon as possible.After a while, he took off his hat and walked through the corridors to think quietly in the cathedral, which he loved so much.But in the left and right aisles of the cross-shaped church, he saw the huge shiny copper plate, on which were engraved the names of all the previous pastors: some strange Saxon names at first, which seemed slightly mysterious. and then some eminent names of Norman clergymen, so sacred that they are still recorded in the records of the Church of England, and are remembered by great preachers, scholars, and statesmen.And finally, his own name.He blushed suddenly and burned him with rage, for it occurred to him that his surname, which came after the most honorable and distinguished names, had henceforth been utterly defiled. At lunchtime, our pastor, trying to shake off the disappointment, began talking to Miss Ley about various innocuous matters.After a while Miss Ley looked at the clock on the wall. "Bella should be leaving Dover by now," she said. "Polly, I'd rather you didn't mention her to me," replied the vicar, his voice trembling though he tried to control himself, "I'm going to try to forget that I ever had a daughter." .” "I think humans are most keen on cutting off their noses to hurt their faces," she replied grimly. After that, Miss Ley expressed her desire to drive to Leanham and Ley Manor, and invited the priest to go with her, but the priest refused; so she had to tell the servants, and let the carriage be ready to leave at three o'clock. .She had not seen her ancestral house for many years since George II's birth; yet on careful inspection she recognized the familiar fields, the flat moors, and the shining sea , at this moment, she admired all this with partial eyes, and decided that the beautiful scenery in front of her was impossible in any other place.She drove to Leanham Church, and after getting the keys, she went inside to look at the stone and bronze sculptures that preserved the memory of her ancestors: a new plaque records the birth, death and Biography, with the name of his widow written on the lower part.Thinking that she and Edward Cradock's widow Bertha would end up next on the list, she couldn't help sighing: After them, the chapter of the Ley family ended, and the Burke handbook There will be no more information about them on those pages. "Whatever Algernon says," she murmured, "but they are fools. Families, like nations, are of interest only in their decline." She continued on and arrived at Rye Manor, where it was still as clean and tidy as before, and the houses looked like they were made of playing cards.It was closed after the death of her niece's husband, Claydock, and it looked deserted and lonely.The well-manicured lawn was mingled with weeds, the flower beds were sparsely flowered, and the closed doors and windows were ominous. After a shudder, Miss Ley turned around.She ordered the coachman to drive back to Tuckenbury, and then fell into deep thought, not paying attention to the scenery around her.Suddenly someone stopped her in surprise, and continued to stare at her—Miss Glover, sister of the Vicar of Leanham.Miss Ley stopped the carriage, and Miss Glover caught up with her in three steps at a time. "Ah! Miss Ley, I never expected to meet you here! It's like when I was a child." "My dear, don't get excited now. I'm living in my cousin's provost's mansion, and I'm here to see if Rye Manor is still where it used to be." "Oh, Miss Ley, you must be very displeased? I hear the poor dean is very sad at the moment. Do you know that young Field's father was a linen merchant in Blackstable." "Marriages, it seems, have become a custom in my family. Don't be surprised if I marry our well-respected butler." "Oh, but poor Edward is different. He's doing well. By the way, where is Bertha now? She never wrote." "I think she's in Italy. I hope she'll marry Frank Herrier's son, old Mr. Herrier of Ferney." "Oh, but, Miss Ley, would she do that?" "She hasn't seen him yet," replied Miss Ley, with a sneering smile, "but they would be a very suitable couple." "Seeing that the original old house is closed, Miss Ley is very sad now?" "My dear, I'll be careful not to repent, it's as sinful as confession." "I don't understand what you mean," replied Miss Glover. "I don't think it really matters to you as long as it's the Rye's land." "Then you've got me wrong. I do have a certain satisfaction in revisiting old places, but I'm also happy with the fact that I live elsewhere. But I also have to say that in the country it's my own land. It's a good thing to be born on, even if you're just a woman. I can feel my roots here and I'm happy about that. When I look around, I can hardly resist taking off my clothes and going to the plowed fields the temptation to wallow in it." "I hope you don't, Miss Ley," replied Fanny Glover, startled. "It's going to look very strange." "Honey, don't be stupid," Miss Ley said, "You are so simple, every time I see you, I want to find some wings to wrap around your shoulders." "I think you are still the same as before, you haven't changed at all." "Forgive me, but I'm getting younger as I live. Indeed, sometimes I feel like I'm under eighteen." Next Miss Glover gave the only tactful answer she had ever had. "Miss Ley, I think you look like twenty-five," she replied with a sneer. "You presumptuous fellow!" Miss Ley replied with a smile. At the same time, she told the coachman to go on, and she waved goodbye to Miss Glover. Fields of blood and part of the marrow farewell. After the presiding priest briefly rejected Miss Ley's proposal to stay with him for a while, the latter set off for London the next day.Yet a strange disquiet haunted her, and she began to regret her decision to spend the winter in England.Mrs. Morrie had gone to Rome, and Bella's departure also touched Miss Ley's nerves to go on a long journey.She pictured the jubilant people at customs, the musty restaurants, the buses and long sweet train journeys, and the unpleasant behavior of the foreign landlady.She thought of Boulogne, dirty and gray, and her nostrils seemed to smell the port and the station.Her nerves began to be excited, and she wanted to abandon her house and servants and throw herself into aimless travel, enjoying the glamorous freedom.However, her train stopped in Rochester, and when she was distracted, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a scene that Basil Kent once praised so highly: the cloudy sky was gloomy, and its tranquility was seen through the flat Medway. reflected on the surface.The tall chimneys spit out wisps of winding blue smoke, forming a crooked picture in the gloom, and the rows of low factory buildings are pure white and stained with dust.To the observant, this is in fact quite decorative, recalling the clean lines, carefully colored and yet fading, with the elegance of a Japanese painting. Miss Ley jumped up. "Give me my clothes," she said to the stunned servant, "you can go on to London in this train, and I will stay here." "Miss, are you alone?" "Do you think anyone's going to follow me and just run away! Come on." She grabbed her laundry bag and hopped out, sighing deeply as the train moved away again.She was calmed by being alone in a strange town, where no one knew her, and she felt a strange joy.She surveyed the buses to the hotel, selected the most elegantly decorated one, and rode away on it. Because of that stubbornness, Miss Ley did not choose some destinations most appreciated by tourists to start her itinerary; she thought that works of art could only arouse a little fanaticism in herself, even the world-famous holy places, in her opinion The coming and going is nothing more than that.On the Continent, when she visits a town she has never been to, she often chooses to go out at random, casually observing the people on the street, and she feels that there is nothing like discovering some neglected gardens or pleasant Even more interesting are the doorways, places not mentioned in the guidebooks that were deliberately left at home.Thus, that afternoon, in the light, the inhabitants of Rochester might have seen a petite old woman, modestly attired, loafing idly along some of the principal avenues, keenly observing everything around her, easily Amused, with a big heart, haughty, with obvious self-satisfaction.At such moments the houses of Old Queen Street look like prisons, where the loyal butler is the warden.And the excellent supper that is prepared is more repulsive than hard bread. Soon, Miss Ley was tired from walking, so she returned to the hotel, and after a short rest, she came to the dining room.The waiter ushered her to a small table, and while she waited, she absent-mindedly fiddled with her never-ending jewel-encrusted ornaments, Renaissance objects.She hadn't had time to observe those people sitting in the big room before, but now, when she slowly raised her head, she suddenly found a pair of eyes staring straight at herself, full of shock in those eyes—isn't it Kastin? Mrs. Yang!At this moment, her face turned livid with anxiety.At first, Miss Ley was puzzled by Mrs. Castingyoung's strangeness, but soon she realized that there was Reggie Bassett sitting beside Mrs. Castingyoung.There was no sign of recognition between the two ladies. Mrs. Kastingyang lowered her eyes and said something to Reggie with her eyes and lips barely moving.So Reggie instinctively wanted to turn around, but a quick word from his neighbor stopped him.Although they sat some distance from Miss Ley, they chose to whisper hurriedly, as if afraid that the air would hear their conversation.Miss Ley continued to look at them curiously, and Mrs. Kastingyang's eyes lowered hastily again; her face was pale, and in Miss Ley's eyes, it seemed that she was about to faint.Reggie poured out a glass of champagne, which Mrs. Castingyan quickly drank. "In my opinion, they won't be able to have a happy dinner today." The old unmarried woman said to herself, and at the same time, a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "I really don't know why they chose Rochester. " Next, she began to scold Frank in her mind for not telling herself that she was sure Frank must have known about it.But in fact, Miss Ley did not expect that the relationship between the two of them would reach such a level that they would spend Saturdays and Mondays gathering in the countryside.She pursed her lips, remembering that Paul Castingyan was in the North of England at this moment, speaking at a political rally, and she smiled silently again.She was curious to see how her neighbors would end up, and she was always amused by how people reacted to bad situations.She pretended not to be watching them, but she could still hear the hurried conversation between the two, followed by an uneasy silence, and they finished their meal in silence.It cannot be denied that Miss Ley finished her dinner not only in a steady mood, but with some extra enthusiasm. "I didn't know restaurants in England could cook such good food," she said softly.She called for an attendant. "Can you tell me who is the lady five tables away from here?" "Ma'am, that's Mrs. Barlow. They just arrived this afternoon." "Then is the man next to her her husband or her son?" "Ma'am, I think it must be her husband." "Give me a newspaper, please." To get to the door, Mrs. Castingyang and Reggie had to pass by where Miss Ley was. With a little malice, Miss Ley decided to stay there.When the waiter came to Miss Ley with coffee and the Westminster Gazette, she caught a glimpse of the utter despair on the beautiful lady's face with her good eyesight.Miss Ley laid out the newspaper in front of her, and was soon attracted by an editorial article. Since there was nothing to do, Mrs. Castingyang could only try her best to handle the matter properly.Reggie got up and walked out, his eyes were fixed on the ground all the time, his handsome face was clouded with sorrow, as if it indicated that Mrs. Castingyang would pay the price for this misbehavior.In reality, however, she was bolder.She was only a few steps away from Reggie, walking with her head held high, her hips swaying habitually, when she came to Miss Ley, she stopped and let out a natural scream. "Miss Ley, this is amazing! I am so happy to meet you here!" She happily held out her hand.Miss Ley responded with a grim smile. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Castingyang." "Are you eating here too? It's amazing that I didn't see you! But I have encountered a lot of strange things this day. When I walked into the hotel, the first person I met was Bassett Sir. So I invited him to dine with me. He's just around here. I suppose you haven't seen him yet." "I saw." "Then why don't you come and say hello to us? We can still have dinner together." "My dear, you must think me a fool!" said Miss Ley slowly, with contempt and amusement all over her face. At this time, Mrs. Kastingyang's face suddenly became gloomy, and her eyes were full of hopeless fear.She had run out of strength to put on a show, and, she realized, it wasn't going to help. “你不会将这事说出去吧，莱依小姐——”她轻声说道，并且因为恐惧，她的声音听起来不再像平常那么清晰。 “毫无疑问，我有着强烈的好奇心，这是我的罪恶之一，”莱依小姐回答说，“但我并不轻率。只有傻瓜才会与人讨论具体的事物，聪明人更关心的是抽象的东西。” “你知道吗？为了能得知我正和一个男人在这个地方，保罗的母亲甚至愿意付出自己一半的财产。啊！她总算有机会扳倒我了，她一定会乐坏了的。看在上帝的分上，请答应我，绝不泄露半个字。你并不想毁掉我，是吧？” “我忠诚地承诺不会向外透露此事。” 卡斯汀洋太太深深地叹了口气，但仍感到很痛苦。除了打扫卫生的侍从外，此时餐厅内已空无一人，然而卡斯汀洋太太觉得他正疑心重重地观察她们。 “但现在我已经被你支配了，”她叹息道，“真希望我从未来到这里。那个人怎么还不离开？我感觉自己要失声尖叫了。” “如果我是你，我就不会那么做。”莱依小姐平静地回答她说。 一向把自制当做其核心价值的莱依小姐，此时略带轻蔑地看着卡斯汀洋太太，因为这羞愧和恐惧的可怜展示让她觉得恶心。没有谁比她更蔑视传统习俗了，并且她还尤其喜欢嘲笑婚姻这一形式，但她更鄙视那些虽然漠视社会法规，却缺乏勇气来承担漠视之后果的人：找到了世界的美好之处，然而却偷偷地背道而驰，这是一种非常可鄙的伪善行为。卡斯汀洋太太发现了莱依小姐的审视，于是只得焦虑地望着她。 “你肯定特别鄙视我。”她悲叹道。 “你今晚同我一起回伦敦会不会比较好？”莱依小姐回答说，同时，那冷冷的、坚定的灰眼睛直直地盯着惊吓中的那个女人。 卡斯汀洋太太轻松愉快的心绪顿时消失殆尽，她在这老妇人身边坐下，憔悴而苍白，就像是一个有罪的犯人在面对法官一样。听到这个建议，她脸上泛起了淡淡的红晕，嘴角流露出一丝惹人同情的痛苦神色。 “不，我不能那么做，”她轻声对莱依小姐说道，“别让我那么做。” "why?" “我不敢离开他，否则他会去追逐查塔姆的什么女人了。” “已经到了这个地步吗？” “哦，莱依小姐，我受到了可怕的惩罚。我现在还不打算离开。我只是想让自己开心一点儿——我太无聊了。你知道保罗是个什么人。有时候，他很令人乏味，并且还十分迟钝。” “所有的丈夫都会有乏味和迟钝的时候，”莱依小姐评论道，“就像所有的妻子都常常很暴躁一样。但不管怎么说，他真的很喜欢你。” “我想，如果他知道了这些，一定会很难过的。我真是个十足的卑鄙小人。我无法控制住自己，我全心全意地爱着雷吉。然而他却不是很在乎我！一开始，他很高兴，因为我是那种他称为贵妇人的女人，但是现在，他黏我仅仅是因为我给他钱花。” “你说什么！”莱依小姐惊叫道。 “他的母亲没有给他充足的零花钱，我便设法帮助他。他用我给的钞票支付一切开销，而我则假装这与从前没有什么两样。啊！我恨他，鄙视他，但如果他离开我，我觉得我会死的。” 她用双手捧着脸，无法抑制地哭起来。莱依小姐沉思了几秒钟。不一会儿，卡斯汀洋太太抬起头来，握紧了双拳。 “现在，我去找他的话，他会鄙视我，说我是个乌鸦嘴女人，因为是我建议来罗切斯特的。他会说，我们之所以到这里来，都是我的错。啊！我真希望我们没有来这里，我知道我是有些疯狂了。我真希望一开始便没有注意到他。” “但你为什么会想到来罗切斯特呢？”莱依小姐问道。 “你记得巴兹尔·肯特曾提起过它吗？我认为没有人来过这里，而保罗也说，纵然是野马也不能将他拉到这种地方，所以我就这么选中罗切斯特了。” “巴兹尔应该建议一些更不容易到达的地方才是，”莱依小姐喃喃地说，“因为那也正是我来这里的原因。你知道，我的老家特肯伯里刚好离这里不远，我是刚从那里过来的。” “我忘记这点了。” 她们就这么默默地坐了一会儿。在这旅馆的餐厅内，大部分的灯已经熄灭了，餐桌均已收拾干净，只留有一些白色的桌布，乍看起来阴沉又压抑。看到此番场景，卡斯汀洋太太痛苦地颤抖着，并恍恍惚惚地感觉到，她视为美妙无比的那份激情，在莱依小姐眼中可能是最污秽、最卑鄙的。 “你就不能帮帮我吗？”她哀叹道。 “为什么你不干脆与雷吉分手？”莱依小姐问，“我很了解他，我不认为他可以永远给你带来幸福。” “我也希望自己可以那么果决。” 莱依小姐用自己的手轻轻地握住了眼前这位伤心失意的夫人那瘦瘦的、戴满了珠宝的手。 “亲爱的，让我今晚带你回伦敦吧。” 卡斯汀洋太太望着莱依小姐，眼里满含着泪水。 “不是今晚，”她恳求说，“让我待到周一吧，那时，我会同他彻底分手。” “机不可失，时不再来。你不认为现在就是最好的时机吗？” 没人能想到，莱依小姐那冰冷的声音也能变得如此温柔、如此具有说服力。 “好，”卡斯汀洋太太说，她终于感到精疲力竭，不想再做挣扎，“我这就去和雷吉说清楚。” “如果他提出了任何异议，你就说，这是我愿意为你们保守秘密而开出的条件。” “他不会在乎这些的！”卡斯汀洋太太略带生气地回答说。 她走了，不过很快又折回来。 “他走了。”她说。 "gone?" “就这么不辞而别了。他的房间里什么东西也没有了。他向来就是个胆小鬼，他就这么跑了。” “并且让你支付账单。真是像极了雷吉的做派！” “莱依小姐，你说得对：这整件事其实一点儿好处也没有。现在就让它结束吧。我不会再管他了。带我回伦敦吧，我向你保证，我不会再见他。从现在开始，我要试着履行自己对保罗应尽的职责。” 她们很快收拾好行装，搭乘最后一班火车回到伦敦。卡斯汀洋太太坐在火车的一个角落里，蓝色的坐垫衬托出她的愁容与苍白。她望着车窗外黑漆漆的景色，不发一言。莱依小姐则陷入了沉思。 “我就纳闷了，这有什么体面可言，”她想，“我将把这女人重新带回枯燥乏味之中，以一种自满的方式。她是个可怜的人，我觉得她不该遇到这些麻烦；而我也还没仔细欣赏罗切斯特的美景。但我必须注意了，我变成了一个道德审查员，很快，我便会变得非常令人乏味了。” 她瞥了一眼那可爱的夫人，她现在看起来衰老又疲惫，脸上涂的粉反倒衬托出她的苍白与空洞。她正在默默地流泪。 “我想那该死的弗兰克一早就知道这些，然而却保守着这个秘密。” 最终，她们总算是到达了伦敦。卡斯汀洋太太站起身来，转向她的朋友，绝望而轻蔑地看着她。 “你很喜欢警句格言，莱依小姐，”她说，“我也为自己找到了一句：越是最深爱的人，越容易对他产生最深的鄙视。” “弗兰克可以随意评论了，”莱依小姐回答道，“但没有什么事情比看着人类痛苦更能让人感到愉快了。” 几天后，为了取乐而设计让一对恋人分离的莱依小姐自得自满地起程去往意大利。