雙語(yǔ)·曼斯菲爾德莊園 第三卷 第十二章

It was presumed that Mr. Crawford was travelling back, to London, on the morrow, for nothing more was seen of him at Mr. Price's; and two days afterwards, it was a fact ascertained to Fanny by the following letter from his sister, opened and read by her, on another account, with the most anxious curiosity：

I have to inform you, my dearest Fanny, that Henry has been down to Portsmouth to see you; that he had a delightful walk with you to the dockyard last Saturday, and one still more to be dwelt on the next day, on the ramparts; when the balmy air, the sparkling sea, and your sweet looks and conversation were altogether in the most delicious harmony, and afforded sensations which are to raise ecstasy even in retrospect. This, as well as I understand, is to be the substance of my information. He makes me write, but I do not know what else is to be communicated, except this said visit to Portsmouth, and these two said walks, and his introduction to your family, especially to a fair sister of yours, a fine girl of fifteen, who was of the party on the ramparts, taking her first lesson, I presume, in love. I have not time for writing much, but it would be out of place if I had, for this is to be a mere letter of business, penned for the purpose of conveying necessary information, which could not be delayed without risk of evil. My dear, dear Fanny, if I had you here, how I would talk to you! You should listen to me till you were tired, and advise me till you were still tired more; but it is impossible to put a hundredth part of my great mind on paper, so I will abstain altogether, and leave you to guess what you like. I have no news for you. You have politics, of course; and it would be too bad to plague you with the names of people and parties that fill up my time. I ought to have sent you an account of your cousin's first party, but I was lazy, and now it is too long ago; suffice it, that everything was just as it ought to be, in a style that any of her connections must have been gratified to witness, and that her own dress and manners did her the greatest credit. My friend, Mrs. Fraser, is mad for such a house, and it would not make me miserable. I go to Lady Stornaway after Easter. she seems in high spirits, and very happy. I fancy Lord S. is very good humoured and pleasant in his own family, and I do not think him so very ill-looking as I did, at least, one sees many worse. He will not do by the side of your cousin Edmund. Of the last-mentioned hero, what shall I say? If I avoided his name entirely, it would look suspicious. I will say, then, that we have seen him two or three times, and that my friends here are very much struck with his gentlemanlike appearance. Mrs. Fraser (no bad judge) declares she knows but three men in town who have so good a person, height, and air; and I must confess, when he dined here the other day, there were none to compare with him, and we were a party of sixteen. Luckily there is no distinction of dress nowadays to tell tales, but—but—but,

Yours affectionately.

I had almost forgot (it was Edmund's fault, he gets into my head more than does me good) one very material thing I had to say from Henry and myself, I mean about our taking you back into Northamptonshire. My dear little creature, do not stay at Portsmouth to lose your pretty looks. Those vile sea-breezes are the ruin of beauty and health. My poor aunt always felt affected if within ten miles of the sea, which the Admiral of course never believed, but I know it was so. I am at your service and Henry's, at an hour's notice. I should like the scheme, and we would make a little circuit, and show you Everingham in our way, and perhaps you would not mind passing through London, and seeing the inside of St. George's, Hanover Square. Only keep your cousin Edmund from me at such a time, I should not like to be tempted. What a long letter! one word more. Henry, I find, has some idea of going into Norfolk again upon some business that you approve; but this cannot possibly be permitted before the middle of next week; that is, he cannot anyhow be spared till after the 14th, for we have a party that evening. The value of a man like Henry, on such an occasion, is what you can have no conception of; so you must take it upon my word to be inestimable. He will see the Rushworths, which I own I am not sorry for—having a little curiosity, and so I think has he, though he will not acknowledge it.

This was a letter to be run through eagerly, to be read deliberately, to supply matter for much reflection, and to leave everything in greater suspense than ever. The only certainty to be drawn from it was, that nothing decisive had yet taken place. Edmund had not yet spoken. How Miss Crawford really felt, how she meant to act, or might act without or against her meaning; whether his importance to her were quite what it had been before the last separation; whether, if lessened, it were likely to lessen more, or to recover itself, were subjects for endless conjecture, and to be thought of on that day and many days to come, without producing any conclusion. The idea that returned the oftenest was that Miss Crawford, after proving herself cooled and staggered by a return to London habits, would yet prove herself in the end too much attached to him to give him up. She would try to be more ambitious than her heart would allow. She would hesitate, she would tease, she would condition, she would require a great deal, but she would finally accept.

This was Fanny's most frequent expectation. A house in town! —That, she thought, must be impossible. Yet there was no saying what Miss Crawford might not ask. The prospect for her cousin grew worse and worse. The woman who could speak of him, and speak only of his appearance! What an unworthy attachment! To be deriving support from the commendations of Mrs. Fraser! She who had known him intimately half a year! Fanny was ashamed of her. Those parts of the letter which related only to Mr. Crawford and herself, touched her, in comparison, slightly. Whether Mr. Crawford went into Norfolk before or after the 14th was certainly no concern of hers, though, everything considered, she thought he would go without delay. That Miss Crawford should endeavour to secure a meeting between him and Mrs. Rushworth, was all in her worst line of conduct, and grossly unkind and ill-judged; but she hoped he would not be actuated by any such degrading curiosity. He acknowledged no such inducement, and his sister ought to have given him credit for better feelings than her own.

She was yet more impatient for another letter from town after receiving this than she had been before; and for a few days was so unsettled by it altogether, by what had come, and what might come, that her usual readings and conversation with Susan were much suspended. She could not command her attention as she wished. If Mr. Crawford remembered her message to her cousin, she thought it very likely, most likely, that he would write to her at all events; it would be most consistent with his usual kindness; and till she got rid of this idea, till it gradually wore off, by no letters appearing in the course of three or four days more, she was in a most restless, anxious state.

At length, a something like composure succeeded. Suspense must be submitted to, and must not be allowed to wear her out, and make her useless. Time did something, her own exertions something more, and she resumed her attentions to Susan, and again awakened the same interest in them.

Susan was growing very fond of her, and though without any of the early delight in books which had been so strong in Fanny, with a disposition much less inclined to sedentary pursuits, or to information for information's sake, she had so strong a desire of not appearing ignorant, as, with a good clear understanding, made her a most attentive, profitable, thankful pupil. Fanny was her oracle. Fanny's explanations and remarks were a most important addition to every essay, or every chapter of history. What Fanny told her of former times dwelt more on her mind than the pages of Goldsmith; and she paid her sister the compliment of preferring her style to that of any printed author. The early habit of reading was wanting.

Their conversations, however, were not always on subjects so high as history or morals. Others had their hour; and of lesser matters, none returned so often, or remained so long between them, as Mansfield Park, a description of the people, the manners, the amusements, the ways of Mansfield Park. Susan, who had an innate taste for the genteel and well-appointed, was eager to hear, and Fanny could not but indulge herself in dwelling on so beloved a theme. She hoped it was not wrong; though, after a time, Susan's very great admiration of everything said or done in her uncle's house, and earnest longing to go into Northamptonshire, seemed almost to blame her for exciting feelings which could not be gratified.

Poor Susan was very little better fitted for home than her elder sister; and as Fanny grew thoroughly to understand this, she began to feel that when her own release from Portsmouth came, her happiness would have a material drawback in leaving Susan behind. That a girl so capable of being made everything good should be left in such hands, distressed her more and more. Were she likely to have a home to invite her to, what a blessing it would be! And had it been possible for her to return Mr. Crawford's regard, the probability of his being very far from objecting to such a measure would have been the greatest increase of all her own comforts. She thought he was really good-tempered, and could fancy his entering into a plan of that sort most pleasantly.

想必克勞福德先生是第二天上午就動(dòng)身去倫敦了，因?yàn)樵僖矝]見他來過普萊斯先生家。兩天后，范妮收到了他妹妹的一封來信，證明他確實(shí)是第二天走的。范妮一收到這封信，因?yàn)榧庇谙肓私饬硗庖粯妒?，便連忙打開了。她懷著極大的興趣，急匆匆地讀了起來。

我最親愛的范妮，我要告訴你，亨利到樸次茅斯看過你了，上星期六他和你一起去海軍船塢快活地玩了一趟，第二天又和你一起在大堤上散步。你那可愛的面龐、甜蜜的話語(yǔ)，與清馨的空氣、閃爍的大海交相輝映，極其迷人，搞得他心潮激蕩?，F(xiàn)在回憶起來他還欣喜若狂。我所了解的，主要就是這些內(nèi)容。亨利讓我寫信，可我不知道別的有什么可寫的，只能提一提他這次樸次茅斯之行，他那兩次散步，以及他被介紹給你家里的人，特別是被介紹給你一位漂亮的妹妹——一位漂亮的十五歲姑娘。你這位妹妹跟你們一起在大堤上散步，我想你們給她上了愛情的第一課。我沒有時(shí)間多寫，不過即使有時(shí)間，也不宜多寫，因?yàn)檫@只是一封談?wù)碌男?，旨在傳達(dá)一些必得傳達(dá)、耽擱不得的消息。我親愛的、親愛的范妮，如果你在我跟前，我有多少話要對(duì)你說??！我有讓你聽不完的話，你更會(huì)有給我出不完的主意。我有千言萬(wàn)語(yǔ)想講給你聽，可惜信里連百分之一也寫不下，因此就索性作罷，由你隨便去猜吧。我沒有什么新聞告訴你。政治上的新聞你當(dāng)然了解得到，我要是把我連日參加的舞會(huì)和應(yīng)酬的人們一一向你羅列，那只會(huì)惹你厭煩。我本該向你描繪一下你大表姐第一次舉辦舞會(huì)的情景，可我當(dāng)時(shí)懶得動(dòng)筆，現(xiàn)在已成了陳谷子爛芝麻?？梢砸谎砸员沃阂磺卸嫁k得很得體，親朋們都很滿意，她的穿戴和風(fēng)度使她極為風(fēng)光。我的朋友弗雷澤太太真高興能住上這樣的房子，我要是能住這樣的房子也會(huì)稱心的。復(fù)活節(jié)過后，我去看過斯托諾韋夫人。她看上去情緒很好，也很快活。我想斯托諾韋勛爵在家里一定脾氣很好，非常和藹。現(xiàn)在我覺得他不像以前那么難看了，你至少會(huì)看到許多更難看的人。他跟你表哥埃德蒙比起來可就遜色多了。對(duì)于我剛提到的這位出眾的人物，我該說些什么呢？如果我完全不提他的名字，你看了會(huì)起疑心。那么，我就說吧。我們見過他兩三次，我這里的朋友們都對(duì)他印象很深，覺得他風(fēng)度翩翩，一表人才。弗雷澤太太是個(gè)有眼力的人，她說像他這樣的長(zhǎng)相、高矮和風(fēng)度的人，她在倫敦只看見過三個(gè)。我必須承認(rèn)，幾天前他在我們這里吃飯的時(shí)候，席間沒有一個(gè)人能和他相比，而在座的有十六個(gè)人之多。幸運(yùn)的是，如今服裝上沒有差別，看不出什么名堂。[1]但是——但是——但是……

你親愛的

我差一點(diǎn)忘記（這都怪埃德蒙，他攪得我心猿意馬），我得替亨利和我本人講一件非常重要的事，我是指我們要把你接回北安普敦。我親愛的小寶貝，別再待在樸次茅斯了，免得失去你的美貌。惡劣的海風(fēng)能毀掉美貌和健康。我那可憐的嬸母只要離海在十英里以內(nèi)，總是覺得不舒服。海軍將軍當(dāng)然不信，可我知道就是那么回事。我聽你和亨利的吩咐，接到通知一個(gè)小時(shí)后便可動(dòng)身。我贊成這個(gè)計(jì)劃，我們可以稍微繞個(gè)彎，順路帶你去看看埃弗靈厄姆。也許你不會(huì)反對(duì)我們穿過倫敦，到漢諾威廣場(chǎng)的圣喬治教堂里面瞧瞧。只是在這期間不要讓我見到你埃德蒙表哥，我不想讓他攪亂我的心。信寫得太長(zhǎng)啦！再說一句吧。我發(fā)覺亨利想再去一趟諾?？?，辦一樁你贊成的事情。不過，這事在下周之前還辦不成，也就是說，他在十四號(hào)之前無論如何走不了，因?yàn)槭奶?hào)晚上我們要舉辦舞會(huì)。像亨利這樣一個(gè)男人在這種場(chǎng)合能有多么重要，你是想象不到的。那就讓我告訴你吧，那是無法估量的。他要見見拉什沃思夫婦。我倒不反對(duì)他見見他們——他有點(diǎn)好奇——我認(rèn)為他是有點(diǎn)好奇，盡管他自己不會(huì)承認(rèn)。

范妮迫不及待地把這封信匆匆看了一遍，又從容不迫地細(xì)讀了一遍。信里的內(nèi)容讓她頗費(fèi)揣摩，讀后使她對(duì)每件事越發(fā)捉摸不定。從信中看來，唯一可以肯定的是，事情尚未定局。埃德蒙還沒有開口?？藙诟５滦〗阈睦锞烤故窃趺聪氲?，想要怎么辦，會(huì)不會(huì)放棄自己的意圖，或者違背自己的意圖；埃德蒙對(duì)她是否還像分別前那么重要；如果不像以前那么重要，那么是會(huì)越來越不重要呢，還是會(huì)重新變得重要起來，這些問題讓她猜來猜去，考慮了多少天也沒得出個(gè)結(jié)論。她腦子里揣摩得最多的一個(gè)念頭，是克勞福德小姐恢復(fù)了倫敦的生活習(xí)慣之后，原來的熱情可能冷下來，決心可能有所動(dòng)搖，但克勞福德小姐最終可能因?yàn)樘矚g埃德蒙而不會(huì)放棄他。她可能抑制自己的情感，去更多地考慮世俗的利益。她可能會(huì)猶豫，可能會(huì)戲弄他，可能會(huì)規(guī)定一些條件，可能會(huì)提出很多要求，但她最終會(huì)接受他的求婚。這是范妮心頭最常出現(xiàn)的揣測(cè)。在倫敦給她弄一幢房子！范妮覺得這絕對(duì)是不可能的。不過，很難說克勞福德小姐會(huì)有什么不敢要的?？磥肀砀绲奶幘吃絹碓皆?。這個(gè)女人這么議論他，而且只議論他長(zhǎng)相如何！這算什么愛呀！還要從弗雷澤太太對(duì)他的夸獎(jiǎng)中汲取動(dòng)力！而她還和他親密無間地相處了半年呢！范妮替她害臊。信中有關(guān)克勞福德先生和她本人的那部分，相對(duì)來說對(duì)范妮觸動(dòng)不大?？藙诟５孪壬鞘奶?hào)前還是十四號(hào)后去諾福克與她毫不相干；不過，從各方面看來，她覺得他會(huì)很快就去的。克勞福德小姐居然想讓他和拉什沃思太太相見，真是惡劣至極，純屬胡鬧，存心不良。她希望他可不要受這墮落的愿望驅(qū)使。他曾說過他對(duì)拉什沃思太太絲毫無意，做妹妹的應(yīng)該承認(rèn)，他的感情比妹妹來得健康。

范妮收到這封信后，更加急切地盼望倫敦再來信。一連幾天，她一門心思在盼信，盼信攪得她心神不寧，連她平時(shí)和蘇珊一起的讀書和聊天都中斷了。她想控制自己的注意力，卻控制不住。如果克勞福德先生把她的話轉(zhuǎn)告了她表哥，表哥無論如何都會(huì)給她寫信的。她覺得這很有可能，極有可能。他平時(shí)一貫待她挺好，因此不會(huì)不給她來信的。她一直心神不寧，坐立不安。三四天仍未見到來信，她才漸漸斷了這個(gè)念頭。

最后，她終于平靜了一點(diǎn)。這件事只能撂在腦后，不能為它過分勞神，什么也不干。時(shí)間起了點(diǎn)作用，她的自我克制也起了些作用，她又關(guān)心起蘇珊來，而且像以前一樣認(rèn)真。

蘇珊已經(jīng)非常喜歡范妮了。她雖然不像范妮小時(shí)候那樣酷愛讀書，生性也不像范妮那樣坐得住，也不像范妮那樣渴求知識(shí)，但她又極不愿意在別人眼里顯得自己一無所知。在這種情況下，再加上頭腦靈活，她就成了一個(gè)非常用心、長(zhǎng)進(jìn)很快、知道感恩的學(xué)生。范妮成了她心目中的圣人。范妮的講解和評(píng)論成了每篇文章和每章歷史極為重要的補(bǔ)充。范妮講起過去，比哥爾德斯密斯[2]書里寫的讓她記得更牢。她認(rèn)為姐姐的解釋比哪個(gè)作家來得都好。她的不足之處是小時(shí)候沒有養(yǎng)成讀書的習(xí)慣。

不過，她們的談話并非總是局限于歷史、道德這樣高雅的話題，其他問題她們也談。在那些次要的問題中，她們最常談的、談得時(shí)間最久的，是曼斯菲爾德莊園——那里的人，那里的規(guī)矩，那里的娛樂，那里的習(xí)俗。蘇珊生來就羨慕溫文爾雅、禮貌周全的人們，因此便如饑似渴地聽著，范妮也就津津樂道起來。她覺得她這樣做并沒有錯(cuò)?？墒沁^了一段時(shí)間，蘇珊對(duì)姨父家的一切都艷羨不已，真巴不得自己能去一趟北安普敦郡。這似乎是在責(zé)怪范妮，她不該在妹妹心里激起這種無法滿足的愿望。

可憐的蘇珊幾乎和姐姐一樣不適應(yīng)自己的家了。范妮完全能理解這一點(diǎn)。她開始在想，當(dāng)她脫離樸次茅斯的時(shí)候，自己也不會(huì)十分愉快，因?yàn)樗烟K珊撂在這里。這樣可以塑造的一個(gè)好姑娘，卻要丟在這樣的環(huán)境里，她心里越想越不是滋味。她要是有一個(gè)家，能把妹妹接去，那該有多好啊！她要是能回報(bào)克勞福德先生對(duì)她的愛，他決不會(huì)反對(duì)她把妹妹接去，那會(huì)給她自己增加多大的幸福！她覺得他的脾氣的確很好，會(huì)非常樂意支持她這樣做的。

* * *

[1]指埃德蒙此時(shí)和其他人一樣穿普通的衣服，分不出僧俗。

[2]哥爾德斯密斯（Oliver Goldsmith，1730—1774），英國(guó)詩(shī)人、劇作家、小說家。此處應(yīng)指他所寫作的兩部廣為流傳的《英國(guó)歷史》。