the vicar of wakefield-第15部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

Do　you　know　this；　Sir；　this　pocket…book？'　'Yes；　Sir；'　returned　he；　with　a　face　of　impenetrable　assurance；　'that　pocket…book　is　mine；　and　I　am　glad　you　have　found　it。'　'And　do　you　know；'　cried　I；　'this　letter？　Nay；　never　falter　man；　but　look　me　full　in　the　face：　I　say；　do　you　know　this　letter？'　'That　letter；'　returned　he；　'yes；　it　was　I　that　wrote　that　letter。''And　how　could　you；'　said　I；　'so　basely；　so　ungratefully　presume　to　write　this　letter？''And　how　came　you；'　replied　he；　with　looks　of　unparallelled　effrontery；　'so　basely　to　presume　to　break　open　this　letter？　Don't　you　know；　now；　I　could　hang　you　all　for　this？　All　that　I　have　to　do；　is　to　swear　at　the　next　justice's；　that　you　have　been　guilty　of　breaking　open　the　lock　of　my　pocket…book；　and　so　hang　you　all　up　at　his　door。'　This　piece　of　unexpected　insolence　raised　me　to　such　a　pitch；　that　I　could　scare　govern　my　passion。　'Ungrateful　wretch；　begone；　and　no　longer　pollute　my　dwelling　with　thy　baseness。　Begone；　and　never　let　me　see　thee　again：　go　from　my　doors；　and　the　only　punishment　I　wish　thee　is　an　allarmed　conscience；　which　will　be　a　sufficient　tormentor！'　So　saying；　I　threw　him　his　pocket…book；　which　he　took　up　with　a　smile；　and　shutting　the　clasps　with　the　utmost　composure；　left　us；　quite　astonished　at　the　serenity　of　his　assurance。　My　wife　was　particularly　enraged　that　nothing　could　make　him　angry；　or　make　him　seem　ashamed　of　his　villainies。　'My　dear；'　cried　I；　willing　to　calm　those　passions　that　had　been　raised　too　high　among　us；　'we　are　not　to　be　surprised　that　bad　men　want　shame；　they　only　blush　at　being　detected　in　doing　good；　but　glory　in　their　vices。

'Guilt　and　shame；　says　the　allegory；　were　at　first　companions；　and　in　the　beginning　of　their　journey　inseparably　kept　together。　But　their　union　was　soon　found　to　be　disagreeable　and　inconvenient　to　both；　guilt　gave　shame　frequent　uneasiness；　and　shame　often　betrayed　the　secret　conspiracies　of　guilt。　After　long　disagreeement；　therefore；　they　at　length　consented　to　part　for　ever。　Guilt　boldly　walked　forward　alone；　to　overtake　fate；　that　went　before　in　the　shape　of　an　executioner：　but　shame　being　naturally　timorous；　returned　back　to　keep　company　with　virtue；　which；　in　the　beginning　of　their　journey；　they　had　left　behind。　Thus；　my　children；　after　men　have　travelled　through　a　few　stages　in　vice；　shame　forsakes　them；　and　returns　back　to　wait　upon　the　few　virtues　they　have　still　remaining。'



CHAPTER　16

The　family　use　art；　which　is　opposed　with；　still　greater


Whatever　might　have　been　Sophia's　sensations；　the　rest　of　the　family　was　easily　consoled；　for　Mr　Burchell's　absence　by　the　company　of　our　landlord；　whose　visits　now　became　more　frequent　and　longer。　Though　he　had　been　disappointed　in　procuring　my　daughters　the　amusements　of　the　town；　as　he　designed；　he　took　every　opportunity　of　supplying　them　with　those　little　recreations　which　our　retirement　would　admit　of。　He　usually　came　in　the　morning；　and　while　my　son　and　I　followed　our　occupations　abroad；　he　sat　with　the　family　at　home；　and　amused　them　by　describing　the　town；　with　every　part　of　which　he　was　particularly　acquainted。　He　could　repeat　all　the　observations　that　were　retailed　in　the　atmosphere　of　the　playhouses；　and　had　all　the　good　things　of　the　high　wits　by　rote　long　before　they　made　way　into　the　jest…books。　The　intervals　between　conversation　were　employed　in　teaching　my　daughters　piquet；　or　sometimes　in　setting　my　two　little　ones　to　box　to　make　them　sharp；　as　he　called　it：　but　the　hopes　of　having　him　for　a　son…in…law；　in　some　measure　blinded　us　to　all　his　imperfections。　It　must　be　owned　that　my　wife　laid　a　thousand　schemes　to　entrap　him；　or；　to　speak　it　more　tenderly；　used　every　art　to　magnify　the　merit　of　her　daughter。　If　the　cakes　at　tea　eat　short　and　crisp；　they　were　made　by　Olivia：　if　the　gooseberry　wine　was　well　knit；　the　gooseberries　were　of　her　gathering：　it　was　her　fingers　which　gave　the　pickles　their　peculiar　green；　and　in　the　composition　of　a　pudding；　it　was　her　judgment　that　mix'd　the　ingredients。　Then　the　poor　woman　would　sometimes　tell　the　'Squire；　that　she　thought　him　and　Olivia　extremely　of　a　size；　and　would　bid　both　stand　up　to　see　which　was　tallest。　These　instances　of　cunning；　which　she　thought　impenetrable；　yet　which　every　body　saw　through；　were　very　pleasing　to　our　benefactor；　who　gave　every　day　some　new　proofs　of　his　passion；　which　though　they　had　not　arisen　to　proposals　of　marriage；　yet　we　thought　fell　but　little　short　of　it；　and　his　slowness　was　attributed　sometimes　to　native　bashfulness；　and　sometimes　to　his　fear　of　offending　his　uncle。　An　occurrence；　however；　which　happened　soon　after；　put　it　beyond　a　doubt　that　he　designed　to　become　one　of　our　family；　my　wife　even　regarded　it　as　an　absolute　promise。

My　wife　and　daughters　happening　to　return　a　visit　to　neighbour　Flamborough's；　found　that　family　had　lately　got　their　pictures　drawn　by　a　limner；　who　travelled　the　country；　and　took　likenesses　for　fifteen　shillings　a　head。　As　this　family　and　ours　had　long　a　sort　of　rivalry　in　point　of　taste；　our　spirit　took　the　alarm　at　this　stolen　march　upon　us；　and　notwithstanding　all　I　could　say；　and　I　said　much；　it　was　resolved　that　we　should　have　our　pictures　done　too。　Having；　therefore；　engaged　the　limner；　for　what　could　I　do？　our　next　deliberation　was　to　shew　the　superiority　of　our　taste　in　the　attitudes。　As　for　our　neighbour's　family；　there　were　seven　of　them；　and　they　were　drawn　with　seven　oranges；　a　thing　quite　out　of　taste；　no　variety　in　life；　no　composition　in　the　world。　We　desired　to　have　something　in　a　brighter　style；　and；　after　many　debates；　at　length　came　to　an　unanimous　resolution　of　being　drawn　together；　in　one　large　historical　family　piece。　This　would　be　cheaper；　since　one　frame　would　serve　for　all；　and　it　would　be　infinitely　more　genteel；　for　all　families　of　any　taste　were　now　drawn　in　the　same　manner。　As　we　did　not　immediately　recollect　an　historical　subject　to　hit　us；　we　were　contented　each　with　being　drawn　as　independent　historical　figures。　My　wife　desired　to　be　represented　as　Venus；　and　the　painter　was　desired　not　to　be　too　frugal　of　his　diamonds　in　her　stomacher　and　hair。　Her　two　little　ones　were　to　be　as　Cupids　by　her　side；　while　I；　in　my　gown　and　band；　was　to　present　her　with　my　books　on　the　Whistonian　controversy。　Olivia　would　be　drawn　as　an　Amazon；　sitting　upon　a　bank　of　flowers；　drest　in　a　green　joseph；　richly　laced　with　gold；　and　a　whip　in　her　hand。　Sophia　was　to　be　a　shepherdess；　with　as　many　sheep　as　the　painter　could　put　in　for　nothing；　and　Moses　was　to　be　drest　out　with　an　hat　and　white　feather。　Our　taste　so　much　pleased　the　'Squire；　that　he　insisted　on　being　put　in　as　one　of　the　family　in　the　character　of　Alexander　the　great；　at　Olivia's　feet。　This　was　considered　by　us　all　as　an　indication　of　his　desire　to　be　introduced　into　the　family；　nor　could　we　refuse　his　request。　The　painter　was　therefore　set　to　work；　and　as　he　wrought　with　assiduity　and　expedition；　in　less　than　four　days　the　whole　was　compleated。　The　piece　was　large；　and　it　must　be　owned　he　did　not　spare　his　colours；　for　which　my　wife　gave　him　great　encomiums。　We　were　all　perfectly　satisfied　with　his　performance；　but　an　unfortunate　circumstance　had　not　occurred　till　the　picture　was　finished；　which　now　struck　us　with　dismay。　It　was　so　very　large　that　we　had　no　place　in　the　house　to　fix　it。　How　we　all　came　to　disregard　so　material　a　point　is　inconceivable；　but　certain　it　is；　we　had　been　all　greatly　remiss。　The　picture；　therefore；　instead　of　gratifying　our　vanity；　as　we　hoped；　leaned；　in　a　most　mortifying　manner；　against　the　kitchen　wall；　where　the　canvas　was　stretched　and　painted；　much　too　large　to　be　got　through　any　of　the　doors；　and　the　jest　of　all　our　neighhours。　One　compared　it　to　Robinson　Crusoe's　long…boat；　too　large　to　be　removed；　another　thought　it　more　resembled　a　reel　in　a　bottle；　some　wondered　how　it　could　be　got　out；　but　still　more　were　amazed　how　it　ever　got　in。

But　though　it　excited　the　ridicule　of　some；　it　effectually　raised　more　malicious　suggestions　in　many。　The　'Squire's　portrait　being　found　united　with　ours；　was　an　honour　too　great　to　escape　envy。　Scandalous　whispers　began　to　circulate　at　our　expence；　and　our　tranquility　was　continually　disturbed　by　persons　who　came　as　friends　to　tell　us　what　was　said　of　us　by　enemies。　These　reports　we　always　resented　with　becoming　spirit；　but　scandal　ever　improves　by　opposition。

We　once　again　therefore　entered　into　a　consultation　upon　obviating　the　malice　of　our　enemies；　and　at　last　came　to　a　resolution　which　had　too　much　cunning　to　give　me　entire　satisfaction。　It　was　this：　as　our　principal　object　was　to　discover　the　honour　of　Mr　Thornhill's　addresses；　my　wife　undertook　to　sound　him；　by　pretending　to　ask　his　advice　in　the　choice　of　an　husband　for　her　eldest　daughter。　If　this　was　not　found　sufficient　to　induce　him　to　a　declaration；　it　was　then　resolved　to　terrify　him　with　a　rival。　To　this　last　step；　however；　I　would　by　no　means　give　my　consent；　till　Olivia　gave　me　the　most　solemn　assurances　that　she　would　marry　the　person　provided　to　rival　him　upon　this　occasion；　if　he　did　not　prevent　it；　by　taking　her　himself。　Such　was　the　scheme　laid；　which　though　I　did　not　strenuously　oppose；　I　did　not　entirely　approve。