曼斯菲尔德庄园 Chapter 22

CHAPTER XXII 

Fanny's consequence increased on the departure of her cousins. Becoming, as she then did, the only young woman in the drawing-room, the only occupier of that interesting division of a family in which she had hitherto held so humble a third, it was impossible for her not to be more looked at, more thought of and attended to, than she had ever been before; and "Where is Fanny?" became no uncommon question, even without her being wanted for any one's convenience. 

Not only at home did her value increase, but at the Parsonage too. In that house, which she had hardly entered twice a year since Mr. Norris's death, she became a welcome, an invited guest, and in the gloom and dirt of a November day, most acceptable to Mary Crawford. Her visits there, beginning by chance, were continued by solicitation. Mrs. Grant, really eager to get any change for her sister, could, by the easiest self-deceit, persuade herself that she was doing the kindest thing by Fanny, and giving her the most important opportunities of improvement in pressing her frequent calls. 

Fanny, having been sent into the village on some errand by her aunt Norris, was overtaken by a heavy shower close to the Parsonage; and being descried from one of the windows endeavouring to find shelter under the branches and lingering leaves of an oak just beyond their premises, was forced, though not without some modest reluctance on her part, to come in. A civil servant she had withstood; but when Dr. Grant himself went out with an umbrella, there was nothing to be done but to be very much ashamed, and to get into the house as fast as possible; and to poor Miss Crawford, who had just been contemplating the dismal rain in a very desponding state of mind, sighing over the ruin of all her plan of exercise for that morning, and of every chance of seeing a single creature beyond themselves for the next twenty-four hours, the sound of a little bustle at the front door, and the sight of Miss Price dripping with wet in the vestibule, was delightful. The value of an event on a wet day in the country was most forcibly brought before her. She was all alive again directly, and among the most active in being useful to Fanny, in detecting her to be wetter than she would at first allow, and providing her with dry clothes; and Fanny, after being obliged to submit to all this attention, and to being assisted and waited on by mistresses and maids, being also obliged, on returning downstairs, to be fixed in their drawing-room for an hour while the rain continued, the blessing of something fresh to see and think of was thus extended to Miss Crawford, and might carry on her spirits to the period of dressing and dinner. 

The two sisters were so kind to her, and so pleasant, that Fanny might have enjoyed her visit could she have believed herself not in the way, and could she have foreseen that the weather would certainly clear at the end of the hour, and save her from the shame of having Dr. Grant's carriage and horses out to take her home, with which she was threatened. As to anxiety for any alarm that her absence in such weather might occasion at home, she had nothing to suffer on that score; for as her being out was known only to her two aunts, she was perfectly aware that none would be felt, and that in whatever cottage aunt Norris might chuse to establish her during the rain, her being in such cottage would be indubitable to aunt Bertram. 

It was beginning to look brighter, when Fanny, observing a harp in the room, asked some questions about it, which soon led to an acknowledgment of her wishing very much to hear it, and a confession, which could hardly be believed, of her having never yet heard it since its being in Mansfield. To Fanny herself it appeared a very simple and natural circumstance. She had scarcely ever been at the Parsonage since the instrument's arrival, there had been no reason that she should; but Miss Crawford, calling to mind an early expressed wish on the subject, was concerned at her own neglect; and "Shall I play to you now?" and "What will you have?" were questions immediately following with the readiest good-humour. 

She played accordingly; happy to have a new listener, and a listener who seemed so much obliged, so full of wonder at the performance, and who shewed herself not wanting in taste. She played till Fanny's eyes, straying to the window on the weather's being evidently fair, spoke what she felt must be done. 

"Another quarter of an hour," said Miss Crawford, "and we shall see how it will be. Do not run away the first moment of its holding up. Those clouds look alarming." 

"But they are passed over," said Fanny. "I have been watching them. This weather is all from the south." 

"South or north, I know a black cloud when I see it; and you must not set forward while it is so threatening. And besides, I want to play something more to you--a very pretty piece--and your cousin Edmund's prime favourite. You must stay and hear your cousin's favourite." 

Fanny felt that she must; and though she had not waited for that sentence to be thinking of Edmund, such a memento made her particularly awake to his idea, and she fancied him sitting in that room again and again, perhaps in the very spot where she sat now, listening with constant delight to the favourite air, played, as it appeared to her, with superior tone and expression; and though pleased with it herself, and glad to like whatever was liked by him, she was more sincerely impatient to go away at the conclusion of it than she had been before; and on this being evident, she was so kindly asked to call again, to take them in her walk whenever she could, to come and hear more of the harp, that she felt it necessary to be done, if no objection arose at home. 

Such was the origin of the sort of intimacy which took place between them within the first fortnight after the Miss Bertrams' going away--an intimacy resulting principally from Miss Crawford's desire of something new, and which had little reality in Fanny's feelings. Fanny went to her every two or three days: it seemed a kind of fascination: she could not be easy without going, and yet it was without loving her, without ever thinking like her, without any sense of obligation for being sought after now when nobody else was to be had; and deriving no higher pleasure from her conversation than occasional amusement, and _that_ often at the expense of her judgment, when it was raised by pleasantry on people or subjects which she wished to be respected. She went, however, and they sauntered about together many an half-hour in Mrs. Grant's shrubbery, the weather being unusually mild for the time of year, and venturing sometimes even to sit down on one of the benches now comparatively unsheltered, remaining there perhaps till, in the midst of some tender ejaculation of Fanny's on the sweets of so protracted an autumn, they were forced, by the sudden swell of a cold gust shaking down the last few yellow leaves about them, to jump up and walk for warmth. 

"This is pretty, very pretty," said Fanny, looking around her as they were thus sitting together one day; "every time I come into this shrubbery I am more struck with its growth and beauty. Three years ago, this was nothing but a rough hedgerow along the upper side of the field, never thought of as anything, or capable of becoming anything; and now it is converted into a walk, and it would be difficult to say whether most valuable as a convenience or an ornament; and perhaps, in another three years, we may be forgetting--almost forgetting what it was before. How wonderful, how very wonderful the operations of time, and the changes of the human mind!" And following the latter train of thought, she soon afterwards added: "If any one faculty of our nature may be called _more_ wonderful than the rest, I do think it is memory. There seems something more speakingly incomprehensible in the powers, the failures, the inequalities of memory, than in any other of our intelligences. The memory is sometimes so retentive, so serviceable, so obedient; at others, so bewildered and so weak; and at others again, so tyrannic, so beyond control! We are, to be sure, a miracle every way; but our powers of recollecting and of forgetting do seem peculiarly past finding out." 

Miss Crawford, untouched and inattentive, had nothing to say; and Fanny, perceiving it, brought back her own mind to what she thought must interest. 

"It may seem impertinent in _me_ to praise, but I must admire the taste Mrs. Grant has shewn in all this. There is such a quiet simplicity in the plan of the walk! Not too much attempted!" 

"Yes," replied Miss Crawford carelessly, "it does very well for a place of this sort. One does not think of extent _here_; and between ourselves, till I came to Mansfield, I had not imagined a country parson ever aspired to a shrubbery, or anything of the kind." 

"I am so glad to see the evergreens thrive!" said Fanny, in reply. "My uncle's gardener always says the soil here is better than his own, and so it appears from the growth of the laurels and evergreens in general. The evergreen! How beautiful, how welcome, how wonderful the evergreen! When one thinks of it, how astonishing a variety of nature! In some countries we know the tree that sheds its leaf is the variety, but that does not make it less amazing that the same soil and the same sun should nurture plants differing in the first rule and law of their existence. You will think me rhapsodising; but when I am out of doors, especially when I am sitting out of doors, I am very apt to get into this sort of wondering strain. One cannot fix one's eyes on the commonest natural production without finding food for a rambling fancy." 

"To say the truth," replied Miss Crawford, "I am something like the famous Doge at the court of Lewis XIV.; and may declare that I see no wonder in this shrubbery equal to seeing myself in it. If anybody had told me a year ago that this place would be my home, that I should be spending month after month here, as I have done, I certainly should not have believed them. I have now been here nearly five months; and, moreover, the quietest five months I ever passed." 

"_Too_ quiet for you, I believe." 

"I should have thought so _theoretically_ myself, but," and her eyes brightened as she spoke, "take it all and all, I never spent so happy a summer. But then," with a more thoughtful air and lowered voice, "there is no saying what it may lead to." 

Fanny's heart beat quick, and she felt quite unequal to surmising or soliciting anything more. Miss Crawford, however, with renewed animation, soon went on-- 

"I am conscious of being far better reconciled to a country residence than I had ever expected to be. I can even suppose it pleasant to spend _half_ the year in the country, under certain circumstances, very pleasant. An elegant, moderate-sized house in the centre of family connexions; continual engagements among them; commanding the first society in the neighbourhood; looked up to, perhaps, as leading it even more than those of larger fortune, and turning from the cheerful round of such amusements to nothing worse than a _tete-a-tete_ with the person one feels most agreeable in the world. There is nothing frightful in such a picture, is there, Miss Price? One need not envy the new Mrs. Rushworth with such a home as _that_." "Envy Mrs. Rushworth!" was all that Fanny attempted to say. "Come, come, it would be very un-handsome in us to be severe on Mrs. Rushworth, for I look forward to our owing her a great many gay, brilliant, happy hours. I expect we shall be all very much at Sotherton another year. Such a match as Miss Bertram has made is a public blessing; for the first pleasures of Mr. Rushworth's wife must be to fill her house, and give the best balls in the country." 

Fanny was silent, and Miss Crawford relapsed into thoughtfulness, till suddenly looking up at the end of a few minutes, she exclaimed, "Ah! here he is." It was not Mr. Rushworth, however, but Edmund, who then appeared walking towards them with Mrs. Grant. "My sister and Mr. Bertram. I am so glad your eldest cousin is gone, that he may be Mr. Bertram again. There is something in the sound of Mr. _Edmund_ Bertram so formal, so pitiful, so younger-brother-like, that I detest it." 

"How differently we feel!" cried Fanny. "To me, the sound of _Mr._ Bertram is so cold and nothing-meaning, so entirely without warmth or character! It just stands for a gentleman, and that's all. But there is nobleness in the name of Edmund. It is a name of heroism and renown; of kings, princes, and knights; and seems to breathe the spirit of chivalry and warm affections." 

"I grant you the name is good in itself, and _Lord_ Edmund or _Sir_ Edmund sound delightfully; but sink it under the chill, the annihilation of a Mr., and Mr. Edmund is no more than Mr. John or Mr. Thomas. Well, shall we join and disappoint them of half their lecture upon sitting down out of doors at this time of year, by being up before they can begin?" 

Edmund met them with particular pleasure. It was the first time of his seeing them together since the beginning of that better acquaintance which he had been hearing of with great satisfaction. A friendship between two so very dear to him was exactly what he could have wished: and to the credit of the lover's understanding, be it stated, that he did not by any means consider Fanny as the only, or even as the greater gainer by such a friendship. 

"Well," said Miss Crawford, "and do you not scold us for our imprudence? What do you think we have been sitting down for but to be talked to about it, and entreated and supplicated never to do so again?" 

"Perhaps I might have scolded," said Edmund, "if either of you had been sitting down alone; but while you do wrong together, I can overlook a great deal." 

"They cannot have been sitting long," cried Mrs. Grant, "for when I went up for my shawl I saw them from the staircase window, and then they were walking." 

"And really," added Edmund, "the day is so mild, that your sitting down for a few minutes can be hardly thought imprudent. Our weather must not always be judged by the calendar. We may sometimes take greater liberties in November than in May." 

"Upon my word," cried Miss Crawford, "you are two of the most disappointing and unfeeling kind friends I ever met with! There is no giving you a moment's uneasiness. You do not know how much we have been suffering, nor what chills we have felt! But I have long thought Mr. Bertram one of the worst subjects to work on, in any little manoeuvre against common sense, that a woman could be plagued with. I had very little hope of _him_ from the first; but you, Mrs. Grant, my sister, my own sister, I think I had a right to alarm you a little." 

"Do not flatter yourself, my dearest Mary. You have not the smallest chance of moving me. I have my alarms, but they are quite in a different quarter; and if I could have altered the weather, you would have had a good sharp east wind blowing on you the whole time--for here are some of my plants which Robert _will_ leave out because the nights are so mild, and I know the end of it will be, that we shall have a sudden change of weather, a hard frost setting in all at once, taking everybody (at least Robert) by surprise, and I shall lose every one; and what is worse, cook has just been telling me that the turkey, which I particularly wished not to be dressed till Sunday, because I know how much more Dr. Grant would enjoy it on Sunday after the fatigues of the day, will not keep beyond to-morrow. These are something like grievances, and make me think the weather most unseasonably close." "The sweets of housekeeping in a country village!" said Miss Crawford archly. "Commend me to the nurseryman and the poulterer." 

"My dear child, commend Dr. Grant to the deanery of Westminster or St. Paul's, and I should be as glad of your nurseryman and poulterer as you could be. But we have no such people in Mansfield. What would you have me do?" 

"Oh! you can do nothing but what you do already: be plagued very often, and never lose your temper." 

"Thank you; but there is no escaping these little vexations, Mary, live where we may; and when you are settled in town and I come to see you, I dare say I shall find you with yours, in spite of the nurseryman and the poulterer, perhaps on their very account. Their remoteness and unpunctuality, or their exorbitant charges and frauds, will be drawing forth bitter lamentations." 

"I mean to be too rich to lament or to feel anything of the sort. A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of. It certainly may secure all the myrtle and turkey part of it." 

"You intend to be very rich?" said Edmund, with a look which, to Fanny's eye, had a great deal of serious meaning. 

"To be sure. Do not you? Do not we all?" 

"I cannot intend anything which it must be so completely beyond my power to command. Miss Crawford may chuse her degree of wealth. She has only to fix on her number of thousands a year, and there can be no doubt of their coming. My intentions are only not to be poor." 

"By moderation and economy, and bringing down your wants to your income, and all that. I understand you--and a very proper plan it is for a person at your time of life, with such limited means and indifferent connexions. What can _you_ want but a decent maintenance? You have not much time before you; and your relations are in no situation to do anything for you, or to mortify you by the contrast of their own wealth and consequence. Be honest and poor, by all means--but I shall not envy you; I do not much think I shall even respect you. I have a much greater respect for those that are honest and rich." 

"Your degree of respect for honesty, rich or poor, is precisely what I have no manner of concern with. I do not mean to be poor. Poverty is exactly what I have determined against. Honesty, in the something between, in the middle state of worldly circumstances, is all that I am anxious for your not looking down on." 

"But I do look down upon it, if it might have been higher. I must look down upon anything contented with obscurity when it might rise to distinction." 

"But how may it rise? How may my honesty at least rise to any distinction?" 

This was not so very easy a question to answer, and occasioned an "Oh!" of some length from the fair lady before she could add, "You ought to be in parliament, or you should have gone into the army ten years ago." 

"_That_ is not much to the purpose now; and as to my being in parliament, I believe I must wait till there is an especial assembly for the representation of younger sons who have little to live on. No, Miss Crawford," he added, in a more serious tone, "there _are_ distinctions which I should be miserable if I thought myself without any chance-- absolutely without chance or possibility of obtaining-- but they are of a different character." 

A look of consciousness as he spoke, and what seemed a consciousness of manner on Miss Crawford's side as she made some laughing answer, was sorrowfull food for Fanny's observation; and finding herself quite unable to attend as she ought to Mrs. Grant, by whose side she was now following the others, she had nearly resolved on going home immediately, and only waited for courage to say so, when the sound of the great clock at Mansfield Park, striking three, made her feel that she had really been much longer absent than usual, and brought the previous self-inquiry of whether she should take leave or not just then, and how, to a very speedy issue. With undoubting decision she directly began her adieus; and Edmund began at the same time to recollect that his mother had been inquiring for her, and that he had walked down to the Parsonage on purpose to bring her back. 

Fanny's hurry increased; and without in the least expecting Edmund's attendance, she would have hastened away alone; but the general pace was quickened, and they all accompanied her into the house, through which it was necessary to pass. Dr. Grant was in the vestibule, and as they stopt to speak to him she found, from Edmund's manner, that he _did_ mean to go with her. He too was taking leave. She could not but be thankful. In the moment of parting, Edmund was invited by Dr. Grant to eat his mutton with him the next day; and Fanny had barely time for an unpleasant feeling on the occasion, when Mrs. Grant, with sudden recollection, turned to her and asked for the pleasure of her company too. This was so new an attention, so perfectly new a circumstance in the events of Fanny's life, that she was all surprise and embarrassment; and while stammering out her great obligation, and her "but she did not suppose it would be in her power," was looking at Edmund for his opinion and help. But Edmund, delighted with her having such an happiness offered, and ascertaining with half a look, and half a sentence, that she had no objection but on her aunt's account, could not imagine that his mother would make any difficulty of sparing her, and therefore gave his decided open advice that the invitation should be accepted; and though Fanny would not venture, even on his encouragement, to such a flight of audacious independence, it was soon settled, that if nothing were heard to the contrary, Mrs. Grant might expect her. 

"And you know what your dinner will be," said Mrs. Grant, smiling--"the turkey, and I assure you a very fine one; for, my dear," turning to her husband, "cook insists upon the turkey's being dressed to-morrow." 

"Very well, very well," cried Dr. Grant, "all the better; I am glad to hear you have anything so good in the house. But Miss Price and Mr. Edmund Bertram, I dare say, would take their chance. We none of us want to hear the bill of fare. A friendly meeting, and not a fine dinner, is all we have in view. A turkey, or a goose, or a leg of mutton, or whatever you and your cook chuse to give us." 

The two cousins walked home together; and, except in the immediate discussion of this engagement, which Edmund spoke of with the warmest satisfaction, as so particularly desirable for her in the intimacy which he saw with so much pleasure established, it was a silent walk; for having finished that subject, he grew thoughtful and indisposed for any other.

第二卷 第四章

两位表姐走后，范妮的身价提高了。现在，她成了客厅里唯一的年轻女子。在家中这个重要的层次上，她本来一直处于不起眼的老三的位置，如今却舍她没有别人了。因此，别人不可能不比以往更多地注意她，想到她，关照她。于是，“范妮到哪儿去了？”也就成为一个经常听到的问题，即使没什么人要她帮忙的时候也是如此。

她的身价不仅在家里提高了，在牧师住宅里也提高了。自从诺里斯先生去世以后，她一年到那里去不了两次，现在却成了一个受欢迎的、请上门的客人，在11月的一个阴雨天，她就受到玛丽·克劳福德的热烈欢迎。她去牧师住宅，起初是由于偶然的机会，后来是由于受到邀请而继续下去的。格兰特太太其实是一心想给妹妹解解闷，却又采取最简捷的自我欺骗的伎俩，认为她敦促范妮常来仍是对她所做的最大好事，给她提供了最重要的上进机会。

原来，范妮受诺里斯姨妈差遣，到村子里办件什么事，在牧师住宅附近遇上了一阵大雨。牧师住宅里的人从窗子里看见她在他们院外凋零的栎树下避雨，便邀她进去，她是推却不过勉强从命的。她先是谢绝了一个仆人的好心邀请，可是等格兰特博士亲自拿了把伞走出多来，她又觉得很不好意思，便赶快进去了。可怜的克劳福德小姐正心情沮丧地望着窗外的凄风苦雨，哀叹上午的户外活动计划化做了泡影，二十四小时内除了自家人以外再也见不到另一个人，这时听到了前门口有动静，随即看到普莱斯小姐浑身滴着水走进了门廊，心里不禁十分高兴。她深深地感受到，乡下阴雨天能来个客人实在难得。她顿时又活跃起来，满腔热忱地关心范妮，说她发现范妮的衣服都湿透了，便给她拿出了干衣服。范妮起初不肯承认自己衣服湿，后来只好接受这番关照，任凭太太小姐和女仆们帮助自己更换衣衫。后来又不得不回到楼下，眼见着雨下个不停，不得不在客厅里坐了一个小时。这一新鲜场面真令人赏心悦目，克劳福德小姐的兴致足以维持到更衣吃饭时间。

那姐妹俩对她客客气气，和颜悦色。范妮若不是想着自己在打扰别人，若是能预见到一个小时后天会放晴，她用不着难为情地像主人家一再说的那样，让格兰特博士的马车把自己送回家，那她对自己在这里做客会感到称心如意的。至于她在这样的天气给困在外面家里会不会着急，她倒不必为之担心，因为只有两个姨妈知道她出来，她们两人谁也不会替她担心。诺里斯姨妈不管说她会躲在哪座农舍里避雨，伯特伦夫人都会确信无疑。

天色不那么阴暗了。这时候，范妮看见屋里有架竖琴，便随口问了几个问题，不久又承认自己很想听一听，并且供认：说起来很难让人相信，这竖琴运到曼斯菲尔德以来，她还从来没有听过。范妮觉得，这是件很简单、很自然的事情。自从竖琴运来后，她就没怎么进过牧师住宅，她也没有理由进去。克劳福德小姐想起了早就表示过愿意弹给她听，现在为自己的疏忽感到过意不去。于是，她和颜悦色地接连问道：“我这就弹给你听好吗？”——“你要听什么？”

她照范妮的意思弹了起来。她很高兴又有了一个听她弹琴的人，一个似乎满怀感激之情，对她的技艺赞叹不已，而自己又不乏情趣的听琴人。她一直弹到范妮向窗外望去，眼见得外面显然已经天晴，那神情好像说她该告辞了。

“再等一刻钟，”克劳福德小姐说，“看看天气怎么样。不要雨刚停就走。那几块云彩看起来挺吓人的。”

“不过，那云彩已经过去了，”范妮说。“我一直在注视它们。这雨完全是从南边来的。”

“不管是从南边来还是从北边来，乌云我一看就能认出。天还这么阴沉沉的，你不能走。再说，我想再弹点东西给你听——一支非常好听的曲子——你表哥埃德蒙最喜爱的曲子。你先不要走，听听你表哥最喜欢的曲子。”

范妮觉得她是不能马上走。她无须听她这句话，心里就想着埃德蒙，而经她这话一提醒，心里越发浮想联翩。她想象他一次又一次地坐在这间屋子里，也许就坐在她现在坐的这个地方，总是乐滋滋地听着他最喜爱的这支曲子。在范妮的想象中，为他弹起来，曲调格外优美，弹琴人的表情格外丰富。尽管她自己也喜欢这支曲子，而且很高兴跟他有同样的喜好，但是曲子奏完之后，她比刚才还真心实意地急着要走。克劳福德小姐见她执意要走，便亲切地邀请她再来，要她散步有可能的话，来这儿听她弹琴，范妮感到只要家里不反对，倒有必要这么办。

这两人在两位伯特伦小姐走后半个月内形成的亲密关系，就是这样开始的。这主要是克劳福德小姐图新鲜的缘故，而范妮也没有什么真情实感。范妮每隔两三天去一次。她好像中了邪似的，不去就心里不踏实。然而她并不喜爱她，也和她想不到一块，请她去她也毫不领情，反正现在没有别人可请。跟她谈话也只是偶尔觉得好玩，并没有太大的乐趣。而就是这点好玩，也往往是拿她所敬重的人、所看重的事打趣，她跟着敷衍几句。不过，她还是去找她，两人趁这季节少有的温和天气，在格兰特太太的灌木林里一起漫步，常常一走就是半个小时。有时甚至不顾天气已凉，坐在已经没有浓荫遮掩的凳子上，久久地待在那儿，到后来范妮兴许会柔声细气地感叹秋天漫漫的情趣，恰在这时，一阵突如其来的冷风吹落了周围枝头的最后几片黄叶，两人忽地站起来，想走走路暖暖身子。

“这儿真美——非常美，”有一天她们这样一起坐着的时候，范妮环视着四周说。“我每次走进这片灌木林，就觉得树又长了，林子更美了。三年以前，这儿只不过是地边上的一排不像样的树篱，谁也没把它放在眼里，谁也想不到它会成什么景色，现在却变成了一条散步林荫道，很难说它是可贵在提供了方便，还是可贵在美化了环境。也许再过三年，我们会忘记——差不多忘记它原来是什么样子。时间的作用和思想的变化有多么奇妙，多么奇妙啊！”稍顿了顿，她又顺着后面的思路补充说：“如果人的哪一种天生技能可以说是比别的技能更加奇妙的话，我看就是记忆力。人的记忆力有强有弱，发展不平衡，似乎比人的其他才智更加不可思议。记忆力有的时候又牢固，又管用，还温顺——别的时候又糊涂，又虚弱——还有的时候又很专横，无法驾驭!我们人各方面都堪称奇妙——但记忆力和遗忘力似乎尤为奇妙无比。”

克劳福德小姐无动于衷也心不在焉，因而无话可说。范妮看出来了，便把思绪又扯回到她认为有趣的事情上。

“也许我来赞赏有些冒昧，不过我真钦佩格兰特太太在这方面表现出的情趣。这散步林荫道设计得多么幽静、多么朴实呀！没有多少人工雕琢的痕迹！”

“是的，”克劳福德小姐漫不经心地说，“对这种地方来说，这是很不错的。人们在这儿也不求更多的内容。跟你私下说一句，我没来曼斯菲尔德之前，没想到一个乡下牧师还会想要搞个灌木林之类的名堂。”

“我很高兴，这冬青长得这么好啊！”范妮回道。“姨父的园丁总说这儿的土质比他那儿的好，从月桂和常青树的普遍长势来看，好像是这样的。看这常青树啊！多么好看，多么喜人，多么美妙啊！只要想一想，这是大自然多么令人惊奇的变种啊！在我们知道的某些地方，有一种落叶树就属于这一品种，真是令人奇怪，同样的土质、同样的阳光，养育出来的植物居然会有不同的生存规律。你会以为我在发狂。不过我一来到户外，特别是在户外静坐的时候，就会陷入这样的遐想。人即使眼盯着大自然最平常的产物，也会产生漫无边际的幻想。”

“说实话，”克劳福德小姐答道，“我有点像路易十四宫廷里的那位有名的总督，可以说从这灌木林里看不出任何奇妙之处，令人惊奇的是我会置身其中。要是一年前谁对我说这地方会成为我的家，说我会像现在这样一个月又一个月地住下去，我说什么也不会相信啊！我在这儿住了快五个月啦！而且是我有生以来过得最清闲的五个月。”

“我想对你来说太清闲了。”

“从理论上讲我看是的，不过，”克劳福德小姐说着两眼亮闪闪的，“总的说来，我从没度过这么快乐的夏天。不过，”脸上更是一副冥思苦索的祥子，同时压低了声音，“很难说以后会怎么样。”

范妮的心跳加快了，她不敢猜测她接着会讲什么，也不敢求她再往下讲。可是克劳福德小姐很快又兴致勃勃地说了下去：

“我从没想到我会适应乡下生活，现在感觉适应多了。我甚至觉得哪怕在乡下住上半年也挺有意思，而且在某些情况下还非常惬意。一座雅致的、大小适中的房子，四面八方都有亲戚，彼此常来常往，支配着附近的上流社交圈，甚至比更加富有的人还受人敬仰，这样的游兴过后，至少还能和自己最投机的人促膝谈心。这情景没有什么可怕的吧，普莱斯小姐？有了这样一个家，你就不用羡慕刚过门的拉什沃思太太了吧？”“羡慕拉什沃思太太！”范妮只说了这么一声。“得了，得了，我们这样苛刻地对待拉什沃思太太，未免太不厚道了，我还指望她给我们带来许多快快乐乐的时光呢。我期待来年我们都能到索瑟顿住上很长时间。伯特伦小姐的这门亲事对大家都是个福音，因为拉什沃思先生的妻子的最大乐趣，肯定是宾客满堂，举行乡下最高雅的舞会。”

范妮没有做声，克劳福德小姐重又陷入沉思。过了一会，她突然抬起眼来，惊叫道：“啊！他来了。”不过，来的不是拉什沃思先生，而是埃德蒙，只见他和格兰特太太一起朝她们走来。“是我姐姐和伯特伦先生——我很高兴你大表哥走了，埃德蒙又可以做伯特伦先生了①。埃德蒙·伯特伦先生听起来太刻板、太可怜、太像个小儿子的名字，我不喜欢这样叫。”

“我们的想法截然不同啊！”范妮嚷道。“我觉得‘伯特伦先生’听起来那么冷漠、那么呆板，一点也不亲切，丝毫没有个性！只表明是个男人，仅此而已。但是埃德蒙这个名字含有高贵的意味。它是英勇和威望的别称——国王、王子和爵士们都用过这个名字。它好像洋溢着骑士的精神和热烈的情感。”

“我承认这个名字本身是不错，而埃德蒙勋爵或埃德蒙爵士也确实好听。但是给它降低档次，只以‘先生’相称，那‘埃德蒙先生’比‘约翰先生’或‘托马斯先生’也强不到哪里。好了，他们又要教训我

①按英国的习惯，一个家庭的子女中，只有大儿子、大女儿可以用“姓加先生、小姐”来称呼，而二儿子、二女儿以下要正式称呼某某先生、小姐时，还必须在前面另加上教名。们这个季节不该坐在外边了，我们是不是趁他们还没开口，赶紧站起来，叫他们少说几句？”

埃德蒙遇到她们非常高兴。他听说她们两人关系更加亲密，心里不禁大为满意，但这还是第一次见到她们两人在一起。他所心爱的两个姑娘能彼此交好，真让他求之不得。权且说难得情人心有灵犀吧，他认为她们两人交好，范妮绝不是唯一的，甚至不是主要的受益者。

“喂，”克劳福德小姐说，“你不会责骂我们不谨慎吧？你不会认为我们坐在外边就是等着挨训，等着别人恳求我们以后不要再这样吗？”

“如果你们俩哪个独自一人坐在外边，”埃德蒙说，“我也许是会责骂的。不过你们两个一起犯错误，我可以大加宽容了。”

“她们坐在外面的时间不会长，”格兰特太太嚷道。“我到楼上拿披巾的时候，从楼梯上的窗户里看见了她们，那时她们还在散步呢。”

“其实，”埃德蒙补充说，“天气这么暖和，你们在外边坐几分钟也算不上不谨慎。我们不能总是靠日历来判断天气。有时候，我们在11月可能比在5月还随意些。”

“真是的，”克劳福德小姐嚷道，“像你们这种令人失望的、对人漠不关心的朋友真是少有啊！你们丝毫都不担心。你们不知道我们身上多么难受，冻成什么样子啦！不过，我早就知道女人要耍点违背常识的小花招，伯特伦先生是一个最不易上当的人。我从一开始对他就不抱什么希望。不过你嘛，格兰特太太，我的姐姐，我的亲姐姐，我想我会让你吓一跳的。”

“不要太自鸣得意了，最亲爱的玛丽。你压根儿吓不住我。我有我担心的事，但完全是在别的方面。我要是能改变天气的话，就来一场刺骨的东风始终吹着你们。我有几盆花，因为夜里还不冷，罗伯特非要把花放在外边。我知道结果会怎样：肯定会突然变天，一下子天寒地冻，搞得大家（至少罗伯特）措手不及，我的花会统统冻死。更糟糕的是，厨子刚刚告诉我说火鸡放不过明天了，我原想放到礼拜天再收拾了吃，因为我知道格兰特博士劳累了一天，礼拜天吃起来会格外香。这些事才值得发愁，让我觉得天气闷得反常。”

“在乡下料理家务可是其乐无穷啊！”克劳福德小姐调皮地说。“把我介绍给花圃工和家禽贩子吧。”

“我的好妹妹，你先介绍格兰特博士去做威斯特敏斯特教长或圣保罗教长，我就把你介绍给花圃工或家禽贩子。不过，曼斯菲尔德没有这号人。你想让我干什么呢？”

“噢！你除了已在于的事什么也不要干：只要常常受气，可千万不要发火。”

“谢谢你。但是，不论你住在哪里，玛丽，你总是避免不了这些小小的烦恼。等你在伦敦安了家，我去看你的时候，我敢说你也会有你的烦恼，尽管你有花圃工和家禽贩子——也许就是他们给你带来的烦恼。他们住得远，来得不守时，或者要价太高，骗你的钱，这些都会让你大叫其苦。”

“我想做到很有钱，既不用叫苦，也不在乎这类事情。大笔的收入是确保幸福的万应灵药。只要有了钱，就一定会有桃金娘和火鸡之类的东西。”

“你想做到很有钱，”埃德蒙说。在范妮看来，他的眼神极为严肃认真。

“那当然。难道你不想？难道还有谁不想吗？”

“我不去想我根本办不到的事。克劳福德小姐可以选择她要富到什么地步。她只要定下一年要几千英镑，无疑都会到来。我的愿望是只要不穷就行。”

“采取节制节俭、量人为出之类的措施。我了解你。对于你这样的年纪、收入有限、又没有什么靠山的人来说，这倒是个很恰当的计划。你只不过是想生活上过得去吧？你平常没有多少时间，你的亲戚们既帮不了你什么忙，也不是有钱有势让你自惭形秽。那就老老实实地做穷人吧——不过，我可不羡慕你。我认为我甚至不会敬重你。我对那些又老实又有钱的人，倒是敬重得多。”

“你对老实人（不管是有钱的还是没钱的）敬重到什么地步，恰恰是我漠不关心的。我并不想做穷人。我绝对不愿意做穷人。如果介于贫富之间，具有中等的物质条件，我只希望你不要瞧不起这样的老实人。”

“如果能向上却不向上，我就是瞧不起。本来可以出入头地，却又甘愿默默无闻，我是一概瞧不起。”

“可是怎么向上呢？我这个老实人怎么出入头地呢？”

这可是个不大容易回答的问题，那位漂亮的小姐只是长“噢！”了一声，然后又补充了一句：“你应该进国会，或者十年前就该去参军。”

“现在说这话已经没用了。至于进国会，我想我得等到有一届特别国会，专让没钱的小儿子们代表参加。不，克劳福德小姐，”埃德蒙以更严肃的口气补充说，“还是有出人头地的门路的，我觉得我并非可怜巴巴的一点机会都没有——丝毫没有成功的机会或可能——不过，那完全是另一种性质。”

埃德蒙说话时露出难为情的样子，克劳福德小姐笑哈哈地回答了一句，神情好像也不自然，范妮看到这般情景，觉得心里不是滋味。她眼下走在格兰特太太身边跟在那两人后边，感觉无法再跟着走下去了，几乎打定主意要马上回家，只等鼓起勇气开口。恰在此时，曼斯菲尔德庄园的大钟响了三下，使她意识到她这次在外边待的时间确实比平时长得多，于是她先前自问的是否应该立即告别，以及如何告别，很快有了答案。她毫不迟疑地立即开始告别。这时埃德蒙也想起，母亲一直在找她，他是到牧师住宅来叫她回去的。

范妮越发着急了。她丝毫没想到埃德蒙会陪她回去，本打算一个人匆匆走掉。但是大家都加快了脚步，陪她一起走进必须穿过的房子。格兰特博士就在门厅里，几个人停下来和他说话的时候，范妮从埃德蒙的举动中看得出来，他真想和她一起走。他也在向主人家告别。范妮心里油然浮出一股感激之情。告别的时候，格兰特博士邀请埃德蒙第二天过来和他一起吃羊肉。范妮这时心里不是很愉快，可就在这当儿，格兰特太太突然有所醒悟，转过身来邀她也来吃饭。范妮长了这么大，还从未受过这样的厚待，因此惊奇万分，不知所措。她结结巴巴地表示不胜感激，随即说了声她“恐怕做不了主”，便望着埃德蒙求他帮助拿主意。埃德蒙很高兴范妮受到邀请，便看了她一眼，用短短一句话向她表明，只要她姨妈不反对，她没有什么不能来的，而他觉得母亲决不会阻拦她，因此明言直语地建议她接受邀请。虽说范妮即使受到埃德蒙的鼓励之后也不敢贸然做主，但事情很快说定：如果收不到不来的通知，格兰特太太就准备她会来。

“你们知道明天会吃到什么，”格兰特太太笑吟吟地说。“火鸡——我保证是一只烧得很不错的火鸡。因为，亲爱的，”说着转向丈夫，“厨子非要明天剖洗那只火鸡。”

“很好，很好，”格兰特博士嚷遒，“这就更好。我很高兴家里有这么好的东西。不过我敢说，普莱斯小姐和埃德蒙·伯特伦先生会碰上什么吃什么的。我们谁也不想听菜单。我们只想来一次朋友间的聚会，而不是大摆宴席。火鸡也行，鹅也行，羊腿也行，随便你和厨子决定给我们吃什么。”

表兄妹一起走回家去。一出门，两人便谈起了明天的约会。埃德蒙说起来极为高兴，认为范妮和他们亲近真是再好不过了，完全是件大喜事。除此之外，两人一直默默地走着——因为谈完这件事之后，埃德蒙陷入沉思，不想再谈别的事。