christie johnstone-第1节

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Christie　Johnstone

A　NOVEL


by　Charles　Reade




I　dedicate　all　that　is　good　in　this　work　to　my　mother。C。　R。；




NOTE


THIS　story　was　written　three　years　ago；　and　one　or　two　topics　in　it　are
not　treated　exactly　as　they　would　be　if　written　by　the　same　hand　to…day。
But　if　the　author　had　retouched　those　pages　with　his　colors　of　1853；　he
would　（he　thinks）　have　destroyed　the　only　merit　they　have；　viz。；　that　of
containing　genuine　contemporaneous　verdicts　upon　a　cant　that　was
flourishing　like　a　peony；　and　a　truth　that　was　struggling　for　bare　life；
in　the　year　of　truth　1850。

He　prefers　to　deal　fairly　with　the　public；　and；　with　this　explanation　and
apology；　to　lay　at　its　feet　a　faulty　but　genuine　piece　of　work。




CHAPTER　I。

VISCOUNT　IPSDEN；　aged　twenty…five；　income　eighteen　thousand　pounds　per
year；　constitution　equine；　was　unhappy！　This　might　surprise　some　people；
but　there　are　certain　blessings；　the　non…possession　of　which　makes　more
people　discontented　than　their　possession　renders　happy。

Foremost　among　these　are　〃Wealth　and　Rank。〃　Were　I　to　add　〃Beauty〃　to　the
list；　such　men　and　women　as　go　by　fact；　not　by　conjecture；　would　hardly
contradict　me。

The　fortunate　man　is　he　who；　born　poor；　or　nobody；　works　gradually　up　to
wealth　and　consideration；　and；　having　got　them；　dies　before　he　finds　they
were　not　worth　so　much　trouble。

Lord　Ipsden　started　with　nothing　to　win；　and　naturally　lived　for
amusement。　Now　nothing　is　so　sure　to　cease　to　please　as　pleasureto
amuse；　as　amusement。　Unfortunately　for　himself　he　could　not　at　this
period　of　his　life　warm　to　politics；　so；　having　exhausted　his　London
clique；　he　rolled　through　the　cities　of　Europe　in　his　carriage；　and
cruised　its　shores　in　his　yacht。　But　he　was　not　happy！

He　was　a　man　of　taste；　and　sipped　the　arts　and　other　knowledge；　as　he
sauntered　Europe　round。

But　he　was　not　happy。

〃What　shall　I　do？〃　said　_l'ennuye'。_

〃Distinguish　yourself；〃　said　one。

〃How？〃

No　immediate　answer。

〃Take　a　_prima　donna_　over；〃　said　another。

Well；　the　man　took　a　_prima　donna_　over；　which　scolded　its　maid　from　the
Alps　to　Dover　in　the　_lingua　Toscana_　without　the　_bocca　Romana；_　and
sang　in　London　without　applause；　because　what　goes　down　at　La　Scala　does
not　generally　go　down　at　Il　Teatro　della　Regina；　Haymarket。

So　then　my　lord　strolled　into　Russia；　there　he　drove　a　pair　of　horses；
one　of　whom　put　his　head　down　and　did　the　work；　the　other　pranced　and
capricoled　alongside；　all　unconscious　of　the　trace。　He　seemed　happier
than　his　working　brother；　but　the　biped　whose　career　corresponded　with
this　playful　animal's　was　not　happy！

At　length　an　event　occurred　that　promised　to　play　an　adagio　upon　Lord
Ipsden　's　mind。　He　fell　in　love　with　Lady　Barbara　Sinclair；　and　he　had　no
sooner　done　this　than　he　felt；　as　we　are　all　apt　to　do　on　similar
occasions；　how　wise　a　thing　he　had　done！

Besides　a　lovely　person；　Lady　Barbara　Sinclair　had　a　character　that　he
saw　would　make　him；　and；　in　fact；　Lady　Barbara　Sinclair　was；　to　an
inexperienced　eye；　the　exact　opposite　of　Lord　Ipsden。

Her　mental　impulse　was　as　plethoric　as　his　was　languid。

She　was　as　enthusiastic　as　he　was　cool。

She　took　a　warm　interest　in　everything。　She　believed　that　government　is　a
science；　and　one　that　goes　with　_copia　verborum。_

She　believed　that；　in　England；　government　is　administered；　not　by　a　set
of　men　whose　salaries　range　from　eighty　to　five　hundred　pounds　a　year；
and　whose　names　are　never　heard；　but　by　the　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury；
and　other　great　men。

Hence　she　inferred；　that　it　matters　very　much　to　all　of　us　in　whose　hand
is　the　rudder　of　that　state　vessel　which　goes　down　the　wind　of　public
opinion；　without　veering　a　point；　let　who　will　be　at　the　helm。

She　also　cared　very　much　who　was　the　new　bishop。　Religionif　not
religion；　theologywould　be　affected　thereby。

She　was　enthusiastic　about　poets；　imagined　their　verse　to　be　some　sort　of
clew　to　their　characters；　and　so　on。

She　had　other　theories；　which　will　be　indicated　by　and　by；　at　present　it
is　enough　to　say　that　her　mind　was　young；　healthy；　somewhat　original；
full　of　fire　and　faith；　and　empty　of　experience。

Lord　Ipsden　loved　her！　it　was　easy　to　love　her。

First；　there　was　not；　in　the　whole　range　of　her　mind　and　body；　one　grain
of　affectation　of　any　sort。

She　was　always；　in　point　of　fact；　under　the　influence　of　some　male　mind
or　other；　generally　some　writer。　What　young　woman　is　not；　more　or　less；　a
mirror？　But　she　never　imitated　or　affected；　she　was　always　herself；　by
whomsoever　colored。

Then　she　was　beautiful　and　eloquent；　much　too　high…bred　to　put　a
restraint　upon　her　natural　manner；　she　was　often　more　_naive；_　and　even
brusk；　than　your　would…be　aristocrats　dare　to　be；　but　what　a　charming
abruptness　hers　was！

I　do　not　excel　in　descriptions；　and　yet　I　want　to　give　you　some　carnal
idea　of　a　certain　peculiarity　and　charm　this　lady　possessed；　permit　me　to
call　a　sister　art　to　my　aid。

There　has　lately　stepped　upon　the　French　stage　a　charming　personage；
whose　manner　is　quite　free　from　the　affectation　that　soils　nearly　all
French　actressesMademoiselle　Madeleine　Brohan！　When　you　see　this　young
lady　play　Mademoiselle　La　Segli'ere；　you　see　high…bred　sensibility
personified；　and　you　see　something　like　Lady　Barbara　Sinclair。

She　was　a　connection　of　Lord　Ipsden's；　but　they　had　not　met　for　two
years；　when　they　encountered　each　other　in　Paris　just　before　the
commencement　of　this　〃Dramatic　Story；〃　〃Novel〃　by　courtesy。

The　month　he　spent　in　Paris；　near　her；　was　a　bright　month　to　Lord　Ipsden。
A　bystander　would　not　have　gathered；　from　his　manner；　that　he　was　warmly
in　love　with　this　lady；　but；　for　all　that；　his　lordship　was　gradually
uncoiling　himself；　and　gracefully；　quietly　basking　in　the　rays　of　Barbara
Sinclair。

He　was　also　just　beginning　to　take　an　interest　in　subjects　of　the
dayministries；　flat　paintings；　controversial　novels；　Cromwell's
spotless　integrity；　etc。why　not？　They　interested　her。

Suddenly　the　lady　and　her　family　returned　to　England。　Lord　Ipsden；　who
was　going　to　Rome；　came　to　England　instead。

She　had　not　been　five　days　in　London；　before　she　made　her　preparations　to
spend　six　months　in　Perthshire。

This　brought　matters　to　a　climax。

Lord　Ipsden　proposed　in　form。

Lady　Barbara　was　surprised；　she　had　not　viewed　his　graceful　attentions　in
that　light　at　all。　However；　she　answered　by　letter　his　proposal　which　had
been　made　by　letter。

After　a　few　of　those　courteous　words　a　lady　always　bestows　on　a　gentleman
who　has　offered　her　the　highest　compliment　any　man　has　it　in　his　power　to
offer　any　woman；　she　came　to　the　point　in　the　following　characteristic
manner：

〃The　man　I　marry　must　have　two　things；　virtues　and　vicesyou　have
neither。　You　do　nothing；　and　never　will　do　anything　but　sketch　and　hum
tunes；　and　dance　and　dangle。　Forget　this　folly　the　day　after　to…morrow；
my　dear　Ipsden；　and；　if　I　may　ask　a　favor　of　one　to　whom　I　refuse　that
which　would　not　be　a　kindness；　be　still　good　friends　with　her　who　will
always　be

〃Your　affectionate　_Cousin；_

〃BARBARA　SINCLAIR。〃

Soon　after　this　effusion　she　vanished　into　Perthshire；　leaving　her　cousin
stunned　by　a　blow　which　she　thought　would　be　only　a　scratch　to　one　of　his
character。

Lord　Ipsden　relapsed　into　greater　listlessness　than　before　he　had
cherished　these　crushed　hopes。　The　world　now　became　really　dark　and　blank
to　him。　He　was　too　languid　to　go　anywhere　or　do　anything；　a　republican
might　have　compared　the　settled　expression　of　his　handsome；　hopeless　face
with　that　of　most　day…laborers　of　the　same　age；　and　moderated　his　envy　of
the　rich　and　titled。

At　last　he　became　so　pale　as　well　as　languid　that　Mr。　Saunders
interfered。

Saunders　was　a　model　valet　and　factotum；　who　had　been　with　his　master
ever　since　he　left　Eton；　and　had　made　himself　necessary　to　him　in　their
journeys。

The　said　Saunders　was　really　an　invaluable　servant；　and；　with　a　world　of
obsequiousness；　contrived　to　have　his　own　way　on　most　occasions。　He　had；
I　believe；　only　one　great　weakness；　that　of　imagining　a　beau…ideal　of
aristocracy　and　then　outdoing　it　in　the　person　of　John　Saunders。

Now　this　Saunders　was　human；　and　could　not　be　eight　years　with　this　young
gentleman　and　not　take　some　little　interest　in　him。　He　was　flunky；　and
took　a　great　interest　in　him；　as　stepping…stone　to　his　own　greatness。　So
when　he　saw　him　turning　pale　and　thin；　and　reading　one　letter　fifty
times；　he　speculated　and　inquired　what　was　the　matter。　He　brought　the
intellect　of　Mr。　Saunders　to　bear　on　the　question　at　the　following　angle：

〃Now；　if　I　was　a　young　lord　with　20；000　pounds　a　year；　and　all　the　world
at　my　feet；　what　would　make　me　in　this　way？　Why；　the　liver！　Nothing　else。

〃And　that　is　what　is　wrong　with　him；　you　may　depend。〃

This　conclusion　arrived　at；　Mr。　Saunders　coolly　wrote　his　convictions　to
Dr。　Aberford；　and　desired　that　gentleman's　immediate　attention　to　the
case。　An　hour　or　two　later；　he　glided　into　his　lord's　room；　not　without
some　secret　trepidation；　no　trace　of　which　appeared　on　his　face。　He
pulled　a　long　histrionic　countenance。　〃My　lord；〃　said　he；　in　soft；
m