the courtship of susan bell-第1节

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The　Courtship　of　Susan　Bell


by　Anthony　Trollope






John　Munroe　Bell　had　been　a　lawyer　in　Albany；　State　of　New　York；　and
as　such　had　thriven　well。　　He　had　thriven　well　as　long　as　thrift　and
thriving　on　this　earth　had　been　allowed　to　him。　　But　the　Almighty
had　seen　fit　to　shorten　his　span。

Early　in　life　he　had　married　a　timid；　anxious；　pretty；　good　little
wife；　whose　whole　heart　and　mind　had　been　given　up　to　do　his　bidding
and　deserve　his　love。　　She　had　not　only　deserved　it　but　had
possessed　it；　and　as　long　as　John　Munroe　Bell　had　lived；　Henrietta
BellHetta　as　he　called　herhad　been　a　woman　rich　in　blessings。
After　twelve　years　of　such　blessings　he　had　left　her；　and　had　left
with　her　two　daughters；　a　second　Hetta；　and　the　heroine　of　our
little　story；　Susan　Bell。

A　lawyer　in　Albany　may　thrive　passing　well　for　eight　or　ten　years；
and　yet　not　leave　behind　him　any　very　large　sum　of　money　if　he　dies
at　the　end　of　that　time。　　Some　small　modicum；　some　few　thousand
dollars；　John　Bell　had　amassed；　so　that　his　widow　and　daughters　were
not　absolutely　driven　to　look　for　work　or　bread。

In　those　happy　days　when　cash　had　begun　to　flow　in　plenteously　to
the　young　father　of　the　family；　he　had　taken　it　into　his　head　to
build　for　himself；　or　rather　for　his　young　female　brood；　a　small
neat　house　in　the　outskirts　of　Saratoga　Springs。　　In　doing　so　he　was
instigated　as　much　by　the　excellence　of　the　investment　for　his
pocket　as　by　the　salubrity　of　the　place　for　his　girls。　　He　furnished
the　house　well；　and　then　during　some　summer　weeks　his　wife　lived
there；　and　sometimes　he　let　it。

How　the　widow　grieved　when　the　lord　of　her　heart　and　master　of　her
mind　was　laid　in　the　grave；　I　need　not　tell。　　She　had　already
counted　ten　years　of　widowhood；　and　her　children　had　grown　to　be
young　women　beside　her　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　now　about　to　speak。
Since　that　sad　day　on　which　they　had　left　Albany　they　had　lived
together　at　the　cottage　at　the　Springs。　　In　winter　their　life　had
been　lonely　enough；　but　as　soon　as　the　hot　weather　began　to　drive
the　fainting　citizens　out　from　New　York；　they　had　always　received
two　or　three　boardersold　ladies　generally；　and　occasionally　an　old
gentlemanpersons　of　very　steady　habits；　with　whose　pockets　the
widow's　moderate　demands　agreed　better　than　the　hotel　charges。　　And
so　the　Bells　lived　for　ten　years。

That　Saratoga　is　a　gay　place　in　July；　August；　and　September；　the
world　knows　well　enough。　　To　girls　who　go　there　with　trunks　full　of
muslin　and　crinoline；　for　whom　a　carriage　and　pair　of　horses　is
always　waiting　immediately　after　dinner；　whose　fathers'　pockets　are
bursting　with　dollars；　it　is　a　very　gay　place。　　Dancing　and
flirtations　come　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　matrimony　follows　after
with　only　too　great　rapidity。　　But　the　place　was　not　very　gay　for
Hetta　or　Susan　Bell。

In　the　first　place　the　widow　was　a　timid　woman；　and　among　other
fears　feared　greatly　that　she　should　be　thought　guilty　of　setting
traps　for　husbands。　　Poor　mothers！　how　often　are　they　charged　with
this　sin　when　their　honest　desires　go　no　further　than　that　their
bairns　may　be　〃respectit　like　the　lave。〃　　And　then　she　feared
flirtations；　flirtations　that　should　be　that　and　nothing　more；
flirtations　that　are　so　destructive　of　the　heart's　sweetest　essence。
She　feared　love　also；　though　she　longed　for　that　as　well　as　feared
it；for　her　girls；　I　mean；　all　such　feelings　for　herself　were　long
laid　under　ground；and　then；　like　a　timid　creature　as　she　was；　she
had　other　indefinite　fears；　and　among　them　a　great　fear　that　those
girls　of　hers　would　be　left　husbandless；a　phase　of　life　which
after　her　twelve　years　of　bliss　she　regarded　as　anything　but
desirable。　　But　the　upshot　was；the　upshot　of　so　many　fears　and
such　small　means；that　Hetta　and　Susan　Bell　had　but　a　dull　life　of
it。

Were　it　not　that　I　am　somewhat　closely　restricted　in　the　number　of
my　pages；　I　would　describe　at　full　the　merits　and　beauties　of　Hetta
and　Susan　Bell。　　As　it　is　I　can　but　say　a　few　words。　　At　our　period
of　their　lives　Hetta　was　nearly　one…and…twenty；　and　Susan　was　just
nineteen。　　Hetta　was　a　short；　plump；　demure　young　woman；　with　the
softest　smoothed　hair；　and　the　brownest　brightest　eyes。　　She　was
very　useful　in　the　house；　good　at　corn　cakes；　and　thought　much；
particularly　in　these　latter　months；　of　her　religious　duties。　　Her
sister　in　the　privacy　of　their　own　little　room　would　sometimes　twit
her　with　the　admiring　patience　with　which　she　would　listen　to　the
lengthened　eloquence　of　Mr。　Phineas　Beckard；　the　Baptist　minister。
Now　Mr。　Phineas　Beckard　was　a　bachelor。

Susan　was　not　so　good　a　girl　in　the　kitchen　or　about　the　house　as
was　her　sister；　but　she　was　bright　in　the　parlour；　and　if　that
motherly　heart　could　have　been　made　to　give　out　its　inmost　secret
which　however；　it　could　not　have　been　made　to　give　out　in　any　way
painful　to　dear　Hettaperhaps　it　might　have　been　found　that　Susan
was　loved　with　the　closest　love。　　She　was　taller　than　her　sister；
and　lighter；　her　eyes　were　blue　as　were　her　mother's；　her　hair　was
brighter　than　Hetta's；　but　not　always　so　singularly　neat。　　She　had　a
dimple　on　her　chin；　whereas　Hetta　had　none；　dimples　on　her　cheeks
too；　when　she　smiled；　and；　oh；　such　a　mouth！　　There；　my　allowance　of
pages　permits　no　more。

One　piercing　cold　winter's　day　there　came　knocking　at　the　widow's
doora　young　man。　　Winter　days；　when　the　ice　of　January　is　refrozen
by　the　wind　of　February；　are　very　cold　at　Saratoga　Springs。　　In
these　days　there　was　not　often　much　to　disturb　the　serenity　of　Mrs。
Bell's　house；　but　on　the　day　in　question　there　came　knocking　at　the
doora　young　man。

Mrs。　Bell　kept　an　old　domestic；　who　had　lived　with　them　in　those
happy　Albany　days。　　Her　name　was　Kate　O'Brien；　but　though
picturesque　in　name　she　was　hardly　so　in　person。　　She　was　a　thick…
set；　noisy；　good…natured　old　Irishwoman；　who　had　joined　her　lot　to
that　of　Mrs。　Bell　when　the　latter　first　began　housekeeping；　and
knowing　when　she　was　well　off；　had　remained　in　the　same　place　from
that　day　forth。　　She　had　known　Hetta　as　a　baby；　and；　so　to　say；　had
seen　Susan's　birth。

〃And　what　might　you　be　wanting；　sir？〃　said　Kate　O'Brien；　apparently
not　quite　pleased　as　she　opened　the　door　and　let　in　all　the　cold
air。

〃I　wish　to　see　Mrs。　Bell。　　Is　not　this　Mrs。　Bell's　house？〃　said　the
young　man；　shaking　the　snow　from　out　of　the　breast　of　his　coat。

He　did　see　Mrs。　Bell；　and　we　will　now　tell　who　he　was；　and　why　he
had　come；　and　how　it　came　to　pass　that　his　carpet…bag　was　brought
down　to　the　widow's　house　and　one　of　the　front　bedrooms　was　prepared
for　him；　and　that　he　drank　tea　that　night　in　the　widow's　parlour。

His　name　was　Aaron　Dunn；　and　by　profession　he　was　an　engineer。　　What
peculiar　misfortune　in　those　days　of　frost　and　snow　had　befallen　the
line　of　rails　which　runs　from　Schenectady　to　Lake　Champlain；　I　never
quite　understood。　　Banks　and　bridges　had　in　some　way　come　to　grief；
and　on　Aaron　Dunn's　shoulders　was　thrown　the　burden　of　seeing　that
they　were　duly　repaired。　　Saratoga　Springs　was　the　centre　of　these
mishaps；　and　therefore　at　Saratoga　Springs　it　was　necessary　that　he
should　take　up　his　temporary　abode。

Now　there　was　at　that　time　in　New　York　city　a　Mr。　Bell；　great　in
railway　mattersan　uncle　of　the　once　thriving　but　now　departed
Albany　lawyer。　　He　was　a　rich　man；　but　he　liked　his　riches　himself；
or　at　any　rate　had　not　found　himself　called　upon　to　share　them　with
the　widow　and　daughters　of　his　nephew。　　But　when　it　chanced　to　come
to　pass　that　he　had　a　hand　in　despatching　Aaron　Dunn　to　Saratoga；　he
took　the　young　man　aside　and　recommended　him　to　lodge　with　the
widow。　　〃There；〃　said　he；　〃show　her　my　card。〃　　So　much　the　rich
uncle　thought　he　might　vouchsafe　to　do　for　the　nephew's　widow。

Mrs。　Bell　and　both　her　daughters　were　in　the　parlour　when　Aaron　Dunn
was　shown　in；　snow　and　all。　　He　told　his　story　in　a　rough；　shaky
voice；　for　his　teeth　chattered；　and　he　gave　the　card；　almost　wishing
that　he　had　gone　to　the　empty　big　hotel；　for　the　widow's　welcome　was
not　at　first　quite　warm。

The　widow　listened　to　him　as　he　gave　his　message；　and　then　she　took
the　card　and　looked　at　it。　　Hetta；　who　was　sitting　on　the　side　of
the　fireplace　facing　the　door；　went　on　demurely　with　her　work。
Susan　gave　one　glance　roundher　back　was　to　the　strangerand　then
another；　and　then　she　moved　her　chair　a　little　nearer　to　the　wall；
so　as　to　give　the　young　man　room　to　come　to　the　fire；　if　he　would。
He　did　not　come；　but　his　eyes　glanced　upon　Susan　Bell；　and　he
thought　that　the　old　man　in　New　York　was　right；　and　that　the　big
hotel　would　be　cold　and　dull。　　It　was　a　pretty　face　to　look　on　that
cold　evening　as　she　turned　it　up　from　the　stocking　she　was　mending。

〃Perhaps　you　don't　wish　to　take　winter　boarders；　ma'am？〃　said　Aaron
Dunn。

〃We　never　have　done　so　yet；　sir；〃　said　Mrs。　Bell　timidly。　　Could　she
let　this　young　wolf　in　among　her　lamb…fold？　　He　might　be　a　wolf；
who　could　tell？

〃Mr。　Bell　seemed　to　think　it　would　suit；〃　said　Aaron。

Had　he　acquiesced　in　her　timidity　and　not　pressed　the　point；　it
would　have　been　all　up　with　him。　　But　the　widow　did　not　like　to　go
against　the　big　unc