elinor wyllys-2-第10节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


eceived　two　important　legacies　quite　lately。　Miss　Elinor　Wyllys；　thanks　to　these　bequests；　to　her　expectations　from　her　grandfather　and　Miss　Agnes；　and　to　the　Longbridge　railroad；　was　now　generally　considered　a　fortune。　It　is　true；　common　report　had　added　very　largely　to　her　possessions；　by　doubling　and　quadrupling　their　amount；　for　at　that　precise　moment；　people　seemed　to　be　growing　ashamed　of　mentioning　small　sums；　thousands　were　invariably　counted　by　round　fifties　and　hundreds。　Should　any　gentleman　be　curious　as　to　the　precise　amount　of　the　fortune　of　Miss　Elinor　Wyllys；　he　is　respectfully　referred　to　William　Cassius　Clapp；　Attorney　at　Law；　Longbridge；　considered　excellent　authority　on　all　such　subjects。　Lest　any　one　should　be　disposed　to　mistrust　this　story　of　Elinor's　newly…acquired　reputation　as　an　heiress；　we　shall　proceed　at　once　to　prove　it；　by　evidence　of　the　most　convincing　character。

｛〃tout　courte〃　=　by　itself；　〃period〃　（French）｝

One　morning；　shortly　after　the　arrival　of　the　Wyllyses　at　Saratoga；　Mr。　Wyllys　entered　the　room　where　Miss　Agnes　and　Elinor　were　sitting　together；　with　a　handful　of　papers　and　letters　from　the　mail。　Several　of　these　letters　were　for　Elinor；　and　as　she　reads　them　we　shall　take　the　liberty　of　peeping　over　her　shouldertheir　contents　will　speak　for　themselves。　The　first　which　she　took　up　was　written　on　very　handsome　paper；　perfumed；　and　in　an　envelope；　but　neither　the　seal　nor　the　handwriting　was　known　to　Elinor。　It　ran　as　follows：

〃CHARMING　MISS　WYLLYS：

〃It　may　appear　presumptuous　in　one　unknown　to　you；　to　address　you　on　a　subject　so　important　as　that　which　is　the　theme　of　this　epistle；　but　not　having　the　honour　of　your　acquaintance；　I　am　compelled　by　dire　necessity；　and　the　ardent　feelings　of　my　heart；　to　pour　forth　on　paper　the　expression　of　the　strong　admiration　with　which　you　have　inspired　me。　Lovely　Miss　Wyllys；　you　are　but　too　well　known　to　me；　although　I　scarcely　dare　to　hope　that　your　eye　has　rested　for　a　moment　on　the　features　of　your　humble　adorer。　I　am　a　European；　one　who　has　moved　in　the　first　circles　of　his　native　land；　and　after　commencing　life　as　a　military　man；　was　compelled　by　persecution　to　flee　to　the　hospitable　shores　of　America。　Chequered　as　my　life　has　been；　happy；　thrice　happy　shall　I　consider　it；　if　you　will　but　permit　me　to　devote　its　remaining　years　to　your　service！　Without　your　smiles；　the　last　days　of　my　career　will　be　more　gloomy　than　all　that　have　gone　before。　But　I　cannot　believe　you　so　cruel；　so　hard…hearted；　as　to　refuse　to　admit　to　your　presence；　one　connected　with　several　families　of　the　nobility　and　gentry　in　the　north　of　England；　merely　because　the　name　of　Horace　de　Vere　has　been　sullied　by　appearing　on　the　stage。　Let　me　hope〃

Elinor　read　no　farther：　she　threw　the　letter　aside　with　an　expression　of　disgust　and　mortification。　It　was　but　one　of　half…a…dozen　of　similar　character；　which　she　had　received　during　the　last　year　or　two　from　utter　strangers。　She　took　up　another；　a　plain；　honest…looking　sheet。

〃MADAM：

〃If　the　new　store；　being　erected　on　your　lot　in　Market　Street；　between　Fourth　and　Fifth；　is　not　already　leased；　you　will　confer　an　obligation　if　you　will　let　us　know　to　whom　we　must　apply　for　terms；　&c。；　&c。　The　location　and　premises　being　suitable；　we　should　be　glad　to　rent。　The　best　of　references　can　be　offered　on　our　part。

〃Begging　you　will　excuse　this　application；　as　we　are　ignorant　of　the　name　of　your　agent　in　Philadelphia；　we　have　the　honour　to　be；　Madam；

〃Your　most　obedient　servants；

〃McMUNNY　&　CO。；

〃Grocers；　Market；　between　Front　and　Second。〃

A　business　letter；　it　appears；　to　be　attended　to　accordingly。　Now　for　the　thirda　delicate　little　envelope　of　satin　paper；　blue　wax；　and　the　seal　〃semper　eadem。〃

｛〃semper　eadem〃　=　always　the　same　（Latin）｝

〃MY　SWEET　MISS　ELINOR：

〃When　shall　we　see　you　at　Bloomingdale？　You　are　quite　too　cruel；　to　disappoint　us　so　often；　we　really　do　not　deserve　such　shabby　treatment。　Here　is　the　month　of　June；　with　its　roses；　and　strawberries；　and　ten　thousand　other　sweets；　and　among　them　you　must　positively　allow　us　to　hope　for　a　visit　from　our　very　dear　friends　at　Wyllys…Roof。　Should　your　venerable　grandpapa；　or　my　excellent　friend；　Miss　Wyllys　be　unhappily　detained　at　home；　as　you　feared；　do　not　let　that　be　the　means　of　depriving　us　of　your　visit。　I　need　not　say　that　William　would　be　only　too　happy　to　drive　you　to　Bloomingdale；　at　any　time　you　might　choose；　but　if　that　plan；　HIS　plan；　should　frighten　your　propriety；　I　shall　be　proud　to　take　charge　of　you　myself。　Anne　is　not　only　pining　for　your　visit；　but　very　tired　of　answering　a　dozen　times　a　day；　her　brother's　questions；　'When　shall　we　see　Miss　Wyllys？''Is　Miss　Wyllys　never　coming？'

〃I　do　not　think；　my　sweet　young　friend；　that　you　can　have　the　heart　to　disappoint　us　any　longerand；　therefore；　I　shall　certainly　look　for　one　of　your　charming　little　notes；　written　in　an　amiable；　complying　mood。

〃Anne　sends　her　very　best　love；　William　begs　to　be　very　PARTICULARLY　remembered　to　Miss　Elinor　Wyllys。

〃With　a　thousand　kind　messages　to　your　grandfather　and　Miss　Wyllys；　I　remain　as　ever；　my　dear　young　friend；

〃Yours；　most　devotedly　and　partially；

〃ARABELLA　HUNTER。〃

｛〃Bloomingdale〃　=　a　fashionable　and　still　rural　area　of　Manhattan　Island；　though　technically　part　of　New　York　City｝

Elinor　read　this　note　with　a　doubtful　smile；　which　seemed　to　say　she　was　half…amused；　half…provoked　by　it。　Throwing　it　carelessly　on　the　sofa；　she　opened　the　fourth　letter；　it　was　in　a　childish　hand。

〃MY　DEAR　MISS　WYLLYS：

〃My　mother　wishes　me　to　thank　you　myself；　for　your　last　act　of　goodness　to　usbut　I　can　never　tell　you　all　we　feel　on　the　subject。　My　dear　mother　cried　with　joy　all　the　evening；　after　she　had　received　your　letter。　I　am　going　to　school　according　to　your　wish；　as　soon　as　mother　can　spare　me；　and　I　shall　study　very　hard；　which　will　be　the　best　way　of　thanking　you。　The　music…master　says　he　has　no　doubt　but　I　can　play　well　enough　to　give　lessons；　if　I　go　on　as　well　as　I　have　in　the　last　year；　I　practise　regularly　every　day。　Mother　bids　me　say；　that　now　she　feels　sure　of　my　education　for　the　next　three　years；　one　of　her　heaviest　cares　has　been　taken　away：　she　says　too；　that　although　many　friends　in　the　parish　have　been　very　good　to　us；　since　my　dear　father　was　taken　away　from　us；　yet　'no　act　of　kindness　has　been　so　important　to　us；　none　so　cheering　to　the　heart　of　the　widow　and　the　fatherless；　as　your　generous　goodness　to　her　eldest　child；'　these　are　her　own　words。　Mother　will　write　to　you　herself　to…morrow。　I　thank　you　again；　dear　Miss　Wyllys；　for　myself；　and　I　remain；　very　respectfully　and　very　gratefully；

〃Your　obliged　servant　and　friend；

〃MARY　SMITH。〃

This　last　letter　seemed　to　restore　all　Elinor's　good　humour；　acting　as　an　antidote　to　the　three　which　had　preceded　it。　The　correspondence　which　we　have　taken　the　liberty　of　reading；　will　testify　more　clearly　than　any　assurance　of　ours；　to　the　fact　that　our　friend　Elinor　now　stands　invested　with　the　dignity　of　an　heiress；　accompanied　by　the　dangers；　pleasures；　and　annoyances；　usually　surrounding　an　unmarried　woman；　possessing　the　reputation　of　a　fortune。　Wherever　Elinor　now　appeared；　the　name　of　a　fortune　procured　her　attention；　the　plain　face　which　some　years　before　had　caused　her　to　be　neglected　where　she　was　not　intimately　known；　was　no　longer　an　obstacle　to　the　gallantry　of　the　very　class　who　had　shunned　her　before。　Indeed；　the　want　of　beauty；　which　might　have　been　called　her　misfortune；　was　now　the　very　ground　on　which　several　of　her　suitors　founded　their　hopes　of　success；　as　she　was　pronounced　so　very　plain；　the　dandies　thought　it　impossible　she　could　resist　the　charm　of　their　own　personal　advantages。　Elinor　had；　in　short；　her　full　share　of　those　persecutions　which　are　sure　to　befall　all　heiresses。　The　peculiar　evils　of　such　a　position　affect　young　women　very　differently；　according　to　their　various　dispositions。　Had　Elinor　been　weak　and　vain；　she　would　have　fallen　into　the　hands　of　a　fortune…hunter。　Had　she　been　of　a　gloomy　temper；　disgust　at　the　coarse　plots　and　manoeuvres；　so　easily　unravelled　by　a　clear…sighted　person；　might　have　made　her　a　prey　to　suspicion；　and　all　but　misanthropic。　Had　she　been　vulgar…minded；　she　would　have　been　purse…proud；　if　cold…hearted；　she　would　have　become　only　the　more　selfish。　Vanity　would　have　made　her　ridiculously　ostentatious　and　conceited；　a　jealous　temper　would　have　become　self…willed　and　domineering。

Change　of　position　often　produces　an　apparent　change　of　character；　sometimes　the　effect　is　injurious；　sometimes　it　is　advantageous。　But　we　trust　that　the　reader；　on　renewing　his　acquaintance　with　Elinor　Wyllys；　will　find　her；　while　flattered　by　the　world　as　an　heiress；　essentially　the　same　in　character　and　manner；　as　she　was　when　overlooked　and　neglected　on　account　of　an　unusually　plain　face。　If　a　shade　of　difference　is　perceptible；　it　is　only　the　natural　result　of　four　or　five　years　of　additional　experience；　and　she　has　merely　exchanged　the　first　retiring　modesty　of　early　youth；　for　a　greater　portion　of　self…possession。

In　the　first　months　of　her　new　reputation　as　an　heiress；　Elinor　had　been　astonished　at　the　boldness　of　some　attacks