brother jacob-第7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！



scornful　brevity　in　gazetteers。　　Even　the　great　people　there　were

far　behind　those　of　their　own　standing　in　other　parts　of　this　realm。

Mr。　Palfrey's　farmyard　doors　had　the　paint　all　worn　off　them；　and

the　front　garden　walks　had　long　been　merged　in　a　general　weediness。

Still；　his　father　had　been　called　Squire　Palfrey；　and　had　been

respected　by　the　last　Grimworth　generation　as　a　man　who　could　afford

to　drink　too　much　in　his　own　house。



Pretty　Penny　was　not　blind　to　the　fact　that　Mr。　Freely　admired　her；

and　she　felt　sure　that　it　was　he　who　had　sent　her　a　beautiful

valentine；　but　her　sister　seemed　to　think　so　lightly　of　him　（all

young　ladies　think　lightly　of　the　gentlemen　to　whom　they　are　not

engaged）；　that　Penny　never　dared　mention　him；　and　trembled　and

blushed　whenever　they　met　him；　thinking　of　the　valentine；　which　was

very　strong　in　its　expressions；　and　which　she　felt　guilty　of　knowing

by　heart。　　A　man　who　had　been　to　the　Indies；　and　knew　the　sea　so

well；　seemed　to　her　a　sort　of　public　character；　almost　like　Robinson

Crusoe　or　Captain　Cook；　and　Penny　had　always　wished　her　husband　to

be　a　remarkable　personage；　likely　to　be　put　in　Mangnall's　Questions；

with　which　register　of　the　immortals　she　had　become　acquainted

during　her　one　year　at　a　boarding…school。　　Only　it　seemed　strange

that　a　remarkable　man　should　be　a　confectioner　and　pastry…cook；　and

this　anomaly　quite　disturbed　Penny's　dreams。　　Her　brothers；　she

knew；　laughed　at　men　who　couldn't　sit　on　horseback　well；　and　called

them　tailors；　but　her　brothers　were　very　rough；　and　were　quite

without　that　power　of　anecdote　which　made　Mr。　Freely　such　a

delightful　companion。　　He　was　a　very　good　man；　she　thought；　for　she

had　heard　him　say　at　Mr。　Luff's；　one　day；　that　he　always　wished　to

do　his　duty　in　whatever　state　of　life　he　might　be　placed；　and　he

knew　a　great　deal　of　poetry；　for　one　day　he　had　repeated　a　verse　of

a　song。　　She　wondered　if　he　had　made　the　words　of　the　valentine！it

ended　in　this　way：…





〃Without　thee；　it　is　pain　to　live；

But　with　thee；　it　were　sweet　to　die。〃





Poor　Mr。　Freely！　her　father　would　very　likely　objectshe　felt　sure

he　would；　for　he　always　called　Mr。　Freely　〃that　sugar…plum　fellow。〃

Oh；　it　was　very　cruel；　when　true　love　was　crossed　in　that　way；　and

all　because　Mr。　Freely　was　a　confectioner：　　well；　Penny　would　be

true　to　him；　for　all　that；　and　since　his　being　a　confectioner　gave

her　an　opportunity　of　showing　her　faithfulness；　she　was　glad　of　it。

Edward　Freely　was　a　pretty　name；　much　better　than　John　Towers。

Young　Towers　had　offered　her　a　rose　out　of　his　button…hole　the　other

day；　blushing　very　much；　but　she　refused　it；　and　thought　with

delight　how　much　Mr。　Freely　would　be　comforted　if　he　knew　her

firmness　of　mind。



Poor　little　Penny！　the　days　were　so　very　long　among　the　daisies　on　a

grazing　farm；　and　thought　is　so　activehow　was　it　possible　that　the

inward　drama　should　not　get　the　start　of　the　outward？　　I　have　known

young　ladies；　much　better　educated；　and　with　an　outward　world

diversified　by　instructive　lectures；　to　say　nothing　of　literature

and　highly…developed　fancy…work；　who　have　spun　a　cocoon　of　visionary

joys　and　sorrows　for　themselves；　just　as　Penny　did。　　Her　elder

sister　Letitia；　who　had　a　prouder　style　of　beauty；　and　a　more

worldly　ambition；　was　engaged　to　a　wool…factor；　who　came　all　the　way

from　Cattelton　to　see　her；　and　everybody　knows　that　a　wool…factor

takes　a　very　high　rank；　sometimes　driving　a　double…bodied　gig。

Letty's　notions　got　higher　every　day；　and　Penny　never　dared　to　speak

of　her　cherished　griefs　to　her　lofty　sisternever　dared　to　propose

that　they　should　call　at　Mr。　Freely's　to　buy　liquorice；　though　she

had　prepared　for　such　an　incident　by　mentioning　a　slight　sore

throat。　　So　she　had　to　pass　the　shop　on　the　other　side　of　the

market…place；　and　reflect；　with　a　suppressed　sigh；　that　behind　those

pink　and　white　jars　somebody　was　thinking　of　her　tenderly；

unconscious　of　the　small　space　that　divided　her　from　him。



And　it　was　quite　true　that；　when　business　permitted；　Mr。　Freely

thought　a　great　deal　of　Penny。　　He　thought　her　prettiness　comparable

to　the　loveliest　things　in　confectionery；　he　judged　her　to　be　of

submissive　temperlikely　to　wait　upon　him　as　well　as　if　she　had

been　a　negress；　and　to　be　silently　terrified　when　his　liver　made　him

irritable；　and　he　considered　the　Palfrey　family　quite　the　best　in

the　parish；　possessing　marriageable　daughters。　　On　the　whole；　he

thought　her　worthy　to　become　Mrs。　Edward　Freely；　and　all　the　more

so；　because　it　would　probably　require　some　ingenuity　to　win　her。

Mr。　Palfrey　was　capable　of　horse…whipping　a　too　rash　pretender　to

his　daughter's　hand；　and；　moreover；　he　had　three　tall　sons：　　it　was

clear　that　a　suitor　would　be　at　a　disadvantage　with　such　a　family；

unless　travel　and　natural　acumen　had　given　him　a　countervailing

power　of　contrivance。　　And　the　first　idea　that　occurred　to　him　in

the　matter　was；　that　Mr。　Palfrey　would　object　less　if　he　knew　that

the　Freelys　were　a　much　higher　family　than　his　own。　　It　had　been

foolish　modesty　in　him　hitherto　to　conceal　the　fact　that　a　branch　of

the　Freelys　held　a　manor　in　Yorkshire；　and　to　shut　up　the　portrait

of　his　great　uncle　the　admiral；　instead　of　hanging　it　up　where　a

family　portrait　should　be　hungover　the　mantelpiece　in　the　parlour。

Admiral　Freely；　K。C。B。；　once　placed　in　this　conspicuous　position；

was　seen　to　have　had　one　arm　only；　and　one　eyein　these　points

resembling　the　heroic　Nelsonwhile　a　certain　pallid　insignificance

of　feature　confirmed　the　relationship　between　himself　and　his　grand…

nephew。



Next；　Mr。　Freely　was　seized　with　an　irrepressible　ambition　to　posses

Mrs。　Palfrey's　receipt　for　brawn；　hers　being　pronounced　on　all　hands

to　be　superior　to　his　ownas　he　informed　her　in　a　very　flattering

letter　carried　by　his　errand…boy。　　Now　Mrs。　Palfrey；　like　other

geniuses；　wrought　by　instinct　rather　than　by　rule；　and　possessed　no

receiptsindeed；　despised　all　people　who　used　them；　observing　that

people　who　pickled　by　book；　must　pickle　by　weights　and　measures；　and

such　nonsense；　as　for　herself；　her　weights　and　measures　were　the　tip

of　her　finger　and　the　tip　of　her　tongue；　and　if　you　went　nearer；

why；　of　course；　for　dry　goods　like　flour　and　spice；　you　went　by

handfuls　and　pinches；　and　for　wet；　there　was　a　middle…sized　jug

quite　the　best　thing　whether　for　much　or　little；　because　you　might

know　how　much　a　teacupful　was　if　you'd　got　any　use　of　your　senses；

and　you　might　be　sure　it　would　take　five　middle…sized　jugs　to　make　a

gallon。　　Knowledge　of　this　kind　is　like　Titian's　colouring；

difficult　to　communicate；　and　as　Mrs。　Palfrey；　once　remarkably

handsome；　had　now　become　rather　stout　and　asthmatical；　and　scarcely

ever　left　home；　her　oral　teaching　could　hardly　be　given　anywhere

except　at　Long　Meadows。　　Even　a　matron　is　not　insusceptible　to

flattery；　and　the　prospect　of　a　visitor　whose　great　object　would　be

to　listen　to　her　conversation；　was　not　without　its　charms　to　Mrs。

Palfrey。　　Since　there　was　no　receipt　to　be　sent　in　reply　to　Mr。

Freely's　humble　request；　she　called　on　her　more　docile　daughter；

Penny；　to　write　a　note；　telling　him　that　her　mother　would　be　glad　to

see　him　and　talk　with　him　on　brawn；　any　day　that　he　could　call　at

Long　Meadows。　　Penny　obeyed　with　a　trembling　hand；　thinking　how

wonderfully　things　came　about　in　this　world。



In　this　way；　Mr。　Freely　got　himself　introduced　into　the　home　of　the

Palfreys；　and　notwithstanding　a　tendency　in　the　male　part　of　the

family　to　jeer　at　him　a　little　as　〃peaky〃　and　bow…legged；　he

presently　established　his　position　as　an　accepted　and　frequent

guest。　　Young　Towers　looked　at　him　with　increasing　disgust　when　they

met　at　the　house　on　a　Sunday；　and　secretly　longed　to　try　his　ferret

upon　him；　as　a　piece　of　vermin　which　that　valuable　animal　would　be

likely　to　tackle　with　unhesitating　vigour。　　Butso　blind　sometimes

are　parentsneither　Mr。　nor　Mrs。　Palfrey　suspected　that　Penny　would

have　anything　to　say　to　a　tradesman　of　questionable　rank　whose

youthful　bloom　was　much　withered。　　Young　Towers；　they　thought；　had

an　eye　to　her；　and　THAT　was　likely　enough　to　be　a　match　some　day；

but　Penny　was　a　child　at　present。　　And　all　the　while　Penny　was

imagining　the　circumstances　under　which　Mr。　Freely　would　make　her　an

offer：　　perhaps　down　by　the　row　of　damson…trees；　when　they　were　in

the　garden　before　tea；　perhaps　by　letterin　which　case；　how　would

the　letter　begin？　　〃Dearest　Penelope？〃　or　〃My　dear　Miss　Penelope？〃

or　straight　off；　without　dear　anything；　as　seemed　the　most　natural

when　people　were　embarrassed？　　But；　however　he　might　make　the　offer；

she　would　not　accept　it　without　her　father's　consent：　　she　would

always　be　true　to　Mr。　Freely；　but　she　would　not　disobey　her　father。

For　Penny　was　a　good　girl；　though　some　of　her　female　friends　were

afterwards　of　opinion　that　it　spoke　ill　for　her　not　to　have　felt　an

instinctive　repugnance　to　M