round the sofa-第1节

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Round　the　Sofa



by　Elizabeth　Gaskell






Long　ago　I　was　placed　by　my　parents　under　the　medical　treatment　of　a

certain　Mr。　Dawson；　a　surgeon　in　Edinburgh；　who　had　obtained　a

reputation　for　the　cure　of　a　particular　class　of　diseases。　　I　was

sent　with　my　governess　into　lodgings　near　his　house；　in　the　Old　Town。

I　was　to　combine　lessons　from　the　excellent　Edinburgh　masters；　with

the　medicines　and　exercises　needed　for　my　indisposition。　　It　was　at

first　rather　dreary　to　leave　my　brothers　and　sisters；　and　to　give　up

our　merry　out…of…doors　life　with　our　country　home；　for　dull　lodgings；

with　only　poor　grave　Miss　Duncan　for　a　companion；　and　to　exchange　our

romps　in　the　garden　and　rambles　through　the　fields　for　stiff　walks　in

the　streets；　the　decorum　of　which　obliged　me　to　tie　my　bonnet…strings

neatly；　and　put　on　my　shawl　with　some　regard　to　straightness。



The　evenings　were　the　worst。　　It　was　autumn；　and　of　course　they　daily

grew　longer：　　they　were　long　enough；　I　am　sure；　when　we　first　settled

down　in　those　gray　and　drab　lodgings。　　For；　you　must　know；　my　father

and　mother　were　not　rich；　and　there　were　a　great　many　of　us；　and　the

medical　expenses　to　be　incurred　by　my　being　placed　under　Mr。　Dawson's

care　were　expected　to　be　considerable；　therefore；　one　great　point　in

our　search　after　lodgings　was　economy。　　My　father；　who　was　too　true　a

gentleman　to　feel　false　shame；　had　named　this　necessity　for　cheapness

to　Mr。　Dawson；　and　in　return；　Mr。　Dawson　had　told　him　of　those　at　No。

6　Cromer　Street；　in　which　we　were　finally　settled。　　The　house

belonged　to　an　old　man；　at　one　time　a　tutor　to　young　men　preparing

for　the　University；　in　which　capacity　he　had　become　known　to　Mr。

Dawson。　　But　his　pupils　had　dropped　off；　and　when　we　went　to　lodge

with　him；　I　imagine　that　his　principal　support　was　derived　from　a　few

occasional　lessons　which　he　gave；　and　from　letting　the　rooms　that　we

took；　a　drawing…room　opening　into　a　bed…room；　out　of　which　a　smaller

chamber　led。　　His　daughter　was　his　housekeeper：　　a　son；　whom　we　never

saw；　supposed　to　be　leading　the　same　life　that　his　father　had　done

before　him；　only　we　never　saw　or　heard　of　any　pupils；　and　there　was

one　hard…working；　honest　little　Scottish　maiden；　square；　stumpy；

neat；　and　plain；　who　might　have　been　any　age　from　eighteen　to　forty。



Looking　back　on　the　household　now；　there　was　perhaps　much　to　admire

in　their　quiet　endurance　of　decent　poverty；　but　at　this　time；　their

poverty　grated　against　many　of　my　tastes；　for　I　could　not　recognize

the　fact；　that　in　a　town　the　simple　graces　of　fresh　flowers；　clean

white　muslin　curtains；　pretty　bright　chintzes；　all　cost　money；　which

is　saved　by　the　adoption　of　dust…coloured　moreen；　and　mud…coloured

carpets。　　There　was　not　a　penny　spent　on　mere　elegance　in　that　room；

yet　there　was　everything　considered　necessary　to　comfort：　　but　after

all；　such　mere　pretences　of　comfort！　a　hard；　slippery；　black　horse…

hair　sofa；　which　was　no　place　of　rest；　an　old　piano；　serving　as　a

sideboard；　a　grate；　narrowed　by　an　inner　supplement；　till　it　hardly

held　a　handful　of　the　small　coal　which　could　scarcely　ever　be　stirred

up　into　a　genial　blaze。　　But　there　were　two　evils　worse　than　even

this　coldness　and　bareness　of　the　rooms：　　one　was　that　we　were

provided　with　a　latch…key；　which　allowed　us　to　open　the　front　door

whenever　we　came　home　from　a　walk；　and　go　upstairs　without　meeting

any　face　of　welcome；　or　hearing　the　sound　of　a　human　voice　in　the

apparently　deserted　houseMr。　Mackenzie　piqued　himself　on　the

noiselessness　of　his　establishment；　and　the　other；　which　might　almost

seem　to　neutralize　the　first；　was　the　danger　we　were　always　exposed

to　on　going　out；　of　the　old　mansly；　miserly；　and　intelligent

popping　out　upon　us　from　his　room；　close　to　the　left　hand　of　the

door；　with　some　civility　which　we　learned　to　distrust　as　a　mere

pretext　for　extorting　more　money；　yet　which　it　was　difficult　to

refuse：　　such　as　the　offer　of　any　books　out　of　his　library；　a　great

temptation；　for　we　could　see　into　the　shelf…lined　room；　but　just　as

we　were　on　the　point　of　yielding；　there　was　a　hint　of　the

〃consideration〃　to　be　expected　for　the　loan　of　books　of　so　much

higher　a　class　than　any　to　be　obtained　at　the　circulating　library；

which　made　us　suddenly　draw　back。　　Another　time　he　came　out　of　his

den　to　offer　us　written　cards；　to　distribute　among　our　acquaintance；

on　which　he　undertook　to　teach　the　very　things　I　was　to　learn；　but　I

would　rather　have　been　the　most　ignorant　woman　that　ever　lived　than

tried　to　learn　anything　from　that　old　fox　in　breeches。　　When　we　had

declined　all　his　proposals；　he　went　apparently　into　dudgeon。　　Once

when　we　had　forgotten　our　latch…key　we　rang　in　vain　for　many　times　at

the　door；　seeing　our　landlord　standing　all　the　time　at　the　window　to

the　right；　looking　out　of　it　in　an　absent　and　philosophical　state　of

mind；　from　which　no　signs　and　gestures　of　ours　could　arouse　him。



The　women　of　the　household　were　far　better；　and　more　really

respectable；　though　even　on　them　poverty　had　laid　her　heavy　left

hand；　instead　of　her　blessing　right。　　Miss　Mackenzie　kept　us　as　short

in　our　food　as　she　decently　couldwe　paid　so　much　a　week　for　our

board；　be　it　observed；　and　if　one　day　we　had　less　appetite　than

another　our　meals　were　docked　to　the　smaller　standard；　until　Miss

Duncan　ventured　to　remonstrate。　　The　sturdy　maid…of…all…work　was

scrupulously　honest；　but　looked　discontented；　and　scarcely　vouchsafed

us　thanks；　when　on　leaving　we　gave　her　what　Mrs。　Dawson　had　told　us

would　be　considered　handsome　in　most　lodgings。　　I　do　not　believe

Phenice　ever　received　wages　from　the　Mackenzies。



But　that　dear　Mrs。　Dawson！　　The　mention　of　her　comes　into　my　mind

like　the　bright　sunshine　into　our　dingy　little　drawing　room　came　on

those　days；as　a　sweet　scent　of　violets　greets　the　sorrowful　passer

among　the　woodlands。



Mrs。　Dawson　was　not　Mr。　Dawson's　wife；　for　he　was　a　bachelor。　　She

was　his　crippled　sister；　an　old　maid；　who　had；　what　she　called；　taken

her　brevet　rank。



After　we　had　been　about　a　fortnight　in　Edinburgh；　Mr。　Dawson　said；　in

a　sort　of　half　doubtful　manner　to　Miss　Duncan　…



〃My　sister　bids　me　say；　that　every　Monday　evening　a　few　friends　come

in　to　sit　round　her　sofa　for　an　hour　or　so；some　before　going　to

gayer　partiesand　that　if　you　and　Miss　Greatorex　would　like　a　little

change；　she　would　only　be　too　glad　to　see　you。　　Any　time　from　seven

to　eight　to…night；　and　I　must　add　my　injunctions；　both　for　her　sake；

and　for　that　of　my　little　patient's；　here；　that　you　leave　at　nine

o'clock。　　After　all；　I　do　not　know　if　you　will　care　to　come；　but

Margaret　bade　me　ask　you；〃　and　he　glanced　up　suspiciously　and　sharply

at　us。　　If　either　of　us　had　felt　the　slightest　reluctance；　however

well　disguised　by　manner；　to　accept　this　invitation；　I　am　sure　he

would　have　at　once　detected　our　feelings；　and　withdrawn　it；　so

jealous　and　chary　was　he　of　anything　pertaining　to　the　appreciation

of　this　beloved　sister。



But　if　it　had　been　to　spend　an　evening　at　the　dentist's；　I　believe　I

should　have　welcomed　the　invitation；　so　weary　was　I　of　the　monotony

of　the　nights　in　our　lodgings；　and　as　for　Miss　Duncan；　an　invitation

to　tea　was　of　itself　a　pure　and　unmixed　honour；　and　one　to　be

accepted　with　all　becoming　form　and　gratitude：　　so　Mr。　Dawson's　sharp

glances　over　his　spectacles　failed　to　detect　anything　but　the　truest

pleasure；　and　he　went　on。



〃You'll　find　it　very　dull；　I　dare　say。　　Only　a　few　old　fogies　like

myself；　and　one　or　two　good　sweet　young　women：　　I　never　know　who'll

come。　　Margaret　is　obliged　to　lie　in　a　darkened　roomonly　half…

lighted　I　mean；because　her　eyes　are　weak；oh；　it　will　be　very

stupid；　I　dare　say：　　don't　thank　me　till　you've　been　once　and　tried

it；　and　then　if　you　like　it；　your　best　thanks　will　be　to　come　again

every　Monday；　from　half…past　seven　to　nine；　you　know。　　Good…bye；

good…bye。〃



Hitherto　I　had　never　been　out　to　a　party　of　grown…up　people；　and　no

court　ball　to　a　London　young　lady　could　seem　more　redolent　of　honour

and　pleasure　than　this　Monday　evening　to　me。



Dressed　out　in　new　stiff　book…muslin；　made　up　to　my　throat；a　frock

which　had　seemed　to　me　and　my　sisters　the　height　of　earthly　grandeur

and　fineryAlice；　our　old　nurse；　had　been　making　it　at　home；　in

contemplation　of　the　possibility　of　such　an　event　during　my　stay　in

Edinburgh；　but　which　had　then　appeared　to　me　a　robe　too　lovely　and

angelic　to　be　ever　worn　short　of　heavenI　went　with　Miss　Duncan　to

Mr。　Dawson's　at　the　appointed　time。　　We　entered　through　one　small

lofty　room；　perhaps　I　ought　to　call　it　an　antechamber；　for　the　house

was　old…fashioned；　and　stately　and　grand；　the　large　square　drawing…

room；　into　the　centre　of　which　Mrs。　Dawson's　sofa　was　drawn。　　Behind

her　a　little　was　placed　a　table　with　a　great　cluster　candlestick　upon

it；　bearing　seven　or　eight　wax…lights；　and　that　was　all　the　light　in

the　room；　which　looked　to