登陆注册
19497600000102

第102章

`Kindly? Pooh! what's the use of talking about that? I wouldn't care about his speaking kindly if I could get a situation.But it's such a nuisance and bother - I've been at school all this while learning Latin and things - not a bit of good to me - and now my uncle says, I must set about learning book-keeping and calculation and those things.He seems to make out I'm good for nothing.'

Tom's mouth twitched with a bitter expression as he looked at the fire.

`O what a pity we haven't got Dominie Sampson,' said Maggie, who couldn't help mingling some gaiety with their sadness.`If he had taught me book-keeping by double entry and after the Italian method, as he did Lucy Bertram, Icould teach you, Tom.'

` You teach! Yes, I daresay.That's always the tone you take,'

said Tom.

`Dear Tom! I was only joking,' said Maggie, putting her cheek against his coat sleeve.

`But it's always the same, Maggie,' said Tom, with the little frown he put on when he was about to be justifiably severe.`You're always setting yourself up above me and every one else.And I've wanted to tell you about it several times.You ought not to have spoken as you did to my uncles and aunts - you should leave it to me to take care of my mother and you, and not put yourself forward.You think you know better than any one, but you're almost always wrong.I can judge much better than you can.'

Poor Tom! he had just come from being lectured and made to feel his inferiority: the reaction of his strong, self-asserting nature must take place somehow, and here was a case in which he could justly show himself dominant.Maggie's cheek flushed and her lip quivered with conflicting resentment and affection and a certain awe as well as admiration of Tom's firmer and more effective character.She did not answer immediately; very angry words rose to her lips, but they were driven back again, and she said at last, `You often think I'm conceited, Tom, when I don't mean what I say at all in that way.I don't mean to put myself above you - I know you behaved better than I did yesterday.But you are always so harsh to me, Tom.'

With the last words the resentment was rising again.

`No, I'm not harsh,' said Tom, with severe decision.`I'm always kind to you; and so I shall be: I shall always take care of you.But you must mind what I say.'

Their mother came in now, and Maggie rushed away, that her burst of tears, which she felt must come, might not happen till she was safe upstairs.

They were very bitter tears: everybody in the world seemed so hard and unkind to Maggie: there was no indulgence, no fondness, such as she imagined when she fashioned the world afresh in her own thoughts.In books there were people who were always agreeable or tender, and delighted to do things that made one happy, and who did not show their kindness by finding fault.

The world outside the books was not a happy one, Maggie felt: it seemed to be a world where people behaved the best to those they did not pretend to love and that did not belong to them.And if life had no love in it, what else was there for Maggie? Nothing but poverty and the companionship of her mother's narrow griefs - perhaps of her father's heart-cutting childish dependence.There is no hopelessness so sad as that of early youth, when the soul is made up of wants, and has no long memories, no superadded life in the life of others; though we who look on think lightly of such premature despair, as if our vision of the future lightened the blind sufferer's present.

Maggie in her brown frock with her eyes reddened and her heavy hair pushed back, looking from the bed where her father lay, to the dull walls of this sad chamber which was the centre of her world, was a creature full of eager, passionate longings for all that was beautiful and glad: thirsty for all knowledge: with an ear straining after dreamy music that died away and would not come near to her: with a blind, unconscious yearning for something that would link together the wonderful impressions of this mysterious life and give her soul a sense of home in it.

No wonder, when there is this contrast between the outward and the inward, that painful collisions come of it.A girl of no startling appearance, and who will never be a Sappho or a Madame Roland or anything else that the world takes wide note of, may still hold forces within her as the living plant-seed does, which will make a way for themselves, often in a shattering, violent manner.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 古镜奇谈

    古镜奇谈

    一样的碧水盈盈,一样的晓风残月,在古镜中掩藏了千年的故事,是否随着岁月流转,重新上演?神、鬼、怪、异,在光怪陆离中隐藏着的悲欢离合,一步步引着人走入历史的旧梦。生、死、爱、恨,前一世未了的情愿,在今生能否上演?世事无常:爱无常,恨无常,悲无常,喜无常,随生而来,莫非也要随死而去?月依旧,人依旧?
  • 中国奇幻十人选·丽端

    中国奇幻十人选·丽端

    “袅袅兮秋风,洞庭波兮木叶下。”丽端文字,若凉风拂水,清越明艳。山路原无雨,空翠湿人衣。世所传诵的完美神话里,深隐着怅恨缺失。那些活于远古的痛苦挣扎的大神,是你我今生悲恸的容颜。
  • 最终奇迹

    最终奇迹

    死亡后,究竟...会去哪里!地狱,天堂...还是...只有亡者存在的轮回世界!!(本书是无限流,不穿梭于动漫,电影,小说等等已知的世界)想真正看一本与人斗,与天斗,与命运斗的小说吗?一切尽在《最终奇迹》!
  • Martin Eden

    Martin Eden

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 夏天的薰衣草

    夏天的薰衣草

    她是一个对别人不冷不热的人,而他是一个冷酷的人,当两座冰山碰撞会发出怎样的火花,当他们正在热恋时,她回来了,他该怎么办,是和她在一起,还是和旧情人在一起呢。当她知道他的旧情人是她妹妹时,她该何去何从。
  • TFBOYS之唯爱一生

    TFBOYS之唯爱一生

    讲诉了三小只与三位女主角的完美邂逅完美的青春校园爱情故事说了女主角为了自己的男神而努力只希望能见到他们可是一切不是那么顺利一路上有很多阻碍最后因自己的努力成为了00后又一个风暴级组合这是我第一次写小说写的不好请见谅
  • 时光终将错过对的你

    时光终将错过对的你

    不知何时起,我爱上了那个我曾经最不喜欢的人,喜欢是欢喜的反面,就像悲伤一样。为什么喜欢他就一定要悲伤呢?为什么全世界都知道我喜欢他可是他却还不知道呢?为什么在这对的时光里遇见对的你,我却错过了你?我们是否太过年少轻狂终将……错过。
  • 少女来袭:麻辣小镖师

    少女来袭:麻辣小镖师

    一朝穿越,21世纪让杀手闻风丧胆的全才保镖竟成了天炎国一家败落镖局的无能小姐……说她无能?好吧,着手改青楼,建赌场,振镖局!无聊了?将军美男、暖男公子、腹黑侠客、无良神偷~随挑逗!想玩了?皇宫大院、大臣官邸、江湖禁地、绝上秘境~任来去!什么?!自家的镖被劫了?又被不知哪里冒出来的美男子劫回来了?劫回来了也不行!走!带上家伙抄了他们的老窝去!
  • 逆龙纹

    逆龙纹

    斗转星移,沧桑变迁,有道是银河苍穹九万里,无人与共,此生何必?千年风雨,一夜枯荣,尽付东流去。昨夜听风观雨,笑红尘百态,谁人夺万世潇洒?叹沧桑变迁,仙途大道,尽归黄土,不若山林雨露,斟朝夕北斗,俱醉皓月,何必恋区区百年仙路!何谓正途?何谓邪道?是乱世邪魔,还是救世主?这都不重要!因为秦风只坚信:人不为己,天诛地灭!宁可我负天下人,不要天下人负我!逆龙纹(其一)背世返能厌俗态,偶缘犹去忘多情还重九世不觉梦,依伴墨爪逆劫鳞■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■推荐:咿呀咿呀yo的好书《倾城谣》■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
  • 北京的梦影星尘

    北京的梦影星尘

    本书在描摹众多的名胜古迹同时,也力图捕捞这些尘封的脚印,为读者做地理与人文的双重导游。历经沧桑的皇宫王府、寺庙碑塔、城楼戏园、古墓名陵,如星罗棋布,构成一笔令人抚今思昔的文化遗产。作者十年磨剑,在历史与现实间来回穿梭,努力描绘一幅人间城廓的精神地图。北京不仅是著名的古都,而且是世界上最具文化特质的城市之一,无数的才子、大师在此驻留过。