登陆注册
19597400000101

第101章 PRETENDING(2)

Emily is very much admired by some men.Why not by you?""For the best of reasons,"he answered "She is poor,and I am poor.Those are facts which speak for themselves.""Yes--but Emily is bent on attracting you.She would marry you to-morrow,if you asked her.Don't attempt to deny it!Besides,you kissed her hand.""Oh,Miss de Sor!"

"Don't call me 'Miss de Sor'!Call me Francine.I want to know why you kissed her hand."He humored her with inexhaustible servility."Allow me to kiss yourhand,Francine!--and let me explain that kissing a lady's hand is only a form of thanking her for her kindness.You must own that Emily--"She interrupted him for the third time."Emily?"she repeated.

"Are you as familiar as that already?Does she call you 'Miles,'when you are by yourselves?Is there any effort at fascination which this charming creature has left untried?She told you no doubt what a lonely life she leads in her poor little home?"Even Mirabel felt that he must not permit this to pass.

"She has said nothing to me about herself,"he answered."What Iknow of her,I know from Mr.Wyvil."

"Oh,indeed!You asked Mr.Wyvil about her family,of course?

What did he say?"

"He said she lost her mother when she was a child--and he told me her father had died suddenly,a few years since,of heart complaint.""Well,and what else?--Never mind now!Here is somebody coming."The person was only one of the servants.Mirabel felt grateful to the man for interrupting them.Animated by sentiments of a precisely opposite nature,Francine spoke to him sharply.

"What do you want here?"

"A message,miss."

"From whom?"

"From Miss Brown."

"For me?"

"No,miss."He turned to Mirabel."Miss Brown wishes to speak to you,sir,if you are not e ngaged."Francine controlled herself until the man was out of hearing.

"Upon my word,this is too shameless!"she declared indignantly.

"Emily can't leave you with me for five minutes,without wanting to see you again.If you go to her after all that you have said to me,"she cried,threatening Mirabel with her outstretched hand,"you are the meanest of men!"He wasthe meanest of men--he carried out his cowardly submission to the last extremity.

"Only say what you wish me to do,"he replied.

Even Francine expected some little resistance from a creature bearing the outward appearance of a man."Oh,do you really mean it?"she asked "I want you to disappoint Emily.Will you stay here,and let me make your excuses?""I will do anything to please you."

Francine gave him a farewell look.Her admiration made a desperate effort to express itself appropriately in words."You are not a man,"she said,"you are an angel!"Left by himself,Mirabel sat down to rest.He reviewed his own conduct with perfect complacency."Not one man in a hundred could have managed that she-devil as I have done,"he thought."How shall I explain matters to Emily?"Considering this question,he looked by chance at the unfinished crown of roses."The very thing to help me!"he said--and took out his pocketbook,and wrote these lines on a blank page:"Ihave had a scene of jealousy with Miss de Sor,which is beyond all deion.To spare youa similar infliction,I have done violence to my own feelings.Instead of instantly obeying the message which you have so kindly sent to me,I remain here for a little while--entirely for your sake."Having torn out the page,and twisted it up among the roses,so that only a corner of the paper appeared in view,Mirabel called to a lad who was at work in the garden,and gave him his directions,accompanied by a shilling."Take those flowers to the servants'hall,and tell one of the maids to put them in Miss Brown's room.Stop!Which is the way to the fruit garden?"The lad gave the necessary directions.Mirabel walked away slowly,with his hands in his pockets.His nerves had been shaken;he thought a little fruit might refresh him.

同类推荐
  • 伤寒溯源集

    伤寒溯源集

    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。
  • 谴告篇

    谴告篇

    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。
  • 六十种曲精忠记

    六十种曲精忠记

    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。
  • 天凑巧

    天凑巧

    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。
  • 全真清规

    全真清规

    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。
热门推荐
  • 男佣一辈子赖着你

    男佣一辈子赖着你

    呐~就让我一直一直赖着你…这辈子非你不嫁了…男佣~
  • 狐魅:三世情缘

    狐魅:三世情缘

    她是数千万年前的狐仙,因爱上了一仙人,遭遇云落仙子诅咒,三世轮回,他离落是一只花妖,只因为见过她一眼,便在人间呆上了数百年,木冥,妖王,独孤沧溟,人世间的王只因狐山百年的寂寞无奈,偷偷跑出山的她,不同于在山内的冷漠孤傲,被人间的王射中不小心留了魂玉在他身上,出宫过后遇到了蛇妖差点被害。被花妖所救,闯荡世间遇到了深不可测的木冥,一切,都无法阻止……离落:怎么,浅浅莫不是瞧不起我这小小花妖?木冥:此生能遇见你,为你死一次,也就罢了独孤沧溟:我不管你是人是妖,我定要迎你为后!焕明山上,她嘶声竭力:离落,你给我回来,我宁愿不要活,你忘记你答应过我明年陪我去看十里桃花了么?
  • 天无绝人之路

    天无绝人之路

    世上大多数的‘道理’都有一定的局限性,或多或少,或大或小。所谓‘逆天’就是打破规则,跳出其局限。很简单的道理,却不是每个人都可以接受,也不是所有人都可以做到。这个简单的道理偏执极端的伴随着苏慕麟一生…渐渐的成为了习惯。…苏慕麟不断的在生死边缘徘徊,挣扎着有些无奈,却也一次次的告诉他的敌人什么叫‘天无绝人之路’。
  • 新好莱坞

    新好莱坞

    迈克尔-杰克逊、迈克尔-乔丹,两个人名,加上迈克尔-龙,字面上看起来,三人有着共同的名字。前两个名字,代表着一个时代,后一个名字,有人说它是时代的同义词;也有人说正是有了后一个名字,才造就了前两个名字;更有人说迈克尔-龙所缔造的‘迈克尔之家’,就等同美国文化,她引领着这个时代,也是创造时代的地方。因为‘迈克尔之家’同时拥有着这三个名字,三个人,三个时代符号。
  • 齐天大圣的二次元

    齐天大圣的二次元

    当绝望的人重生成为孙悟空时“我要打破那天,踏破那地,神挡杀神佛挡杀佛,我就是我不要你们来决定我的命运。吾是冥
  • 绝美冥妻

    绝美冥妻

    我是山村人,从小爸妈就不让我去后山,后来我没忍住去了。然后我才知道,那是村里女人洗澡的地方……
  • 绝色翻天下

    绝色翻天下

    原以为,世上已没有值得我动心的了,直到遇到你,我才知道自己的心会跳动,自己跟平常人一样,有着七情六欲。凌冰兰,你个坏丫头,把我的心偷走了,还想不管吗?更何况你还是我的未婚妻,就算天涯海角,我也一定会追到你。把你禁锢在我身边一身一世,罚我宠你一生一世!
  • 圣地天使

    圣地天使

    因为算命的一句话,她注定在年幼便被父母抛弃来到这个繁华的大家族,成为上流社会的一名千金小姐。如果单单只是这样也就算了,可是这个孤岛上的学校是怎么回事?她怎么莫名其妙的就成了一个坏女孩?还有什么神秘的力量,眼前这几个争相要与她签约的骑士又是怎么一回事?谁能来好好跟她解释一下嘛!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 时光见证我爱你

    时光见证我爱你

    “慕慕,慕慕。我在天涯海角,你快来找我。”井尘浚兴奋的声音从电话的一头传到另一头。木梓栖愣了一下然后冷淡的回答道“不,三亚太远了不去。”眉眼里的笑意却藏不住。只是电话那头的井尘浚看不见。井尘浚鼓了股脸“没,没有在三亚啦,只是在一块刻着天涯海角的石头旁边。”然后把听筒对着大海。“你听还有海浪声。”“……”你确定不是来搞笑的嘛。天涯海角真是只是一块刻着字的石头好吧。
  • 百战天帝

    百战天帝

    混沌大陆,亿万生灵以武为尊,帝国霸权以武昌盛。一个重获新生的少年脑藏天帝骸骨,身怀至高炼器秘术自偏僻小镇走出,手持神锤征战至高无上的天帝宝座。一念,天地变色!一意,血洒苍穹!一锤,定鼎混沌!