登陆注册
19622600000098

第98章 CHAPTER XLVIII(3)

At first he had not suspected that his friends were wanted with a view to Charlotte; it was understood that Charlotte and they might perhaps take a fancy for one another; and that would be so very nice, would it not? But he did not see that there was any deliberate malice in the arrangement. Now, however, that he had awoke to what it all meant, he was less inclined to bring any friend of his to Battersby. It seemed to his silly young mind almost dishonest to ask your friend to come and see you when all you really meant was "Please, marry my sister." It was like trying to obtain money under false pretences. If he had been fond of Charlotte it might have been another matter, but he thought her one of the most disagreeable young women in the whole circle of his acquaintance.

She was supposed to be very clever. All young ladies are either very pretty or very clever or very sweet; they may take their choice as to which category they will go in for, but go in for one of the three they must. It was hopeless to try and pass Charlotte off as either pretty or sweet. So she became clever as the only remaining alternative. Ernest never knew what particular branch of study it was in which she showed her talent, for she could neither play nor sing nor draw, but so astute are women that his mother and Charlotte really did persuade him into thinking that she, Charlotte, had something more akin to true genius than any other member of the family. Not one, however, of all the friends whom Ernest had been inveigled into trying to inveigle had shown the least sign of being so far struck with Charlotte's commanding powers, as to wish to make them his own, and this may have had something to do with the rapidity and completeness with which Christina had dismissed them one after another and had wanted a new one.

And now she wanted Towneley. Ernest had seen this coming and had tried to avoid it, for he knew how impossible it was for him to ask Towneley, even if he had wished to do so.

Towneley belonged to one of the most exclusive sets in Cambridge, and was perhaps the most popular man among the whole number of undergraduates. He was big and very handsome--as it seemed to Ernest the handsomest man whom he ever had seen or ever could see, for it was impossible to imagine a more lively and agreeable countenance. He was good at cricket and boating, very good-natured, singularly free from conceit, not clever but very sensible, and, lastly, his father and mother had been drowned by the overturning of a boat when he was only two years old and had left him as their only child and heir to one of the finest estates in the South of England.

Fortune every now and then does things handsomely by a man all round; Towneley was one of those to whom she had taken a fancy, and the universal verdict in this case was that she had chosen wisely.

Ernest had seen Towneley as every one else in the University (except, of course, dons) had seen him, for he was a man of mark, and being very susceptible he had liked Towneley even more than most people did, but at the same time it never so much as entered his head that he should come to know him. He liked looking at him if he got a chance, and was very much ashamed of himself for doing so, but there the matter ended.

By a strange accident, however, during Ernest's last year, when the names of the crews for the scratch fours were drawn he had found himself coxswain of a crew, among whom was none other than his especial hero Towneley; the three others were ordinary mortals, but they could row fairly well, and the crew on the whole was rather a good one.

Ernest was frightened out of his wits. When, however, the two met, he found Towneley no less remarkable for his entire want of anything like "side," and for his power of setting those whom he came across at their ease, than he was for outward accomplishments; the only difference he found between Towneley and other people was that he was so very much easier to get on with. Of course Ernest worshipped him more and more.

The scratch fours being ended the connection between the two came to an end, but Towneley never passed Ernest thenceforward without a nod and a few good-natured words. In an evil moment he had mentioned Towneley's name at Battersby, and now what was the result? Here was his mother plaguing him to ask Towneley to come down to Battersby and marry Charlotte. Why, if he had thought there was the remotest chance of Towneley's marrying Charlotte he would have gone down on his knees to him and told him what an odious young woman she was, and implored him to save himself while there was yet time.

But Ernest had not prayed to be made "truly honest and conscientious" for as many years as Christina had. He tried to conceal what he felt and thought as well as he could, and led the conversation back to the difficulties which a clergyman might feel to stand in the way of his being ordained--not because he had any misgivings, but as a diversion. His mother, however, thought she had settled all that, and he got no more out of her. Soon afterwards he found the means of escaping, and was not slow to avail himself of them.

同类推荐
  • 林黛玉笔记

    林黛玉笔记

    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。
  • 后出阿弥陀佛偈

    后出阿弥陀佛偈

    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。
  • 平砂玉尺辨伪

    平砂玉尺辨伪

    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。
  • 太微仙君功过格

    太微仙君功过格

    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。
  • 伤寒审证表

    伤寒审证表

    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。
热门推荐
  • 一生要读的1000条西方谚语

    一生要读的1000条西方谚语

    本书从大量的西方国家谚语中精选了磨砺思想、鼓励好学、陶冶情操、教人处世并富有时代气息的谚语1000余条,以激发当代青少年奋发向上的精神。
  • 诗考

    诗考

    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。
  • 跟纪晓岚学说话

    跟纪晓岚学说话

    纪晓岚凭借非凡的才华,迅速成为皇帝身边的大红人,他圆而不“奸”,方而不“苦”,以他一流的口才,把话说得滴水不漏,让他的口才艺术灵活地运用到自己的社交活动中。本书教给读者如何运用口才艺术使自己的生活和工作更为美满和顺利。
  • 最真的青春是有你在

    最真的青春是有你在

    也许从一开始我们就注定会成为朋友。也许在一开始我们就注定会有分开的一天。也许在一开始我们就知道。不过我相信在某一天,我们会再次相遇。时光不减,我们不散。
  • 玄明修仙录

    玄明修仙录

    玄明一叶白云间,繁华落尽尘世烟。万载往事几篇录,碧影剑,黄书卷,独饮千红梦真仙。当时少年初相见,盈盈月下舞联翩。似水韶华流连何,日魂牵,夜无眠,花开茶糜思千年。
  • 晴天初梦

    晴天初梦

    十年后,物是人非。看着这些陌生的脸庞和细心的问候,我感到的是无比的温暖。
  • 万帝之主

    万帝之主

    背负血海深仇,跨入宗门。身肩宗门大任,横空出世。为寻师傅之踪,大杀四方。一个人,一柄枪,杀遍几个大陆,万帝臣服。吾,为万帝之主!
  • 无字碑

    无字碑

    无字碑,注孤生。京城繁花似美,孔明灯作尽缘。无字碑,箫中三世红尘遣。注孤生,轻捻珍簪错人嫁。长恨歌,箫悲叹。一曲一佳人,一图一山河。两岸桃花,灼灼映眼。错一点朱砂,不为人嫁,举樽向月,地影不了成三人。
  • 雪域王上人世妃

    雪域王上人世妃

    因为种种私人原因本书作者想换笔名而腾讯不能更换笔名,所以注册了新笔名,这本书也搬家。新笔名,西泠印社,本书新名,《空城旧梦我的少年》
  • 英雄铸造师

    英雄铸造师

    英雄……英雄……别特么跟我谈英雄!你知道创造一个英雄需要多高的成本吗?看看那些玻璃罐里的家伙!他们每一个人都有成为英雄的潜质!现在呢?一个个光着屁股见了上帝!残忍?你是对的……废掉那些有“变质”几率的家伙,也是我们的工作之一。要知道,英雄和反派boss就是只差一个观点的玩意!别用那种评价消费品的态度评判他们?那抱歉了,对于我们这种人来说,他们大多数时候还不如消费品!我是谁?好吧,我承认,你问住我了……不过,当你有成为“英雄”的潜质时……我会让你知道。