Риф, или Там, где разбивается счастье

XIX

           AndIaskyouasafriend,Iaskyouasoneofus,totellmeifyouthinkagirlwhohashadtoknockabouttheworldinthatkindofposition,andattheordersofallkindsofpeople,isfittedtobeOwen’swife.I’mnotimplyinganythingagainsther!Ilikedthegirl,Mr.Darrow....Butwhat’sthatgottodowithit?Idon’twanthertomarrymygrandson.IfI’dbeenlookingforawifeforOwen,Ishouldn’thaveappliedtotheFarlowstofindmeone.That’swhatAnnawon’tunderstand;andwhatyoumusthelpmetomakehersee.”

           Darrow,tothisappeal,couldopposeonlytherepeatedassuranceofhisinabilitytointerfere.HetriedtomakeMadamedeChantelleseethattheverypositionhehopedtotakeinthehouseholdmadehisinterventionthemorehazardous.Hebroughtuptheusualarguments,andsoundedtheexpectednoteofsympathy;butMadamedeChantelle’salarmhaddispelledherhabitualimprecision,and,thoughshehadnotmanyreasonstoadvance,herargumentclungtoitspointlikeafrightenedsharp-clawedanimal.

           “Well,then,”shesummedup,inresponsetohisrepeatedassertionsthathesawnowayofhelpingher,“youcan,atleast,evenifyouwon’tsayawordtotheothers,tellmefranklyandfairly—andquitebetweenourselves—yourpersonalopinionofMissViner,sinceyou’veknownhersomuchlongerthanwehave.”

           Heprotestedthat,ifhehadknownherlonger,hehadknownhermuchlesswell,andthathehadalready,onthispoint,convincedAnnaofhisinabilitytopronounceanopinion.

           MadamedeChantelledrewadeepsighofintelligence.“YouropinionofMrs.

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