Крошка Доррит

Chapter 21. The History of a Self-Tormentor

           

           ‘Ihope,MissWade,’shereturned,instantlyassumingthetoneofsuperiorityshehadalwayssothinlyconcealed,‘thatnothingIhaveeversaidordonesincewehavebeentogether,hasjustifiedyouruseofthatdisagreeableword,“Mistress.”Itmusthavebeenwhollyinadvertentonmypart.Praytellmewhatitis.’

           IrepliedthatIhadnocomplainttomake,eitherofmyMistressortomyMistress;butImustgo.

           Shehesitatedamoment,andthensatdownbesideme,andlaidherhandonmine.Asifthathonourwouldobliterateanyremembrance!

           ‘MissWade,Ifearyouareunhappy,throughcausesoverwhichIhavenoinfluence.’

           Ismiled,thinkingoftheexperiencethewordawakened,andsaid,‘Ihaveanunhappytemper,Isuppose.’

           ‘Ididnotsaythat.’

           ‘Itisaneasywayofaccountingforanything,’saidI.

           ‘Itmaybe;butIdidnotsayso.WhatIwishtoapproachissomethingverydifferent.MyhusbandandIhaveexchangedsomeremarksuponthesubject,whenwehaveobservedwithpainthatyouhavenotbeeneasywithus.’

           ‘Easy?Oh!Youaresuchgreatpeople,mylady,’saidI.

           ‘Iamunfortunateinusingawordwhichmayconveyameaning—andevidentlydoes—quiteoppositetomyintention.’(Shehadnotexpectedmyreply,anditshamedher.)‘Ionlymean,nothappywithus.Itisadifficulttopictoenteron;but,fromoneyoungwomantoanother,perhaps—inshort,wehavebeenapprehensivethatyoumayallowsomefamilycircumstancesofwhichnoonecanbemoreinnocentthanyourself,topreyuponyourspirits.Ifso,letusentreatyounottomakethemacauseofgrief.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 1023 из 1266