Нортенгерське абатство
Chapter 24
Butafaithfulpromise—thefidelityofpromising!Itisapowerlittleworthknowing,however,sinceitcandeceiveandpainyou.Mymother’sroomisverycommodious,isitnot?Largeandcheerful-looking,andthedressing-closetssowelldisposed!Italwaysstrikesmeasthemostcomfortableapartmentinthehouse,andIratherwonderthatEleanorshouldnottakeitforherown.Shesentyoutolookatit,Isuppose?”
“No.”
“Ithasbeenyourowndoingentirely?”Catherinesaidnothing.Afterashortsilence,duringwhichhehadcloselyobservedher,headded,“Asthereisnothingintheroominitselftoraisecuriosity,thismusthaveproceededfromasentimentofrespectformymother’scharacter,asdescribedbyEleanor,whichdoeshonourtohermemory.Theworld,Ibelieve,neversawabetterwoman.Butitisnotoftenthatvirtuecanboastaninterestsuchasthis.Thedomestic,unpretendingmeritsofapersonneverknowndonotoftencreatethatkindoffervent,veneratingtendernesswhichwouldpromptavisitlikeyours.Eleanor,Isuppose,hastalkedofheragreatdeal?”
“Yes,agreatdeal.Thatis—no,notmuch,butwhatshedidsaywasveryinteresting.Herdyingsosuddenly”(slowly,andwithhesitationitwasspoken),“andyou—noneofyoubeingathome—andyourfather,Ithought—perhapshadnotbeenveryfondofher.”
“Andfromthesecircumstances,”hereplied(hisquickeyefixedonhers),“youinferperhapstheprobabilityofsomenegligence—some”—(involuntarilysheshookherhead)—“oritmaybe—ofsomethingstilllesspardonable.
