Emma 爱玛 - Chapter 22

Human nature is so well disposed towards those who are in interesting situations, that a young person, who either marries or dies, is sure of being kindly ¹ spoken of.,A week had not passed since Miss Hawkins's name was first mentioned in Highbury, before she was, by some means or other, discovered to have every recommendation of person and mind; to be handsome, elegant, highly accomplished ², and perfectly ³ amiable ⁴: and when Mr. Elton himself arrived to triumph in his happy prospects ⁵, and circulate the fame of her merits, there was very little more for him to do, than to tell her Christian ⁶ name, and say whose music she principally played.,Mr. Elton returned, a very happy man. He had gone away rejected and mortified--disappointed in a very sanguine ⁷ hope, after a series of what appeared to him strong encouragement; and not only losing the right lady, but finding himself debased to the level of a very wrong one. He had gone away deeply offended--he came back engaged to another--and to another as superior, of course, to the first, as under such circumstances what is gained always is to what is lost. He came back gay and self-satisfied, eager and busy, caring nothing for Miss Woodhouse, and defying Miss Smith., ,The charming Augusta Hawkins, in addition to all the usual advantages of perfect beauty and merit, was in possession of an independent fortune, of so many thousands as would always be called ten; a point of some dignity, as well as some convenience: the story told well; he had not thrown himself away--he had gained a woman of 10,000 l. or thereabouts; and he had gained her with such delightful ⁸ rapidity-- the first hour of introduction had been so very soon followed by distinguishing notice; the history which he had to give Mrs. Cole of the rise and progress of the affair was so glorious--the steps so quick, from the accidental rencontre, to the dinner at Mr. Green's, and the party at Mrs. Brown's--smiles and blushes rising in importance-- with consciousness and agitation ⁹ richly scattered--the lady had been so easily impressed--so sweetly disposed--had in short, to use a most intelligible ¹⁰ phrase, been so very ready to have him, that vanity and prudence ¹¹ were equally contented ¹²., , ,The wedding was no distant event, as the parties had only themselves to please, and nothing but the necessary preparations to wait for; and when he set out for Bath again, there was a general expectation, which a certain glance of Mrs. Cole's did not seem to contradict, that when he next entered Highbury he would bring his bride., ,During his present short stay, Emma had barely seen him; but just enough to feel that the first meeting was over, and to give her the impression of his not being improved by the mixture of pique ¹⁴ and pretension ¹⁵, now spread over his air. She was, in fact, beginning very much to wonder that she had ever thought him pleasing at all; and his sight was so inseparably connected with some very disagreeable feelings, that, except in a moral light, as a penance ¹⁶, a lesson, a source of profitable humiliation ¹⁷ to her own mind, she would have been thankful to be assured of never seeing him again. She wished him very well; but he gave her pain, and his welfare twenty miles off would administer most satisfaction., ,A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。,Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务 。