Emma 爱玛 - Chapter 42

After being long fed with hopes of a speedy visit from Mr. and Mrs. Suckling, the Highbury world were obliged to endure the mortification ¹ of hearing that they could not possibly come till the autumn. No such importation of novelties could enrich their intellectual stores at present. In the daily interchange of news, they must be again restricted to the other topics with which for a while the Sucklings' coming had been united, such as the last accounts of Mrs. Churchill, whose health seemed every day to supply a different report, and the situation of Mrs. Weston, whose happiness it was to be hoped might eventually be as much increased by the arrival of a child, as that of all her neighbours was by the approach of it., ,Mrs. Elton was very much disappointed. It was the delay of a great deal of pleasure and parade. Her introductions and recommendations must all wait, and every projected party be still only talked of. So she thought at first;--but a little consideration convinced her that every thing need not be put off. Why should not they explore to Box Hill though the Sucklings did not come? They could go there again with them in the autumn. It was settled that they should go to Box Hill. That there was to be such a party had been long generally known: it had even given the idea of another. Emma had never been to Box Hill; she wished to see what every body found so well worth seeing, and she and Mr. Weston had agreed to chuse some fine morning and drive thither ⁴. Two or three more of the chosen only were to be admitted to join them, and it was to be done in a quiet, unpretending, elegant way, infinitely ⁵ superior to the bustle ⁶ and preparation, the regular eating and drinking, and picnic parade of the Eltons and the Sucklings., ,This was so very well understood between them, that Emma could not but feel some surprise, and a little displeasure, on hearing from Mr. Weston that he had been proposing to Mrs. Elton, as her brother and sister had failed her, that the two parties should unite, and go together; and that as Mrs. Elton had very readily acceded ⁷ to it, so it was to be, if she had no objection. Now, as her objection was nothing but her very great dislike of Mrs. Elton, of which Mr. Weston must already be perfectly ⁸ aware, it was not worth bringing forward again:--it could not be done without a reproof ⁹ to him, which would be giving pain to his wife; and she found herself therefore obliged to consent to an arrangement which she would have done a great deal to avoid; an arrangement which would probably expose her even to the degradation ¹⁰ of being said to be of Mrs. Elton's party! Every feeling was offended; and the forbearance of her outward submission ¹¹ left a heavy arrear ¹² due of secret severity in her reflections on the unmanageable goodwill ¹³ of Mr. Weston's temper., , ,Emma denied none of it aloud, and agreed to none of it in private., ,It was now the middle of June, and the weather fine; and Mrs. Elton was growing impatient to name the day, and settle with Mr. Weston as to pigeon-pies and cold lamb, when a lame ¹⁴ carriage-horse threw every thing into sad uncertainty ¹⁵. It might be weeks, it might be only a few days, before the horse were useable; but no preparations could be ventured on, and it was all melancholy ¹⁶ stagnation ¹⁷. Mrs. Elton's resources were inadequate ¹⁸ to such an attack., ,The chairman tried to disguise his mortification. 主席试图掩饰自己的窘迫。,He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔 。