Mansfield Park - Chapter 9

Mr. Rushworth was at the door to receive his fair lady; and the whole party were welcomed by him with due attention. In the drawing-room they were met with equal cordiality by the mother, and Miss Bertram had all the distinction with each that she could wish. After the business of arriving was over, it was first necessary to eat, and the doors were thrown open to admit them through one or two intermediate rooms into the appointed dining-parlour, where a collation ¹ was prepared with abundance and elegance ². Much was said, and much was ate, and all went well. The particular object of the day was then considered. How would Mr. Crawford like, in what manner would he chuse, to take a survey of the grounds? Mr. Rushworth mentioned his curricle. Mr. Crawford suggested the greater desirableness of some carriage which might convey more than two. "To be depriving themselves of the advantage of other eyes and other judgments ³, might be an evil even beyond the loss of present pleasure.", ,Mrs. Rushworth proposed that the chaise should be taken also; but this was scarcely received as an amendment ⁴: the young ladies neither smiled nor spoke ⁵. Her next proposition, of shewing the house to such of them as had not been there before, was more acceptable, for Miss Bertram was pleased to have its size displayed, and all were glad to be doing something., ,The whole party rose accordingly, and under Mrs. Rushworth's guidance were shewn through a number of rooms, all lofty, and many large, and amply furnished in the taste of fifty years back, with shining floors, solid mahogany, rich damask, marble, gilding ⁶, and carving ⁷, each handsome in its way. Of pictures there were abundance, and some few good, but the larger part were family portraits, no longer anything to anybody but Mrs. Rushworth, who had been at great pains to learn all that the housekeeper ⁸ could teach, and was now almost equally well qualified ⁹ to shew the house. On the present occasion she addressed herself chiefly to Miss Crawford and Fanny, but there was no comparison in the willingness of their attention; for Miss Crawford, who had seen scores of great houses, and cared for none of them, had only the appearance of civilly listening, while Fanny, to whom everything was almost as interesting as it was new, attended with unaffected earnestness to all that Mrs. Rushworth could relate of the family in former times, its rise and grandeur ¹¹, regal visits and loyal efforts, delighted to connect anything with history already known, or warm her imagination with scenes of the past., , ,Having visited many more rooms than could be supposed to be of any other use than to contribute to the window-tax, and find employment for housemaids, "Now," said Mrs. Rushworth, "we are coming to the chapel ¹³, which properly we ought to enter from above, and look down upon; but as we are quite among friends, I will take you in this way, if you will excuse me.", ,They entered. Fanny's imagination had prepared her for something grander than a mere ¹⁴ spacious ¹⁵, oblong room, fitted up for the purpose of devotion: with nothing more striking or more solemn than the profusion ¹⁶ of mahogany, and the crimson ¹⁷ velvet ¹⁸ cushions appearing over the ledge ¹⁹ of the family gallery above. "I am disappointed," said she, in a low voice, to Edmund. "This is not my idea of a chapel. There is nothing awful here, nothing melancholy ²⁰, nothing grand. Here are no aisles ²¹, no arches, no inscriptions ²², no banners. No banners, cousin, to be 'blown by the night wind of heaven.' No signs that a 'Scottish monarch ²³ sleeps below.'", ,I was quite taken with your line of photocopiers with collation and stapling capability.我被贵公司能够自动整理和装订的系列复印机吸引住了。,The furnishings in the room imparted an air of elegance.这个房间的家具带给这房间一种优雅的气氛 。