I am sometimes disposed(adj.有某种健康状态的,有...倾向的) to repent(v.后悔,悔改,忏悔,悔悟) that I did not let Charles buy
Vernon Castle(n.城堡), when we were obliged(vt.迫使,责成) to sell it; but it was a trying
circumstance, especially as the sale took place exactly at the time
of his marriage; and everybody ought to respect the delicacy(n.微妙) of those
feelings which could not endure that my husband's dignity(n.尊严,高贵) should be
lessened(v.减少,减轻) by his younger brother's having possession of the family
estate(n.状态,不动产,时期,阶层,财产). Could matters have been so arranged as to prevent the necessity
of our leaving the castle(n.城堡), could we have lived with Charles and kept
him single, I should have been very far from persuading my husband to
dispose(v.处理,处置,部署vt.布置,安排,除去,使愿意) of it elsewhere(adv.在别处); but Charles was on the point of marrying
Miss De Courcy, and the event has justified me. Here are children in
abundance(n.丰富,充裕,丰富充裕), and what benefit could have accrued(vi.自然增加,产生) to me from his purchasing(vt.买,购买n.买,购买)
Vernon? My having prevented it may perhaps have given his wife an
unfavourable(null) impression, but where there is a disposition(n.部署) to dislike,

a motive will never be wanting; and as to money matters it has not
withheld(vbl.withhold过去式及过去分词) him from being very useful to me. I really have a regard
for him, he is so easily imposed(vt.征税,强加,以...欺骗vi.利用,欺骗,施影响) upon! The house is a good one, the
furniture fashionable(adj.流行的,时髦的), and everything announces(vt.宣布,通告) plenty and elegance(n.高雅,典雅,优雅,雅致).
Charles is very rich I am sure; when a man has once got his name in a
banking-house he rolls in money; but they do not know what to do with
it, keep very little company, and never go to London but on business.

I mean to win my sister-in-law's heart
through the children; I know all their names already, and am going to
attach(vt.缚上,系上,贴上v.配属,隶属于) myself with the greatest sensibility(n.敏感性) to one in particular, a
young Frederic(null), whom I take on my lap(n.(坐时的)大腿前部,膝盖,舔声,(水)溅泼声,重叠的部分,(跑道的)一圈,衣兜,下摆vi.重叠,围住,轻拍,舔vt.包围,抱...在膝上,使重叠,舔食,泼溅,拍打) and sigh over for his dear uncle's
sake.

Poor Mainwaring! I need not tell you how much I miss him, how
perpetually(null) he is in my thoughts. I found a dismal(adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,暗的vt.使人消沉n.低落的情绪,沼泽) letter from him on
my arrival here, full of complaints(n.诉苦,抱怨,牢骚,委屈,疾病) of his wife and sister, and
lamentations(n.悲叹,哀悼) on the cruelty(n.残忍,残酷) of his fate. I passed off the letter as his
wife's, to the Vernons, and when I write to him it must be under cover
to you.
Ever yours, S. VERNON.

VIII
MRS. VERNON TO LADY DE COURCY
Churchhill.
My dear Mother,--You must not expect Reginald back againfor some time.
He desires me to tell you that the present open weatherinduces(vt.劝诱,促使,导致,引起,感应) him to
accept Mr. Vernon's invitation to prolong(vt.延长,拖延) his stay in Sussex, that
they may have some hunting together. He means to send forhis horses
immediately, and it is impossible to say when you may seehim in Kent(null). I
will not disguise(v.假装,伪装,掩饰n.伪装) my sentiments(n.情操,情感,情绪,观点,多愁善感,感情) on this change from you, mydear mother,
though I think you had better not communicate(v.沟通,通信,(房间、道路、花园等)相通,传达,感染) them to my father, whose
excessive(adj.过多的,过分的,额外) anxiety about Reginald wouldsubject him to an alarm which
might seriously(null)affect his health and spirits. Lady Susan has certainly
contrived(v.发明,设计,图谋), in the space of a fortnight(n.两星期), to make my brother like her.
In short, I am persuaded that his continuing here beyondthe time
originally(adv.最初,原先) fixed for his return is occasioned as much by a degreeof
fascination(n.魔力,入迷,魅力,迷恋,强烈爱好) towards her, as by the wish of hunting with Mr. Vernon,and
of course I cannot receive that pleasure from the lengthof his visit
which my brother's company would otherwise give me. I am,indeed,
provoked(vt.激怒,挑拨,煽动,惹起,驱使) at the artifice(n.技巧) of this unprincipled(adj.不道德的,无原则的,不合人道的) woman; what stronger(null)
proof(n.证据,试验,考验,[印刷]校样adj.不能透入的,证明用的,防...的,有耐力的vt.检验,校对,使不被穿透) of her dangerous abilities can be given than this perversion(n.颠倒,曲解) of
Reginald's judgment, which when he entered the house wasso decidedly(adv.果断地,断然地)
against her! In his last letter he actually gave me someparticulars of
her behaviour at Langford, such as he received from agentleman who knew
her perfectly well, which, if true, must raise abhorrence(n.痛恨,憎恶) against her,
and which Reginald himself was entirely disposed(adj.有某种健康状态的,有...倾向的) to credit. His opinion
of her, I am sure, was as low as of any woman in England;and when he
first came it was evident that he considered her as oneentitled(有资格的) neither
to delicacy(n.微妙) nor respect, and that he felt she would be delighted with
the attentions of any man inclined(倾向...的) to flirt(vt.忽然弹出,挥动vi.调情,摇晃的移动,玩弄,摇晃地摆动,摆动,轻率地对待n.卖弄风情的人,调情的人) with her. Her behaviour, I
confess, has been calculated(adj.计算出的,有计划的,适当的,适合的) to do away with such an idea; I have
not detected the smallest(null)impropriety(n.不适当,不适当的事物) in it--nothing of vanity(n.空虚), of
pretension(n.借口,要求,主张,自负,骄傲), of levity(n.轻率,轻浮,不稳定,多变); and she is altogether so attractive(adj.吸引人的,有魅力的) that I should
not wonder at his being delighted with her, had he knownnothing of her
previous to this personal acquaintance; but, againstreason, against
conviction(n.深信,确信,定罪,宣告有罪), to be so well pleased with her, as I am sure he is, does
really astonish(vt.使惊讶) me. His admiration(n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕) was at first very strong, butno more
than was natural, and I did not wonder at his being muchstruck by the
gentleness(n.温顺,亲切,柔和) and delicacy(n.微妙) of her manners; but when he has mentioned her of
late it has been in terms of more extraordinary praise;and yesterday he
actually said that he could not be surprised at anyeffect produced
on the heart of man by such loveliness(n.可爱,漂亮,魅力) and such abilities; and when I
lamented(n.悲伤,哀悼,恸哭,挽诗,悼词vt.哀悼vi.悔恨,悲叹), in reply, the badness(null)of her disposition(n.部署), he observed that
whatever might have been her errors they were to beimputed(vt.归罪于,归咎于,归因于) to her
neglected(vt.忽视,疏忽,漏做n.忽视,疏忽,漏做) education and early marriage,and that she was altogether a
wonderful woman. This tendency(n.趋向,倾向) to excuse her conduct(n.行为,操行v.引导,管理,为人,传导) or to forget it, in
the warmth(n.暖和,温暖,热心,热情) of admiration(n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕), vexes(vt.使烦恼,恼怒) me; and if I did not knowthat Reginald
is too much at home at Churchhill to need an invitationfor lengthening(v.延长,(使)变长)
his visit, I should regret Mr. Vernon's giving him any.Lady Susan's
intentions are of course those of absolute coquetry(n.(女子)玩弄男人,卖弄风骚,撒娇,献媚), or a desire
of universal admiration(n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕); I cannot for a momentimagine that she has
anything more serious in view; but it mortifies(vt.克服,苦修,使苦恼vi.制欲,苦行,坏死) me to see a young man of
Reginald's sense duped(n.易受骗的人,易受愚弄的人vt.欺骗,愚弄n.vt.(duplicate)) by her at all.
I am, &c.,
CATHERINE VERNON.

IX
MRS. JOHNSON TO LADY S. VERNON
Edward Street.
My dearest Friend,--I congratulate(vt.祝贺,庆贺,恭喜) you on Mr. De Courcy's arrival, and
I advise you by all means to marry him; his father'sestate(n.状态,不动产,时期,阶层,财产) is, we know,
considerable, and I believe certainly entailed(vt.使必需,使蒙受,使承担,遗传给n.[建]限定继承权). Sir Reginald is very
infirm(adj.弱的,不坚固的,柔弱的), and not likely to stand inyour way long. I hear the young man
well spoken of; and though no one can really deserve(vt.应受,值得v.应受) you, my dearest
Susan, Mr. De Courcy may be worth having. Mainwaring willstorm of
course, but you easily pacify(vt.使平静,安慰,抚慰) him; besides, the mostscrupulous(adj.小心谨慎的,细心的) point of
honour could not require you to wait for HIS emancipation(n.释放,解放). I have seen
Sir James; he came to town for a few days last week, andcalled several
times in Edward Street. I talked to him about you andyour daughter, and
he is so far from having forgotten you, that I am sure hewould marry
either of you with pleasure. I gave him hopes ofFrederica's relenting(减弱),
and told him a great deal of her improvements(n.改进,进步). I scolded him for making
love to Maria Mainwaring; he protested(n.主张,断言,抗议v.主张,断言抗议,拒付) that he had been only in joke,
and we both laughed heartily(adv.热忱地) at her disappointment; and, in short, were
very agreeable(adj.使人愉快的,惬意的,适合的). He is as silly as ever.
Yours faithfully(adv.忠诚地,如实地,切实遵守地),
ALICIA.

X
LADY SUSAN VERNON TO MRS. JOHNSON
Churchhill.
I am much obliged(vt.迫使,责成) to you, my dear Friend, for your advice respecting
Mr. De Courcy, which I know was given with the full conviction(n.深信,确信,定罪,宣告有罪) of its
expediency(n.方便,私利,权宜), though I am not quitedetermined on following it. I cannot
easily resolve on anything so serious as marriage;especially as I
am not at present in want of money, and might perhaps,till the old
gentleman's death, be very little benefited by the match.It is true
that I am vain enough to believe it within my reach. Ihave made him
sensible of my power, and can now enjoy the pleasure oftriumphing(n.胜利,成功v.获得胜利)
over a mind prepared to dislike me, and prejudiced(adj.怀偏见的) against all my
past actions.

His sister, too, is, I hope, convinced(adj.确信的,深信的) how little the
ungenerous(adj.胸襟狭窄的,吝啬的,不充足的) representations of anyone tothe disadvantage of another will
avail(vi.有益于,有帮助,有用,有利vt.有利于n.效用,利益) when opposed(adj.反对的,敌对的) by the immediate influence of intellect and manner. I
see plainly(null) thatshe is uneasy at my progress in the good opinion of
her brother, and conclude that nothing will be wanting onher part to
counteract(vt.抵消,中和,阻碍) me; but having once made himdoubt the justice of her opinion
of me, I think I may defy(vt.不服从,公然反抗,藐视,挑衅,违抗,使...难于n.挑战) her. It has been delightful to me to watch
his advances towards intimacy(n.亲密,隐私,亲昵行为(尤指不正当的性关系)), especially to observe his altered manner
in consequence(n.结果,[逻]推理,推论,因果关系,重要的地位) of my repressing(vt.<美>再压,补充加压vi.压制) by the cool dignity(n.尊严,高贵) of my deportment(n.行为,举止)
his insolent(n.侮慢无礼的人adj.傲慢的,无礼的,侮慢的) approach to direct familiarity(n.熟悉,通晓,亲密,熟悉,精通). My conduct(n.行为,操行v.引导,管理,为人,传导) has been equally
guarded from the first, and I never behaved less like acoquette(n.卖弄风情之女子) in the
whole course of my life, though perhaps my desire ofdominion(n.主权,领土,统治权,支配,控制) was never
more decided.

I have subdued(adj.屈服的,被抑制的,柔和的,减弱的) him entirely by sentiment(n.情操,情感,情绪,观点,多愁善感,感情) and serious
conversation, and made him, I may venture(n.冒险,投机,风险v.冒险,冒昧,斗胆,胆敢(谦语)) to say, at least half in love
with me, without the semblance(n.外表,伪装) of the most commonplace(n.平凡的事,平常话adj.平凡的) flirtation(n.调情,调戏,挑逗). Mrs.
Vernon's consciousness(n.意识,知觉,自觉,觉悟,个人思想) of deserving(vt.应受,值得v.应受) every sort of revenge(n.报仇,复仇vt.替...报仇,复仇) that it can
be in my power to inflict(v.造成) for her ill-offices could alone enable her
to perceive that I am actuated(vt.开动,促使) by any design in behaviour so gentle
and unpretending(null).Let her think and act as she chooses, however.

I have
never yet found that the advice of a sister could preventa young
man's being in love if he chose(null).We are advancing now to some kind of
confidence(n.信心), and in short are likely to be engaged(adj.忙碌的,使用中的) in a sort of platonic()
friendship. On my side you may be sure of its never beingmore, for if
I were not attached(n.<法>大使随员,大使馆专员) to another person as much asI can be to anyone, I
should make a point of not bestowing(vt.给予,安放) my affection(n.友爱,爱情,影响,疾病,倾向) on a man who had dared
to think so meanly(null)of me. Reginald has a good figure and is not unworthy(adj.不值得的,不足取的n.不足道的,卑劣的家伙)
the praise you have heard given him, but is still greatlyinferior(adj.下等的,下级的,差的,次的,自卑的,劣等的)
to our friend at Langford.

He is less polished(adj.擦亮的,磨光的,精练的,优美的,无暇的), less insinuating(vt.使逐步而巧妙地取得,使迂回地潜入(或挤入),使慢慢滋长,含沙射影地说) than
Mainwaring, and is comparatively(adv.比较地,相当地) deficient(adj.缺乏的,不足的,不完善的) in the power of saying those
delightful things which put one in good humour withoneself(pron.自己,亲自) and all the
world.

He is quite agreeable(adj.使人愉快的,惬意的,适合的) enough, however, to afford meamusement,

and to make many of those hours pass very pleasantly(null) which would
otherwise be spent in endeavouring(n.<英>尽力,竭力) to overcome my sister-in-law's
reserve(n.储备(物),储藏量,预备队vt.储备,保存,保留,预定,预约),

and listening to the talk of her husband.