The Complete Works of Jane Austen. Jane Austen

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СКАЧАТЬ long account of her misfortunes to Mary Wynne.

      When her letter was concluded she had an opportunity of witnessing the truth of that assertion which says that sorrows are lightened by communication, for her toothache was then so much relieved that she began to entertain an idea of following her friends to Mr. Dudley's. They had been gone an hour, and as every thing relative to her dress was in complete readiness, she considered that in another hour since there was so little a way to go, she might be there. They were gone in Mr. Stanley's carriage and therefore she might follow in her aunt's. As the plan seemed so very easy to be executed, and promising so much pleasure, it was after a few minutes deliberation finally adopted, and running up stairs, she rang in great haste for her maid. The bustle and hurry which then ensued for nearly an hour was at last happily concluded by her finding herself very well dressed and in high beauty. Anne was then dispatched in the same haste to order the carriage, while her mistress was putting on her gloves, and arranging the folds of her dress. In a few minutes she heard the carriage drive up to the door, and tho' at first surprised at the expedition with which it had been got ready, she concluded after a little reflection that the men had received some hint of her intentions beforehand, and was hastening out of the room, when Anne came running into it in the greatest hurry and agitation, exclaiming "Lord, ma'am! Here's a gentleman in a chaise and four come, and I cannot for the life conceive who it is! I happened to be crossing the hall when the carriage drove up, and I knew nobody would be in the way to let him in but Tom, and he looks so awkward you know, ma'am, now his hair is just done up, that I was not willing the gentleman should see him, and so I went to the door myself. And he is one of the handsomest young men you would wish to see; I was almost ashamed of being seen in my apron, ma'am, but however he is vastly handsome and did not seem to mind it at all. And he asked me whether the family were at home; and so I said everybody was gone out but you, ma'am, for I would not deny you because I was sure you would like to see him. And then he asked me whether Mr. and Mrs. Stanley were not here, and so I said yes, and then—"

      "Good Heavens!" said Kitty, "what can all this mean! And who can it possibly be! Did you never see him before! And did not he tell you his name!"

      "No, ma'am, he never said anything about it. So then I asked him to walk into the parlour, and he was prodigious agreeable, and—"

      "Whoever he is," said her mistress, "he has made a great impression upon you, Nanny. But where did he come from? and what does he want here?"

      "Oh! Ma'am, I was going to tell you, that I fancy his business is with you; for he asked me whether you were at leisure to see anybody, and desired I would give his compliments to you, and say he should be very happy to wait on you. However I thought he had better not come up into your dressing room, especially as everything is in such a litter, so I told him if he would be so obliging as to stay in the parlour, I would run up stairs and tell you he was come, and I dared to say that you would wait upon him. Lord, ma'am, I'd lay anything that he is come to ask you to dance with him tonight, and has got his chaise ready to take you to Mr. Dudley's."

      Kitty could not help laughing at this idea, and only wished it might be true, as it was very likely that she would be too late for any other partner. "But what, in the name of wonder, can he have to say to me! Perhaps he is come to rob the house. He comes in style at least; and it will be some consolation for our losses to be robbed by a gentleman in a chaise and four. What livery has his servants?"

      "Why that is the most wonderful thing about him, ma'am, for he has not a single servant with him, and came with hack horses; but he is as handsome as a Prince for all that, and has quite the look of one. Do, dear ma'am, go down, for I am sure you will be delighted with him."

      "Well, I believe I must go; but it is very odd! What can he have to say to me." Then giving one look at herself in the glass, she walked with great impatience, tho' trembling all the while from not knowing what to expect, down stairs, and after pausing a moment at the door to gather courage for opening it, she resolutely entered the room. The stranger, whose appearance did not disgrace the account she had received of it from her maid, rose up on her entrance, and laying aside the newspaper he had been reading, advanced towards her with an air of the most perfect ease and vivacity, and said to her, "It is certainly a very awkward circumstance to be thus obliged to introduce myself, but I trust that the necessity of the case will plead my excuse, and prevent your being prejudiced by it against me. Your name, I need not ask, ma'am—Miss Percival is too well known to me by description to need any information of that."

      Kitty, who had been expecting him to tell his own name, instead of hers, and who from having been little in company, and never before in such a situation, felt herself unable to ask it, tho' she had been planning her speech all the way down stairs, was so confused and distressed by this unexpected address that she could only return a slight curtsy to it, and accepted the chair he reached her, without knowing what she did. The gentleman then continued. "You are, I dare say, surprised to see me returned from France so soon, and nothing indeed but business could have brought me to England; a very melancholy affair has now occasioned it, and I was unwilling to leave it without paying my respects to the family in Devonshire whom I have so long wished to be acquainted with." Kitty, who felt much more surprised at his supposing her to be so, than at seeing a person in England, whose having ever left it was perfectly unknown to her, still continued silent from wonder and perplexity, and her visitor still continued to talk.

      "You will suppose, madam, that I was not the less desirous of waiting on you, from your having Mr. and Mrs. Stanley with you. I hope they are well? And Mrs. Percival, how does she do?" Then without waiting for an answer he gaily added, "But my dear Miss Percival, you are going out I am sure; and I am detaining you from your appointment. How can I ever expect to be forgiven for such injustice! Yet how can I, so circumstanced, forbear to offend! You seem dressed for a ball! But this is the land of gaiety I know; I have for many years been desirous of visiting it. You have dances I suppose at least every week. But where are the rest of your party gone, and what kind angel in compassion to me, has excluded you from it?"

      "Perhaps sir," said Kitty extremely confused by his manner of speaking to her, and highly displeased with the freedom of his conversation towards one who had never seen him before and did not now know his name, "Perhaps sir, you are acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Stanley; and your business may be with them?"

      "You do me too much honour, ma'am," replied he laughing, "in supposing me to be acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Stanley; I merely know them by sight; very distant relations; only my father and mother. Nothing more I assure you."

      "Gracious Heaven!" said Kitty, "Are you Mr. Stanley then? I beg a thousand pardons. Though really upon recollection I do not know for what—for you never told me your name."

      "I beg your pardon. I made a very fine speech when you entered the room, all about introducing myself; I assure you it was very great for me."

      "The speech had certainly great merit," said Kitty smiling; "I thought so at the time; but since you never mentioned your name in it, as an introductory one it might have been better."

      There was such an air of good humour and gaiety in Stanley, that Kitty, tho' perhaps not authorized to address him with so much familiarity on so short an acquaintance, could not forbear indulging the natural unreserve and vivacity of her own disposition, in speaking to him, as he spoke to her. She was intimately acquainted too with his family who were her relations, and she chose to consider herself entitled by the connexion to forget how little a while they had known each other. "Mr. and Mrs. Stanley and your sister are extremely well," said she, "and will I dare say be very much surprised to see you. But I am sorry to hear that your return to England has been occasioned by an unpleasant circumstance."

      "Oh, don't talk of it," said he, "it is a most confounded shocking affair, and makes me miserable to think of it; But where are my father and mother, and your aunt gone! Oh! Do you know that I met the prettiest little waiting maid in the world, when I came here; she let me into the СКАЧАТЬ