elizabeth and her german garden-第16部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


believe；　still　more　so；　for　he　was　forcing　some　tulips；　and　they　have　all　shrivelled　up　and　died；　and　he　says　he　cannot　imagine　why。　　Besides；　he　is　in　love　with　the　cook；　and　is　going　to　marry　her　after　Christmas；　and　refuses　to　enter　into　any　of　my　plans　with　the　enthusiasm　they　deserve；　but　sits　with　vacant　eye　dreamily　chopping　wood　from　morning　till　night　to　keep　the　beloved　one's　kitchen　fire　well　supplied。　I　cannot　understand　any　one　preferring　cooks　to　marigolds；　those　future　marigolds；　shadowy　as　they　are；　and　whose　seeds　are　still　sleeping　at　the　seedsman's；　have　shone　through　my　winter　days　like　golden　lamps。

I　wish　with　all　my　heart　I　were　a　man；　for　of　course　the　first　thing　I　should　do　would　be　to　buy　a　spade　and　go　and　garden；　and　then　I　should　have　the　delight　of　doing　everything　for　my　flowers　with　my　own　hands　and　need　not　waste　time　explaining　what　I　want　done　to　somebody　else。　It　is　dull　work　giving　orders　and　trying　to　describe　the　bright　visions　of　one's　brain　to　a　person　who　has　no　visions　and　no　brain；　and　who　thinks　a　yellow　bed　should　be　calceolarias　edged　with　blue。

I　have　taken　care　in　choosing　my　yellow　plants　to　put　down　only　those　humble　ones　that　are　easily　pleased　and　grateful　for　little；　for　my　soil　is　by　no　means　all　that　it　might　be；　and　to　most　plants　the　climate　is　rather　trying。　　I　feel　really　grateful　to　any　flower　that　is　sturdy　and　willing　enough　to　flourish　here。　Pansies　seem　to　like　the　place　and　so　do　sweet…peas；　pinks　don't；　and　after　much　coaxing　gave　hardly　any　flowers　last　summer。　Nearly　all　the　roses　were　a　success；　in　spite　of　the　sandy　soil；　except　the　tea…rose　Adam；　which　was　covered　with　buds　ready　to　open；　when　they　suddenly　turned　brown　and　died；　and　three　standard　Dr。　Grills　which　stood　in　a　row　and　simply　sulked。　I　had　been　very　excited　about　Dr。　Grill；　his　description　in　the　catalogues　being　specially　fascinating；　and　no　doubt　I　deserved　the　snubbing　I　got。　　〃Never　be　excited；　my　dears；　about　anything；〃　shall　be　the　advice　I　will　give　the　three　babies　when　the　time　comes　to　take　them　out　to　parties；　〃or；　if　you　are；　don't　show　it。　　If　by　nature　you　are　volcanoes；　at　least　be　only　smouldering　ones。　　Don't　look　pleased；　don't　look　interested；　don't；　above　all　things；　look　eager。　Calm　indifference　should　be　written　on　every　feature　of　your　faces。　Never　show　that　you　like　any　one　person；　or　any　one　thing。　Be　cool；　languid；　and　reserved。　　If　you　don't　do　as　your　mother　tells　you　and　are　just　gushing；　frisky；　young　idiots；　snubs　will　be　your　portion。　　If　you　do　as　she　tells　you；　you'll　marry　princes　and　live　happily　ever　after。〃

Dr。　Grill　must　be　a　German　rose。　　In　this　part　of　the　world　the　more　you　are　pleased　to　see　a　person　the　less　is　he　pleased　to　see　you；　whereas；　if　you　are　disagreeable；　he　will　grow　pleasant　visibly；　his　countenance　expanding　into　wider　amiability　the　more　your　own　is　stiff　and　sour。　But　I　was　not　Prepared　for　that　sort　of　thing　in　a　rose；　and　was　disgusted　with　Dr。　Grill。　　He　had　the　best　place　in　the　gardenwarm；　sunny；　and　sheltered；　his　holes　were　prepared　with　the　tenderest　care；　he　was　given　the　most　dainty　mixture　of　compost；　clay；　and　manure；　he　was　watered　assiduously　all　through　the　drought　when　more　willing　flowers　got　nothing；　and　he　refused　to　do　anything　but　look　black　and　shrivel。　He　did　not　die；　but　neither　did　he　livehe　just　existed；　and　at　the　end　of　the　summer　not　one　of　him　had　a　scrap　more　shoot　or　leaf　than　when　he　was　first　put　in　in　April。　It　would　have　been　better　if　he　had　died　straight　away；　for　then　I　should　have　known　what　to　do；　as　it　is；　there　he　is　still　occupying　the　best　place；　wrapped　up　carefully　for　the　winter；　excluding　kinder　roses；　and　probably　intending　to　repeat　the　same　conduct　next　year。　　Well；　trials　are　the　portion　of　mankind；　and　gardeners　have　their　share；　and　in　any　case　it　is　better　to　be　tried　by　plants　than　persons；　seeing　that　with　plants　you　know　that　it　is　you　who　are　in　the　wrong；　and　with　persons　it　is　always　the　other　way　aboutand　who　is　there　among　us　who　has　not　felt　the　pangs　of　injured　innocence；　and　known　them　to　be　grievous？

I　have　two　visitors　staying　with　me；　though　I　have　done　nothing　to　provoke　such　an　infliction；　and　had　been　looking　forward　to　a　happy　little　Christmas　alone　with　the　Man　of　Wrath　and　the　babies。　Fate　decreed　otherwise。　　Quite　regularly；　if　I　look　forward　to　anything；　Fate　steps　in　and　decrees　otherwise；　I　don't　know　why　it　should；　but　it　does。　I　had　not　even　invited　these　good　ladieslike　greatness　on　the　modest；　they　were　thrust　upon　me。　　One　is　Irais；　the　sweet　singer　of　the　summer；　whom　I　love　as　she　deserves；　but　of　whom　I　certainly　thought　I　had　seen　the　last　for　at　least　a　year；　when　she　wrote　and　asked　if　I　would　have　her　over　Christmas；　as　her　husband　was　out　of　sorts；　and　she　didn't　like　him　in　that　state。　　Neither　do　I　like　sick　husbands；　so；　full　of　sympathy；　I　begged　her　to　come；　and　here　she　is。　　And　the　other　is　Minora。

Why　I　have　to　have　Minora　I　don't　know；　for　I　was　not　even　aware　of　her　existence　a　fortnight　ago。　Then　coming　down　cheerfully　one　morning　to　breakfast　it　was　the　very　day　after　my　return　from　England　I　found　a　letter　from　an　English　friend；　who　up　till　then　had　been　perfectly　innocuous；　asking　me　to　befriend　Minora。　I　read　the　letter　aloud　for　the　benefit　of　the　Man　of　Wrath；　who　was　eating　Spickgans；　a　delicacy　much　sought　after　in　these　parts。　　　〃Do；　my　dear　Elizabeth；〃　wrote　my　friend；　〃take　some　notice　of　the　poor　thing。　　She　is　studying　art　in　Dresden；　and　has　nowhere　literally　to　go　for　Christmas。　She　is　very　ambitious　and　hardworking〃

〃Then；〃　interrupted　the　Man　of　Wrath；〃　she　is　not　pretty。　〃Only　ugly　girls　work　hard。〃

〃and　she　is　really　very　clever〃

〃I　do　not　like　clever　girls；　they　are　so　stupid；〃　again　interrupted　the　Man　of　Wrath。

〃and　unless　some　kind　creature　like　yourself　takes　pity　on　her　she　will　be　very　lonely。〃

〃Then　let　her　be　lonely。〃

〃Her　mother　is　my　oldest　friend；　and　would　be　greatly　distressed　to　think　that　her　daughter　should　be　alone　in　a　foreign　town　at　such　a　season。〃

〃I　do　not　mind　the　distress　of　the　mother。〃

〃Oh；　dear　me；〃　I　exclaimed　impatiently；　〃I　shall　have　to　ask　her　to　come！〃

〃If　you　should　be　inclined；〃　the　letter　went　on；　〃to　play　the　good　Samaritan；　dear　Elizabeth；　I　am　positive　you　would　find　Minora　a　bright；　intelligent　companion〃

〃Minora？〃　questioned　the　Man　of　Wrath。

The　April　baby；　who　has　had　a　nursery　governess　of　an　altogether　alarmingly　zealous　type　attached　to　her　person　for　the　last　six　weeks；　looked　up　from　her　bread　and　milk。

〃It　sounds　like　islands；〃　she　remarked　pensively。

The　governess　coughed。

〃Majora；　Minora；　Alderney；　and　Sark；〃　explained　her　pupil。

I　looked　at　her　severely。

〃If　you　are　not　careful；　April；〃　I　said；　〃you'll　be　a　genius　when　you　grow　up　and　disgrace　your　parents。〃

Miss　Jones　looked　as　though　she　did　not　like　Germans。　I　am　afraid　she　despises　us　because　she　thinks　we　are　foreigners　an　attitude　of　mind　quite　British　and　wholly　to　her　credit；　but　we；　on　the　other　hand；　regard　her　as　a　foreigner；　which；　of　course；　makes　things　complicated。

〃Shall　I　really　have　to　have　this　strange　girl？〃　I　asked；　addressing　nobody　in　particular　and　not　expecting　a　reply。

〃You　need　not　have　her；〃　said　the　Man　of　Wrath　composedly；　〃but　you　will。　　You　will　write　to…day　and　cordially　invite　her；　and　when　she　has　been　here　twenty…four　hours　you　will　quarrel　with　her。　I　know　you；　my　dear。〃

〃Quarrel！　I？　　With　a　little　art…student？〃　　Miss　Jones　cast　down　her　eyes。　　She　is　perpetually　scenting　a　scene；　and　is　always　ready　to　bring　whole　batteries　of　discretion　and　tact　and　good　taste　to　bear　on　us；　and　seems　to　know　we　are　disputing　in　an　unseemly　manner　when　we　would　never　dream　it　ourselves　but　for　the　warning　of　her　downcast　eyes。　I　would　take　my　courage　in　both　hands　and　ask　her　to　go；　for　besides　this　superfluity　of　discreet　behaviour　she　is；　although　only　nursery；　much　too　zealous；　and　inclined　to　be　always　teaching　and　never　playing；　but；　unfortunately；　the　April　baby　adores　her　and　is　sure　there　never　was　any　one　so　beautiful　before。　She　comes　every　day　with　fresh　accounts　of　the　splendours　of　her　wardrobe；　and　feeling　descriptions　of　her　umbrellas　and　hats；　and　Miss　Jones　looks　offended　and　purses　up　her　lips。　In　common　with　most　governesses；　she　has　a　little　dark　down　on　her　upper　lip；　and　the　April　baby　appeared　one　day　at　dinner　with　her　own　decorated　in　faithful　imitation；　having　achieved　it　after　much　struggling；　with　the　aid　of　a　lead　pencil　and　unbounded　love。　　Miss　Jones　put　her　in　the　corner　for　impertinence。　　I　wonder　why　governesses　are　so　unpleasant。　The　Man　of　Wrath　says　it　is　because　they　are　not　married。　Without　venturing　to　differ　entirely　from　the　opinion　of　experience；　I　would　add　that　the　strain　of　continually　having　to　set　an　example　must　surely　be　very　great。　　It　is　much　easier；　and　often　more　pleasant；　to　be　a　warning　than　an　example；　and　governesses　are　but　women；　and　women　are　sometimes　foolish；　and　when　you　want　to　be　foolish　it　must　be　annoying　to　have　to　be　wise。

Minora　and　Irais　arrived　yesterday　together；　or　rather；　when　the　carriage　drove　up；　Irais　got　out　of　it　alone；　and　informed　me　that　there　was　a　strange　girl　on　a　bicycle　a　little　way　behind。　I　sent　back　the　carriage　to　pick　her　up；　for　it　was　dusk　and　the　roads　are　terrible。

〃But　why　do　you　have　strange　girls　here　at　all？〃　asked　Irais　rather　peevishly；　taking　off　her　hat　in　the　library　before　the　fire；　and　otherwise　making　herself　very　much　at　home；　〃I　don't　like　them。　I'm　not　sure　that　they're　not　worse　than　husbands　who　are　out　of　order。　Who　is　she？　　She　would　bicycle　from　the　station；　and　is；　I　am　sure；　the　first　woman　who　has　done　it。　　The　little　boys　threw　stones　at　her。〃

〃Oh；　my　dear；　that　only　shows　the　ignorance　of　the　little　boys。　Never　mind　her。　　Let　us　have　tea　in　peace　before　she　comes。〃　　　〃But　we　should　be　much　happier　without　her；〃　she　grumbled。　〃Weren't　we　happy　enough　in　the　summer；　Elizabethjust　you　and　I？　〃

〃Yes；　indeed　we　were；〃　I　answered　heartily；　putting　my　arms　round　her。　　The　flame　of　my　affection　for　Irais　burns　very　brightly　on　the　day　of　her　arrival；　besides；　this　time　I　have　prudently　provided　agains