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the bedford-row conspiracy(百得福特娄阴谋)-第5章

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     〃She's a DEUCED fine woman!〃 burst out again the tender solicitor。 〃I 

WILL go。       Springer; tell the fiddlers to strike up。〃 

     Springer scuttled across the room; and gave the leader of the band a 

knowing nod。        Suddenly; 〃God save the King〃 ceased; and 〃Sir Roger de 

Coverley〃      began。      The     rival  forces    eyed   each    other;   Mr。    Scully; 

accompanied by his friend; came forward; looking very red; and fumbling 

two large kid gloves。 

     〃HE'S GOING TO ASK ME TO DANCE;〃 hissed out Lady Gorgon; 

with a dreadful intuition; and she drew back behind her lord。 

     〃D… it; madam; THEN DANCE with him!〃 said the General。                     〃Don't 

you see that the scoundrel is carrying it all his own way!             … him! and  

… him! and … him!〃       (All of which dashes the reader may fill up with 

oaths of such strength as may be requisite)。 

     〃General!〃   cried   Lady   Gorgon;   but   could   say   no   more。   Scully   was 

before her。 

     〃Madam!〃       exclaimed     the   Liberal   Member      for  Oldborough;      〃in   a 

moment       like  thisI   saythat   isthat   on   the  present    occasionyour 

Ladyshipunaccustomed as I ampooh; pshaWILL your Ladyship give 

me   the   distinguished   honour   and   pleasure   of   going   down   the   country… 

dance with your Ladyship?〃 

     An   immense   heave   of   her   Ladyship's   ample   chest   was   perceptible。 

Yards of blond lace; which might be compared to a foam of the sea; were 

agitated at the same moment; and by the same mighty emotion。 The river 

of   diamonds   which   flowed   round   her   Ladyship's   neck;   seemed   to   swell 

and   to   shine   more   than   ever。  The   tall   plumes   on   her   ambrosial   head 

bowed      down    beneath    the  storm。   In   other   words;    Lady   Gorgon;     in   a 

furious rage; which she was compelled to restrain; trembled; drew up; and 

bowing majestically; said; 

     〃Sir; I shall have much pleasure。〃          With this; she extended her hand。 



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                             THE BEDFORD…ROW CONSPIRACY 



Scully; trembling; thrust forward one of his huge kid…gloves; and led her to 

the   head   of   the   country…dance。      John   Perkinswho   I   presume   had   been 

drinking   pretty  freely;  so   as   to have   forgotten his   ordinary  bashfulness 

looked at the three Gorgons in blue; then at the pretty smiling one in white; 

and   stepping   up   to   her;   without   the   smallest   hesitation;   asked   her   if   she 

would dance with him。 

     The young lady smilingly agreed。                The great example of Scully and 

Lady   Gorgon   was   followed   by   all   dancing   men   and   women。             Political 

enmities were   forgotten。          Whig voters   invited Tory  voters'   wives to the 

dance。      The    daughters      of  Reform     accepted     the   hands    of   the  sons    of 

Conservatism。         The   reconciliation   of   the   Romans   and   Sabines   was   not 

more      touching     than    this   sweet     fusion。     Whackwhack!            Springer 

clapped   his   hands;   and   the   fiddlers   adroitly  obeying   the   cheerful   signal; 

began playing 〃Sir Roger de Coverley〃 louder than ever。 

     I   do   not   know     by   what    extraordinary      charm     (nescio    qua   praeter 

solitum; etc。); but young Perkins; who all his life had hated country…dances; 

was     delighted     with    this  one;    and   skipped     and    laughed;     poussetting; 

crossing; down…the…middling; with his merry little partner; till every one of 

the bettermost sort of the   thirty…nine couples had dropped panting   away; 

and till the youngest Miss Gorgon; coming up to his partner; said in a loud 

hissing   scornful   whisper;   〃Lucy;   Mamma   thinks   you   have   danced   quite 

enough   with   thisthis   person。〃       And   Lucy;   blushing;  starting   back;   and 

looking   at   Perkins   in   a   very   melancholy  way;   made   him  a   little   curtsey; 

and   went   off   to   the   Gorgonian   party   with   her   cousin。   Perkins   was   too 

frightened to lead her back to her placetoo frightened at first; and then 

too    angry。     〃Person!〃       said   he:    his    soul   swelled     with    a  desperate 

republicanism:        he went back to his patron more of a Radical than ever。 

     He found that gentleman in the solitary tea…room; pacing up and down 

before   the   observant   landlady   and   handmaidens   of   the   〃Gorgon   Arms;〃 

wiping   his   brows;   gnawing   his   fingershis   ears   looming   over   his   stiff 

white   shirt…collar   as   red   as   fire。 Once   more   the   great   man   seized   John 

Perkins's hand as the latter came up。 

     〃D… the aristocrats!〃 roared the ex…follower of Squaretoes。 

     〃And so say I! but what's the matter; sir?〃 



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                            THE BEDFORD…ROW CONSPIRACY 



     〃What's      the    matter?Why;       that    womanthat       infernal;    haughty; 

straitlaced;   cold…blooded   brewer's   daughter!          I   loved   that   woman;   sirI 

KISSED that woman; sir; twenty years ago:                 we were all but engaged; sir: 

we've   walked   for   hours   and   hours;   sirus   and   the   governessI've   got   a 

lock   of   her   hair;   sir;   among   my   papers   now;   and   to…night;   would   you 

believe it?as soon as she got to the bottom of the set; away she wentnot 

one word would she speak to me all the way down:                     and when I wanted 

to lead her to her place; and asked her if she would have a glass of negus; 

'Sir;' says she; 'I have done my duty; I bear no malice:               but I consider you 

a   traitor   to  Sir  George     Gorgon's     familya    traitor   and   an  upstart!    I 

consider your speaking to me as a piece of insolent vulgarity; and beg you 

will leave me to myself!'          There's her speech; sir。        Twenty people heard 

it; and all of her Tory set too。        I'll tell you what; Jack: at the next election 

I'll put YOU up。        Oh that woman! that woman!… …and to think that I love 

her   still!〃   Here   Mr。   Scully   paused;   and   fiercely   consoled       himself   by 

swallowing three cups of Mrs。 Rincer's green tea。 

     The fact is; that Lady Gorgon's passion had completely got the better 

of    her   reason。     Her     Ladyship      was    naturally    cold;    and    artificially 

extremely squeamish; and when this great red…faced enemy of hers looked 

tenderly   at   her   through   his   red   little   eyes;   and   squeezed   her   hand   and 

attempted to renew old acquaintance; she felt such an intolerable disgust at 

his triumph; at his familiarity; and at the remembrance of her own former 

liking    for  him;   that   she  gave    utterance    to  
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