Love Eternal

第41章

Hetooknoaccountofhisbitter,secretjealousyofthisgirl,who,ashethought,hadestrangedhissonfromhim,andpreventedhimfromcarryingouthischerishedplansofmakingofhimaclergymanlikehimself,orofhisinnatephysicalhatredofwomenwhichcausedhimtodesirethatGodfreyshouldremaincelibate。Thesemotives,althoughhewaswellawareofthem,hesetdownasnaught,beingquitesure,inviewofthegoodnessofhisaims,thattheywouldbeoverlookedorevencommendedbythePoweraboveWhomhepicturedinhismind’seyeasafuriousoldman,animatedchieflybyjealousyandadesiretowreakvengeanceonandtorturethehelpless。ForitisthelessonsoftheOldTestamentthatsinkmostdeeplyintothesoulsofMr。Knightandhiskind。

SirJohn’sendswerequitedifferent。Hewastheveryvulgarestofself-mademen,coarseandbrutalbynature,asensualistofthetypethatisuntouchedbyimagination;amanwhowouldcrushanyonewhostoodinhispathwithoutcompunction,justbecausethatpersondidstandinhispath。Buthewasextremelyshrewd——witnessthewayhesawthroughMr。Knight——andinhisownfashionveryable——witnesshissuccessinlife。

Moreover,sinceamanofhistypehasgenerallysomeobjectbeyondthemereacquiringofmoney,particularlyafterithasbeenacquired,hehadhis,torisehigh,forhewasveryambitious。Hisnaturaldiscernmentsetallhisownfailingsbeforehimintheclearestlight;

alsotheirconsequences。Heknewthathewasvulgarandbrutal,andthatasaresultallpersonsofrealgentilitylookeddownuponhim,howevermuchtheymightseemtocringebeforehismoneyandpower,yes,thoughtheychancedtobebutlabouringmen。

Forinstance,hiswifehaddoneso,whichwasoneofthereasonswhyhehatedher,asindeedhadallherdistinguishedrelatives,aftertheycametoknowhim,althoughhelentthemmoney。Heknewthatevenifhebecameapeer,ashefullyexpectedtodo,itwouldbethesamestory;outwarddeferenceandlipservice,butinwarddislikeandcontempt。Inshort,therewerelimitswhichhecouldneverhopetopass,andthereforesofarashewasconcerned,hisambitiousthirstmustremainunslaked。

ButhehadadaughterwhomNature,perhapsbecauseofhermother’sblood,hadsetinquiteadifferentclass。Shehadhisability,butshewasgentle-born,whichhewasnot,onewhocouldmixwithandbewelcomedbythehighestintheworld,andthiswithouttheslightestquestion。Ifnotbeautiful,shewasverydistinguished;shehadpresenceandwhattheFrenchcall“theair。“Further,shewouldbeoneoftherichestwomeninEngland。Consideredfromhispointofview,therefore,itwasbutnaturalthatheshoulddesirehertomakeabrilliantmarriageandfoundagreatfamily,whichhewouldthushaveoriginated——atanyrate,tosomeextent。Nightanddayhelongedthatthisshouldcomeabout,anditwasthereasonwhytheyoungLordMounteroywasvisitingHawk’sHall。

MounteroyhadmetIsobelatadinner-partyinLondontheotherdayandadmiredher。Hehadtoldanoldlady——akindofsocietytout——whohadrepeatedittoSirJohn,thathewishedtogetmarried,andthatIsobelBlakewasthesortofgirlhewouldliketomarry。Hewasaclev

这是VIP章节,可购买本章或开通会员后阅读
开通会员
字体大小
背景颜色