📝 您未登录，登录后完成练习可保存成绩、查看最佳记录。
总字符
0
正确字符
0
错误字符
0
错误率
0.00%
耗时(秒)
0
速度 WPM
0
0 / 63
1When the ladies returned to the drawing-room after dinner, Emma found it hardly possible to prevent their making two
2distinct parties;--with so much perseverance in judging and behaving ill did Mrs. Elton engross Jane Fairfax and slight
3herself. She and Mrs. Weston were obliged to be almost always either talking together or silent together. Mrs. Elton
4left them no choice. If Jane repressed her for a little time, she soon began again; and though much that passed between
5them was in a half-whisper, especially on Mrs. Elton's side, there was no avoiding a knowledge of their principal
6subjects: The post-office--catching cold--fetching letters--and friendship, were long under discussion; and to them
7succeeded one, which must be at least equally unpleasant to Jane--inquiries whether she had yet heard of any situation
8likely to suit her, and professions of Mrs. Elton's meditated activity. "Here is April come!" said she, "I get quite
9anxious about you. June will soon be here." "But I have never fixed on June or any other month--merely looked forward to
10the summer in general." "But have you really heard of nothing?" "I have not even made any inquiry; I do not wish to make
11any yet." "Oh! my dear, we cannot begin too early; you are not aware of the difficulty of procuring exactly the
12desirable thing." "I not aware!" said Jane, shaking her head; "dear Mrs. Elton, who can have thought of it as I have
13done?" "But you have not seen so much of the world as I have. You do not know how many candidates there always are for
14the first situations. I saw a vast deal of that in the neighbourhood round Maple Grove. A cousin of Mr. Suckling, Mrs.
15Bragge, had such an infinity of applications; every body was anxious to be in her family, for she moves in the first
16circle. Wax-candles in the schoolroom! You may imagine how desirable! Of all houses in the kingdom Mrs. Bragge's is the
17one I would most wish to see you in." "Colonel and Mrs. Campbell are to be in town again by midsummer," said Jane. "I
18must spend some time with them; I am sure they will want it;--afterwards I may probably be glad to dispose of myself.
19But I would not wish you to take the trouble of making any inquiries at present." "Trouble! aye, I know your scruples.
20You are afraid of giving me trouble; but I assure you, my dear Jane, the Campbells can hardly be more interested about
21you than I am. I shall write to Mrs. Partridge in a day or two, and shall give her a strict charge to be on the look-out
22for any thing eligible." "Thank you, but I would rather you did not mention the subject to her; till the time draws
23nearer, I do not wish to be giving any body trouble." "But, my dear child, the time is drawing near; here is April, and
24June, or say even July, is very near, with such business to accomplish before us. Your inexperience really amuses me! A
25situation such as you deserve, and your friends would require for you, is no everyday occurrence, is not obtained at a
26moment's notice; indeed, indeed, we must begin inquiring directly." "Excuse me, ma'am, but this is by no means my
27intention; I make no inquiry myself, and should be sorry to have any made by my friends. When I am quite determined as
28to the time, I am not at all afraid of being long unemployed. There are places in town, offices, where inquiry would
29soon produce something--Offices for the sale--not quite of human flesh--but of human intellect." "Oh! my dear, human
30flesh! You quite shock me; if you mean a fling at the slave-trade, I assure you Mr. Suckling was always rather a friend
31to the abolition." "I did not mean, I was not thinking of the slave-trade," replied Jane; "governess-trade, I assure
32you, was all that I had in view; widely different certainly as to the guilt of those who carry it on; but as to the
33greater misery of the victims, I do not know where it lies. But I only mean to say that there are advertising offices,
34and that by applying to them I should have no doubt of very soon meeting with something that would do." "Something that
35would do!" repeated Mrs. Elton. "Aye, that may suit your humble ideas of yourself;--I know what a modest creature you
36are; but it will not satisfy your friends to have you taking up with any thing that may offer, any inferior, commonplace
37situation, in a family not moving in a certain circle, or able to command the elegancies of life." "You are very
38obliging; but as to all that, I am very indifferent; it would be no object to me to be with the rich; my mortifications,
39I think, would only be the greater; I should suffer more from comparison. A gentleman's family is all that I should
40condition for." "I know you, I know you; you would take up with any thing; but I shall be a little more nice, and I am
41sure the good Campbells will be quite on my side; with your superior talents, you have a right to move in the first
42circle. Your musical knowledge alone would entitle you to name your own terms, have as many rooms as you like, and mix
43in the family as much as you chose;--that is--I do not know--if you knew the harp, you might do all that, I am very
44sure; but you sing as well as play;--yes, I really believe you might, even without the harp, stipulate for what you
45chose;--and you must and shall be delightfully, honourably and comfortably settled before the Campbells or I have any
46rest." "You may well class the delight, the honour, and the comfort of such a situation together," said Jane, "they are
47pretty sure to be equal; however, I am very serious in not wishing any thing to be attempted at present for me. I am
48exceedingly obliged to you, Mrs. Elton, I am obliged to any body who feels for me, but I am quite serious in wishing
49nothing to be done till the summer. For two or three months longer I shall remain where I am, and as I am." "And I am
50quite serious too, I assure you," replied Mrs. Elton gaily, "in resolving to be always on the watch, and employing my
51friends to watch also, that nothing really unexceptionable may pass us." In this style she ran on; never thoroughly
52stopped by any thing till Mr. Woodhouse came into the room; her vanity had then a change of object, and Emma heard her
53saying in the same half-whisper to Jane, "Here comes this dear old beau of mine, I protest!--Only think of his gallantry
54in coming away before the other men!--what a dear creature he is;--I assure you I like him excessively. I admire all
55that quaint, old-fashioned politeness; it is much more to my taste than modern ease; modern ease often disgusts me. But
56this good old Mr. Woodhouse, I wish you had heard his gallant speeches to me at dinner. Oh! I assure you I began to
57think my cara sposo would be absolutely jealous. I fancy I am rather a favourite; he took notice of my gown. How do you
58like it?--Selina's choice--handsome, I think, but I do not know whether it is not over-trimmed; I have the greatest
59dislike to the idea of being over-trimmed--quite a horror of finery. I must put on a few ornaments now, because it is
60expected of me. A bride, you know, must appear like a bride, but my natural taste is all for simplicity; a simple style
61of dress is so infinitely preferable to finery. But I am quite in the minority, I believe; few people seem to value
62simplicity of dress,--show and finery are every thing. I have some notion of putting such a trimming as this to my white
63and silver poplin. Do you think it will look well?"
🎉 全部完成！共 63 行