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.Hitherto, thoughand, as I ascended the stairs and passed the drawing-room I saw the old lady had her defects (of which one was a prone-door, I had the satisfaction of hearing the old lady declaiming ness to proclaim her perfections), I had always been wishfulaloud to her daughter-in-law to this effect (for I could only to excuse them, and to give her credit for all the virtues shedistinguish the most emphatic words) - professed, and even imagine others yet untold.Kindness, which Gracious heavens! never in all my life ! get their had been the food of my life through so many years, haddeath as sure as ! Do you think, my dear, she s a PROPER lately been so entirely denied me, that I welcomed with gratefulPERSON? Take my word for it  joy the slightest semblance of it.No wonder, then, that myI heard no more; but that sufficed.heart warmed to the old lady, and always gladdened at herThe senior Mrs.Bloomfield had been very attentive and approach and regretted her departure.civil to me; and till now I had thought her a nice, kind-hearted, But now, the few words luckily or unluckily heard in pass-chatty old body.She would often come to me and talk in a ing had wholly revolutionized my ideas respecting her: nowconfidential strain; nodding and shaking her head, and ges- I looked upon her as hypocritical and insincere, a flatterer,ticulating with hands and eyes, as a certain class of old ladies and a spy upon my words and deeds.Doubtless it would haveare won t to do; though I never knew one that carried the been my interest still to meet her with the same cheerful smilepeculiarity to so great an extent.She would even sympathise and tone of respectful cordiality as before; but I could not, ifwith me for the trouble I had with the children, and express I would: my manner altered with my feelings, and became soat times, by half sentences, interspersed with nods and know- cold and shy that she could not fail to notice it.She soon diding winks, her sense of the injudicious conduct of their mamma notice it, and HER manner altered too: the familiar nod wasin so restricting my power, and neglecting to support me with changed to a stiff bow, the gracious smile gave place to a glareher authority.Such a mode of testifying disapprobation was of Gorgon ferocity; her vivacious loquacity was entirely trans-ContentsPurchase the entire Coradella Collegiate Bookshelf on CD atAnne Bronte.Agnes Grey.http://collegebookshelf.net52 53ferred from me to  the darling boy and girls, whom she flat- her large head in high good- humour with herself at leasttered and indulged more absurdly than ever their mother had and left me hoping that, after all, she was rather weak thandone.wicked.I confess I was somewhat troubled at this change: I feared At her next visit to Wellwood House, I went so far as tothe consequences of her displeasure, and even made some ef- say I was glad to see her looking so well.The effect of this wasforts to recover the ground I had lost and with better ap- magical: the words, intended as a mark of civility, were re-parent success than I could have anticipated.At one time, I, ceived as a flattering compliment; her countenance bright-merely in common civility, asked after her cough; immedi- ened up, and from that moment she became as gracious andately her long visage relaxed into a smile, and she favoured me benign as heart could wish in outward semblance at least.with a particular history of that and her other infirmities, From what I now saw of her, and what I heard from the chil-followed by an account of her pious resignation, delivered in dren, I know that, in order to gain her cordial friendship, Ithe usual emphatic, declamatory style, which no writing can had but to utter a word of flattery at each convenient oppor-portray.tunity: but this was against my principles; and for lack of But there s one remedy for all, my dear, and that s resig- this, the capricious old dame soon deprived me of her favournation (a toss of the head),  resignation to the will of heaven! again, and I believe did me much secret injury.(an uplifting of the hands and eyes). It has always supported She could not greatly influence her daughter-in-law againstme through all my trials, and always will do (a succession of me, because, between that lady and herself there was a mu-nods). But then, it isn t everybody that can say that (a shake tual dislike chiefly shown by her in secret detractions andof the head);  but I m one of the pious ones, Miss Grey! (a calumniations; by the other, in an excess of frigid formality invery significant nod and toss). And, thank heaven, I always her demeanour; and no fawning flattery of the elder couldwas (another nod),  and I glory in it! (an emphatic clasping thaw away the wall of ice which the younger interposed be-of the hands and shaking of the head).And with several texts tween them.But with her son, the old lady had better suc-of Scripture, misquoted or misapplied, and religious excla- cess: he would listen to all she had to say, provided she couldmations so redolent of the ludicrous in the style of delivery soothe his fretful temper, and refrain from irritating him byand manner of bringing in, if not in the expressions them- her own asperities; and I have reason to believe that she con-selves, that I decline repeating them, she withdrew; tossing siderably strengthened his prejudice against me.She wouldContentsPurchase the entire Coradella Collegiate Bookshelf on CD atAnne Bronte.Agnes Grey.http://collegebookshelf.net54 55tell him that I shamefully neglected the children, and even amusement especially when visitors were in the house; andhis wife did not attend to them as she ought; and that he their mother, though she bid me keep them in the school-must look after them himself, or they would all go to ruin.room, would never chide them for leaving it, or trouble her-Thus urged, he would frequently give himself the trouble self to send them back.But this day they appeared satisfiedof watching them from the windows during their play; at with, their present abode, and what is more wonderful still,times, he would follow them through the grounds, and too seemed disposed to play together without depending on meoften came suddenly upon them while they were dabbling in for amusement, and without quarrelling with each other [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]