波波小说

第16部分（第1页）

bonny　Nell！　　A　fine　young　creature　like　that；　who　has　been　brought　up　in　the　mine；　is　just　the　very　wife　for　a　miner。　She　is　an　orphan……so　am　I；　and　if　you　dont　care　much　for　her；　and　if　she　will　have　me……〃

Harry　looked　gravely　at　Jack；　and　let　him　talk　on　without　trying　to　stop　him。　　〃Dont　you　begin　to　feel　jealous；　Harry？〃　asked　Jack　in　a　more　serious　tone。

〃Not　at　all；〃　answered　Harry　quietly。

〃But　if　you　dont　marry　Nell　yourself；　you　surely　cant　expect　her　to　remain　a　spinster？〃

〃I　expect　nothing；〃　said　Harry。

A　movement　of　the　ladder　machinery　now　gave　the　two　friends　the　opportunity……one　to　go　up；　the　other　down　the　shaft。　However；　they　remained　where　they　were。

〃Harry；〃　quoth　Jack；　〃do　you　think　I　spoke　in　earnest　just　now　about　Nell？〃

〃No；　that　I　dont；　Jack。〃

〃Well；　but　now　I　will！〃

〃You？　speak　in　earnest？〃

〃My　good　fellow；　I　can　tell　you　I　am　quite　capable　of　giving　a　friend　a　bit　of　advice。〃

〃Lets　hear；　then；　Jack！〃

〃Well；　look　here！　　You　love　Nell　as　heartily　as　she　deserves。　Old　Simon；　your　father；　and　old　Madge；　your　mother；　both　love　her　as　if　she　were　their　daughter。　　Why　dont　you　make　her　so　in　reality？　Why　dont　you　marry　her？〃

〃e；　Jack；〃　said　Harry；　〃you　are　running　on　as　if　you　knew　how　Nell　felt　on　the　subject。〃

〃Everybody　knows　that；〃　replied　Jack；　〃and　therefore　it　is　impossible　to　make　you　jealous　of　any　of　us。　　But　here　goes　the　ladder　again……Im　off！〃

〃Stop　a　minute；　Jack！〃　cried　Harry；　detaining　his　panion；　who　was　stepping　onto　the　moving　staircase。

〃I　say！　you　seem　to　mean　me　to　take　up　my　quarters　here　altogether！〃

〃Do　be　serious　and　listen；　Jack！　　I　want　to　speak　in　earnest　myself　now。〃

〃Well；　Ill　listen　till　the　ladder　moves　again；　not　a　minute　longer。〃

〃Jack；〃　resumed　Harry；　〃I　need　not　pretend　that　I　do　not　love　Nell；　I　wish　above　all　things　to　make　her　my　wife。〃

〃Thats　all　right！〃

〃But　for　the　present　I　have　scruples　of　conscience　as　to　asking　her　to　make　me　a　promise　which　would　be　irrevocable。〃

〃What　can　you　mean；　Harry？〃

〃I　mean　just　this……that；　it　being　certain　Nell　has　never　been　outside　this　coal　mine　in　the　very　depths　of　which　she　was　born；　it　stands　to　reason　that　she　knows　nothing；　and　can　prehend　nothing　of　what　exists　beyond　it。　Her　eyes……yes；　and　perhaps　also　her　heart……have　everything　yet　to　learn。　　Who　can　tell　what　her　thoughts　will　be；　when　perfectly　new　impressions　shall　be　made　upon　her　mind？　As　yet　she　knows　nothing　of　the　world；　and　to　me　it　would　seem　like　deceiving　her；　if　I　led　her　to　decide　in　ignorance；　upon　choosing　to　remain　all　her　life　in　the　coal　mine。　Do　you　understand　me；　Jack？〃

〃Hem！……yes……pretty　well。　　What　I　understand　best　is　that　you　are　going　to　make　me　miss　another　turn　of　the　ladder。〃

〃Jack；〃　replied　Harry　gravely；　〃if　this　machinery　were　to　stop　altogether；　if　this　landing…place　were　to　fall　beneath　our　feet；　you　must　and　shall　hear　what　I　have　to　say。〃

〃Well　done；　Harry！　thats　how　I　like　to　be　spoken　to！　Lets　settle；　then；　that；　before　you　marry　Nell；　she　shall　go　to　school　in　Auld　Reekie。〃

〃No　indeed；　Jack；　I　am　perfectly　able　myself　to　educate　the　person　who　is　to　be　my　wife。〃

〃Sure　that　will　be　a　great　deal　better；　Harry！〃

〃But；　first　of　all；〃　resumed　Harry；　〃I　wish　that　Nell　should　gain　a　real　knowledge　of　the　upper　world。　　To　illustrate　my　meaning；　Jack；　suppose　you　were　in　love　with　a　blind　girl；　and　someone　said　to　you；　In　a　months　time　her　sight　will　be　restored；　would　you　not　wait　till　after　she　was　cured；　to　marry　her？〃

〃Faith；　to　be　sure　I　would！〃　exclaimed　Jack。

〃Well；　Jack；　Nell　is　at　present　blind；　and　before　she　marries　me；　I　wish　her　to　see　what　I　am；　and　what　the　life　really　is　to　which　she　would　bind　herself。　　In　short；　she　must　have　daylight　let　in　upon　the　subject！〃

〃Well　said；　Harry！　　Very　well　said　indeed！〃　cried　Jack。　　〃Now　I　see　what　you　are　driving　at。　　And　when　may　we　expect　the　operation　to　e　off？〃

https://www.du8.org https://www.shuhuangxs.com www.baquge.cc

abxsw.net dingdianshu.com bxwx9.net

kenshu.tw pashuba.com quanshu.la

tlxsw.cc qudushu.net zaidudu.org

duyidu.org baquge.cc kenshuge.cc

qushumi.com xepzw.com 3dllc.net