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AMELIA
curiosity in me?” She then gave her the note, asking her if she
did not know the hand.
Mrs. Bennet appeared in the utmost surprize and confusion at this instant. Indeed, if Amelia had conceived but
the slightest suspicion before, the behaviour of the lady
would have been a suffi cient confi rmation to her of the truth.
She waited not, therefore, for an answer, which, indeed,
the other seemed in no haste to give, but conjured her in
the most earnest manner to explain to her the meaning of
so extraordinary an act of friendship; “for so,” said she, “I esteem it, being convinced you must have suffi cient reason for
the warning you have given me.”
Mrs. Bennet, after some hesitation, answered, “I need not,
I believe, tell you how much I am surprized at what you have
shewn me; and the chief reason of my surprize is, how you
came to discover my hand. Sure, madam, you have not shewn
it to Mrs. Ellison?”
Amelia declared she had not, but desired she would question her no farther. “What signifi es how I discovered it, since
your hand it certainly is?”
“I own it is,” cries Mrs. Bennet, recovering her spirits, “and
since you have not shewn it to that woman I am satisfi ed. I begin to guess now whence you might have your information;
but no matter; I wish I had never done anything of which
I ought to be more ashamed. No one can, I think, justly accuse
me of a crime on that account; and I thank Heaven my shame
will never be directed by the false opinion of the world. Perhaps it was wrong to shew my letter, but when I consider all
circumstances I can forgive it.”
391
HENRY FIELDING
“Since you have guessed the truth,” said Amelia, “I am not
obliged to deny it. She, indeed, shewed me your letter, but I am
sure you have not the least reason to be ashamed of it. On
the contrary, your behaviour on so melancholy an occasion
was highly praiseworthy; and your bearing up under such affl ictions as the loss of a husband in so dreadful a situation was
truly great and heroical.”
“So Mrs. Ellison then hath shewn you my letter?” cries Mrs.
Bennet eagerly.
“Why, did not you guess it yourself?” answered Amelia;
“otherwise I am sure I have betrayed my honour in mentioning it. I hope you have not drawn me inadvertently into any
breach of my promise. Did you not assert, and that with an absolute certainty, that you knew she had shewn me your letter,
and that you was not angry with her for so doing?”
“I am so confused,” replied Mrs. Bennet, “that I scarce know
what I say; yes, yes, I remember I did say so – I wish I had no
greater reason to be angry with her than that.”
“For Heaven’s sake,” cries Amelia, “do not delay my request
any longer; what you say now greatly increases my curiosity,
and my mind will be on the rack till you discover your whole
meaning; for I am more and more convinced that something of
the utmost importance was the purport of your message.”
“Of the utmost importance, indeed,” cries Mrs. Bennet; “at
least you will own my apprehensions were suffi ciently well
founded. O gracious Heaven! how happy shall I think myself if
I should have proved your preservation! I will, indeed, explain
my meaning; but, in order to disclose all my fears in their just
392
AMELIA
colours, I must unfold my whole history to you. Can you have
patience, madam, to listen to the story of the most unfortunate of women?”
Amelia assured her of the highest attention, and Mrs. Bennet soon after began to relate what is written in the seventh
book of this history.
END OF PART I
Литературно-художественное издание
Amelia I
Henry Fielding
Выпускающий редактор: И. Краснова
Редактор: П. Воронин
Корректор: И. Шаболова
Компьютерная верстка: Т. Серёгина
Художественное оформление: М. Соколова
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