（
霸道少爷的倔丫头）（
护花状元在现代）（
盛世女皇商）（
异界之召唤游戏）（
天才狂妃，废物三小姐）（
绝品高手）by nathaniel hawthorne
oright summer evening, two persons stood among the shrubberya garden, stealthily watchinoung girl, who satthe window seata neighborinthese unseen observers, a gentleman, was youthful, and hadairhigh breeding and refinement, anace marked with intellect, though otherwiseunprepossessin features wore evenominous, though somewhat mirthful expression, whilepointed his long forefingerthe girl, and seemedregard hera creature pletely within the scopehis influence.
“the charm works!” said he,a low, but emphatic whisper.
“do you know, edward hamilton, sinceyou choosebe named,you know,” said the lady beside him, “thaave almosindbreak the spellonce?whatthe lesson should prove too severe!true,my ward couldthus laughed outher fantastic nonsense, she mightthe better forthroug then, shesucelicate creature!and, besides, are you not ruining your own chance,putting forward this shadowa rival?
“but willnot vanish into thin air,my bidding?” rejoined edward hamilton.“let the charm work!”
the girl's slender and sylph like figure, tinged with radiance from the sunset clouds, and overhung with the rich draperythe silken curtains, and set within the deep framethe window, waerfect picture; or, rather,was like the original lovelinessa painter's fancy, from which the most finished picturebutimperfec her occupation excitedmuch interestthe two spectators, she was merely gazinga miniature which she heldher hand, encasedwhite satin and red morocco; nor did there appearbe any other cause for the smile ofbmockery and malice with which hamilton regarded her.
“the charm works!” muttered he, again.“our pretty sylvia's scorn will havear retribution!”
at this moment the girl raised her eyes, and, insteada life like semblancethe miniature, beheld the ill omened shapeedward hamilton, who now stepped forth from his concealmentthe shrubbery.
sylvia etherege wasorphan girl, who had spent her life, till withiew months past, under the guardianship, andthe secluded dwelling,an old bachelo yether cradle, she had been the destined bridea cousin, who wasless passivethe betrothal tha future union had been projected,the meansuniting two rich estates, and was rendered highly expedient,not indispensable,the testamentary dispositionsthe parentsbot vaughan, the promised bridegroom, had been bred from infancyeurope, and had never seen the beautiful girl whose heartwasclaimhi already, for several years,a correspondence had been keptbetween tine cousins, and had producedintellectual intimacy, thoughcould but imperfectly acquaint them with each other’s character.
sylvia was shy, sensitive, and fanciful; and her guardian's secluded habits had shut her out from evenmuchthe worldis generally openmaidenshe had been leftseek associates and friends for herselfthe hauntsimagination, andconverse with them, sometimesthe languagedead poets, oftenerthe poetryherpanion whom she chiefly summonedwas the cousin with whose idea her earliest thoughts had bee madisionedgar vaughan, and tintedwith stronger hues thaere fancy picture, yet gracedwithmany bright and delicate perfections, that her cousin could nowhere have encountereddangerouival.
to this shadow she cherisheomanti its airy presence sittingher side,gliding along her favorite paths, the lonelinessher young life was blissful; her heart was satisfied with love, while yet its virgin purity was untaintedthe earthliness that the toucha real lover would have lef vaughan seemedbe consciousher character; for,his letters,gave heame that was happily appropriatethe sensitivenessher disposition, the delicate peculiarityher manners, and the ethereal beauty bothher mindof sylvia,called her sylph, with the prerogativea cousin anover, his dear sylph etherege.
when sylvia was seventeen, her guardian died, and she passed under the care o, a ladywealth and fashion, and sylvia's nearest relative, thougistaninmate o's family, she still preserved somewhather life long habitsseclusion, and shrank frooo familiar intercourse with those aroun,too, she was faithfulher cousin,to the shadow which bore his name.
the time now drew near when edgar vaughan, whose education had been pletedan extensive rangetravel, wasrevisit the soilhi hamilton, a young gentleman, who had been vaughan's panion, bothhis studies and rambles, had already recrossed the atlantic, bringing letternd sylvi credentials insured himearnest wele, which, however,sylvia's part, was not followedpersonal partiality,even the regard that seemed dueher cousin's most intimat she herself could have assignedcause for her repugnance,it mightterme’s person,is true, was the reverseattractive, especially when beheld for the first time.
yet,the eyesthe most fastidious judges, the defectnatural grace was pensatedthe polishhis manners, andthe intellect whichoften gleamed through his dar, with whomimmediately becamrodigious favorite, exerted herselfovere sylvia',this matter, her ward could neitherreasoned withpresenceedward hamilton was surerender her cold, shy, and distant,abstracting all the vivacity from her deportment,iloud had e betwixt her and the sunshine.
the simplicitysylvia's demeanor renderedeasy forkeenobserverhamiltondetectany slight circumstance made him sensiblethem, a smile mightseenflit over the young man's sallo, that had once beheld this smile, wereany dangerfetting it; whenever they recalledmemory the featuresedward hamilton, they were always duskily illuminatedthis expressionmockery and malice.
iew weeks after hamilton's arrival,presentedsylvia ethereginiatureher cousin, which,he informed her, would have been delivered sooner, but was detained witortionhi was the miniaturethe contemplationwhichbeheld sylviaabsorbed,the mencementou,truth, was too often the habitthe shy and musin beautythe pictured countenance was almost too perfectrepresenuman creature, that had been borna fallen and world worn race, and had livedmanhood amid ordinary troubles and enjoyments, and must bee wrinkled with ageseemed too bright fohing formeddust, and doomedcrumble into dust again.
sylvia feared that suceing wouldtoo refined and delicatelovimple girl lik, even while her spirit drooped with that apprehension, the picture was but the masculine counterpartsylph etherege's sylphlik was that resemblance between her own face and the miniature whichsaid oftenexist between lovers whom heaven has destined for each other, and which,this instance, mightowingthe kindred bloodthefelt, indeed, that there was something familiarthe countenance,likriend did the eyes smile upon her, and seemimplnowledgehe could account for this impression onlysupposing that,someher day dreams, imagination had conjuredthe true similitudeher distant and unseen lover.
but now could sylvia givrighter semblancerealitythosethe miniatureher heart, she could summon forth, from that haunted cellpure and blissful fantasies, the life like shadow,roam with herthe moonlighnoontidesat with herthe arbor, when the sunshihrew its broken flakesgold into the clusterin effect upon her mind was hardly less powerful thanshe had actually listened to, and reciprocated, the vowsedgar vaughan; for, though the illusion never quite deceived her, yet the remembrance wasdistinctoemembered interview.
those heavenly eyes gazed forever into her soul, which drankthemaountain, and was disquietedreality threomentary clou heard the melodya voice breathing sentiments with which her own chimedlik, yet hapless girl thuscreate the being whom she loves,endow him with all the attributes that were most fascinatingher heart, and thenflit with the airy creature into the realmfantasy and moonlight, where dwelt his dreamy kindred!for her lover wiled sylvia away from earth, which seemed strange, and dull, and darksome, and lured hera country where her spirit roamedpeaceful rapture, deeming thathad found it,their youth, have visited that landdreams, and wanderedlongits enchanted groves, that, when banished thence, they feel like exiles everywhere.
the dark browed edward hamilton, like the villaina tale, would often glide through the romance wherein poor sylvia walked.
sometimes,the most blissful momenther ecstasy, when the featuresthe miniature were pictured brightestthe air, they would suddenly change, and darken,andtransformed into his visage.
and always, when such change occurred, the intrusive visage wore that peculiar smile with which hamilton had glancedsylvia.
before the closesummer,was told sylvia etherege that vaughan had arrived from france, and that she would meet him would meet, for the first time, the lovedyears that ver will not tell how often and how earnestly she gazed upon the miniature, thus endeavoringprepare herself for the approaching interview, lest the throbbingher timorous heart should stifle the wordhe twilight grew deeper and duskier, she sat witan inner apartment, lighted onlythe softened gleam fromalabaster lamp, which was burninga distancethe centre tablethe drawing room.
never before had sylph etherege lookedsylp had muned witreatureimagination, till her own loveliness seemed but the creationa delicate and dream vibrationher spirit was visibleher frame,she listenedthe rattlingwheels and the tramp upon the pavement, and deemed that even the breeze bore the soundher lover's footsteps,iftrode upon the viewles, too, while she watched the tremulous flowsylvia's feelings, was deeply moved; she looked uneasilythe agitated girl, and was aboutspeak, when the openingthe street door arrested the words upon her lips.
footsteps ascended the staircase, witonfident and familiar tread, and some one entered the drawin the sofa where they sat,the inner apartment, mrs. grosvenor and sylvia could not discern the visitor.
“sylph!” crieoice.“dearest sylph!where are you, sweet sylph etherege?hereyour edgar vaughan!”
but insteadanswering,risingmeet her lover, who had greeted herthe sweet and fanciful name, which, appropriateit washer character, was known onlyhim, sylvia graspe's arm, while her whole frame shook with the throbbingher heart.
“whoit?” gasped she.“who callssylph?”
befor could reply, the stranger entered the room, bearing the lamphi the sofa,displayedsylvia the featuresedward hamilton, illuminatedthat evil smile, from which his face derivedmarkedindividuality.
“is not the miniatureadmirable likeness?” inquired he.
sylvia shuddered, but had not powerturn away her white face fromminiature, which she had been holdingher hand, fell down upon the floor, where hamilton,vaughan, set his foot upon it, and crushed the ivory counterfeitfragments.
“there,sweetsylph,”exclaimed.“it wahat created your phantom lover, and nonnihilat dreamrudel, sylph etherege, awaketruth!ithe only edgar vaughan!”
“we have gooo far, edgar vaughan,” sai, catching sylviahe revengeful freak, which vaughan's wounded vanity had suggested, had been countenancedthis lady,the hopecuring sylviaher romantic notions, and reconciling herthe truths and realitieslife.“lookthe poor child!” she continued.“i protest! i tremble for the consequences!”
“indeed, madam!” replied vaughan, sneeringly,he threw the lightthe lampsylvia's closed eyes and marble features.“well,consciencut look into this delicate creature's heart; and with the pure fantasies thaound there, i made what seemean, and the delusive shadow has wiled her awayshadow land, and vanished there!itnoa sweet maid has shared the lotpoor sylph etherege!”
“and now, edgar vaughan,” sai,sylvia's heart began faintlythrob again, “now try,good earnest,win back her love from the phantom which you conjured up.if you succeed, she willthe better,her whole life long, for the lessonhave given her.”
whether the resultthe lesson corresponded wit's hopes, maygathered from the closing sceneou had been made knownthe fashionable world that edgar vaughan had returned from france, and, under the assumed nameedward hamilton, had won the affectionsthe lovely girlwhomhad been affiancedhi nuptials weretake placean earl evening, before the dayanticipated bliss arrived, edgar vaughan entere’s drawing room, wherefound that lady andsylph etherege.
“only that sylvia makesplaint,” remarke,should apprehend that the town airill suitedhe was always, indeed, a delicate creature; but now shea mer but lookher!did you ever imagine anythingfragile?”
vaughan was already attentively observing his mistress, who sata shadowy and moonlighted recessthe room, with her dreamy eyes fixed steadfastly uponbougha treewas waving before the window, and sometimes enveloped herthe gloomits shadow, into which she seemedvanish.
“yes,”said, t“i can scarcely deem herthe earth, wonder thaallshe will fade into the moonlight, which falls upon her through th,the open air,she might flit away upon the breeze, likreathmist!”
sylvia's eyes gre waved her hand toedgar vaughan, witestureethereal triumph.
“farewell!” shesaid.“i will neither fade into the moonlight, nor flit away uponyou cannot keephere!”
there was somethingin sylvia's look and tones that startle witerribl,she was rushing towards the girl, vaughan held her back.
“stay!” cried he, wittrange smilemockery and anguish.“can our sweet sylphbe goingheaven,seek the originalthe miniature?”
m.pi.co
(梨树文学http://www.lishu123.com)