少年维特之烦恼(英文版)-第5章

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through　the　forest，　upon　their　promising　to　sit　very　still　，　and　hold
fast。

　　We　were　hardly　seated　，　and　the　ladies　had　scarcely　exchanged　pliments，
making　the　usual　remarks　upon　each　other's　dress，　and　upon　the　pany
they　expected　to　meet　，　when　Charlotte　stopped　the　carriage，　and　made
her　brothers　get　down。　They　insisted　upon　kissing　her　hands　once　more
；　which　the　eldest　did　with　all　the　tenderness　of　a　youth　of　fifteen　，
but　the　other　in　a　lighter　and　more　careless　manner。　She　desired　them
again　to　give　her　love　to　the　children，　and　we　drove　off。

　　The　aunt　inquired　of　Charlotte　whether　she　had　finished　the　book　she
had　last　sent　her。　〃No，〃　said　Charlotte；　〃I　did　not　like　it　：　you　can
have　it　again。　And　the　one　before　was　not　much　better。〃　I　was　surprised，
upon　asking　the　title　，　to　hear　that　it　was　____。（We　feel　obliged　to
suppress　the　passage　in　the　letter，　to　prevent　any　one　from　feeling　aggrieved
；　although　no　author　need　pay　much　attention　to　the　opinion　of　a　mere
girl，　or　that　of　an　unsteady　young　man。）

　　I　found　penetration　and　character　in　everything　she　said：　every　expression
seemed　to　brighten　her　features　with　new　charms　，——with　new　rays　of
genius，——　which　unfolded　by　degrees，　as　she　felt　herself　understood。

　　〃When　I　was　younger　，〃　she　observed，　〃I　loved　nothing　so　much　as
romances。　Nothing　could　equal　my　delight　when　，　on　some　holiday，　I　could
settle　down　quietly　in　a　corner　，　and　enter　with　my　whole　heart　and　soul
into　the　joys　or　sorrows　of　some　fictitious　Leonora。　I　do　not　deny　that
they　even　possess　some　charms　for　me　yet。　But　I　read　so　seldom，　that
I　prefer　books　suited　exactly　to　my　taste。　And　I　like　those　authors　best
whose　scenes　describe　my　own　situation　in　life，——　and　the　friends　who
are　about　me，　whose　stories　touch　me　with　interest　，　from　resembling
my　own　homely　existence　，——　which，　without　being　absolutely　paradise，
is，　on　the　whole　，　a　source　of　indescribable　happiness。〃

　　I　endeavoured　to　conceal　the　emotion　which　these　words　occasioned　，
but　it　was　of　slight　avail；　for，　when　she　had　expressed　so　truly　her
opinion　of　〃The　Vicar　of　Wakefield，〃　and　of　other　works，　the　names　of
which　I　omit（Though　the　names　are　omitted，　yet　the　authors　mentioned
deserve　Charlotte's　approbation　，　and　will　feel　it　in　their　hearts　when
they　read　this　passage。　It　concerns　no　other　person。），　I　could　no　longer
contain　myself，　but　gave　full　utterance　to　what　I　thought　of　it：　and
it　was　not　until　Charlotte　had　addressed　herself　to　the　two　other　ladies，
that　I　remembered　their　presence，　and　observed　them　sitting　mute　with
astonishment。　The　aunt　looked　at　me　several　times　with　an　air　of　raillery，
which　，　however，　I　did　not　at　all　mind。

　　We　talked　of　the　pleasures　of　dancing。　〃If　it　is　a　fault　to　love　it
，〃　said　Charlotte　，　〃I　am　ready　to　confess　that　I　prize　it　above　all
other　amusements。　If　anything　disturbs　me　，　I　go　to　the　piano，　play
an　air　to　which　I　have　danced　，　and　all　goes　right　again　directly。〃

　　You　，　who　know　me，　can　fancy　how　steadfastly　I　gazed　upon　her　rich
dark　eyes　during　these　remarks，　how　my　very　soul　gloated　over　her　warm
lips　and　fresh，　glowing　cheeks　，　how　I　became　quite　lost　in　the　delightful
meaning　of　her　words，　so　much　so　，　that　I　scarcely　heard　the　actual
expressions。　In　short　，　I　alighted　from　the　carriage　like　a　person　in
a　dream　，　and　was　so　lost　to　the　dim　world　around　me　，　that　I　scarcely
heard　the　music　which　resounded　from　the　illuminated　ballroom。

　　The　two　Messrs。　Andran　and　a　certain　N。　N。（I　cannot　trouble　myself
with　the　names），　who　were　the　aunt's　and　Charlotte's　partners　，　received
us　at　the　carriage…door　，　and　took　possession　of　their　ladies，　whilst
I　followed　with　mine。

　　We　menced　with　a　minuet。　I　led　out　one　lady　after　another，　and
precisely　those　who　were　the　most　disagreeable　could　not　bring　themselves
to　leave　off。　Charlotte　and　her　partner　began　an　English　country　dance，
and　you　must　imagine　my　delight　when　it　was　their　turn　to　dance　the　figure
with　us。　You　should　see　Charlotte　dance。　She　dances　with　her　whole　heart
and　soul：　her　figure　is　all　harmony，　elegance　，　and　grace，　as　if　she
were　conscious　of　nothing　else，　and　had　no　other　thought　or　feeling；
and　，　doubtless，　for　the　moment　，　every　other　sensation　is　extinct。

　　She　was　engaged　for　the　second　country　dance，　but　promised　me　the
third　，　and　assured　me　，　with　the　most　agreeable　freedom，　that　she
was　very　fond　of　waltzing。　〃It　is　the　custom　here　，〃　she　said，　〃for
the　previous　partners　to　waltz　together　；　but　my　partner　is　an　indifferent
waltzer　，　and　will　feel　delighted　if　I　save　him　the　trouble。　Your　partner
is　not　allowed　to　waltz　，　and，　indeed　，　is　equally　incapable　：　but
I　observed　during　the　country　dance　that　you　waltz　well　；　so　，　if　you
will　waltz　with　me，　I　beg　you　would　propose　it　to　my　partner　，　and　I
will　propose　it　to　yours。〃　We　agreed，　and　it　was　arranged　that　our　partners
should　mutually　entertain　each　other。

　　We　set　off，　and，　at　first　，　delighted　ourselves　with　the　usual
graceful　motions　of　the　arms。　With　what　grace　，　with　what　ease　，　she
moved　！　When　the　waltz　menced　，　and　the　dancers　whirled　around　each
other　in　the　giddy　maze　，　there　was　some　confusion　，　owing　to　the　incapacity
of　some　of　the　dancers。　We　judiciously　remained　still　，　allowing　the
others　to　weary　themselves；　and，　when　the　awkward　dancers　had　withdrawn，
we　joined　in，　and　kept　it　up　famously　together　with　one　other　couple　，
——　Andran　and　his　partner。　Never　did　I　dance　more　lightly。　I　felt　myself
more　than　mortal，　holding　this　loveliest　of　creatures　in　my　arms　，　flying，
with　her　as　rapidly　as　the　wind　，　till　I　lost　sight　of　every　other　object
；　and　O　Wilhelm，　I　vowed　at　that　moment　，　that　a　maiden　whom　I　loved，
or　for　whom　I　felt　the　slightest　attachment　，　never，　never　should　waltz
with　any　one　else　but　with　me　，　if　I　went　to　perdition　for　it！——　you
will　understand　this。

　　We　took　a　few　turns　in　the　room　to　recover　our　breath。　Charlotte　sat
down，　and　felt　refreshed　by　partaking　of　some　oranges　which　I　had　had
secured　，——　the　only　ones　that　had　been　left　；　but　at　every　slice
which　，　from　politeness，　she　offered　to　her　neighbours，　I　felt　as　though
a　dagger　went　through　my　heart。

　　We　were　the　second　couple　in　the　third　country　dance。　As　we　were　going
down（and　Heaven　knows　with　what　ecstasy　I　gazed　at　her　arms　and　eyes　，
beaming　with　the　sweetest　feeling　of　pure　and　genuine　enjoyment　），　we
passed　a　lady　whom　I　had　noticed　for　her　charming　expression　of　countenance
；　although　she　was　no　longer　young。　She　looked　at　Charlotte　with　a　smile，
then，　holding　up　her　finger　in　a　threatening　attitude，　repeated　twice
in　a　very　significant　tone　of　voice　the　name　of　〃Albert。〃

　　〃Who　is　Albert，〃　said　I　to　Charlotte　，　〃if　it　is　not　impertinent
to　ask？〃　She　was　about　to　answer　，　when　we　were　obliged　to　separate　，
in　order　to　execute　a　figure　in　the　dance　；　and，　as　we　crossed　over
again　in　front　of　each　other，　I　perceived　she　looked　somewhat　pensive。
〃Why　need　I　conceal　it　from　you　？〃　she　said，　as　she　gave　me　her　hand
for　the　promenade。　〃Albert　is　a　worthy　man，　to　whom　I　am　engaged。〃　Now，
there　was　nothing　new　to　me　in　this　（for　the　girls　had　told　me　of　it
on　the　way）；　but　it　was　so　far　new　that　I　had　not　thought　of　it　in　connection
with　her　whom　，　in　so　short　a　time　，　I　had　learned　to　prize　so　highly。
Enough，　I　became　confused，　got　out　in　the　figure，　and　occasioned　general
confusion　；　so　that　it　required　all　Charlotte's　presence　of　mind　to　set
me　right　by　pulling　and　pushing　me　into　my　proper　place。

　　The　dance　was　not　yet　finished　when　the　lightning　which　had　for　some
time　been　seen　in　the　horizon　，　and　which　I　had　asserted　to　proceed　entirely
from　heat　，　grew　more　violent；　and　the　thunder　was　heard　above　the　music。
When　any　distress　or　terror　surprises　us　in　the　midst　of　our　amusements，
it　naturally　makes　a　deeper　impression　than　at　other　times，　either　because
the　contrast　makes　us　more　keenly　susceptible　，　or　r