The Birth of Venus

Then follows a silence. What a silence! We are all there - looking at her - her father, Larsan, Daddy Jacques and I. What were we all thinking of in the silence? After the events of that night, of the mystery of the inexplicable gallery, of the prodigious fact of the presence of the murderer in her room, it seemed to me that all our thoughts might have been translated into the words which were addressed to her. 'You who know of this mystery, explain it to us, and we shall perhaps be able to save you. How I longed to save her - for herself, and, from the other! - It brought the tears to my eyes.
"She is there, shedding about her the perfume of the lady in black. At last, I see her, in the silence of her chamber. Since the fatal hour of the mystery of The Yellow Room, we have hung about this invisible and silent woman to learn what she knows. Our desires, our wish to know must be a torment to her. Who can tell that, should we learn the secret of her mystery, it would not precipitate a ragedy more terrible than that which had already been enacted here? Who can tell if it might not mean her death? Yet it had brought her close to death, - and we still knew nothing. Or, rather, there are some of us who know nothing. But I - if I knew who, I should know all. Who? - Who? - Not knowing who, I must remain silent, out of pity for her. For there is no doubt that she knows how he escaped from The Yellow Room, and yet she keeps the secret. When I know who, I will speak to him - to him!"

The Birth of Venus

辽阳知府曾蕴上任以来，辽阳的匪患不绝，朝廷几次下令训斥。上次更是言词激烈，连‘尸餐素位’这样的词都用上了，曾蕴有心主动出击，但是副将刘屏东一再说兵力薄弱，一旦出兵恐怕被土匪劫了辽阳城。 曾蕴听了更是苦闷不已。
　　就在曾蕴苦恼烦闷的时候，赵刚率领平寇军到了辽阳府。曾蕴大喜，在最有名的摘星楼设宴款待了赵刚等人。知府曾蕴、副将刘屏东、黄师爷等一干人列席。
　　众人推盅换盏，觥筹交错，不知不觉已是日影西斜。摘星楼大厅中麝香叆叆，环佩叮当，侍女忙于进酒添菜，穿梭往来。 一时间宾主皆欢。
　　众人正吃得高兴的时候，一个兵勇慌张的跑过来，大声喊道：“不好了，土匪来攻城了。”
　　这句话将众人的心都提到了嗓子眼，曾蕴紧张地问报信的衙役：
　　“贼人来了多少，现在攻进城没有？”
　　那兵勇口齿十分伶俐：“土匪来了大约1千多人，在东城门摆好了架势要攻城，现在城门已经关上了，有几百个兄弟守住东城门。一时半会还能守得住。”

The Birth of Venus

detained. When she did understand it, however, and found herself expected to believe that she had created sensations which his heart had never known before, and that everything he had done for William was to be placed to the account of his excessive and unequalled attachment to her, she was exceedingly distressed, and for some moments unable to speak. She considered it all as nonsense, as mere trifling and gallantry, which meant only to deceive for the hour; she could not but feel that it was treating her improperly and unworthily, and in such a way as she had not deserved; but it was like himself, and entirely of a
piece with what she had seen before; and she would not allow herself to shew half the displeasure she felt, because he had been conferring an obligation, which no want of delicacy on his part could make a trifle to her. While her heart was still bounding with joy and gratitude on William's behalf, she could not be severely resentful of anything that injured only herself; and

The Birth of Venus

views. They were decided. He would marry Miss Crawford. It was a stab, in spite of every long-standing expectation; and she was obliged to repeat again and again, that she was one of his two dearest, before the words gave her any sensation. Could she believe Miss Crawford to deserve him, it would be--oh, how different would it be-- how far more tolerable! But he was deceived in her: he gave her merits which she had not; her faults were what they had ever been, but he saw them no longer. Till she had shed many tears over this deception,
Fanny could not subdue her agitation; and the dejection which followed could only be relieved by the influence of fervent prayers for his happiness. ¡¡¡¡ It was her intention, as she felt it to be her duty, to try to overcome all that was excessive, all that bordered on selfishness, in her affection for Edmund. To call or