You are here invited to read the story of an Event which occurred in an out-of-the-way corner of England, some years since.
The persons principally concerned in the Event are:— a blind girl; two (twin) brothers; a skilled surgeon; and a curious foreign woman. I am the curious foreign woman. And I take it on myself — for reasons which will presently appear — to tell the story.
So far we understand each other. Good. I may make myself known to you as briefly1 as I can.
I am Madame Pratolungo — widow of that celebrated2 South American patriot3, Doctor Pratolungo. I am French by birth. Before I married the Doctor, I went through many vicissitudes4 in my own country. They ended in leaving me (at an age which is of no consequence to anybody) with some experience of the world; with a cultivated musical talent on the pianoforte; and with a comfortable little fortune unexpectedly bequeathed to me by a relative of my dear dead mother (which fortune I shared with good Papa and with my younger sisters). To these qualifications I added another, the most precious of all, when I married the Doctor; namely — a strong infusion5 of ultra-liberal principles. Vive la République!
Some people do one thing, and some do another, in the way of celebrating the event of their marriage. Having become man and wife, Doctor Pratolungo and I took ship to Central America — and devoted6 our honey-moon, in those disturbed districts, to the sacred duty of destroying tyrants7.
Ah! the vital air of my noble husband was the air of revolutions. From his youth upwards8 he had followed the glorious profession of Patriot. Wherever the people of the Southern New World rose and declared their independence — and, in my time, that fervent9 population did nothing else — there was the Doctor self-devoted on the altar of his adopted country. He had been fifteen times exiled, and condemned10 to death in his absence, when I met with him in Paris — the picture of heroic poverty, with a brown complexion11 and one lame12 leg. Who could avoid falling in love with such a man? I was proud when he proposed to devote me on the altar of his adopted country, as well as himself — me, and my money. For, alas13! everything is expensive in this world; including the destruction of tyrants and the saving of Freedom. All my money went in helping14 the sacred cause of the people. Dictators and filibusters15 flourished in spite of us. Before we had been a year married, the Doctor had to fly (for the sixteenth time) to escape being tried for his life. My husband condemned to death in his absence; and I with my pockets empty. This is how the Republic rewarded us. And yet, I love the Republic. Ah, you monarchy-people, sitting fat and contented16 under tyrants, respect that!
This time, we took refuge in England. The affairs of Central America went on without us.
I thought of giving lessons in music. But my glorious husband could not spare me away from him. I suppose we should have starved, and made a sad little paragraph in the English newspapers — if the end had not come in another way. My poor Pratolungo was in truth worn out. He sank under his sixteenth exile. I was left a widow — with nothing but the inheritance of my husband’s noble sentiments to console me.
I went back for awhile to good Papa and my sisters in Paris. But it was not in my nature to remain and be a burden on them at home. I returned again to London, with recommendations: and encountered inconceivable disasters in the effort to earn a living honorably. Of all the wealth about me — the prodigal17, insolent18, ostentatious wealth — none fell to my share. What right has anybody to be rich? I defy you, whoever you may be, to prove that anybody has a right to be rich.
Without dwelling19 on my disasters, let it be enough to say that I got up one morning, with three pounds, seven shillings, and fourpence in my purse; with my fervid20 temper, and my republican principles — and with absolutely nothing in prospect21, that is to say with not a halfpenny more to come to me, unless I could earn it for myself.
In this sad case, what does an honest woman who is bent22 on winning her own independence by her own work, do? She takes three and sixpence out of her little humble23 store; and she advertises herself in a newspaper.
One always advertises the best side of oneself. (Ah, poor humanity!) My best side was my musical side. In the days of my vicissitudes (before my marriage) I had at one time had a share in a millinery establishment in Lyons. At another time, I had been bedchamber-woman to a great lady in Paris. But in my present situation, these sides of myself were, for various reasons, not so presentable as the pianoforte side. I was not a great player — far from it. But I had been soundly instructed; and I had, what you call, a competent skill on the instrument. Brief, I made the best of myself, I promise you, in my advertisement.
The next day, I borrowed the newspaper, to enjoy the pride of seeing my composition in print.
Ah, heaven! what did I discover? I discovered what other wretched advertising24 people have found out before me. Above my own advertisement, the very thing I wanted was advertised for by somebody else! Look in any newspaper; and you will see strangers who (if I may so express myself) exactly fit each other, advertising for each other, without knowing it. I had advertised myself as “accomplished25 musical companion for a lady. With cheerful temper to match.” And there above me was my unknown necessitous fellow-creature, crying out in printers’ types:—“Wanted, a companion for a lady. Must be an accomplished musician, and have a cheerful temper. Testimonials to capacity, and first-rate references required.” Exactly what I had offered! “Apply by letter only, in the first instance.” Exactly what I had said! Fie upon me, I had spent three and sixpence for nothing. I threw down the newspaper, in a transport of anger (like a fool)— and then took it up again (like a sensible woman), and applied26 by letter for the offered place.
My letter brought me into contact with a lawyer. The lawyer enveloped27 himself in mystery. It seemed to be a professional habit with him to tell nobody anything, if he could possibly help it.
drop by drop, this wearisome man let the circumstances out. The lady was a young lady. She was the daughter of a clergyman. She lived in a retired28 part of the country. More even than that, she lived in a retired part of the house. Her father had married a second time. Having only the young lady as child by his first marriage, he had (I suppose by way of a change) a large family by his second marriage. Circumstances rendered it necessary for the young lady to live as much apart as she could from the tumult29 of a houseful of children. So he went on, until there was no keeping it in any longer — and then he let it out. The young lady was blind!
Young — lonely — blind. I had a sudden inspiration. I felt I should love her.
The question of my musical capacity was, in this sad case, a serious one. The poor young lady had one great pleasure to illumine her dark life — Music. Her companion was wanted to play from the book, and play worthily30, the works of the great masters (whom this young creature adored)— and she, listening, would take her place next at the piano, and reproduce the music morsel31 by morsel, by ear. A professor was appointed to pronounce sentence on me, and declare if I could be trusted not to misinterpret Mozart, Beethoven, and the other masters who have written for the piano. Through this ordeal32 I passed with success. As for my references, they spoke33 for themselves. Not even the lawyer (though he tried hard) could pick holes in them. It was arranged on both sides that I should, in the first instance, go on a month’s visit to the young lady. If we both wished it at the end of the time, I was to stay, on terms arranged to my perfect satisfaction. There was our treaty!
The next day I started for my visit by the railway.
My instructions directed me to travel to the town of Lewes in Sussex. Arrived there, I was to ask for the pony-chaise of my young lady’s father — described on his card as Reverend Tertius Finch34. The chaise was to take me to the rectory-house in the village of Dimchurch. And the village of Dimchurch was situated35 among the South Down Hills, three or four miles from the coast.
When I stepped into the railway carriage, this was all I knew. After my adventurous36 life — after the volcanic37 agitations38 of my republican career in the Doctor’s time — was I about to bury myself in a remote English village, and live a life as monotonous39 as the life of a sheep on a hill? Ah, with all my experience, I had yet to learn that the narrowest human limits are wide enough to contain the grandest human emotions. I had seen the Drama of Life amid the turmoil40 of tropical revolutions. I was to see it again, with all its palpitating interest, in the breezy solitudes41 of the South Down Hills.
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1
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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patriot
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| n.爱国者，爱国主义者 | |
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vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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infusion
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| n.灌输 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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15
filibusters
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| n.掠夺兵( filibuster的名词复数 )；暴兵；（用冗长的发言）阻挠议事的议员；会议妨碍行为v.阻碍或延宕国会或其他立法机构通过提案( filibuster的第三人称单数 )；掠夺 | |
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16
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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prodigal
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| adj.浪费的，挥霍的，放荡的 | |
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insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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fervid
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| adj.热情的；炽热的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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worthily
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| 重要地，可敬地，正当地 | |
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morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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33
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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finch
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| n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等) | |
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35
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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volcanic
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| adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的 | |
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38
agitations
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| （液体等的）摇动( agitation的名词复数 )； 鼓动； 激烈争论； （情绪等的）纷乱 | |
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39
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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40
turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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41
solitudes
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| n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方 | |
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