He had quaffed4 the cup too eagerly. The draught5 had been delicious; but time also proved that it had been satiating. Was it possible for his vanity to be more completely gratified than it had been? Was it possible for victories to be more numerous and more unquestioned during the coming campaign than during the last? Had not his life, then, been one long triumph? Who had not offered their admiration6? Who had not paid homage7 to his all-acknowledged empire? Yet, even this career, however dazzling, had not been pursued, even this success, however brilliant, had not been attained8, without some effort and some weariness, also some exhaustion9. Often, as he now remembered, had his head ached; more than once, as now occurred to him, had his heart faltered10. Even his first season had not passed over without his feeling lone11 in the crowded saloon, or starting at the supernatural finger in the banqueting-hall. Yet then he was the creature of excitement, who pursued an end which was as indefinite as it seemed to be splendid. All had now happened that could happen. He drooped12. He required the impulse which we derive2 from an object unattained.
Yet, had he exhausted13 life at two-and-twenty? This must not be. His feelings must be more philosophically14 accounted for. He began to suspect that he had lived too much for the world and too little for himself; that he had sacrificed his ease to the applause of thousands, and mistaken excitement for enjoyment15. His memory dwelt with satisfaction on the hours which had so agreeably glided16 away at Brighton, in the choice society of a few intimates. He determined17 entirely18 to remodel19 the system of his life; and with the sanguine20 impetuosity which characterised him, he, at the same moment, felt that he had at length discovered the road to happiness, and determined to pursue it without the loss of a precious moment.
The Duke of St. James was seen less in the world, and he appeared but seldom at the various entertainments which he had once so adorned21. Yet he did not resign his exalted22 position in the world of fashion; but, on the contrary, adopted a course of conduct which even increased his consideration. He received the world not less frequently or less splendidly than heretofore; and his magnificent mansion23, early in the season, was opened to the favoured crowd. Yet in that mansion, which had been acquired with such energy and at such cost, its lord was almost as strange, and certainly not as pleased, an inmate24 as the guests, who felt their presence in his chambers25 a confirmation26, or a creation, of their claims to the world’s homage. The Alhambra was finished, and there the Duke of St. James entirely resided; but its regal splendour was concealed27 from the prying28 eye of public curiosity with a proud reserve, a studied secrecy29, and stately haughtiness30 becoming a caliph. A small band of initiated31 friends alone had the occasional entrée, and the mysterious air which they provokingly assumed whenever they were cross-examined on the internal arrangements of this mystical structure, only increased the number and the wildness of the incidents which daily were afloat respecting the fantastic profusion32 and scientific dissipation of the youthful sultan and his envied viziers.
The town, ever since the season commenced, had been in feverish33 expectation of the arrival of a new singer, whose fame had heralded34 her presence in all the courts of Christendom. Whether she were an Italian or a German, a Gaul or a Greek, was equally unknown. An air of mystery environed the most celebrated35 creature in Europe. There were odd whispers of her parentage. Every potentate36 was in turn entitled to the gratitude37 of mankind for the creation of this marvel38. Now it was an emperor, now a king. A grand duke then put in his claim, and then an archduke. To-day she was married, tomorrow she was single. To-day her husband was a prince incog., tomorrow a drum-major well known. Even her name was a mystery; and she was known and worshipped throughout the whole civilised world by the mere39 title of ‘The Bird of Paradise!’
About a month before Easter telegraphs announced her arrival. The Admiralty yacht was too late. She determined to make her first appearance at the opera: and not only the young Duke, but even a far more exalted personage, was disappointed in the sublime40 idea of anticipating the public opinion by a private concert. She was to appear for the first time on Tuesday; the House of Commons adjourned41.
The curtain is drawn42 up, and the house is crowded. Everybody is there who is anybody. Protocoli, looking as full of fate as if the French were again on the Danube; Macaroni, as full of himself as if no other being were engrossing43 universal attention. The Premier44 appears far more anxious than he does at Council, and the Duke of Burlington arranges his fanlike screen with an agitation45 which, for a moment, makes him forget his unrivalled nonchalance46. Even Lady Bloomerly is in suspense47, and even Charles Annesley’s heart beats. But ah! (or rather, bah!) the enthusiasm of Lady de Courcy! Even the young Guardsman, who paid her Ladyship for her ivory franks by his idle presence, even he must have felt, callous48 as those young Guardsmen are.
Will that bore of a tenor49 ever finish that provoking aria50, that we have heard so often? How drawlingly he drags on his dull, deafening51 —
êccola!
Have you seen the primal52 dew ere the sun has lipped the pearl? Have you seen a summer fly, with tinted53 wings of shifting light, glance in the liquid noontide air? Have you marked a shooting star, or watched a young gazelle at play? Then you have seen nothing fresher, nothing brighter, nothing wilder, nothing lighter54, than the girl who stands before you! She was infinitely55 small, fair, and bright. Her black hair was braided in Madonnas over a brow like ivory; a deep pure pink spot gave lustre56 to each cheek. Her features were delicate beyond a dream! her nose quite straight, with a nostril57 which would have made you crazy, if you had not already been struck with idiocy58 by gazing on her mouth. She a singer! Impossible! She cannot speak. And, now we look again, she must sing with her eyes, they are so large and lustrous59!
The Bird of Paradise curtsied as if she shrunk under the overwhelming greeting, and crossed her breast with arms that gleamed like moonbeams and hands that glittered like stars. This gave time to the cognoscenti to remark her costume, which was ravishing, and to try to see her feet; but they were too small. At last Lord Squib announced that he had discovered them by a new glass, and described them as a couple of diamond-claws most exquisitely60 finished.
She moved her head with a faint smile, as if she distrusted her powers and feared the assembly would be disappointed, and then she shot forth61 a note which thrilled through every heart and nearly cracked the chandelier. Even Lady Fitz-pompey said ‘Brava!’ As she proceeded the audience grew quite frantic62. It was agreed on all hands that miracles had recommenced. Each air was sung only to call forth fresh exclamations63 of ‘Miracolo!’ and encores were as unmerciful as an usurper64.
Amid all this rapture65 the young Duke was not silent. His box was on the stage; and ever and anon the syren shot a glance which seemed to tell him that he was marked out amid this brilliant multitude. Each round of applause, each roar of ravished senses, only added a more fearful action to the wild purposes which began to flit about his Grace’s mind. His imagination was touched. His old passion to be distinguished66 returned in full force. This creature was strange, mysterious, celebrated. Her beauty, her accomplishments67, were as singular and as rare as her destiny and her fame. His reverie absolutely raged; it was only disturbed by her repeated notice and his returned acknowledgments. He arose in a state of mad excitation, once more the slave or the victim of his intoxicated68 vanity. He hurried behind the scenes. He congratulated her on her success, her genius, and her beauty; and, to be brief, within a week of her arrival in our metropolis69, the Bird of Paradise was fairly caged in the Alhambra.
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1 derived | |
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
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2 derive | |
v.取得;导出;引申;来自;源自;出自 | |
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3 exquisite | |
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 | |
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4 quaffed | |
v.痛饮( quaff的过去式和过去分词 );畅饮;大口大口将…喝干;一饮而尽 | |
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5 draught | |
n.拉,牵引,拖;一网(饮,吸,阵);顿服药量,通风;v.起草,设计 | |
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6 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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7 homage | |
n.尊敬,敬意,崇敬 | |
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8 attained | |
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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9 exhaustion | |
n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述 | |
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10 faltered | |
(嗓音)颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 ); 支吾其词; 蹒跚; 摇晃 | |
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11 lone | |
adj.孤寂的,单独的;唯一的 | |
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12 drooped | |
弯曲或下垂,发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
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14 philosophically | |
adv.哲学上;富有哲理性地;贤明地;冷静地 | |
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15 enjoyment | |
n.乐趣;享有;享用 | |
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16 glided | |
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
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17 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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18 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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19 remodel | |
v.改造,改型,改变 | |
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20 sanguine | |
adj.充满希望的,乐观的,血红色的 | |
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21 adorned | |
[计]被修饰的 | |
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22 exalted | |
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的 | |
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23 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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24 inmate | |
n.被收容者;(房屋等的)居住人;住院人 | |
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25 chambers | |
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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26 confirmation | |
n.证实,确认,批准 | |
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27 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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28 prying | |
adj.爱打听的v.打听,刺探(他人的私事)( pry的现在分词 );撬开 | |
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29 secrecy | |
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽 | |
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30 haughtiness | |
n.傲慢;傲气 | |
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31 initiated | |
n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始,创始,启蒙,介绍加入 | |
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32 profusion | |
n.挥霍;丰富 | |
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33 feverish | |
adj.发烧的,狂热的,兴奋的 | |
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34 heralded | |
v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 );宣布(好或重要) | |
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35 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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36 potentate | |
n.统治者;君主 | |
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37 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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38 marvel | |
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异;n.令人惊异的事 | |
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39 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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40 sublime | |
adj.崇高的,伟大的;极度的,不顾后果的 | |
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41 adjourned | |
(使)休会, (使)休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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43 engrossing | |
adj.使人全神贯注的,引人入胜的v.使全神贯注( engross的现在分词 ) | |
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44 premier | |
adj.首要的;n.总理,首相 | |
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45 agitation | |
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动 | |
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46 nonchalance | |
n.冷淡,漠不关心 | |
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47 suspense | |
n.(对可能发生的事)紧张感,担心,挂虑 | |
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48 callous | |
adj.无情的,冷淡的,硬结的,起老茧的 | |
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49 tenor | |
n.男高音(歌手),次中音(乐器),要旨,大意 | |
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50 aria | |
n.独唱曲,咏叹调 | |
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51 deafening | |
adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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52 primal | |
adj.原始的;最重要的 | |
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53 tinted | |
adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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54 lighter | |
n.打火机,点火器;驳船;v.用驳船运送;light的比较级 | |
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55 infinitely | |
adv.无限地,无穷地 | |
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56 lustre | |
n.光亮,光泽;荣誉 | |
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57 nostril | |
n.鼻孔 | |
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58 idiocy | |
n.愚蠢 | |
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59 lustrous | |
adj.有光泽的;光辉的 | |
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60 exquisitely | |
adv.精致地;强烈地;剧烈地;异常地 | |
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61 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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62 frantic | |
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的 | |
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63 exclamations | |
n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 );感叹;感叹语;感叹词 | |
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64 usurper | |
n. 篡夺者, 僭取者 | |
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65 rapture | |
n.狂喜;全神贯注;着迷;v.使狂喜 | |
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66 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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67 accomplishments | |
n.造诣;完成( accomplishment的名词复数 );技能;成绩;成就 | |
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68 intoxicated | |
喝醉的,极其兴奋的 | |
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69 metropolis | |
n.首府;大城市 | |
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