Even strangers, however, if they be good fellows at heart, may develop into sworn comrades; and these gay swordsmen, after all, were of the right stuff. Perseus, with his cap of darkness and his wonderful sandals, was not long in winging his way to our hearts. Apollo knocked at Admetus’ gate in something of the right fairy[145] fashion. Psyche15 brought with her an orthodox palace of magic, as well as helpful birds and friendly ants. Ulysses, with his captivating shifts and strategies, broke down the final barrier, and henceforth the band was adopted and admitted into our freemasonry.
I had been engaged in chasing Farmer Larkin’s calves16—his special pride—round the field, just to show the man we hadn’t forgotten him, and was returning through the kitchen-garden with a conscience at peace with all men, when I happened upon Edward, grubbing for worms in the dung-heap. Edward put his worms into his hat, and we strolled along together, discussing high matters of state. As we reached the tool-shed, strange noises arrested our steps; looking in, we perceived Harold, alone, rapt, absorbed, immersed in the special game of the moment. He was squatting17 in an old pig-trough that had been brought in to be tinkered; and as he rhapsodised, anon he waved a shovel18 over his head, anon dug it into the ground with the action of those who would urge Canadian canoes. Edward strode in upon him.
[146]
‘What rot are you playing at now?’ he demanded sternly.
Harold flushed up, but stuck to his pig-trough like a man. ‘I’m Jason,’ he replied defiantly20; ‘and this is the Argo. The other fellows are here too, only you can’t see them; and we’re just going through the Hellespont, so don’t you come bothering.’ And once more he plied19 the wine-dark sea.
Edward kicked the pig-trough contemptuously. ‘Pretty sort of Argo you’ve got!’ said he.
Harold began to get annoyed. ‘I can’t help it,’ he retorted. ‘It’s the best sort of Argo I can manage, and it’s all right if you only pretend enough. But you never could pretend one bit.’
Edward reflected. ‘Look here,’ he said presently. ‘Why shouldn’t we get hold of Farmer Larkin’s boat, and go right away up the river in a real Argo, and look for Medea, and the Golden Fleece, and everything? And I’ll tell you what, I don’t mind your being Jason, as you thought of it first.’
Harold tumbled out of the trough in the[147] excess of his emotion. ‘But we aren’t allowed to go on the water by ourselves,’ he cried.
‘No,’ said Edward, with fine scorn: ‘we aren’t allowed; and Jason wasn’t allowed either, I daresay. But he went!’
Harold’s protest had been merely conventional: he only wanted to be convinced by sound argument. The next question was, How about the girls? Selina was distinctly handy in a boat: the difficulty about her was, that if she disapproved21 of the expedition—and, morally considered, it was not exactly a Pilgrim’s Progress—she might go and tell; she having just reached that disagreeable age when one begins to develop a conscience. Charlotte, for her part, had a habit of day-dreams, and was as likely as not to fall overboard in one of her rapt musings. To be sure, she would dissolve in tears when she found herself left out; but even that was better than a watery22 tomb. In fine, the public voice—and rightly, perhaps—was against the admission of the skirted animal: despite the precedent23 of Atalanta, who was one of the original crew.
‘And now,’ said Edward, ‘who’s to ask Farmer Larkin? I can’t; last time I saw him he said when he caught me again he’d smack24 my head. You’ll have to.’
I hesitated, for good reasons. ‘You know those precious calves of his?’ I began.
Edward understood at once. ‘All right,’ he said; ‘then we won’t ask him at all. It doesn’t much matter. He’d only be annoyed, and that would be a pity. Now let’s set off.’
We made our way down to the stream, and captured the farmer’s boat without let or hindrance25, the enemy being engaged in the hay-fields. This ‘river,’ so called, could never be discovered by us in any atlas26; indeed our Argo could hardly turn in it without risk of shipwreck27. But to us ’twas Orinoco, and the cities of the world dotted its shores. We put the Argo’s head upstream, since that led away from the Larkin province; Harold was faithfully permitted to be Jason, and we shared the rest of the heroes among us. Then, quitting Thessaly, we threaded the Hellespont with shouts, breathlessly dodged28 the Clashing Rocks,[149] and coasted under the lee of the Siren-haunted isles29. Lemnos was fringed with meadow-sweet, dog-roses dotted the Mysian shore, and the cheery call of the haymaking folk sounded along the coast of Thrace.
After some hour or two’s seafaring, the prow30 of the Argo embedded31 itself in the mud of a landing-place, plashy with the tread of cows and giving on to a lane that led towards the smoke of human habitations. Edward jumped ashore32, alert for exploration, and strode off without waiting to see if we followed; but I lingered behind, having caught sight of a moss-grown water-gate hard by, leading into a garden that, from the brooding quiet lapping it round, appeared to portend33 magical possibilities.
Indeed the very air within seemed stiller, as we circumspectly34 passed through the gate; and Harold hung back shamefaced, as if we were crossing the threshold of some private chamber35, and ghosts of old days were hustling36 past us. Flowers there were, everywhere; but they drooped37 and sprawled38 in an overgrowth hinting at indifference39; the scent40 of heliotrope[150] possessed41 the place as if actually hung in solid festoons from tall untrimmed hedge to hedge. No basket-chairs, shawls, or novels dotted the lawn with colour; and on the garden-front of the house behind, the blinds were mostly drawn42. A grey old sun-dial dominated the central sward, and we moved towards it instinctively43, as the most human thing in sight. An antick motto ran round it, and with eyes and fingers we struggled at the decipherment.
TIME: TRYETH: TROTHE: spelt out Harold at last. ‘I wonder what that means?’
I could not enlighten him, nor meet his further questions as to the inner mechanism44 of the thing, and where you wound it up. I had seen these instruments before, of course; but had never fully12 understood their manner of working.
We were still puzzling our heads over the contrivance, when I became aware that Medea herself was moving down the path from the house. Dark-haired, supple45, of a figure lightly poised46 and swayed, but pale and listless—I knew her at once, and having come out to find her, naturally felt no surprise at all. But[151] Harold, who was trying to climb on to the top of the sun-dial, having a cat-like fondness for the summit of things, started and fell prone47, barking his chin and filling the pleasance with lamentation48.
Medea skimmed the ground swallow-like, and in a moment was on her knees comforting him, wiping the dirt out of his chin with her own dainty handkerchief, and vocal49 with soft murmur50 of consolation51.
‘You needn’t take on so about him,’ I observed politely. ‘He’ll cry for just one minute, and then he’ll be all right.’
My estimate was justified52. At the end of his regulation time Harold stopped crying suddenly, like a clock that had struck its hour; and with a serene53 and cheerful countenance54 wriggled55 out of Medea’s embrace, and ran for a stone to throw at an intrusive56 blackbird.
‘O you boys!’ cried Medea, throwing wide her arms with abandonment. ‘Where have you dropped from? How dirty you are! I’ve been shut up here for a thousand years, and all that time I’ve never seen any one under a[152] hundred and fifty! Let’s play at something, at once!’
‘Rounders is a good game,’ I suggested. ‘Girls can play at rounders. And we could serve up to the sun-dial here. But you want a bat and a ball, and some more people.’
She struck her hands together tragically57. ‘I haven’t a bat,’ she cried, ‘or a ball, or more people, or anything sensible whatever. Never mind; let’s play at hide-and-seek in the kitchen-garden. And we’ll race there, up to that walnut-tree; I haven’t run for a century!’
She was so easy a victor, nevertheless, that I began to doubt, as I panted behind, whether she had not exaggerated her age by a year or two. She flung herself into hide-and-seek with all the gusto and abandonment of the true artist; and as she flitted away and reappeared, flushed and laughing divinely, the pale witch-maiden seemed to fall away from her, and she moved rather as that other girl I had read about, snatched from fields of daffodil to reign5 in shadow below, yet permitted now and again[153] to revisit earth and light and the frank, caressing58 air.
Tired at last, we strolled back to the old sun-dial, and Harold, who never relinquished59 a problem unsolved, began afresh, rubbing his finger along the faint incisions60. ‘Time tryeth trothe. Please, I want to know what that means?’
Medea’s face drooped low over the sun-dial, till it was almost hidden in her fingers. ‘That’s what I’m here for,’ she said presently in quite a changed, low voice. ‘They shut me up here—they think I’ll forget—but I never will—never, never! And he, too—but I don’t know—it is so long—I don’t know!’
Her face was quite hidden now. There was silence again in the old garden. I felt clumsily helpless and awkward. Beyond a vague idea of kicking Harold, nothing remedial seemed to suggest itself.
None of us had noticed the approach of another she-creature—one of the angular and rigid61 class—how different from our dear comrade! The years Medea had claimed might[154] well have belonged to her; she wore mittens62, too—a trick I detested63 in woman. ‘Lucy!’ she said sharply, in a tone with aunt writ64 large over it; and Medea started up guiltily.
‘You’ve been crying,’ said the newcomer, grimly regarding her through spectacles. ‘And pray who are these exceedingly dirty little boys?’
‘Friends of mine, aunt,’ said Medea promptly65, with forced cheerfulness. ‘I—I’ve known them a long time. I asked them to come.’
The aunt sniffed66 suspiciously. ‘You must come indoors, dear,’ she said, ‘and lie down. The sun will give you a headache. And you little boys had better run away home to your tea. Remember, you should not come to pay visits without your nursemaid.’
Harold had been tugging67 nervously68 at my jacket for some time, and I only waited till Medea turned and kissed a white hand to us as she was led away. Then I ran. We gained the boat in safety; and ‘What an old dragon!’ said Harold.
‘Wasn’t she a beast!’ I replied. ‘Fancy the[155] sun giving any one a headache! But Medea was a real brick. Couldn’t we carry her off?’
‘We could if Edward was here,’ said Harold confidently.
The question was, What had become of that defaulting hero? We were not left long in doubt. First, there came down the lane the shrill69 and wrathful clamour of a female tongue; then Edward, running his best; and then an excited woman hard on his heel. Edward tumbled into the bottom of the boat, gasping70 ‘Shove her off!’ And shove her off we did, mightily71, while the dame72 abused us from the bank in the self-same accents in which Alfred hurled73 defiance74 at the marauding Dane.
‘That was just like a bit out of Westward75 Ho!’ I remarked approvingly, as we sculled down the stream. ‘But what had you been doing to her?’
‘Hadn’t been doing anything,’ panted Edward, still breathless. ‘I went up into the village and explored, and it was a very nice one, and the people were very polite. And there was a blacksmith’s forge there, and they were shoeing[156] horses, and the hoofs76 fizzled and smoked, and smelt77 so jolly! I stayed there quite a long time Then I got thirsty, so I asked that old woman for some water, and while she was getting it her cat came out of the cottage, and looked at me in a nasty sort of way, and said something I didn’t like. So I went up to it just to—to teach it manners, and somehow or other, next minute it was up an apple-tree, spitting, and I was running down the lane with that old thing after me.’
Edward was so full of his personal injuries that there was no interesting him in Medea at all. Moreover, the evening was closing in, and it was evident that this cutting-out expedition must be kept for another day. As we neared home, it gradually occurred to us that perhaps the greatest danger was yet to come; for the farmer must have missed his boat ere now, and would probably be lying in wait for us near the landing-place. There was no other spot admitting of debarcation on the home side; if we got out on the other, and made for the bridge, we should certainly be seen and cut off. Then it[157] was that I blessed my stars that our elder brother was with us that day. He might be little good at pretending, but in grappling with the stern facts of life he had no equal. Enjoining78 silence, he waited till we were but a little way from the fated landing-place, and then brought us in to the opposite bank. We scrambled79 out noiselessly and—the gathering80 darkness favouring us—crouched behind a willow81, while Edward pushed off the empty boat with his foot. The old Argo, borne down by the gentle current, slid and grazed along the rushy bank; and when she came opposite the suspected ambush82, a stream of imprecation told us that our precaution had not been wasted. We wondered, as we listened, where Farmer Larkin, who was bucolically83 bred and reared, had acquired such range and wealth of vocabulary. Fully realising at last that his boat was derelict, abandoned, at the mercy of wind and wave—as well as out of his reach—he strode away to the bridge, about a quarter of a mile further down; and as soon as we heard his boots clumping84 on the planks85 we nipped out,[158] recovered the craft, pulled across, and made the faithful vessel86 fast to her proper moorings. Edward was anxious to wait and exchange courtesies and compliments with the disappointed farmer, when he should confront us on the opposite bank; but wiser counsels prevailed. It was possible that the piracy87 was not yet laid at our particular door: Ulysses, I reminded him, had reason to regret a similar act of bravado88, and—were he here—would certainly advise a timely retreat. Edward held but a low opinion of me as a counsellor; but he had a very solid respect for Ulysses.
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1
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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extricated
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| v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3
citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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garrisoned
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| 卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 )； 派部队驻防 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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7
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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8
raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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croaked
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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10
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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admonishment
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| n.警告 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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Saturn
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| n.农神，土星 | |
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14
parvenu
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| n.暴发户，新贵 | |
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15
psyche
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| n.精神；灵魂 | |
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16
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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17
squatting
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的现在分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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20
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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21
disapproved
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| v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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precedent
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| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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26
atlas
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| n.地图册，图表集 | |
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27
shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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28
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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isles
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| 岛( isle的名词复数 ) | |
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30
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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portend
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| v.预兆，预示；给…以警告 | |
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circumspectly
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| adv.慎重地，留心地 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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36
hustling
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| 催促（hustle的现在分词形式） | |
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drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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42
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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43
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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44
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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45
supple
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| adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺 | |
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46
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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47
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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48
lamentation
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| n.悲叹，哀悼 | |
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49
vocal
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| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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50
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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51
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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52
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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53
serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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54
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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55
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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56
intrusive
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| adj.打搅的；侵扰的 | |
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57
tragically
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| adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地 | |
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58
caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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59
relinquished
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| 交出，让给( relinquish的过去式和过去分词 )； 放弃 | |
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60
incisions
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| n.切开，切口( incision的名词复数 ) | |
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61
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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62
mittens
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| 不分指手套 | |
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63
detested
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| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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64
writ
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| n.命令状，书面命令 | |
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65
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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66
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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67
tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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68
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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69
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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70
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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71
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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72
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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73
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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74
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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75
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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76
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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77
smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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78
enjoining
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| v.命令( enjoin的现在分词 ) | |
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79
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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80
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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81
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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82
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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83
bucolically
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| adv.牧羊地，牧歌地，田园风味地 | |
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84
clumping
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| v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的现在分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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85
planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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86
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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87
piracy
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| n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害 | |
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88
bravado
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| n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能 | |
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