“You must be feeling both glad and sorry about going back to Hamilton, Ronny,” Marjorie said presently drawing in a deep breath of the fragrant5, rose-scented6 air. “Glad to be at Hamilton, and with us; sorry to leave Mana?a. It’s so beautiful at all times. One day I think I love the early mornings best. Next day, it’s the sunset that seems most beautiful. Now the twilight7’s coming on, and the roses are so sweet. Oh-h-h!”
28A sturdy trellised vine, odorous with scented clusters of pinkish-yellow roses clambered up and over the balcony. Marjorie bent8 and buried her face in the clustered riot of bloom.
“You’ve learned, even in this short time, to love Mana?a in the way I love it,” Ronny said softly.
A pleasant silence ensued between the two friends, Ronny, gazing absently into the approaching twilight, seemed lost in reverie. Her finely-chiseled profile turned toward Marjorie gave her the look of a young Greek goddess, dispassionately viewing a world of her own ruling.
As the twilight merged9 into dusk and the first stars of evening lit their twinkling lamps, from underneath10 the balcony the musical beat of a guitar rose in rhythmic11 measure. Came a characteristic Spanish prelude12, then an old Mexican love song floated out upon the rose-scented dusk, sung by a trio of golden-voiced Mexican boys.
“La serenata (the serenade),” Ronny murmured, “How dear in Father. He has asked Teresa’s sons to serenade us. They are singing a very old Mexican song called, ‘Mi novia.’ That means ‘my sweetheart.’”
Ronny became silent again with this brief explanation. The dulcet13, mellow14 voices of the Mexican boys swelled15 enchantingly upon the stillness of the evening. Marjorie was sure she had never before listened to anything more tenderly romantic than the plaintive16 rise and fall of the old song. More 29than once she had heard from Ronny of the fine singing voices which were the natural heritage of the Spanish Mexicans.
The singers followed their tuneful offering with another old Spanish ballad17 which Ronny told Marjorie was called “The Love Tears.”
“Cuando de tu lado ausente,
Triste muy triste es mi vida!”
rose the high sweet tenor18 of Ricardo, Teresa’s oldest son.
“When thou art absent from my side,
Sad, how sad, is my life!”
Ricardo was eighteen and still heart-whole yet the Latin inheritance of heartbreak was in his voice. All the sadness of an unrequited love, which he had certainly never yet experienced, rang in his impassioned singing. Nor were the voices of his younger brothers scarcely less emotional. The wistful yearning19 golden notes were no more than the heritage of romance and sentiment so peculiarly Spanish.
When the song was done Ronny leaned over the balcony and called softly down to them in Spanish: “Hermosa (beautiful). Que se repetia (please sing again). Muy bien venido, amigos. Nos alegramos mucho de que nos honre con3 su compania. (Welcome, 30friends. We are glad of the honor of your company.)”
The serenaders had been standing20 well under the overhanging balcony. Now they stepped out from its shadow a little, three dark outlines in the paler dusk.
“Muchas gracias, Se?orita Veronica (thank you, Miss Veronica).” came the full-toned voice of Ricardo in pleased return. He went on to say in English. “Se?or Lynne, your father, has asked us to give you the serenade on our way to the fiesta this evening which is to be at Pedro’s house in honor of his birthday. We are pleased to sing for you and the se?orita from the East. Now we will sing for you your favorite song, ‘Pregunte las estrelles.’ Then we must hurry or be late to sing the birthday song for Pedro.”
“Muchas gracias, Ricardo. Se?orita Dean and I love your songs. Presently we shall walk over to Pedro’s casa (house) to look in upon the fiesta. We have been invited by Annunciata, his wife. Tomorrow evening I wish you to bring Donna Teresa with your brothers to a fiesta here. The mother and father of Se?orita Dean will then be there. They will wish to hear you sing.”
Followed a quick flow of appreciative21 Spanish, then a pair of musicianly hands picked out a ravishing little prelude on the guitar. Again the three in the soft darkness below took up the heart-stirring, 31painful sweetness of one of the old-time Spanish cantares (songs).
“Perhaps the stars in Heaven
Know this night how much I love:”
Marjorie had learned a few Spanish words since she had come to Mana?a. She could not understand those of the song. Nevertheless she understood its import. Ronny had translated the title for her. She was now lost in happy wonderment as to whether the stars in Heaven could possibly know how truly she loved Hal.
With the ending of the song she called down pleasantly to the three young men. “Thank you for your beautiful singing. I think ‘The Stars’ is the sweetest song you sang.”
“We are happy to have pleased you, hermosa (beautiful) se?orita. It is the song we also like best.” Ricardo added something daringly respectful to Ronny in Spanish. She laughingly translated his speech as the three dark figures strode away across the lawn. “Ricardo says that you are the most beautiful young lady he has ever seen.”
“Oh, bother.” Marjorie’s tone was half vexed22. “I wish I had a pug nose and freckles23. No. I’m glad I haven’t them.” She turned the subject abruptly24 with: “I should not have understood the beauty of those songs last year as I do now. Love has opened a new, wonderful world to me.”
32“And this is hard-hearted Marjorie Dean to whom I’m listening,” Ronny said in a tone of light incredulity. Candidly25 she added: “I know how you feel about love. I feel so about it now. I see nothing deeper in Ricardo’s songs than beauty of voice and unconscious expression. Teresa says Ricardo has never been in love. His brothers are young boys of only twelve and fourteen. But the Spanish Mexicans have emotion in their voices when they are mere26 babies.”
“Have you ever known a young man you thought you cared a little for?” Marjorie asked half curiously27. She could not recall in her several years of friendship with Ronny that her brilliant talented friend had ever accorded more than careless attention to a young man of her acquaintance.
“No, I have not, and I don’t wish to,” Ronny replied with considerable emphasis. “I never expect to meet any such person. I couldn’t fall in love if I tried.”
“That’s what I used to think.” Marjorie held up a warning hand. “Be careful,” she continued, laughing softly. “The moment when you are the most certain that you can never fall in love may be the signal for a change in your destiny. You may never fall in love. You may just tumble into it someday without a sign or word of warning.”
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1
veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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2
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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3
con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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5
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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6
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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7
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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8
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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9
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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10
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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11
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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12
prelude
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| n.序言，前兆，序曲 | |
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13
dulcet
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| adj.悦耳的 | |
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14
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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15
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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16
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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ballad
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| n.歌谣，民谣，流行爱情歌曲 | |
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18
tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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19
yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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20
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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21
appreciative
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| adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的 | |
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22
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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23
freckles
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| n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
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24
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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25
candidly
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| adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地 | |
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26
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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27
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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