They were pleasant thoughts, though, as any one might read in a glance at his smooth-shaven, handsome face, with its satisfied half smile and its bold, confident expression of eyes. He stopped once in his rapid walk and stood for a minute or two in silent contemplation, just before he reached the open stretch of country which lay like a wedge between the two halves of the village. The white surface in front of him was strewn here with dry boughs6 and twigs7, broken from the elms above by the weight of the recent snowfall. Beyond the fence some boys with comforters tied about their ears were skating on a pond in the fields. Mr. Boyce looked over these to the darkened middle-distance of the wintry picture, where rose the grimy bulk and tall smoke-belching chimneys of the Minster iron-works. He seemed to find exhilaration in his long, intent gaze at these solid evidences of activity and wealth, for he filled his lungs with a deep, contented8 draught9 of the nipping air when he finally turned and resumed his walk, swinging his shoulders and lightly tapping the crusted snowbanks at his side with his stick as he stepped briskly forward.
The Minster iron-works were undoubtedly10 worth thinking about, and all the more so because they were not new. During all the dozen or more years of their existence they had never once been out of blast. At seasons of extreme depression in the market, when even Pennsylvania was idle and the poor smelters of St. Louis and Chicago could scarcely remember when they had been last employed, these chimneys upon which he had just looked had never ceased for a day to hurl11 their black clouds into the face of the sky. They had been built by one of the cleverest and most daring of all the strong men whom that section had produced—the late Stephen Minster. It was he who had seen in the hills close about the choicest combination of ores to be found in the whole North; it was he who had brought in the capital to erect12 and operate the works, who had organized and controlled the enterprise by which a direct road to the coal-fields was opened, and who, in affording employment to thousands and good investments to scores, had not failed to himself amass13 a colossal14 fortune. He had been dead now nearly three years, but the amount of his wealth, left in its entirety to his family, was still a matter of conjecture15. Popular speculation16 upon this point had but a solitary17 clew with which to work. In a contest which arose a year before his death, over the control of the Northern union Telegraph Company, he had sent down proxies18 representing a clear six hundred thousand dollars’ worth of shares. With this as a basis for calculation, curious people had arrived at a shrewd estimate of his total fortune as ranging somewhere between two and three millions of dollars.
Stephen Minster had died very suddenly, and had been sincerely mourned by a community which owed him nothing but good-will, and could remember no single lapse19 from honesty or kindliness20 in his whole unostentatious, useful career. It was true that the absence of public-spirited bequests21 in his will created for the moment a sense of disappointment; but the explanation quickly set afoot—that he had not foreseen an early death, and had postponed22 to declining years, which, alas23! never came, the task of apportioning24 a moiety25 of his millions among deserving charities—was plausible26 enough to be received everywhere. By virtue27 of a testament28 executed two years before—immediately after the not altogether edifying29 death of his only son—all his vast property devolved upon Mrs. Minster, and her two daughters, Kate and Ethel. Every unmarried man in Thessaly—and perhaps, with a certain vague repining, here and there one of the married men too—remembered all these facts each time he passed the home of the Minsters on the Seminary road, and looked over the low wall of masonry30 at the close-trimmed lawn, the costly31 fountain, the gravelled carriage-drive, and the great house standing32 back and aloof33 in stately seclusion34 among the trees and the rose-bushes.
Most of these facts were familiar as well to Mr. Horace Boyce. As he strode along, filliping the snow with his cane35 and humming to himself, he mentally embellished36 them with certain deductions37 drawn38 from information gathered during the journey by rail from New York. The Miss Kate Minster whom he had met was the central figure in his meditations39, as indeed she was the important personage in her family. The mother had impressed him as an amiable40 and somewhat limited woman, without much force of character; the younger daughter, Ethel, he remembered dimly, as a delicate and under-sized girl who was generally kept home from school by reason of ill-health, and it was evident from such remarks as the two ladies dropped that she was still something of an invalid41. But it was clear that Miss Kate lacked neither moral nor bodily strength.
He was quite frank with himself in thinking that, apart from all questions of money, she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. It was an added charm that her beauty fitted so perfectly42 the idea of great wealth. She might have been the daughter of the millions themselves, so tall and self-contained and regal a creature was she, with the firm, dark face of her father reproduced in feminine grace and delicacy43 of outline; with a skin as of an Oriental queen, softly luxuriant in texture44 and in its melting of creamy and damask and deepening olive hues45; and with large, richly brown, deep-fringed eyes which looked proudly and steadily46 on all the world, young men included. These fine orbs47 were her most obvious physical inheritance from her father. The expression “the Minster eyes,” would convey as distinct an impression to the brain of the average Thessalian as if one had said “the Minster iron-works.” The great founder48 of the millions, Stephen Minster, had had them, and they were the notable feature of even his impressive face. The son who was dead, Stephen junior, had also had them, as Horace now recalled to mind; but set in his weak head they had seemed to lose significance, and had been, in truth, very generally in his latter years dimmed and opacated by the effects of dissipation. The pale, sweet-faced little Ethel Minster, as he remembered her, had them as well, although with her they were almost hazel in color, and produced a timid, mournful effect. But to no other face in the entire family gallery did they seem to so wholly belong of right as to the countenance49 of Miss Kate.
Young Mr. Boyce’s thoughts wandered easily from the image of the heiress to the less tangible50 question of her disposition51, and, more particularly, of her attitude toward him. There were obscurities here over which a less sanguine52 young man might have bitten his lips. He had ventured upon recalling himself to mother and daughter very soon after the train left New York, and they had not shown any shadow of annoyance53 when he took a vacant chair opposite them and began a conversation which lasted, such as it was, through all the long journey. But now that he came to think of it, his share in that conversation had been not only the proverbial lion’s, but more nearly that of a whole zoological garden. Mrs. Minster had not affected54 any especial reserve; it was probable that she was by nature a listener rather than a talker, for she had asked him numerous questions about himself and about Europe. As for Miss Minster, he could scarcely recall anything she had said, what time she was looking at him instead of at her book. And he had not always been strictly55 comfortable under this look. There had been nothing unfriendly in it, it was true, nor could it occur to anybody to suspect in it a lack of comprehension or of interest. In fact, he said to himself, it was eloquent56 with both. The trouble was, as he uneasily attempted to define it, that she seemed to comprehend too much. Still, after all, he had said nothing to which she could take the faintest exception, and, if she was the intelligent woman he took her to be, there must have been a good deal in his talk to entertain her.
Even a less felicitous57 phrase-maker than Horace Boyce could have manufactured pleasant small-talk out of such experiences as his had been. The only son of a well-to-do and important man in Thessaly, he had had the further advantage of inheriting some twenty thousand dollars upon attaining58 his majority, and after finishing his course at college had betaken himself to Europe to pursue more recondite59 studies there, both in and out of his chosen profession of the law. The fact that he had devoted60 most of his attention to the gleaning61 of knowledge lying beyond the technical pale of the law did not detract from the interesting quality of his observations. Besides listening to lectures at Heidelberg, he had listened to the orchestra swaying in unison62 under the baton63 of Strauss at Vienna, and to a good many other things in Pesth and Paris and Brussels and London, a large number of which could with propriety64 be described in polite conversation. And he flattered himself that he had discoursed65 upon these things rather cleverly, skirting delicate points with neatness, and bringing in effective little descriptions and humorous characterizations in quite a natural way.
Moreover, he said to himself, it had been his privilege to see America in perspective—to stand upon a distant eminence66, as it were, and look the whole country over, by and large, at a glance. This had enabled him on his return to discover the whimsical aspect of a good many things which the stay-at-home natives took with all seriousness. He had indicated some of these to the two ladies with a light and amiably67 bantering68 touch, and with a consciousness that he was opening up novel ground to both his hearers.
Still—he wondered if Miss Minster had really liked it. Could it be possible that she belonged to that thin-skinned class of Americans who cannot brook69 any comment upon anything in or of their country that is not wholly eulogistic—who resent even the most harmless and obvious pleasantry pointed at a cis-Atlantic institution? He decided70 this promptly71 in the negative. He had met such people, but he could not associate them in his mind with the idea of great wealth. And Miss Minster was rich—incredibly rich. No doubt she was thinking, even while she listened to him, of the time when she too should go to Europe, and dazzle its golden youth with her beauty and her millions. Now that he thought of it, he had seen much that same look before on the face of an American heiress, on her return from a London “five-o’clock tea,” at which she had met an eligible72 marquis.
Could it be that her thoughts ran, instead, upon an eligible somebody nearer home? He devoted himself at this to canvassing73 the chances of her fancy being already fixed74. It was of little importance that nothing in their conversation suggested this, because it was a subject to which they naturally would not have alluded75. Yet he recalled that Mrs. Minster had spoken of their great seclusion more than once. He had gathered, moreover, that they knew very few people in New York City, and that they had little acquaintance with the section of its population which is colloquially76 known as “society.” This looked mightily77 like a clear field.
Young Mr. Boyce stopped to thrust his cane under a twisted branch which lay on the snow, and toss it high over the fence, when he reached this stage of his meditations. His squared, erect shoulders took on a more buoyant swing than ever as he resumed his walk. A clear field, indeed!
And now as to the problem of proceeding78 to occupy that field. Where was there a gap in the wall? Millions were not to be approached and gained by simple and primitive79 methods, as one knocks apples off an overhanging bough5 with a fence-rail. Strategy and finesse80 of the first order were required. Without doubt there was an elaborate system of defences reared around this girl of girls. Mrs. Minster’s reference to seclusion might have itself been a warning that they lived inside a fort, and were as ready to train a gun on him as on anybody else. Battlements of this sort had been stormed time and time again, no doubt; human history was full of such instances. But Mr. Boyce’s tastes were not for violent or desperate adventures. To go over a parapet with one’s sword in one’s teeth, in deadly peril81 and tempestuous82 triumph, might suit his father the General: for his own part, it seemed more sagacious and indubitably safer to tunnel under the works, and emerge on the inside at the proper psychological moment to be welcomed as a friend and adviser83.
Adviser! Who was their lawyer? The young man cast up in his mind the list of Thessaly’s legal practitioners84, as far as he could remember them. It seemed most probable that Benoni Clarke, the ex-district-attorney, would have the Minster business, if for no other reason than that he needed it less than the rest did. But Mr. Clarke was getting old, and was in feeble health as well. Perhaps he would be glad to have a young, active, and able partner, who had had the advantage of European study. Or it might be—who could tell?—that the young man with the European education could go in on his own account, and by sheer weight of cleverness, energy, and superior social address win over the Minster business. What unlimited85 opportunities such a post would afford him! Not only would he be the only young man in Thessaly who had been outside of his own country, the best talker, the best-informed man, the best-mannered man of the place—but he would be able to exhibit all these excellences86 from the favored vantage-ground of an intimate, confidential87 relation. The very thought was intoxicating88.
Mr. Horace Boyce was so pre-occupied with these pleasing meditations that he overtook a man walking in the other track, and had nearly passed him, before something familiar in the figure arrested his attention. He turned, and recognized an old schoolmate whom he had not seen for years, and had not expected to find in Thessaly.
“Why—Reuben Tracy, as I live!” he exclaimed, cordially. “So you’re back again, eh? On a visit to your folks?”
The other shook hands with him. “No,” he made answer. “I’ve had an office here for nearly a year. You are looking well. I’m glad to see you again. Have you come back for good?”
“Yes. That’s all settled,” replied Mr. Horace, without a moment’s hesitation89.
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1
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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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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engrossing
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| 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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5
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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8
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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draught
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| 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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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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amass
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| vt.积累，积聚 | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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proxies
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| n.代表权( proxy的名词复数 )；（测算用的）代替物；（对代理人的）委托书；（英国国教教区献给主教等的）巡游费 | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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bequests
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| n.遗赠( bequest的名词复数 )；遗产，遗赠物 | |
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postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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apportioning
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| vt.分摊，分配（apportion的现在分词形式） | |
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moiety
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| n.一半；部分 | |
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plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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edifying
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| adj.有教训意味的，教训性的，有益的v.开导，启发( edify的现在分词 ) | |
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masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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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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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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embellished
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| v.美化( embellish的过去式和过去分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色 | |
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deductions
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| 扣除( deduction的名词复数 )； 结论； 扣除的量； 推演 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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44
texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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45
hues
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| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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47
orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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48
Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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49
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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50
tangible
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| adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的 | |
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51
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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52
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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53
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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54
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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55
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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56
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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57
felicitous
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| adj.恰当的，巧妙的；n.恰当，贴切 | |
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58
attaining
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的现在分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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recondite
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| adj.深奥的，难解的 | |
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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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gleaning
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| n.拾落穗，拾遗，落穗v.一点点地收集（资料、事实）( glean的现在分词 )；（收割后）拾穗 | |
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unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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63
baton
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| n.乐队用指挥杖 | |
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64
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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discoursed
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| 演说（discourse的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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67
amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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68
bantering
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| adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑，说笑，逗乐( banter的现在分词 )；（善意地）取笑，逗弄 | |
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69
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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71
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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72
eligible
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| adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的 | |
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canvassing
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| v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的现在分词 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查 | |
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74
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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75
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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76
colloquially
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| adv.用白话，用通俗语 | |
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77
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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78
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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79
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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80
finesse
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| n.精密技巧，灵巧，手腕 | |
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81
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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82
tempestuous
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| adj.狂暴的 | |
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83
adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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84
practitioners
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| n.习艺者，实习者( practitioner的名词复数 )；从业者（尤指医师） | |
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85
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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86
excellences
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| n.卓越( excellence的名词复数 )；（只用于所修饰的名词后）杰出的；卓越的；出类拔萃的 | |
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87
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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88
intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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89
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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