The last day of October in 1777, Colonel Jonathan Hamilton came out of his high house on the river bank with a handsome, impatient company of guests, all Berwick gentlemen. They stood on the flagstones, watching a coming boat that was just within sight under the shadow of the pines of the farther shore, and eagerly passed from hand to hand a spyglass covered with worn red morocco leather. The sun had just gone down; the quick-gathering1 dusk of the short day was already veiling the sky before they could see the steady lift and dip of long oars2, and make sure of the boat's company. While it was still a long distance away, the gentlemen turned westward3 and went slowly down through the terraced garden, to wait again with much formality by the gate at the garden foot.
Beside the master of the house was Judge Chadbourne, an old man of singular dignity and kindliness4 of look, and near them stood General Goodwin, owner of the next estate, and Major Tilly Haggens of the Indian wars, a tall, heavily made person, clumsily built, but not without a certain elegance5 like an old bottle of Burgundy. There was a small group behind these foremost men,—a red cloak here and a touch of dark velvet6 on a shoulder beyond, with plenty of well-plaited ruffles7 to grace the wearers. Hamilton's young associate, John Lord, merchant and gentleman, stood alone, trim-wigged and serious, with a look of discretion8 almost too great for his natural boyish grace. Quite the most impressive figure among them was the minister, a man of high ecclesiastical lineage, very well dressed in a three-cornered beaver9 hat, a large single-breasted coat sweeping10 down with ample curves over a long waistcoat with huge pockets and lappets, and a great white stock that held his chin high in air. This was fastened behind with a silver buckle11 to match the buckles12 on his tight knee breeches, and other buckles large and flat on his square-toed shoes; somehow he looked as like a serious book with clasps as a man could look, with an outward completeness that mated with his inner equipment of fixed13 Arminian opinions.
As for Colonel Hamilton, the host, a strong-looking, bright-colored man in the middle thirties, the softness of a suit of brown, and his own hair well dressed and powdered, did not lessen14 a certain hardness in his face, a grave determination, and maturity15 of appearance far beyond the due of his years. Hamilton had easily enough won the place of chief shipping16 merchant and prince of money-makers in that respectable group, and until these dark days of war almost every venture by land or sea had added to his fortunes. The noble house that he had built was still new enough to be the chief show and glory of a rich provincial17 neighborhood. With all his power of money-making,—and there were those who counted him a second Sir William Pepperrell,—Hamilton was no easy friend-maker like that great citizen of the District of Maine, nor even like his own beautiful younger sister, the house's mistress. Some strain of good blood, which they had inherited, seemed to have been saved through generations to nourish this one lovely existence, and make her seem like the single flower upon their family tree. They had come from but a meagre childhood to live here in state and luxury beside the river.
The broad green fields of Hamilton's estate climbed a long hill behind the house, hedged in by stately rows of elms and tufted by young orchards18; at the western side a strong mountain stream came down its deep channel over noisy falls and rapids to meet the salt tide in the bay below. This broad sea inlet and inland harborage was too well filled in an anxious year with freightless vessels19 both small and great: heavy seagoing craft and lateen-sailed gundalows for the river traffic; idle enough now, and careened on the mud at half tide in picturesque20 confusion.
The opposite shore was high, with farmhouses21 above the fields. There were many persons to be seen coming down toward the water, and when Colonel Hamilton and his guests appeared on the garden terraces, a loud cry went alongshore, and instantly the noise of mallets ceased in the shipyard beyond, where some carpenters were late at work. There was an eager, buzzing crowd growing fast about the boat landing and the wharf22 and warehouses23 which the gentlemen at the high-urned gateway24 looked down upon. The boat was coming up steadily25, but in the middle distance it seemed to lag; the long stretch of water was greater than could be measured by the eye. Two West Indian fellows in the crowd fell to scuffling, having trodden upon each other's rights, and the on-lookers, quickly diverted from their first interest, cheered them on, and wedged themselves closer together to see the fun. Old C?sar, the majestic26 negro who had attended Hamilton at respectful distance, made it his welcome duty to approach the quarrel with loud rebukes27; usually the authority of this great person in matters pertaining28 to the estate was only second to his master's, but in such a moment of high festival and gladiatorial combat all commands fell upon deaf ears. Major Tilly Haggens burst into a hearty29 laugh, glad of a chance to break the tiresome30 formalities of his associates, and being a great admirer of a skillful fight. On any serious occasion the major always seemed a little uneasy, as if restless with unspoken jokes.
In the meantime the boat had taken its shoreward curve, and was now so near that even through the dusk the figures of the oarsmen, and of an officer, sitting alone at the stern in full uniform, could be plainly seen. The next moment the wrestling Tobago men sprang to their feet, forgetting their affront32, and ran to the landing-place with the rest.
The new flag of the Congress with its unfamiliar33 stripes was trailing at the boat's stern; the officer bore himself with dignity, and made his salutations with much politeness. All the gentlemen on the terrace came down together to the water's edge, without haste, but with exact deference34 and timeliness; the officer rose quickly in the boat, and stepped ashore35 with ready foot and no undignified loss of balance. He wore the pleased look of a willing guest, and was gayly dressed in a bright new uniform of blue coat and breeches, with red lapels and a red waistcoat trimmed with lace. There was a noisy cheering, and the spectators fell back on either hand and made way for this very elegant company to turn again and go their ways up the river shore.
Captain Paul Jones of the Ranger36 bowed as a well-practiced sovereign might as he walked along, a little stiffly at first, being often vexed37 by boat-cramp, as he now explained cheerfully to his host. There was an eager restless look in his clear-cut sailor's face, with quick eyes that seemed not to observe things that were near by, but to look often and hopefully toward the horizon. He was a small man, but already bent38 in the shoulders from living between decks; his sword was long for his height and touched the ground as he walked, dragging along a gathered handful of fallen poplar leaves with its scabbard tip.
It was growing dark as they went up the long garden; a thin white mist was gathering on the river, and blurred39 the fields where there were marshy40 spots or springs. The two brigs at the moorings had strung up their dull oil lanterns to the rigging, where they twinkled like setting stars, and made faint reflections below in the rippling41 current. The huge elms that stood along the river shore were full of shadows, while above, the large house was growing bright with candlelight, and taking on a cheerful air of invitation. As the master and his friends went up to the wide south door, there stepped out to meet them the lovely figure of a girl, tall and charming, and ready with a gay welcome to chide42 the captain for his delay. She spoke31 affectionately to each of the others, though she avoided young Mr. Lord's beseeching43 eyes. The elder men had hardly time for a second look to reassure44 themselves of her bright beauty, before she had vanished along the lighted hall. By the time their cocked hats and plainer head gear were safely deposited, old C?sar with a great flourish of invitation had thrown open the door of the dining parlor45.
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1 gathering | |
n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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2 oars | |
n.桨,橹( oar的名词复数 );划手v.划(行)( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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3 westward | |
n.西方,西部;adj.西方的,向西的;adv.向西 | |
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4 kindliness | |
n.厚道,亲切,友好的行为 | |
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5 elegance | |
n.优雅;优美,雅致;精致,巧妙 | |
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6 velvet | |
n.丝绒,天鹅绒;adj.丝绒制的,柔软的 | |
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7 ruffles | |
褶裥花边( ruffle的名词复数 ) | |
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8 discretion | |
n.谨慎;随意处理 | |
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9 beaver | |
n.海狸,河狸 | |
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10 sweeping | |
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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11 buckle | |
n.扣子,带扣;v.把...扣住,由于压力而弯曲 | |
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12 buckles | |
搭扣,扣环( buckle的名词复数 ) | |
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13 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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14 lessen | |
vt.减少,减轻;缩小 | |
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15 maturity | |
n.成熟;完成;(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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16 shipping | |
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船) | |
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17 provincial | |
adj.省的,地方的;n.外省人,乡下人 | |
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18 orchards | |
(通常指围起来的)果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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19 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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20 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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21 farmhouses | |
n.农舍,农场的主要住房( farmhouse的名词复数 ) | |
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22 wharf | |
n.码头,停泊处 | |
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23 warehouses | |
仓库,货栈( warehouse的名词复数 ) | |
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24 gateway | |
n.大门口,出入口,途径,方法 | |
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25 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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26 majestic | |
adj.雄伟的,壮丽的,庄严的,威严的,崇高的 | |
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27 rebukes | |
责难或指责( rebuke的第三人称单数 ) | |
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28 pertaining | |
与…有关系的,附属…的,为…固有的(to) | |
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29 hearty | |
adj.热情友好的;衷心的;尽情的,纵情的 | |
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30 tiresome | |
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的 | |
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31 spoke | |
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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32 affront | |
n./v.侮辱,触怒 | |
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33 unfamiliar | |
adj.陌生的,不熟悉的 | |
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34 deference | |
n.尊重,顺从;敬意 | |
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35 ashore | |
adv.在(向)岸上,上岸 | |
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36 ranger | |
n.国家公园管理员,护林员;骑兵巡逻队员 | |
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37 vexed | |
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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38 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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39 blurred | |
v.(使)变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 );(使)难以区分;模模糊糊;迷离 | |
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40 marshy | |
adj.沼泽的 | |
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41 rippling | |
起涟漪的,潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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42 chide | |
v.叱责;谴责 | |
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43 beseeching | |
adj.恳求似的v.恳求,乞求(某事物)( beseech的现在分词 ) | |
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44 reassure | |
v.使放心,使消除疑虑 | |
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45 parlor | |
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅 | |
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