I didn't want to accept it, and yet I didn't know how to help myself. I went, determined1 beforehand as soon as ever lunch was over to take away the yacht to the Scotch2 islands, and leave Césarine and all her enchantments3 for ever behind me. I was afraid of her, that's the fact, positively4 afraid of her. I couldn't look her in the face without feeling at once that she exerted a terrible influence over me.[Pg 12]
The lunch went off quietly enough, however. We talked about Haiti and the West Indies; about the beautiful foliage5 and the lovely flowers; about the moonlight nights and the tropical sunsets; and Césarine grew quite enthusiastic over them all. "You should take your yacht out there some day, Mr. Tristram," she said softly. "There is no place on earth so wild and glorious as our own beautiful neglected Haiti."
She lifted her eyes full upon me as she spoke6. I stammered7 out, like one spell-bound, "I must certainly go, on your recommendation, Mdlle. Césarine."
"Why Mademoiselle?" she asked quickly. Then, perceiving I misunderstood her by the start I gave, she added with a blush, "I mean, why not 'Miss Vivian' in plain English?"
"Because you aren't English," I said confusedly. "You're Haitian, in reality. Nobody could ever for a moment take you for a mere8 Englishwoman."
I meant it for a compliment, but Césarine frowned. I saw I had hurt her, and why; but I did not apologize. Yet I was conscious of having done something very wrong, and I knew I must try my best at once to regain9 my lost favour with her.
"You will take some coffee after lunch?" Césarine said, as the dishes were removed.
"Oh, certainly, my dear," her father put in. "You must show Mr. Tristram how we make coffee in the West Indian fashion."
Césarine smiled, and poured it out—black coffee, very strong, and into each cup she poured a little glass of excellent pale neat cognac. It seemed to me that she poured the cognac like a conjuror's trick; but everything about her was so strange and lurid10 that I took very little notice of the matter at that particular moment. It certainly was delicious coffee: I never tasted anything like it.[Pg 13]
After lunch, we went into the drawing-room, and thence Césarine took me alone into the pretty conservatory11. She wanted to show me some of her beautiful Haitian orchids12, she said; she had brought the orchids herself years ago from Haiti. How long we stood there I could never tell. I seemed as if intoxicated13 with her presence. I had forgotten now all about my distrust of her: I had forgotten all about Irene and what I wished to say to her: I was conscious only of Césarine's great dark eyes, looking through and through me with their piercing glance, and Césarine's figure, tall and stately, but very voluptuous14, standing15 close beside me, and heaving regularly as we looked at the orchids. She talked to me in a low and dreamy voice; and whether the Chateau16 Larose at lunch had got into my head, or whatever it might be, I felt only dimly and faintly aware of what was passing around me. I was unmanned with love, I suppose: but, however it may have been, I certainly moved and spoke that afternoon like a man in a trance from which he cannot by any effort of his own possibly awake himself.
"Yes, yes," I overheard Césarine saying at last, as through a mist of emotion, "you must go some day and see our beautiful mountainous Haiti. I must go myself. I long to go again. I don't care for this gloomy, dull, sunless England. A hand seems always to be beckoning17 me there. I shall obey it some day, for Haiti—our lovely Haiti, is too beautiful."
Her voice was low and marvellously musical. "Mademoiselle Césarine," I began timidly.
She pouted18 and looked at me. "Mademoiselle again," she said in a pettish19 way. "I told you not to call me so, didn't I?"
"Well, then, Césarine," I went on boldly. She laughed low, a little laugh of triumph, but did not correct or check me in any way.
"Césarine," I continued, lingering I know not why over[Pg 14] the syllables20 of the name, "I will go, as you say. I shall see Haiti. Why should we not both go together?"
She looked up at me eagerly with a sudden look of hushed inquiry22. "You mean it?" she asked, trembling visibly. "You mean it, Mr. Tristram? You know what you are saying?"
"Césarine," I answered, "I mean it. I know it. I cannot go away from you and leave you. Something seems to tie me. I am not my own master.... Césarine, I love you."
My head whirled as I said the words, but I meant them at the time, and heaven knows I tried ever after to live up to them.
She clutched my arm convulsively for a moment. Her face was aglow23 with a wonderful light, and her eyes burned like a pair of diamonds. "But the other girl!" she cried. "Her! Miss Latham! The one you call Irene! You are ... in love with her! Are you not? Tell me!"
"I have never proposed to Irene," I replied slowly. "I have never asked any other woman but you to marry me, Césarine."
She answered me nothing, but my face was very near hers, and I bent24 forward and kissed her suddenly. To my immense surprise, instead of struggling or drawing away, she kissed me back a fervent25 kiss, with lips hard pressed to mine, and the tears trickled26 slowly down her cheeks in a strange fashion. "You are mine," she cried. "Mine for ever. I have won you. She shall not have you. I knew you were mine the moment I looked upon you. The hand beckoned27 me. I knew I should get you."
"Come up into my den21, Mr. Tristram, and have a smoke," my host interrupted in his bluff28 voice, putting his head in unexpectedly at the conservatory door. "I think I can offer you a capital Manilla."
The sound woke me as if from some terrible dream, and I followed him still in a sort of stupor29 up to the smoking room.
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收听单词发音
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1
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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2
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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3
enchantments
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| n.魅力( enchantment的名词复数 )；迷人之处；施魔法；着魔 | |
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4
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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6
spoke
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| 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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7
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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9
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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10
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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11
conservatory
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| n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的 | |
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12
orchids
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| n.兰花( orchid的名词复数 ) | |
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13
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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14
voluptuous
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| adj.肉欲的，骄奢淫逸的 | |
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15
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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16
chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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17
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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18
pouted
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pettish
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| adj.易怒的，使性子的 | |
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syllables
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| n.音节( syllable的名词复数 ) | |
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21
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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22
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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23
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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24
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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fervent
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| adj.热的，热烈的，热情的 | |
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26
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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27
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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29
stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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