"And the prayer of the righteous availeth much!" said Louis to himself, fixing his eye on the golden disk just peeping above the distant rim11 of the ocean: "lovers have preserved their constancy, by a promise that each would remember the other when the sun set or rose! Why shall I not preserve my constancy to a better love than that of woman, whenever I look on yon rising or setting orb12, and remember, that at those hours my venerable uncle is on his knees to Heaven for the conservation of my soul?"
As the turning of his carriage down an abrupt13 declivity14 snatched the whole of the vale of Coquet from his view, Louis thought of his aunt and Cornelia; how, in another hour, they would be looking in vain for his entrance into the breakfast[272] parlour: and, what would be the burst of their grief, when they should be told that he was gone; that he had found the heart to leave them without one affectionate farewell! He almost regretted that he had spared himself and them a pang15, which, he began to think, would have been more tolerable than the idea they might entertain, that a passion for novelty had rendered him neglectful of their parting tenderness. The wan16 countenance17, and piteous accents of Alice, next presented themselves to his imagination; and, painful as were many of his thoughts connected with her recent disclosure, he could not but rejoice that her timely remorse18, and as critical a resolution, had afforded him an opportunity to make his last act in the home of his youth, one that would eventually repay his vast debt of gratitude19 to her mother.
These reflections accompanied him over many a heathy track, caverned with coal-mines; and at night, the gleaming[273] fires on their bituminous surface, with their wandering vapoury lights, lit him along moor20 and fell, till the sulphurous cloud which usually canopies21 the city of Newcastle, received his vehicle as it whirled down the steep northern hill into the town.
At Athelstone-manor22, a few miles south of the city, he met his uncle Sir Anthony; and, as he expected, had to listen to many a rough remonstrance23 against obedience24 to so abrupt a summons. Louis did not use much argument in replies, the reasoning of which, good or bad, he knew would be equally disregarded; but with assurances that neither distance nor time should lessen25 his affection for the friends he left behind, he sought to dissipate his uncle's thoughts from the subject of debate; and so far succeeded, as to pass the remainder of the day with him in tolerable cheerfulness. But when the captain of the vessel26 that was to convey the travellers to Ostend, appeared at[274] the manor, to announce that the wind served and the ship was ready to sail; the newly-restored good-humour of the baronet was put to the proof: and it did not stand the trial. He burst into invectives against the Baron27, for reclaiming28 his son; against the Pastor29, for admitting his authority; and poured forth30 a torrent31 of reproaches on his nephew, for so readily consenting to quit relations who loved and honoured him, to become dependant32 on the caprices of a father who seemed to consider himself rather the patron than the parent of his son.
Louis saw it would be vain to reason with this violence; and that all he could do, was to take a grateful and steady leave of his uncle. Sir Anthony clung to him, mingling entreaties33 for his stay, with upbraidings for his departure. And amidst vows34 of entailing35 all on him, if he would remain; and oaths, to cut him off with a shilling, if he persisted to go, Louis tore himself away; leaving his uncle in an[275] agony of grief and exasperation36 in the arms of his servants.
Distressed37 by the outrageous38 emotions of Sir Anthony; so different from the chastised39 feelings of the Pastor, whose profound affections smoothed by their fulness the rising sorrow of the parting moment; Louis found a refuge, though a dreary40 one, in the solitude41 of his cabin. He sat for some hours, alone and silent, in the encreasing gloom. The evening-gun fired from the fort at the mouth of the harbour; and in a few minutes Castanos appeared with a lamp. He set it on the table, and silently threw himself into the birth appropriated to his use. Louis was not in a mood to desire companionship; and with little more than a gracious word or two of thanks to the civilities of the captain and his mate, as they stepped in at intervals42 to enquire43 how he fared, he passed the remainder of the night.
Next morning at dawn, when he pressed[276] his repeater and counted the hour, he calculated that if the breeze had continued, his vessel must now be far from the coast; and fearing to lose a last look of the shore where he first remembered consciousness of being, and where he had imbibed44, from friends dear to his heart, all the valued impulses of his soul; he sprang from the cot on which he lay, and stepped upon deck. The lonely helmsman was at his post, gazing at the stars, and steering45, slowly to leeward46.—To windward, stretched darkly along the horizon, lay the embattled cliffs of Northumberland.
"Majestic47 England!" said he, as he turned towards them; "How do thy lofty rocks declare thy noble nature! There, liberty has stationed her throne; there, virtue48 builds her altar; and there peace has planted her groves49! I leave thee, to prove myself worthy50 of being thy adopted son. I go far away, to send a good report to the dear friends slumbering51 be[277]hind thy promontories52. England, beloved, honoured! Where shall I find a country like thee? Will gorgeous Spain be to me what thy simple glades53 have been?" He smiled at his own soliloquy.
"I go not to luxurious54 groves, and gorgeous indolence," cried he, "my errand is to the arena55 of populous56 cities; to win, or lose myself, in the Olympian struggles of man with man."
Louis forgot the receding57 shores of his country and its beloved inhabitants, in the ideas these images suggested; and forgetful alike of the wintery blast, he only drew his thick cloak closer around him; and cradled in the coiled rope of the anchor, with his eyes half-closed, he continued to muse58 on his future destiny: dreaming of martial59 achievements, and a succession of visionary triumphs, till the bright phantoms60 were lost in the chaos61 of sound sleep.
点击收听单词发音
1 streaked | |
adj.有条斑纹的,不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 );使布满条纹 | |
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2 shroud | |
n.裹尸布,寿衣;罩,幕;vt.覆盖,隐藏 | |
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3 blessing | |
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
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4 mingling | |
adj.混合的 | |
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5 ascending | |
adj.上升的,向上的 | |
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6 bleak | |
adj.(天气)阴冷的;凄凉的;暗淡的 | |
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7 gusty | |
adj.起大风的 | |
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8 pinnacles | |
顶峰( pinnacle的名词复数 ); 顶点; 尖顶; 小尖塔 | |
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9 solicitude | |
n.焦虑 | |
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10 preservation | |
n.保护,维护,保存,保留,保持 | |
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11 rim | |
n.(圆物的)边,轮缘;边界 | |
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12 orb | |
n.太阳;星球;v.弄圆;成球形 | |
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13 abrupt | |
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 | |
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14 declivity | |
n.下坡,倾斜面 | |
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15 pang | |
n.剧痛,悲痛,苦闷 | |
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16 wan | |
(wide area network)广域网 | |
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17 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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18 remorse | |
n.痛恨,悔恨,自责 | |
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19 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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20 moor | |
n.荒野,沼泽;vt.(使)停泊;vi.停泊 | |
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21 canopies | |
(宝座或床等上面的)华盖( canopy的名词复数 ); (飞行器上的)座舱罩; 任何悬于上空的覆盖物; 森林中天棚似的树荫 | |
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22 manor | |
n.庄园,领地 | |
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23 remonstrance | |
n抗议,抱怨 | |
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24 obedience | |
n.服从,顺从 | |
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25 lessen | |
vt.减少,减轻;缩小 | |
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26 vessel | |
n.船舶;容器,器皿;管,导管,血管 | |
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27 baron | |
n.男爵;(商业界等)巨头,大王 | |
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28 reclaiming | |
v.开拓( reclaim的现在分词 );要求收回;从废料中回收(有用的材料);挽救 | |
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29 pastor | |
n.牧师,牧人 | |
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30 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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31 torrent | |
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
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32 dependant | |
n.依靠的,依赖的,依赖他人生活者 | |
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33 entreaties | |
n.恳求,乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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34 vows | |
誓言( vow的名词复数 ); 郑重宣布,许愿 | |
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35 entailing | |
使…成为必要( entail的现在分词 ); 需要; 限定继承; 使必需 | |
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36 exasperation | |
n.愤慨 | |
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37 distressed | |
痛苦的 | |
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38 outrageous | |
adj.无理的,令人不能容忍的 | |
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39 chastised | |
v.严惩(某人)(尤指责打)( chastise的过去式 ) | |
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40 dreary | |
adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的 | |
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41 solitude | |
n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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42 intervals | |
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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43 enquire | |
v.打听,询问;调查,查问 | |
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44 imbibed | |
v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 );喝;吸取;吸气 | |
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45 steering | |
n.操舵装置 | |
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46 leeward | |
adj.背风的;下风的 | |
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47 majestic | |
adj.雄伟的,壮丽的,庄严的,威严的,崇高的 | |
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48 virtue | |
n.德行,美德;贞操;优点;功效,效力 | |
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49 groves | |
树丛,小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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50 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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51 slumbering | |
微睡,睡眠(slumber的现在分词形式) | |
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52 promontories | |
n.岬,隆起,海角( promontory的名词复数 ) | |
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53 glades | |
n.林中空地( glade的名词复数 ) | |
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54 luxurious | |
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的 | |
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55 arena | |
n.竞技场,运动场所;竞争场所,舞台 | |
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56 populous | |
adj.人口稠密的,人口众多的 | |
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57 receding | |
v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 );向后倾斜;自原处后退或避开别人的注视;尤指问题 | |
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58 muse | |
n.缪斯(希腊神话中的女神),创作灵感 | |
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59 martial | |
adj.战争的,军事的,尚武的,威武的 | |
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60 phantoms | |
n.鬼怪,幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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61 chaos | |
n.混乱,无秩序 | |
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