Within the space of ten short days Cecil Stark1 was turned from supreme2 indifference3 concerning life or death to the contrary emotion. Existence for him had become endowed with a lively charm, and if Grace Malherb's heart fluttered in secret, the sailor's also now beat less steadily5, and played him pranks6 at her approach. He found in the maiden7 all that love asks, and more by much than ever he had seen in any other woman. Here did beauty, spirit, force of soul, music of voice and graciousness of mien8 all merge9 in one lovely girl; and Stark very rightly and properly went down like a man before the irresistible10. Now greedily he counted the hours and prayed that the snow might endure. He hated the red sun that daily crept above Cater's Beam and sank where Prince Town lay, for it touched the drifts and changed their character. The expanses of white glittered and settled down, while from their bowels11 snow-water eternally trickled12 until the rivers roared, and black, boiling streams, all splashed with yellow spume, thundered from each great hill. Now sunlit streaks13 and spots of stone, heath and bog14 broke the huge whiteness of the mountains, and Stark's glimpse of Paradise was nearly over. Each morning at the breakfast-hour he waited in fear for Maurice Malherb to pronounce sentence of departure; each day he breathed again to find a few hours were still left to him.
Grace Malherb proved such a listener as sailors love. She had not imbibed15 many of her father's prejudices, and was too full of the delight of life on one side, its personal problems and puzzles on the other, to concern herself with politics or abstract ideas touching16 the welfare of nations. Cecil Stark did what Grace's father was powerless to do, and wakened in her an active interest concerning war. She listened attentively17 while he rose to the occasion and, inspired by her advertance, painted with all an earnest lad's enthusiasm the cause for which he fought. She watched from under lowered lids, and while he fancied that her heart must throb18 to the cannon's roar or the crash of falling spars, she was either comparing his powerful face with the more delicate and more classic features of her lover, or contrasting the fire of the fighting man with the dreamy disposition19 of John Lee. But John Lee would presently be a fighting man also.
Little basenesses crept into the soul of poor Grace under this ordeal20. By night she wept bitterly at herself and marvelled21 to behold22 her own meanness. She found herself secretly thankful that Cecil Stark knew nothing of her engagement; then, heartily23 ashamed, she probed this instinct, and imagined that it must be caused by the American's superiority of position and of rank. In reality she erred24 and the truth was far different; but this the girl had not as yet discovered. Her misery25 was extreme, and she blamed herself bitterly when she reflected how much of her thoughts the American prisoner already owned. Indeed, all other concerns swept headlong into a remote, unimportant past. And it was so with the man; for his first love now lighted life with wild, unrestful glory. Of the maiden's heart, indeed, he knew nothing, but, impelled26 to do so by a vague hope as to the future, he had made a clean breast of his own affairs and dwelt egotistically upon them. Not seldom Mr. Peter Norcot's former assertion clouded those moments in which Stark had sense to pause and reflect, yet the other's name was never mentioned by Grace, and he began presently to hope that the wish was father to Peter's thought and declaration. There seemed no evidence that Miss Malherb's future was already determined27.
The sailor's ambitions Grace admired with enthusiasm; his splendid future, his prospective28 flocks and herds29, lands and homesteads beside the Champlain, attracted her less keenly. But more topics than one made the girl's eyes sparkle as he spoke30 of them.
"You are such a Diana that you'd love Vermont," Cecil once said. "Our folks, however, hunt for business rather than sport. We had moose, deer, bears, foxes and wolves once, and peltry was the great business of the trappers and pioneers. Even yet our furs fetch near two thousand pounds every year; but the beasts are being killed faster than Nature can restore them. They will soon vanish."
"We had wolves here, too. I think the last was killed in Tudor times. 'Twas an obligation under the old local laws that the folk should slay31 them. Now we have little but foxes; and a good, red Moor32 fox is the best in England."
"I never hunted, though I can ride sailor-fashion. Now I should like to see you in the saddle, Mistress Grace!"
"Of course you hunt in the English way, if you have respectable hound-fearing foxes?" she asked, ignoring his desire concerning herself.
"Yes; many amongst us stick stoutly33 to New England ways, which, indeed, are the same as old England ways for that matter. But in states of society such as ours, the conditions make for change. We are deeply interested in education and enterprise; we marry early; we advocate equality of rights, because that is natural where all men have the same interests. But equality of power we never pretend to. The idea is nonsensical; Nature herself shows that. Men are unequal in power and capacity—so are all other animals. We are, I think, both economical and hospitable34. We resent control of religion, and hold liberty of thought in that matter vital. We have an elastic35 mind in affairs of government, and don't attempt to bind36 posterity37 to our forms in your English fashion. In England men are full of opinions and empty of information. We let opinions go hang and never tire of learning. We keep fluid; we respect human life very much. Instead of a hundred and sixty capital crimes, as there are in Great Britain, we have but nine sins in Vermont for which a man is punished by death. We marry early——"
"You said that before."
"Did I? Well—it's interesting."
"So it is."
"But I bore you to distraction—I am sure that I must do so, Miss Malherb."
"Very far from it, Mr. Stark. You interest one and all of us. It is marvellous to me how you tell each amongst us the sort of things most likely to attract him, or her. You have made every man your friend; and every woman too."
She dimly guessed his meaning when he dwelt so much upon himself, and told of his honoured family, and of his future as the survivor38 of the race.
Throughout the severe weather it was impossible for John Lee to see more than a passing glimpse of his lady. The hardship of this specially39 touched Grace's heart, and not seldom, after intimate chatter40 with the American, she purposely sought disconsolate41 John that she might cheer his loneliness and longing42. But in the vital matter of the guest, young Lee suffered less than would have been supposed. Jealousy43 was no part of his nature. He rejoiced heartily that Grace should have company so interesting during the tedious days after the storm. In common with Beer, Woodman and the rest, John appreciated Cecil Stark, and found his own sentiments echo the sailor's on many subjects. The labourers often discussed their visitor, admired the frank, friendly spirit in which he came amongst them at their work, and regretted the fact that he must soon return to prison.
Once in a morning hour Grace played her piano to the guest, and upon opening a music-book, the ghost of a sprig of white heather, now turned brown, tumbled out of it. Mr. Peter Norcot had presented this trophy44, and placed it to mark a song of Herrick's, with Purcell's accompaniment.
Now Stark noted45 the flower.
"You like it not, I see," he said, for memory suddenly clouded the singer's eyes.
"Dead heath," she answered; "and for me I vow46 that it never lived. A gentleman placed it there because the song pleased him."
"I'd give the world to know who 'twas, Miss Malherb."
"You shall hear for nothing. There is no secret. The name will not be new to you, I think; Mr. Peter Norcot."
Stark's face fell, and the recollection of many things crowded down bleakly47 upon him.
"He's a good man—a great-hearted, generous spirit," he declared.
Grace did not answer.
"I have been blind lately," he continued. "My wits went wandering in the blizzard48 and have never returned. It has pleased me to forget Mr. Norcot too long. What might have been, Miss Malherb! He won parole for us out of his own pure goodness and love of humanity. But meantime we had tried to escape and failed. A mad world! And but for that Jonathan Miller49 might still be living. The man's name must be blessed by every American that hears it—Norcot's, I mean."
Still Grace made no reply.
"Such a gentleman must be above possibility of error in such a vital thing as he confided50 to me," pursued Cecil gloomily. "I ought to have faced the fact sooner and not let my fool thoughts—— So you are going to marry him, Miss Malherb?"
"Never, Mr. Stark."
"He told me so—truly he believed it."
"He is wrong. He is a most worthy51 person, and he very seldom makes a mistake. But he is wrong for once when he says that, or thinks it—wildly, utterly52, hopelessly wrong."
"You do not love him?"
"My father does. He desires that I should wed4 him."
"But surely——?"
"'Surely I could do no better,' you were going to say?"
"Indeed, no. Surely your father's first thought is your future happiness?"
"My future—not my future happiness. You see, one's parents have got over our young delusions53 about people being happy. Fathers and mothers forget that love matters. They hold it as we hold the fleeting54 wretchedness of a toothache. They don't even pity us. Yet my father was a grand lover, for my mother has told me so; but he has forgotten."
"You honour me to divulge55 these sacred things about yourself. Poor Norcot—and yet—in a sense—in truth from my whole heart and soul, I mean. But how is this to the point? To sum up, you don't love him?"
"That is exactly what I strive day and night to make clear to everybody."
"Would it be beyond the limits of courtesy to breathe a question on so great a subject? Yet I seem to know the answer. It must be so. It sinks like lead into me; you love somebody else, Miss Malherb?"
"Heyday56! And if I do, why should you be miserable57, Mr. Stark? I love my mother, sir, and my father, and—and all who love me—excepting only Mr. Norcot. I love him too—the Bible bids me love him; but I don't like Him. The Bible is too wise to order the impossible. It does not tell us to like anybody."
"Listen, if I may—at least——"
"Do you hear the river in flood? It is like the sound of an angry sea by night."
"I hear it well enough. The snows are melting, and my happiness with them. Oh, if I dared—before I left you! If I had a pinch of my country's courage!"
"You do not lack for that, else you would never have seen Dartmoor."
"That was the chance of defeat. But real bravery—— There's such a madness here raging in me—such a hurricane that——"
"Oh, dearie me! Even such nonsense does Mr. Peter Norcot talk!"
"And so you answer him. Yet your eyes are gentler than your tongue. I'll speak—I care not. I'm only a sailor swept here by chance. Fate—at least Providence58, I mean—to be plain, I love you! I love you so dearly that I'd—but not until I'm no longer a prisoner. After the war—could you listen then? I—oh, my heart and my life, say I may come back again after the war!"
The lightning progress of this business burnt poor Grace like fire. She gasped59 as he spoke. Her senses reeled. She had not strength to draw from him the hand that he had clasped and now passionately60 kissed. He was down upon his knees beside her, and she saw his great chest rise and fall, she felt his eyes pierce to her heart and read the truth there. Now she understood her mistake. This was love, and all the past only a ghostly phantom61 and mockery of it. She longed to give herself up to him. She felt that he offered her life, that his voice woke the soul that had slept until now within her. Then she blushed at the baseness of her thoughts and spoke with levity62 to hide the first mighty63 joy and the first master-sorrow that her heart had ached over.
"Come back if it pleases you, Mr. Stark. But not to me. Worthless thing that I am, another already claims my love."
He released her hand reverently64, then rose.
"'Twas an insult to you not to know that without being told. I did right to say that I was mad."
"You'll never speak of this," she whispered; "your own act forced it from me. I am proud to think that you could love me; but you will keep my secret?"
"Trust me for that. As you'll keep my confession65, so I shall cherish yours. God knows how I can go on living any more. Yet I'll even curse the end of the war that sets me free now, for free in truth I'll never be again."
"Then I shall feel sad to think I have a slave against my will. I shall suffer to remember that."
"Remember me no more at all. Only remember that you have lifted me up and made my existence good and precious. You saved my life and led me into a paradise. Now I must depart again. Twice conquered by England am I; and blessed in being conquered."
"You are generous and I do greatly esteem66 you, sir," faltered67 Grace. "You have brought happiness and interest and knowledge into my ignorant days. More knowledge than you think for! I thank you for all your goodness, and I mourn to know you are so ill-paid. Had it not been—at least—I shall never forget you."
"May God bless and keep you and the man you love," he said earnestly. "You have been light in darkness to me; I shall always love and worship you. And he who has won you has my admiration68 and respect for ever. A king of men must he be!"
Annabel Malherb entered at this moment, and she came the bearer of stern news for Stark. Yesterday her intelligence had sunk him into the depths of tribulation69; to-day he welcomed it. Henceforth his prison was not of stone and iron, but built in memory. To breathe the same air with Grace Malherb would be his sole remaining privilege now, since closer common interest he could never claim.
Maurice Malherb sent a courteous70 inquiry71 as to whether his guest's convenience would be suited by early departure on the following morning.
"If so," said Annabel, "my husband proposes that you and he should ride together after breakfast to—to Prince Town, dear Mr. Stark."
The sailor declared that he was ready.
"And to thank you, madam, would be a vain, impossible task," he said. "Your daughter saved my life; you and your husband nursed me back to health, bore with me in my weakness and ill humours, sympathised with my sorrows, treated me with a consideration and kindness beyond belief. I shall never while I live forget your goodness, nor forget to be grateful for it."
Upon the following morning Cecil Stark departed, and it was a secret joy to Grace amid all her secret grief, that he rode upon 'C?sar.' She steeled herself to the farewell, for now she knew, indeed, that she loved him; now she found her desire towards him a live, gigantic and ponderable passion, not the gauzy and delicate understanding that she had maintained with John Lee. Love took her by the heart-strings, shook her, banished72 sleep, killed appetite, wrote care within her young eyes and revealed it upon her looking-glass at dawn. Her future life, from a vague shadow, half shunned73, half spied upon, as in the past, now came close and stared at her. She found the time to come hideous74 and wished that she might die to escape from it. She looked ill when she bade the American prisoner "good-bye"; and he observed it and felt it hard to keep his voice steady.
Then Grace watched him ride away with her father, and behind them trotted75 John Lee. He passed where she stood at a wall on the farm boundaries and touched his hat to her, for he could be seen by all. But only Grace was within reach of his voice.
"At last, my darling dear! At last I shall kiss your sweet lips again! Such news—such brave news, my Gracie! I've found the hiding-place of the amphora!"
He passed on, and the girl, returning to her chamber76, locked the door of it and wept as she had not wept since childhood.
"Three—three men," she sobbed77 to herself. "Three grown men can all love this wretched thing. And I hate one; and I—I—love one; and good John Lee, handsome, humble78, kind, faithful John Lee; I would rather die a thousand deaths than break my troth to you!"
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1
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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6
pranks
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| n.玩笑，恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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merge
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| v.(使)结合，(使)合并，(使)合为一体 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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bowels
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| n.肠，内脏，内部；肠( bowel的名词复数 )；内部，最深处 | |
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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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streaks
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| n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹 | |
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bog
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| n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖 | |
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imbibed
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| v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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erred
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| 犯错误，做错事( err的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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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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slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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trophy
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| n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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bleakly
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| 无望地，阴郁地，苍凉地 | |
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blizzard
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| n.暴风雪 | |
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miller
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| n.磨坊主 | |
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50
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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51
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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delusions
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| n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 )；谬见；错觉；妄想 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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divulge
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| v.泄漏(秘密等)；宣布，公布 | |
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heyday
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| n.全盛时期，青春期 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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67
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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68
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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69
tribulation
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| n.苦难，灾难 | |
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70
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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71
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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72
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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73
shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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75
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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76
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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77
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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78
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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