The Mallan burned brilliant in the sun. Rippleless, it stretched a band of blackened silver betwixt its sedges. A ring of eddies12, a splash of foam13, or a golden gleam darting14 swift and evanescent through the crystal darkness told of the life below. The blue-and-white mosaics16 of heaven shone on its idle bosom8. Dragon-flies, blue, green, and scarlet17, skimmed gossamer18 bright over rush and flag. Gnats19 played in the shallows and the moorhen paddled in the shade.
Weary of whipping the irresponsive water, the girl kneeling in the grass laid down her rod and glanced at her companion under the broad brim of her rose-laden hat. A June splendor20 burned upon her face. Her light summer dress of some greenish and opalescent21 fabric22 hung about her figure with a cool luxuriousness23, tinted24 as with the cold glimmer25 of a fading west.
“No sport,” she cried to the man down stream, in her rich, full-throated voice, a voice that seemed in keeping with the opulence26 of her beauty.
“None,” came the echo.
“I’m bored.”
“At fifty yards!”
Ophelia smiled. Her lips were long and pleasurable, and a physical and sensuous27 magic seemed radiated from her figure. Her eyes fell into a contemplative stare as she watched the man draw near, swinging his fly to dry in the sun. He was bareheaded and his bronzed and handsome face shone eager to the west. His eyes had a habit of kindling28 when their glance lighted on the girl’s face. He was a clean-limbed man withal, supple29 as a young ash, sanguine30, keenly sensitive, a man such as women love.
“No sport,” he said, smiling in the sun.
“An empty day, a wasted day. Am I a sentimentalist?”
The woman laughed a laugh that was peculiarly witching.
“We are both unimpeachable32.”
“Such enthusiasts33.”
“Model piscators, always gossiping, never keeping cover, missing rises, letting our wits wander. Gabriel, you are making a horrible cockney of me. I could not look my Scotch34 gillie in the face.”
An indefinite suggestiveness appeared even in these sparse35, jesting words. The trout36 silvering the Mallan’s shadows were poorly imperilled by the girl and the man upon the bank. Too human a Providence37 interfered38 with the genuine bigotry39 of sport. The fish, had they known it, were but dumb players in the opening stagecraft of an eternal and stage-worn play.
“We must catch something,” said the girl, decisively, plucking at the grass that caressed40 her dress.
“Even though it be a cold.”
“Don’t be flippant.”
“Nay, I am serious for your sake.”
“That is very good of you.”
“I am a most serious Walton, a most complete angler.”
“For compliments.”
“I land too many as it is.”
The girl smoothed the creases41 from her skirt, Gabriel watching her hands gliding42 over the green undulations with a pleasurable languor11. Her hair, full of light, curled over her ears and neck, and her shoulders were peculiarly graceful43, as she stood half stooping, her long lashes44 sweeping45 her sunburned cheeks. A sudden upward glance and her eyes met Gabriel’s. A passionate46 challenge flashed in the sun. Ophelia’s cheeks kindled47. Gabriel flushed an echo of red under his bronzed skin. They were both silent awhile as in thought.
The girl stretched out her arms like Clytie appealing the setting sun. A golden glow streamed above the woods; the scent15 of grass lay heavy on the air; a great silence abode48 over the meadows.
“I am stiff and it is growing late.”
“You are tired?”
“No.”
“Shall I try one more cast?”
“Yes. I will watch you.”
A kingfisher flashed, a living sapphire49, before their eyes. Gabriel drew back behind the willows and walked on silently in the long grass. The girl watched him awhile, and then followed, her green skirt sweeping the golden flowers at her feet. She was as fair and perilous50 as La Belle51 Dame52 Sans Merci, perilous with her proud eyes and her glimmering53 hair.
Gabriel had seen rings swaying on the still silver of the stream. He was on his knees crawling towards the bank. Ophelia, poring over the sensations of her own heart, had drawn54 near with an unconscious egotism of desire. Not reasoning on the scene before her, she drew nearer still with the western sunlight beating on her face. The man by the bank had half risen from his crouching55 posture56. A swing of the rod, a swishing of tackle, a twinging start of pain. The silver trout had escaped temptation through the flash of a woman’s arm.
Gabriel turned, dropped the rod, came to the girl with warm self-anger. A blue dun-fly specked her green sleeve; her lips were parted over her teeth; the fingers of her right hand gripped the twine57. She tugged58 once at it, winced59, and smiled in the man’s face. Gabriel fumbled60 for a knife and cut the line short.
“Clumsy beast that I am!”
“No,” she said, with a laugh, “better arm than cheek. There’s philosophic61 vanity for you.”
“Shall we go back home at once? I will ride for Marjoy.”
“Nonsense. Take the hook out here.”
“I?”
“Yes.”
“I shall hurt you.”
“Nonsense. Cut the sleeve.”
He began at the wrist and slit62 the silk wellnigh to the shoulder with his knife. The green folds fell away, baring the full, round arm white and glimmering in the sunlight. A thin blood track rubied the skin below the shoulder where the fly dipped its wings in the crimson63 stream. Gabriel’s fingers quivered against the girl’s wrist. They looked into each other’s eyes—a sudden, deep, and questioning look.
“Well?”
“Am I to take the thing out?”
A smile wandered over her lips. The man’s hands still touched her wrist.
“I have nerve. Push the barb64 through; the rest is easy.”
“I feel a brute65.”
“Don’t be sentimental31. I would rather you did it than any other man in the world.”
The contradiction passed unheeded, for their eyes were still at gaze into the opposing depths. They could hear each other breathing. Gabriel’s fingers touched the girl’s arm. She shivered and laughed a little, sucking in her breath betwixt her lips.
He steadied his hands against her arm. It was soon ended. A twist, a quiver, a passionate fumbling66 of fingers, and the barb of steel was tossed into the river.
“I have hurt you.”
Her eyes had grown dark with large and lustrous67 pupils; the sunlight dusted amber1 in her hair.
“No.”
“Not a little?”
“Perhaps—a little.”
A streak68 of blood veined the white satin of her skin. The man went red to the temples, bent69 suddenly, pressed his lips to the wound, and drew back panting.
“Pardon me, I could not help it.”
“Nor I.”
She laughed very softly. Her hand still rested in his; her fingers were as glowing metal in his palm.
“You rogue70!”
“Let me bind71 it up.”
“You may.”
“Am I forgiven?”
She darted72 up her lips to his as he bound his handkerchief about her arm. They stood staring in each other’s eyes, breathing hard, straining towards each other. In another minute the girl was sitting amid the feathery grass with the man’s head upon her knees.
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收听单词发音
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1
amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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imperturbable
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| adj.镇静的 | |
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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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larch
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| n.落叶松 | |
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cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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6
willows
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| n.柳树( willow的名词复数 )；柳木 | |
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7
bosoms
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| 胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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9
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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10
languorous
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| adj.怠惰的，没精打采的 | |
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languor
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| n.无精力，倦怠 | |
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12
eddies
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| （水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 ) | |
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13
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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14
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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15
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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16
mosaics
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| n.马赛克( mosaic的名词复数 )；镶嵌；镶嵌工艺；镶嵌图案 | |
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17
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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18
gossamer
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| n.薄纱，游丝 | |
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19
gnats
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| n.叮人小虫( gnat的名词复数 ) | |
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20
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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21
opalescent
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| adj.乳色的，乳白的 | |
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22
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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23
luxuriousness
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24
tinted
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| adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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25
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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26
opulence
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| n.财富，富裕 | |
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27
sensuous
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| adj.激发美感的；感官的，感觉上的 | |
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28
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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29
supple
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| adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺 | |
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30
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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31
sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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32
unimpeachable
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| adj.无可指责的；adv.无可怀疑地 | |
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33
enthusiasts
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| n.热心人，热衷者( enthusiast的名词复数 ) | |
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34
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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35
sparse
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| adj.稀疏的，稀稀落落的，薄的 | |
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36
trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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37
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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38
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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39
bigotry
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| n.偏见，偏执，持偏见的行为[态度]等 | |
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40
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
creases
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| （使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的第三人称单数 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹 | |
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42
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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43
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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44
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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45
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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46
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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47
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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48
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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49
sapphire
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| n.青玉，蓝宝石；adj.天蓝色的 | |
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50
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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51
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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52
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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53
glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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54
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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55
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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56
posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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57
twine
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| v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕 | |
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58
tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59
winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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61
philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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62
slit
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| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
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63
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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64
barb
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| n.（鱼钩等的）倒钩，倒刺 | |
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65
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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66
fumbling
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| n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理 | |
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67
lustrous
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| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
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68
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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69
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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70
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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71
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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72
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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