Of human passion in her brain,—
First, youth's impulsive1, mad desire,
Then love, and love's devouring2 pain.
Some two years previous to the incidents of our opening chapter, in a quiet house situated3 on G—St., in the vicinity of Belmont Square, an aged4 couple sat quietly talking, while the shadows fell longer and darker about the room, and the increased tread of passing feet spoke5 plainly of the end of another day of that weary labor6 that fell to the lot of the large number of tradespeople who lived in this row of modest houses.
The aged couple mentioned were occupying the two narrow windows that faced the crowded thoroughfare, and the two faces were pressed anxiously against the glass, while the old eyes[Pg 13] peered eagerly up and down, over and across in a careful search for the one of whom they had been quietly speaking.
There was silence for a little while and then the old man leaned back in his chair and, while wiping the moisture from his glasses with a generous square of cambric, said querulously:
"It is mighty7 strange, Marthy, where Lizzie is. She ought to be home before this."
"I know it, father," responded his wife meekly8. "She's been acting9 very strange of late, staying away from home and coming in at all hours as dragged out as if she had been walking the streets for miles."
"Maybe that's what she does," snapped the old man, and then, as if ashamed of his hasty words, he added in a softer tone: "Though why she should do that I can't see. She's got a good home here with us and has had ever since our poor Mary died and left us our grandchild in the place of our child to care for and protect."
"And we've done both, father," said the old lady, gently. "Lizzie has no need to seek pleasure outside her own home, what, with the rooms to[Pg 14] look after, her books, her piano and her needle work, she ought to be pretty well contented10."
"That's so, Marthy, but she evidently is not. Now ever since that young man rented our two back rooms and began to spend his evenings here—"
"You don't think she is in love with him, do you father?" interrupted his wife quickly.
"Can't say, Marthy, you women can judge better of that. I only know she acts uncommonly11 unhappy lately. Let's see, the young fellow has been gone a week now, hasn't he?"
"Yes, that is so, and Lizzie has seemed all broke down ever since. I was asking her yesterday to see Mr. Jeller, but she turned as white as anything.
"'No, no, Grandma,' she said, 'I'll not see any doctors. There's nothing the matter with me, nothing!'
"But there was a hard look came into her eyes, and the idea went through my mind that perhaps that gentlemanly looking fellow was just playing with her after all, and she had only found it out after her heart was gone from her."
Here the old lady stopped to wipe the tears from her faded eyes, while the blood of his youth flushed her husband's face and, with cane12 uplifted, he muttered fiercely:
"If I thought that, I'd cane him, old as I am! Lizzie's a good girl and has been as well raised and as well educated as the best of them, and if her father and grandfather before him were tradespeople, they were honest and respectable, and I don't know what better dowry a woman can need than her own virtues13 and accomplishments14 and a record behind her of generations of honorable people."
Here the old man again sank back in his chair, overcome by the violence of his emotions, while his wife, re-adjusting her glasses, moved aside the curtain and again peered out into the fast darkening street.
There was silence for a few moments and then her husband resumed his position at the other window, while the ticking of the clock echoed, painfully distinct, through the silent room, and the sound of passing feet grew fainter and fainter, and darkness, mingling15 with the impenetrable vapors[Pg 16] of a London fog, settled heavily down upon the earth.
Certainly no girl could have a more happy home or two more tender, loving companions than had Elizabeth Merril.
But discontent is bred in the bone and needs no outward influence or surroundings to foster its soul destroying germs.
Elizabeth had grown into womanhood, beautiful in form and feature, loyal in heart and spotless in her maidenly16 purity, but the seeds of discontent, inherited or otherwise, sprang up in her heart and took from every pleasure that fullness of joy which is so necessary to perfect happiness.
It was her suggestion to rent the superfluous17 rooms thereby18 adding to the family exchequer19 and at the same time increasing her household duties.
The logic20 was excellent, but the impulse of a dissatisfied mind prompted the suggestion and evil impulses, however logical, are rarely productive of good results.
This particular instance was a most conclusive21 proof of the veracity22 of such reasoning.
For a few brief weeks Elizabeth's heart was filled with content and peace. With her additional labor came renewed ambition and the results seemed highly satisfactory to all concerned.
Then, as time passed on and the young man who occupied the rooms found many and varied23 excuses for seeking her presence, the roses on Elizabeth's cheeks deepened into carnation24, her eyes flashed with a new born glory, and from morn till night the tender song of the nightingale burst joyously25 from her lips.
The young man had occupied the rooms for nearly a year and his devotion to their grandchild had been constantly growing more marked.
But for the past few months the song had ceased on Elizabeth's lips and the rosy26 cheeks were growing steadily27 paler.
In vain the aged couple watched and questioned, but Elizabeth's feminine tact28 and spirit outwitted them.
She fulfilled her duties patiently, as of yore, but would seize upon every possible pretext29 for remaining away from home, and now, during the week that her lover failed to appear at his cosy[Pg 18] apartments, they had hardly seen her for more than a few moments each day.
Thus it was no wonder that to-night they watched and waited at their narrow windows while the hours stole by and still the wandering girl returned not to her pleasant home.
Back and forth30 over the great London Bridge she was walking; her head bent31 low; her blue eyes fixed32 and glaring; her pale lips compressed in bitter agony, while over and over again she paused and looked eagerly down into the sluggish33 water.
The bridge was jammed as usual with hurrying pedestrians34 and jostling carts, and few turned to look at the solitary35 figure.
Now and then a watchful36 "Bobby" stopped and stared into her face and more than one of these experienced officers read the signs of coming trouble in her pallid38 features.
But it was not their duty to ask her business or order her away. She was doing no harm and surely it would be but a meddlesome39 act on their part to try and avert40 the danger which they so plainly foresaw.
Still she walked on and on until the crowd was lessened41 and fewer officers remained on duty.
Just as the fog, rising from the river below and the smoke falling from the chimneys above, met and mingled42 in a pall37 of gloom and obscurity, she turned again, paused, looked once more into the darkness below, then vaulting43 suddenly to the massive rail, sprang lightly forward through the mists and down into the awful waters.
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收听单词发音
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1
impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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2
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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3
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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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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6
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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7
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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8
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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9
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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10
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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12
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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13
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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15
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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16
maidenly
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| adj. 像处女的, 谨慎的, 稳静的 | |
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17
superfluous
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| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
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18
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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exchequer
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| n.财政部；国库 | |
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20
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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21
conclusive
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| adj.最后的，结论的；确凿的，消除怀疑的 | |
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22
veracity
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| n.诚实 | |
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23
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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24
carnation
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| n.康乃馨（一种花） | |
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25
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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26
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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27
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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28
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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29
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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30
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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31
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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32
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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33
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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34
pedestrians
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| n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
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35
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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36
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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37
pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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38
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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39
meddlesome
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| adj.爱管闲事的 | |
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40
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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41
lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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42
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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43
vaulting
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| n.（天花板或屋顶的）拱形结构 | |
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