His nativity carefully concealed10, and being personally introduced to the chief gardener by one who well knew him; armed, too, with a line from Sir John, and recommended by his introducer as uncommonly11 expert at horticulture; Israel was soon installed as keeper of certain less private plants and walks of the park.
It was here, to one of his near country retreats, that, coming from perplexities of state—leaving far behind him the dingy12 old bricks of St. James—George the Third was wont13 to walk up and down beneath the long arbors formed by the interlockings of lofty trees.
More than once, raking the gravel14, Israel through intervening foliage15 would catch peeps in some private but parallel walk, of that lonely figure, not more shadowy with overhanging leaves than with the shade of royal meditations16.
Unauthorized and abhorrent17 thoughts will sometimes invade the best human heart. Seeing the monarch18 unguarded before him; remembering that the war was imputed19 more to the self-will of the King than to the willingness of parliament or the nation; and calling to mind all his own sufferings growing out of that war, with all the calamities20 of his country; dim impulses, such as those to which the regicide Ravaillae yielded, would shoot balefully across the soul of the exile. But thrusting Satan behind him, Israel vanquished21 all such temptations. Nor did these ever more disturb him, after his one chance conversation with the monarch.
As he was one day gravelling a little by-walk, wrapped in thought, the King turning a clump22 of bushes, suddenly brushed Israel's person.
Immediately Israel touched his hat—but did not remove it—bowed, and was retiring; when something in his air arrested the King's attention.
"You ain't an Englishman,—no Englishman—no, no."
Pale as death, Israel tried to answer something; but knowing not what to say, stood frozen to the ground.
"You are a Yankee—a Yankee," said the King again in his rapid and half-stammering way.
Again Israel assayed to reply, but could not. What could he say? Could he lie to a King?
"Yes, yes,—you are one of that stubborn race,—that very stubborn race. What brought you here?"
"The fate of war, sir."
"May it please your Majesty24," said a low cringing25 voice, approaching, "this man is in the walk against orders. There is some mistake, may it please your Majesty. Quit the walk, blockhead," he hissed26 at Israel.
It was one of the junior gardeners who thus spoke27. It seems that Israel had mistaken his directions that morning.
"Slink, you dog," hissed the gardener again to Israel; then aloud to the King, "A mistake of the man, I assure your Majesty."
"Go you away—away with ye, and leave him with me," said the king.
Waiting a moment, till the man was out of hearing, the king again turned upon Israel.
"Yes, sir."
"Fought like a devil—like a very devil, I suppose?"
"Yes, sir."
"Helped flog—helped flog my soldiers?"
"Yes, sir; but very sorry to do it."
"Eh?—eh?—how's that?"
"I took it to be my sad duty, sir."
"Very much mistaken—very much mistaken, indeed. Why do ye sir me?—eh? I'm your king—your king."
"Sir," said Israel firmly, but with deep respect, "I have no king."
The king darted29 his eye incensedly for a moment; but without quailing30, Israel, now that all was out, still stood with mute respect before him. The king, turning suddenly, walked rapidly away from Israel a moment, but presently returning with a less hasty pace, said, "You are rumored31 to be a spy—a spy, or something of that sort—ain't you? But I know you are not—no, no. You are a runaway32 prisoner of war, eh? You have sought this place to be safe from pursuit, eh? eh? Is it not so?—eh? eh? eh?"
"Sir, it is."
"Well, ye're an honest rebel—rebel, yes, rebel. Hark ye, hark. Say nothing of this talk to any one. And hark again. So long as you remain here at Kew, I shall see that you are safe—safe."
"God bless your Majesty!"
"Eh?"
"God bless your noble Majesty?"
"Come—come—come," smiled the king in delight, "I thought I could conquer ye—conquer ye."
"Not the king, but the king's kindness, your Majesty."
"Join my army—army."
Sadly looking down, Israel silently shook his head.
"You won't? Well, gravel the walk then—gravel away. Very stubborn race—very stubborn race, indeed—very—very—very."
And still growling33, the magnanimous lion departed. How the monarch came by his knowledge of so humble34 an exile, whether through that swift insight into individual character said to form one of the miraculous35 qualities transmitted with a crown, or whether some of the rumors36 prevailing37 outside of the garden had come to his ear, Israel could never determine. Very probably, though, the latter was the case, inasmuch as some vague shadowy report of Israel not being an Englishman, had, a little previous to his interview with the king, been communicated to several of the inferior gardeners. Without any impeachment38 of Israel's fealty39 to his country, it must still be narrated40, that from this his familiar audience with George the Third, he went away with very favorable views of that monarch. Israel now thought that it could not be the warm heart of the king, but the cold heads of his lords in council, that persuaded him so tyrannically to persecute41 America. Yet hitherto the precise contrary of this had been Israel's opinion, agreeably to the popular prejudice throughout New England.
Thus we see what strange and powerful magic resides in a crown, and how subtly that cheap and easy magnanimity, which in private belongs to most kings, may operate on good-natured and unfortunate souls. Indeed, had it not been for the peculiar42 disinterested43 fidelity44 of our adventurer's patriotism45, he would have soon sported the red coat; and perhaps under the immediate23 patronage46 of his royal friend, been advanced in time to no mean rank in the army of Britain. Nor in that case would we have had to follow him, as at last we shall, through long, long years of obscure and penurious47 wandering.
Continuing in the service of the king's gardeners at Kew, until a season came when the work of the garden required a less number of laborers48, Israel, with several others, was discharged; and the day after, engaged himself for a few months to a farmer in the neighborhood where he had been last employed. But hardly a week had gone by, when the old story of his being a rebel, or a runaway prisoner, or a Yankee, or a spy, began to be revived with added malignity49. Like bloodhounds, the soldiers were once more on the track. The houses where he harbored were many times searched; but thanks to the fidelity of a few earnest well-wishers, and to his own unsleeping vigilance and activity, the hunted fox still continued to elude50 apprehension51. To such extremities52 of harassment53, however, did this incessant54 pursuit subject him, that in a fit of despair he was about to surrender himself, and submit to his fate, when Providence55 seasonably interposed in his favor.
点击收听单词发音
1 sincerity | |
n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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2 millet | |
n.小米,谷子 | |
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3 berth | |
n.卧铺,停泊地,锚位;v.使停泊 | |
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4 laborer | |
n.劳动者,劳工 | |
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5 den | |
n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室 | |
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6 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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7 premises | |
n.建筑物,房屋 | |
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8 molest | |
vt.骚扰,干扰,调戏 | |
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9 asylum | |
n.避难所,庇护所,避难 | |
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10 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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11 uncommonly | |
adv. 稀罕(极,非常) | |
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12 dingy | |
adj.昏暗的,肮脏的 | |
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13 wont | |
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 | |
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14 gravel | |
n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石 | |
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15 foliage | |
n.叶子,树叶,簇叶 | |
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16 meditations | |
默想( meditation的名词复数 ); 默念; 沉思; 冥想 | |
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17 abhorrent | |
adj.可恶的,可恨的,讨厌的 | |
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18 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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19 imputed | |
v.把(错误等)归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20 calamities | |
n.灾祸,灾难( calamity的名词复数 );不幸之事 | |
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21 vanquished | |
v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 );战胜;克服;抑制 | |
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22 clump | |
n.树丛,草丛;vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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23 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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24 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
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25 cringing | |
adj.谄媚,奉承 | |
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26 hissed | |
发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 ); 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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27 spoke | |
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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28 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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29 darted | |
v.投掷,投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 );向前冲,飞奔 | |
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30 quailing | |
害怕,发抖,畏缩( quail的现在分词 ) | |
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31 rumored | |
adj.传说的,谣传的v.传闻( rumor的过去式和过去分词 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷 | |
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32 runaway | |
n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的 | |
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33 growling | |
n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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34 humble | |
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低 | |
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35 miraculous | |
adj.像奇迹一样的,不可思议的 | |
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36 rumors | |
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷 | |
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37 prevailing | |
adj.盛行的;占优势的;主要的 | |
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38 impeachment | |
n.弹劾;控告;怀疑 | |
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39 fealty | |
n.忠贞,忠节 | |
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40 narrated | |
v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41 persecute | |
vt.迫害,虐待;纠缠,骚扰 | |
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42 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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43 disinterested | |
adj.不关心的,不感兴趣的 | |
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44 fidelity | |
n.忠诚,忠实;精确 | |
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45 patriotism | |
n.爱国精神,爱国心,爱国主义 | |
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46 patronage | |
n.赞助,支援,援助;光顾,捧场 | |
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47 penurious | |
adj.贫困的 | |
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48 laborers | |
n.体力劳动者,工人( laborer的名词复数 );(熟练工人的)辅助工 | |
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49 malignity | |
n.极度的恶意,恶毒;(病的)恶性 | |
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50 elude | |
v.躲避,困惑 | |
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51 apprehension | |
n.理解,领悟;逮捕,拘捕;忧虑 | |
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52 extremities | |
n.端点( extremity的名词复数 );尽头;手和足;极窘迫的境地 | |
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53 harassment | |
n.骚扰,扰乱,烦恼,烦乱 | |
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54 incessant | |
adj.不停的,连续的 | |
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55 providence | |
n.深谋远虑,天道,天意;远见;节约;上帝 | |
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