“I have been adding to my Oscar’s troubles,” she said to herself, “instead of trying to lighten his burden. If he has indeed made a painful sacrifice to honour and duty, shall I, by my pride and sullen3 gloom, show him that as regards my happiness it has been made in vain? Shall I not gratefully accept the affection which he gives me, though it be not the all-absorbing, idolatrous love which my selfishness, my pride demands? May I not be risking all by requiring too much? That is my Oscar’s step! with what joy I would once have sprung forth4 to meet him!” Io dried her eyes, and rose as Coldstream entered the veranda5, an anxious, careworn6 look on his face.
“Io, my love, I have just been speaking with Pinfold about you,” he said. “The doctor suggests that a change of air and scene might do you more good than medicine. What say you to a little camping out—an expedition to Tavoy?”
“I should like it extremely,” replied Io in her natural tone. She felt that it would be pleasant to escape from curious eyes, and wearisome inquiries7 after her health, to enjoy freedom in the wild woods, with Oscar for her companion. Her husband was pleased at the readiness and cheerfulness of her reply.
“You are not afraid of a little roughing it?” inquired Oscar tenderly, taking a seat beside his wife. “We should have to sleep in my little tent.” He had taken Io’s hand in his own, and was gently caressing8 it as he spoke9.
“I should enjoy the life,” was Io’s reply; “only, I was forgetting one thing: I could not leave my Maha behind, there is no lady in Moulmein to whom I could trust the poor child.”
“You shall take Maha with you,” said Oscar; “she shall share your tent at night, and wait on you by day.”
“But where would you sleep, my Oscar?”
“Under the trees—I’ve done so before; that is nothing to an old sportsman like me. A knapsack for a pillow, a rug for a bed—in this fine climate that is luxury enough for a man.”
“For you, I daresay, but not for me,” observed Thud, who had joined the Coldstreams in the veranda, and so had heard the conversation between them. “I have an idea that sleeping under trees is bad for the constitution.”
“By all means remain under a roof,” said Oscar, who was not anxious to have the company of Thucydides Thorn. “I shall ask Mr. Lawrence to let you live with him during our absence, and you will go on with your work at the wharf10.”
“With Mr. Lawrence!” said Thud dolefully; “I’d rather be sent to prison at once. Fancy being boxed up with a parson! I’d rather by far chum with Pogson.”
“I will not consent to your chumming with Pogson. As long as your mother trusts you to my care, you must allow me to make your arrangements,” said Coldstream, with that quiet decision which even Thud was learning to respect.
“Not without expense and delay,” replied Oscar. “I am anxious to start on Monday, so as, if possible, to reach Tavoy by the end of the week. Remember that all our luggage has to be carried on mules12. A large cavalcade14 is not to be desired. I should like you to stay in Moulmein.”
“And I should like to go to Tavoy,” said the lad. “If I must sleep under a tree, I must. I’ll have two rugs and a blanket. Camping out will give me fine opportunities of adding to my knowledge of natural history.”
“Yes; you will have the opportunity of finding out whether the mosquito has a proboscis16 not due to man’s cultivation,” said Io archly.
“How would you like to travel, my love?” inquired Oscar of his wife. “To ride your pony17 all the way would be far too fatiguing18, and there is no proper carriage-road. What say you to a litter, or a howdah on an elephant’s back?”
“I should like an elephant of all things,” exclaimed Io, with so much of her old playfulness that Oscar’s face relaxed into something like a smile.
“I should like it of all things too!” cried Thucydides Thorn.
“The howdahs used here are very small,” observed Oscar; “there is room for but two persons in them.”
“All right. You prefer walking, or riding a tat [country pony]; Io and I will sit in the howdah.”
“You forget the young Karen,” said Oscar. “She must sit with her lady.”
“Oh, I say!” exclaimed Thud with more of the school-boy than of the philosopher in his manner and tone; “a dirty brown beggar on an elephant’s back, and I on a wretched tat!”
“No one obliges you to go at all,” observed Coldstream.
But Thud was resolved to make one of the party, even if a tat were to be his only means of conveyance19. Besides, he had thought of a less ignoble20 steed.
“I’ll ride Io’s pony, Lightfoot,” said he.
“Io may choose sometimes to ride him herself,” observed Oscar. “We shall take a lady’s saddle with us.”
“Besides that, dear Thud,” said Io, “you might spoil Lightfoot’s paces or harden his mouth; you have only as yet ridden donkeys.”
To be told that he did not know how to ride was an insult almost too great for Thud’s philosophy to endure. He made a silent resolve that he would ride, and ride Lightfoot, but the presence of Coldstream prevented his making a reply. He only looked like an owl15 in the sulks.
Every one now was busy with preparations, and the work was good both for Oscar and Io. The latter felt her spirits rebound21 at the prospect22 of the change. Io resolved, if possible, to help Oscar to regain23 his lost cheerfulness, and not herself let her mind dwell on depressing thoughts.
“I will try to forget that such a being exists as Adelaide Mortimer,” said Io to herself, as she dived into the depths of one of her large trunks, to bring out such things as would be most suited for the intended expedition. “I will try to forget that there was ever a woman who so came between me and my betrothed24 that to renounce25 her cost him a terrible illness, and has ever since darkened his life with gloom. Let a thick curtain be drawn26 over the past; may grace be given me to make a better use of the present, and look forward with more hope and faith to the future!”
Thud sauntered into the room where Io was standing27 surrounded by a heterogeneous28 collection of articles scattered29 on the floor, things hastily pulled out of the box to be replaced in it as soon as a selection should have been made. Thud had in him something of the forager30 as well as the sage31: the owl does not think it below its dignity to pounce32 down on a mouse.
“Ah! that muslin—it will just suit me for a pagri [turban]; one must wear a pagri twisted round one’s hat to keep off the heat of the sun even in what they call the cold weather.”
“Take it, and welcome,” said Io.
“And that piece of American waterproof33 cloth—that’s just what I want,” cried Thud.
“But I happen to want it too,” said Io good-humouredly; “I brought it to wrap up the first parcel which I intend to send to dear mother in England.”
“You can easily get more such cloth; you can wait, and I can’t, if we’re to start on Monday,” said Thud. “You must make for me a big bag or case with a dozen pockets; I’ll show you just what I want. I’ll have a label sewn on each—one pocket for minerals, one for beetles34, one for butterflies, one for feathers, one for eggs, one for my journal (for I must take no end of notes), and one for fishing-hooks and flies (for I must have ichthyological specimens35 too).”
“And is this big case to be hung round your neck?” asked Io.
“Not a bad idea, to have it handy. I could not get at it if it were packed amongst other luggage on a mule13, and I shall be wanting it every minute.”
Io was an indulgent sister. She gave the cloth and patient attention besides, and with the assistance of the darzi (tailor) the bag was made. Thud insisted on its being bound with red braid, also drawn from Io’s stores, with strong strings37 of red ribbon to fasten it on securely. The lad looked at his “specimen36 case,” as he called it, with pride: it was to be the nucleus38 of the museum which in his mind’s eye he already beheld—a museum with portico39 and pillars, containing the valuable collection of Thucydides Thorn, with some eight or ten mysterious capitals after his name.
Thud appeared to be too busy even to go to church on the following Sunday. Notwithstanding Io’s expostulations, she had to leave him to write labels and affix40 them on his specimen case.
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1
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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abasement
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| n.滥用 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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careworn
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| adj.疲倦的，饱经忧患的 | |
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7
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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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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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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mule
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| n.骡子，杂种，执拗的人 | |
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cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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proboscis
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| n.（象的）长鼻 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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fatiguing
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| a.使人劳累的 | |
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conveyance
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| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
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20
ignoble
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| adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的 | |
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rebound
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| v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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24
betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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25
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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28
heterogeneous
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| adj.庞杂的；异类的 | |
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29
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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30
forager
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| n.强征（粮食）者；抢劫者 | |
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31
sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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32
pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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33
waterproof
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| n.防水材料；adj.防水的；v.使...能防水 | |
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34
beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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35
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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36
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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38
nucleus
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| n.核，核心，原子核 | |
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portico
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| n.柱廊，门廊 | |
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40
affix
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| n.附件，附录 vt.附贴，盖(章)，签署 | |
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