CHAPTER III—HAROLD

 Squire¹ Norman had a clerical friend whose rectory of Carstone lay some thirty miles from Normanstand.  Thirty miles is not a great distance for railway travel; but it is a long drive.  The days had not come, nor were they ever likely to come, for the making of a railway between the two places.  For a good many years the two men had met in renewal² of their old University days.  Squire Norman and Dr. An Wolf had been chums at Trinity, Cambridge, and the boyish friendship had ripened³ and lasted.  When Harold An Wolf had put in his novitiate in a teeming⁴ Midland manufacturing town, it was Norman’s influence which obtained the rectorship for his friend.  It was not often that they could meet, for An Wolf’s work, which, though not very exacting⁵, had to be done single-handed, kept him to his post.  Besides, he was a good scholar and eked⁶ out a small income by preparing a few pupils for public school.  An occasional mid-week visit to Normanstand in the slack time of school work on the Doctor’s part, and now and again a drive by Norman over to the rectory, returning the next day, had been for a good many years the measure of their meeting.  Then An Wolf’s marriage and the birth of a son had kept him closer to home.  Mrs. An Wolf had been killed in a railway accident a couple of years after her only child had been born; and at the time Norman had gone over to render any assistance in his power to the afflicted⁷ man, and to give him what was under the circumstances his best gift, sympathy.  After an interval⁸ of a few years the Squire’s courtship and marriage, at which his old friend had assisted, had confined his activities to a narrower circle.  The last time they had met was when An Wolf had come over to Norcester to aid in the burial of his friend’s wife.  In the process of years, however, the shadow over Norman’s life had begun to soften⁹; when his baby had grown to be something of a companion, they met again.  Norman, ‘who had never since his wife’s death been able to tear himself, even for a night, away from Normanstand and Stephen, wrote to his old friend asking him to come to him.  An Wolf gladly promised, and for a week of growing expectation the Squire looked forward to their meeting.  Each found the other somewhat changed, in all but their old affection.

 

An Wolf was delighted with the little Stephen.  Her dainty beauty seemed to charm him; and the child, seeming to realise what pleasure she was giving, exercised all her little winning ways.  The rector, who knew more of children than did his, friend, told her as she sat on his knee of a very interesting person: his own son.  The child listened, interested at first, then enraptured¹⁰.  She asked all kinds of questions; and the father’s eyes brightened as he gladly answered the pretty sympathetic child, already deep in his heart for her father’s sake.  He told her about the boy who was so big and strong, and who could run and leap and swim and play cricket and football better than any other boy with whom he played.  When, warmed himself by the keen interest of the little girl, and seeing her beautiful black eyes beginning to glow, he too woke to the glory of the time; and all the treasured moments of the father’s lonely heart gave out their store.  And the other father, thrilled with delight because of his baby’s joy with, underlying¹¹ all, an added pleasure that the little Stephen’s interest was in sports that were for boys, looked on approvingly, now and again asking questions himself in furtherance of the child’s wishes.

 

All the afternoon they sat in the garden, close to the stream that came out of the rock, and An Wolf told father’s tales of his only son.  Of the great cricket match with Castra Puerorum when he had made a hundred not out.  Of the school races when he had won so many prizes.  Of the swimming match in the Islam River when, after he had won the race and had dressed himself, he went into the water in his clothes to help some children who had upset a boat.  How when Widow Norton’s only son could not be found, he dived into the deep hole of the intake¹² of the milldam of the great Carstone mills where Wingate the farrier had been drowned.  And how, after diving twice without success, he had insisted on going down the third time though people had tried to hold him back; and how he had brought up in his arms the child all white and so near death that they had to put him in the ashes of the baker’s oven before he could be brought back to life.

 

When her nurse came to take her to bed, she slid down from her father’s knee and coming over to Dr. An Wolf, gravely held out her hand and said: ‘Good-bye!’  Then she kissed him and said:

 

‘Thank you so much, Mr. Harold’s daddy.  Won’t you come soon again, and tell us more?’  Then she jumped again upon her father’s knee and hugged him round the neck and kissed him, and whispered in his ear:

 

‘Daddy, please make Mr. Harold’s daddy when he comes again, bring Harold with him!’

 

After all it is natural for women to put the essence of the letter in the postscript¹³!

 

Two weeks afterwards Dr. An Wolf came again and brought Harold with him.  The time had gone heavily with little Stephen when she knew that Harold was coming with his father.  Stephen had been all afire to see the big boy whose feats¹⁴ had so much interested her, and for a whole week had flooded Mrs. Jarrold with questions which she was unable to answer.  At last the time came and she went out to the hall door with her father to welcome the guests.  At the top of the great granite¹⁵ steps, down which in time of bad weather the white awning¹⁶ ran, she stood holding her father’s hand and waving a welcome.

 

‘Good morning, Harold!  Good morning, Mr. Harold’s daddy!’

 

The meeting was a great pleasure to both the children, and resulted in an immediate¹⁷ friendship.  The small girl at once conceived a great admiration¹⁸ for the big, strong boy nearly twice her age and more than twice her size.  At her time of life the convenances are not, and love is a thing to be spoken out at once and in the open.  Mrs. Jarrold, from the moment she set eyes on him, liked the big kindly-faced boy who treated her like a lady, and who stood awkwardly blushing and silent in the middle of the nursery listening to the tiny child’s proffers¹⁹ of affection.  For whatever kind of love it is that boys are capable of, Harold had fallen into it.  ‘Calf²⁰-love’ is a thing habitually²¹ treated with contempt.  It may be ridiculous; but all the same it is a serious reality—to the calf.

 

Harold’s new-found affection was as deep as his nature.  An only child who had in his memory nothing of a mother’s love, his naturally affectionate nature had in his childish days found no means of expression.  A man child can hardly pour out his full heart to a man, even a father or a comrade; and this child had not, in a way, the consolations²² of other children.  His father’s secondary occupation of teaching brought other boys to the house and necessitated²³ a domestic routine which had to be exact.  There was no place for little girls in a boys’ school; and though many of Dr. An Wolf’s friends who were mothers made much of the pretty, quiet boy, and took him to play with their children, he never seemed to get really intimate with them.  The equality of companionship was wanting.  Boys he knew, and with them he could hold his own and yet be on affectionate terms.  But girls were strange to him, and in their presence he was shy.  With this lack of understanding of the other sex, grew up a sort of awe²⁴ of it.  His opportunities of this kind of study were so few that the view never could become rectified²⁵.

 

And so it was that from his boyhood up to his twelfth year, Harold’s knowledge of girlhood never increased nor did his awe diminish.  When his father had told him all about his visit to Normanstand and of the invitation which had been extended to him there came first awe, then doubt, then expectation.  Between Harold and his father there was love and trust and sympathy.   The father’s married love so soon cut short found expression towards his child; and between them there had never been even the shadow of a cloud.  When his father told him how pretty the little Stephen was, how dainty, how sweet, he began to picture her in his mind’s eye and to be bashfully excited over meeting her.

 

His first glimpse of Stephen was, he felt, one that he never could forget.  She had made up her mind that she would let Harold see what she could do.  Harold could fly kites and swim and play cricket; she could not do any of these, but she could ride.  Harold should see her pony²⁶, and see her riding him all by herself.  And there would be another pony for Harold, a big, big, big one—she had spoken about its size herself to Topham, the stud-groom.  She had coaxed²⁷ her daddy into promising²⁸ that after lunch she should take Harold riding.  To this end she had made ready early.  She had insisted on putting on the red riding habit which Daddy had given her for her birthday, and now she stood on the top of the steps all glorious in hunting pink, with the habit held over her arms, with the tiny hunting-hoots all shiny underneath²⁹.  She had no hat on, and her beautiful hair of golden red shone in its glory.  But even it was almost outshone by the joyous³⁰ flush on her cheeks as she stood waving the little hand that did not hold Daddy’s.  She was certainly a picture to dream of!  Her father’s eyes lost nothing of her dainty beauty.  He was so proud of her that he almost forgot to wish that she had been a boy.  The pleasure he felt in her appearance was increased by the fact that her dress was his own idea.

 

During luncheon³¹ Stephen was fairly silent; she usually chattered³² all through as freely as a bird sings.  Stephen was silent because the occasion was important.  Besides, Daddy wasn’t all alone, and therefore had not to be cheered up.  Also—this in postscript form—Harold was silent!  In her present frame of mind Harold could do no wrong, and what Harold did was right.  She was unconsciously learning already a lesson from his presence.

 

That evening when going to bed she came to say good-night to Daddy.  After she had kissed him she also kissed ‘old Mr. Harold,’ as she now called him, and as a matter of course kissed Harold also.  He coloured up at once.  It was the first time a girl had ever kissed him.

 

The next day from early morning until bed-time was one long joy to Stephen, and there were few things of interest that Harold had not been shown; there were few of the little secrets which had not been shared with him as they went about hand in hand.  Like all manly³³ boys Harold was good to little children and patient with them.  He was content to follow Stephen about and obey all her behests.  He had fallen in love with her to the very bottom of his boyish heart.

 

When the guests were going, Stephen stood with her father on the steps to see them off.  When the carriage had swept behind the farthest point in the long avenue, and when Harold’s cap waving from the window could no longer be seen, Squire Norman turned to go in, but paused in obedience³⁴ to the unconscious restraint of Stephen’s hand.  He waited patiently till with a long sigh she turned to him and they went in together.

 

That night before she went to bed Stephen came and sat on her father’s knee, and after sundry³⁵ pattings and kissings whispered in his ear:

 

‘Daddy, wouldn’t it be nice if Harold could come here altogether?  Couldn’t you ask him to?  And old Mr. Harold could come too.  Oh, I wish he was here!’

 

1 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

2 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

3 ripened   

v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They're collecting the ripened reddish berries. 他们正采集熟了的淡红草莓。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The branches bent low with ripened fruits. 成熟的果实压弯了树枝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 teeming   

adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注

参考例句：

• The rain was teeming down. 大雨倾盆而下。
• the teeming streets of the city 熙熙攘攘的城市街道

5 exacting   

adj.苛求的，要求严格的

参考例句：

• He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。
• The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移，公众的要求更趋严格。

6 eked   

v.（靠节省用量）使…的供应持久( eke的过去式和过去分词 )；节约使用；竭力维持生计；勉强度日

参考例句：

• She eked out the stew to make another meal. 她省出一些钝菜再做一顿饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She eked out her small income by washing clothes for other people. 她替人洗衣以贴补微薄的收入。 来自辞典例句

7 afflicted   

使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease. 全国40%左右的人口患有这种疾病。
• A terrible restlessness that was like to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. 一阵可怕的、跟饥饿差不多的不安情绪折磨着马丁·伊登。

8 interval   

n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息

参考例句：

• The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
• There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

9 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

10 enraptured   

v.使狂喜( enrapture的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was enraptured that she had smiled at him. 她对他的微笑使他心荡神驰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They were enraptured to meet the great singer. 他们和大名鼎鼎的歌手见面，欣喜若狂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

12 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

13 postscript   

n.附言，又及；(正文后的)补充说明

参考例句：

• There was the usual romantic postscript at the end of his letter.他的信末又是一贯的浪漫附言。
• She mentioned in a postscript to her letter that the parcel had arrived.她在信末附笔中说包裹已寄到。

14 feats   

功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. 过去，他表现出来的惊人耐力常让朋友们大吃一惊。
• His heroic feats made him a legend in his own time. 他的英雄业绩使他成了他那个时代的传奇人物。

15 granite   

adj.花岗岩，花岗石

参考例句：

• They squared a block of granite.他们把一块花岗岩加工成四方形。
• The granite overlies the older rocks.花岗岩躺在磨损的岩石上面。

16 awning   

n.遮阳篷；雨篷

参考例句：

• A large green awning is set over the glass window to shelter against the sun.在玻璃窗上装了个绿色的大遮棚以遮挡阳光。
• Several people herded under an awning to get out the shower.几个人聚集在门栅下避阵雨

17 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

18 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

19 proffers   

v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

20 calf   

n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮

参考例句：

• The cow slinked its calf.那头母牛早产了一头小牛犊。
• The calf blared for its mother.牛犊哞哞地高声叫喊找妈妈。

21 habitually   

ad.习惯地，通常地

参考例句：

• The pain of the disease caused him habitually to furrow his brow. 病痛使他习惯性地紧皱眉头。
• Habitually obedient to John, I came up to his chair. 我已经习惯于服从约翰，我来到他的椅子跟前。

22 consolations   

n.安慰，慰问( consolation的名词复数 )；起安慰作用的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Recent history had washed away the easy consolations and the old formulas. 现代的历史已经把轻松的安慰和陈旧的公式一扫而光。 来自辞典例句
• When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul. 诗94:19我心里多忧多疑、安慰我、使我欢乐。 来自互联网

23 necessitated   

使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Recent financial scandals have necessitated changes in parliamentary procedures. 最近的金融丑闻使得议会程序必须改革。
• No man is necessitated to do wrong. 没有人是被迫去作错事的。

24 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

25 rectified   

[医]矫正的，调整的

参考例句：

• I am hopeful this misunderstanding will be rectified very quickly. 我相信这个误会将很快得到纠正。
• That mistake could have been rectified within 28 days. 那个错误原本可以在28天内得以纠正。

26 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

27 coaxed   

v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱

参考例句：

• She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer. 她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。
• I coaxed my sister into taking me to the theatre. 我用好话哄姐姐带我去看戏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

28 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

29 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

30 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

31 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

32 chattered   

（人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤

参考例句：

• They chattered away happily for a while. 他们高兴地闲扯了一会儿。
• We chattered like two teenagers. 我们聊着天，像两个十多岁的孩子。

33 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

34 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

35 sundry   

adj.各式各样的，种种的

参考例句：

• This cream can be used to treat sundry minor injuries.这种药膏可用来治各种轻伤。
• We can see the rich man on sundry occasions.我们能在各种场合见到那个富豪。