After Mrs. Burns left the room Jean came boldly out from her hiding place and stood before the startled couple, who gazed at her in amazement10. She looked at them insolently11, a sneer12 on her full lips.
“Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Burns,” she interrupted sarcastically13. The color slowly faded from his ruddy face. Was she going to expose that shameful14 page in his past history to this innocent child? Would she dare, could she be so reckless, so shameless? he asked himself fearfully.
“I thought ye had gone,” he said, dangerously calm, stepping up to her.
“I could not go till I had delivered a message,” she explained, dropping her eyes before the determined6 light in his.
“What is it?” he asked, puzzled by her tone and manner.
“It is of great importance and for your ears alone,” she replied glibly15. “I’m sure this lady—Miss Campbell, is it not?—will not mind leaving us for a moment,” and she smiled amiably16 into Mary’s innocent inquiring face.
[81]
He led Mary gently to the door. “It’ll be only for a moment, Mary,” he said quietly.
“I dinna’ mind,” she answered brightly. “’Tis near time for me to be going hame, ye ken,” and with a smile she left them together.
“Noo, then, what is your message?” he said with calm abruptness17, as the door closed.
“I mean you must make me your wife.” Her pale and agitated20 face made him wonder if she had gone quite daft. Before he could answer she continued stridently, “You must marry me now, before it is too late, too late to save my name from dishonor and disgrace. Now do you understand?”
A look of incredulous horror slowly blanched21 his face to ashy whiteness. Had he heard aright? Surely she was jesting; it could not be possible—and yet, why not? His haggard eyes searched her colorless face as though he would read her very soul. Calmly she bore the scrutiny22 and then, with a groan23 of anguish24, he sank into a chair, weak and trembling. “I canna, I willna, believe,” he muttered hoarsely25. “It’s a lie, it’s a lie, Jean Armour26!”
“It’s the truth, I tell you,” she cried passionately27, wringing28 her hands. “What else think you would[82] force me, the rich Belle29 of Mauchline, to humble30 my pride and stoop to plead to a poverty-stricken farmer to wed31 me?” She laughed wildly.
“Can it be true, can it be true?” he whispered to himself dully. He felt dazed by the suddenness, the total unexpectedness, of the blow. He closed his eyes wearily. What was it she wanted him to do, he could not think. He sat dumbly waiting for her to speak again.
“You must write out an acknowledgment and sign your name to it,” she continued, her voice low and insistent32. “It is an irregular marriage I know, but it will save me from my father’s wrath33, when I can keep my plight34 from him no longer.” He still remained silent, his face hidden in his hands. “Will you do this?” she demanded anxiously, “or,” and her voice grew hard and threatening, “or shall I appeal to the Parish officers to help me save my good name from disgrace?” Quickly he raised his head. At his look of indignant scorn she winced35 and turned away, flushing angrily.
With a mirthless little laugh he retorted with bitter emphasis, “Your good name, indeed!”
She turned on him defiantly. “I was no worse than other girls,” she flippantly retorted. “Only more unfortunate. Will you do what I ask? Quick, tell me, someone is coming!” She nervously36 caught his hand. He did not speak. His face grew haggard and old-looking as he stood motionless, forming[83] his resolution. It seemed to her an eternity37 before he answered her.
“So be it,” he answered hoarsely, drawing his hand away from hers and moving slowly to the door. “I’ll send ye the lines by the posty to-morrow.”
With a cry of delight she gratefully held out her hand to him. But he quietly opened the door, and, without a word or look at her, stood silently holding it back, his head bowed low on his bosom38, his face cold and repellent. Slowly Jean walked past him out into the deepening twilight39. She felt a dawning pity in her heart for the wretched lad. She could not quite forget those old, happy days, those stolen walks and trysts40 along the banks of the Ayr. No one could make love so ardently41 as he, she thought with a sigh. Of all her lovers he had been the favorite, he was so ingenuous42, so trustful and confiding43, and yet so reckless, so imprudent and weak. She knew well he had never really loved her, and the thought had made her strive all the harder to win him. He was flattered by her open preference for him, and soon became an easy victim, a slave, to her seductive charms and sophisticated fascinations44, for he was only human. And now the heart of that little dairymaid would be broken. A quick pang45 of shame and regret stole over her, but she instantly stifled46 it. She must think of self first, she told herself uneasily. Anyway she only wanted the marriage lines in case people should point an accusing finger at her. Later—well,[84] the marriage could be annulled privately47, and no one be the wiser, for marriages were easily annulled in Scotland. She walked briskly to where the coach was standing48, for they were waiting for her, determined to cast all gloomy, depressing thoughts from her for the time at least.
Robert mechanically closed the door behind her and walked slowly to the dresser. Taking from it a bottle of ink and a quill49, he carried them to the table, and placing them upon it, sank heavily in a chair. Long he sat there, pen in hand, the victim of the profoundest melancholy50, the deepest despair. The thought that it was his own fault, his indifference51 to consequences, his recklessness, his weak, sinful folly52, that had plunged53 himself and others into the awful abyss of grief and sorrow, was like the bitterness of death to him. As he sat there with drawn54 and haggard face, while bitter regret gnawed55 deeply at his conscience, the plaintive56 tones of Mary’s voice came through the window, singing softly:
“Ye banks and braes of bonnie Doon,
How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair?”
A groan of agony escaped the grief-stricken man at the sound of the voice, which was sweeter than all else in the world to him.
“Mary, my lost Highland57 Mary!” he cried aloud, “how can I give ye up forever?” and throwing himself[85] across the table he wept bitter tears of anguish and remorse58.
“How can ye chant, ye little birds,
An’ I sae weary, fu’ o’ care?”
continued the sweet voice in mournful cadence59. Softly the words floated to the ears of the sorrowing man, like the echo of his own harrowing thoughts.
As Mary reached the open window she paused and gazed into the room eagerly. As she sees her lover sitting there so silent and alone, her smile is very sweet and tender.
“Dear laddie; asleep,” she whispers softly. “He must be o’er tired after his hard day’s work. God bless my laddie,” and with a smile of ineffable60 sweetness, she wafted61 a kiss to the bowed head and quickly passed on, wending her lonely way back to Castle Montgomery, while the man sitting there in agonized62 silence, with clenched63 teeth and tense muscles, slowly raised his head to listen, in heart-broken silence, to her sweet voice floating back to him in silvery melody, as she took up the broken thread of her song:
“Thou’lt break my heart, thou warbling bird,
That wantons thro’ the flow’ring thorn.
Thou minds me o’ departed joys,
Departed, never to return.”
The song died away in the distance.
“God pity her, God pity me,” he murmured brokenly.
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收听单词发音
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1
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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annulled
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| v.宣告无效( annul的过去式和过去分词 )；取消；使消失；抹去 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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5
determinedly
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| adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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7
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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8
beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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9
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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10
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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insolently
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| adv.自豪地，自傲地 | |
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12
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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13
sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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15
glibly
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| adv.流利地，流畅地；满口 | |
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amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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17
abruptness
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| n. 突然，唐突 | |
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18
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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19
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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20
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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21
blanched
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| v.使变白( blanch的过去式 )；使（植物）不见阳光而变白；酸洗（金属）使有光泽；用沸水烫（杏仁等）以便去皮 | |
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22
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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23
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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24
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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26
armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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28
wringing
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| 淋湿的，湿透的 | |
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29
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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30
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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31
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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32
insistent
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| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
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33
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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34
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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35
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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36
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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37
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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38
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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39
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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40
trysts
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| n.约会，幽会( tryst的名词复数 )；幽会地点 | |
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41
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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42
ingenuous
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| adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的 | |
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43
confiding
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| adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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44
fascinations
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| n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 )；有魅力的东西；迷恋；陶醉 | |
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45
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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46
stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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47
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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48
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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49
quill
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| n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶 | |
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50
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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51
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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52
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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53
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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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
gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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56
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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57
highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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58
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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59
cadence
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| n.（说话声调的）抑扬顿挫 | |
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60
ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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61
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
agonized
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| v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦 | |
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63
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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