“She must be a gypsy,” they told each other wonderingly. Finally, after many conjectures7, someone in the crowd volunteered the information that she was a street singer who had been seen singing through the streets of the town for a day or so. Their curiosity appeased8, they turned to their idol9 once more. Every now and then a convulsive sob10 shook the young girl’s slender, graceful3 figure. Like one who hungered for food and drink she watched the[224] speaker, her heart in her eyes, her hands clasped tightly upon her breast. When the eager throng11 unhitched the horses from the open carriage she had breathlessly watched every movement, and when they, with wild bursts of applause and good-natured laughter, sped away up Princes Street, pulling the carriage behind them, she had swiftly followed, the center of a noisy gang of street urchins12 and idle brawlers.
With a mighty13 cheer, which brought the watchmen running to the spot pell-mell, they finally stopped at Athol Castle and quickly lined themselves on each side of the striped awning14 avenue, from the curbing15 to the door, to watch the great man pass within.
The gypsy frantically16 elbowed her way through the pompous17 coachmen and good-natured cabbies who had pressed forward to witness the new arrival, and reached the inner edge of the crowd. At that moment Robert stepped from his carriage and walked quickly up the avenue. With a little cry of joy she stretched out her hands to arrest his attention, but he passed inside without having once caught a glimpse of this strange follower18.
A derisive19 laugh went up from those who had curiously20 watched the peculiar21 actions of the gypsy. At the sound she dropped her arms hurriedly, the blood rushing to her pale cheeks. With one quick, startled glance at the mocking faces beside her, she[225] turned quickly and threaded her way through the line of splendid equipages, with their prancing22 horses, till she reached a secluded23 part of the street, where she stopped and looked back at the brilliantly lighted castle, tears of bitter disappointment and despair slowly trickling24 down her wan25 cheeks. As she stood there in the bright moonlight, a prey26 to her bitter thoughts, a handsome equipage, drawn27 by a prancing pair of steeds, attracted her listless attention. As it slowly drove past the wretched girl a sweet young face crowned with golden hair appeared in the open window, followed by a white arm. Her little hand was noticeably bare of jewels. With a sweet word of pity the girl tossed a silver piece at the feet of her unfortunate sister. The gypsy indifferently watched the carriage out of sight. Then, after a moment’s hesitation28, she stooped and picked up the coin, and without looking at it put it carelessly in her pocket, a flush of shame and mortification29 mantling30 her dark cheek. For a while she stood in moody31 silence, listening to the strains of music which came faintly to her from the castle. Suddenly she lifted her face to the heavens, her arms upraised, her lips moving in some prayer or incantation. For a moment she stood thus, then slowly her arms dropped to her side. There was a new calm look of determination in her face as she quickly traced her steps back to where the crowds still lingered about the closed doors of Athol Castle. She stood on the outskirts32 of[226] the crowd unseen in the shadow, her restless eyes searching here and there, peering into the open windows, up and down the high stone wall which bordered the huge garden, then back again, finally resting upon the closed portals with a look of keen disappointment shining in their depths. What she sought was evidently not there. She stamped her foot in impotent despair, a muttered imprecation on her lips; she would search again. Gradually she made her way back unnoticed by the crowd, who were intent on listening to the music which floated out bewitchingly on the still air, till she reached the wall where it joined the corner of the castle. Motionless she stood under its shadow, her heart beating loudly as some idler drew near her place of concealment33. Suddenly a form loomed34 up before her. With a startled cry she pressed close against the ivied wall in sudden terror.
“She come this way,” a voice cried eagerly.
“Aye, Sandy, she’s hidin’ among the ivy,” said another.
She heard them beating noisily about the thick vines which hung in wild profusion35 over the walls, her heart in her mouth. Frantically she tore the vines apart until she reached the bare wall behind. Then with breathless eagerness she pulled them together again, effectually concealing36 her presence from her pursuers. She pressed closer and closer against the cold stones, shivering apprehensively37 as they approached her hiding place. Suddenly she[227] felt her support give way with a dull, creaking noise, and before she could recover her equilibrium38, she found herself in a heap on the ground. She looked up in time to see the door through which she had fallen swing quickly into place and realized that unwittingly she had found an old and evidently unused entrance through the wall. Quickly rising to her feet she looked about her, then she gave a little cry of joy as she caught sight of the splashing fountains in the moonlight, for she knew she was inside the gardens belonging to the Duke of Athol. Eagerly she gazed about her at the leafy shrubberies, the massive oaks and beeches39, the rose garden with its wealth of scented40 flowers. And for a brief moment she gave herself up to the painful reveries the familiar sights recalled to memory, while the tears of self-pity and heart-longing welled up in her gloomy eyes and flowed unrestrainedly down her cheeks. Presently, with a mirthless laugh of impatience42, she dashed the tears angrily away and walked quickly up the grassy43 terrace toward the brilliantly lighted castle. Through the large window which looked over the low balcony she watched the incessant44 stream of people coming and going, while others walked aimlessly about the rooms or chatted in groups. For some time she crouched45 beside the low silver spruce, her eyes fixed46 upon the moving scenes within. Then with a start she recognized the golden-haired young lady who had given her the silver piece, surrounded by a group of cavaliers. She[228] saw, too, with a pang47 of jealousy48, the tenderness with which the poet greeted her and led her up to the haughty49 lady in purple. For some time she watched them in melancholy50 silence, a prey to conflicting emotions. By and by a group of ladies drifted out on the balcony. They were discussing the golden-haired girl, who had been introduced into their midst that evening, and the announcement of her marriage to the poet, Robert Burns. The gypsy, as she heard those words, uttered a smothered51 cry of amazement52 and horror, then sank half fainting on the grassy lawn, moaning like one stricken unto death. How long she lay there with senses dulled by pain she never knew. Presently, bitter recollection returned and with it an agony of fear that blanched53 her lips and made her limbs to quake, while grief and despair, like two grim sentinels, stood eager watch beside her. Slowly she staggered to her feet and turned her weary eyes once more upon the balcony. There was no one there. Listlessly she watched the gay figures darting54 past the windows. Suddenly her muscles tightened55 like a hound’s on the scent41. The golden-haired girl suddenly glided56 out on the balcony, a glorious vision of loveliness. Pensively57 she leaned over the railing watching the swans, which looked ghostly in the moonlight, swimming majestically58 round and round the small pond of water into which the spraying fountain was playing.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
oration
|
|
| n.演说，致辞，叙述法 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
velvet
|
|
| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
graceful
|
|
| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
gracefully
|
|
| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
beads
|
|
| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
attire
|
|
| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
conjectures
|
|
| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
appeased
|
|
| 安抚，抚慰( appease的过去式和过去分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
idol
|
|
| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
sob
|
|
| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
throng
|
|
| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
urchins
|
|
| n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 )；淘气鬼；猬；海胆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
awning
|
|
| n.遮阳篷；雨篷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
curbing
|
|
| n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
frantically
|
|
| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
pompous
|
|
| adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
follower
|
|
| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
derisive
|
|
| adj.嘲弄的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
prancing
|
|
| v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
secluded
|
|
| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
trickling
|
|
| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
wan
|
|
| (wide area network)广域网 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
hesitation
|
|
| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
mortification
|
|
| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
mantling
|
|
| 覆巾 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
31
moody
|
|
| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
outskirts
|
|
| n.郊外，郊区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
concealment
|
|
| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
loomed
|
|
| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
profusion
|
|
| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
concealing
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
apprehensively
|
|
| adv.担心地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
equilibrium
|
|
| n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
beeches
|
|
| n.山毛榉( beech的名词复数 )；山毛榉木材 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
scented
|
|
| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
scent
|
|
| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
impatience
|
|
| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
grassy
|
|
| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
incessant
|
|
| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
pang
|
|
| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
jealousy
|
|
| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
haughty
|
|
| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
smothered
|
|
| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
amazement
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
blanched
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
darting
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
tightened
|
|
| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
glided
|
|
| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
pensively
|
|
| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
majestically
|
|
| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |