"We'll take it down to him this evening," said Anne, excited as a schoolgirl.
The long walk to the Point on that clear, beguiling3 evening along the red harbor road was very pleasant. Then the sun dropped down behind the western hills into some valley that must have been full of lost sunsets, and at the same instant the big light flashed out on the white tower of the point.
"Captain Jim is never late by the fraction of a second," said Leslie.
Neither Anne nor Leslie ever forgot Captain Jim's face when they gave him the book—HIS book, transfigured and glorified4. The cheeks that had been blanched5 of late suddenly flamed with the color of boyhood; his eyes glowed with all the fire of youth; but his hands trembled as he opened it.
It was called simply The Life-Book of Captain Jim, and on the title page the names of Owen Ford and James Boyd were printed as collaborators. The frontispiece was a photograph of Captain Jim himself, standing6 at the door of the lighthouse, looking across the gulf7. Owen Ford had "snapped" him one day while the book was being written. Captain Jim had known this, but he had not known that the picture was to be in the book.
"Just think of it," he said, "the old sailor right there in a real printed book. This is the proudest day of my life. I'm like to bust8, girls. There'll be no sleep for me tonight. I'll read my book clean through before sun-up."
"We'll go right away and leave you free to begin it," said Anne.
Captain Jim had been handling the book in a kind of reverent9 rapture10. Now he decidedly closed it and laid it aside.
"No, no, you're not going away before you take a cup of tea with the old man," he protested. "I couldn't hear to that—could you, Matey? The life-book will keep, I reckon. I've waited for it this many a year. I can wait a little longer while I'm enjoying my friends."
Captain Jim moved about getting his kettle on to boil, and setting out his bread and butter. Despite his excitement he did not move with his old briskness11. His movements were slow and halting. But the girls did not offer to help him. They knew it would hurt his feelings.
"You just picked the right evening to visit me," he said, producing a cake from his cupboard. "Leetle Joe's mother sent me down a big basket full of cakes and pies today. A blessing12 on all good cooks, says I. Look at this purty cake, all frosting and nuts. 'Tain't often I can entertain in such style. Set in, girls, set in! We'll 'tak a cup o' kindness yet for auld13 lang syne14.'"
The girls "set in" right merrily. The tea was up to Captain Jim's best brewing15. Little Joe's mother's cake was the last word in cakes; Captain Jim was the prince of gracious hosts, never even permitting his eyes to wander to the corner where the life-book lay, in all its bravery of green and gold. But when his door finally closed behind Anne and Leslie they knew that he went straight to it, and as they walked home they pictured the delight of the old man poring over the printed pages wherein his own life was portrayed16 with all the charm and color of reality itself.
"I wonder how he will like the ending—the ending I suggested," said Leslie.
She was never to know. Early the next morning Anne awakened17 to find Gilbert bending over her, fully2 dressed, and with an expression of anxiety on his face.
"No. Anne, I'm afraid there's something wrong at the Point. It's an hour after sunrise now, and the light is still burning. You know it has always been a matter of pride with Captain Jim to start the light the moment the sun sets, and put it out the moment it rises."
Anne sat up in dismay. Through her window she saw the light blinking palely against the blue skies of dawn.
"Perhaps he has fallen asleep over his life-book," she said anxiously, "or become so absorbed in it that he has forgotten the light."
Gilbert shook his head.
"That wouldn't be like Captain Jim. Anyway, I'm going down to see."
"Wait a minute and I'll go with you," exclaimed Anne. "Oh, yes, I must—Little Jem will sleep for an hour yet, and I'll call Susan. You may need a woman's help if Captain Jim is ill."
It was an exquisite19 morning, full of tints20 and sounds at once ripe and delicate. The harbor was sparkling and dimpling like a girl; white gulls21 were soaring over the dunes22; beyond the bar was a shining, wonderful sea. The long fields by the shore were dewy and fresh in that first fine, purely-tinted light. The wind came dancing and whistling up the channel to replace the beautiful silence with a music more beautiful still. Had it not been for the baleful star on the white tower that early walk would have been a delight to Anne and Gilbert. But they went softly with fear.
Their knock was not responded to. Gilbert opened the door and they went in.
The old room was very quiet. On the table were the remnants of the little evening feast. The lamp still burned on the corner stand. The First Mate was asleep in a square of sunshine by the sofa.
Captain Jim lay on the sofa, with his hands clasped over the life-book, open at the last page, lying on his breast. His eyes were closed and on his face was a look of the most perfect peace and happiness—the look of one who has long sought and found at last.
"He is asleep?" whispered Anne tremulously.
"Yes, he sleeps—well," he added quietly. "Anne, Captain Jim has crossed the bar."
They could not know precisely24 at what hour he had died, but Anne always believed that he had had his wish, and went out when the morning came across the gulf. Out on that shining tide his spirit drifted, over the sunrise sea of pearl and silver, to the haven25 where lost Margaret waited, beyond the storms and calms.
点击收听单词发音
1 Ford | |
n.浅滩,水浅可涉处;v.涉水,涉过 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 beguiling | |
adj.欺骗的,诱人的v.欺骗( beguile的现在分词 );使陶醉;使高兴;消磨(时间等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 glorified | |
美其名的,变荣耀的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 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: |
|
|
6 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 gulf | |
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 bust | |
vt.打破;vi.爆裂;n.半身像;胸部 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 reverent | |
adj.恭敬的,虔诚的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 rapture | |
n.狂喜;全神贯注;着迷;v.使狂喜 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 briskness | |
n.敏捷,活泼 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 blessing | |
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 auld | |
adj.老的,旧的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 syne | |
adv.自彼时至此时,曾经 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 brewing | |
n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 portrayed | |
v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 );描述;描绘;描画 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 awakened | |
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 drowsily | |
adv.睡地,懒洋洋地,昏昏欲睡地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 exquisite | |
adj.精美的;敏锐的;剧烈的,感觉强烈的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 tints | |
色彩( tint的名词复数 ); 带白的颜色; (淡色)染发剂; 痕迹 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 gulls | |
n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 dunes | |
沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 precisely | |
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 haven | |
n.安全的地方,避难所,庇护所 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |