A few weeks later there was another excursion to the emerald glooms of the forest, but this was limited in number to the Macleods and DeBerczys, with a few of their intimate friends. Wanda was absent on one of her indefinite expeditions--indefinite in length as well as in object, though the wigwam of her foster-feather was one of the points of interest visited by the party. Conspicuous1 among the numerous Indians in the settlement in the neighbourhood of Orillia was the last of the Algonquins, partly because of the pathos2 which attaches to the sole survivor3 in any region of a nearly extinct race, partly because of the mantle4 of traditional glory that had fallen upon him from the shoulders of valorous ancestors. He declined to join the revellers at their midday feasting under the trees, but his unexpected appearance afterwards suggested a pleasant substitute for the noon-day siesta5. "Talk about the storied memories of the past, in the old world," said Edward, leaning back on the mossy sward, and gazing up through green branches to the blue heaven, "this country has had its share of them, and here is the man," clapping a friendly hand on the Indian's shoulder, "who can tell us about them."
"Ah, don't!" entreated7 their father. "If there's anything that spoils the sylvan8 shades for me, it is to learn that they were once the scene of battle axes and blood spilling, and such like gruesomeness."
"But we ought to know about it," said Helene. "It's history."
"That makes it all the worse. If it were fiction I wouldn't care."
"Now, Papa," said Rose, "that evinces a depraved taste. People will blame your home-training. Consider my feelings."
"That is what I supposed I was doing, my dear, in praying to be delivered from a tale that would make your blood run cold."
"What a delightful9 way for one's blood to run in this weather," lazily remarked one of the Boulton girls, and the other said she was pining for a story of particular horror.
"Oh, a story, by all means," said the Commodore, "but let it be a tradition or something of that sort." Then turning to the Chief: "Does not our brother know the legend of the unfortunate wretch10 of a man who was set upon and abused by a lot of unmerciful women, because he barbarously forbade them to learn all the history they wanted? Something of that sort would be appropriate."
"Our brother" shook his head. "That is beyond my skill, but I can relate a story of the times before ever women were brought into the world."
"Rather dull times for the men, weren't they?" inquired one of the party.
"It is the belief of some of our race that they were very good times," replied the Chief, tranquilly11. "The men of that period, free from the influence of the other sex, have been spoken of as a much better race of beings than they are to-day. At that time you never heard of such a thing as a man being cross to his wife, or too attentive12 to his neighbour's wife, and when the husband came back from the chase without meat there was no one to scold him. Every man had his own way, and dwelt in peace in his own wigwam. As fast as they died out the Manito created more, and as they had no families they had nothing to fight for, nothing to defend, and, consequently, there were few wars among them. There were, I am sorry to say, some disadvantages. The men were obliged to weed corn, dry fish, mend nets, fell trees, carry logs, and do other women's work, which, as we know, is a great degradation13. Also, when they were sick or in trouble, some of the weaker ones were heard to declare that they wished women were invented, but as a rule they were blithe14 and gay as warriors15 in the dance that follows a great victory. There were many ennobling influences in this world before women entered it. Vanity did not exist. Simplicity16 was the rule, especially in attire17, which ordinarily consisted of hunting coats and leggings, deerskin moccasins and coloured blankets, enriched with beads18. It was only once in a while that they appeared in black eagle plumes19, and gorgeous feathers, garters gay with beads, moccasins worked with stained porcupine20 quills21, leggings of scarlet22 cloth, embroidered23 and decorated with tufts of moosehair, dyed blue and red, robes curiously24 plaited of the bark of the mulberry, and adorned25 with bear claws, hawks26' bills and turtle shells. Besides being plain and quiet in their dress they were very upright in their lives. No man ever was known to lie to his neighbour; but now when you see a man and woman too frequently together you may be sure he is telling her things that come true about as often as larks27 fall from the skies. Neither were men in those days ever deceived; but now they are tangled28 in women's wiles29 as easily as a partridge is caught in a net. There were no cowards, for men at all times are staunch and bold, whereas a woman has nothing but the heart of a little bird in her breast. All nature shared in man's prosperity. The corn grew to the height of a young forest tree, and in the hunting-grounds the deer and bears were as thick as stars.
"But the chief glory of man in those days was his long, superb and glossy30 tail; for at that time it could not be said that the horses were more highly gifted than he. You must often have noticed the pride with which horses switch their tails about, apparently31 to drive off flies, but really to show their superiority to the race they serve. The reproach of having no tail is one that is hard to bear; but at the time of which I speak all men were endowed with luxuriant tails, some of them black as the shell of a butternut when it is fully32 ripe, others the colour of the setting sun, but all trimmed with shells, gay coloured beads and flowers, and strings33 of alligators34' teeth. Those who say that there is nothing on earth so beautiful as a woman did not live in the time when tails were invented. Nothing could surpass the pride their owners took in them, nor the scorn that was heaped upon the hapless creature whose tail was short or scanty35.
"But, as often happens to people who have all and more than they need, so it was with our ancestors. From being simply proud of their tails they began to grow vain and useless, caring for nothing but their own ease and adornment36, neglecting to harvest the maize37, feeble in the chase, sleeping sometimes for the space of nearly a moon, and unable to take more than a woman's journey of six suns at a time. Then the Manito reflected and said to himself: 'This will never do. Man was not made to be a mere38 groundling. His greatest luxury must be taken from him, and in its place there must be given him something to tax his patience and strengthen his powers.' So one fine morning every man in the world woke up to find his tail missing. Great was the surprise and lamentation39, and this was not lessened40 by the sudden appearance of the women, who came in number like that of the flight of pigeons in the moon before the snow moon. No prayers could avail to stay their coming, and from that time all the troubles in the world began. No man was allowed to have his own way thenceforward, nor was he permitted to plod41 along in his old, slow, comfortable fashion, but each one in terror went to work as swift as a loon42 flying before a high wind."
The laugh that arose at the end of this not strictly43 authentic44 narrative45 was prolonged by a strange voice, and Allan Dunlop, who, unobserved, had made his appearance among them, now came forward to exchange greetings with his friends. Herbert and Eva Macleod hung enraptured46 about him, while he went to congratulate the old Indian upon his gifts as a story-teller. Then Edward's warm hand clasped his. "Come over and see my father," he said. "Oh, no, he is asleep. He generally sleeps in the afternoon of the day."
"A very good plan when one comes to the afternoon of one's days," observed Allan, and then he went over to speak to Rose.
Her little soft hand fluttered up to his as a bird flutters to its nest. They had not met since that stormy March night. Since then he had confessed, in correspondence between them, that life was a perpetual struggle between him and love, and she had asked--though not in so many words--if it would make it any easier for him to know that she was engaged in the same struggle with the same great enemy. Ah, with what a fine pen had she written that, and with what pale ink, and nervous, nearly illegible47 strokes, and how she had crowded it down to the very edge of the paper. But he had read it, and it was fixed48 on his mind as clearly as though it had been written in lightning on the dark horizon of his future. And now, though his brown eyes were warming into black, and her cheeks were the colour of the flower after which she was named, they talked of conventional things in an indifferent way, as is the customary and proper thing to do. They saw little of each other through the remainder of the afternoon, but when they were making ready for the sail home, Eva, at Allan's invitation, sprang into his little light boat.
"Come with me, Rose," she cried, "Mr. Dunlop is going to row me home, and it will be better worth while if there are two of us."
The excuses which Rose instantly invented were not so strong as the vehement49 tones in which her sister uttered her invitation, and to avoid attracting attention or remark she gently seated herself in the boat, which Allan exultantly50 pushed away from the shore. The delight of being for a little while almost alone with his love was intoxicating51. The younger girl, who had counted so ardently52 upon the pleasure of Allan's society, found herself in a short time too sleepy to enjoy it. Her pale, pretty head nodded drowsily54, and at last found a resting-place in the lap of her sister. The other two did not exchange many words. It would have been a shame to disturb the play-worn little maid. The night was very beautiful; the stars seemed softly remote. Beneath their light the woods gleamed mysteriously, and the waves were hushed into a dream of peace. The bay that at sunset had seemed a sea of melted gold, now held the young moon trembling in its liquid embrace. About them played the ineffable55 caresses56 of the light evening breeze.
"Rose," said Allan, softly.
She looked up with conscious resistance, but it was too late for that now. The imperious passion of his mood met the sad grace of her attitude. His speech flowed fast and warm as if it had been blood from his veins57. She felt herself weakening into helpless tears. "Ah, spare me!" she cried. "It is all so hopeless. My father--"
"I am coming to see your father to-morrow," he said. "It will be a hard battle, but it must be decided58 at once."
He helped them to land, and they walked in silence to the house. At the doorway59, in which Eva had disappeared, Rose took Allan's outstretched hand in both of hers, and drawing it close, laid her weary, wet little face down upon it. The sound of voices and laughter came up from the beach, and she hastily released herself and fled to her room.
The next afternoon Eva Macleod, with an air of considerable importance, tapped at the door of her father's apartment. "Papa," she said, with that fondness for a choice diction observable in carefully reared young ladies at the beginning of their teens, "may I have a private conversation with you?"
"Why, certainly, my dear! A little talk, I suppose, you mean."
Without heeding60 this undignified interruption, Miss Eva gave her parent a very accurate report of the dramatic scene in the boat the evening before, of which she had been an interested auditor61.
"Of course," she added, in conscientious62 defence, "I didn't want them to suppose I was sleeping, but if I had opened my eyes it would have been very embarrassing for us all."
"Humph!" said her father. "Does Rose know that you were awake?"
"Humph!" said the gentleman again; a quizzical glance at his younger daughter breaking for a moment through the gloom with which he was meditating64 the fate of the elder one. "Well, I am glad you 'broached' it to me; I shall--"
"Papa," interrupted Eva, with bated breath, glancing down from the window at which she stood, "there is Allan now."
"Allan! You are mightily65 well acquainted. I see I must prepare to make an unconditional66 surrender."
He walked in a nervous and disquieted67 manner out of the room. At the head of the stairs he encountered Mademoiselle DeBerczy, on her way up.
"Helene," he said, with the desperation of one who in the fifty-ninth minute after the eleventh hour does not entirely68 despair of a gleam of hope, "I wish you would tell me in two words if Rose loves Allan Dunlop. Does she?"
"Don't she!" exclaimed Helene, with explosive earnestness, and the two words were sufficient. Their effect was not lessened by subsequent occurrences. On opening the drawing-room door Rose hastened to his side, turning her back, as she did so, upon a young man of ardent53 but entirely self-respectful aspect, standing69 not far distant.
"Is that the only reason?" asked her father.
"No; there is a greater one. I love him!"
"Ah!" murmured Allan softly, "it is to me you should say that."
"She shall have unlimited71 opportunities for saying it to you," observed the elder gentleman, with kindly72 promptness, but with a sore heart. "After a while," he added, turning to Allan, with his hand on the door knob, "I will be glad to see you."
In this sentence, which is an interesting illustration of the power of manners over mind, the word "will" was purposely substituted for the customary "shall." It was only by an active effort of will that the good Commodore could be glad to see his daughter's suitor. But their interview, if it did not prove a death-blow to his prejudices, at least inflicted73 serious injuries upon them, from which they never afterwards recovered. He was won over by the young fellow's manliness74, which, when contrasted with mere gentlemanliness, apart from it, puts the latter at a striking disadvantage, even in the mind of the confirmed aristocrat75. There was also a tinge76 of absurdity77 in the idea of being ashamed of a son-in-law of whom his country was beginning to be proud. Perhaps it was as well that he should arrive unaided at this opinion, for Allan had won the rest of the household to his side, and a belief in which one is entirely alone must contain something more than mere pride of birth in order to support its possessor in comfort. Even the loyal Tredway would have failed to respond to his imagined need, for this faithful servitor had long since discovered that the happiness of his young mistress was more to be desired than the preservation78 of any fancied superiority on the part of the family to which he was devotedly79 attached.
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1
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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pathos
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| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
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survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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siesta
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| n.午睡 | |
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implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sylvan
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| adj.森林的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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blithe
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| adj.快乐的，无忧无虑的 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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porcupine
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| n.豪猪， 箭猪 | |
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quills
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| n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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hawks
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| 鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物 | |
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larks
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| n.百灵科鸟（尤指云雀）( lark的名词复数 )；一大早就起床；鸡鸣即起；（因太费力而不想干时说）算了v.百灵科鸟（尤指云雀）( lark的第三人称单数 )；一大早就起床；鸡鸣即起；（因太费力而不想干时说）算了 | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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wiles
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| n.（旨在欺骗或吸引人的）诡计，花招；欺骗，欺诈( wile的名词复数 ) | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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alligators
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| n.短吻鳄( alligator的名词复数 ) | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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adornment
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| n.装饰；装饰品 | |
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maize
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| n.玉米 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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lamentation
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| n.悲叹，哀悼 | |
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lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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plod
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| v.沉重缓慢地走，孜孜地工作 | |
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loon
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| n.狂人 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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enraptured
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| v.使狂喜( enrapture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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illegible
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| adj.难以辨认的，字迹模糊的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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vehement
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| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
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exultantly
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| adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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52
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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54
drowsily
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| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
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ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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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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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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heeding
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 ) | |
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auditor
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| n.审计员，旁听着 | |
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conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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broached
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| v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体 | |
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meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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unconditional
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| adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的 | |
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disquieted
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| v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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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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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74
manliness
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| 刚毅 | |
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75
aristocrat
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| n.贵族，有贵族气派的人，上层人物 | |
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76
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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77
absurdity
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| n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论 | |
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78
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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79
devotedly
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| 专心地； 恩爱地； 忠实地； 一心一意地 | |
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