Early on one of those matchless summer mornings, for he loved to adopt the hours kept by the birds, Edward set forth1 alone on a voyage of discovery. The wilds of his native land had a great and enduring fascination2 for him. He never ceased to enjoy the charm of a forest so dense3 that one might stay in it for days without the danger of discovery. Wandering as he listed, hurrying or loitering as it pleased him, and resting when weary beneath the outstretched arms of the over-shadowing wood, he drank deeply of the simple joys of a free and careless savage4 life. His whole nature became sensitive and receptive, like that of a poet, an absorbent of the beauty and music of earth and air.
The long bright hours of this particular day were spent in exploring bayous and marshes6, and in paddling among the ledges7 and around the lovely islands of Lake Couchiching. The dazzling blue expanse--mirror of a sky as blue--was broadly edged with reeds and rushes, flags and water-lilies, and framed by the thickly wooded shore and the green still cliffs that overhung the quiet waves. The air was laden8 with the sweet faint odours of early summer, and a soft breeze was lightly blowing under skies as soft. The youthful voyager went ashore9, and for a long time lay stretched on the sand with his gun watching for wild-fowl.
The woods were brilliant with flowers, blue larkspur, scarlet10 lichens11, the white and yellow and purple cyprepedium, or lady's slipper12, called by the Indians 'moccasin flower,' the purple and scarlet iris13, the bright pink blossom of the columbine, and all the other wind-blown and world-forgotten flowerets of the forest.
As the day grew warmer he betook himself for coolness to a quiet leaf-screened nook, beneath a rudely sculptured cliff, mantled14 in foliage15. Here he reclined after his midday lunch, gazing out upon a sky so blue that it seemed a sea washing the invisible shores of heaven, and dreaming of as many things as usually occupy the fancy of a young man on an idle June day. But one event of which he did not dream was rapidly approaching. A wild bird more brilliant and beautiful than any he had so patiently waited for with his gun was preparing to fall at his feet. Just above his head the Algonquin maiden16, Wanda, who like himself had strayed far from home, was reposing17 warm and wearied in utter unconsciousness of the proximity18 of any human being. The shining waters of the lake beneath her gave her a sudden charming inspiration. Springing up with the alertness of one upon whom fatigue19 lies as lightly as dew upon the sward, she swiftly disrobed, and remained a moment graceful20 as a young maple21 in autumn, standing22 in beautiful undress, its delicate limbs bare of leaves, and all its light raiment fallen in a many coloured heap to the ground.
In the natural abandon of the situation, Wanda neared the edge of the overhanging cliff, and sprang far out into the water. Edward, who was still lounging under the rock, was startled by the flashing outline--like a meteor from the heavens--of a human figure, which, in the twinkling of an eye, had cleaved23 the smooth surface of the lake, sank far into its depths, and reappeared some distance off. The glistening24 waters seemed to set in diamonds the beautifully shaped head and neck of the Indian maiden as she disported25 herself in the cool lake, and made for a point of land where a winding26 pathway, covered to the water's edge by a profuse27 growth of young trees, led up to the cliff above.
Recalling the classical story, familiar to his youth, and the judgment28 of the gods--"Henceforth be blind for thine eyes have seen too much!"--the young man concealed29 himself from view from the lake and waited for some time before venturing to regain30 the cliff overhead.
The fear of not being able to overtake the Indian beauty prevented Edward from remaining a prisoner quite as long as his sense of propriety31 dictated32. But his fear was justified33. She had almost reached the vanishing point of his vision when he finally emerged from his involuntary hiding-place. When at last he came up with her she confronted him with the wide innocent gaze of a child suddenly startled in its play. Then the swift instinct of the savage, the uncontrollable desire to fly, took possession of her. But the young man laid a light detaining hand upon her slim brown wrist. "Don't leave me," he entreated34, "I want to ask you the way home."
It was the only pretext35 he could invent on the spur of the moment, and it answered his purpose admirably. She stopped to view with undisguised amazement36, tempered with faint scorn, a human being who was so ignorant of the commonest affairs of life as to lose himself in the woods. She never dreamed of doubting his word. "I will be your guide," she said, with grave friendliness37.
"You are very kind. I am afraid," said the youth with well-feigned discouragement, "that we are a long way from home."
"This is my home," said Wanda, as they stepped into the shadow of the limitless forest. "It is only white men who are content to live on a little patch of ground and shut the sky away from them. The Indian is at home everywhere."
"That is certainly an advantage, for when a person's home is spread all over the continent he can never be lost. What should I have done if I had not met you?"
She made no reply. Flitting before him like some gorgeous bird, he was obliged to follow her at a pace that was anything but agreeable on this hot afternoon. Presently she turned and came back. He was leaning against a tree, breathing heavily, and exhibiting every symptom of extreme fatigue.
"You are forcing me to lead a terribly fast life," he declared. "You have no idea of how tired I am."
She laid a smooth brown hand upon his heart. If it beat faster at the touch it was not sufficiently38 rapid to cause alarm. "You are not tired at all," she declared with the air of a wise physician who is not to be imposed upon, "besides there is need for haste. It is going to rain."
And indeed the intense heat of the summer afternoon threatened to find relief in a thunder shower. The atmosphere suddenly cooled and darkened. The strange, shrill39, foreboding chirp40 of a bird was the only sound heard in the forest, except the rushing of a new-risen hurrying wind in the tree-tops. Then came the loud patter of rain on the leaves overhead, accompanied by a heavy crash of thunder.
"Well, experience teaches me that the best course to pursue when people are angry is to keep perfectly42 still until the storm blows over. It's no use talking back. Ah! don't do that," he implored43 as she stooped and kissed the ground.
"But I must. It will propitiate44 the angry spirit and preserve us from danger."
"Oh, how can you waste your sweetness on the desert earth, in that fashion? It may preserve us from danger, but it is likely to have a contrary effect on me."
The temporary shelter afforded by the interlacing branches overhead was now beaten down by the strength of the storm, which descended45 in torrents46. "Ah! you are afraid," he observed softly, drawing nearer to her.
"It is for you," she responded, "The rain is no more to me than it is to a red squirrel, but you, poor canary bird, your yellow head should be safe in its own cage."
This anxious, motherly tone brought a smile to the lips of the young man. A sudden thought struck his guide. Grasping his hand she drew him swiftly along until they reached the hollow trunk of an immense oak, into which she hastily thrust him. "There is not room for both," she declared, looking like a dripping naiad, as the rain-drops thickened about her. "Then there is not room for me," responded Edward, whose sense of chivalry47 rebelled at the idea of looking from a place of security upon an unprotected woman, exposed to the fury of the storm. He drew her reluctant form beside him, but she was impatient and ill at ease in her enforced shelter, as though she had been one of the untamed things of the wood, caught and prisoned against its will. Outside the rain fell fast, while within crouched48 this beautiful creature as remotely as possible from her human companion, and gazing longingly49 forth upon the wild elements of whose life her own life seemed to form a vital part. Her pulse beat fast in sympathy with the fast beating rain. Her large liquid eyes were dark as woodland pools. She did not pay her companion the compliment of being embarrassed in the slightest degree by his presence. Her only feeling was one of physical discomfort50 in her cramped51 position, and impatience52 with the man who could imagine that for her such protection was necessary. It crossed his mind that here was a veritable child of nature, untamed, untamable, not only in her habits and surroundings, her modes of life and thought, but in her very nature, in every fibre of her being, every emotion of her mind. Her superb unconsciousness chagrined53 and then irritated him. A beautiful woman might as well be a beautiful statue as to persist in behaving like one. A sudden rash desire took possession of the youth to test the quality of this superhuman indifference54. The opportunity was tempting55, the moment auspicious56; he might never be so near her again. He laid one hand upon her arm, and bent5 his fair head till it reached her shoulder. Then he bestowed57 a lingering kiss upon the lovely curve of her cheek where it melted into her neck. She turned her proud head slowly, and looked at him through eyes that deepened and glowed.
"Wanda!" he breathed softly.
For answer he received a stinging blow on the face. Nor was he consoled by the spectacle of a wild girl darting58 from under the shelter of the tree, and vanishing from his sight.
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1
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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5
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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marshes
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| n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 ) | |
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ledges
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| n.（墙壁，悬崖等）突出的狭长部分( ledge的名词复数 )；（平窄的）壁架；横档；（尤指）窗台 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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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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11
lichens
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| n.地衣( lichen的名词复数 ) | |
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slipper
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| n.拖鞋 | |
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iris
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| n.虹膜，彩虹 | |
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mantled
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| 披着斗篷的，覆盖着的 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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16
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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reposing
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的现在分词 ) | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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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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23
cleaved
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| v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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disported
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| v.嬉戏，玩乐，自娱( disport的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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profuse
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| adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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30
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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32
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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33
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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34
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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36
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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37
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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38
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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39
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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40
chirp
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| v.(尤指鸟)唧唧喳喳的叫 | |
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41
dilating
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| v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的现在分词 ) | |
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42
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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43
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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44
propitiate
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| v.慰解，劝解 | |
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45
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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46
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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47
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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48
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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50
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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51
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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52
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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53
chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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55
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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56
auspicious
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| adj.吉利的；幸运的，吉兆的 | |
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57
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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