It was unfortunate that Forester retired1 from company in such abrupt2 displeasure at Flora3 Campbell’s question, for had he borne the idea of a Scotch4 reel more like a philosopher, he would have heard of something interesting relative to the intended ball, if any thing relative to a ball could be interesting to him. It was a charity-ball, for the benefit of the mistress of the very charity-school3 to which the little girl with the bruised5 hand belonged. “Do you know,” said Henry to Forester, when they returned home, “that I have great hopes we shall be able to get justice done to the poor children? I hope the tyrannical schoolmistress may yet be punished. The lady, with whom we drank tea yesterday is one of the patronesses of the charity-school.”
“Lady patronesses!” cried Forester; “we need not expect justice from a lady patroness, depend upon it, especially at a ball; her head will be full of feathers, or some such things. I prophesy6 you will not succeed better than I have.”
The desponding prophecies of Forester did not deter7 Henry from pursuing a scheme which he had formed. The lady, who was the mistress of the canary bird, came in a few days to visit his mother, and she told him that his experiment had succeeded, that she had regularly locked up the wafers, and that her favourite bird was in perfect health. “And what fee, doctor,” said she, smiling, “shall I give you for saving his life?”
“I will tell you in a few minutes,” replied Henry; and in a few minutes the little girl and her geranium were sent for, and appeared. Henry told the lady all the circumstances of her story with so much feeling, and at the same time with so much propriety8, that she became interested in the cause: she declared that she would do every thing in her power to prevail upon the other ladies to examine into, the conduct of the schoolmistress, and to have her dismissed immediately, if it should appear that she had behaved improperly9.
Forester, who was present at this declaration, was much astonished, that a lady, whom he had seen caressing10 a canary-bird, could speak with so much decision and good sense. Henry obtained his fee: he asked and received permission to place the geranium in the middle of the supper-table at the ball; and he begged that the lady would take an opportunity, at supper, to mention the circumstances which he had related to her; but this she declined, and politely said, that she was sure Henry would tell the story much better than she could.
“Come out and walk with me,” said Forester to Henry, as soon as the lady was gone. Henry frequently left his occupations with great good-nature, to accompany our hero in his rambles11, and he usually followed the subjects of conversation which Forester started. He saw, by the gravity of his countenance12, that he had something of importance revolving13 in his mind. After he had proceeded in silence for some time along the walk, under the high rock called Arthur’s Seat, he suddenly stopped, and, turning to Henry, exclaimed, “I esteem14 you; do not make me despise you!”
“I hope I never shall,” said Henry, a little surprised by his friend’s manner; “what is the matter?”
“Leave balls, and lady patronesses, and petty artifices15, and supple16 address, to such people as Archibald Mackenzie,” pursued Forester, with enthusiasm:
“Who noble ends by noble means pursues —”
“Will scorn canary birds, and cobble shoes,”
Replied Henry, laughing; “I see no meanness in my conduct: I do not know what it is you disapprove17.”
“I do not approve,” said Forester, “of your having recourse to mean address to obtain justice.”
Henry requested to know what his severe friend meant by address; but this was not easily explained. Forester, in his definition of mean address, included all that attention to the feelings of others, all those honest arts of pleasing, which make society agreeable. Henry endeavoured to convince him, that it was possible for a person to wish to please, nay18, even to succeed in that wish, without being insincere. Their argument and their walk continued, till Henry, who, though very active, was not quite so robust19 as his friend, was completely tired, especially as he perceived that Forester’s opinions remained unshaken.
“How effeminate you gentlemen are!” cried Forester: “see what it is to be brought up in the lap of luxury. Why, I am not at all tired; I could walk a dozen miles further, without being in the least fatigued20!”
Henry thought it a very good thing to be able to walk a number of miles without being fatigued, but he did not consider it as the highest perfection of human nature. In his friend’s present mood, nothing less could content him, and Forester went on to demonstrate to the weary Henry, that all fortitude21, all courage, and all the manly22 virtues23, were inseparably connected with pedestrian indefatigability24. Henry, with good-natured presence of mind, which perhaps his friend would have called mean address, diverted our hero’s rising indignation by proposing that they should both go and look at the large brewery25 which was in their way home, and with which Forester would, he thought, be entertained.
The brewery fortunately turned the course of Forester’s thoughts, and, instead of quarrelling with his friend for being tired, he condescended26 to postpone29 all further debate. Forester had, from his childhood, a habit of twirling a key, whenever he was thinking intently: the key had been produced, and had been twirling upon its accustomed thumb during the argument upon address; and it was still in Forester’s hand when they went into the brewery. As he looked and listened, the key was essential to his power of attending; at length, as he stopped to view a large brewing30 vat31, the key unluckily slipped from his thumb, and fell to the bottom of the vat: it was so deep, that the tinkling32 sound of the key, as it touched the bottom, was scarcely heard. A young man who belonged to the brewery immediately descended27 by a ladder into the vat, to get the key, but scarcely had he reached the bottom, when he fell down senseless. Henry Campbell was speaking to one of the clerks of the brewery when this accident happened: a man came running to them with the news, “The vat has not been cleaned; it’s full of bad air.” “Draw him up, let down a hook and cords for him instantly, or he’s a dead man,” cried Henry, and he instantly ran to the place. What was his terror, when he beheld33 Forester descending34 the ladder! He called to him to stop; he assured him that the man could be saved without his hazarding his life: but Forester persisted; he had one end of a cord in his hand, which he said he could fasten in an instant round the man’s body. There was a skylight nearly over the vat, so that the light fell directly upon the bottom.
Henry saw his friend reach the last step of the ladder. As Forester stooped to put the rope round the shoulders of the man, who lay insensible at the bottom of the vat, a sudden air of idiocy35 came over his animated36 countenance; his limbs seemed no longer to obey his will; his arms dropped, and he fell insensible.
The spectators, who were looking down from above, were so much terrified, that they could not decide to do any thing; some cried, “It’s all over with him! Why would he go down?” Others ran to procure37 a hook — others called to him to take up the rope again, if he possibly could: but Forester could not hear or understand them, Henry Campbell was the only person who, in this scene of danger and confusion, had sufficient presence of mind to be of service.
Near the large vat, into which Forester had descended, there was a cistern38 of cold water. Henry seized a bucket, which was floating in the cistern, filled it with water, and emptied the water into the vat, dashing it against the sides, to disperse39 the water, and to displace the mephitic air4, He called to the people, who surrounded him, for assistance; the water expelled the air; and, when it was safe to descend28, Henry instantly went down the ladder himself, and fastened the cord round Forester, who was quite helpless.
“Draw him up!” said Henry, They drew him up. Henry fastened another cord round the body of the other man, who lay at the bottom of the vessel40, and he was taken up in the same manner. Forester soon returned to his senses, when he was carried into the air; it was with more difficulty that the other man, whose animation41 had been longer suspended, was recovered; at length, however, by proper application, his lungs played freely, he stretched himself, looked round upon the people who were about him with an air of astonishment42, and was some time before he could recollect43 what had happened to him. Forester, as soon as he had recovered the use of his understanding, was in extreme anxiety to know whether the poor man, who went down for his key, had been saved. His gratitude44 to Henry, when he heard all that had passed, was expressed in the most enthusiastic manner.
“I acted like a madman, and you like a man of sense,” said Forester. “You always know how to do good: I do mischief45, whenever I attempt to do good. But now, don’t expect, Henry, that I should give up any of my opinions to you, because you have saved my life. I shall always argue with you just as I did before. Remember, I despise address, I don’t yield a single point to you. Gratitude shall never make me a sycophant46.”
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1
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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prophesy
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| v.预言；预示 | |
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deter
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| vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住 | |
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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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improperly
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| 不正确地，不适当地 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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rambles
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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artifices
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| n.灵巧( artifice的名词复数 )；诡计；巧妙办法；虚伪行为 | |
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supple
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| adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺 | |
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disapprove
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| v.不赞成，不同意，不批准 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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indefatigability
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| n.不疲劳，不屈不挠 | |
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brewery
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| n.啤酒厂 | |
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condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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brewing
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| n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
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vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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idiocy
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| n.愚蠢 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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cistern
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| n.贮水池 | |
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disperse
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| vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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43
recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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45
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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46
sycophant
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| n.马屁精 | |
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