Staneholme was always a man of few words. He was taken up, as was right, with the little lady, whose habit trailed behind her, and who never raised her modest eyes. "Well-a-day! the Laird's bargain was of sma' buik," thought the retainers, but "Hurrah22" for the fat brose and lumps of corned beef, and the ale and the whisky, with which they are now to be regaled!
In the hall stood Joan and Madge and Mysie, panting to see their grand Edinburgh sister. They were only hindered from running down into the yard by the deposed23 mistress of Staneholme, whose hair was as white as snow, and who wore no mode mantle24 nor furbelows nor laces, like proud Lady Carnegie. She was dressed in a warm plaiden gown and a close mob cap, with huge keys and huswife balancing each other at either pocket-hole, and her cracked voice was very sweet as she reiterated25 "Bide26 till he bring her here, my bairns," and her kindly27 smile was motherly to the whole world. But think you poor vanquished28 Nelly Carnegie's crushed heart leapt up to meet these Homes—that her eyes glanced cordially at Joan, [Page 182]and Madge, and Mysie—that her cheek was bent29 gratefully to receive old Lady Staneholme's caress30? No, no; Nelly was too wretched to cry, but she stood there like a marble statue, and with no more feeling, or show of feeling. Was this colourless, motionless young girl, in her dusty, disarranged habit, and the feather of her hat ruffled31 by the wind, the gay Edinburgh beauty who had won Staneholme! What glamour32 of perverse33 fashion had she cast into his eyes!
"Wae's me, will dule never end in this weary warld? Adam lad, Adam, what doom34 have you dragged doon on yoursel'?" cried Lady Staneholme; and while the thoughtless, self-absorbed girls drew back in disappointment, she met her son's proud eyes, and stepping past him, let her hand press lightly for a second on his shoulder as she took in hers Nelly's lifeless fingers. She said simply to the bride, "You are cold and weary, my dear, and supper is served, and we'll no bide making compliments, but you're welcome hame to your ain gudeman's house and folk; and so I'll lead you to your chamber35 in Staneholme, and then to the table-head, your future place." And on the way she explained first with noble humility36 that she did not wait for a rejoinder, because she had been deaf ever since Staneholme rode post haste from Edinburgh from the last sitting of the Parliament; and that since she was growing old, although it was pleasant to her to serve the bairns, yet she would be glad to relinquish37 her cares, and retire to the chimney-corner to her wheel and her book; and she blessed the Lord that she had lived to see the young mistress of Staneholme who would guide the house[Page 183]hold when she was at her rest. Nelly heard not, did not care to recognise that the Lady of Staneholme, in her looks, words, and actions, was beautiful with the rare beauty of a meek38, quiet, loving spirit which in those troublous days had budded and bloomed and been mellowed39 by time and trial. Nor did Nelly pause to consider that had she chosen, she whose own mother's heart had never melted towards her, might have been nestled in that bosom40 as in an ark of peace.
When Lady Staneholme conducted Nelly down the wide staircase into the chill dining-room, and to the chair opposite the claret-jug of the master of the house, Nelly drew back with sullen41 determination.
"Na, but, my bairn, I'm blithe for you to fill my place; Staneholme's mither may well make room for Staneholme's wife," urged the lady, gently.
But Nelly remained childishly rooted in her refusal to preside at his board, unless compelled; and her brow, knit at the remembrance of her fall, was set to meet the further encounter. Joan and Madge and Mysie, with their blooming cheeks, and their kissing-strings new for the occasion, stared as if their strange sister was but half endowed with mother wit; and Lady Staneholme hesitated until Adam Home uttered his short, emphatic42 "As she pleases, mother," while the flush flew to his forehead, and his firm lip shook.
Staneholme had resolved never to control the wife he had forced into his arms, beyond the cold, daily intercourse43 which men will interchange with a deadly foe44, as well as with a trusty frere; never to approach her side, nor [Page 184]attempt to assuage45 her malice46 nor court her frozen lips into a smile. This was his purpose, and he abode47 by it. He farmed his land, he hunted, and speared salmon48, was rocked in his fishing-boat as far as St. Abbs, read political pamphlets, and sat late over his wine, and sometimes abetted49 the bold smuggling50, much like his contemporaries. But no pursuit which he followed with fitful excess seemed to satisfy him as it did others, and he never sought to supplement it by courting his alien wife.
Lady Staneholme would fain have made her town-bred daughter-in-law enamoured with the duties of a country life, and cheered the strange joylessness of her honeymoon51. Failing in this attempt, she, with a covert52 sigh, half-pain, half-pleasure, resumed the old oversight53 of larder54 and dairy. Such care was then the delight of many an unsophisticated laird's helpmate; and, to the contented55 Lady of Staneholme, it had quite made up for the partial deprivation56 of social intercourse to which her infirmity had subjected her. Joan, Madge, and Mysie, wearied of haughty57 Nelly after they had grown accustomed to the grand attire58 she wore, denied that they had ever been dazzled with it, and ceased to believe that she had danced minuets in the Assembly Rooms before Miss Jacky Murray. They had their own company and their own stories, into which they had no temptation to drag an interloper.
Nelly, in her desolation standing apart in the centre of the wholesome59, happy family circle, grew to have her peculiar60 habits and occupations, her self-contained life into which none of the others could penetrate61.

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1
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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verge
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n.边,边缘;v.接近,濒临 | |
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3
moor
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n.荒野,沼泽;vt.(使)停泊;vi.停泊 | |
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4
rattling
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adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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5
casement
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n.竖铰链窗;窗扉 | |
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buxom
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adj.(妇女)丰满的,有健康美的 | |
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groom
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vt.给(马、狗等)梳毛,照料,使...整洁 | |
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8
bonnets
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n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 );(烟囱等的)覆盖物;(苏格兰男子的)无边呢帽;(女子戴的)任何一种帽子 | |
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9
bustle
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v.喧扰地忙乱,匆忙,奔忙;n.忙碌;喧闹 | |
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10
blithe
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adj.快乐的,无忧无虑的 | |
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11
dependants
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受赡养者,受扶养的家属( dependant的名词复数 ) | |
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12
toil
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vi.辛劳工作,艰难地行动;n.苦工,难事 | |
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13
thronged
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v.成群,挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
ivy
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n.常青藤,常春藤 | |
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15
tenant
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n.承租人;房客;佃户;v.租借,租用 | |
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16
turmoil
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n.骚乱,混乱,动乱 | |
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17
tarts
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n.果馅饼( tart的名词复数 );轻佻的女人;妓女;小妞 | |
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18
aurora
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n.极光 | |
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19
homely
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adj.家常的,简朴的;不漂亮的 | |
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20
rambling
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adj.[建]凌乱的,杂乱的 | |
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21
crooked
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adj.弯曲的;不诚实的,狡猾的,不正当的 | |
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22
hurrah
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int.好哇,万岁,乌拉 | |
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23
deposed
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v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 );(在法庭上)宣誓作证 | |
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24
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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25
reiterated
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反复地说,重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bide
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v.忍耐;等候;住 | |
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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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28
vanquished
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v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 );战胜;克服;抑制 | |
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29
bent
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n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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30
caress
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vt./n.爱抚,抚摸 | |
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31
ruffled
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adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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32
glamour
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n.魔力,魅力;vt.迷住 | |
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33
perverse
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adj.刚愎的;坚持错误的,行为反常的 | |
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34
doom
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n.厄运,劫数;v.注定,命定 | |
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35
chamber
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n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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36
humility
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n.谦逊,谦恭 | |
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37
relinquish
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v.放弃,撤回,让与,放手 | |
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38
meek
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adj.温顺的,逆来顺受的 | |
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39
mellowed
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(使)成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 ); 使色彩更加柔和,使酒更加醇香 | |
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40
bosom
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n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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41
sullen
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adj.愠怒的,闷闷不乐的,(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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42
emphatic
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adj.强调的,着重的;无可置疑的,明显的 | |
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43
intercourse
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n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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44
foe
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n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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45
assuage
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v.缓和,减轻,镇定 | |
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46
malice
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n.恶意,怨恨,蓄意;[律]预谋 | |
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47
abode
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n.住处,住所 | |
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48
salmon
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n.鲑,大马哈鱼,橙红色的 | |
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49
abetted
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v.教唆(犯罪)( abet的过去式和过去分词 );煽动;怂恿;支持 | |
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50
smuggling
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n.走私 | |
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51
honeymoon
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n.蜜月(假期);vi.度蜜月 | |
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52
covert
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adj.隐藏的;暗地里的 | |
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53
oversight
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n.勘漏,失察,疏忽 | |
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54
larder
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n.食物贮藏室,食品橱 | |
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55
contented
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adj.满意的,安心的,知足的 | |
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56
deprivation
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n.匮乏;丧失;夺去,贫困 | |
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57
haughty
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adj.傲慢的,高傲的 | |
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58
attire
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v.穿衣,装扮[同]array;n.衣着;盛装 | |
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59
wholesome
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adj.适合;卫生的;有益健康的;显示身心健康的 | |
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60
peculiar
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adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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61
penetrate
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v.透(渗)入;刺入,刺穿;洞察,了解 | |
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