The astonishing feature of the situation was that he was inclined to agree with her. There was nothing astonishing in itself in his agreement with her, for he usually did agree with her, but in that her conditions were really his own. For it is rare, blessedly so, that two people feel that they require the same thing to complete the joy of life, and when they parallel on three points 't is most remarkable4. Even two lovers require each other—very different things, I am sure. Stop! I am not so sure about the third proviso with the colonel. I say the third, because Miss Wilton put it number three, though perhaps it was like a woman's postscript5, which somehow suggests the paraphrase6 of a familiar bit of Scripture,—the last, not will be, but should be, first!
Here are the requisites. One: The flag floating gracefully7 from the peak of the spanker gaff above them, in the light air of the sunny afternoon, should be the stars and stripes, instead of the red cross of St. George! Two: The prow8 of the ship should be turned to the wooded shores of Virginia, and the Old Dominion9 should be her destination instead of the chalk cliffs of England! Three: that a certain handsome, fair, blue-eyed, gallant10 sailor, who answered to the name of John Seymour, should be by her side instead of another, even though that other were one who had once saved her life, and to whose care and kindness and forethought she was much indebted. Her present attendant was certainly a gentleman; and to an unprejudiced eye—which hers certainly was not—quite as handsome and distinguished11 and gallant as was his favored rival, and boasting one advantage over the other in that he bore a titled name—not such a desideratum among American girls at that time, however, as it was afterwards destined12 to become; and in a girl of the stamp of Miss Katharine Wilton, possibly no advantage at all.
But, could the heart of that fair damsel be known, all talk of advantage or disadvantage, or this or that compensating13 factor, was absolutely idle! She was not a girl who did things by halves; and the feeling which had prompted her to give herself to the young sailor, though of sudden origin, had grown and grown during the days of absence and confinement14, till, in depth and intensity15, it matched his own. She was not now so sure that, among the other objects of her adoration16, he would have to take the second place; that, in case of division, her heart would lead her to think first of her country. Insensibly had his image supplanted17 every other, and with all the passionate18 devotion of her generous southern nature she loved him.
Lord Desborough had ample opportunity for ascertaining19 this fact. He had seen her risk her life for Seymour's own. He could never forget the glorious picture she made standing20 across the prostrate21 form of that young man, pistol in hand, keeping the mob at bay, never wavering, never faltering22, clear-eyed, supreme23. He would be almost willing to die to have her do the like for him. He could still hear the echo of that bitter cry,—"Seymour! Seymour!"—which rang through the house when they had dragged her away. These things were not pleasant reminiscences, but, like most other unpleasant memories, they would not down. In spite of all this, however, he had allowed himself—nay, his permission he vowed24 had not been asked—to fall violently in love with this little colonial maiden25, and a country maiden at that! Not being psychologically inclined, he had never attempted to analyze26 her charm or to explain his sensations. Realizing the fact, and being young and therefore hopeful, he had not allowed himself to despair. Really, he had some claims upon her. Had he not interfered27, she would have been murdered that night in the dining-room. He had earned the gratitude28 then and there of her father, and of herself as well; and he had earned more of it too when he had shot dead a certain brutal29 marauding blackguard by the name of Johnson, at the first convenient opportunity, having received incidentally, in return for his message of death, a bullet in his own breast to remind him that there are always two persons and two chances in a duel30. A part of the debt of the Wiltons had been paid by the assiduous and solicitous31 care with which they—Katharine chiefly, of course—had nursed him through the long and dangerous illness consequent upon his wound. It was his interest which had prevented further ill treatment of them by the brutal and tyrannous Dunmore, and, had Katharine so elected, would have secured her freedom. She had, however, to Desborough's great delight, chosen to accompany her father to England, where he was to be sent as a prisoner of high political consequence.
After waiting many weary days at the camp of the fugitive32 and deposed33 governor at Gwynn's Island, they had been separated from Desborough, and unceremoniously hustled34 on board the frigate35 Radnor, which was under orders for England. They had stopped long enough at Norfolk to witness Dunmore's savage36 and vindictive37 action in bombarding and burning that helpless town; and from that point Katharine had been enabled to send her letter to Seymour, through a friendly American spy, just before taking departure for their long voyage across the seas. The orders of the Radnor had been changed at the last moment, however, and she had been directed to go in pursuit of Jones and the Ranger38, which it was currently reported had got to sea from the Delaware Bay, bound for Canada and the Newfoundland coast. No vessel39 being ready for England at that time, the two prisoners had been transferred, fortunately for them, to a small ship bound to the naval40 station at Barbadoes; and thence, after another weary dreary41 wait, had been sent on board his Britannic majesty's ship Yarmouth, Captain John Vincent, bound home for England. The first lieutenant42 of this ship happened to be a certain Patrick Michael Philip O'Neal Drummond, Lord Desborough, son and heir to the Earl of Desmond! He congratulated himself most heartily43 upon his good fortune.
Providence44 had, then, thrown a lover again at Katharine's feet. Not that there was anything unusual in that. She might not regard it in a providential light, however; but he, at least did so, and he had intended to improve the shining hours of what would be a long cruise, in the close association permitted by the confined limits of the ship, to make a final desperate effort to win the heart which had hitherto so entirely45 eluded46 him that he could not flatter himself that he had made the least impression upon it. His success during the first three or four days of the cruise had not been brilliant. She had been unaffectedly glad to see him apparently47, and gentle and kind in her reception,—too kind, he thought, with the circumspection48 of a lover,—but that was all. To add to his trials, he soon found himself not without rivals nearer at home than Seymour. Judging by present results, Washington, if he had a few regiments49 of Katharines, could carry consternation50 to the whole British army! For the captors had, apparently, taken the oath of allegiance to the captured, and the whole ship's company, from that gruff old sailor Captain Vincent down through all the other officers to the impudent51 and important little midshipman, were her devoted52 slaves. Even Jack53 forward, usually entirely unresponsive to the doings aft on the quarterdeck, put on an extra flourish or so, and damning his eyes, after the manner of the unsophisticated sailorman, gazed appreciatively upon her beauty, envying those fortunate mortals privileged to radiate about her person. Vincent might be the captain, but Katharine was certainly the queen of the ship. Colonel Wilton, too, shone, not altogether by reflected lustre54 either; and the considerate officers had done everything possible to make him forget that he was a prisoner.
Early one afternoon in the beginning of February, the Yarmouth, being under all plain sail with the wind two or three points abaft55 the beam, was bowling56 along under a fresh breeze about a day's sail east of Martinique. The weather was perfect, and because of the low latitude57, in spite of the winter season, there was no touch of sharpness in the air, which was warm and delightful58. All the necessary drills and exercises having been concluded earlier in the day, the whole ship's company was enjoying a period of unusual relaxation59 and idleness. The men at the wheel, the lookouts60 kept constantly at the mastheads, the marines doing sentry61 duty, with the midshipmen of the watch and the officer of the deck busily pacing to and fro, were the only people, out of the six hundred and odd men who made up the ship's complement62, who presented any appearance of activity whatever. The men of the watch on and the watch off, dinner being over, were sitting or lounging about in all sorts of easy attitudes,—some of them busy with their needles; others overhauling63 their clothes-bags, to which they had been given access that afternoon; others grouped about some more brilliant story-teller than the rest, eagerly drinking in the multifarious details of some exciting personal experience, or romantic adventure, or never-ending story of shipwreck64 or battle, or mystery—technically, yarns65! Colonel Wilton was standing aft with Captain Vincent in the shadow of the spanker. Miss Wilton, with Chloe, her black maid, behind her chair, was sitting near the break of the poop-deck, looking forward, surrounded by several lieutenants66; Desborough being at her right hand, of course, feeling and looking unusually gloomy and morose67. One or two of the oldest and boldest midshipmen were also lingering on the outskirts68 of the group, as near to their divinity as they dared come in the presence of their superior officers. The conversation happening to turn, as it frequently did, upon the subject of the present war between England and the colonies engaged in rebellion against the paternal69 power, was unusually animated70.
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1
imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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requisites
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| n.必要的事物( requisite的名词复数 ) | |
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3
beatific
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| adj.快乐的，有福的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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postscript
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| n.附言，又及；(正文后的)补充说明 | |
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6
paraphrase
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| vt.将…释义，改写；n.释义，意义 | |
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7
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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8
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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9
dominion
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| n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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13
compensating
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| 补偿，补助，修正 | |
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14
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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17
supplanted
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| 把…排挤掉，取代( supplant的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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19
ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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20
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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21
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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22
faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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23
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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24
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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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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26
analyze
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| vt.分析，解析 (=analyse) | |
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interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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28
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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30
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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31
solicitous
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| adj.热切的，挂念的 | |
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32
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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33
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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34
hustled
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| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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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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37
vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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ranger
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| n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员 | |
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39
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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40
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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41
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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42
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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43
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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44
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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45
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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46
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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47
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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48
circumspection
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| n.细心，慎重 | |
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49
regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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50
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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51
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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52
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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53
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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54
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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55
abaft
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| prep.在…之后；adv.在船尾，向船尾 | |
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56
bowling
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| n.保龄球运动 | |
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57
latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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58
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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59
relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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60
lookouts
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| n.寻找（ 某人/某物）( lookout的名词复数 )；是某人（自己）的问题；警戒；瞭望台 | |
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sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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62
complement
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| n.补足物，船上的定员；补语；vt.补充，补足 | |
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63
overhauling
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| n.大修；拆修；卸修；翻修v.彻底检查( overhaul的现在分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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64
shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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65
yarns
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| n.纱( yarn的名词复数 )；纱线；奇闻漫谈；旅行轶事 | |
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66
lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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67
morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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68
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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69
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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70
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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