Some time elapsed before she could reassure4 her trembling companion, or restore him to a state of moderate tranquillity5. His disordered imagination represented to him a crowd of persons stealing towards them beneath the cover of the bushes, lurking8 in every ditch, and peeping from the boughs9 of every rustling10 tree. He was haunted by apprehensions11 of being led captive to some gloomy place where he would be chained and scourged12, and worse than all, where Nell could never come to see him, save through iron bars and gratings in the wall. His terrors affected13 the child. Separation from her grandfather was the greatest evil she could dread14; and feeling for the time as though, go where they would, they were to be hunted down, and could never be safe but in hiding, her heart failed her, and her courage drooped15.
In one so young, and so unused to the scenes in which she had lately moved, this sinking of the spirit was not surprising. But, Nature often enshrines gallant16 and noble hearts in weak bosoms17 — oftenest, God bless her, in female breasts — and when the child, casting her tearful eyes upon the old man, remembered how weak he was, and how destitute18 and helpless he would be if she failed him, her heart swelled19 within her, and animated20 her with new strength and fortitude21.
‘We are quite safe now, and have nothing to fear indeed, dear grandfather,’ she said.
‘Nothing to fear!’ returned the old man. ‘Nothing to fear if they took me from thee! Nothing to fear if they parted us! Nobody is true to me. No, not one. Not even Nell!’
‘Oh! do not say that,’ replied the child, ‘for if ever anybody was true at heart, and earnest, I am. I am sure you know I am.’
‘Then how,’ said the old man, looking fearfully round, ‘how can you bear to think that we are safe, when they are searching for me everywhere, and may come here, and steal upon us, even while we’re talking?’
‘Because I’m sure we have not been followed,’ said the child. ‘Judge for yourself, dear grandfather: look round, and see how quiet and still it is. We are alone together, and may ramble23 where we like. Not safe! Could I feel easy — did I feel at ease — when any danger threatened you?’
‘True, too,’ he answered, pressing her hand, but still looking anxiously about. ‘What noise was that?’
‘A bird,’ said the child, ‘flying into the wood, and leading the way for us to follow.’ You remember that we said we would walk in woods and fields, and by the side of rivers, and how happy we would be — you remember that? But here, while the sun shines above our heads, and everything is bright and happy, we are sitting sadly down, and losing time. See what a pleasant path; and there’s the bird — the same bird — now he flies to another tree, and stays to sing. Come!’
When they rose up from the ground, and took the shady track which led them through the wood, she bounded on before, printing her tiny footsteps in the moss24, which rose elastic25 from so light a pressure and gave it back as mirrors throw off breath; and thus she lured26 the old man on, with many a backward look and merry beck, now pointing stealthily to some lone22 bird as it perched and twittered on a branch that strayed across their path, now stopping to listen to the songs that broke the happy silence, or watch the sun as it trembled through the leaves, and stealing in among the ivied trunks of stout27 old trees, opened long paths of light. As they passed onward28, parting the boughs that clustered in their way, the serenity29 which the child had first assumed, stole into her breast in earnest; the old man cast no longer fearful looks behind, but felt at ease and cheerful, for the further they passed into the deep green shade, the more they felt that the tranquil6 mind of God was there, and shed its peace on them.
At length the path becoming clearer and less intricate, brought them to the end of the wood, and into a public road. Taking their way along it for a short distance, they came to a lane, so shaded by the trees on either hand that they met together over-head, and arched the narrow way. A broken finger-post announced that this led to a village three miles off; and thither30 they resolved to bend their steps.
The miles appeared so long that they sometimes thought they must have missed their road. But at last, to their great joy, it led downwards31 in a steep descent, with overhanging banks over which the footpaths32 led; and the clustered houses of the village peeped from the woody hollow below.
It was a very small place. The men and boys were playing at cricket on the green; and as the other folks were looking on, they wandered up and down, uncertain where to seek a humble33 lodging34. There was but one old man in the little garden before his cottage, and him they were timid of approaching, for he was the schoolmaster, and had ‘School’ written up over his window in black letters on a white board. He was a pale, simple-looking man, of a spare and meagre habit, and sat among his flowers and beehives, smoking his pipe, in the little porch before his door.
‘Speak to him, dear,’ the old man whispered.
‘I am almost afraid to disturb him,’ said the child timidly. ‘He does not seem to see us. Perhaps if we wait a little, he may look this way.’
They waited, but the schoolmaster cast no look towards them, and still sat, thoughtful and silent, in the little porch. He had a kind face. In his plain old suit of black, he looked pale and meagre. They fancied, too, a lonely air about him and his house, but perhaps that was because the other people formed a merry company upon the green, and he seemed the only solitary man in all the place.
They were very tired, and the child would have been bold enough to address even a schoolmaster, but for something in his manner which seemed to denote that he was uneasy or distressed35. As they stood hesitating at a little distance, they saw that he sat for a few minutes at a time like one in a brown study, then laid aside his pipe and took a few turns in his garden, then approached the gate and looked towards the green, then took up his pipe again with a sigh, and sat down thoughtfully as before.
As nobody else appeared and it would soon be dark, Nell at length took courage, and when he had resumed his pipe and seat, ventured to draw near, leading her grandfather by the hand. The slight noise they made in raising the latch36 of the wicket-gate, caught his attention. He looked at them kindly37 but seemed disappointed too, and slightly shook his head.
Nell dropped a curtsey, and told him they were poor travellers who sought a shelter for the night which they would gladly pay for, so far as their means allowed. The schoolmaster looked earnestly at her as she spoke38, laid aside his pipe, and rose up directly.
‘If you could direct us anywhere,sir,’ said the child, ‘we should take it very kindly.’
‘You have been walking a long way,’ said the schoolmaster.
‘A long way, Sir,’ the child replied.
‘You’re a young traveller, my child,’ he said, laying his hand gently on her head. ‘Your grandchild, friend? ’
‘Aye, Sir,’ cried the old man, ‘and the stay and comfort of my life.’
‘Come in,’ said the schoolmaster.
Without further preface he conducted them into his little school-room, which was parlour and kitchen likewise, and told them that they were welcome to remain under his roof till morning. Before they had done thanking him, he spread a coarse white cloth upon the table, with knives and platters; and bringing out some bread and cold meat and a jug39 of beer, besought40 them to eat and drink.
The child looked round the room as she took her seat. There were a couple of forms, notched41 and cut and inked all over; a small deal desk perched on four legs, at which no doubt the master sat; a few dog’s-eared books upon a high shelf; and beside them a motley collection of peg-tops, balls, kites, fishing-lines, marbles, half-eaten apples, and other confiscated42 property of idle urchins43. Displayed on hooks upon the wall in all their terrors, were the cane44 and ruler; and near them, on a small shelf of its own, the dunce’s cap, made of old newspapers and decorated with glaring wafers of the largest size. But, the great ornaments45 of the walls were certain moral sentences fairly copied in good round text, and well-worked sums in simple addition and multiplication46, evidently achieved by the same hand, which were plentifully47 pasted all round the room: for the double purpose, as it seemed, of bearing testimony48 to the excellence49 of the school, and kindling50 a worthy51 emulation52 in the bosoms of the scholars.
‘Yes,’ said the old schoolmaster, observing that her attention was caught by these latter specimens53. ‘That’s beautiful writing, my dear.’
‘Very, Sir,’ replied the child modestly, ‘is it yours?’
‘Mine!’ he returned, taking out his spectacles and putting them on, to have a better view of the triumphs so dear to his heart. ‘I couldn’t write like that, now-a-days. No. They’re all done by one hand; a little hand it is, not so old as yours, but a very clever one.’
As the schoolmaster said this, he saw that a small blot54 of ink had been thrown on one of the copies, so he took a penknife from his pocket, and going up to the wall, carefully scraped it out. When he had finished, he walked slowly backward from the writing, admiring it as one might contemplate55 a beautiful picture, but with something of sadness in his voice and manner which quite touched the child, though she was unacquainted with its cause.
‘A little hand indeed,’ said the poor schoolmaster. ‘Far beyond all his companions, in his learning and his sports too, how did he ever come to be so fond of me! That I should love him is no wonder, but that he should love me —’ and there the schoolmaster stopped, and took off his spectacles to wipe them, as though they had grown dim.
‘I hope there is nothing the matter,sir,’ said Nell anxiously.
‘Not much, my dear,’ returned the schoolmaster. ‘I hoped to have seen him on the green to-night. He was always foremost among them. But he’ll be there to-morrow.’
‘Has he been ill?’ asked the child, with a child’s quick sympathy.
‘Not very. They said he was wandering in his head yesterday, dear boy, and so they said the day before. But that’s a part of that kind of disorder7; it’s not a bad sign — not at all a bad sign.’ The child was silent. He walked to the door, and looked wistfully out. The shadows of night were gathering56, and all was still.
‘If he could lean upon anybody’s arm, he would come to me, I know,’ he said, returning into the room. ‘He always came into the garden to say good night. But perhaps his illness has only just taken a favourable57 turn, and it’s too late for him to come out, for it’s very damp and there’s a heavy dew. it’s much better he shouldn’t come to-night.’
The schoolmaster lighted a candle, fastened the window-shutter, and closed the door. But after he had done this, and sat silent a little time, he took down his hat, and said he would go and satisfy himself, if Nell would sit up till he returned. The child readily complied, and he went out.
She sat there half-an-hour or more, feeling the place very strange and lonely, for she had prevailed upon the old man to go to bed, and there was nothing to be heard but the ticking of an old clock, and the whistling of the wind among the trees. When he returned, he took his seat in the chimney corner, but remained silent for a long time. At length he turned to her, and speaking very gently, hoped she would say a prayer that night for a sick child.
‘My favourite scholar!’ said the poor schoolmaster, smoking a pipe he had forgotten to light, and looking mournfully round upon the walls. ‘It is a little hand to have done all that, and waste away with sickness. It is a very, very little hand!’
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收听单词发音
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1
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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7
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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8
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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scourged
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| 鞭打( scourge的过去式和过去分词 )； 惩罚，压迫 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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15
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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17
bosoms
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| 胸部( bosom的名词复数 )； 胸怀； 女衣胸部（或胸襟）； 和爱护自己的人在一起的情形 | |
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18
destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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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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fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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ramble
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| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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26
lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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29
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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32
footpaths
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| 人行小径，人行道( footpath的名词复数 ) | |
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33
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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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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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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40
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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notched
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| a.有凹口的，有缺口的 | |
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42
confiscated
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| 没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
urchins
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| n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 )；淘气鬼；猬；海胆 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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45
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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46
multiplication
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| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
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47
plentifully
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| adv. 许多地，丰饶地 | |
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48
testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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49
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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50
kindling
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| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
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51
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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52
emulation
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| n.竞争；仿效 | |
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53
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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54
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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55
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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56
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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57
favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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