He would follow her up and down, waiting till she should tire and lean upon his arm — he would sit opposite to her in the chimney-corner, content to watch, and look, until she raised her head and smiled upon him as of old — he would discharge by stealth, those household duties which tasked her powers too heavily — he would rise, in the cold dark nights, to listen to her breathing in her sleep, and sometimes crouch8 for hours by her bedside only to touch her hand. He who knows all, can only know what hopes, and fears, and thoughts of deep affection, were in that one disordered brain, and what a change had fallen on the poor old man. Sometimes — weeks had crept on, then — the child, exhausted9, though with little fatigue10, would pass whole evenings on a couch beside the fire. At such times, the schoolmaster would bring in books, and read to her aloud; and seldom an evening passed, but the bachelor came in, and took his turn of reading. The old man sat and listened — with little understanding for the words, but with his eyes fixed11 upon the child — and if she smiled or brightened with the story, he would say it was a good one, and conceive a fondness for the very book. When, in their evening talk, the bachelor told some tale that pleased her (as his tales were sure to do), the old man would painfully try to store it in his mind; nay12, when the bachelor left them, he would sometimes slip out after him, and humbly13 beg that he would tell him such a part again, that he might learn to win a smile from Nell.
But these were rare occasions, happily; for the child yearned14 to be out of doors, and walking in her solemn garden. Parties, too, would come to see the church; and those who came, speaking to others of the child, sent more; so even at that season of the year they had visitors almost daily. The old man would follow them at a little distance through the building, listening to the voice he loved so well; and when the strangers left, and parted from Nell, he would mingle15 with them to catch up fragments of their conversation; or he would stand for the same purpose, with his grey head uncovered, at the gate as they passed through.
They always praised the child, her sense and beauty, and he was proud to hear them! But what was that, so often added, which wrung16 his heart, and made him sob17 and weep alone, in some dull corner! Alas18! even careless strangers — they who had no feeling for her, but the interest of the moment — they who would go away and forget next week that such a being lived — even they saw it — even they pitied her — even they bade him good day compassionately20, and whispered as they passed.
The people of the village, too, of whom there was not one but grew to have a fondness for poor Nell; even among them, there was the same feeling; a tenderness towards her — a compassionate19 regard for her, increasing every day. The very schoolboys, light-hearted and thoughtless as they were, even they cared for her. The roughest among them was sorry if he missed her in the usual place upon his way to school, and would turn out of the path to ask for her at the latticed window. If she were sitting in the church, they perhaps might peep in softly at the open door; but they never spoke22 to her, unless she rose and went to speak to them. Some feeling was abroad which raised the child above them all.
So, when Sunday came. They were all poor country people in the church, for the castle in which the old family had lived, was an empty ruin, and there were none but humble23 folks for seven miles around. There, as elsewhere, they had an interest in Nell. They would gather round her in the porch, before and after service; young children would cluster at her skirts; and aged24 men and women forsake25 their gossips, to give her kindly26 greeting. None of them, young or old, thought of passing the child without a friendly word. Many who came from three or four miles distant, brought her little presents; the humblest and rudest had good wishes to bestow27.
She had sought out the young children whom she first saw playing in the churchyard. One of these — he who had spoken of his brother — was her little favourite and friend, and often sat by her side in the church, or climbed with her to the tower-top. It was his delight to help her, or to fancy that he did so, and they soon became close companions.
It happened, that, as she was reading in the old spot by herself one day, this child came running in with his eyes full of tears, and after holding her from him, and looking at her eagerly for a moment, clasped his little arms passionately21 about her neck.
‘What now?’ said Nell, soothing28 him. ‘What is the matter?’
‘She is not one yet!’ cried the boy, embracing her still more closely. ‘No, no. Not yet.’
She looked at him wonderingly, and putting his hair back from his face, and kissing him, asked what he meant.
‘You must not be one, dear Nell,’ cried the boy. ‘We can’t see them. They never come to play with us, or talk to us. Be what you are. You are better so.’
‘I do not understand you,’ said the child. ‘Tell me what you mean.’
‘Why, they say, replied the boy, looking up into her face, that you will be an Angel, before the birds sing again. But you won’t be, will you? Don’t leave us Nell, though the sky is bright. Do not leave us!’
The child dropped her head, and put her hands before her face.
‘She cannot bear the thought!’ cried the boy, exulting29 through his tears. ‘You will not go. You know how sorry we should be. Dear Nell, tell me that you’ll stay amongst us. Oh! Pray, pray, tell me that you will.’
The little creature folded his hands, and knelt down at her feet.
‘Only look at me, Nell,’ said the boy, ‘and tell me that you’ll stop, and then I shall know that they are wrong, and will cry no more. Won’t you say yes, Nell?’
Still the drooping30 head and hidden face, and the child quite silent — save for her sobs31.
‘After a time,’ pursued the boy, trying to draw away her hand, the kind angels will be glad to think that you are not among them, and that you stayed here to be with us. Willy went away, to join them; but if he had known how I should miss him in our little bed at night, he never would have left me, I am sure.’
Yet the child could make him no answer, and sobbed32 as though her heart were bursting. ‘Why would you go, dear Nell? I know you would not be happy when you heard that we were crying for your loss. They say that Willy is in Heaven now, and that it’s always summer there, and yet I’m sure he grieves when I lie down upon his garden bed, and he cannot turn to kiss me. But if you do go, Nell,’ said the boy, caressing33 her, and pressing his face to hers, ‘be fond of him for my sake. Tell him how I love him still, and how much I loved you; and when I think that you two are together, and are happy, I’ll try to bear it, and never give you pain by doing wrong — indeed I never will!’
The child suffered him to move her hands, and put them round his neck. There was a tearful silence, but it was not long before she looked upon him with a smile, and promised him, in a very gentle, quiet voice, that she would stay, and be his friend, as long as Heaven would let her. He clapped his hands for joy, and thanked her many times; and being charged to tell no person what had passed between them, gave her an earnest promise that he never would.
Nor did he, so far as the child could learn; but was her quiet companion in all her walks and musings, and never again adverted34 to the theme, which he felt had given her pain, although he was unconscious of its cause. Something of distrust lingered about him still; for he would often come, even in the dark evenings, and call in a timid voice outside the door to know if she were safe within; and being answered yes, and bade to enter, would take his station on a low stool at her feet, and sit there patiently until they came to seek, and take him home. Sure as the morning came, it found him lingering near the house to ask if she were well; and, morning, noon, or night, go where she would, he would forsake his playmates and his sports to bear her company.
‘And a good little friend he is, too,’ said the old sexton to her once. ‘When his elder brother died — elder seems a strange word, for he was only seven years old — I remember this one took it sorely to heart.’
The child thought of what the schoolmaster had told her, and felt how its truth was shadowed out even in this infant.
‘It has given him something of a quiet way, I think,’ said the old man, ‘though for that he is merry enough at times. I’d wager35 now that you and he have been listening by the old well.’
‘Indeed we have not,’ the child replied. ‘I have been afraid to go near it; for I am not often down in that part of the church, and do not know the ground.’
‘Come down with me,’ said the old man. ‘I have known it from a boy. Come!’
They descended36 the narrow steps which led into the crypt, and paused among the gloomy arches, in a dim and murky37 spot.
‘This is the place,’ said the old man. ‘Give me your hand while you throw back the cover, lest you should stumble and fall in. I am too old — I mean rheumatic — to stoop, myself.’
‘A black and dreadful place!’ exclaimed the child.
‘Look in,’ said the old man, pointing downward with his finger.
The child complied, and gazed down into the pit.
‘It looks like a grave itself,’ said the old man.
‘It does,’ replied the child.
‘I have often had the fancy,’ said the sexton, ‘that it might have been dug at first to make the old place more gloomy, and the old monks38 more religious. It’s to be closed up, and built over.’
The child still stood, looking thoughtfully into the vault39.
‘We shall see,’ said the sexton, ‘on what gay heads other earth will have closed, when the light is shut out from here. God knows! They’ll close it up, next spring.’
‘The birds sing again in spring,’ thought the child, as she leaned at her casement40 window, and gazed at the declining sun. ‘Spring! a beautiful and happy time!’
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收听单词发音
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1
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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strings
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| n.弦 | |
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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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toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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deplored
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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14
yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mingle
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| vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往 | |
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wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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compassionate
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| adj.有同情心的，表示同情的 | |
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compassionately
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| adv.表示怜悯地，有同情心地 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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22
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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23
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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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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forsake
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| vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃 | |
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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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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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exulting
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| vi. 欢欣鼓舞，狂喜 | |
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30
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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31
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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32
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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34
adverted
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| 引起注意（advert的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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36
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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38
monks
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| n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 ) | |
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39
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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40
casement
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| n.竖铰链窗；窗扉 | |
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