Parted from Venetia, the magic suddenly seemed to cease, and Musidorus was instantly transformed into the little Lord Cadurcis, exhausted5 by the unconscious efforts of his fancy, depressed6 by the separation from his sweet companion, and shrinking from the unpoetical reception which at the best awaited him in his ungenial home. Often, when thus alone, would he loiter on his way and seat himself on the ridge7, and watch the setting sun, as its dying glory illumined the turrets8 of his ancient house, and burnished9 the waters of the lake, until the tears stole down his cheek; and yet he knew not why. No thoughts of sorrow had flitted through his mind, nor indeed had ideas of any description occurred to him. It was a trance of unmeaning abstraction; all that he felt was a mystical pleasure in watching the sunset, and a conviction that, if he were not with Venetia, that which he loved next best, was to be alone.
The little Cadurcis in general returned home moody10 and silent, and his mother too often, irritated by his demeanour, indulged in all the expressions of a quick and offended temper; but since his intimacy11 with the Herberts, Plantagenet had learnt to control his emotions, and often successfully laboured to prevent those scenes of domestic recrimination once so painfully frequent. There often, too, was a note from Lady Annabel to Mrs. Cadurcis, or some other slight memorial, borne by her son, which enlisted12 all the kind feelings of that lady in favour of her Cherbury friends, and then the evening was sure to pass over in peace; and, when Plantagenet was not thus armed, he exerted himself to be cordial; and so, on the whole, with some skill in management, and some trials of temper, the mother and child contrived13 to live together with far greater comfort than they had of old.
Bedtime was always a great relief to Plantagenet, for it secured him solitude14. He would lie awake for hours, indulging in sweet and unconscious reveries, and brooding over the future morn, that always brought happiness. All that he used to sigh for, was to be Lady Annabel’s son; were he Venetia’s brother, then he was sure he never should be for a moment unhappy; that parting from Cherbury, and the gloomy evenings at Cadurcis, would then be avoided. In such a mood, and lying awake upon his pillow, he sought refuge from the painful reality that surrounded him in the creative solace15 of his imagination. Alone, in his little bed, Cadurcis was Venetia’s brother, and he conjured16 up a thousand scenes in which they were never separated, and wherein he always played an amiable17 and graceful18 part. Yet he loved the abbey; his painful infancy19 was not associated with that scene; it was not connected with any of those grovelling20 common-places of his life, from which he had shrunk back with instinctive21 disgust, even at a very tender age. Cadurcis was the spot to which, in his most miserable22 moments at Morpeth, he had always looked forward, as the only chance of emancipation23 from the distressing24 scene that surrounded him. He had been brought up with a due sense of his future position, and although he had ever affected25 a haughty26 indifference27 on the subject, from his disrelish for the coarse acquaintances who were perpetually reminding him, with chuckling28 self-complacency, of his future greatness, in secret he had ever brooded over his destiny as his only consolation29. He had imbibed30 from his own reflections, at a very early period of life, a due sense of the importance of his lot; he was proud of his hereditary31 honours, blended, as they were, with some glorious passages in the history of his country, and prouder of his still more ancient line. The eccentric exploits and the violent passions, by which his race had been ever characterised, were to him a source of secret exultation32. Even the late lord, who certainly had no claims to his gratitude33, for he had robbed the inheritance to the utmost of his power, commanded, from the wild decision of his life, the savage34 respect of his successor. In vain Mrs. Cadurcis would pour forth upon this, the favourite theme for her wrath35 and her lamentations, all the bitter expressions of her rage and woe36. Plantagenet had never imbibed her prejudices against the departed, and had often irritated his mother by maintaining that the late lord was perfectly37 justified38 in his conduct.
But in these almost daily separations between Plantagenet and Venetia, how different was her lot to that of her companion! She was the confidante of all his domestic sorrows, and often he had requested her to exert her influence to obtain some pacifying39 missive from Lady Annabel, which might secure him a quiet evening at Cadurcis; and whenever this had not been obtained, the last words of Venetia were ever not to loiter, and to remember to speak to his mother as much as he possibly could. Venetia returned to a happy home, welcomed by the smile of a soft and beautiful parent, and with words of affection sweeter than music. She found an engaging companion, who had no thought but for her welfare, her amusement, and her instruction: and often, when the curtains were drawn40, the candles lit, and Venetia, holding her mother’s hand, opened her book, she thought of poor Plantagenet, so differently situated41, with no one to be kind to him, with no one to sympathise with his thoughts, and perhaps at the very moment goaded42 into some unhappy quarrel with his mother.
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1
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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2
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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4
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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5
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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6
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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7
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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8
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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9
burnished
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| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
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10
moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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11
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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12
enlisted
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| adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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13
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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14
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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15
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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16
conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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17
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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18
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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19
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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20
grovelling
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| adj.卑下的，奴颜婢膝的v.卑躬屈节，奴颜婢膝( grovel的现在分词 )；趴 | |
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21
instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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22
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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23
emancipation
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| n.（从束缚、支配下）解放 | |
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24
distressing
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| a.使人痛苦的 | |
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25
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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26
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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27
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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28
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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29
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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30
imbibed
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| v.吸收( imbibe的过去式和过去分词 )；喝；吸取；吸气 | |
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31
hereditary
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| adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的 | |
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32
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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33
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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34
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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35
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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36
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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37
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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38
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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39
pacifying
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| 使（某人）安静( pacify的现在分词 )； 息怒； 抚慰； 在（有战争的地区、国家等）实现和平 | |
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40
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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41
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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42
goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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