“My blessings6 be upon thee, chéri Master Paul!” she cried.
“Thank you, mother!” said I. “Your love is very dear to me; and for your blessings, I need them all.”
“Come, monsieur,” said Waldron, at the steps.
“A word, a word,” she begged, half of him, half of me, “before thou go in there and these old eyes, perhaps, see thee never again.”
“Grant me one moment, I beg you, monsieur,” said I earnestly to Waldron. “She is a dear old friend and retainer of my family.”
183He nodded, and turned half aside in patient indifference7.
“Listen,” she whispered, thrusting her face near mine, and talking rapidly, that the guard, who were but clumsy with our French speech, might not understand. “Hast thou the stone safe?”
“Surely,” said I.
“Then here, take this,” she muttered, laying a silken tress of hair in my hand. In the dusk I could not note its colour; but I needed not light to tell me whose it was. My blood ran hot and cold beneath it. The pulse throbbed8 furiously in my fingers as they closed upon it. “I clipped it under the new moon, the right moon, with my own hand, for thee, Master Paul.”
“Did she know it was for me?” I asked, in a sort of ecstasy9.
“No, no!” answered the old dame10 impatiently; “but she gave it to me—laughing because I wanted it. I said that I was going far away with these my people,”—sweeping her hand toward the village,—“while she, perhaps, would stay. Strangely she regarded that perhaps, Master Paul. But here it is—and I have put a spell upon it while waiting for thee to come; and it will draw, it will draw her; she cannot let it go very far off, as long as she lives. It is for thee, chéri, I did it.”
Now, how I loved her for it, even while deriding11 184the magic, I need not tell. Yet I was angry with her for explaining. That made me seem to take a base advantage in retaining the treasure. Sorrowfully I said:
“I cannot keep it, mother. That were treason to her. I will have naught13 of her but what her own heart gives me.”
And I held out the precious lock to her again, yet all the time grasped it tightly enough, no doubt.
“Why, chéri,” she laughed cunningly, “where is the treason? You don’t believe an old wife’s foolish charms!”
“True, mother,” I acquiesced14 at once, relieved beyond measure, “true, there can be no witchcraft15 in it but that which ever resides in every hair of that dear head. Not her, alas16! but me, me it ensnares. God bless you, mother, for this wonderful gift.”
“Be of good cheer, Master Paul,” she said, hobbling briskly off. “I will bring thee some word often to the wicket.”
“I am ready now for the inside of these walls, monsieur,” said I, turning to Waldron, with a warm elation17 at my heart. The hair I had coiled and slipped into the little deerskin pouch18 wherein the eye of Manitou slumbered19.
A moment more and I had stepped inside the prison. The closing and locking of the door 185seemed to me unnecessarily loud, blatantly20 conspicuous21.
At once I heard greetings, my name spoken on all sides, heartily23, respectfully, familiarly, as might be, for I had both friends and followers—many, alas!—in that dolorous24 company. To them, worn with the sameness of day upon monotonous25 day, my coming was an event. But for a little I chose to heed26 no one. There was time, I thought, ahead of us, more than we should know what to do with. As I could not possibly speak to all at once, I spoke22 to none. I leaned against a wooden pillar, looked at the windows, then the altar-place, of the sacred building which hived for me so many humming memories of childhood—memories rich with sweetness, sharp with sting. The place looked battered27, begrimed, desecrated,—yet a haunting of my mother’s gentle eyes still hallowed it. To see them the better I covered my own eyes with my hand.
“It must be something of a sorer stroke than merely to be clapped in prison, to make my captain so downcast,” I heard a cheerful voice declare close at my elbow.
“Why, and that it is, you may be sure, my brave ferryman!” said I, looking up with a smile and grasping the long, gaunt fingers of yellow Ba’tiste Chouan. “I have my own reasons for not wanting to be in Grand Pré chapel this day, 186for all that it is especially the place where I can see most of my friends.”
Straightway, my mood changing, I moved swiftly hither and thither28, calling them by name. There was the whole clan29 of the Le Marchands, black, fearless, melancholy30 for their flax-fields; the three Le Boutilliers; the brave young slip, Jacques Violet, whom I had liked as a boy; a Landry or two; the lad Petit Joliet; several of the restless Labillois; long Philibert Trou, the moose-hunter; and, to my regretful astonishment31, that wily fox, La Mouche.
“You here, too!” I cried, shaking him by the arm. “If they have caught you, who has escaped!”
“I came in on business, my captain,” said he grimly.
“A woman back of it, monsieur,” grunted32 Philibert, indifferent to La Mouche’s withering33 eye-stroke.
Naturally, I did not smile. I met his brooding, deep eyes with a look which told him much. I might, indeed, have even spoken a word of comprehension; but just then I caught sight of my cousin Marc coming from the sacristy. I hastened to greet him with hand and heart.
There was so much to talk of between us two that others, understanding, left us to ourselves. He told me of his little Puritan’s grief, far away in Quebec, of her long suspense34, and of how, at last, 187he had got word to her. “She is a woman among ten thousand, Paul,” said he. “These New Englanders are the people to breed up a wife for a French gentleman.”
I assented35 most heartily, for I had ever liked and admired that white-skinned Prudence36 of his. Of my own affairs I told him some things fully12, some things not at all; of my accident, my illness, my sojourning with Gr?l, everything; but of my coming to the Gaspereau ford37 and my capture, nothing then.
“There is too much hanging upon it, Marc,” said I. “It touches me too deeply. I cannot talk of it at all while we are like to be interrupted. Let us wait for quiet—when the rest are asleep.”
“It is cold here at night,” said Marc, “but the women have been allowed to bring us a few quilts and blankets. You wills hare mine—the gift of the good curé. Then we can talk.”
The early autumnal dark had been feebly lighted this while by a few candles; but candles were getting scarce in the stricken cottages of Grand Pré, and in Grand Pré chapel prison they were a hoarded38 luxury. The words “lights out” came early; and Marc and I laid ourselves in a corner of the sacristy by general consent reserved to him.
A cold glimmer39 of stars came in by the narrow window, and I thought of them looking down on 188Yvonne, awake, not sleeping, I well knew. Were the astrologers right, I wondered. Good men and great had believed in the jurisdiction40 of the stars. I remembered a very learned astrologer in Paris, during the year I spent there, and futilely41 I wished I had consulted him. But at the time I had been so occupied with the present as to make small question of the future.
Soon the sound of many breathings told that the prisoners were forgetting for a little their bars and walls. In a whisper, slowly, I told Marc of my coming to Grand Pré in the spring—of Yvonne’s bond to the Englishman—of the conversation at the hammock—of the fire, the scene at the boat, the saving of Anderson—and of all that had just been said and done at the ford of the Gaspereau.
He heard me through, in such silence that my heart sank, fearing he, too, was against me; and I passionately42 craved43 his support. I knew the lack of it would no jot44 alter my purpose; but I loved him, and hungered for the warmth of the comrade heart.
When he spoke, however, my fears straight fell dead.
“Only let us get safe out of this coil, Paul, and we will let my Prudence take the obstinate45 maid in hand,” said he, with an air that proclaimed all confidence in the result. “You must remember, dear old boy, the inevitable46 fetish which our 189French maids are wont47 to make out of obedience48 to parents—a fair and worshipful virtue49, indeed, that obedience, but not one to exact the sacrifice of a woman’s life—and of what is yet more sacred to her. Prudence will make her understand some things that you could not.”
I felt for his hand and gripped it.
“You think I will win her?” I whispered. “And you will stand by me?”
“For the latter question, how can you ask it?” he answered, with a hint of reproach in his voice. “I fear I should stand by you in the wrong, Paul, let alone when, as now, I count you much in the right. I have but to think of Prudence in like case, you see. For the former question—why, see, you have time and her own heart on your side. She may be obstinate in that blindness of hers; and you may make blunders with your ancient facility, cousin mine. But I call to mind that trick you ever had of holding on—the trick of the English bulldog which you used so to admire. It is a strange streak50, that, in a star-worshipping, sonnet-writing, wonder-wise freak like you, and makes me often doubt whether your verses, much as I like them, can be poetry, after all. But it is a useful characteristic to have about you, and, to my mind, it means you’ll win.”
“If the English don’t hang me for a spy,” said I.
190“Stuff!” grunted my cousin. “The maid will look to that.”
Such was my confidence in my cousin Marc’s discernment that I went to sleep somewhat comforted.
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1
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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hooded
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| adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
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4
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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7
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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8
throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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dame
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| n.女士 | |
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deriding
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的现在分词 ) | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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acquiesced
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| v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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witchcraft
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| n.魔法，巫术 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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pouch
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| n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件 | |
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19
slumbered
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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blatantly
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| ad.公开地 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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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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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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dolorous
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| adj.悲伤的；忧愁的 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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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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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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33
withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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38
hoarded
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| v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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40
jurisdiction
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| n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权 | |
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41
futilely
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| futile（无用的）的变形； 干 | |
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42
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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43
craved
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| 渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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44
jot
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| n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下 | |
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45
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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46
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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47
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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48
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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49
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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50
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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