He came in, not to the room in which I was, but to the other, and gave a glance round to see if I was there; then, not seeing me, instead of calling out for “Milly darling,” as he always did, Harry threw his cap on the table, and dropped heavily into a chair, with a long sigh—a strange sigh, half relieved, half impatient—the sigh of something on his mind. I can see the half-open door, the long gleam of the eastern window, the scarcely visible figure dropped into that chair—I{224} can see them all as clearly as at that moment. I stumbled up unawares, gathered baby into my arms I cannot tell how, and was at his side in a moment. My own voice sounded foreign to my ears as I cried out, “Harry, what is it? tell me!” Nothing else would come from my lips.
He rose too—the attitude of rest was not possible at such a time; he came and held the child and me close to him, making me lean on him. “It is nothing more than we expected,” he said, “Milly darling. It is only to have a heart—you are a soldier’s wife.”
I knew without any more words. I stood within his arm, silent, desperate, holding my dear frightened baby tight, too tight. Ah, God help us! In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, as the Bible says, out of the happiest flutter of hope into that cold, desperate, hopeless darkness. I could have fancied I was standing13 on a battlefield, with the cold, cold wind blowing over us. I made no outcry or appeal; my heart only leaped with a start of agony at the worst, at the last conclusion. We were not within his sheltering arm—he young, and strong, and safe—but looking for him—looking for him on that black, dead battlefield!
I don’t think it was the cry of the child, whom he took softly out of my straining arms, but Harry’s compassion14 that roused me. I cried out sharply, “Don’t pity me, Harry; I’ll bear it.” It was all I could say. I went out of his arm with agitated15, hurried step, and shut out that cruel clear sky looking down upon the battlefield I saw. I did not think nor notice that this unseasonable action threw us into perfect darkness. It was a kind of physical relief to me to do something with my hands, to ring some common sound into my ears. At this moment Lizzie came into the room, carrying lights. As I lifted my confused eyes to them, what a ghastly change had passed on this room—all so cold, dark, miserable16; the furniture thrust about out of its place; the fireplace dark, and Harry standing there, with the child in his arms and his cap thrown on the table, as if this very moment he was going away. He was in uniform too, and the light caught in the glitter of his sword. Was there to be no interval17? My head swam round. My heart seemed to stop beating. The misery18 of imagination drove me half frantic—as if the present real misery had not been enough.
After a while we sat together once more as usual, he trying to bring me to talk about it and receive it like a common event. “It is what we have looked forward to for months,” said{225} Harry; “it should not be strange to you now. Think how you looked for it, Milly darling, long ago.”
“Yes,” said I. Was it likely I could talk? I only rocked myself backward and forward in my chair.
“You said God would give you strength when the hour came: the hour has come, Milly. You are a soldier’s wife!” he said.
“Yes, yes!” and then I burst into an attempt to tell him what I had been doing—if I must talk let me talk of something else than this—and broke down, and fell, God help me! to crying and sobbing19 like a child; which was how the good Lord gave me the power of bearing what He had sent. I got better after that; I heard and listened to it all, every detail, when they would have to go, where they would sail from,—everything. And then I grew to see by degrees that Harry, but for me, was not sorry to be sent to the war; that his eye was brightening, his head raised erect20. Oh me! he was a soldier; and I—I was only a foolish creature that could not follow him or be with him, that could not come between him and those bullets, that could only stay at home and pray.
But when he came and stroked my hair down with his hand, and soothed21 me like a child, and bent22 over me with such compassion in his face—sorry for me, full of pity in his affectionate tender heart for the poor girl he was leaving behind—that was more than I could bear. With a dreadful pang23 I thought it was his widow he saw, all lonely and desolate24, with no one to comfort her; and I, his wife, thrust him away, and defied that dreadful killing25 thought. No! I might leap at the worst, because I could not help my hurrying, blind imagination; but he should not, no one else should—I was resolute26 of that. So we talked of all the things that were needful for his preparation; and he spoke27 of expense and economy, and I laughed and scorned his talk. Economy! expense! Perhaps I did not know, could not think where it was to come from; but where careless money can get everything, do you think careful love would fall far short? I took courage to laugh at his words.
And then I told him all my day’s trials, and that invitation for the next day, which, even after what had happened, we must still accept. We did not have baby downstairs again that night—I dared not—courage will go so far, but not further. I went upstairs to put him into his little bed, and was glad, God help me! to be out of Harry’s sight for half an hour. But still{226} I was not free; Lizzie was about me, gliding28 here and there with her inquisitive29 sharp eyes—sharp eyes all the sharper for tears, praying and threatening me with her looks. Nobody would believe in my courage. They thought I should break down and die. Oh me! if one could die when one pleased, one might sometimes make short work of it; God does not give us that coward’s refuge. When I was all alone in my own room, I took an old regimental sash of Harry’s and bound it round me tight. I cannot tell why I did it; I think it was in my fancy somehow to bind30 up my heart, that it should neither yield nor fail.
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1
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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accomplishment
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| n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能 | |
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syllables
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| n.音节( syllable的名词复数 ) | |
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9
rebounded
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| 弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效 | |
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brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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13
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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14
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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21
soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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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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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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24
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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25
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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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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28
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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29
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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30
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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