"What? Kincaid's Bat--?"
"No-o, the Zouaves! Infantry8! when the one only sane9 thing to do," cried every cannoneer of Camp Callender--in its white lanes or on three-hours' leave at home on Bayou Road or Coliseum Square or Elysian Fields or Prytania street--"the one sane thing to do," insisted the growingly profane10 lads to their elders, and assented11 the secretly pained elders to them, "the one thing that, if only for shame's sake, ought to have been done long ago, was to knock Fort Pickens to HELL with SHELL!" Sadly often they added the tritest three-monosyllabled expletive known to red-hot English.
Charlie--mm-mm! how he could rip it out! Sam Gibbs, our veritable Sam, sergeant12 of the boy's gun, "Roaring Betsy," privately13 remarked to the Captain what a blank-blank shame it was, not for its trivial self, of course, but in view of the corruptions14 to which it opened the way. And the blithe15 commander, in the seclusion16 of his tent, standing17 over the lad and holding him tenderly by both pretty ears, preached to him of his sister and grandmother until with mute rage the youngster burned as red as his jacket facings; and then of the Callenders--"who gave us our guns, and one of whom is the godmother of our flag, Charlie"--until the tears filled Charlie's eyes, and he said:
"I'll try, Captain, but it's--oh, it's no use! If anything could make me swear worse"--he smiled despairingly--"it would be the hope of being hauled up again for another talk like this!"
One Sunday, three days after the going of the Zouaves, while out in Jackson Square "Roaring Betsy" sang a solo of harrowing thunder-claps, the Callenders and Valcours, under the cathedral's roof, saw consecrated19 in its sacred nave20 the splendid standard of the Chasseurs-à-Pied.
Armed guards, keeping the rabble21 out, passed the ladies in before the procession had appeared in the old Rue22 Condé. But now here it came, its music swelling23, the crowd--shabbier than last month and more vacant of face--parting before it. Carrying their sabres, but on foot and without their pieces, heading the column as escort of honor, lo, Kincaid's Battery; rearmost the Chasseurs, masses and masses of them; and in between, a silver crucifix lifted high above a body of acolytes24 in white lace over purple, ranks of black-gowned priests, a succession of cloth-of-gold ecclesiastics25, and in their midst the mitred archbishop.
But the battery! What a change since last February! Every man as spruce as ever, but with an added air of tested capability26 that inspired all beholders. Only their German musicians still seemed fresh from the mint, and oh! in what unlucky taste, considering the ecclesiastics, the song they brayed27 forth in jaunty28 staccato.
"They're offering us that hand of theirs again," murmured Anna to Constance, standing in a side pew; but suddenly the strain ceased, she heard Hilary's voice of command turning the column, and presently, through a lane made by his men, the Chasseurs marched in to the nave, packed densely29 and halted. Then in close order the battery itself followed and stood. Now the loud commands were in here. Strange it was to hear them ring through the holy place (French to the Chasseurs, English to the battery), and the crashing musket-butts smite30 the paved floor as one weapon, to the flash of a hundred sabres.
So said to itself the diary on the afternoon of the next day, and there hurriedly left off. Not because of a dull rumble31 reaching the writer's ear from the Lake, where Kincaid and his lieutenants32 were testing new-siege-guns, for that was what she was at this desk and window to hear; but because of the L.S.C.A., about to meet in the drawing-room below and be met by a friend of the family, a famed pulpit orator33 and greater potentate34, in many eyes, than even the Catholic archbishop.
He came, and later, in the battery camp with the Callenders, Valcours, and Victorine, the soldiers clamoring for a speech, ran them wild reminding them with what unique honor and peculiar35 responsibility they were the champions of their six splendid guns. In a jostling crowd, yet with a fine decorum, they brought out their standard and--not to be outdone by any Chasseurs under the sky--obliged Anna to stand beside its sergeant, Maxime, and with him hold it while the man of God invoked36 Heaven to bless it and bless all who should follow it afield or pray for it at home. So dazed was she that only at the "amen" did she perceive how perfectly37 the tables had been turned on her. For only then did she discover that Hilary Kincaid had joined the throng38 exactly in time to see the whole tableau39.
Every officer of the camp called that evening, to say graceful40 things, Kincaid last. As he was leaving he wanted to come to the same old point, but she would not let him. Oh! how could she, a scant41 six hours after such a bid from herself? He ought to have seen she couldn't--and wouldn't! But he never saw anything--of that sort. Ladies' man indeed! He couldn't read a girl's mind even when she wanted it read. He went away looking so haggard--and yet so tender--and still so determined--she could not sleep for hours. Nevertheless--
"I can't help his looks, Con18, he's got to wait! I owe that to all womanhood! He's got to practise to me what he preaches to his men. Why, Connie, if I'm willing to wait, why shouldn't he be? Why--?"
Constance fled.
Next day, dining with Doctor Sevier, said the Doctor, "That chap's working himself to death, Anna," and gave his fair guest such a stern white look that she had to answer flippantly.
She and Hilary were paired at table and talked of Flora42, he telling how good a friend to her Flora was. The topic was easier, between them, than at any other time since the loss of the gold. Always before, she had felt him thinking of that loss and trying to guess something about her; but now she did not, for on Sunday, in the cathedral, Flora had told her at last, ever so gratefully and circumstantially, that she had repaid the Captain everything! yes, the same day on which she had first told Anna of the loss; and there was nothing now left to do but for her to reimburse43 Anna the moment she could.
Hilary spoke44 of Adolphe's devotion to Flora--hoped he would win. Told with great amusement how really well his cousin had done with her government claim--sold it to his Uncle Brodnax! And Flora--how picturesque45 everything she did!--had put--? yes, they both knew the secret--had put the proceeds into one of those beautiful towboats that were being fitted up as privateers! Hilary laughed with delight. Yes, it was for that sort of thing the boys were so fond of her. But when Anna avowed46 a frank envy he laughed with a peculiar tenderness that thrilled both him and her, and murmured:
"The dove might as well envy the mocking-bird."
"If I were a dove I certainly should," she said.
"Well, you are, and you shouldn't!" said he.
All of which Flora caught; if not the words, so truly the spirit that the words were no matter.
"Just as we were starting home," soliloquized, that night, our diary, "the newsboys came crying all around, that General Beauregard had opened fire on Fort Sumter, and the war has begun. Poor Constance! it's little she'll sleep to-night."
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1
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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loathed
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| v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 )；极不喜欢 | |
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whittle
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| v.削（木头），削减；n.屠刀 | |
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swap
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| n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易 | |
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6
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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7
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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8
infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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9
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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profane
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| adj.亵神的，亵渎的；vt.亵渎，玷污 | |
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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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12
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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corruptions
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| n.堕落( corruption的名词复数 )；腐化；腐败；贿赂 | |
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blithe
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| adj.快乐的，无忧无虑的 | |
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seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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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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con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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nave
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| n.教堂的中部；本堂 | |
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rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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acolytes
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| n.助手( acolyte的名词复数 )；随从；新手；（天主教）侍祭 | |
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ecclesiastics
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| n.神职者，教会，牧师( ecclesiastic的名词复数 ) | |
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capability
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| n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等 | |
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27
brayed
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| v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的过去式和过去分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击 | |
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28
jaunty
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| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
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densely
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| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
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smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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potentate
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| n.统治者；君主 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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36
invoked
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| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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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
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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40
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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41
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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42
flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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43
reimburse
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| v.补偿，付还 | |
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44
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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45
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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46
avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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