To this effect, though written with a daintier pen, were certain lines but a few hours old, that twenty-fourth of April, in a diary which through many months had received many entries since the one that has already told us of its writer paired at Doctor Sevier's dinner-party with a guest now missing, and of her hearing, in the starlight with that guest, the newsboys' cry that his and her own city's own Beauregard had opened fire on Fort Sumter and begun this war--which now behold7!
Of this droll8 impishness of the mind, even in this carriage to-day, with these animated9 companions, and in all this tribulation10, ruin, and flight, here was a harrying11 instance: that every minute or two, whatever the soul's outer preoccupation or inner anguish12, there would, would, would return, return and return the doggerel13 words and swaggering old tune14 of that song abhorred15 by the gruff General, but which had first awakened16 the love of so many hundreds of brave men for its brave, gay singer now counted forever lost:
"Ole mahs' love' wine, ole mis' love' silk--"
Generally she could stop it there, but at times it contrived17 to steal unobserved through the second line and then no power could keep it from marching on to the citadel18, the end of the refrain. Base, antic awakener of her heart's dumb cry of infinite loss! For every time the tormenting19 inanity20 won its way, that other note, that unvoiced agony, hurled21 itself against the bars of its throbbing22 prison.
"Ole mahs' love' wine, ole mis' love'--"
"Oh, Hilary, my Hilary!"
From the Creole Quarter both carriage and wagon23 turned to the water front. Charlie's warning that even more trying scenes would be found there was in vain. Anna insisted, the fevered youth's own evident wish was to see the worst, and Constance and Miranda, dutifully mirthful, reminded him that through Anna they also had now tasted blood. As the equipage came out upon the Levee and paused to choose a way, the sisters sprang up and gazed abroad, sustaining each other by their twined arms.
To right, to left, near and far--only not just here where the Coast steamboats landed--the panorama24 was appalling25. All day Anna had hungered for some incident or spectacle whose majesty26 or terror would suffice to distract her from her own desolation; but here it was made plain to her that a distress27 before which hand and speech are helpless only drives the soul in upon its own supreme28 devotion and woe29. One wide look over those far flat expanses of smoke and flame answered the wonder of many hours, as to where all the drays and floats of the town had gone and what they could be doing. Along the entire sinuous30 riverside the whole great blockaded seaport's choked-in stores of tobacco and cotton, thousands of hogsheads, ten thousands of bales--lest they enrich the enemy--were being hauled to the wharves31 and landings and were just now beginning to receive the torch, the wharves also burning, and boats and ships on either side of the river being fired and turned adrift.
Yet all the more because of the scene, a scene that quelled32 even the haunting strain of song, that other note, that wail33 which, the long day through, had writhed34 unreleased in her bosom35, rose, silent still, yet only the stronger and more importunate--
"Oh, Hilary, my soldier, my flag's, my country's defender36, come back to me--here!--now!--my yet living hero, my Hilary Kincaid!"
Reluctantly, she let Constance draw her down, and presently, in a voice rich with loyal pride, as the carriage moved on, bade Charlie and Miranda observe that only things made contraband37 by the Richmond Congress were burning, while all the Coast Landing's wealth of Louisiana foodstuffs38, in barrels and hogsheads, bags and tierces, lay unharmed. Yet not long could their course hold that way, and--it was Anna who first proposed retreat. The very havoc39 was fascinating and the courage of Constance and Miranda, though stripped of its mirth, remained undaunted; but the eye-torture of the cotton smoke was enough alone to drive them back to the inner streets.
Music: Ole mahs' love'...
Here the direction of their caravan40, away from all avenues of escape, no less than their fair faces, drew the notice of every one, while to the four themselves every busy vehicle--where none was idle,--every sound remote or near, every dog in search of his master, and every man--how few the men had become!--every man, woman or child, alone or companioned, overladen or empty-handed, hurrying out of gates or into doors, standing41 to stare or pressing intently or distractedly on, calling, jesting, scolding or weeping--and how many wept!--bore a new, strange interest of fellowship. So Callender House came again to view, oh, how freshly, dearly, appealingly beautiful! As the Callender train drew into its gate and grove42, the carriage was surrounded, before it could reach the veranda43 steps, by a full dozen of household slaves, male and female, grown, half-grown, clad and half-clad, some grinning, some tittering, all overjoyed, yet some in tears. There had been no such gathering44 at the departure. To spare the feelings of the mistresses the dominating "mammy" of the kitchen had forbidden it. But now that they were back, Glory! Hallelujah!
"And had it really," the three home-returning fair ones asked, "seemed so desolate45 and deadly perilous46 just for want of them? What!--had seemed so even to stalwart Tom?--and Scipio?--and Habakkuk? And were Hettie and Dilsie actually so in terror of the Yankees?"
"Oh, if we'd known that we'd never have started!" exclaimed Constance, with tears, which she stoutly47 quenched48, while from all around came sighs and moans of love and gratitude49.
And were the three verily back to stay?
Ah! that was the question. While Charlie, well attended, went on up and in they paused on the wide stair and in mingled50 distress and drollery51 asked each other, "Are we back to stay, or not?"
A new stir among the domestics turned their eyes down into the garden. Beyond the lingering vehicles a lieutenant52 from Camp Callender rode up the drive. Two or three private soldiers hung back at the gate.
"It's horses and mules53 again, Nan," gravely remarked Constance, and the three, facing toward him, with Miranda foremost, held soft debate. Whether the decision they reached was to submit or resist, the wide ears of the servants could not be sure, but by the time the soldier was dismounting the ladies had summoned the nerve to jest.
"Be a man, Miranda!" murmured Constance.
"But not the kind I was!" prompted Anna.
"No," said her sister, "for this one coming is already scared to death."
"So's Miranda," breathed Anna as he came up the steps uncovering and plainly uncomfortable. A pang54 lanced through her as she caught herself senselessly recalling the flag presentation. And then--
Music: --oh! oh!
"--oh! oh!"
"Mrs. Callender?" asked the stranger.
"Yes, sir," said that lady.
"My business"--he glanced back in nervous protest as the drivers beneath gathered their reins--"will you kindly55 detain--?"
"If you wish, sir," she replied, visibly trembling. "Isaac--"
From the rear of the group came the voice of Anna: "Miranda, dear, I wouldn't stop them." The men regathered the lines. She moved half a step down and stayed herself on her sister's shoulder. Miranda wrinkled back at her in an ecstasy56 of relief:
"Oh, Anna, do speak for all of us!"
The teams started away. A distress came into the soldier's face, but Anna met it with a sober smile: "Don't be troubled, sir, you shall have them. Drive round into the basement, Ben, and unload." The drivers went. "You shall have them, sir, on your simple word of honor as--"
"Of course you will be reimbursed57. I pledge--"
"No, sir," tearfully put in Constance, "we've given our men, we can't sell our beasts."
"They are not ours to sell," said Anna.
"Why, Nan!"
"They belong to Kincaid's Battery," said Anna, and Constance, Miranda, and the servants smiled a proud approval. Even the officer flushed with a fine ardor58:
"You have with you a member of that command?"
"We have."
"Then, on my honor as a Southern soldier, if he will stay by them and us as far as Camp Moore, to Kincaid's Battery they shall go. But, ladies--"
"Yes," knowingly spoke59 Miranda. "Hettie, Scipio, Dilsie, you-all can go 'long back to your work now." She wrinkled confidentially60 to the officer.
"Yes," he replied, "we shall certainly engage the enemy's ships to-morrow, and you ladies must--"
"Must not desert our home, sir," said Anna.
"Nor our faithful servants," added the other two.
"Ah, ladies, but if we should have to make this house a field hospital, with all the dreadful--"
"Oh, that settles it," cried the three, "we stay!"
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1
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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reverent
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| adj.恭敬的，虔诚的 | |
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momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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nagging
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| adj.唠叨的，挑剔的；使人不得安宁的v.不断地挑剔或批评（某人）( nag的现在分词 )；不断地烦扰或伤害（某人）；无休止地抱怨；不断指责 | |
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gnats
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| n.叮人小虫( gnat的名词复数 ) | |
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pertinacious
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| adj.顽固的 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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tribulation
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| n.苦难，灾难 | |
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harrying
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| v.使苦恼( harry的现在分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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doggerel
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| n.拙劣的诗，打油诗 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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15
abhorred
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| v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰 | |
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16
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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tormenting
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| 使痛苦的，使苦恼的 | |
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inanity
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| n.无意义，无聊 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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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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sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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31
wharves
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| n.码头，停泊处( wharf的名词复数 ) | |
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quelled
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| v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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writhed
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| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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defender
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| n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人 | |
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contraband
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| n.违禁品，走私品 | |
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foodstuffs
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| 食物，食品( foodstuff的名词复数 ) | |
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havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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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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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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45
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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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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48
quenched
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| 解（渴）( quench的过去式和过去分词 )； 终止（某事物）； （用水）扑灭（火焰等）； 将（热物体）放入水中急速冷却 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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50
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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51
drollery
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| n.开玩笑，说笑话；滑稽可笑的图画（或故事、小戏等） | |
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52
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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53
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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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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56
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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57
reimbursed
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| v.偿还，付还( reimburse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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59
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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confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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