The baroness1, as I have said, drew Josephine aside, and tried tobreak to her the sad news: but her own grief overcame her, andbursting into tears she bewailed the loss of her son. Josephine wasgreatly shocked. Death!--Raynal dead--her true, kind friend dead--her benefactor2 dead. She clung to her mother's neck, and sobbedwith her. Presently she withdrew her face and suddenly hid it inboth her hands.
She rose and kissed her mother once more: and went to her own room:
and then, though there was none to see her, she hid her wet, butburning, cheeks in her hands.
Josephine confined herself for some days to her own room, leaving itonly to go to the chapel3 in the park, where she spent hours inprayers for the dead and in self-humiliation. Her "tenderconscience" accused herself bitterly for not having loved thisgallant spirit more than she had.
Camille realized nothing at first; he looked all confused in thedoctor's face, and was silent. Then after awhile he said, "Dead?
Raynal dead?""Killed in action."A red flush came to Camille's face, and his eyes went down to theground at his very feet, nor did he once raise them while the doctortold him how the sad news had come. "Picard the notary4 brought usthe Moniteur, and there was Commandant Raynal among the killed in acavalry skirmish." With this, he took the journal from his pocket,and Camille read it, with awe-struck, and other feelings he wouldhave been sorry to see analyzed5. He said not a word; and loweredhis eyes to the ground.
"And now," said Aubertin, "you will excuse me. I must go to my poorfriend the baroness. She had a mother's love for him who is nomore: well she might."Aubertin went away, and left Dujardin standing6 there like a statue,his eyes still glued to the ground at his feet.
The doctor was no sooner out of sight, than Camille raised his eyesfurtively, like a guilty person, and looked irresolutely8 this wayand that: at last he turned and went back to the place where he hadmeditated suicide and murder; looked down at it a long while, thenlooked up to heaven--then fell suddenly on his knees: and soremained till night-fall. Then he came back to the chateau9.
He whispered to himself, "And I am afraid it is too late to go awayto-night." He went softly into the saloon. Nobody was there butRose and Aubertin. At sight of him Rose got up and left the room.
But I suppose she went to Josephine; for she returned in a fewminutes, and rang the bell, and ordered some supper to be brought upfor Colonel Dujardin.
"You have not dined, I hear," said she, very coldly.
"I was afraid you were gone altogether," said the doctor: thenturning to Rose, "He told me he was going this evening. You hadbetter stay quiet another day or two," added he, kindly10.
"Do you think so?" said Camille, timidly.
He stayed upon these terms. And now he began to examine himself.
"Did I wish him dead? I hope I never formed such a thought! Idon't remember ever wishing him dead." And he went twice a day tothat place by the stream, and thought very solemnly what a terriblething ungoverned passion is; and repented--not eloquently11, butsilently, sincerely.
But soon his impatient spirit began to torment12 itself again. Whydid Josephine shun13 him now? Ah! she loved Raynal now that he wasdead. Women love the thing they have lost; so he had heard say. Inthat case, the very sight of him would of course be odious14 to her:
he could understand that. The absolute, unreasoning faith he oncehad in her had been so rudely shaken by her marriage with Raynal,that now he could only believe just so much as he saw, and he sawthat she shunned15 him.
He became moody16, sad, and disconsolate17: and as Josephine shunnedhim, so he avoided all the others, and wandered for hours byhimself, perplexed18 and miserable19. After awhile, he became consciousthat he was under a sort of surveillance. Rose de Beaurepaire, whohad been so kind to him when he was confined to his own room, buthad taken little notice of him since he came down, now resumed hercare of him, and evidently made it her business to keep up hisheart. She used to meet him out walking in a mysterious way, and inshort, be always falling in with him and trying to cheer him up:
with tolerable success.
Such was the state of affairs when the party was swelled20 and matterscomplicated by the arrival of one we have lost sight of.
Edouard Riviere retarded21 his cure by an impatient spirit: but he gotwell at last, and his uncle drove him in the cabriolet to his ownquarters. The news of the house had been told him by letter, but,of course, in so vague and general a way that, thinking he knew all,in reality he knew nothing.
Josephine had married Raynal. The marriage was sudden, but no doubtthere was an attachment22: he had some reason to believe in suddenattachments. Colonel Dujardin, an old acquaintance, had come backto France wounded, and the good doctor had undertaken his cure: thisincident appeared neither strange nor any way important. Whataffected him most deeply was the death of Raynal, his personalfriend and patron. But when his tyrants25, as he called the surgeonand his uncle, gave him leave to go home, all feelings wereoverpowered by his great joy at the prospect26 of seeing Rose. Hewalked over to Beaurepaire, his arm in a sling27, his heart beating.
He was coming to receive the reward of all he had done, and all hehad attempted. "I will surprise them," thought he. "I will see herface when I come in at the door: oh, happy hour! this pays for all."He entered the house without announcing himself; he went softly upto the saloon; to his great disappointment he found no one but thebaroness: she received him kindly, but not with the warmth heexpected. She was absorbed in her new grief. He asked timidlyafter her daughters. "Madame Raynal bears up, for the sake ofothers. You will not, however, see her: she keeps her room. Mydaughter Rose is taking a walk, I believe." After some politeinquiries, and sympathy with his accident, the baroness retired29 toindulge her grief, and Edouard thus liberated30 ran in search of hisbeloved.
He met her at the gate of the Pleasaunce, but not alone. She waswalking with an officer, a handsome, commanding, haughty31, brilliantofficer. She was walking by his side, talking earnestly to him.
An arrow of ice shot through young Riviere; and then came a feelingof death at his heart, a new symptom in his young life.
The next moment Rose caught sight of him. She flushed all over anduttered a little exclamation32, and she bounded towards him like alittle antelope33, and put out both her hands at once. He could onlygive her one.
"Ah!" she cried with an accent of heavenly pity, and took his handwith both hers.
This was like the meridian34 sun coming suddenly on a cold place. Hewas all happiness.
When Josephine heard he was come her eye flashed, and she saidquickly, "I will come down to welcome him--dear Edouard!"The sisters looked at one another. Josephine blushed. Rose smiledand kissed her. She colored higher still, and said, "No, she wasashamed to go down.""Why?""Look at my face.""I see nothing wrong with it, except that it eclipses otherpeople's, and I have long forgiven you that.""Oh, yes, dear Rose: look what a color it has, and a fortnight agoit was pale as ashes.""Never mind; do you expect me to regret that?""Rose, I am a very bad woman.""Are you, dear? then hook this for me.""Yes, love. But I sometimes think you would forgive me if you knewhow hard I pray to be better. Rose, I do try so to be as unhappy asI ought; but I can't, I can't. My cold heart seems as dead tounhappiness as once it was to happiness. Am I a heartless womanafter all?""Not altogether," said Rose dryly. "Fasten my collar, dear, anddon't torment yourself. You have suffered much and nobly. It wasHeaven's will: you bowed to it. It was not Heaven's will that youshould be blighted35 altogether. Bow in this, too, to Heaven's will:
take things as they come, and do cease to try and reconcile feelingsthat are too opposite to live together.""Ah! these are such comfortable words, Rose; but mamma will see thisdreadful color in my cheek, and what can I say to her?""Ten to one it will not be observed; and if it should, I will say itis the excitement of seeing Edouard. Leave all to me."Josephine greeted Edouard most affectionately, drew from him hiswhole history, and petted him and sympathized with him deliciously,and made him the hero of the evening. Camille, who was notnaturally of a jealous temper, bore this very well at first, but atlast he looked so bitter at her neglect of him, that Rose took himaside to soothe36 him. Edouard, missing the auditor37 he most valued,and seeing her in secret conference with the brilliant colonel, felta return of the jealous pangs39 that had seized him at first sight ofthe man; and so they played at cross purposes.
At another period of the evening the conversation became moregeneral; and Edouard took a dislike to Colonel Dujardin. A youngman of twenty-eight nearly always looks on a boy of twenty-one withthe air of a superior, and this assumption, not being an ill-naturedone, is apt to be so easy and so undefined that the younger hardlyknows how to resent or to resist it. But Edouard was a little vainas we know; and the Colonel jarred him terribly. His quick haughtyeye jarred him. His regimentals jarred him: they fitted like aglove. His mustache and his manner jarred him, and, worst of all,his cool familiarity with Rose, who seemed to court him rather thanbe courted by him. He put this act of Rose's to the colonel'saccount, according to the custom of lovers, and revenged himself ina small way by telling Josephine in her ear "that the colonelproduced on his mind the effect of an intolerable puppy."Josephine colored up and looked at him with a momentary40 surprise.
She said quietly, "Military men do give themselves some airs, but heis very amiable41 at bottom. You must make a better acquaintance withhim, and then he will reveal to you his nobler qualities."--"Oh! Ihave no particular desire," sneered42 unlucky Edouard. Sweet asJosephine was, this was too much for her: she said nothing; but shequietly turned Edouard over to Aubertin, and joined Rose, and undercover of her had a sweet timid chat with her falsely accused.
This occupied the two so entirely43 that Edouard was neglected. Thishurt his foible, and seemed to be so unkind on the very first day ofhis return that he made his adieus to the baroness, and marched offin dudgeon unobserved.
Rose missed him first, but said nothing.
When Josephine saw he was gone, she uttered a little exclamation,and looked at Rose. Rose put on a mien44 of haughty indifference45, butthe water was in her eyes.
Josephine looked sorrowful.
When they talked over everything together at night, she reproachedherself. "We behaved ill to poor Edouard: we neglected him.""He is a little cross, ill-tempered fellow," said Rose pettishly46.
"Oh, no! no!""And as vain as a peacock.""Has he not some right to be vain in this house?""Yes,--no. I am very angry with him. I won't hear a word in hisfavor," said Rose pouting47: then she gave his defender48 a kiss. "Yes,dear," said Josephine, answering the kiss, and ignoring the words,"he is a dear; and he is not cross, nor so very vain, poor boy! nowdon't you see what it was?""No.""Yes, you do, you little cunning thing: you are too shrewd not tosee everything.""No, indeed, Josephine; do tell me, don't keep me waiting: I can'tbear that.""Well, then--jealous! A little.""Jealous? Oh, what fun! Of Camille? Ha! ha! Little goose!""And," said Josephine very seriously, "I almost think he would bejealous of any one that occupied your attention. I watched him moreor less all the evening.""All the better. I'll torment my lord.""Heaven forbid you should be so cruel.""Oh! I will not make him unhappy, but I'll tease him a little; it isnot in nature to abstain49."This foible detected in her lover, Rose was very gay at the prospectof amusement it afforded her.
And I think I have many readers who at this moment are awaitingunmixed enjoyment50 and hilarity51 from the same source.
I wish them joy of their prospect.
Edouard called the next day: he wore a gloomy air. Rose met thiswith a particularly cheerful one; on this, Edouard's face clearedup, and he was himself again; agreeable as this was, Rose felt alittle disappointed. "I am afraid he is not very jealous afterall," thought she.
Josephine left her room this day and mingled52 once more with thefamily. The bare sight of her was enough for Camille at first, butafter awhile he wanted more. He wanted to be often alone with her;but several causes co-operated to make her shy of giving him manysuch opportunities: first, her natural delicacy53, coupled with herhabit of self-denial; then her fear of shocking her mother, andlastly her fear of her own heart, and of Camille, whose power overher she knew. For Camille, when he did get a sweet word alone withher, seemed to forget everything except that she was his betrothed,and that he had come back alive to marry her. He spoke54 to her ofhis love with an ardor55 and an urgency that made her thrill withhappiness, but at the same time shrink with a certain fear and self-reproach. Possessed56 with a feeling no stronger than hers, butsingle, he did not comprehend the tumult57, the trouble, the dailycontest in her heart. The wind seemed to him to be always changing,and hot and cold the same hour. Since he did not even see that shewas acting58 in hourly fear of her mother's eye, he was little likelyto penetrate59 her more hidden sentiments; and then he had not touchedher key-note,--self-denial.
Women are self-denying and uncandid. Men are self-indulgent andoutspoken.
And this is the key to a thousand double misunderstandings; forbelieve me, good women are just as stupid in misunderstanding men ashonest men are in misunderstanding women.
To Camille, Josephine's fluctuations60, joys, tremors61, love, terror,modesty, seemed one grand total, caprice. The component62 parts of ithe saw not; and her caprice tortured him almost to madness. Toopenitent to give way again to violent passion, he gently fretted63.
His health retrograded and his temper began to sour. The eye oftimid love that watched him with maternal64 anxiety from under itslong lashes65 saw this with dismay, and Rose, who looked into hersister's bosom66, devoted67 herself once more to soothe him withoutcompromising Josephine's delicacy. Matters were not so bad but whata fine sprightly68 girl like Rose could cheer up a dejected but manlycolonel; and Rose was generally successful.
But then, unfortunately, this led to a fresh mystification.
Riviere's natural jealousy69 revived, and found constant food in theattention Rose paid Camille, a brilliant colonel living in the housewhile he, poor wretch70, lived in lodgings71. The false position of allthe parties brought about some singular turns. I give from theirnumber one that forms a link, though a small one, in my narrative72.
One day Edouard came to tell Rose she was making him unhappy; he hadher alone in the Pleasaunce; she received him with a radiant smile,and they had a charming talk,--a talk all about HIM: what the familyowed him, etc.
On this, his late jealousy and sense of injury seemed a thing ofthree years ago, and never to return. So hard it is for the lovingheart to resist its sun.
Jacintha came with a message from the colonel: "Would it beagreeable to Mademoiselle Rose to walk with him at the usual hour?""Certainly," said Rose.
As Jacintha was retiring Edouard called to her to stop a minute.
Then, turning to Rose, he begged her very ceremoniously toreconsider that determination.
"What determination?""To sacrifice me to this Colonel Dujardin." Still politely, only alittle grimly.
Rose opened her eyes. "Are you mad?" inquired she with quiethauteur.
"Neither mad nor a fool," was the reply. "I love you too well toshare your regard with any one, upon any terms; least of all uponthese, that there is to be a man in the world at whose beck and callyou are to be, and at whose orders you are to break off an interviewwith me. Perdition!""Dear Edouard, what folly73! Can you suspect me of discourtesy, aswell as of--I know not what. Colonel Dujardin will join us, that isall, and we shall take a little walk with him.""Not I. I decline the intrusion; you are engaged with me, and Ihave things to say to you that are not fit for that puppy to hear.
So choose between me and him, and choose forever."Rose colored. "I should be very sorry to choose either of youforever; but for this afternoon I choose you.""Oh, thank you--my whole life shall prove my gratitude74 for thispreference."Rose beckoned75 Jacintha, and sent her with an excuse to ColonelDujardin. She then turned with an air of mock submission76 toEdouard. "I am at monsieur's ORDERS."Then this unhappy novice77, being naturally good-natured, thanked heragain and again for her condescension78 in setting his heart at rest.
He proposed a walk, since his interference had lost her one. Sheyielded a cold assent79. This vexed80 him, but he took it for grantedit would wear off before the end of the walk. Edouard's heartbounded, but he loved her too sincerely to be happy unless he couldsee her happy too; the malicious82 thing saw this, or perhaps knew itby instinct, and by means of this good feeling of his she revengedherself for his tyranny. She tortured him as only a woman cantorture, and as even she can torture only a worthy83 man, and one wholoves her. In the course of that short walk this inexperiencedgirl, strong in the instincts and inborn84 arts of her sex, drove pinsand needles, needles and pins, of all sorts and sizes, through herlover's heart.
She was everything by turns, except kind, and nothing for longtogether. She was peevish85, she was ostentatiously patient andsubmissive, she was inattentive to her companion and seeminglywrapped up in contemplation of absent things and persons, thecolonel to wit; she was dogged, repulsive86, and cold; and she neverwas herself a single moment. They returned to the gate of thePleasaunce. "Well, mademoiselle," said Riviere very sadly, "thatinterloper might as well have been with us.""Of course he might, and you would have lost nothing by permittingme to be courteous87 to a guest and an invalid88. If you had not playedthe tyrant24, and taken the matter into your own hands, I should havefound means to soothe your jeal--I mean your vanity; but youpreferred to have your own way. Well, you have had it.""Yes, mademoiselle, you have given me a lesson; you have shown mehow idle it is to attempt to force a young lady's inclinations89 inanything."He bade her good-day, and went away sorrowful.
She cut Camille dead for the rest of the day.
Next morning, early, Edouard called expressly to see her.
"Mademoiselle Rose," said he, humbly91, "I called to apologize for theungentlemanly tone of my remonstrances92 yesterday.""Fiddle-dee," said Rose. "Don't do it again; that is the bestapology.""I am not likely to offend so again," said he sadly. "I am goingaway. I am sorry to say I am promoted; my new post is ten leagues.
HE WILL HAVE IT ALL HIS OWN WAY NOW. But perhaps it is best. WereI to stay here, I foresee you would soon lose whatever friendlyfeeling you have for me.""Am I so changeable? I am not considered so," remonstrated93 Rose,gently.
Riviere explained; "I am not vain," said he, with that self-knowledge which is so general an attribute of human beings; "no manless so, nor am I jealous; but I respect myself, and I could neverbe content to share your time and your regard with Colonel Dujardin,nor with a much better man. See now; he has made me arrogant94. WasI ever so before?""No! no! no! and I forgive you now, my poor Edouard.""He has made you cold as ice to me.""No! that was my own wickedness and spitefulness.""Wickedness, spitefulness! they are not in your nature. It is allthat wretch's doing."Rose sighed, but she said nothing; for she saw that to excuseCamille would only make the jealous one more bitter against him.
"Will you deign95 to write to me at my new post? once a month? inanswer to my letters?""Yes, dear. But you will ride over sometimes to see us.""Oh, yes; but for some little time I shall not be able. The dutiesof a new post.""Perhaps in a month--a fortnight?""Sooner perhaps; the moment I hear that man is out of the house."Edouard went away, dogged and sad; Rose shut herself up in herroom and had a good cry. In the afternoon Josephine came andremonstrated with her. "You have not walked with him at all to-day.""No; you must pet him yourself for once. I hate the sight of him;it has made mischief96 between Edouard and me, my being so attentiveto him. Edouard is jealous, and I cannot wonder. After all, whatright have I to mystify him who honors me with his affection?"Then, being pressed with questions by Josephine, she related to herall that had passed between Edouard and her, word for word.
"Poor Camille!" sighed Josephine the just.
"Oh, dear, yes! poor Camille! who has the power to make us allmiserable, and who does it, and will go on doing it until he ishappy himself.""Ah! would to Heaven I could make him as happy as he deserves tobe.""You could easily make him much happier than that. And why not doit?""O Rose," said Josephine, shocked, "how can you advise me so?"She then asked her if she thought it possible that Camille could beignorant of her heart.
"Josephine," replied Rose, angrily, "these men are absurd: theybelieve only what they see. I have done what I can for you andCamille, but it is useless. Would you have him believe you lovehim, you must yourself be kind to him; and it would be a charitableaction: you would make four unhappy people happy, or, at least, putthem on the road; NOW they are off the road, and, by what I haveseen to-day, I think, if we go on so much longer, it will be toolate to try to return. Come, Josephine, for my sake! Let me go andtell him you will consent--to all our happinesses. There, the crimeis mine." And she ran off in spite of Josephine's faint andhypocritical entreaties97. She returns the next minute looking allaghast. "It is too late," said she. "He is going away. I am surehe is, for he is packing up his things to go. I spied through theold place and saw him. He was sighing like a furnace as he strappedhis portmanteau. I hate him, of course, but I was sorry for him. Icould not help being. He sighed so all the time, piteously."Josephine turned pale, and lifted her hands in surprise and dismay.
"Depend on it, Josephine, we are wrong," said Rose, firmly: "thesewretches will not stand our nonsense above a certain time: they arenot such fools. We are mismanaging: one gone, the other going; bothlosing faith in us."Josephine's color returned to her cheek, and then mounted high.
Presently she smiled, a smile full of conscious power and furtivecomplacency, and said quietly, "He will not go."Rose was pleased, but not surprised, to hear her sister speak soconfidently, for she knew her power over Camille. "That is right,"said she, "go to him, and say two honest words: 'I bid you stay.'""O Rose! no!""Poltroon98! You know he would go down on his knees, and staydirectly.""No: I should blush all my life before you and him. I COULD not. Ishould let him go sooner, almost. Oh, no! I will never ask a manto stay who wishes to leave me. But just you go to him, and sayMadame Raynal is going to take a little walk: will he do her thehonor to be her companion? Not a word more, if you love me.""I'll go. Hypocrite!"Josephine received Camille with a bright smile. She seemed inunusually good spirits, and overflowing99 with kindness and innocentaffection. On this his high gloomy brow relaxed, and all hisprospects brightened as by magic. Then she communicated to him anumber of little plans for next week and the week after. Among therest he was to go with her and Rose to Frejus. "Such a sweet place:
I want to show it you. You will come?"He hesitated a single moment: a moment of intense anxiety to thesmiling Josephine.
"Yes! he would come: it was a great temptation, he saw so little ofher.""Well, you will see more of me now.""Shall I see you every day--alone, I mean?""Oh, yes, if you wish it," replied Josephine, in an off-hand,indifferent way.
He seized her hand and devoured100 it with kisses. "Foolish thing!"murmured she, looking down on him with ineffable102 tenderness.
"Should I not be always with you if I consulted my inclination90?--letme go.""No! consult your inclination a little longer.""Must I?""Yes; that shall be your punishment.""For what? What have I done?" asked she with an air of greatinnocence.
"You have made me happy, me who adore you," was the evasive reply.
Josephine came in from her walk with a high color and beaming eyes,and screamed, "Run, Rose!"On this concise103, and to us not very clear instruction, Rose slippedup the secret stair. She saw Camille come in and gravely unpack104 hislittle portmanteau, and dispose his things in the drawers withsoldier-like neatness, and hum an agreeable march. She came andtold Josephine.
"Ah!" said Josephine with a little sigh of pleasure, and a gentletriumph in her eyes.
She had not only got her desire, but had arrived at it her way,--woman's way, round about.
This adroit105 benevolence106 led to more than she bargained for. She andCamille were now together every day: and their hearts, being underrestraint in public, melted together all the more in their stoleninterviews.
At the third delicious interview the modest Camille begged Josephineto be his wife directly.
Have you noticed those half tame deer that come up to you in a parkso lovingly, with great tender eyes, and, being now almost withinreach, stop short, and with bodies fixed107 like statues on pedestals,crane out their graceful108 necks for sugar, or bread, or a chestnut,or a pocket-handkerchief? Do but offer to put your hand upon them,away they bound that moment twenty yards, and then stand quitestill, and look at your hand and you, with great inquiring,suspicious, tender eyes.
So Josephine started at Camille's audacious proposal. "Nevermention such a thing to me again: or--or, I will not walk with youany more:" then she thrilled with pleasure at the obnoxious109 idea,"she Camille's wife!" and colored all over--with rage, Camillethought. He promised submissively not to renew the topic: no morehe did till next day. Josephine had spent nearly the whole intervalin thinking of it; so she was prepared to put him down by calmreasons. She proceeded to do so, gently, but firmly.
Lo and behold110! what does he do, but meets her with just as manyreasons, and just as calm ones: and urges them gently, but firmly.
Heaven had been very kind to them: why should they be unkind tothemselves? They had had a great escape: why not accept thehappiness, as, being persons of honor, they had accepted the misery111?
with many other arguments, differing in other things, but agreeingin this, that they were all sober, grave, and full of common-sense.
Finding him not defenceless on the score of reason, she shifted herground and appealed to his delicacy. On this he appealed to herlove, and then calm reason was jostled off the field, and passionand sentiment battled in her place.
In these contests day by day renewed, Camille had many advantages.
Rose, though she did not like him, had now declared on his side.
She refused to show him the least attention. This threw him onJosephine: and when Josephine begged her to help reduce Camille toreason, her answer would be,--"Hypocrite!" with a kiss: or else she would say, with a half comicpetulance, "No! no! I am on his side. Give him his own way, or hewill make us all four miserable."Thus Josephine's ally went over to the enemy.
And then this coy young lady's very power of resistance began togive way. She had now battled for months against her own heart:
first for her mother; then, in a far more terrible conflict forRaynal, for honor and purity; and of late she had been battling,still against her own heart, for delicacy, for etiquette112, thingsvery dear to her, but not so great, holy, and sustaining as honorand charity that were her very household gods: and so, just when themotives of resistance were lowered, the length of the resistancebegan to wear her out.
For nothing is so hard to her sex as a long steady struggle. Inmatters physical, this is the thing the muscles of the fair cannotstand; in matters intellectual and moral, the long strain it is thatbeats them dead.
Do not look for a Bacona, a Newtona, a Handella, a Victoria Huga.
Some American ladies tell us education has stopped the growth ofthese.
No! mesdames. These are not in nature.
They can bubble letters in ten minutes that you could no moredeliver to order in ten days than a river can play like a fountain.
They can sparkle gems114 of stories: they can flash little diamonds ofpoems. The entire sex has never produced one opera nor one epicthat mankind could tolerate: and why? these come by long, high-strung labor115. But, weak as they are in the long run of everythingbut the affections (and there giants), they are all overpoweringwhile their gallop116 lasts. Fragilla shall dance any two of you flaton the floor before four o'clock, and then dance on till the peep ofday.
Only you trundle off to your business as usual, and could danceagain the next night, and so on through countless117 ages.
She who danced you into nothing is in bed, a human jelly tipped withheadache.
What did Josephine say to Rose one day? "I am tired of saying 'No!
no! no! no! no!' forever and ever to him I love."But this was not all. She was not free from self-reproach.
Camille's faith in her had stood firm. Hers in him had not. Shehad wronged him, first by believing him false, then by marryinganother. One day she asked his pardon for this. He replied that hehad forgiven that; but would she be good enough to make him forgetit?
"I wish I could.""You can. Marry me: then your relation to that man will seem but ahideous dream. I shall be able to say, looking at you, my wife, 'Iwas faithful: I suffered something for her; I came home: she lovedme still; the proof is, she was my wife within three months of myreturn.'"When he said that to her in the Pleasaunce, if there had been apriest at hand--. In a word, Josephine longed to show him her love,yet wished not to shock her mother, nor offend her own sense ofdelicacy; but Camille cared for nothing but his love. To sacrificelove and happiness, even for a time, to etiquette, seemed to him tobe trifling118 with the substance of great things for the shadow ofpetty things; and he said so: sometimes sadly, sometimes almostbitterly.
So Josephine was a beleagured fortress119, attacked with one will, anddefended by troops, one-third of which were hot on the side of thebesiegers.
When singleness attacks division, you know the result beforehand.
Why then should I spin words? I will not trace so ill-matched acontest step by step, sentence by sentence: let me rather hasten torelate the one peculiarity121 that arose out of this trite122 contest,where, under the names of Camille and Josephine, the two great sexesmay be seen acting the whole world-wide distich,--"It's a man's part to try,And a woman's to deny [for a while?]."Finding her own resolutions oozing123 away, Josephine caught at anotherperson.
She said to Camille before Rose,--"Even if I could bring myself to snatch at happiness in thisindelicate way--scarce a month after, oh!" And there ended thelady's sentence. In the absence of a legitimate124 full stop, she putone hand before her lovely face to hide it, and so no more. Butsome two minutes after she delivered the rest in the form and withthe tone of a distinct remark, "No: my mother would never consent.""Yes, she would if you could be brought to implore125 her as earnestlyas I implore you.""Now would she?" asked Josephine, turning quickly to her sister.
"No, never. Our mother would look with horror on such a proposal.
A daughter of hers to marry within a twelvemonth of her widowhood!""There, you see, Camille.""And, besides, she loved Raynal so; she has not forgotten him as wehave, almost.""Ungrateful creature that I am!" sighed Josephine!
"She mourns for him every day. Often I see her eyes suddenly fill;that is for him. Josephine's influence with mamma is very great: itis double mine: but if we all went on our knees to her, the doctorand all, she would never consent.""There you see, Camille: and I could not defy my mother, even foryou."Camille sighed.
"I see everything is against me, even my love: for that love is toomuch akin28 to veneration126 to propose to you a clandestine127 marriage.""Oh, thank you! bless you for respecting as well as loving me, dearCamille," said Josephine.
These words, uttered with gentle warmth, were some consolation128 toCamille, and confirmed him, as they were intended to do, in theabove good resolution. He smiled.
"Maladroit129!" muttered Rose.
"Why maladroit?" asked Camille, opening his eyes.
"Let us talk of something else," replied Rose, coolly.
Camille turned red. He understood that he had done something verystupid, but he could not conceive what. He looked from one sisterto the other alternately. Rose was smiling ironically, Josephinehad her eyes bent130 demurely132 on a handkerchief she was embroidering133.
That evening Camille drew Rose aside, and asked for an explanationof her "maladroit.""So it was," replied Rose, sharply.
But as this did not make the matter quite clear, Camille begged alittle further explanation.
"Was it your part to make difficulties?""No, indeed.""Was it for you to tell her a secret marriage would not be delicate?
Do you think she will be behind you in delicacy? or that a lovewithout respect will satisfy her? yet you must go and tell her yourespected her too much to ask her to marry you secretly. In otherwords, situated134 as she is, you asked her not to marry you at all:
she consented to that directly; what else could you expect?""Maladroit! indeed," said Camille, "but I would not have said it,only I thought"--"You thought nothing would induce her to marry secretly, so you saidto yourself, 'I will assume a virtue135: I will do a bit of cheap self-denial: decline to the sound of trumpets136 what another will be sureto deny me if I don't--ha! ha!'--well, for your comfort, I am by nomeans so sure she might not have been brought to do ANYTHING foryou, except openly defy mamma: but now of course"--And here this young lady's sentence ended: for the sisters, unlikein most things, were one in grammar.
Camille was so disconcerted and sad at what he had done, that Rosebegan to pity him: so she rallied him a little longer in spite ofher pity: and then all of a sudden gave him her hand, and said shewould try and repair the mischief.
He began to smother137 her hand with kisses.
"Oh!" said she, "I don't deserve all that: I have a motive113 of myown; let me alone, child, do. Your unlucky speech will be quoted tome a dozen times. Never mind."Rose went and bribed138 Josephine to consent.
"Come, mamma shall not know, and as for you, you shall scarcely movein the matter; only do not oppose me very violently, and all will bewell.""Ah, Rose!" said Josephine; "it is delightful139--terrible, I mean--tohave a little creature about one that reads one like this. Whatshall I do? What shall I do?""Why, do the best you can under all the circumstances. His wound ishealed, you know; he must go back to the army; you have bothsuffered to the limits of mortal endurance. Is he to go awayunhappy, in any doubt of your affection? and you to remain behindwith the misery of self-reproach added to the desolation ofabsence?--think.""It is cruel. But to deceive my mother!""Do not say deceive our mother; that is such a shocking phrase."Rose then reminded Josephine that their confessor had told them awise reticence140 was not the same thing as a moral deceit. Shereminded her, too, how often they had acted on his advice and alwayswith good effect; how many anxieties and worries they had savedtheir mother by reticence. Josephine assented141 warmly to this.
Was there not some reason to think they had saved their mother'svery life by these reticences? Josephine assented. "And,Josephine, you are of age; you are your own mistress; you have aright to marry whom you please: and, sooner or later, you willcertainly marry Camille. I doubt whether even our mother couldprevail on you to refuse him altogether. So it is but a question oftime, and of giving our mother pain, or sparing her pain. Dearmamma is old; she is prejudiced. Why shock her prejudices? Shecould not be brought to understand the case: these things neverhappened in her day. Everything seems to have gone by rule then.
Let us do nothing to worry her for the short time she has to live.
Let us take a course between pain to her and cruelty to you andCamille."These arguments went far to convince Josephine: for her own heartsupported them. She went from her solid objections to untenableones--a great point gained. She urged the difficulty, theimpossibility of a secret marriage.
Camille burst in here: he undertook at once to overcome theseimaginary difficulties. "They could be married at a distance.""You will find no priest who will consent to do such a wicked thingas marry us without my mother's knowledge," objected Josephine.
"Oh! as to that," said Rose, "you know the mayor marries peoplenowadays.""I will not be married again without a priest," said Josephine,sharply.
"Nor I," said Camille. "I know a mayor who will do the civil formsfor me, and a priest who will marry me in the sight of Heaven, andboth will keep it secret for love of me till it shall pleaseJosephine to throw off this disguise.""Who is the priest?" inquired Josephine, keenly.
"An old cure: he lives near Frejus: he was my tutor, and the mayoris the mayor of Frejus, also an old friend of mine.""But what on earth will you say to them?""That is my affair: I must give them some reasons which compel me tokeep my marriage secret. Oh! I shall have to tell them some fibs,of course.""There, I thought so! I will not have you telling fibs; it lowersyou.""Of course it does; but you can't have secrecy142 without a fib ortwo.""Fibs that will injure no one," said Rose, majestically143.
From this day Camille began to act as well as to talk. He bought alight caleche and a powerful horse, and elected factotum144 Dard hisgroom. Camille rode over to Frejus and told a made-up story to theold cure and the mayor, and these his old friends believed everyword he said, and readily promised their services and strictsecrecy.
He told the young ladies what he had done.
Rose approved. Josephine shook her head, and seeing matters goingas her heart desired and her conscience did not quite approve, shesuddenly affected23 to be next to nobody in the business--to beresigned, passive, and disposed of to her surprise by Queen Rose andKing Camille, without herself taking any actual part in theirproceedings.
At last the great day arrived on which Camille and Josephine were tobe married at Frejus.
The mayor awaited them at eleven o'clock. The cure at twelve. Thefamily had been duly prepared for this excursion by several smallerones.
Rose announced their intention over night; a part of it.
"Mamma," said she, blushing a little, "Colonel Dujardin is goodenough to take us to Frejus tomorrow. It is a long way, and we mustbreakfast early or we shall not be back to dinner.""Do so, my child. I hope you will have a fine day: and mind youtake plenty of wraps with you in case of a shower."At seven o'clock the next morning Camille and the two ladies took ahasty cup of coffee together instead of breakfast, and then Dardbrought the caleche round.
The ladies got in, and Camille had just taken the reins145 in his hand,when Jacintha screamed to him from the hall, "Wait a moment,colonel, wait a moment! The doctor! don't go without the doctor!"And the next moment Dr. Aubertin appeared with his cloak on his arm,and, saluting146 the ladies politely, seated himself quietly in thevehicle before the party had recovered their surprise.
The ladies managed to keep their countenances147, but Dujardin'sdiscomfiture was evident.
He looked piteously at Josephine, and then asked Aubertin if theywere to set him down anywhere in particular.
"Oh, no; I am going with you to Frejus," was the quiet reply.
Josephine quaked. Camille was devoured with secret rage: he lashedthe horse and away they went.
It was a silent party. The doctor seemed in a reverie. The othersdid not know what to think, much less to say. Aubertin sat byCamille's side; so the latter could hold no secret communicationwith either lady.
Now it was not the doctor's habit to rise at this time of themorning: yet there he was, going with them to Frejus uninvited.
Josephine was in agony; had their intention transpired148 through someimprudence of Camille?
Camille was terribly uneasy. He concluded the secret had transpiredthrough female indiscretion. Then they all tortured themselves asto the old man's intention. But what seemed most likely was, thathe was with them to prevent a clandestine marriage by his barepresence, without making a scene and shocking Josephine's pride: andif so, was he there by his own impulse? No, it was rather to befeared that all this was done by order of the baroness. There was afinesse about it that smacked149 of a feminine origin, and the baronesswas very capable of adopting such a means as this, to spare her ownpride and her favorite daughter's. "The clandestine" is not allsugar. A more miserable party never went along, even to a wedding.
After waiting a long time for the doctor to declare himself, theyturned desperate, and began to chatter150 all manner of trifles. Thishad a good effect: it roused Aubertin from his reverie, andpresently he gave them the following piece of information: "I toldyou the other day that a nephew of mine was just dead; a nephew Ihad not seen for many years. Well, my friends, I received lastnight a hasty summons to his funeral.""At Frejus?""No, at Paris. The invitation was so pressing, that I was obligedto go. The letter informed me, however, that a diligence passesthrough Frejus, at eleven o'clock, for Paris. I heard you say youwere going to Frejus; so I packed up a few changes of linen151, and myMS., my work on entomology, which at my last visit to the capitalall the publishers were mad enough to refuse: here it is. Apropos152,has Jacintha put my bag into the carriage?"On this a fierce foot-search, and the bag was found. Meantime,Josephine leaned back in her seat with a sigh of thankfulness. Shewas more intent on not being found out than on being married. ButCamille, who was more intent on being married than on not beingfound out, was asking himself, with fury, how on earth they shouldget rid of Aubertin in time.
Well, of course, under such circumstances as these the diligence didnot come to its time, nor till long after; and all the while, theywere waiting for it they were failing their rendezvous153 with themayor, and making their rendezvous with the curate impossible. But,above all, there was the risk of one or other of those friendscoming up and blurting154 all out, taking for granted that the doctormust be in their confidence, or why bring him.
At last, at half-past eleven o'clock, to their great relief, up camethe diligence. The doctor prepared to take his place in theinterior, when the conductor politely informed him that the vehiclestopped there a quarter of an hour.
"In that case I will not abandon my friends," said the doctor,affectionately.
One of his friends gnashed his teeth at this mark of affection. ButJosephine smiled sweetly.
At last he was gone; but it wanted ten minutes only to twelve.
Josephine inquired amiably155, whether it would not be as well topostpone matters to another day--meaning forever. "My ARDOR ischilled," said she, and showed symptoms of crying at what she hadgone through.
Camille replied by half dragging them to the mayor. That worthyreceived them with profound, though somewhat demure131 respect, andinvited them to a table sumptuously156 served. The ladies, out ofpoliteness, were about to assent, but Camille begged permission topostpone that part until after the ceremony.
At last, to their astonishment157, they were married. Then, with apromise to return and dine with the mayor, they went to the cure.
Lo and behold! he was gone to visit a sick person. "He had waited along time for them," said the servant.
Josephine was much disconcerted, and showed a disposition158 to cryagain. The servant, a good-natured girl, nosed a wedding, andoffered to run and bring his reverence159 in a minute.
Presently there came an old silvery-haired man, who addressed themall as his children. He took them to the church, and blessed theirunion; and for the first time Josephine felt as if Heaven consented.
They took a gentle farewell of him, and went back to the mayor's todine; and at this stage of the business Rose and Josephine at lasteffected a downright simultaneous cry, apropos of nothing that wasthen occurring.
This refreshed them mightily160, and they glowed at the mayor's tablelike roses washed with dew.
But oh! how glad at heart they all were to find themselves in thecarriage once more going home to Beaurepaire.
Rose and Josephine sat intertwined on the back seat; Camille, thereins in his right hand, nearly turned his back on the horse, andleaned back over to them and purred to Rose and his wife withineffable triumph and tenderness.
The lovers were in Elysium, and Rose was not a little proud of hergood management in ending all their troubles. Their mother receivedthem back with great, and as they fancied, with singular, affection.
She was beginning to be anxious about them, she said. Then herkindness gave these happy souls a pang38 it never gave them before.
Since the above events scarce a fortnight had elapsed; but such achange! Camille sunburnt and healthy, and full of animation161 andconfidence; Josephine beaming with suppressed happiness, and morebeautiful than Rose could ever remember to have seen her. For asoft halo of love and happiness shone around her head; a new andindefinable attraction bloomed on her face. She was a wife. Hereye, that used to glance furtively7 on Camille, now dwelt demurely onhim; dwelt with a sort of gentle wonder and admiration162 as well asaffection, and, when he came or passed very near her, a keenobserver might have seen her thrill.
She kept a good deal out of her mother's way; for she felt withinthat her face must be too happy. She feared to shock her mother'sgrief with her radiance. She was ashamed of feeling unmixed heaven.
But the flood of secret bliss163 she floated in bore all misgivingsaway. The pair were forever stealing away together for hours, andon these occasions Rose used to keep out of her mother's sight,until they should return. So then the new-married couple couldwander hand in hand through the thick woods of Beaurepaire, whosefresh green leaves were now just out, and hear the distant cuckoo,and sit on mossy banks, and pour love into one another's eyes, andplan ages of happiness, and murmur101 their deep passion and theirbliss almost more than mortal; could do all this and more, withoutshocking propriety164. These sweet duets passed for trios: for ontheir return Rose would be out looking for them, or would go andmeet them at some distance, and all three would go up together tothe baroness, as from a joint165 excursion. And when they went up totheir bedrooms, Josephine would throw her arms round her sister'sneck, and sigh, "It is not happiness, it is beatitude!"Meantime, the baroness mourned for Raynal. Her grief showed nodecrease. Rose even fancied at times she wore a gloomy anddiscontented look as well; but on reflection she attributed that toher own fancy, or to the contrast that had now sprung up in hersister's beaming complacency.
Rose, when she found herself left day after day alone for hours, wassad and thought of Edouard. And this feeling gained on her day byday.
At last, one afternoon, she locked herself in her own room, and,after a long contest with her pride, which, if not indomitable, wasnext door to it, she sat down to write him a little letter. Now, inthis letter, in the place devoted by men to their after-thoughts, bywomen to their pretended after-thoughts; i. e., to what they havebeen thinking of all through the letter, she dropped a careless hintthat all the party missed him very much, "even the obnoxiouscolonel, who, by-the-by, has transferred his services elsewhere. Ihave forgiven him that, because he has said civil things about you."Rose was reading her letter over again, to make sure that all theprincipal expressions were indistinct, and that the compositiongenerally, except the postscript166, resembled a Delphic oracle167, whenthere was a hasty footstep, and a tap at her door, and in cameJacintha, excited.
"He is come, mademoiselle," cried she, and nodded her head like amandarin, only more knowingly; then she added, "So you may burnthat." For her quick eye had glanced at the table.
"Who is come?" inquired Rose, eagerly.
"Why, your one?""My one?" asked the young lady, reddening, "my what?""The little one--Edouard--Monsieur Riviere.""Oh, Monsieur Riviere," said Rose, acting nonchalance168. "Why couldyou not say so? you use such phrases, who can conjecture169 what youmean? I will come to Monsieur Riviere directly; mamma will be soglad."Jacintha gone, Rose tore up the letter and locked up the pieces,then ran to the glass. Etc.
Edouard had been so profoundly miserable he could stand it nolonger; in spite of his determination not to visit Beaurepaire whileit contained a rival, he rode over to see whether he had nottormented himself idly: above all, to see the beloved face.
Jacintha put him into the salle a manger. "By that you will see heralone," said the knowing Jacintha. He sat down, hat and whip inhand, and wondered how he should be received--if at all.
In glides170 Rose all sprightliness171 and good-humor, and puts out herhand to him; the which he kisses.
"How could I keep away so long?" asked he vaguely172, and self-astonished.
"How indeed, and we missing you so all the time!""Have YOU missed me?" was the eager inquiry173.
"Oh, no!" was the cheerful reply; "but all the rest have."Presently the malicious thing gave a sudden start.
"Oh! such a piece of news; you remember Colonel Dujardin, theobnoxious colonel?"No answer.
"Transferred his attentions. Fancy!""Who to?""To Josephine and mamma. But such are the military. He only wantedto get rid of you: this done (through your want of spirit), hescorns the rich prize; so now I scorn HIM. Will you come for awalk?""Oh, yes!""We will go and look for my deserter. I say, tell me now; cannot Iwrite to the commander-in-chief about this? a soldier has no rightto be a deserter, has he? tell me, you are a public man, and knoweverything except my heart.""Is it not too bad to tease me to-day?""Yes! but please! I have had few amusements of late. I find it sodull without you to tease."Formal permission to tease being conceded, she went that instant onthe opposite tack120, and began to tell him how she had missed him, andhow sorry she had been anything should have occurred to vex81 theirkind good friend. In short, Edouard spent a delightful day, forRose took him one way to meet Josephine, who, she knew, was cominganother. At night the last embers of jealousy got quenched174, forJosephine was a wife now, and had already begun to tell Camille allher little innocent secrets; and she told him all about Edouard andRose, and gave him his orders; so he treated Rose with great respectbefore Edouard; but paid her no marked attention; also he wasaffable to Riviere, who, having ceased to suspect, began to likehim.
In the course of the evening, the colonel also informed the baronessthat he expected every day an order to join the army of the Rhine.
The baroness said no more than politeness dictated176. She did notpress him to stay, but treated his departure as a matter of course.
Riviere rode home late in the evening in high spirits.
The next day Rose varied177 her late deportment; she sang snatches ofmelody, going about the house; it was for all the world like a birdchirping. In the middle of one chirp178 Jacintha interfered179. "Hush,mademoiselle, your mamma! she is at the bottom of the corridor.""What was I thinking of?" said Rose.
"Oh! I dare say you know, mademoiselle," replied the privilegeddomestic.
A letter of good news came from Aubertin. That summons to hisnephew's funeral was an era in his harmless life.
The said nephew was a rich man and an oddity; one of those who loveto surprise folk. Moreover, he had no children, and detected hisnephews and nieces being unnaturally180 civil to him. "Waiting to cutme up," was his generous reading of them. So with this he made awill, and there defied, as far as in him lay, the laws of nature;for he set his wealth a-flowing backwards181 instead of forwards; hehanded his property up to an ancestor, instead of down to posterity182.
All this the doctor's pen set down with some humor, and in the calmspirit with which a genuine philosopher receives prosperity as wellas adversity. Yet one natural regret escaped him; that all thiswealth, since it was to come, had not come a year or two sooner.
All at Beaurepaire knew what their dear old friend meant.
His other news to them was that they might expect him any moment.
So here was another cause of rejoicing.
"I am so glad," said Josephine. "Now, perhaps, he will be able topublish his poor dear entomology, that the booksellers were all sounkind, so unfeeling about."I linger on the brink183 of painful scenes to observe that a sweet andloving friendship, such as this was between the good doctor andthree persons of another sex, is one of the best treasures of thehuman heart. Poverty had strengthened it; yet now wealth could notweaken it. With no tie of blood it yet was filial, sisterly,brotherly, national, chivalrous184; happy, unalloyed sentiment, freefrom ups and downs, from heats and chills, from rivalry185, fromcaprice; and, indeed, from all mortal accidents but one--and why sayone? methinks death itself does but suspend these gentle, rare,unselfish amities a moment, then waft186 them upward to their abidinghome.
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baroness
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| n.男爵夫人，女男爵 | |
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benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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notary
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| n.公证人，公证员 | |
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analyzed
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| v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析 | |
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standing
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furtively
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irresolutely
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| adv.优柔寡断地 | |
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chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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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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eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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shun
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| vt.避开，回避，避免 | |
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odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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shunned
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| v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 | |
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disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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perplexed
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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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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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retarded
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| a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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affected
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tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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prospect
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sling
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akin
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retired
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liberated
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haughty
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exclamation
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antelope
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meridian
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blighted
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soothe
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auditor
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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39
pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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40
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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41
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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42
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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44
mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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45
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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46
pettishly
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47
pouting
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的现在分词 ) | |
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48
defender
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| n.保卫者，拥护者，辩护人 | |
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49
abstain
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| v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免 | |
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50
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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51
hilarity
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| n.欢乐；热闹 | |
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52
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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53
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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54
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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55
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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56
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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57
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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58
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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59
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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60
fluctuations
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| 波动，涨落，起伏( fluctuation的名词复数 ) | |
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61
tremors
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| 震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动 | |
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62
component
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| n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的 | |
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63
fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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64
maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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65
lashes
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| n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 )；鞭子；突然猛烈的一击；急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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66
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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67
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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68
sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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69
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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70
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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71
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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72
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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73
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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74
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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75
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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76
submission
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| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
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77
novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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78
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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79
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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80
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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81
vex
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| vt.使烦恼，使苦恼 | |
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82
malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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83
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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84
inborn
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| adj.天生的，生来的，先天的 | |
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85
peevish
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| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
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86
repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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87
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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88
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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89
inclinations
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| 倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡 | |
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90
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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91
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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92
remonstrances
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| n.抱怨，抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 ) | |
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93
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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94
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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95
deign
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| v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事) | |
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96
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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97
entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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98
poltroon
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| n.胆怯者；懦夫 | |
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99
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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100
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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101
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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102
ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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103
concise
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| adj.简洁的，简明的 | |
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104
unpack
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| vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货 | |
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105
adroit
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| adj.熟练的，灵巧的 | |
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106
benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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107
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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108
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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109
obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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110
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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111
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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112
etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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113
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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114
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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115
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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116
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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117
countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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118
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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119
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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120
tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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121
peculiarity
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| n.独特性，特色；特殊的东西；怪癖 | |
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122
trite
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| adj.陈腐的 | |
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123
oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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124
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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125
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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126
veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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127
clandestine
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| adj.秘密的，暗中从事的 | |
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128
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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129
maladroit
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| adj.笨拙的 | |
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130
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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131
demure
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| adj.严肃的；端庄的 | |
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132
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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133
embroidering
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| v.（在织物上）绣花( embroider的现在分词 )；刺绣；对…加以渲染（或修饰）；给…添枝加叶 | |
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134
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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135
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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136
trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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137
smother
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| vt./vi.使窒息；抑制；闷死；n.浓烟；窒息 | |
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138
bribed
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| v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂 | |
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139
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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140
reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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141
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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142
secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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143
majestically
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| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
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144
factotum
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| n.杂役；听差 | |
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145
reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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146
saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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147
countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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148
transpired
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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149
smacked
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| 拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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150
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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151
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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152
apropos
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| adv.恰好地；adj.恰当的；关于 | |
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153
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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154
blurting
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的现在分词 ) | |
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155
amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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156
sumptuously
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| 奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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157
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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158
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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159
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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160
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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161
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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162
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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163
bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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164
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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165
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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166
postscript
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| n.附言，又及；(正文后的)补充说明 | |
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167
oracle
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| n.神谕，神谕处，预言 | |
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168
nonchalance
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| n.冷淡，漠不关心 | |
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169
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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170
glides
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| n.滑行( glide的名词复数 )；滑音；音渡；过渡音v.滑动( glide的第三人称单数 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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171
sprightliness
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| n.愉快，快活 | |
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172
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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173
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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174
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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175
pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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176
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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177
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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178
chirp
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| v.(尤指鸟)唧唧喳喳的叫 | |
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179
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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180
unnaturally
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| adv.违反习俗地；不自然地；勉强地；不近人情地 | |
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181
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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182
posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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183
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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184
chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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185
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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186
waft
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| v.飘浮，飘荡；n.一股；一阵微风；飘荡 | |
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