MR. MORDECAI had scarcely passed a square from his home, when suddenly he retraced1 his steps, and stood again before the lodge2.
"Mingo," he said sharply, "tell your mistress to send me that cursed letter. Be quick."
With a dash the nimble slave obeyed the command, and in a moment stood before his master, the letter in his hand, bowing and smiling with his usual politeness.
Taking the letter, Mr. Mordecai crushed it in his hand, then placed it in his breast pocket, as he again started forward toward his banking-house. If he passed man, woman, child, friend, acquaintance, or kinsman3 in that morning's walk, he knew it not; for the tumult4 of passion that stirred his soul obliterated5 for the time every recollection but that of the terrible sorrow that had befallen him. In due time he reached the dingy6 brown banking-house, and stood irresolutely7 for a moment upon the well-worn stone steps. He placed the ponderous8 key within the lock, but the hand seemed powerless to turn its massive bolt; and for a moment he stood with thoughtful, determined9 eye resting upon the pavement. A moment more, and then he quickly withdrew the key, dropped it into his pocket, and briskly retraced his steps for square after square, and then abruptly10 turned into the well-known street where stood the office of the distinguished11 Le Grande.
It happened that Mr. Mordecai approached the office from one direction, as Judge Le Grande himself approached it from another, riding in the light single phaeton in which he usually drove to and from his office.
"Good-morning, Mr. Mordecai. How goes it with you, my friend, this fine morning?" said the judge pleasantly, as he alighted and threw the lines to Cato, the driver.--"Tell your mistress she need not send for me till five o'clock. I shall be very busy to-day." Then turning to the banker he looked for a reply.
"It's no good-morning to me," replied the banker fiercely. "The night has brought devilish work to my home."
"What do you mean, my friend?" was the judge's quiet reply. "What has the night done?"
"Played the devil! Don't you try to trifle with my sorrow. That son of yours has already wrought12 me injury enough. Don't you attempt to mock me. I warn you, Le Grande, I warn you!"
Astonished by these mysterious words of the Hebrew, Judge Le Grande gravely assured Mr. Mordecai that he knew nothing of the trouble that had befallen him, and repeatedly asked, "What has my son done?"
"Done? Alas13! he has done that which would to God I could undo14!" was the reply, uttered angrily and savagely15. "But as I cannot undo it, I shall curse it-curse it from the depths of my soul! He has married my daughter? Stolen her-taken her away in secret from my house, and they have wisely fled from my presence!"
"Married your daughter!" ejaculated the judge, the truth faintly dawning on him. "Surely that's a mistake."
"Indeed it is a wild mistake; I would to God it were otherwise."
"By what authority do you make this assertion?" continued Judge Le Grande, evidently aroused by the dawning truth.
"By the confession16 of my daughter, left in her room, and written a short time before her flight."
"Where is that confession? Let me see it."
"Here," replied the banker, drawing the crumpled17 missive from his pocket. "There, read the mischief18 for yourself."
With trembling hand Judge Le Grande smoothed out the crushed paper, and eagerly, fearfully, scanned the contents that were to crush his hopes, as they had crushed those of the banker. Silently, carefully, he read it, read it till the story was told, and then, brushing away a tear from his eye he said, with emotion:
"Mordecai, forgive her! Forgive her, as I shall forgive him; and now that it is done, let us make the best of it."
"Forgive!" hissed19 the banker; "forgive such an act of disobedience as that? Such disgrace to my name and people? Never, while there is a drop of Hebrew blood in Benjamin Mordecai's veins20, will I forgive it!"
"It's no more a disgrace to your name and people than it is to mine; but I consider that people are fools, who make disgrace of family troubles, by obstinately21 parading them before the world."
"Then I shall delight in being a fool, if so you deem it," replied Mr. Mordecai, with kindling22 emotion.
"Alas! I had great plans for Emile," said Judge Le Grande sadly, as he turned away from Mr. Mordecai; "and his mother too; she had fondly hoped he would marry Belle23 Upton. Now, all is disappointment. I do not know how she will bear it. As for myself, I shall make the best of it. I hope they may be happy.-I say, Mordecai," looking steadily24 at the banker, "they have my forgiveness and my blessing25 too. You may do as you please."
"Well, I curse them," the banker answered bitterly; "and I swear they shall never see my face again, living or dying. Not one dollar from my purse shall they ever receive, even though want and beggary come upon them. Think not I can ever change, Judge Le Grande. As my people and my people's God, the Eternal Father, are unchangeable, so is my purpose concerning these disobedient children. Good morning." Mr. Mordecai then turned slowly from the office, and as the judge beheld26 the receding27 form, and remembered the fierce flash of his dark eye, he unhesitatingly exclaimed, "Poor old man! I pity you. And," he added after a moment's pause, "Heaven pity us both!"
As a bird floats safely upon the bosom28 of the blue sky and finds at last her leafy home, so the little vessel29 that bore the fugitive30 lovers, found safe and speedy anchorage in the quiet harbor of the sea-girt isle31 that was to be their future home. The young, ardent32 husband, and the fair, gentle wife, gazed with delight upon the cloudless skies and bright waters, and thought hopefully of the future. Only one shadow darkened their horizon. It was a fearful thought, to Leah, that her father's anathema33 might ever rest upon her. But the future was veiled, and the voice of Hope whispered, "his blessing may come by and by. Wait."
收听单词发音 |
1
retraced
|
|
| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
lodge
|
|
| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
kinsman
|
|
| n.男亲属 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
tumult
|
|
| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
obliterated
|
|
| v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
dingy
|
|
| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
irresolutely
|
|
| adv.优柔寡断地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
ponderous
|
|
| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
distinguished
|
|
| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
wrought
|
|
| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
alas
|
|
| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
undo
|
|
| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
savagely
|
|
| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
confession
|
|
| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
crumpled
|
|
| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
mischief
|
|
| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
hissed
|
|
| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
veins
|
|
| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
obstinately
|
|
| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
kindling
|
|
| n. 点火, 可燃物 动词kindle的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
belle
|
|
| n.靓女 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
blessing
|
|
| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
beheld
|
|
| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
receding
|
|
| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
bosom
|
|
| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
fugitive
|
|
| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
isle
|
|
| n.小岛，岛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
ardent
|
|
| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
anathema
|
|
| n.诅咒；被诅咒的人(物)，十分讨厌的人(物) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |