IN their quiet little sea-girt home, where the skies were bright and blue, and the breezes balmy and soft, Emile Le Grande and his young wife had dwelt in peace and happiness for nearly five years. Not a line had ever come, amid all Leah's hopeless longing1 and vain expectation, to assure her of her father's forgiveness and continued love. So, weary from this continued disappointment, she had settled down into the confident assurance, that his blessing2 now would never come, and she must find happiness alone in her husband's love. Long, long ago, Emile's parents had written, expressing kindest wishes for their welfare, and tendering to Leah a daughter's welcome. Mrs. Le Grande, although disappointed and chagrined4 that Belle5 Upton was not the choice of her son's love, soon quieted down, and accepted the alternative with astonishing and commendable6 resignation. So, despite Leah's bitter disappointment, she was happy; for, aside from Emile's love, she soon drew hope and happiness from the life of the dark-eyed little daughter that had come to bless her home. Emile had yielded to Leah's wishes, and, following the custom of her people, she had called her little daughter, Sarah, in memory of her mother, whose death she had so long and deeply mourned.
The event of this little grandchild's birth had never reached Mr. Mordecai's ears, for he had regarded Leah as dead, ever since that dreadful morning when he discovered that she had clandestinely7 married a "Christian8 dog." He desired to know naught9 of her welfare; he avoided knowing anything.
In the interior of the State, about two hundred miles distant from the Queen City, was a cosy10, sequestered11 little settlement, called Inglewood. To this little shelter of peace and security, many refugees had found their way, and taken temporary homes. Many Hebrew families from the Queen City had fled thither12, and among them those of Rabbi Abrams and Mr. Mordecai.
It was some weeks after Mr. Mordecai's removal to Inglewood, when one day Rebecca requested her husband to accompany her to the house of the rabbi. Mr. Mordecai gladly assented13. They found the rabbi, as usual, engrossed14 with his books in the temporary library that was a necessary feature of his home. Mrs. Abrams still bore on her pale, calm face the marks of sorrow that had rested there since the terrible and mysterious death of her son. Without delay, and by dint15 of that skilful16 management which was characteristic of Rebecca, she approached the dreadful subject of Mark's death. Then, after a pause, looking straight at the rabbi, she said suddenly, with terrible emphasis, "I know the guilty man-the one who did the dreadful deed." The rabbi, his wife, and Mr. Mordecai looked aghast.
"What do you mean," at length spoke17 out the rabbi, in fearful bewilderment.
"I mean that I know who assassinated18 Mark," she replied, with flashing eye and ringing voice.
"Know who killed my son!" he ejaculated hoarsely19, "for Heaven's sake, who was it?"
"You know the dark villain20, Rebecca, who did that bloody21 deed! By Israel, who was it?" said her husband, almost in the same breath.
"It was Emile-Le-Grande!" she replied slowly. "He and none other."
"That's a dreadful accusation," said the rabbi; "by what authority do you make such a statement?"
"By the authority of his own words," she replied triumphantly22. "Here, you can read the confession23 for yourself." She drew forth24 the little journal and pointed3 to the records.
"There, read first: 'If I thought Mark Abrams loved her, I would kill him."
"Great God!" gasped25 the rabbi, looking again at the record as though he thought his eyes had deceived him.
"Here again, see here," said Rebecca, pointing to one other record: "'Dead men tell no tales.' Was that not some deed of his foul26 doing that he did not wish discovered?" she continued, as she turned onward27 through the book.
"He shall die!" exclaimed Mr. Mordecai, quivering with rage and astonishment28, while the stricken father turned and walked sadly across the floor, exclaiming, "Ah me! ah me! Alas29! my poor boy?" while the mother's wounded heart bled afresh.
"See here again," said Rebecca, pointing with her finger to another record that bore upon the mystery.
"Enough! enough!" exclaimed the father, averting30 his head and waving her to silence with his hand. "I have seen enough; the mystery is plain, the truth at last revealed. O God, the dreadful truth!"
Mr. Mordecai stamped his foot, clenched31 his hands, and muttering half audibly, "This villain has ruined you, has broken my heart, and destroyed the hopes of my child; and he shall die!"
"But, poor Leah, my husband," said Rebecca, half timidly, and with a semblance32 of deep feeling.
"Leah!" he angrily repeated, "dare you even, now, speak that name to me? Would to God she were dead! Never insult me again with the utterance33 of that name?"
"Forgive me, dear husband; in the excitement of this sad discovery I forgot your commands. I'll obey you in future." And turning again to the subject, in order to appease34 her husband's displeasure, she added, "By what means can you hope to reach Emile now, dear husband? You know he's far away, and the guns of a blockading fleet intervene."
"Though the guns of a dozen fleets intervened, I should bring him to justice," he replied sharply.
"Think what my dear Sarah has suffered-is suffering still, from the work of his bloody hand, dear husband," said Rebecca, affecting to weep, as she covered her face with her hand.
Well-nigh aroused to frenzy35, Mr. Mordecai said fiercely, "Promise me, Rabbi Abrams, promise me, Rebecca, that you will lend me your aid in bringing this fugitive36 to justice; and I swear by Jerusalem, he shall be punished. I have gold, and that will insure me success. Yes, I have gold he coveted37, but-aha! that he has never received. Pledge me, promise me, both of you, that good allies you will be!" And they pledged him.
"But, tell me, Rebecca," said the rabbi, suddenly stopping in his agitated38 walk. "How did you come into possession of that book?"
"Indeed, Rabbi Abrams, that is a mystery. In packing and unpacking39, preparatory to leaving the Queen City, I accidentally found this Journal in an old portmanteau that my husband sent up from his bank one day, among a lot of rubbish. It had lain there a long time, I judge. Can you clear up the mystery, my husband?" she said, turning to Mr. Mordecai.
"Let me see it," he replied; and taking the Journal from her hands, he held it in his grasp as though it were a deadly thing, while he eyed it strangely from side to side.
"I think, I think," he said slowly, as though abstracted and confused; "I think this is the book Mingo gave me the morning after--" Then he was silent. "Well, he found it in the lodge40, I guess," he continued. "I remember his giving me a small book that morning, and I laid it away somewhere, to look at when my mind was less agitated. I had forgotten it."
"A kind fate has preserved it, husband, so that we might be avenged," said Rebecca.
"Keep it securely then, as it will be needed in the future. You are a wise, good woman, a wise little wife," added the husband, with all trace of displeasure toward her banished41 from his face.
Her mission accomplished42, Rebecca, leaving the distressed43 family to find solace44 for their sorrow as best they could, returned home to gloat on the perfection of a scheme that would bring sorrow and desolation to the happy Cuban home.
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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commendable
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| adj.值得称赞的 | |
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clandestinely
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| adv.秘密地，暗中地 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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sequestered
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| adj.扣押的；隐退的；幽静的；偏僻的v.使隔绝，使隔离( sequester的过去式和过去分词 )；扣押 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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assassinated
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| v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏 | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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averting
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| 防止，避免( avert的现在分词 )； 转移 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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semblance
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| n.外貌，外表 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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appease
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| v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足 | |
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frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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unpacking
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| n.取出货物，拆包[箱]v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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