As the carriage rolled away from the lodge entrance, with Mrs. Brevoort and Ned Strong facing Kate and Prince Carlo, who occupied the back seat, a simultaneous sigh of relief broke from the quartette.
“This is a new sensation,” whispered Mrs. Brevoort to Ned Strong. “Breaking jail with a captive prince! Is it not delightful7?”
“Which is the captive prince?” returned Ned, bending down to get a better view of her face.
“Never mind,” she answered. “I was about to say that nobody fully8 appreciates freedom until he has spent a certain amount of time in captivity9.”
[132]
Her remark silenced the youth for a moment. The longer he weighed it, the more discouraging did it seem to him.
“Perhaps,” he suggested, “there may be a vast difference in jailers.”
“Ah, but you beg the question,” exclaimed Mrs. Brevoort argumentatively.
“I fear,” he put in, hastily, “that that is all I have the courage to do with it. There is always safety in begging a question. Such a course at least defers10 the day of doom11.”
“Are you threatened with a day of doom, Mr. Strong?”
“Perhaps,” he answered mournfully. Then he exclaimed, with cheerfulness, “At all events, it is to be preceded by an evening of perfect bliss13.” She drew a bit closer to him at the words, as if to emphasize their truth.
The carriage, rolling noisily toward the city, contained at that moment a condensed illustration of the curious vagaries14 that pertain15 to human affairs. Cupid was perched upon the box beside the driver, and chuckled16 mischievously17 to himself as he realized what was going on within the vehicle. Well he knew, the little rascal18, that two of his victims looked into the future with hope and joy. The other arrows that he had used had made wounds for which time could promise no relief. But it is in such contrasts as these that Cupid finds the pleasure of his impish life. The humdrum19 contentment that would have made the quartette less romantic but more evenly blessed would have bored Cupid with the crowd. He would have placed a[133] substitute upon the box, and have flown away, to continue his sport with deluded20 human hearts, where he could see his victims wince21 beneath his shafts22.
“Tell me,” said Prince Carlo, “why you are so silent. Are you in great pain?” His voice had in it a caressing23 note as he whispered to Kate Strong and tried to look into her downcast face.
“I hardly know,” she answered wearily. “I feel very tired.”
What had been to the prince a shadowy temptation, painting day-dreams before his eyes, as he gazed that afternoon on the sun-kissed waters of the Sound, had taken to itself a concrete form. Here beside him was the one woman in all the world for whom he would willingly renounce24 all the glittering but unsubstantial glory of his kingship. He had said, on the impulse of the moment, that he would go back to the troubled land to which his duty called him; but his heart rebelled against his avowed25 purpose as he held Kate Strong’s cold hand for a moment in his as the carriage rumbled26 onward27 toward the beckoning28 lights of the great city. The girl withdrew her hand. He did not know how great an effort it had cost her to repress a sob29.
Presently Kate looked up at him, her eyes bright with the emotion she controlled.
“In Rexopolis,” she said, “there is great disorder30. The newspapers this morning printed long accounts of what they called a crisis at your capital.”
Prince Carlo was silent for a moment. His worst forebodings seemed about to be realized.
[134]
“And what of my father?” he asked, at length, his voice trembling perceptibly.
“He is very ill,” she answered. Suddenly he felt her hand in his again.
“And the people grow restless? Tell me, is it so?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“And the wonder grows that I, the crown prince, do not show myself?”
“Yes.”
They sat speechless for a time, hand clasped in hand. The sympathy of this woman was very sweet to the self-exiled prince at this dark crisis in his life.
“It is so hard,” he murmured. “Tell me,” he whispered, hoarsely31, bending close to her and looking down into her pale, drawn32 face—“tell me, Miss Strong, what must I do? I tremble at the thoughts that fill my mind. Tell me—for you must know what I would say—what must I do?”
She was silent for an instant, and he knew that she trembled with emotion. Then her eyes sought his in the dim half-light, and she said, firmly:
“There is no choice, Prince Carlo. You would never be happy should you not go back.”
“But why?” he argued. “To what do I go back? Surely not to happiness?”
“No,” she answered, sadly. “You go back to—honor.”
“To honor,” he admitted, and then muttered, “and to death.”
“Than what?” he exclaimed.
[135]
“Death,” she said, firmly, “is better than disgrace.”
Prince Carlo sank back in his seat, his face white against the cushions.
“You speak the truth,” he murmured, restlessly. “I really have no choice. To stay here is dishonor, to return is death. God help me!” His words sounded more like a groan34 than like a prayer.
They had reached the stone pavements of the city. The carriage jolted35 annoyingly over the ill-laid streets.
Prince Carlo leaned down until his face was close to Kate’s.
“You are a grand, a noble woman,” he whispered. “Remember, dear, for all time my heart is yours, and yours alone. Whatever Fate may have in store for me, it cannot deprive me of this one sweet thought. I love you, my darling, I love you!”
A moment later, the carriage drew up in front of Gerald Strong’s house.
“Let me see you once more alone before I go,” whispered Prince Carlo. “I have one thing more to say to you.”
She pressed his hand in acquiescence37. An instant later, the driver opened the carriage door, and Cupid with a mocking laugh flitted from the box, rejoicing at the mischief38 he had wrought39.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
lodge
|
|
| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
vindicated
|
|
| v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
imminent
|
|
| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
consultation
|
|
| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
delightful
|
|
| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
captivity
|
|
| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
defers
|
|
| v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的第三人称单数 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
doom
|
|
| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
outright
|
|
| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
bliss
|
|
| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
vagaries
|
|
| n.奇想( vagary的名词复数 )；异想天开；异常行为；难以预测的情况 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
pertain
|
|
| v.(to)附属，从属；关于；有关；适合，相称 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
chuckled
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
mischievously
|
|
| adv.有害地；淘气地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
rascal
|
|
| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
humdrum
|
|
| adj.单调的，乏味的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
deluded
|
|
| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
wince
|
|
| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
shafts
|
|
| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
caressing
|
|
| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
renounce
|
|
| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
avowed
|
|
| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
rumbled
|
|
| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
onward
|
|
| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
beckoning
|
|
| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
sob
|
|
| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
disorder
|
|
| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
hoarsely
|
|
| adv.嘶哑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
feverish
|
|
| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
groan
|
|
| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
jolted
|
|
| （使）摇动， （使）震惊( jolt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
acquiescence
|
|
| n.默许；顺从 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
mischief
|
|
| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
wrought
|
|
| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |