Chapter IV THE STORY HALTS FOR A MOMENT AT AN EPISODE.

 RESTLESS and anxious, Apaecides consumed the day in wandering through the most 

 

sequestered¹ walks in the vicinity of the city. The sun was slowly setting as 

 

he paused beside a lonely part of the Sarnus, ere yet it wound amidst the 

 

evidences of luxury and power. Only through openings in the woods and vines 

 

were caught glimpses of the white and gleaming city, in which was heard in the 

 

distance no din², no sound, nor 'busiest hum of men'. Amidst the green banks 

 

crept the lizard³ and the grasshopper⁴, and here and there in the brake some 

 

solitary⁵ bird burst into sudden song, as suddenly stifled⁶. There was deep calm 

 

around, but not the calm of night; the air still breathed of the freshness and 

 

life of day; the grass still moved to the stir of the insect horde⁷; and on the 

 

opposite bank the graceful⁸ and white capella passed browsing⁹ through the 

 

herbage, and paused at the wave to drink.

 

As Apaecides stood musingly¹⁰ gazing upon the waters, he heard beside him the 

 

low bark of a dog.

 

'Be still, poor friend,' said a voice at hand; 'the stranger's step harms not 

 

thy master.' The convert recognized the voice, and, turning, he beheld¹¹ the old 

 

mysterious man whom he had seen in the congregation of the Nazarenes.

 

The old man was sitting upon a fragment of stone covered with ancient mosses; 

 

beside him were his staff and scrip; at his feet lay a small shaggy dog, the 

 

companion in how many a pilgrimage perilous¹² and strange.

 

The face of the old man was as balm to the excited spirit of the neophyte¹³: he 

 

approached, and craving¹⁴ his blessing¹⁵, sat down beside him.

 

'Thou art provided as for a journey, father,' said he: 'wilt¹⁶ thou leave us 

 

yet?'

 

'My son,' replied the old man, 'the days in store for me on earth are few and 

 

scanty¹⁷; I employ them as becomes me travelling from place to place, comforting 

 

those whom God has gathered together in His name, and proclaiming the glory of 

 

His Son, as testified to His servant.'

 

'Thou hast looked, they tell me, on the face of Christ?'

 

'And the face revived me from the dead. Know, young proselyte to the true 

 

faith, that I am he of whom thou readest in the scroll¹⁸ of the Apostle. In the 

 

far Judea, and in the city of Nain, there dwelt a widow, humble¹⁹ of spirit and 

 

sad of heart; for of all the ties of life one son alone was spared to her. And 

 

she loved him with a melancholy²⁰ love, for he was the likeness²¹ of the lost. And 

 

the son died. The reed on which she leaned was broken, the oil was dried up in 

 

the widow's cruse. They bore the dead upon his bier; and near the gate of the 

 

city, where the crowd were gathered, there came a silence over the sounds of 

 

woe²², for the Son of God was passing by. The mother, who followed the bier, 

 

wept—not noisily, but all who looked upon her saw that her heart was crushed. 

 

And the Lord pitied her, and he touched the bier, and said, "I SAY UNTO THEE, 

 

ARISE," And the dead man woke and looked upon the face of the Lord. Oh, that 

 

calm and solemn brow, that unutterable smile, that careworn²³ and sorrowful 

 

face, lighted up with a God's benignity—it chased away the shadows of the 

 

grave! I rose, I spoke²⁴, I was living, and in my mother's arms—yes, I am the 

 

dead revived! The people shouted, the funeral horns rung forth²⁵ merrily: there 

 

was a cry, "God has visited His people!" I heard them not—I felt—I saw—

 

nothing but the face of the Redeemer!'

 

The old man paused, deeply moved; and the youth felt his blood creep, and his 

 

hair stir. He was in the presence of one who had known the Mystery of Death!

 

'Till that time,' renewed the widow's son, 'I had been as other men: 

 

thoughtless, not abandoned; taking no heed²⁶, but of the things of love and 

 

life; nay²⁷, I had inclined to the gloomy faith of the earthly Sadducee! But, 

 

raised from the dead, from awful and desert dreams that these lips never dare 

 

reveal—recalled upon earth, to testify the powers of Heaven—once more 

 

mortal, the witness of immortality²⁸; I drew a new being from the grave. O faded

 

—O lost Jerusalem!—Him from whom came my life, I beheld adjudged to the 

 

agonized²⁹ and parching³⁰ death! Far in the mighty³¹ crowd I saw the light rest and 

 

glimmer³² over the cross; I heard the hooting³³ mob, I cried aloud, I raved³⁴, I 

 

threatened—none heeded³⁵ me—I was lost in the whirl and the roar of thousands! 

 

But even then, in my agony and His own, methought the glazing³⁶ eye of the Son 

 

of Man sought me out—His lip smiled, as when it conquered death—it hushed 

 

me, and I became calm. He who had defied the grave for another—what was the 

 

grave to him? The sun shone aslant³⁷ the pale and powerful features, and then 

 

died away! Darkness fell over the earth; how long it endured, I know not. A 

 

loud cry came through the gloom—a sharp and bitter cry!—and all was silent.

 

'But who shall tell the terrors of the night?' I walked along the city—the 

 

earth reeled to and fro, and the houses trembled to their base—theliving had 

 

deserted³⁸ the streets, but not the Dead: through the gloom I saw them glide—

 

the dim and ghastly shapes, in the cerements of the grave—with horror, and 

 

woe, and warning on their unmoving lips and lightless eyes!—they swept by me, 

 

as I passed—they glared upon me—I had been their brother; and they bowed 

 

their heads in recognition; they had risen to tell the living that the dead 

 

can rise!'

 

Again the old man paused, and, when he resumed, it was in a calmer tone.

 

'From that night I resigned all earthly thought but that of serving HIM. A 

 

preacher and a pilgrim, I have traversed the remotest corners of the earth, 

 

proclaiming His Divinity, and bringing new converts to His fold. I come as the 

 

wind, and as the wind depart; sowing, as the wind sows, the seeds that enrich 

 

the world.

 

'Son, on earth we shall meet no more. Forget not this hour,—what are the 

 

pleasures and the pomps of life? As the lamp shines, so life glitters for an 

 

hour; but the soul's light is the star that burns for ever, in the heart of 

 

inimitable space.'

 

It was then that their conversation fell upon the general and sublime 

 

doctrines³⁹ of immortality; it soothed⁴⁰ and elevated the young mind of the 

 

convert, which yet clung to many of the damps and shadows of that cell of 

 

faith which he had so lately left—it was the air of heaven breathing on the 

 

prisoner released at last. There was a strong and marked distinction between 

 

the Christianity of the old man and that of Olinthus; that of the first was 

 

more soft, more gentle, more divine. The heroism⁴¹ of Olinthus had something in 

 

it fierce and intolerant—it was necessary to the part he was destined⁴² to play

 

—it had in it more of the courage of the martyr⁴³ than the charity of the 

 

saint. It aroused, it excited, it nerved, rather than subdued⁴⁴ and softened⁴⁵. 

 

But the whole heart of that divine old man was bathed in love; the smile of 

 

the Deity⁴⁶ had burned away from it the leaven⁴⁷ of earthlier and coarser 

 

passions, and left to the energy of the hero all the meekness⁴⁸ of the child.

 

'And now,' said he, rising at length, as the sun's last ray died in the west; 

 

'now, in the cool of twilight⁴⁹, I pursue my way towards the Imperial Rome. 

 

There yet dwell some holy men, who like me have beheld the face of Christ; and 

 

them would I see before I die.'

 

'But the night is chill for thine age, my father, and the way is long, and the 

 

robber haunts it; rest thee till to-morrow.'

 

'Kind son, what is there in this scrip to tempt⁵⁰ the robber? And the Night and 

 

the Solitude⁵¹!—these make the ladder round which angels cluster, and beneath 

 

which my spirit can dream of God. Oh! none can know what the pilgrim feels as 

 

he walks on his holy course; nursing no fear, and dreading⁵² no danger—for God 

 

is with him! He hears the winds murmur⁵³ glad tidings; the woods sleep in the 

 

shadow of Almighty⁵⁴ wings—the stars are the Scriptures⁵⁵ of Heaven, the tokens 

 

of love, and the witnesses of immortality. Night is the Pilgrim's day.' With 

 

these words the old man pressed Apaecides to his breast, and taking up his 

 

staff and scrip, the dog bounded cheerily before him, and with slow steps and 

 

downcast eyes he went his way.

 

The convert stood watching his bended form, till the trees shut the last 

 

glimpse from his view; and then, as the stars broke forth, he woke from the 

 

musings with a start, reminded of his appointment with Olinthus.

1 sequestered   

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

参考例句：

• The jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months. 陪审团渴望被隔离至少两个月。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Everything he owned was sequestered. 他的一切都被扣押了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 din   

n.喧闹声，嘈杂声

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• They tried to make themselves heard over the din of the crowd.他们力图让自己的声音盖过人群的喧闹声。

3 lizard   

n.蜥蜴，壁虎

参考例句：

• A chameleon is a kind of lizard.变色龙是一种蜥蜴。
• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect.蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。

4 grasshopper   

n.蚱蜢，蝗虫，蚂蚱

参考例句：

• He thought he had made an end of the little grasshopper.他以为把那个小蚱蜢干掉了。
• The grasshopper could not find anything to eat.蚱蜢找不到任何吃的东西。

5 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

6 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

7 horde   

n.群众，一大群

参考例句：

• A horde of children ran over the office building.一大群孩子在办公大楼里到处奔跑。
• Two women were quarrelling on the street,surrounded by horde of people.有两个妇人在街上争吵，被一大群人围住了。

8 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

9 browsing   

v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息

参考例句：

• He sits browsing over[through] a book. 他坐着翻阅书籍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Cattle is browsing in the field. 牛正在田里吃草。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 musingly   

adv.沉思地，冥想地

参考例句：

11 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：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

12 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。

13 neophyte   

n.新信徒；开始者

参考例句：

• The neophyte began to stammer out a reply,but fell silent.新门徒嗫嚅了两句，然后沉默了。
• He is a neophyte at politics.他是个初涉政界的人。

14 craving   

n.渴望,热望

参考例句：

• a craving for chocolate 非常想吃巧克力
• She skipped normal meals to satisfy her craving for chocolate and crisps. 她不吃正餐，以便满足自己吃巧克力和炸薯片的渴望。

15 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

16 wilt   

v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱

参考例句：

• Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
• Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

17 scanty   

adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的

参考例句：

• There is scanty evidence to support their accusations.他们的指控证据不足。
• The rainfall was rather scanty this month.这个月的雨量不足。

18 scroll   

n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡

参考例句：

• As I opened the scroll,a panorama of the Yellow River unfolded.我打开卷轴时，黄河的景象展现在眼前。
• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements.他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。

19 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

20 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

21 likeness   

n.相像，相似（之处）

参考例句：

• I think the painter has produced a very true likeness.我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
• She treasured the painted likeness of her son.她珍藏她儿子的画像。

22 woe   

n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌

参考例句：

• Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
• A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

23 careworn   

adj.疲倦的，饱经忧患的

参考例句：

• It's sad to see the careworn face of the mother of a large poor family.看到那贫穷的一大家子的母亲忧劳憔悴的脸庞心里真是难受。
• The old woman had a careworn look on her face.老妇脸上露出忧心忡忡的神色。

24 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：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

25 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

26 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

27 nay   

adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者

参考例句：

• He was grateful for and proud of his son's remarkable,nay,unique performance.他为儿子出色的，不，应该是独一无二的表演心怀感激和骄傲。
• Long essays,nay,whole books have been written on this.许多长篇大论的文章，不，应该说是整部整部的书都是关于这件事的。

28 immortality   

n.不死，不朽

参考例句：

• belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
• It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。

29 agonized   

v.使（极度）痛苦，折磨( agonize的过去式和过去分词 )；苦斗；苦苦思索；感到极度痛苦

参考例句：

• All the time they agonized and prayed. 他们一直在忍受痛苦并且祈祷。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She agonized herself with the thought of her loss. 她念念不忘自己的损失，深深陷入痛苦之中。 来自辞典例句

30 parching   

adj.烘烤似的，焦干似的v.（使）焦干， （使）干透( parch的现在分词 )；使（某人）极口渴

参考例句：

• A burning forehead, and a parching tongue. 没有炽热的头脑，焦渴的嘴唇。 来自互联网

31 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

32 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

33 hooting   

（使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的现在分词 )； 倒好儿； 倒彩

参考例句：

• He had the audience hooting with laughter . 他令观众哄堂大笑。
• The owl was hooting. 猫头鹰在叫。

34 raved   

v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说

参考例句：

• Andrew raved all night in his fever. 安德鲁发烧时整夜地说胡话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They raved about her beauty. 他们过分称赞她的美。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

35 heeded   

v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的过去式和过去分词 )；变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She countered that her advice had not been heeded. 她反驳说她的建议未被重视。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I heeded my doctor's advice and stopped smoking. 我听从医生的劝告，把烟戒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

36 glazing   

n.玻璃装配业；玻璃窗；上釉；上光v.装玻璃( glaze的现在分词 )；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神

参考例句：

• You should ensure against loss of heat by having double glazing. 你应装双层玻璃以免散热。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You should ensure yourself against loss of heat by having double glazing. 你应该装双层玻璃防止热量散失。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 aslant   

adv.倾斜地；adj.斜的

参考例句：

• The sunlight fell aslant the floor.阳光斜落在地板上。
• He leant aslant against the wall.他身子歪斜着依靠在墙上。

38 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

39 doctrines   

n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明

参考例句：

• To modern eyes, such doctrines appear harsh, even cruel. 从现代的角度看，这样的教义显得苛刻，甚至残酷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His doctrines have seduced many into error. 他的学说把许多人诱入歧途。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

40 soothed   

v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦

参考例句：

• The music soothed her for a while. 音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿。
• The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

41 heroism   

n.大无畏精神，英勇

参考例句：

• He received a medal for his heroism.他由于英勇而获得一枚奖章。
• Stories of his heroism resounded through the country.他的英雄故事传遍全国。

42 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

43 martyr   

n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲

参考例句：

• The martyr laid down his life for the cause of national independence.这位烈士是为了民族独立的事业而献身的。
• The newspaper carried the martyr's photo framed in black.报上登载了框有黑边的烈士遗像。

44 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

45 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

46 deity   

n.神，神性；被奉若神明的人(或物)

参考例句：

• Many animals were seen as the manifestation of a deity.许多动物被看作神的化身。
• The deity was hidden in the deepest recesses of the temple.神藏在庙宇壁龛的最深处。

47 leaven   

v.使发酵；n.酵母；影响

参考例句：

• These men have been the leaven in the lump of the race.如果说这个种族是块面团，这些人便是发酵剂。
• The leaven of reform was working.改革的影响力在起作用。

48 meekness   

n.温顺，柔和

参考例句：

• Amy sewed with outward meekness and inward rebellion till dusk. 阿密阳奉阴违地一直缝到黄昏。 来自辞典例句
• 'I am pretty well, I thank you,' answered Mr. Lorry, with meekness; 'how are you?' “很好，谢谢，”罗瑞先生回答，态度温驯，“你好么？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

49 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

50 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

51 solitude   

n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方

参考例句：

• People need a chance to reflect on spiritual matters in solitude. 人们需要独处的机会来反思精神上的事情。
• They searched for a place where they could live in solitude. 他们寻找一个可以过隐居生活的地方。

52 dreading   

v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was dreading having to broach the subject of money to her father. 她正在为不得不向父亲提出钱的事犯愁。
• This was the moment he had been dreading. 这是他一直最担心的时刻。

53 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

54 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

55 scriptures   

经文，圣典( scripture的名词复数 )； 经典

参考例句：

• Here the apostle Peter affirms his belief that the Scriptures are 'inspired'. 使徒彼得在此表达了他相信《圣经》是通过默感写成的。
• You won't find this moral precept in the scriptures. 你在《圣经》中找不到这种道德规范。