CHAPTER XVI

 The balcony-door was standing¹ open, because they had forgotten to close it. But the weather was mild and there was hardly any wind. Now and again, a yellow leaf fell somewhere or other from the baluster. It began to grow dusk.

 

Fru Adelheid sat with her head in her hands and stared out before her.

 

Cordt’s words kept ringing in her ears. She did not think either that Finn was as he used to be. He was restless, could not sit still, talked more than usual:

 

“Wherever I went, I found the fountain outside,” he said. “It followed me throughout my journey. There was not[207] a rushing noise so strong but the fountain sounded through it nor a night so still but it came rippling² and sang me home again to the old room.... I wonder, did one of the owners of this house set it up?” he asked.

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

“Yes,” said Finn. “That must be it. I am sure of it. Perhaps it was the one who built the house. You see, it forms part and parcel of the old room ... it sums it all up. If there was nothing else but the fountain, it would all be here just the same. I must ask father.”

 

She shivered with cold and Finn shut the door:

 

“We are chilly³ people,” he said. “Both of us. We are not like father. He laughed at me yesterday when I came down to his room to say good-morning and wanted to shut the window. ‘Don’t, Finn,’ he said. ‘The autumn air is[208] bracing⁴ and healthy, it makes one young again ... sit in the draught⁵ and don’t be afraid, old man that you are!’”

 

“Yes, father is strong.”

 

Finn looked at her stealthily.

 

He had soon understood that his parents had drifted apart while he was abroad; and he suffered in consequence. He was as kind and affectionate to his mother as ever; but his thoughts were always harking back to Cordt, whatever they might be talking of:

 

“Father is so sad,” he said.

 

“I haven’t noticed it.”

 

She colored after saying this. But Finn was not looking at her, scarcely heard her reply:

 

“It was strange, mother ... out there, on my journey, ever so many times I had a feeling that I came upon father. Wherever I went, I would suddenly hear his voice ... then he would be close to me,[209] I walked with him, regulated my step by his and talked to him.”

 

He laid his head back in his chair and closed his eyes:

 

“Often it was as if he had been where I came and prepared everything for me, so that I saw him in every corner. Sometimes I felt that I must put off my departure until he came.”

 

“And did he come?”

 

“Always. Wasn’t that strange?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Fru Adelheid thought the sound of his voice was different from ordinary. He did not look at her, as he was used to do ... his thoughts were not with her.

 

“Where were you and father to-day?” she asked.

 

“We went out into the woods ... a long way out. Father was silent, but not so bored as at home. It was so lovely[210] out there ... and so strange. One could hardly see a thing ... for the leaves falling.”

 

“Yes,” said Fru Adelheid.

 

Then she bent⁶ over him to look into his face, which had grown thinner and paler during the time that he was away:

 

“Finn,” she said, “was I not with you ... out there ... when you were travelling?”

 

Finn smiled and nodded his head:

 

“You came in your letters,” he said. “That father never did. But you were mostly here at home, where I was longing⁷ to be.”

 

She thought it was strange that he did not take her hand when he said that.

 

And, suddenly, she became conscious that she was sitting in terror lest he should slip away from her.

 

What had she to hold him with, if anything seized him that was stronger than[211] their quiet life in these hours ... what had she, if he went...?

 

It seemed to her as though Cordt stood in the room and beckoned⁸ him out into the yellow woods, where the air was so bracing and good. And Finn leapt up with a joyful⁹ cry ... they went away ... and never looked back....

 

She felt that Cordt was stronger than she and hated him for it. She sought for a weapon to defend herself. She wished that Finn, who loved her, would lie down before her, as he so often used to do, with his cheek against her hand. And she knew that he was not thinking of it.

 

She felt so wretched and so lonely that she grew frightened and called upon her old longing for the red happiness ... if only it would come and take her, so that she might have something to set against him who had everything....

 

“Sing to me, mother,” said Finn.

 

[212]“Yes,” she said.

 

She crossed the room with a stronger step than usual. Her cheek was red and her eyes glowed. She took hold of the instrument with firm hands when she opened it. Finn noticed this and looked at her in surprise; but it was not light enough for him to make out her face.

 

Lovs’t thou the peasant in his cosy¹⁰ cottage-nook?

Thou shalt share bed and board with him, eating and sleeping;

Thou shalt tranquilly¹¹ brew¹² and merrily cook;

Dusty wheel, rusty¹³ needle thy care shall not brook¹⁴;

Thou shalt bless sun and rain in God’s keeping.

But she that loves none shall go weeping!

Lovs’t thou the poet with harp¹⁵ all of gold?

Thou shalt list to his song o’er the loud strings¹⁶ sweeping¹⁷;

Thou shalt meet him, where flowrets peep from the wold;

By thy smiles shall his going and coming be told,

His mind in thy joyfulness¹⁸ steeping.

But she that loves none shall go weeping!

[213]

Lovs’t thou the lordling, who hunts in the grove¹⁹?

Thou shalt sue to thy mother and fly from her keeping;

Thou shalt give him thy lips and give him thy love;

Thou shalt take, as he flings horse or hound from above,

Blows, fame and food flung to thee creeping.

But she that loves none shall go weeping!

Fru Adelheid remained sitting with bowed head.

 

The song had broken her pride. She trembled over all her body and great tears fell upon her hands. She had conjured²⁰ up spirits which she could not lay; she felt more powerless and small than she had ever felt before.

 

She began to think of Finn and looked round in alarm. But he could not see her and she wept silently. She laid her forehead against the spinet²¹ ... then her hand fell upon the keyboard and she started and rose from her seat.

 

“That was a strange song,” said Finn.

 

[214]It was so still in the room that she could not bear it.

 

“I have not sung it for many years,” she said. “In the old days, I used to sing it often.”

 

“What was father like when you met him?” asked Finn.

 

She stood with her back to him and turned the pages of the music with trembling hands.

 

“Was he as handsome as now?”

 

“Yes ... no.... I don’t know if he was handsome.”

 

Finn listened.

 

“He was ... he was charming.”

 

“That he was ... that he was,” he said and clapped his hands like a child who is delighted with a story. “And then he was so masterful ... was he not?... So that one was bound to follow him?”

 

“Yes,” said Fru Adelheid.

 

[215]“Father was a king,” said Finn.

 

Her heart throbbed²², she listened with all her senses. She felt that Finn was somewhere close to her and accomplishing something that would destroy her. And she could not turn round, could not go to him and beg him to desist.

 

“I could wish I had a brother,” said Finn.

 

“Do you feel lonely?”

 

“No ... no, it is not that. But then he should have the kingdom.”

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 rippling   

起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的

参考例句：

• I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。
• The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。

3 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

4 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

5 draught   

n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计

参考例句：

• He emptied his glass at one draught.他将杯中物一饮而尽。
• It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught.可惜这房间没北窗，没有过堂风。

6 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

7 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

8 beckoned   

v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He beckoned to the waiter to bring the bill. 他招手示意服务生把账单送过来。
• The seated figure in the corner beckoned me over. 那个坐在角落里的人向我招手让我过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

10 cosy   

adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的

参考例句：

• We spent a cosy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
• It was so warm and cosy in bed that Simon didn't want to get out.床上温暖而又舒适，西蒙简直不想下床了。

11 tranquilly   

adv. 宁静地

参考例句：

• He took up his brush and went tranquilly to work. 他拿起刷子，一声不响地干了起来。
• The evening was closing down tranquilly. 暮色正在静悄悄地笼罩下来。

12 brew   

v.酿造，调制

参考例句：

• Let's brew up some more tea.咱们沏些茶吧。
• The policeman dispelled the crowd lest they should brew trouble.警察驱散人群，因恐他们酿祸。

13 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

14 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

15 harp   

n.竖琴；天琴座

参考例句：

• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
• He played an Irish melody on the harp.他用竖琴演奏了一首爱尔兰曲调。

16 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

17 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

18 joyfulness   

参考例句：

• I never consider ease and joyfulness as the purpose of life itself. 我从不认为安逸和快乐就是生活本身的目的。
• I ago consider ease or joyfulness as the purpose of life itself. 我从来不以为安逸和享乐是一生本来的目的。

19 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

20 conjured   

用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现

参考例句：

• He conjured them with his dying breath to look after his children. 他临终时恳求他们照顾他的孩子。
• His very funny joke soon conjured my anger away. 他讲了个十分有趣的笑话，使得我的怒气顿消。

21 spinet   

n.小型立式钢琴

参考例句：

• One afternoon,when I was better,I played the spinet.有天下午，我好了一点时，便弹奏钢琴。
• The spinet was too big for me to play.钢琴太大了不适合我弹。

22 throbbed   

抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动

参考例句：

• His head throbbed painfully. 他的头一抽一跳地痛。
• The pulse throbbed steadily. 脉搏跳得平稳。