My love was made of frost and light,
The sweet, strange April of her ways.
Eyes like a dream of changing skies,
And every frown and blush I prize.
With cloud and flush the spring comes in,
With frown and blush maids' loves begin;
For love is rare like April days.
—L. Frank Tooker.
Mrs. Claiborne excused herself shortly, and Shirley, her father and the Ambassador talked to the accompaniment of the shower that drove in great sheets against the house. Shirley was wholly uncomfortable over the turn of affairs. The Ambassador would not leave until the storm abated2, and meanwhile Armitage must remain where he was. If by any chance he should be discovered in the house no ordinary excuses would explain away his presence, and as she pondered the matter, it was Armitage's plight—his injuries and the dangers that beset3 him—that was uppermost in her mind. The embarrassment4 that lay in the affair for herself if Armitage should be found concealed5 in the house troubled her little. Her heart beat wildly as she realized this; and the look in his eyes and the quick pain that twitched6 his face at the door haunted her.
The two men were talking of the new order of things in Vienna.
"The trouble is," said the Ambassador, "that Austria-Hungary is not a nation, but what Metternich called Italy—a geographical7 expression. Where there are so many loose ends a strong grasp is necessary to hold them together."
"Precisely9. And a man of character and spirit could topple down the card-house to-morrow, pick out what he liked, and create for himself a new edifice—and a stronger one. I speak frankly10. Von Stroebel is out of the way; the new Emperor-king is a weakling, and if he should die to-night or to-morrow—"
The Ambassador lifted his hands and snapped his fingers.
"Yes; after him, what?"
"After him his scoundrelly cousin Francis; and then a stronger than Von Stroebel might easily fail to hold the disjecta membra of the Empire together."
"But there are shadows on the screen," remarked Judge Claiborne. "There was Karl—the mad prince."
"Humph! There was some red blood in him; but he was impossible; he had a taint11 of democracy, treason, rebellion."
Judge Claiborne laughed.
"I don't like the combination of terms. If treason and rebellion are synonyms12 of democracy, we Americans are in danger."
"No; you are a miracle—that is the only explanation," replied Marhof.
"But a man like Karl—what if he were to reappear in the world! A little democracy might solve your problem."
"But his ghost walks. Not a year ago we heard of him; and he had a son who chose his father's exile. What if Charles Louis, who is without heirs, should die and Karl or his son—"
"In the providence14 of God they are dead. Impostors gain a little brief notoriety by pretending to be the lost Karl or his son Frederick Augustus; but Von Stroebel satisfied himself that Karl was dead. I am quite sure of it. You know dear Stroebel had a genius for gaining information."
Claiborne's tone.
The storm was diminishing and Shirley grew more tranquil17. Soon the Ambassador would leave and she would send Armitage away; but the mention of Stroebel's name rang oddly in her ears, and the curious way in which Armitage and Chauvenet had come into her life awoke new and anxious questions.
"Count von Stroebel was not a democrat18, at any rate," she said. "He believed in the divine right and all that."
"So do I, Miss Claiborne. It's all we've got to stand on!"
"But suppose a democratic prince were to fall heir to one of the European thrones, insist on giving his crown to the poor and taking his oath in a frock coat, upsetting the old order entirely—"
"He would be a fool, and the people would drag him to the block in a week," declared the Baron vigorously.
They pursued the subject in lighter19 vein20 a few minutes longer, then the Baron rose. Judge Claiborne summoned the waiting carriage from the stable, and the Baron drove home.
"I ought to work for an hour on that Danish claims matter," remarked the
"You will do nothing of the kind! Night work is not permitted in the valley."
"Thank you! I hoped you would say that, Shirley. I believe I am tired; and now if you will find a magazine for me, I'll go to bed. Ring for Thomas to close the house."
"I have a few notes to write; they'll take only a minute, and I'll write them here."
She heard her father's door close, listened to be quite sure that the house was quiet, and threw back the curtains. Armitage stepped out into the library.
"You must go—you must go!" she whispered with deep tensity.
"Yes; I must go. You have been kind—you are most generous—"
But she went before him to the hall, waited, listened, for one instant; then threw open the outer door and bade him go. The rain dripped heavily from the eaves, and the cool breath of the freshened air was sweet and stimulating21. She was immensely relieved to have him out of the house, but he lingered on the veranda22, staring helplessly about.
"I shall go home," he said, but so unsteadily that she looked at him quickly. He carried the cloak flung over his shoulder and in readjusting it dropped it to the floor, and she saw in the light of the door lamps that his arm hung limp at his side and the gray cloth of his sleeve was heavy and dark with blood. With a quick gesture she stooped and picked up the cloak.
"Come! Come! This is all very dreadful—you must go to a physician at once."
"My man and horse are waiting for me; the injury is nothing." But she threw the cloak over his shoulders and led the way, across the veranda, and out upon the walk.
"I do not need the doctor—not now. My man will care for me."
He started through the dark toward the outer wall, as though confused, and she went before him toward the side entrance. He was aware of her quick light step, of the soft rustle23 of her skirts, of a wish to send her back, which his tongue could not voice; but he knew that it was sweet to follow her leading. At the gate he took his bearings with a new assurance and strength.
"It seems that I always appear to you in some miserable24 fashion—it is preposterous25 for me to ask forgiveness. To thank you—"
"Please say nothing at all—but go! Your enemies must not find you here again—you must leave the valley!"
"I have a work to do! But it must not touch your life. Your happiness is too much, too sweet to me."
"You must leave the bungalow—I found out to-day where you are staying. There is a new danger there—the mountain people think you are a revenue officer. I told one of them—"
"Yes?"
"—that you are not! That is enough. Now hurry away. You must find your horse and go."
"You trust me; that is the dearest thing in the world." His voice faltered27 and broke in a sob28, for he was worn and weak, and the mystery of the night and the dark silent garden wove a spell upon him and his heart leaped at the touch of his lips upon her fingers. Their figures were only blurs29 in the dark, and their low tones died instantly, muffled30 by the night. She opened the gate as he began to promise not to appear before her again in any way to bring her trouble; but her low whisper arrested him.
"Do not let them hurt you again—" she said; and he felt her hand seek his, felt its cool furtive31 pressure for a moment; and then she was gone. He heard the house door close a moment later, and gazing across the garden, saw the lights on the veranda flash out.
Then with a smile on his face he strode away to find Oscar and the horses.
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收听单词发音
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1
blight
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| n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残 | |
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2
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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3
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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5
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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6
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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7
geographical
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| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
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8
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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9
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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10
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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11
taint
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| n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染 | |
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12
synonyms
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| 同义词( synonym的名词复数 ) | |
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13
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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14
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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15
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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16
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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17
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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18
democrat
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| n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员 | |
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19
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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20
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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21
stimulating
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| adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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24
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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26
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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27
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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28
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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29
blurs
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| n.模糊( blur的名词复数 )；模糊之物；（移动的）模糊形状；模糊的记忆v.（使）变模糊( blur的第三人称单数 )；（使）难以区分 | |
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30
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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31
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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