“It is not for me to give counsel to my captain, but is it not a fact that selfishness grows upon us with advancing years?”
“Very likely.”
“Has it occurred to you that in concluding to pass the remainder of your days in this mining settlement, you are thinking more of yourself than of your child?”
“What have I said that warrants that question?” asked the captain sharply.
“No higher motive2 than to protect a daughter from harm can inspire a father, but if she should be allowed to close your eyes, when you come to lie down and die, it will be hers to live: what then?”
“I shall leave her comfortably provided for. My pay amounted to a goodly sum when the war ended, and it is placed where no one else can reap the benefit of it. Then, too, as you know we have struck considerable 143 paying dirt of late. The prospects3 are that New Constantinople, even if a small town, will soon be a rich one.”
“Then you expect her to remain here, sharing in all the vicissitudes5 of the place? It cannot always stand still; it will either increase, bringing with it many bad elements, or it will cease to exist and these people will have to go elsewhere: what then of the child whom you have left behind you?”
“Oh, by that time,” airily replied the father; “she will be married to some good honest fellow, like the parson, who seems to be fond of her, as I know she is of him, but I will not allow her to think of marriage for a long while to come,” he added with emphasis.
Lieutenant Russell had heard all he wished. He had learned that the father would not consent to the marriage of his daughter for a number of years, and when that time came, he would select one of the shaggy, uncouth6 miners for her life partner.
“He has never thought of me in that capacity, but he will have to entertain the thought before he is much older.”
In her dreamings of the mysterious world, with its teeming7 multitudes and all manner of men, Nellie Dawson was sure that none lived who could compare with 144 this young cavalier who had come out from that wonderful realm into the loneliness of her mountain home, bringing with him a sunshine, a glow, a radiance, a happiness, and a thrilling life which she had never believed could be hers.
She often sat with her eyes upon his countenance8, when, in his chair opposite her father, he recalled those marvelous experiences of his. To her no man could ever possess so musical a voice, and none so perfect features and winning ways. It was young love’s dream and in her heart the sacred flame was kindled9 and fanned until her whole being was suffused10 and glowed with the new life.
One of Lieutenant Russell’s firsts acts of kindness to Nellie Dawson was to present her with his massive dog Timon. She had shown great admiration11 from the first for the magnificent brute12, who became fond of her. The maiden13 was delighted beyond measure and thanked the donor14 so effusively15 that he was embarrassed. It is not probable, however, that Timon himself was ever aware of the change of ownership, for it brought no change of conditions to him. He had learned to divide his time about equally between the home of the lieutenant and that of Captain Dawson, while, like the young lady herself, he wandered about the settlement at will. He was a dignified16 canine17, who stalked solemnly through New Constantinople, or took a turn in 145 Dead Man’s Gulch18, resenting all familiarity from every one, except from the only two persons that had ever owned him.
The lieutenant reflected much upon his conversation with Captain Dawson, the impression which he had received being anything but pleasant. “He considers himself unselfish, and yet like all such he is selfishness itself. He has determined19 to spend the rest of his days in this hole and to keep her with him. He won’t allow her to marry for years, because it might interfere20 with his own pleasure; then he intends to turn her over to that lank21, shaggy-faced Brush, who pretends to be a parson. The captain never thinks of me as having any claims upon her love. To carry out his plan would be a crime. If she objects to Brush, he will probably give her a choice from the whole precious lot, including Ruggles, Adams, Bidwell, or Red Mike, the reformed gambler.
“Never once has he asked himself whether his daughter may not have a preference in the matter, but, with the help of heaven, he shall not carry out this outrage22.”
“Am I unselfish in my intentions?”
Selfishness is the essence of love. We resolve to obtain the one upon whom our affections are set, regardless 146 of the consequences or of the future. It is our happiness which is placed in the balance and outweighs24 everything else.
“Of course,” continued the young officer in his self-communing, “I shall be the luckiest fellow in the world when I win her and she will be a happy woman. Therefore, it is her good which I seek as much as my own.”
How characteristic of the lover!
“I shall not abduct25 her. If she tells me she does not love me; if she refuses to forsake26 all for me, then I will bid her good-by and go off and die.”
How characteristic again of the lover!
And yet it may be repeated that Lieutenant Russell was the most guarded and circumspect27 of men. He no longer argued with Captain Dawson, for it was useless. He rather lulled28 his suspicion by falling in with his views, and talked of the future of parent and daughter, as if it were one of the least interesting subjects that could come between them.
On one of Vose Adams’s pilgrimages to Sacramento, he returned with a superb mettled pony29, the gift of Lieutenant Russell. With this pet she soon became a daring and accomplished30 horsewoman. She was an expert, too, with the small Winchester and revolver which her father brought with him from the East. Perched like a bird upon her own Cap, as she named him, she 147 often dashed for a mile down the trail, wheeling like a flash and returning at full speed.
“Have a care,” said Parson Brush, more than once; “you ride like a centaur31 and none knows better how to use firearms, but there are Indians in these mountains and they sometimes approach nigh enough to be seen from New Constantinople. Then, too, your father brought word that other miners are working their way toward us. More than likely there are bad men among them whom it is best you should not meet.”
“But none would harm me,” was the wondering reply of the miss; “are not all of my own race my friends?”
She could not believe, however, that any danger of that nature threatened her, but she deferred33 to the fears of her father, Lieutenant Russell and the parson to that extent that she generally had a companion with her on these dashes down the trail. Sometimes it was Brush, sometimes Ruggles or her parent, and less frequently the young officer. Timon always galloped35 or trotted36 behind her pony, and she could not be made to believe that his protection was not all-sufficient.
The winds of early autumn were moaning through the gorges37 and cañons of the Sierras, bringing with them the breath of coming winter, which was often felt 148 with all its Arctic rigor38 in these depressions among the towering peaks and ridges39. The usual group was gathered in the Heavenly Bower40, though two of the most prominent citizens were absent. They were Felix Brush and Wade41 Ruggles, who were seated in their cabin, where a small fire had been kindled on the primitive42 hearth43 and afforded the only light in the small apartment. They had eaten their evening meal and as usual were smoking.
As neither cared to taste the Mountain Dew, so winsome44 to a majority of the miners, the two often spent their evenings thus, especially since the shadow caused by the coming of Lieutenant Russell had fallen across their threshold.
“Things begin to look better than afore,” remarked Ruggles, sitting with one leg flung across the other and looking thoughtfully into the fire.
“Yes, I always insisted that the soil about here is auriferous and we had only to stick to it to obtain our reward.”
Ruggles took his pipe from his mouth and looked at his partner with a disgusted expression.
“What are you talkin’ ’bout, parson?”
“Didn’t you refer to the diggings?” he innocently asked in turn.
“Come now, that won’t do; you know my references 149 to allusions45 was the leftenant and the young lady. I say things look better as regards the same.”
“In what way?”
“In the only way there could be. They don’t care partic’lar for each other.”
“There is no doubt they did some time ago.”
“Of course, but I mean now.”
“How do you explain the change, Wade?”
“The chap ain’t a fool; he’s took notice of our warnin’s.”
“I wasn’t aware that we had given him any.”
“Not ’zactly in words, but every time I’ve met him with the gal34, I give the leftenant a scowl46. Once I come purty near shakin’ my fist at him; he’s obsarved it all and is wise in time.”
“I think there is ground for what you say,” remarked the parson, anxious to be convinced of the hoped-for fact; “what I base my belief on is that the leftenant doesn’t accompany her on her little riding trips as often as her father or you or I: that is a sure barometer47, according to my judgment48. Still I have sometimes feared from the way she talks and acts that she thinks more of him than is right.”
“Nothing of the kind! She treats him as she does everybody else; the leftenant is the friend of the cap and the leftenant give her the dog that is the size of a meetin’ house and the pony hardly as big as the dog, but 150 she doesn’t think half as much of him as of you and me; how can she?” demanded Ruggles, sitting bolt upright and spreading his hand like a lawyer who has uttered an unanswerable argument; “hain’t she knowed us a blamed sight longer than him?”
“You are correct; I didn’t think of that.”
How eagerly we accept the argument, flimsy as it may be, which accords with our wishes!
“When I feel sorter ugly over my ’spicions,” continued Ruggles; “I jest reflect that we’ve knowed the gal ever since she was a baby and her father tumbled down a hundred feet onto the roof of the Heavenly Bower, with her in his arms in the middle of that howlin’ blizzard,––when I think of that I say–––”
The door of the cabin was hastily shoved inward and Captain Dawson, his face as white as death, strode in.
“Have you seen anything of Nellie?” he asked in a husky whisper.
“No; what’s the matter?” asked the startled miners.
“She has gone! she has left me!” gasped49 the father dropping into the only remaining chair, the picture of despair and unutterable woe50.
“Why do you think that?” asked the parson, sympathetically.
“Lieutenant Russell has gone too! They have fled together!”
该作者的其它作品
《The Boy Miners》
《The Hunters of the Ozark》
该作者的其它作品
《The Boy Miners》
《The Hunters of the Ozark》
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1
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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7
teeming
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| adj.丰富的v.充满( teem的现在分词 )；到处都是；（指水、雨等）暴降；倾注 | |
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8
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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9
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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10
suffused
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| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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12
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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13
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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14
donor
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| n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体 | |
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15
effusively
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| adv.变溢地，热情洋溢地 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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canine
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| adj.犬的，犬科的 | |
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gulch
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| n.深谷，峡谷 | |
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19
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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20
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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lank
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| adj.瘦削的；稀疏的 | |
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22
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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23
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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24
outweighs
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| v.在重量上超过( outweigh的第三人称单数 )；在重要性或价值方面超过 | |
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25
abduct
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| vt.诱拐，拐带，绑架 | |
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26
forsake
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| vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃 | |
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27
circumspect
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| adj.慎重的，谨慎的 | |
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28
lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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29
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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30
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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31
centaur
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| n.人首马身的怪物 | |
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32
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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33
deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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34
gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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35
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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36
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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37
gorges
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| n.山峡，峡谷( gorge的名词复数 )；咽喉v.（用食物把自己）塞饱，填饱( gorge的第三人称单数 )；作呕 | |
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38
rigor
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| n.严酷，严格，严厉 | |
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39
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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40
bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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41
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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42
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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43
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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44
winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 | |
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45
allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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46
scowl
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| vi.(at)生气地皱眉，沉下脸，怒视；n.怒容 | |
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47
barometer
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| n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标 | |
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48
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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49
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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50
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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