The two matrons, besides being filled with somewhat similar anxieties as to absent ones, were naturally sympathetic, and frequently sought each other’s company. The lively Anglo-French woman, whose vivacity2 was not altogether subdued3 even by the dark cloud that hung over her husband’s fate, took special pleasure in the sedate4, earnest temperament5 of her native missionary6 friend, whose difficulty in understanding a joke, coupled with her inability to control her laughter when, after painful explanation, she did manage to comprehend one, was a source of much interest—an under-current, as it were, of quiet amusement.
“Betsy,” said Marie, as they walked slowly along, their naked feet just laved by the rippling7 sea, “why do you persist in wearing that absurd bonnet8? If you would only let me cut four inches off the crown and six off the front, it would be much more becoming. Do let me, there’s a dear. You know I was accustomed to cutting and shaping when in England.”
“But what for the use?” asked Betsy, turning her large brown eyes solemnly on her companion. “It no seems too big to me. Besides, when brudder Gubbins give him to me he—”
“Who is brudder Gubbins?” asked Marie, with a look of smiling surprise.
“Oh! you know. The min’ster—Gubbins—what come to the mission-station just afore me an’ Waroonga left for Ratinga.”
“Oh! I see; the Reverend Mr Gubbins—well, what did he say about the bonnet?”
“W’at did he say? ah! he say much mor’n I kin9 remember, an’ he look at the bonnet with’s head a one side—so sad an’ pitiful like. ‘Ah! Betsy Waroonga,’ ses he, ‘this just the thing for you. Put it on an’ take it to Ratinga, it’ll press the natives there.’”
“Impress them, you mean, Betsy.”
“Well, p’raps it was that. Anyhow I put it on, an’ he looked at me so earnest an’ ses with a sigh, ‘Betsy,’ ses he, ‘it minds me o’ my grandmother, an’ she was a good old soul—brought me up, Betsy, she did. Wear it for her sake an’ mine. I make a present of it to you.’”
“Ah! Betsy,” said Marie, “the Reverend Gubbins must be a wag, I suspect.”
“W’at’s a wag, Marie?”
“Don’t you know what a wag is?”
“Oh, yis, I know. When leetil bird sit on a stone an shake hims tail, I’ve heerd you an Orley say it wag—but misser Gubbins he got no tail to wag—so how can he wag it?”
“I didn’t say he wagged it, Betsy,” returned Marie, repressing a laugh, “but—you’ll never get to understand what a wag means, so I won’t try to explain. Look! Zariffa is venturesome. You’d better call her back.”
Zariffa was indeed venturesome. Clad in a white flannel11 petticoat and a miniature coal-scuttle, she was at that moment wading12 so deep into the clear sea that she had to raise the little garment as high as her brown bosom13 to keep it out of the water; and with all her efforts she was unsuccessful, for, with that natural tendency of childhood to forget and neglect what cannot be seen, she had allowed the rear-part of the petticoat to drop into the sea.
This, however, occasioned little or no anxiety to Betsy Waroonga, for she was not an anxious mother; but when, raising her eyes a little higher, she beheld15 the tip of the back-fin of a shark describing lively circles in the water as if it had scented16 the tender morsel17 and were searching for it, her easy indifference18 vanished. She gave vent10 to a yell and made a bound that told eloquently19 of the savage20 beneath the missionary, and, in another instant was up to the knees in the water with the coal-scuttle quivering violently. Seizing Zariffa, she squeezed her almost to the bursting point against her palpitating breast, while the shark headed seaward in bitter disappointment.
“Don’t go so deep agin, Ziffa,” said the mother, with a gasp21, as she set her little one down on the sand.
“No, musser,” said the obedient child; and she kept on the landward side of her parent thereafter with demonstrative care.
It may be remarked here that, owing to Waroonga’s love for, and admiration22 of, white men, Zariffa’s native tongue was English—broken, of course, to the pattern of her parents.
“It was a narrow escape, Betsy,” said Marie, solemnised by the incident.
“Yes, thank the Lord,” replied the other, continuing to gaze out to sea long after the cause of her alarm had disappeared.
“Oh! Marie,” she added, with a sigh, “when will the dear men come home?”
The question drove all the playful humour out of poor Marie, and her eyes filled with sudden tears.
“When, indeed? Oh! Betsy, my man will never come. For Orley and the others I have little fear, but my Antonio—”
Poor Marie could say no more. Her nature was as quickly, though not as easily, provoked to deep sorrow as to gaiety. She covered her face with her hands.
As she did so the eyes of Betsy, which had for some time been fixed23 on the horizon, opened to their widest, and her countenance24 assumed a look so deeply solemn that it might have lent a touch of dignity even to the coal-scuttle bonnet, if it had not bordered just a little too closely on the ridiculous.
“Ho! Marie,” she exclaimed in a whisper so deep that her friend looked up with a startled air; “see! look—a sip25.”
“A ship—where?” said the other, turning her eager gaze on the horizon. But she was not so quick-sighted as her companion, and when at length she succeeded in fixing the object with her eyes, she pronounced it a gull26.
“No ’snot a gull—a sip,” retorted Betsy.
“Ask Zariffa. Her eyes are better than ours,” suggested Marie.
“Kumeer, Ziffa!” shouted Betsy.
Zariffa came, and, at the first glance, exclaimed. “A sip!”
The news spread in a moment for other and sharper eyes in the village had already observed the sail, and, ere long, the beach was crowded with natives.
By that time most of the Ratingans had adopted more or less, chiefly less, of European costume, so that the aspect of the crowd was anything but savage. It is true there were large proportions of brown humanity presented to view—such as arms, legs, necks, and chests, but these were picturesquely27 interspersed28 with striped cotton drawers, duck trousers, gay guernseys, red and blue flannel petticoats, numerous caps and straw hats as well as a few coal-scuttles—though none of the latter could match that of Betsy Waroonga for size and tremulosity.
But there were other signs of civilisation29 there besides costume, for, in addition to the neat huts and gardens and whitewashed30 church, there was a sound issuing from the pointed31 spire32 which was anything but suggestive of the South sea savage. It was the church bell—a small one, to be sure, but sweetly toned—which was being rung violently to call in all the fighting men from the woods and fields around, for at that time the Ratingans had to be prepared for the reception of foes33 as well as friends.
A trusty chief had been placed in charge of the village by Tomeo before he left. This man now disposed his warriors34 in commanding positions as they came trooping in, obedient to the call, and bade them keep out of sight and watch his signals from the beach.
She was a brig, with nothing particularly striking in her rig or appointments—a mere37 trading vessel. But on her bulwarks38 at the bow and on the heel of the bowsprit was gathered a group that well deserves notice, for there, foremost of all, and towering above the others, stood Antonio Zeppa, holding on to a forestay, and gazing with intensity39 and fixedness40 at the speck41 of land which had just been sighted. Beside him, and not less absorbed, stood his valiant42 and amiable43 son; while around, in various attitudes, sat or stood the chiefs Tomeo and Buttchee, Rosco and Ebony, Ongoloo and Wapoota, and little Lippy with her mother!
But the native missionary was not there. He had positively44 refused to quit the desert which had so unexpectedly and suddenly begun to blossom as the rose, and had remained to water the ground until his friends should send for him.
The chief and prime minister of the Mountain-men were there because, being large-minded, they wished to travel and see the world; and Lippy was there because Zeppa liked her; while the mother was there because she liked Lippy and refused to be parted from her.
Great was the change which had come over Zeppa during his convalescence45. The wild locks and beard had been cut and trimmed; the ragged46 garments had been replaced by a suit belonging to Orley, and the air of wild despair, alternating with vacant simplicity47, which characterised him in his days of madness, had given place to the old, sedate, sweet look of gentle gravity. It is true the grey hairs had increased in number, and there was a look, or, rather, an effect, of suffering in the fine face which nothing could remove; but much of the muscular vigour48 and the erect49 gait had been regained50 during those months when he had been so carefully and untiringly nursed by his son on Sugar-loaf Island.
It was not so with the ex-pirate. Poor Rosco was a broken man. The shock to his frame from the partial burning and the subsequent amputation51 of his feet had been so great that a return to anything like vigour seemed out of the question. But there was that in the expression of his faded face, and in the light of his sunken eye, which carried home the conviction that the ruin of his body had been the saving of his soul.
“I cannot tell you, Orley, how thankful I am,” said Zeppa, “that this trader happened to touch at the island. As I grew stronger my anxiety to return home became more and more intense; and to say truth, I had begun to fear that Captain Fitzgerald had forgotten us altogether.”
“No fear of that, father. The captain is sure to keep his promise. He will either return, as he said, or send some vessel to look after us. What are you gazing at, Ebony?”
“De steepil, massa. Look!” cried the negro, his whole face quivering with excitement, and the whites of his eyes unusually obtrusive52 as he pointed to the ever-growing line of land on the horizon, “you see him?—glippering like fire!”
“I do see something glittering,” said Orlando, shading his eyes with his hand; “yes, it must be the steeple of the church, father. Look, it was not there when you left us. We’ll soon see the houses now.”
“Thank God!” murmured Zeppa, in a deep, tremulous voice.
“Can you see it, Rosco?” said Orley.
The pirate turned his eyes languidly in the direction pointed out.
“I see the land,” he said faintly, “and I join your father in thanking God for that—but—but it is not home to me.”
“Come, friend,” said Zeppa, laying his hand gently on the poor man’s shoulder, “say not so. It shall be home to you yet, please God. If He has blotted53 out the past in the cleansing54 blood of the Lamb, what is man that he should remember it? Cheer up, Rosco, you shall find a home and a welcome in Ratinga.”
“Always returning good for evil, Zeppa,” said Rosco, in a more cheerful voice. “I think it is this tremendous weakness that crushes my spirits, but come—I’ll try to ‘cheer up,’ as you advise.”
“Dat’s right massa!” cried Ebony, in an encouraging tone; “an’ jus’ look at the glipperin’ steepil. He’ll do yous heart good—somet’ing like de fire in de wilderness55 to de Jipshins—”
“To the Israelites you mean,” said Orley.
“Ah, yis—de Izlrights, to be sure. I mis-remembered. Ho! look; dar’s de house-tops now; an’ the pine grove56 whar’ we was use to hold palaver57 ’bout you, Massa, arter you was lost; an’—yis—dat’s de house—yous own house. You see de wife lookin’ out o’ winder bery soon. I knows it by de pig-sty close ’longside whar’ de big grumper sow libs, dat Ziffa’s so fond o’ playin’ wid. Ho! Lippy, come here, you little naked ting,” (he caught up the child an’ sat her on his broad shoulder). “You see de small leetil house. Dat’s it. Dat’s whar’ Ziffa lubs to play, but she’ll hab you to play wid soon, an’ den14 she’ll forsake58 de ole sow. Ho! but I forgit—you no understan’ English.”
Hereupon Ebony began to translate his information as he best could into the language of the little creature, in which effort he was not very successful, being an indifferent linguist59.
Meanwhile the vessel gradually neared the island, stood into the lagoon60, and, finally, dropped anchor. A boat was at once lowered and made for the shore.
And oh! how intensely and intently did those in the boat and those on the shore gaze at each other as the space between them diminished!
“They not look like enemies,” said Betsy in subdued tones.
“And I don’t think they are armed,” returned Marie, with palpitating heart, “but I cannot yet make out the faces—only, they seem to be white, some of them.”
“Yis, an’ some of ’em’s brown.”
Thus—on the shore. In the boat:—
“Now den, massa, you sees her—an’ ha! ha! dar’s Betsy. I’d know her ’mong a t’ousind. You sees de bonnit—tumblin’ about like a jollyboat in a high sea; an’ Ziffa too wid de leetil bonnit, all de same shape, kin you no’ see her?”
Zeppa protested, rather anxiously, that he could not see them, and no wonder, for just then his eyes were blinded by tears which no amount of wiping sufficed to clear away.
At that moment a shriek61 was heard on shore, and Betsy was seen to spring, we are afraid to say how many feet, into the air.
“Dar’, she’s reco’nised us now!” exclaimed Ebony with delight; and it was evident that he was right for Betsy continued to caper62 upon the sands in a manner that could only be the result of joy or insanity63, while the coal-scuttle beat tempestuously64 about her head like an enraged65 balloon.
Another moment and a signal from the chief brought the ambushed66 Christian67 warriors pouring down to the shore to see the long-lost and loved ones reunited, while Ebony ran about in a state of frantic68 excitement, weeping copiously69, and embracing every one who came in his way.
But who shall describe the agony of disappointment endured by poor Betsy when she found that Waroonga was not among them? the droop70 of the spirits, the collapse71 of the coal-scuttle! Language is impotent. We leave it to imagination, merely remarking that she soon recovered on the faith of the happiness which was yet in store for her.
《Under the Waves》
《Up in the Clouds》
该作者的其它作品
《The World of Ice》
《The Young Fur Traders》《The World of Ice》
《Under the Waves》
《Up in the Clouds》
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1
knolls
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| n.小圆丘，小土墩( knoll的名词复数 ) | |
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vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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3
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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sedate
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| adj.沉着的，镇静的，安静的 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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8
bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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flannel
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| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
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12
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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13
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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15
beheld
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| 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 | |
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16
scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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17
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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18
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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22
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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23
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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24
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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sip
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| v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量 | |
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gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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picturesquely
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28
interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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30
whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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32
spire
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| n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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35
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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fixedness
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| n.固定；稳定；稳固 | |
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speck
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| n.微粒，小污点，小斑点 | |
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42
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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convalescence
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| n.病后康复期 | |
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46
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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49
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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50
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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51
amputation
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| n.截肢 | |
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52
obtrusive
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| adj.显眼的；冒失的 | |
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53
blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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54
cleansing
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| n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词 | |
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55
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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56
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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57
palaver
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| adj.壮丽堂皇的；n.废话，空话 | |
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58
forsake
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| vt.遗弃，抛弃；舍弃，放弃 | |
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59
linguist
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| n.语言学家；精通数种外国语言者 | |
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60
lagoon
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| n.泻湖，咸水湖 | |
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61
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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62
caper
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| v.雀跃，欢蹦；n.雀跃，跳跃；续随子，刺山柑花蕾；嬉戏 | |
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63
insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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64
tempestuously
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| adv.剧烈地，暴风雨似地 | |
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65
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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66
ambushed
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| v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着 | |
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67
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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68
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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copiously
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| adv.丰富地，充裕地 | |
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70
droop
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| v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡 | |
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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