CHAPTER XIV. HOME AGAIN

As the next fall came on, there were clouds and a coming tempest in the air. British soldiers in gay uniforms were seen about the roads, and Mistress Kent's dame¹ school did not open as usual.

 

The parents of young children did not like to send them out every day, even with a servant to look after them. The blacks were easily alarmed and might not prove faithful.

 

The tobacco was cut and stored in sheds, but when it would be shipped was uncertain. And Sir Percival Grandison was anxious because the Belle² Virgeen did not come sailing back on time.

 

The Fairy Prince was nearing home at last,[Pg 170] and a tall, shy maid in her teens was glad that he was on the way.

 

Sally would soon be fourteen, and it was doubtful if another so young a maiden³ in all Williamsburg, even the well-taught daughters of the rich planters, knew more or as much of that which comes through books, as did the young maid, Sally Dukeen.

 

She had learned as if by magic, and kept learning every day. And by paying attention to scraps⁴ of conversation that floated to her ears, and getting hold of a newspaper now and then, she knew all about the conflict or struggle that was almost on between what men had fondly called "the mother country" and the American colonies.

 

And now the Fairy Prince at nineteen was on his way home midst all the trouble and din⁵. Would he fight? He was under age, but Sally had heard him speak of such manly⁶ things as "duty" and "putting down wrong and holding up the right."

 

One thing she felt was certain. No one could[Pg 171] keep him out of the trouble if he felt it his duty to stay and help his country in her hour of need.

 

And now there was rejoicing when the Belle Virgeen came slowly up to the quay⁷ after having to pick her way midst unfriendly vessels⁸ that would gladly have swooped¹⁰ down upon her, taking her cargo¹¹ and capturing her crew, had they quite dared.

 

This time the vessel⁹ arrived in the night, so there were only family friends to greet and welcome the few passengers she had borne back to their homes.

 

And so many were coming and going, the roads beyond Shady Path were so full, and every one so excited that Sally, now a tall, blooming maiden, could not race about as when she was younger, nor did she wish to.

 

More than one British soldier stationed in the town had looked sharply into the depths of her sun-bonnet when Mistress Brace¹² sent her on an errand to the store.

 

 

 

One great joy remained to her. She studied[Pg 172] French and Latin with Parson Kendall for a teacher. But as he thought it better that her other studies should be kept up, she recited but twice a week.

 

And so a month had gone by, and she had not caught so much as a glimpse of her Fairy Prince.

 

One afternoon, early in November, she was on her way home from the parson's, and had left the road leading to Ingleside, when Mammy Leezer's round figure appeared in the road.

 

"Laws, honey!" exclaimed the old Mammy, "how you does grow! Why, bress yo' heart, I haven't catched a sight o' you in an age, and here yous most a woman grown. Makes me tink ob how dat young Mars' Lion have com'd up to be a man all to onct.

 

"Oh, but honey!" Mammy's voice sank to a whisper, and she looked around as if in fear of being overheard, "dat Mars' Lion, he bound to fight de Britishers toof and nail, but his pappy, Mars' Perc'val, he's for totin' him right back to Inglan, but Mars' Lion, he won't be toted. He[Pg 173] say dis yere's his own country whar he wor born'd and here he shell stay.

 

"Mistis Gab'rell, she cry and try to make him promise to keep quiet, and dat Mis' Ros'mand she act like she own him soul and body. Mars' Perc'val, he say he's sorry he let him come home, but lordy massy! dat chile would 'a' comed lett'n' or no lett'n'.

 

"But you see, de fac' is, dat boy chuck full o' fight. I tell ole Uncle Gambo dar must be somesin in dis yere soil dat make de chillern love it and stan' up fo' it and fight fo' it."

 

"I'd fight for it, too, if I was a young man," said Maid Sally.

 

"Would you, now!" exclaimed Mammy. "Well, I reckon de day is near when all who wants to fight will have de chance. Now I must go travellin' home. I'm goin' to make a plum jam betty fo' my young mars' supper, and no knowin' how long his ole Mammy can cook fo' him, he so done set on fightin'."

 

As Mammy rolled away, Sally said to herself:

 

[Pg 174]"I wonder why she tells me these things? I never ask her questions."

 

Her Fairy answered: "It is because those people are simple and confiding¹³ in one way, and in another way are sharper than you think. All the world likes sympathy, which is a kindly¹⁴ feeling toward others, and a willingness to listen to what is in their hearts. And Mammy sees that you pay attention to what she says, and it pleases her."

 

"I must be careful," said Maid Sally.

 

"You have need to be," warned her Fairy.

 

The days grew more full of excitement. There were whisperings, hot speeches, and murmurings on every side.

 

But in the midst of the boil and trouble Sir Percival Grandison, and a few others, determined¹⁵ to give a ball in the Hall of Burgesses in hopes to break in upon the stormy feelings that were abroad, and perhaps bring about a more peaceful state of things.

 

The seat of government had been in Williamsburg[Pg 175] until that fall of 1774. Then it was removed to Philadelphia.

 

There had been a splendid ball given in May, in honor of the wife and daughter of the governor, Lord Dunmore. And although the people neither liked nor respected the haughty¹⁶, wilful¹⁷ governor, it yet was thought a proper thing to welcome with a gay gathering¹⁸ the ladies who had come to live at the "Governor's Palace," as his home was called.

 

Now the Hall of Burgesses was to see another brilliant affair, when people of rank and fashion would come together for a merry night, and Sir Percival secretly trusted that it might tone down the war spirit in his young son.

 

Maid Sally cast about in her mind, wondering if she could possibly get a peep at the splendid scene, for ah, what delight it would be to look upon it, if only for a moment!

 

"It will be a brave sight," said her Fairy, "but it may stir feelings in your soul it were better should be at rest."

 

[Pg 176]"No matter for that," said beauty-loving Sally, "I must see it if I can."

 

Yet how could she bring it about? The church beadle, the dread¹⁹ man who went about, and, staff in hand, kept all younglings quiet in the meeting-house, the town-crier, who went up and down the roads and with a great bell in hand found a lost child or told unusual news, the constable²⁰ and his two assistants, all these would be about the doors of the building so that the many coaches could drive up without confusion, and none but invited guests would dare to come too near.

 

Children and upper class servants might gaze on at a distance, but no hangers-on would be permitted on that side of the road.

 

Up came Sally's will. Her strong, bright will.

 

"I mean to find some way to see it," she said, "but not by doing anything of which to be ashamed."

 

"Then set your wits to work," said her Fairy, "for wits you will need to bring that about."

 

And Maid Sally thought of a plan.[Pg 177]

 

1 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

2 belle   

n.靓女

参考例句：

• She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
• She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

3 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

4 scraps   

油渣

参考例句：

• Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
• A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

5 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。

6 manly   

adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地

参考例句：

• The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
• He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务，并希望别人效之。

7 quay   

n.码头，靠岸处

参考例句：

• There are all kinds of ships in a quay.码头停泊各式各样的船。
• The side of the boat hit the quay with a grinding jar.船舷撞到码头发出刺耳的声音。

8 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

10 swooped   

俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The aircraft swooped down over the buildings. 飞机俯冲到那些建筑物上方。
• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it. 鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来，并把它杀死。

11 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

12 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

13 confiding   

adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等）

参考例句：

• The girl is of a confiding nature. 这女孩具有轻信别人的性格。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Celia, though confiding her opinion only to Andrew, disagreed. 西莉亚却不这么看，尽管她只向安德鲁吐露过。 来自辞典例句

14 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

15 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

16 haughty   

adj.傲慢的，高傲的

参考例句：

• He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。
• They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。

17 wilful   

adj.任性的，故意的

参考例句：

• A wilful fault has no excuse and deserves no pardon.不能宽恕故意犯下的错误。
• He later accused reporters of wilful distortion and bias.他后来指责记者有意歪曲事实并带有偏见。

18 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

19 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

20 constable   

n.(英国)警察，警官

参考例句：

• The constable conducted the suspect to the police station.警官把嫌疑犯带到派出所。
• The constable kept his temper,and would not be provoked.那警察压制着自己的怒气，不肯冒起火来。