CHAPTER XLIV. THINE FOREVER!

In front of the finest mansion¹ on Beacon² Hill, though the chill of autumn was in the air and a northeast wind came cold from over the bay, an arch of hot-house flowers was erected³, covering the entrance to the walk, which led up through a yard ornamented⁴ with choice works in marble, to the carved door of the house.

 

On this arch, in crimson⁵ flowers, the word “welcome” was visible.

 

Inside, servants well—even richly—dressed seemed to flit to and fro, and a lady, young and beautiful, robed for that day as richly as a royal queen, moved to and fro, seeing in person that everything was ready to receive the guests for whom the welcome was meant.

 

The minister, who had been in that house on a sad, sad day, now stood by this young lady’s side, looking dignified⁶ but happy.

 

The old lawyer and many other friends were there, and more came along, as the day wore on, in grand carriages, the elite⁷ of the aristocratic old city.

 

And now the hour—four o’clock—was close at hand. Her carriages had gone to the train to meet the guests who had been invited to come from New York—carriages for all.

 

And she, who had been all this time flushed and excited, now stood pale and nervous near the door. For a roll and rattle⁸ of wheels was heard, and a moment later a whole column of coaches dashed up in front of the house.

 

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From the first stepped two men, and, arm in arm, they came under the arch, and never knight⁹ of crimson cross looked so happy as did the younger, paler of the two, when he looked up and saw those words.

 

But they could not pause—others were hurrying on behind and in front. He saw her at the door, and with a wild, glad cry, he was in her arms.

 

“Georgiana—mine at last!”

 

“Yes, yes, my Harry¹⁰, thine forever!”

 

A moment’s sobs¹¹ of joy broke on the air, but then, arm in arm, they went on, while an unseen orchestra played a brilliant march of joy and triumph.

 

And then, in the great parlor¹², darkened outside, but blazing with light within, without waiting for more than a few words and whispered greetings, before the friends of bright days and the true friends of darker hours, Georgiana Lonsdale was married to the returned exile—to the man for whom she had dared her parents’ anger, whom she had so nearly lost—by his own fault, and who had come back to her redeemed¹³.

 

Edward W—— stood at his right hand, Lizzie Legare stood by her dear friend, and the ceremony, brief but impressive, was performed. When it was over, all moved out to the banquet hall, and though no wine colored the cloth or tempted¹⁴ man to fall, a more delicious repast was never served.

 

After it was over, at Georgiana’s request, her husband, noble and proud in his true reformation, told the listening guests the strange, strange story. He, that old attorney’s poor clerk, had met and loved Georgiana, the only child and heir of those rich parents. They had scorned him, for they had higher views for her—drove him from their door. She, in her love and pride, had vowed¹⁵ to be his, and together[211] they fled to New York, there to be united in wedlock¹⁶. He, in his too exuberant¹⁷ joy, forgot his manhood, and when they should have been ready to stand up before the minister was too intoxicated¹⁸ to stand.

 

Crushed and indignant, she waited until he was sober enough to realize what he had done, and then she told him to go forth¹⁹ and never, never to return until his manhood was redeemed, and he could stand a free man before his God, sworn and proven true in the full fruits of temperance. He went. She would not go back to the home she had left, but at once sought employment in the humblest line.

 

There, dear reader, we found her. You have had the story. It is a strange one, but to a very great extent it is true. And, as a young writer, I can only hope it will do the good I wish it should do. That it will give courage to the weak, hope to the hopeless, for no one is so lost or fallen but that a higher, better life may be reached.

 

I suppose I may as well tell you, Mr. Edward W—— is now trying to forget his first disappointment in the smiles of sweet Lizzie Legare, and Frank has “gone West.”

 

1 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

2 beacon   

n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔

参考例句：

• The blink of beacon could be seen for miles.灯塔的光亮在数英里之外都能看见。
• The only light over the deep black sea was the blink shone from the beacon.黑黢黢的海面上唯一的光明就只有灯塔上闪现的亮光了。

3 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

4 ornamented   

adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The desk was ornamented with many carvings. 这桌子装饰有很多雕刻物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She ornamented her dress with lace. 她用花边装饰衣服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 crimson   

n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色

参考例句：

• She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
• Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

6 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

7 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

8 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

9 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

10 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

11 sobs   

啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She was struggling to suppress her sobs. 她拼命不让自己哭出来。
• She burst into a convulsive sobs. 她突然抽泣起来。

12 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

13 redeemed   

adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。
• He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's. 他从当铺赎回手表。

14 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

15 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

16 wedlock   

n.婚姻，已婚状态

参考例句：

• My wife likes our wedlock.我妻子喜欢我们的婚姻生活。
• The Fawleys were not made for wedlock.范立家的人就跟结婚没有缘。

17 exuberant   

adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的

参考例句：

• Hothouse plants do not possess exuberant vitality.在温室里培养出来的东西，不会有强大的生命力。
• All those mother trees in the garden are exuberant.果园里的那些母树都长得十分茂盛。

18 intoxicated   

喝醉的，极其兴奋的

参考例句：

• She was intoxicated with success. 她为成功所陶醉。
• They became deeply intoxicated and totally disoriented. 他们酩酊大醉，东南西北全然不辨。

19 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。