CHAPTER XVII. “TIME DOES NOT STOP FOR TEARS.”

While the wedding was going on at Wheatlands that evening, Doctor Barnes, hastily summoned to the cottage, was sewing up a ghastly cut on Chester Olyphant’s head, and explaining to Widow Gray that it had barely escaped being a fracture of the skull¹. Even now he could not tell what the outcome would be, for, though life still lingered, there was no return to consciousness.

 

He made the four little heroes very proud and happy by telling them that God himself must have prompted their expedition that day in order to save the young man’s life, and they scampered² off home in great excitement, to spread the news of their wonderful adventure.

 

Meanwhile the doctor sent for the best nurse in town, and installed her at the cottage to aid Mrs. Gray in caring for the patient.

 

But when Leola Mead³ and her father were driven down to the station that night, to take the midnight train for New York, no hint of the truth reached them, and Leola’s heartache over her lover’s falsity was destined⁴ to last long, for from that hour, when she had fallen like one dead in the arbor⁵, no news of him transpired⁶ for many months. Too proud to confess her heart wound to her father, she never called that once loved name in his hearing; she only sought refuge from her pain in change of scene, saying to him eagerly:

 

[Pg 27]

 

“Papa, darling, I have been buried in the country so long that I am wild to see the world. If you are able to gratify my desires, I prefer travel to anything else on earth.”

 

“I live only to gratify your wishes now, my precious daughter,” answered Alston Mead, eager to atone⁷ for having neglected her so long in his passionate⁸ grief over the loss of his lovely young wife.

 

He had planned to come back and settle down in a quiet home with his lovely daughter, but he found it no hardship to gratify her desire for travel, since wandering had become a second nature with him.

 

So in their leisurely⁹ wanderings through the United States, and afterward¹⁰ abroad, the past became almost like a dream to Leola, who told herself, bitterly, that doubtless Jessie Stirling and Olyphant were married long ago, and that she did not care, for she hated him now as much as she had once loved him.

 

Alston Mead, in all ignorance of the tragic¹¹ love story of his fair daughter, wondered a little that she remained so indifferent to the suitors she attracted wherever she went, for to him it seemed very natural for a young girl to fall in love; still he rejoiced that she did not appear to be susceptible¹², saying to himself that he could keep her all the longer to himself.

 

But all the time Leola was thinking with bitter pique¹³ and pain of Jessie and Chester reconciled and happy, perhaps long ago wedded¹⁴, his love affair of that golden summer an almost forgotten episode.

 

It was bitter, for Leola knew in her heart that she had given the best and truest love of her life, and that she could never know again the bliss¹⁵ of those fleeting¹⁶ days, when she had loved and trusted as she never could again, because her tenderness had been betrayed, her heart trampled¹⁷ on like a withered¹⁸ flower thrown into the dust.

 

“Like the wild hyacinth flower, which on the hills is found,

Which the passing feet of the triflers forever tear and wound,

Until the purple blossom is trodden in the ground.”

So strangely and completely had Leola’s life changed that sometimes she felt as if she had died and come to life again in some new world—a kaleidoscopic¹⁹ world of change, in which every face and scene was new—if only, she said to herself, bitterly, she had not brought with her into this new life the cruel memories of the past, that seemed always crying aloud to her heart:

 

“Look in my face; my name is Might-have-been;

I am also called No-more, Too-late, Farewell.

Unto thine ear I hold the dead-sea shell.

Cast up thy Life’s foam-fretted feet between;

Unto thine eyes the glass where that is seen

Which had Life’s form and Love, but by my spell

Is now a shaken shadow intolerable.”

But “time does not stop for tears,” and the days and months rolled away and brought round golden June again, so that it was a year since Leola had ridden out so joyfully²⁰ on Rex to meet her fate in Chester Olyphant’s dark blue eyes.

 

They were in Paris now, and everyone knows how charming Paris is in June, but somehow Leola’s thoughts turned backward to the West Virginia hills that she had vowed²¹ she never cared to see again—turned back with a strange homesickness to the wild and picturesque²² scenes where her joyous²³ youth had been nurtured²⁴, to the old faces, the old pleasures, and she thought that she should like to get on Rex’s back again for a breezy canter into the country town, or on to the old Blue Sulphur Spring for a draught²⁵ of its cold, clear, sparkling water.

 

She could close her eyes and see just how it was looking, after the long, cold winter, in its new summer gown of green, trimmed with violets, blue and white—that dear old hillside back of the house; and the orchard²⁶ would be decked in pink and white, and the birds would be singing like mad in the branches, and the sky would be blue and sunny, and the sweet air seem like an elixir²⁷ of life.

 

She opened her eyes, and she was in Paris again, and she had in her hand a memorandum²⁸ for the shopping she was going to do that week—gowns and laces and jewels, to deck that wonderful beauty, to set off, like a splendid frame, the peerless form, the flowerlike face, with its somber²⁹ dark eyes and thick waves of ruddy golden hair—the Titian shade artists raved³⁰ over.

 

Her father had had her portrait painted—full length, and all in white—and all Paris had raved over it when the artist had it on exhibition those few days before it was boxed to be shipped to America. She had made many friends, been entertained at the homes of the rich and great, had refused dazzling offers to the wonder of all, and here she was, all at once, with a fit of nostalgia³¹ for the simple home and kindly³² faces that were gone out of her life forever—or so she thought.

 

She had often thought of the new Mrs. Bennett, wondering if her simple devotion had ever won her rotund husband’s heart, but she had never written her a line in her eagerness to forget the grief over those last days, and put them behind her forever.

 

Now she thought, tenderly, of the good woman, murmuring:

 

“How strange it seems I have never heard one word from all I left behind! Some of them may be dead, some married—Jessie and Chester, of course, long ago—but there are few I care for save my dear old governess and Mrs. Gray!”

 

Putting all these thoughts behind her with a passing wonder why they had come like ghosts from a dead past to disturb her present peace, she rang for her maid and got ready for her shopping tour.

 

An hour later she knew why those subtle memories had overwhelmed her this morning. It was the influence of telepathy.

 

Turning over some rare silks at the Arcade³³, her heart leaped, and her blood turned cold in her veins³⁴ at the sound of a familiar voice:

 

“Leola Mead, am I dreaming, or is it really you? What a charming surprise! Why, only this morning I was thinking of you, wondering where you were; and to find you here so soon, it’s like a dream!”

 

“My foe³⁵ undreamed of by my side

Stood suddenly like fate—

To those who love, the world is wide,

But not to those who hate!”

Leola felt a small, gloved hand pressing hers very hard, looked into bluebell³⁶ eyes under flaxen waves of hair, and turned cold with dislike and repulsion, dreading³⁷ every moment to see over the blonde’s shoulder her husband’s face, handsome and winning, with the laughing blue eyes that had smiled her heart away.

 

With a strong effort she pulled herself together, calling her passionate pride to her aid. They should not see her wince³⁸; she would show them she had forgotten him. She said, coldly:

 

“So it is you, Jessie Stirling? How long have you been over?”

 

“Oh, since early spring shopping for my trousseau, you know,” twittered Jessie, gayly.

 

“Then you are not married yet?” Leola cried, eagerly.

 

“No; but I shall be soon—in late July. Chester was ill so long, you know,” she twittered on; then, at the startled look in Leola’s dark eyes, “Oh, I forgot you went away so abruptly³⁹ that night before everything happened—the explosion and all! Tell me, haven’t you ever heard from home? from any of them? Not a word, you say? How very strange! Leola, is your carriage waiting? Yes? Then I will go for a drive with you, and tell you everything. We can come back for our shopping later”—dragging her out.

1 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

2 scampered   

v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The cat scampered away. 猫刺棱一下跑了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The rabbIt'scampered off. 兔子迅速跑掉了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 mead   

n.蜂蜜酒

参考例句：

• He gave me a cup of mead.他给我倒了杯蜂蜜酒。
• He drank some mead at supper.晚饭时他喝了一些蜂蜜酒。

4 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

5 arbor   

n.凉亭；树木

参考例句：

• They sat in the arbor and chatted over tea.他们坐在凉亭里，边喝茶边聊天。
• You may have heard of Arbor Day at school.你可能在学校里听过植树节。

6 transpired   

（事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生

参考例句：

• It transpired that the gang had had a contact inside the bank. 据报这伙歹徒在银行里有内应。
• It later transpired that he hadn't been telling the truth. 他当时没说真话，这在后来显露出来了。

7 atone   

v.赎罪，补偿

参考例句：

• He promised to atone for his crime.他承诺要赎自己的罪。
• Blood must atone for blood.血债要用血来还。

8 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

9 leisurely   

adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的

参考例句：

• We walked in a leisurely manner,looking in all the windows.我们慢悠悠地走着，看遍所有的橱窗。
• He had a leisurely breakfast and drove cheerfully to work.他从容的吃了早餐，高兴的开车去工作。

10 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

11 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

12 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

13 pique   

v.伤害…的自尊心，使生气 n.不满，生气

参考例句：

• She went off in a fit of pique.她一赌气就走了。
• Tom finished the sentence with an air of pique.汤姆有些生气地说完这句话。

14 wedded   

adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She's wedded to her job. 她专心致志于工作。
• I was invited over by the newly wedded couple for a meal. 我被那对新婚夫妇请去吃饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 bliss   

n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福

参考例句：

• It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
• He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

16 fleeting   

adj.短暂的，飞逝的

参考例句：

• The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
• Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

17 trampled   

踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯

参考例句：

• He gripped his brother's arm lest he be trampled by the mob. 他紧抓着他兄弟的胳膊，怕他让暴民踩着。
• People were trampled underfoot in the rush for the exit. 有人在拼命涌向出口时被踩在脚下。

18 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

19 kaleidoscopic   

adj.千变万化的

参考例句：

• London is a kaleidoscopic world.伦敦是个天花筒般的世界。
• The transfer of administrative personnel in that colony was so frequent as to create kaleidoscopic effect.在那个殖民地，官员调动频繁，就象走马灯似的。

20 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

21 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。

22 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。

23 joyous   

adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的

参考例句：

• The lively dance heightened the joyous atmosphere of the scene.轻快的舞蹈给这场戏渲染了欢乐气氛。
• They conveyed the joyous news to us soon.他们把这一佳音很快地传递给我们。

24 nurtured   

养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• She is looking fondly at the plants he had nurtured. 她深情地看着他培育的植物。
• Any latter-day Einstein would still be spotted and nurtured. 任何一个未来的爱因斯坦都会被发现并受到培养。

25 draught   

n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计

参考例句：

• He emptied his glass at one draught.他将杯中物一饮而尽。
• It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught.可惜这房间没北窗，没有过堂风。

26 orchard   

n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场

参考例句：

• My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
• Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。

27 elixir   

n.长生不老药，万能药

参考例句：

• There is no elixir of life in the world.世界上没有长生不老药。
• Keep your mind awake and active;that's the only youth elixir.保持头脑清醒和灵活便是保持年轻的唯一灵丹妙药。

28 memorandum   

n.备忘录，便笺

参考例句：

• The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
• The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。

29 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

30 raved   

v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说

参考例句：

• Andrew raved all night in his fever. 安德鲁发烧时整夜地说胡话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They raved about her beauty. 他们过分称赞她的美。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

31 nostalgia   

n.怀乡病，留恋过去，怀旧

参考例句：

• He might be influenced by nostalgia for his happy youth.也许是对年轻时幸福时光的怀恋影响了他。
• I was filled with nostalgia by hearing my favourite old song.我听到这首喜爱的旧歌，心中充满了怀旧之情。

32 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。

33 arcade   

n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道

参考例句：

• At this time of the morning,the arcade was almost empty.在早晨的这个时候，拱廊街上几乎空无一人。
• In our shopping arcade,you can find different kinds of souvenir.在我们的拱廊市场，你可以发现许多的纪念品。

34 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

36 bluebell   

n.风铃草

参考例句：

• The girl picked herself up and pulled a bluebell out of her hair.姑娘坐起身来，从头发里摘出一枝风铃草。
• There is a branch of bluebell in the vase.花瓶里有一束风铃草。

37 dreading   

v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was dreading having to broach the subject of money to her father. 她正在为不得不向父亲提出钱的事犯愁。
• This was the moment he had been dreading. 这是他一直最担心的时刻。

38 wince   

n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避

参考例句：

• The barb of his wit made us wince.他那锋芒毕露的机智使我们退避三舍。
• His smile soon modified to a wince.他的微笑很快就成了脸部肌肉的抽搐。

39 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。