So, trial after trial past,
Shalt thou fall at the very last,
Breathless, half in trance,
With the thrill of a great deliverance,
Into our arms forevermore.
Browning.
“Joseph Wyvil took his sister home, but it was no longer the bright and happy home that it had been before Lil’s stolen marriage and its almost tragic1 end.
“Lil fell into such dull and deep despair that her brother feared it would terminate in that most hopeless form of madness known as melancholia.
“He consulted their old family physician, who, after several visits to his patient, recommended an entire change of scene, occupations and interests for the despairing girl.
“Ah, poor Joseph Wyvil! And poor Lil! The doctor might as reasonably have recommended a yacht to the Mediterranean2 Sea and a palace on the coast of Sicily for this impoverished3 and embarrassed brother and sister.
“The expenses of the trial had absorbed all Joseph Wyvil’s savings4, and even compelled him to mortgage his house.
“For to the lawyer’s fees and other legal costs there had been added the expenses of his own and his sister’s board and lodging5 at Carlisle, and of his own and the lawyer’s journey to London and back, and their hotel bills while in that city dancing attendance at Somerset House, and the loss of time and work.
310“Joseph Wyvil was hopelessly embarrassed in money matters. The lately industrious6, thriving and ‘fore-handed’ mechanic was financially ruined.
“He had lost his work also, and could not recover it. This was a misfortune he had not in the least calculated upon. But another man had got his place, and there was no room for him.
“Joseph first sold his silver watch, and next the precious half dozen silver tea-spoons left him by his mother, to pay the interest on his notes and to bear current expenses. After that, piece by piece of the little parlor9 set went.
“But these could not last long. The crash came. The house was sold under the mortgage, and the little home was broken up. So much calamity may come of one little act of folly like Joe’s and Lil’s runaway10 marriage.
“Joseph took his sister and the remnant of his household furniture and moved into two rooms of a poor tenement11 house, and tried to get work even as a common laborer12, but failed.
“He then sold more of his small stock of furniture, divided the money with Lil, and went ‘on the tramp,’ seeking work of any honest sort wherever he might get it.
“So he drifted to Liverpool. There he met with an old shipmate and friend of his late uncle, Zebedee Wyvil. This was George Poole, now captain of the fast-sailing Baltimore clipper Oriole, then in port.
“To Captain Poole poor Joseph Wyvil told his story.
“After hearing him to the end, the skipper said:
“‘There is always work for willing hands in America, and often fortune, too. Come out with me 311to America, Wyvil. I shall sail for Baltimore in ten days.’
“‘I have no money, and all my household goods would not bring ten pounds,’ sadly replied Joseph.
“‘The more reason for your accepting my offer. Come, you can work your passage over if you insist upon being independent, and when——’
“‘Of course you cannot. Who asked you to do so? Bring her with you. She shall have a free passage; or, if she has too much pride to accept a favor, she may help the stewardess14 mend the ship’s linen15, just as she pleases. Come, old fellow, take an old friend’s honest offer and best advice. Run up to Carlisle. Sell out your sticks, and bring your sister down here. You have plenty of time to settle up all your affairs. And when we get to
“The land of the free and the home of the brave,”
I will look after you like a godfather until you get work. Come, what do you say?’
“‘I accept your kindness. But, oh! how shall I ever be able to express my thanks?’
“‘By holding your tongue, and getting ready to sail, my boy. You said your doctor recommended change of scene for the girl, didn’t you?’
“‘Oh, yes! yes! But how was I to provide it for her, even though her life or reason might depend on her having it?’
“‘Exactly. But now you see it is provided for her. Hurry back to her, Wyvil. By the way, here. You must not dream of tramping back to Carlisle. Take this five-pound note. Pshaw! Nonsense! I am not offering to give it to you, man, but to lend it. There, 312hurry back to your sister, and fetch her down. I’ll warrant her spirits will improve in a week.’
“Joseph Wyvil would have thanked this warm-hearted and generous friend and benefactor16, but found no words, no voice to express himself.
“He took the first train back to Stockton, and returned to the poor lodgings17 where he had left Lil.
“He found her much worse than he had left her—paler, thinner, weaker and more melancholy18.
“When he told her of the prospect19 opened for them by this free passage to America, her first words were those of disappointment.
“‘I thought we were to go out to Australia to join poor Joe.’
“‘And so we are to do, dear, just as soon as I can make money enough to take us out there. But I cannot make this money in England. And so we must thank Heaven for this free passage to America, where work is plenty and wages high. There it will require a much shorter time to make money enough to take us out to join Joe.’
“‘But will this voyage carry us any farther away from poor Joe than we are now?’ was Lil’s next anxious question.
“‘No; no farther. I do not think as far. Australia is at the antipodes, as we stand here, you know; so every thousand miles we sail must take us a thousand miles nearer in space, and the greater facilities offered in America will take us years nearer in time to our heart’s desire.’
“‘Let us go, then! Oh! let us go! I begin to see light at last!’ exclaimed Lil, rallying as she had never rallied since her parting with her husband.
“The need of activity, the prospect of a journey and a voyage, and conditions that were to bring her nearer in time as well as in space to Joe, infused new life into Lil.
313“She rendered prompt and efficient aid to Joseph in preparing to leave home.
“The sale of their household goods brought exactly £7 5s. 3d., or about $37.56 of our money. Joseph had of the money loaned him by Captain Poole, £4 10s., so that when he had settled all his little debts he had still £10, or $50 of our money, left.
“On the day after their sale they took the train for Liverpool, and by the captain’s advice, went immediately on board the ship, to save expense of board and lodging in the town.
“In a few days the Oriole sailed, and wind and weather proving very favorable, in two weeks the clipper crossed the Atlantic Ocean and anchored in Baltimore harbor.
“Within a week after landing Joseph Wyvil obtained work as a journeyman carpenter on a house that some contractor20 was in a hurry to finish by a certain date.
“Then he took his sister from off the ship, and conveyed her to a cheap, respectable boarding-house.
“Within a month after this the Oriole sailed again for Liverpool, and the brother and sister lost their kind friend.
“Joseph Wyvil and Lil had both written to their poor Joe before leaving England, telling him of their new hopes and plans.
“They wrote again on reaching Baltimore, telling him of their better fortunes, and of their one object in making and saving money as fast as possible to go out and join him.
“But ah! Joseph Wyvil’s prosperity did not continue. When the house on which he had been at work was completed, he and his fellow-journeymen were thrown out of employment, and despite their utmost endeavors, remained idle for the rest of the winter.
314“But about the middle of March a change came. A certain capitalist of Baltimore had found out a favorable part of the Jersey21 coast for the opening of a new summer resort that should combine cheapness with everything else that was desirable in life.
“He had leased the one large hotel on the place, and was about to build a number of small, rough cottages and bathing-houses there to accommodate visitors.
“All the carpenters who happened to be out of employment, and were willing to leave Baltimore for several months, were engaged at good wages on the work.
“Joseph Wyvil was among the rest, and he went to Seawood, taking his sister with him.
“The other workmen got accommodations in the fishermen’s cottages scattered22 here and there along the shore, but Joseph Wyvil took his sister to a little inland village about two miles from the sea, lodged23 her in a farm-house for a few days, and then rented a cheap cottage with a little garden, furnished it with the bare necessities of life, and put her there.
“Gradually, as the spring and summer went on, he added little comforts to her store as his wages enabled him to do so.
“He went to work every morning, and returned every evening. He and his sister lived a most secluded24 life. They joined the Episcopal church at Seawood by letters from the rector of the parish church at Stockton, and as they were described as Joseph Wyvil, of Stockton, and Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Wyvil, a very natural mistake was made in their case—a mistake that they never thought of, and that no one else was aware of.
“They were taken for husband and wife instead of brother and sister; and as they went nowhere but to 315church, and received no visitors, this natural mistake was not corrected.
“They lived contentedly25 enough together, writing by every Australian mail to Joe, and looking forward to the time when they should have money enough to go out to him.
“They had not had a line from poor little Joe since he sailed in the transport ship, on the fifteenth of the last December, nor had they expected to get one. They knew that months must elapse before the end of his voyage, and more months before a return letter could come to them. They even remembered how many months must pass before their first letter could reach him, though after the first long gap of silence the letters would come and go more frequently.
“To complicate26 matters more—to fill the situation with more of grief and more of joy—it was certain that little Lil was destined27 to become a mother. This fact was not written to Joe, for, said Lil:
“‘If I tell him it will only add to his anxiety and impatience28 to see us. If my child should live, it will only be the greater surprise and delight to him when he hears of it or sees it.’
“It was about the middle of August, ten months after Lil’s marriage, and seven months after the heart-breaking separation from her husband, that the second catastrophe29 of her life came.
“You already know all about it—how, while Joseph Wyvil was at work on the shore, in the heat of an August afternoon, the little son of Major Hereward, while bathing, got out of his depth, and being unable to swim, was drowning and cried out for help.
“And Joseph Wyvil forgot all prudence30 in his manly31 impulse to rescue the perishing boy, and all overheated as he was, plunged32 into the water, swam to him and seized him; how he had just time to tow 316him in and fling him into the outstretched arms of a fisherman, when he was seized with cramp33, sank and was swirled34 away by the under-current.
“You know all about that, and how the news of his sudden and violent death shocked the delicate young mother into a premature35 confinement36, and how little Lil died within a few hours after giving birth to her daughter—died without being able to articulate one word of explanation to Major Hereward, who, brought thither37 by the minister, stood beside her bed ready to adopt the infant orphaned39 for his sake and for the sake of his son.
“Major Hereward was in no measure to blame for what occurred; yet he mourned as if he had been culpably40 responsible for the tragedy, and he did all that lay in his power—all that mortal man could do to atone41 for it. And not the least part of his work was his adoption42 and education of the orphan38 infant.
“That was his bounden duty. His most sacred duty. And in the object of this duty he found the greatest comfort and happiness of his life,” said Tudor Hereward, breaking in for the first time upon Zuniga’s narrative43, and taking and carrying the hand of Lilith to his lips.
“I can well believe that! Lilith was a true daughter to her adopted father,” said Zuniga.
“She has been true as truth in every relation of her difficult life,” added Hereward.
“Will you tell us now, dear, what we most long to know—your own life after you left England under such a cruel and unjust condemnation44? For even to me, your child, you have never told that story, consecutively,” said Lilith, to divert the conversation from herself, for she was always embarrassed by such very direct praise.
“Yes, but still in the third person, if you please, 317and still partly from the notes I have made from time to time,” said Zuniga.
And he resumed his personal history as if speaking of another.
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1
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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2
Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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3
impoverished
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| adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化 | |
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4
savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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5
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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6
industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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7
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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8
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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9
parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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10
runaway
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| n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的 | |
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11
tenement
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| n.公寓；房屋 | |
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12
laborer
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| n.劳动者，劳工 | |
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13
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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14
stewardess
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| n.空中小姐，女乘务员 | |
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15
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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16
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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17
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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18
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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19
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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20
contractor
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| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
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21
jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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22
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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23
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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24
secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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25
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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26
complicate
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| vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂 | |
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27
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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28
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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29
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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30
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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31
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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32
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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33
cramp
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| n.痉挛；[pl.](腹)绞痛；vt.限制，束缚 | |
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34
swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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36
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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37
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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38
orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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39
orphaned
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| [计][修]孤立 | |
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40
culpably
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| adv.该罚地，可恶地 | |
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41
atone
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| v.赎罪，补偿 | |
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42
adoption
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| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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43
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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44
condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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