Young students of the neighboring academy—mere boys of from thirteen to eighteen years of age, but brave, spirited, vigorous lads, well mounted, well armed, and led on by the redoubtable1 college hero, Cloudesley Mornington. They rushed forward, they surrounded, they fell upon the marauders with an absolute shower of blows.
"Give it to them, men! This for Fanny! This for Edith! And this! and this! and this for both of them!" shouted Cloudesley, as he vigorously laid about him. "Strike for Hay Hill and vengeance3! Let them have it, my men! And you, little fellows! Small young gentlemen, with the souls of heroes, and the bodies of elves, who can't strike a very hard blow, aim where your blows will tell! Aim at their faces. This for Fanny! This for Edith!" shouted Cloudesley, raining his strokes right and left, but never at random4.
Thorg was still on foot, armed with a sword, and laying about him savagely6 among the crowd of foes7 that had surrounded him.
Cloudesley was still on horseback—he had caught up an ax that lay carelessly upon the lawn, and now he rushed upon Thorg from behind.
He had no scruple8 in taking this advantage of the enemy—no scruple with an unscrupulous monster—an outlawed9 wretch—a wild beast to be destroyed, when and where and how it was possible!
And so Cloudesley came on behind, and elevating this formidable weapon in both hands, raising himself in his stirrups and throwing his whole weight with the stroke, he dealt a blow upon the head of Thorg that brought him to the earth stunned10. From the impetus11 Cloudesley himself had received, he had nearly lost his saddle, but had recovered.
"They fly! They fly! By the bones of Caesar, the miscreants12 fly! After them, my men! After them! Pursue! pursue!" shouted Cloudesley, wheeling his horse around to follow.
But just then, the young British officer standing13 near Edith, resting on his sword, breathing, as it were, after a severe conflict, caught Cloudesley's eyes. Intoxicated14 with victory, Cloudesley sprang from his horse, and raising his ax, rushed up the stairs upon the youth!
Edith sprang and threw herself before the stripling, impulsively15 clasping her arms around him to shield him, and then throwing up one arm to ward2 off a blow, looked up and exclaimed:
"He is my preserver—my preserver, Cloudesley!"
And what did the young ensign do? Clasped Edith quietly but closely to his breast.
It was a beautiful, beautiful picture!
Nay16, any one might understand how it was—that not years upon years of ordinary acquaintance could have so drawn17, so knitted these young hearts together as those few hours of supreme18 danger.
"My preserver, Cloudesley! My preserver!"
Cloudesley grounded his ax.
"I don't understand that, Edith! He is a British officer."
"He is my deliverer! When Thorg set his men on me to hunt me, he cast himself before me, and kept them at bay until you came!"
"Mutinied!" exclaimed Cloudesley, in astonishment19, and a sort of horror.
"Yes, I suppose it was mutiny," said the young ensign, speaking for the first time and blushing as he withdrew his arm from Edith's waist.
"Whe-ew! here's a go!" Cloudesley was about to exclaim, but remembering himself he amended20 his phraseology, and said, "A very embarrassing situation, yours, sir."
"I cannot regret it!"
"Certainly not! There are laws of God and humanity above all military law, and such you obeyed, sir! I thank you on the part of my young countrywoman," said Cloudesley, who imagined that he could talk about as well as he could fight.
"If the occasion could recur21, I would do it again! Yes, a thousand times!" the young man's eyes added to Edith—only to her.
"But oh! perdition! while I am talking here that serpent! that copperhead! that cobra capella! is coming round again! How astonishingly tenacious22 of life all foul23, venomous creatures are!" exclaimed Cloudesley, as he happened to espy24 Throg moving slightly where he lay, and rushed out to dispatch him.
The other two young people were left alone in the hall.
"I am afraid you have placed yourself in a very, very dangerous situation, by what you did to save me."
"But do you know—oh, do you know how happy it has made me? Can you divine how my heart—yes, my soul—burns with the joy it has given me? When I saw you standing there before your enemies so beautiful! so calm! so constant—I felt that I could die for you—that I would die for you. And when I sprang between you and your pursuers, I had resolved to die for you. But first to set your soul free. Edith, you should not have fallen into the hands of the soldiers! Yes! I had determined25 to die for and with you! You are safe. And whatever befalls me, Edith, will you remember that?"
"You are faint! You are wounded! Indeed you are wounded! Oh, where! Oh! did any of our people strike you?"
"No—it was one of our men, Edith! I do not know your other name, sweet lady!"
"Never mind my name—it is Edith—that will do; but your wound—your wound—oh! you are very pale—here! lie down upon this settee. Oh, it is too hard!—come into my room, it opens here upon the hall—there is a comfortable lounge there—come in and lie down—let me get you something?"
"Thanks—thanks, dearest lady, but I must get upon my horse and go!"
"Go?"
"Yes, Edith—don't you understand, that after what I have done—after what I have had the joy of doing—the only honorable course left open to me, is to go and give myself up to answer the charges that may be brought against me?"
"Oh, heaven! I know! I know what you have incurred26 by defending me! I know the awful penalty laid upon a military officer who lifts his hand against his superior. Don't go! oh, don't go!"
"And do you really take so much interest in my fate, sweetest lady?" said the youth, gazing at her with the deepest and most delightful27 emotions.
"'Take an interest' in my generous protector! How should I help it? Oh! don't go! Don't think of going. You will not—will you? Say that you will not!"
"You will not advise me to anything dishonorable, I am sure."
"No—no—but oh! at such a fearful cost you have saved me. Oh! when I think of it, I wish you had not interfered28 to defend me. I wish it had not been done!"
"And I would not for the whole world that it had not been done! Do not fear for me, sweetest Edith! I run little risk in voluntarily placing myself in the hands of a court-martial—for British officers are gentlemen, Edith!—you must not judge them by those you have seen—and when they hear all the circumstances, I have little doubt that my act will be justified—besides, my fate will rest with Ross, General Ross—one of the most gallant29 and noble spirits ever created, Edith! And now you must let me go, fairest lady." And he raised her hand respectfully to his lips, bowed reverently30, and left the hall to find his horse.
Just then Cloudesley was seen approaching, crying out that they had escaped.
"I am under the necessity of doing so."
"But you are not able to travel—you can scarcely sit your horse. Pray do not think of leaving us."
"You are a soldier—at least an amateur one, and you will understand that after what has occurred, I must not seem to hide myself like a fugitive32 from justice! In short, I must go and answer for that which I have done."
"I understand, but really, sir, you look very ill—you—"
But here the young officer held out his hand smilingly, took leave of
Cloudesley, and bowing low to Edith, rode off.
Cloudesley and Edith followed the gallant fellow with their eyes. He had nearly reached the gate, the old green gate at the farthest end of the semi-circular avenue, when the horse stopped, the rider reeled and fell from his saddle. Cloudesley and Edith ran toward him—reached him. Cloudesley disentangled his foot from the stirrup, and raised him in his arms. Edith stood pale and breathless by.
"He has fainted! I knew he was suffering extreme pain. Edith! fly and get some water! Or rather here! sit down and hold up his head while I go."
Edith was quickly down by the side of her preserver, supporting his head upon her breast. Cloudesley sped toward the house for water and assistance. When he procured34 what he wanted and returned, he met the troop of collegians on their return from the chase of the retreating marauders. They reported that they had scattered35 the fugitives36 in every direction and lost them in the labyrinths37 of the forest.
Several of them dismounted and gathered around the young ensign.
But Cloudesley was now upon the spot, and while he bathed the face of the fainting man, explained to them how it was, and requested some one to ride immediately to the village and procure33 a physician. Thurston Willcoxen, the next in command under him, and his chosen brother-in-arms, mounted his horse and galloped38 off.
In the meantime the wounded man was carried to the mansion39 house and laid upon a cot in one of the parlors40.
Presently Edith heard wheels roll up to the door and stop. She looked up. It was the carriage of the surgeon, whom she saw alight and walk up the steps. She went to meet him, composedly as she could, and conducted him to the door of the sick-room, which he entered. Edith remained in the hall, softly walking up and down, and sometimes pausing to listen.
After a little, the door opened. It was only Solomon Weismann, who asked for warm water, lint41, and a quantity of old linen42. These Edith quickly supplied, and then remained alone in the hall, walking up and down, and pausing to listen as before; once she heard a deep shuddering43 groan44, as of one in mortal extremity45, and her own heart and frame thrilled to the sound, and then all was still as before.
An hour, two hours, passed, and then the door opened again, and Edith caught a glimpse of the surgeon, with his shirt sleeves pushed above his elbows, and a pair of bloody46 hands. It was Solomon who opened the door to ask for a basin of water, towels and soap, for the doctor to wash. Edith furnished these also.
Half an hour passed, and the door opened a third time, and the doctor himself came out, fresh and smiling. His countenance47 and his manner were in every respect encouraging.
"Come into the drawing-room a moment, if you please, Miss Edith, I want to speak with you."
Edith desired nothing more earnestly just at that moment.
"Well, doctor—your patient?" she inquired, anxiously.
"Will do very well! Will do very well! That is, if he be properly attended to, and that is what I wished to speak to you about, Miss Edith. I have seen you near sick-beds before this, my dear, and know that I can better trust you than any one to whom I could at present apply. I intend to install you as his nurse, my dear. When a life depends upon your care, you will waive48 any scruples49 you might otherwise feel, Miss Edith, I am sure! You will have your old maid, Jenny, to assist you, and Solomon at hand, in case of an emergency. But I intend to delegate my authority, and leave my directions with you."
"Yes, doctor, I will do my very best for your patient."
"I am sure of that. I am sure of that."
Edith watched by his cot through all the night, fanning him softly, keeping his chest covered from the air, giving him his medicine at the proper intervals50, and putting drink to his lips when he needed it. But never trusted her eyelids51 to close for a moment. Jenny shared her vigil by nodding in an easy chair; and Solomon Weismann, a young medical student, by sleeping soundly on the wooden settee in the hall. So passed the night. After midnight, to Edith's great relief, his fever began to abate52, and he sank into a sweet sleep. In the morning Solomon roused himself, and came in and relieved Edith's watch, and attended to the wants of the patient, while she went to her room to bathe her face and weary eyes.
But instead of growing better the patient grew worse, and for days life was despaired of. The most skillful medical treatment, and the most careful nursing scarcely saved his life. And even after the imminent53 danger was over, it was weeks before he was able to be lifted from the bed to the sofa.
In the meantime, Throg, who was also treated by the doctor, recovered. He took quite an affectionate leave of the young ensign, and with an appearance of great friendliness54 and honesty, promised to interest himself at headquarters in behalf of the young officer. This somehow filled Edith with a vague distrust, and dark foreboding, for which she could neither account, nor excuse herself, nor yet shake off. Thorg had been exchanged, and he joined his regiment55 after its return from Washington City, and before it sailed from the shores of America.
Weeks passed, during which the invalid56 occupied the sofa in his room—and Edith was his sole nurse. And then Commodore Waugh, with his wife, servants and caravan57 returned to Luckenough.
The old soldier had been "posted up," he said, relative to all that had transpired58 in his absence.
It was in vain that Edith assured him that she had not been heroic at all—that the preservation61 of Luckenough had been due rather to the timely succor62 of the college boys than to her own imprudent resolution. It did no good—the old man was determined to look upon his niece as a heroine worthy63 to stand by the side of Joan of Arc.
"For," said he, "was it not the soul of a heroine that enabled her to stay and guard the house; and would the college company ever have come to the rescue of these old walls if they had not heard that she had resolutely64 remained to guard them and was almost alone in the house? Don't tell me! Edith is the star maiden65 of old St. Mary's, and I'm proud of her! She is worthy to be my niece and heiress! A true descendant of Marie Zelenski, is she! And I'll tell you what I'll do, Edith!" he said, turning to her, "I'll reward you, my dear! I will. I'll marry you to Professor Grimshaw! That's what I'll do, my dear! And you both shall have Luckenough; that you shall!"
Months passed—the war was over—peace was proclaimed, and still the young ensign, an invalid, unable to travel, lingered at Luckenough. Regularly he received his pay; twice he received an extension of leave of absence; and all through the instrumentality of—Thorg. Yet all this filled Edith with the greatest uneasiness and foreboding—ungrateful, incomprehensible, yet impossible to be delivered from.
点击收听单词发音
1 redoubtable | |
adj.可敬的;可怕的 | |
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2 ward | |
n.守卫,监护,病房,行政区,由监护人或法院保护的人(尤指儿童);vt.守护,躲开 | |
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3 vengeance | |
n.报复,报仇,复仇 | |
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4 random | |
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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5 miscreant | |
n.恶棍 | |
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6 savagely | |
adv. 野蛮地,残酷地 | |
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7 foes | |
敌人,仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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8 scruple | |
n./v.顾忌,迟疑 | |
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9 outlawed | |
宣布…为不合法(outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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10 stunned | |
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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11 impetus | |
n.推动,促进,刺激;推动力 | |
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12 miscreants | |
n.恶棍,歹徒( miscreant的名词复数 ) | |
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13 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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14 intoxicated | |
喝醉的,极其兴奋的 | |
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15 impulsively | |
adv.冲动地 | |
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16 nay | |
adv.不;n.反对票,投反对票者 | |
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17 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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18 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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19 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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20 Amended | |
adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词 | |
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21 recur | |
vi.复发,重现,再发生 | |
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22 tenacious | |
adj.顽强的,固执的,记忆力强的,粘的 | |
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23 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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24 espy | |
v.(从远处等)突然看到 | |
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25 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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26 incurred | |
[医]招致的,遭受的; incur的过去式 | |
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27 delightful | |
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的 | |
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28 interfered | |
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉 | |
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29 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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30 reverently | |
adv.虔诚地 | |
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31 catching | |
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住 | |
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32 fugitive | |
adj.逃亡的,易逝的;n.逃犯,逃亡者 | |
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33 procure | |
vt.获得,取得,促成;vi.拉皮条 | |
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34 procured | |
v.(努力)取得, (设法)获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 );拉皮条 | |
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35 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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36 fugitives | |
n.亡命者,逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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37 labyrinths | |
迷宫( labyrinth的名词复数 ); (文字,建筑)错综复杂的 | |
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38 galloped | |
(使马)飞奔,奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 ); 快速做[说]某事 | |
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39 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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40 parlors | |
客厅( parlor的名词复数 ); 起居室; (旅馆中的)休息室; (通常用来构成合成词)店 | |
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41 lint | |
n.线头;绷带用麻布,皮棉 | |
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42 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
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43 shuddering | |
v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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44 groan | |
vi./n.呻吟,抱怨;(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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45 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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46 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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47 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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48 waive | |
vt.放弃,不坚持(规定、要求、权力等) | |
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49 scruples | |
n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 );顾虑,顾忌v.感到于心不安,有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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50 intervals | |
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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51 eyelids | |
n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 );眼睛也不眨一下;不露声色;面不改色 | |
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52 abate | |
vi.(风势,疼痛等)减弱,减轻,减退 | |
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53 imminent | |
adj.即将发生的,临近的,逼近的 | |
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54 friendliness | |
n.友谊,亲切,亲密 | |
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55 regiment | |
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
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56 invalid | |
n.病人,伤残人;adj.有病的,伤残的;无效的 | |
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57 caravan | |
n.大蓬车;活动房屋 | |
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58 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 | |
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59 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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60 heroism | |
n.大无畏精神,英勇 | |
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61 preservation | |
n.保护,维护,保存,保留,保持 | |
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62 succor | |
n.援助,帮助;v.给予帮助 | |
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63 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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64 resolutely | |
adj.坚决地,果断地 | |
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65 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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