Six years had passed away. Thurston Willcoxen was the most beloved and honored man, as well as the most distinguished1 clergyman of his day and state. His church was always crowded, except when he changed with some brother minister, whose pulpit was within reach—in which case, a great portion of his congregation followed him. Many flattering "calls" had the gifted and eloquent2 country parson received to metropolitan3 parishes; but he remained the faithful shepherd of his own flock as long as they would hear his voice.
As Miriam grew into womanhood prudence4 kept her silent on the subject of her strange vow5. She, however, preserved in her memory the slight indexes that she already had in possession—namely, beginning with Marian's return after her visit to Washington—her changed manner, her fits of reverie, her melancholy6 when she returned empty-handed from the post-office, her joy when she received letters, which she would read in secret and in silence, or when questioned concerning them, would gently but firmly decline to tell from whom or whence they came; the house-warming at Luckenough, where Marian suddenly became so bright and gay, and the evening succeeding, when she returned home through night and storm, and in such anguish7 of mind, that she wept all night; and the weeks of unexplained, unaccountable distress8 that followed this! All these things Miriam recalled, and studied if by any means they might direct her in the discovery of the guilty.
And her faithful study had ended in her assurance of one or two facts—or one or two links, perhaps, we should say, in the chain of evidence. The first was, that Marian's mysterious lover had been present in the neighborhood, and perhaps, in the mansion9 at the time of the house-warming at Luckenough—that he had met her once or more, and that his name was not Thomas Truman—that the latter was an assumed name, for, with all her observation and astute10 investigation11, she had not been able to find that any one of the name of Truman had ever been seen or heard of in the county.
She was sure, also, that she had seen the man twice, both times in night and storm, when she had wandered forth12 in search of Marian.
She remembered well the strange figure of that man—the tall form shrouded13 in the black cloak—the hat drawn14 over the eyes—the faint spectral15 gleam of the clear-cut profile—the peculiar16 fall of light and shade, the decided17 individuality of air and gait—all was distinct as a picture in her memory, and she felt sure that she would be able to identify that man again.
Up to this time, the thought of her secret vow, and her life's mission, had afforded only a romantic and heroic excitement; but the day was fast approaching when these indexes she retained, should point to a clue that should lead through a train of damning circumstantial evidence destined18 to test her soul by an unexampled trial.
Paul Douglass had grown up to be a tall and handsome youth, of a very noble, frank, attractive countenance19 and manners. To say that he loved Miriam is only to say that he loved himself. She mingled20 with every thought, and feeling, and purpose of his heart.
And when, at last, the time came that Paul had to leave home for Baltimore, to remain absent all winter, for the purpose of attending the course of lectures at the medical college, Miriam learned the pain of parting, and understood how impossible happiness would be for her, with Paul away, on naval21 or military duty, more than half their lives, and for periods of two, three, or five years; and after that she never said another word in favor of his wearing Uncle Sam's livery, although she had often expressed a wish that he should enter the army.
Miriam's affection for Paul was so profound and quiet, that she did not know its depth or strength. As she had not believed that parting from him would be painful until the event had taught her, so even now she did not know how intertwined with every chord and fibre of her heart and how identical with her life, was her love for Paul. She was occupied by a more enthusiastic devotion to her "brother," as she called her guardian22.
The mysterious sorrow, the incurable23 melancholy of a man like Thurston Willcoxen, could not but invest him with peculiar interest and even strange fascination24 for one of Miriam's enthusiastic, earnest temperament25. She loved him with more than a daughter's love; she loved him with all the impassioned earnestness of her nature; her heart yearned26 as it would break with its wild, intense longing27 to do him some good, to cure his sorrow, to make him happy. There were moments when but for the sweet shyness that is ever the attendant and conservator of such pure feeling, this wild desire was strong enough to cast her at his feet, to embrace his knees, and with tears beseech28 him to let her into that dark, sorrowful bosom29, to see if she could make any light and joy there. She feared that he had sinned, that his incurable sorrow was the gnawing30 tooth of that worm that never dieth, preying31 on his heart; but she doubted, too, for what could he have done to plunge32 his soul in such a hell of remorse33? He commit a crime? Impossible! the thought was treason; a sin to be repented34 of and expiated35. His fame was fairest of the fair, his name most honored among the, honorable. If not remorse, what then was the nature of his life-long sorrow? Many, many times she revolved36 this question in her mind. And as she matured in thought and affection, the question grew more earnest and importunate37. Oh, that he would unburden his heart to her; oh! that she might share and alleviate38 his griefs. If "all earnest desires are prayers," then prayer was Miriam's "vital breath and native air" indeed; her soul earnestly desired, prayed, to be able to give her sorrowing brother peace.
点击收听单词发音
1 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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2 eloquent | |
adj.雄辩的,口才流利的;明白显示出的 | |
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3 metropolitan | |
adj.大城市的,大都会的 | |
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4 prudence | |
n.谨慎,精明,节俭 | |
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5 vow | |
n.誓(言),誓约;v.起誓,立誓 | |
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6 melancholy | |
n.忧郁,愁思;adj.令人感伤(沮丧)的,忧郁的 | |
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7 anguish | |
n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦,烦恼 | |
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8 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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9 mansion | |
n.大厦,大楼;宅第 | |
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10 astute | |
adj.机敏的,精明的 | |
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11 investigation | |
n.调查,调查研究 | |
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12 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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13 shrouded | |
v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 );保密 | |
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14 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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15 spectral | |
adj.幽灵的,鬼魂的 | |
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16 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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17 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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18 destined | |
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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19 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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20 mingled | |
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系] | |
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21 naval | |
adj.海军的,军舰的,船的 | |
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22 guardian | |
n.监护人;守卫者,保护者 | |
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23 incurable | |
adj.不能医治的,不能矫正的,无救的;n.不治的病人,无救的人 | |
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24 fascination | |
n.令人着迷的事物,魅力,迷恋 | |
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25 temperament | |
n.气质,性格,性情 | |
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26 yearned | |
渴望,切盼,向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27 longing | |
n.(for)渴望 | |
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28 beseech | |
v.祈求,恳求 | |
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29 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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30 gnawing | |
a.痛苦的,折磨人的 | |
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31 preying | |
v.掠食( prey的现在分词 );掠食;折磨;(人)靠欺诈为生 | |
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32 plunge | |
v.跳入,(使)投入,(使)陷入;猛冲 | |
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33 remorse | |
n.痛恨,悔恨,自责 | |
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34 repented | |
对(自己的所为)感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35 expiated | |
v.为(所犯罪过)接受惩罚,赎(罪)( expiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36 revolved | |
v.(使)旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 );细想 | |
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37 importunate | |
adj.强求的;纠缠不休的 | |
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38 alleviate | |
v.减轻,缓和,缓解(痛苦等) | |
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