At the foot of the Berkshire downs, and itself on a gentle elevation1, there is an old hall with gable ends and lattice windows, standing2 in grounds which once were stately, and where there are yet glade-like terraces of yew3 trees, which give an air of dignity to a neglected scene. In the front of the hall huge gates of iron, highly wrought4, and bearing an ancient date as well as the shield of a noble house, opened on a village green, round which were clustered the cottages of the parish with only one exception, and that was the vicarage house, a modern building, not without taste, and surrounded by a small but brilliant garden. The church was contiguous to the hall, and had been raised by the lord on a portion of his domain5. Behind the hall and its enclosure, the country was common land but picturesque6. It had once been a beech7 forest, and though the timber had been greatly cleared, the green land was still occasionally dotted, sometimes with groups and sometimes with single trees, while the juniper which here abounded8, and rose to a great height, gave a rich wildness to the scene, and sustained its forest character.
Hurstley had for many years been deserted9 by the family to which it belonged. Indeed, it was rather difficult to say to whom it did belong. A dreary10 fate had awaited an ancient, and, in its time, even not immemorable home. It had fallen into chancery, and for the last half-century had either been uninhabited or let to strangers. Mr. Ferrars’ lawyer was in the chancery suit, and knew all about it. The difficulty of finding a tenant11 for such a place, never easy, was increased by its remoteness from any railway communication, which was now beginning to figure as an important element in such arrangements. The Master in Chancery would be satisfied with a nominal12 rent, provided only he could obtain a family of consideration to hold under him. Mr. Ferrars was persuaded to go down alone to reconnoitre the place. It pleased him. It was aristocratic, yet singularly inexpensive. The house contained an immense hall, which reached the roof, and which would have become a baronial mansion13, and a vast staircase in keeping; but the living rooms were moderate, even small, in dimensions, and not numerous. The land he was expected to take consisted only of a few meadows, which he could let if necessary, and a single labourer could manage the garden.
Mrs. Ferrars was so delighted with the description of the galleried hall, that she resolved on their taking Hurstley without even her previously14 visiting it. The only things she cared for in the country were a hall and a pony15-chair.
All the carriages were sold, and all the servants discharged. Two or three maid-servants and a man who must be found in the country, who could attend them at table, and valet alike his master and the pony, was the establishment which was to succeed the crowd of retainers who had so long lounged away their lives in the saloons of Hill Street, and the groves16 and gardens of Wimbledon.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferrars and their daughter travelled down to Hurstley in a post-chaise; Endymion, with the servants, was sent by the stage-coach, which accomplished17 the journey of sixty miles in ten hours. Myra said little during the journey, but an expression of ineffable19 contempt and disgust seemed permanent on her countenance20. Sometimes she shrugged21 her shoulders, sometimes she raised her eyebrows22, and sometimes she turned up her nose. And then she gave a sigh; but it was a sigh not of sorrow, but of impatience23. Her parents lavished24 attentions on her which she accepted without recognition, only occasionally observing that she wished she had gone with Endymion.
It was dusk when they arrived at Hurstley, and the melancholy25 hour did not tend to raise their spirits. However, the gardener’s wife had lit a good fire of beechwood in the drawing-room, and threw as they entered a pannier of cones26 upon the logs, which crackled and cheerfully blazed away. Even Myra seemed interested by the novelty of the wood fire and the iron dogs. She remained by their side, looking abstractedly on the expiring logs, while her parents wandered about the house and examined or prepared the requisite27 arrangements. While they were yet absent, there was some noise and a considerable bustle28 in the hall. Endymion and his retinue29 had arrived. Then Myra immediately roused herself, and listened like a startled deer. But the moment she caught his voice, an expression of rapture30 suffused31 her countenance. It beamed with vivacity32 and delight. She rushed away, pushed through the servants and the luggage, embraced him and said, “We will go over the house and see our rooms together.”
Wandering without a guide and making many mistakes, fortunately they soon met their parents. Mrs. Ferrars good-naturedly recommenced her labours of inspection33, and explained all her plans. There was a very pretty room for Endymion, and tomorrow it was to be very comfortable. He was quite pleased. Then they were shown Myra’s room, but she said nothing, standing by with a sweet scoff34, as it were, lingering on her lips, while her mother disserted on all the excellences35 of the chamber36. Then they were summoned to tea. The gardener’s wife was quite a leading spirit, and had prepared everything; the curtains were drawn37, and the room lighted; an urn18 hissed38; there were piles of bread and butter and a pyramid of buttered toast. It was wonderful what an air of comfort had been conjured39 up in this dreary mansion, and it was impossible for the travellers, however wearied or chagrined40, to be insensible to the convenience and cheerfulness of all around them.
When the meal was over, the children sate41 together in whispering tattle. Mrs. Ferrars had left the room to see if all was ready for their hour of retirement42, and Mr. Ferrars was walking up and down the room, absorbed in thought.
“What do you think of it all, Endymion?” whispered Myra to her twin.
“I rather like it,” he said.
She looked at him with a glance of blended love and mockery, and then she said in his ear, “I feel as if we had fallen from some star.”
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1
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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3
yew
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| n.紫杉属树木 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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7
beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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12
nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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16
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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17
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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urn
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| n.（有座脚的）瓮；坟墓；骨灰瓮 | |
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ineffable
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| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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24
lavished
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| v.过分给予，滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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cones
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| n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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29
retinue
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| n.侍从；随员 | |
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30
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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31
suffused
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| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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33
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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34
scoff
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| n.嘲笑，笑柄，愚弄；v.嘲笑，嘲弄，愚弄，狼吞虎咽 | |
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35
excellences
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| n.卓越( excellence的名词复数 )；（只用于所修饰的名词后）杰出的；卓越的；出类拔萃的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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39
conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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40
chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
sate
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| v.使充分满足 | |
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42
retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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