Armine Described.
AFTER his marriage Sir Ratcliffe determined1 to reside at Armine. In one of the largest parks in England there yet remained a fragment of a vast Elizabethan pile, that in old days bore the name of Armine Place. When Sir Ferdinand had commenced building Armine Castle, he had pulled down the old mansion2, partly for the sake of its site and partly for the sake of its materials. Long lines of turreted3 and many-windowed walls, tall towers, and lofty arches, now rose in picturesque4 confusion on the green ascent5 where heretofore old Sir Walsingham had raised the fair and convenient dwelling6, which he justly deemed might have served the purpose of a long posterity7. The hall and chief staircase of the castle and a gallery alone were finished, and many a day had Sir Ferdinand passed in arranging the pictures, the armour8, and choice rarities of these magnificent apartments. The rest of the building was a mere9 shell; nor was it in all parts even roofed in. Heaps of bricks and stone and piles of timber appeared in every direction; and traces of the sudden stoppage of a great work might be observed in the temporary saw-pits still remaining, the sheds for the workmen, and the kilns10 and furnaces, which never had been removed. Time, however, that had stained the neglected towers with an antique tint11, and had permitted many a generation of summer birds to build their sunny nests on all the coignes of vantage of the unfinished walls, had exercised a mellowing12 influence even on these rude accessories, and in the course of years they had been so drenched13 by the rain, and so buffeted14 by the wind, and had become so covered with moss15 and ivy16, that they rather added to then detracted from the picturesque character of the whole mass.
A few hundred yards from the castle, but situate on the same verdant17 rising ground, and commanding, although well sheltered, an extensive view over the wide park, was the fragment of the old Place that we have noticed. The rough and undulating rent which marked the severance18 of the building was now thickly covered with ivy, which in its gamesome luxuriance had contrived19 also to climb up a remaining stack of tall chimneys, and to spread over the covering of the large oriel window. This fragment contained a set of pleasant chambers20, which, having been occupied by the late baronet, were of course furnished with great taste and comfort; and there was, moreover, accommodation sufficient for a small establishment. Armine Place, before Sir Ferdinand, unfortunately for his descendants, determined in the eighteenth century on building a feudal22 castle, had been situate in famous pleasure-grounds, which extended at the back of the mansion over a space of some hundred acres. The grounds in the immediate23 vicinity of the buildings had of course suffered severely24, but the far greater portion had only been neglected; and there were some indeed who deemed, as they wandered through the arbour-walks of this enchanting25 wilderness26, that its beauty had been enhanced even by this very neglect. It seemed like a forest in a beautiful romance; a green and bowery wilderness where Boccaccio would have loved to woo, and Watteau to paint. So artfully had the walks been planned, that they seemed interminable, nor was there a single point in the whole pleasaunce where the keenest eye could have detected a limit. Sometimes you wandered in those arched and winding27 walks dear to pensive28 spirits; sometimes you emerged on a plot of turf blazing in the sunshine, a small and bright savannah, and gazed with wonder on the group of black and mighty29 cedars30 that rose from its centre, with their sharp and spreading foliage31. The beautiful and the vast blended together; and the moment after you had beheld32 with delight a bed of geraniums or of myrtles, you found yourself in an amphitheatre of Italian pines. A strange exotic perfume filled the air: you trod on the flowers of other lands; and shrubs33 and plants, that usually are only trusted from their conservatories34, like sultanas from their jalousies, to sniff35 the air and recall their bloom, here learning from hardship the philosophy of endurance, had struggled successfully even against northern winters, and wantoned now in native and unpruned luxuriance. Sir Ferdinand, when he resided at Armine, was accustomed to fill these pleasure-grounds with macaws and other birds of gorgeous plumage; but these had fled away with their master, all but some swans which still floated on the surface of a lake, which marked the centre of this paradise. In the remains36 of the ancient seat of his fathers, Sir Ratcliffe Armine and his bride now sought a home.
The principal chamber21 of Armine Place was a large irregular room, with a low but richly-carved oaken roof, studded with achievements. This apartment was lighted by the oriel window we have mentioned, the upper panes37 of which contained some ancient specimens38 of painted glass, and having been fitted up by Sir Ferdinand as a library, contained a collection of valuable books. From the library you entered through an arched door of glass into a small room, of which, it being much out of repair when the family arrived, Lady Armine had seized the opportunity of gratifying her taste in the adornment39. She had hung it with some old-fashioned pea-green damask, that exhibited to a vantage several copies of Spanish paintings by herself, for she was a skilful40 artist. The third and remaining chamber was the dining-room, a somewhat gloomy chamber, being shadowed by a neighbouring chestnut41. A portrait of Sir Ferdinand, when a youth, in a Venetian dress, was suspended over the old-fashioned fireplace; and opposite hung a fine hunting piece by Schneiders. Lady Armine was an amiable42 and accomplished43 woman. She had enjoyed the advantage of a foreign education under the inspection44 of a cautious parent: and a residence on the Continent, while it had afforded her many graces, had not, as unfortunately sometimes is the case, divested45 her of those more substantial though less showy qualities of which a husband knows the value. She was pious46 and dutiful: her manners were graceful47, for she had visited courts and mixed in polished circles, but she had fortunately not learnt to affect insensibility as a system, or to believe that the essence of good breeding consists in showing your fellow-creatures that you despise them. Her cheerful temper solaced48 the constitutional gloom of Sir Ratcliffe, and indeed had originally won his heart, even more than her remarkable49 beauty: and while at the same time she loved a country life, she possessed50 in a lettered taste, in a beautiful and highly cultivated voice, and in a scientific knowledge of music and of painting, all those resources which prevent retirement51 from degenerating52 into loneliness. Her foibles, if we must confess that she was not faultless, endeared her to her husband, for her temper reflected his own pride, and she possessed the taste for splendour which was also his native mood, although circumstances had compelled him to stifle53 its gratification.
Love, pure and profound, had alone prompted the union between Ratcliffe Armine and Constance Grandison Doubtless, like all of her race, she might have chosen amid the wealthiest of the Catholic nobles and gentry54 one who would have been proud to have mingled55 his life with hers; but, with a soul not insensible to the splendid accidents of existence, she yielded her heart to one who could repay the rich sacrifice only with devotion. His poverty, his pride, his dangerous and hereditary56 gift of beauty, his mournful life, his illustrious lineage, his reserved and romantic mind, had at once attracted her fancy and captivated her heart. She shared all his aspirations57 and sympathised with all his hopes; and the old glory of the house of Armine, and its revival58 and restoration, were the object of her daily thoughts, and often of her nightly dreams.
With these feelings Lady Armine settled herself at her new home, scarcely with a pang59 that the whole of the park in which she lived was let out as grazing ground, and only trusting, as she beheld the groups of ruminating60 cattle, that the day might yet come for the antlered tenants61 of the bowers62 to resume their shady dwellings63. The good man and his wife who hitherto had inhabited the old Place, and shown the castle and the pleasaunce to passing travellers, were, under the new order of affairs, promoted to the respective offices of serving-man and cook, or butler and housekeeper64, as they styled themselves in the village. A maiden65 brought from Grandison to wait on Lady Armine completed the establishment, with her young brother, who, among numerous duties, performed the office of groom66, and attended to a pair of beautiful white ponies67 which Sir Ratcliffe drove in a phaeton. This equipage, which was remarkable for its elegance68, was the especial delight of Lady Armine, and certainly the only piece of splendour in which Sir Ratcliffe indulged. As for neighbourhood, Sir Ratcliffe, on his arrival, of course received a visit from the rector of his parish, and, by the courteous69 medium of this gentleman, he soon occasioned it to be generally understood that he was not anxious that the example of his rector should be followed. The intimation, in spite of much curiosity, was of course respected. Nobody called upon the Armines. This happy couple, however, were too much engrossed70 with their own society to require amusement from any other sources than themselves. The honeymoon71 was passed in wandering in the pleasure-grounds, and in wondering at their own marvellous happiness. Then Lady Armine would sit on a green bank and sing her choicest songs, and Sir Ratcliffe repaid her for her kindness with speeches softer even than serenades. The arrangement of their dwelling occupied the second month; each day witnessed some felicitous72 yet economical alteration73 of her creative taste. The third month Lady Armine determined to make a garden.
‘I wish,’ said her affectionate husband, as he toiled74 with delight in her service, ‘I wish, my dear Constance, that Glastonbury was here; he was such a capital gardener.’
‘Let us ask him, dear Ratcliffe; and, perhaps, for such a friend we have already allowed too great a space of time to elapse without sending an invitation.’
‘Why, we are so happy,’ said Sir Ratcliffe, smiling; ‘and yet Glastonbury is the best creature in the world. I hope you will like him, dear Constance.’
‘I am sure I shall, dear Ratcliffe. Give me that geranium, love. Write to him, today; write to Glastonbury today.’
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1
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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turreted
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| a.(像炮塔般)旋转式的 | |
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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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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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kilns
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| n.窑( kiln的名词复数 )；烧窑工人 | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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12
mellowing
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| 软化，醇化 | |
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13
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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14
buffeted
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| 反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去 | |
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15
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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verdant
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| adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的 | |
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severance
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| n.离职金；切断 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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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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22
feudal
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| adj.封建的，封地的，领地的 | |
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23
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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25
enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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pensive
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| a.沉思的,哀思的,忧沉的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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30
cedars
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| 雪松，西洋杉( cedar的名词复数 ) | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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32
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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33
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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conservatories
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| n.（培植植物的）温室，暖房( conservatory的名词复数 ) | |
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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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adornment
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| n.装饰；装饰品 | |
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40
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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41
chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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42
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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43
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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44
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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45
divested
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| v.剥夺( divest的过去式和过去分词 )；脱去（衣服）；2。从…取去…；1。（给某人）脱衣服 | |
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46
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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47
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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48
solaced
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| v.安慰，慰藉( solace的过去分词 ) | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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50
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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51
retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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52
degenerating
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的现在分词 ) | |
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53
stifle
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| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
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54
gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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55
mingled
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| 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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hereditary
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| adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的 | |
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57
aspirations
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| 强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音 | |
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58
revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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60
ruminating
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| v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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61
tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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bowers
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| n.（女子的）卧室( bower的名词复数 )；船首锚；阴凉处；鞠躬的人 | |
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dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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65
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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66
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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69
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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70
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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71
honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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felicitous
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| adj.恰当的，巧妙的；n.恰当，贴切 | |
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73
alteration
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| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
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74
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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