The Low and Pitiful Behaviour of Heartfree; and the Foolish Conduct of His Apprentice1.
His misfortunes did not entirely2 prevent Heartfree from closing his eyes. On the contrary, he slept several hours the first night of his confinement3. However, he perhaps paid too severely4 dear both for his repose5 and for a sweet dream which accompanied it, and represented his little family in one of those tender scenes which had frequently passed in the days of his happiness and prosperity, when the provision they were making for the future fortunes of their children used to be one of the most agreeable topics of discourse6 with which he and his wife entertained themselves. The pleasantness of this vision, therefore, served only, on his awaking, to set forth7 his present misery8 with additional horror, and to heighten the dreadful ideas which now crowded on his mind.
He had spent a considerable time after his first rising from the bed on which he had, without undressing, thrown himself, and now began to wonder at Mrs. Heartfree’s long absence; but as the mind is desirous (and perhaps wisely too) to comfort itself with drawing the most flattering conclusions from all events, so he hoped the longer her stay was the more certain was his deliverance. At length his impatience9 prevailed, and he was just going to despatch10 a messenger to his own house when his apprentice came to pay him a visit, and on his enquiry informed him that his wife had departed in company with Mr. Wild many hours before, and had carried all his most valuable effects with her; adding at the same time that she had herself positively11 acquainted him she had her husband’s express orders for so doing, and that she was gone to Holland.
It is the observation of many wise men, who have studied the anatomy12 of the human soul with more attention than our young physicians generally bestow13 on that of the body, that great and violent surprize hath a different effect from that which is wrought14 in a good housewife by perceiving any disorders16 in her kitchen; who, on such occasions, commonly spreads the disorder15, not only over her whole family, but over the whole neighbourhood. — Now, these great calamities17, especially when sudden, tend to stifle18 and deaden all the faculties19, instead of rousing them; and accordingly Herodotus tells us a story of Croesus king of Lydia, who, on beholding20 his servants and courtiers led captive, wept bitterly, but, when he saw his wife and children in that condition, stood stupid and motionless; so stood poor Heartfree on this relation of his apprentice, nothing moving but his colour, which entirely forsook21 his countenance22.
The apprentice, who had not in the least doubted the veracity23 of his mistress, perceiving the surprize which too visibly appeared in his master, became speechless likewise, and both remained silent some minutes, gazing with astonishment24 and horror at each other. At last Heartfree cryed out in an agony, “My wife deserted25 me in my misfortunes!” “Heaven forbid, sir!” answered the other. “And what is become of my poor children?” replied Heartfree. “They are at home, sir,” said the apprentice. “Heaven be praised! She hath forsaken27 them too!” cries Heartfree: “fetch them hither this instant. Go, my dear Jack28, bring hither my little all which remains29 now: fly, child, if thou dost not intend likewise to forsake26 me in my afflictions.” The youth answered he would die sooner than entertain such a thought, and, begging his master to be comforted, instantly obeyed his orders.
Heartfree, the moment the young man was departed, threw himself on his bed in an agony of despair; but, recollecting30 himself after he had vented31 the first sallies of his passion, he began to question the infidelity of his wife as a matter impossible. He ran over in his thoughts the uninterrupted tenderness which she had always shewn him, and, for a minute, blamed the rashness of his belief against her; till the many circumstances of her having left him so long, and neither writ32 nor sent to him since her departure with all his effects and with Wild, of whom he was not before without suspicion, and, lastly and chiefly, her false pretence33 to his commands, entirely turned the scale, and convinced him of her disloyalty.
While he was in these agitations34 of mind the good apprentice, who had used the utmost expedition, brought his children to him. He embraced them with the most passionate35 fondness, and imprinted36 numberless kisses on their little lips. The little girl flew to him with almost as much eagerness as he himself exprest at her sight, and cryed out, “O papa, why did you not come home to poor mamma all this while? I thought you would not have left your little Nancy so long.” After which he asked her for her mother, and was told she had kissed them both in the morning, and cried very much for his absence. All which brought a flood of tears into the eyes of this weak, silly man, who had not greatness sufficient to conquer these low efforts of tenderness and humanity.
He then proceeded to enquire37 of the maid-servant, who acquainted him that she knew no more than that her mistress had taken leave of her children in the morning with many tears and kisses, and had recommended them in the most earnest manner to her care; she said she had promised faithfully to take care of them, and would, while they were entrusted38 to her, fulfil her promise. For which profession Heartfree expressed much gratitude39 to her, and, after indulging himself with some little fondnesses which we shall not relate, he delivered his children into the good woman’s hands, and dismissed her.
1 apprentice | |
n.学徒,徒弟 | |
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2 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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3 confinement | |
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限 | |
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4 severely | |
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地 | |
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5 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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6 discourse | |
n.论文,演说;谈话;话语;vi.讲述,著述 | |
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7 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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8 misery | |
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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9 impatience | |
n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
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10 despatch | |
n./v.(dispatch)派遣;发送;n.急件;新闻报道 | |
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11 positively | |
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实 | |
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12 anatomy | |
n.解剖学,解剖;功能,结构,组织 | |
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13 bestow | |
v.把…赠与,把…授予;花费 | |
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14 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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15 disorder | |
n.紊乱,混乱;骚动,骚乱;疾病,失调 | |
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16 disorders | |
n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 );凌乱;骚乱;(身心、机能)失调 | |
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17 calamities | |
n.灾祸,灾难( calamity的名词复数 );不幸之事 | |
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18 stifle | |
vt.使窒息;闷死;扼杀;抑止,阻止 | |
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19 faculties | |
n.能力( faculty的名词复数 );全体教职员;技巧;院 | |
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20 beholding | |
v.看,注视( behold的现在分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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21 forsook | |
forsake的过去式 | |
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22 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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23 veracity | |
n.诚实 | |
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24 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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25 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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26 forsake | |
vt.遗弃,抛弃;舍弃,放弃 | |
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27 Forsaken | |
adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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28 jack | |
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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29 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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30 recollecting | |
v.记起,想起( recollect的现在分词 ) | |
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31 vented | |
表达,发泄(感情,尤指愤怒)( vent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32 writ | |
n.命令状,书面命令 | |
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33 pretence | |
n.假装,作假;借口,口实;虚伪;虚饰 | |
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34 agitations | |
(液体等的)摇动( agitation的名词复数 ); 鼓动; 激烈争论; (情绪等的)纷乱 | |
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35 passionate | |
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的 | |
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36 imprinted | |
v.盖印(imprint的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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37 enquire | |
v.打听,询问;调查,查问 | |
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38 entrusted | |
v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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