LORD GLENARVAN’S fortune was enormous, and he spent it entirely1 in doing good. His kindheartedness was even greater than his generosity2, for the one knew no bounds, while the other, of necessity, had its limits. As Lord of Luss and “laird” of Malcolm, he represented his county in the House of Lords; but, with his Jacobite ideas, he did not care much for the favor of the House of Hanover, and he was looked upon coldly by the State party in England, because of the tenacity3 with which he clung to the traditions of his forefathers4, and his energetic resistance to the political encroachments of Southerners. And yet he was not a man behind the times, and there was nothing little or narrow-minded about him; but while always keeping open his ancestral county to progress, he was a true Scotchman at heart, and it was for the honor of Scotland that he competed in the yacht races of the Royal Thames Yacht Club.
Edward Glenarvan was thirty-two years of age. He was tall in person, and had rather stern features; but there was an exceeding sweetness in his look, and a stamp of Highland6 poetry about his whole bearing. He was known to be brave to excess, and full of daring and chivalry7 — a Fer-gus of the nineteenth century; but his goodness excelled every other quality, and he was more charitable than St. Martin himself, for he would have given the whole of his cloak to any of the poor Highlanders.
He had scarcely been married three months, and his bride was Miss Helena Tuffnell, the daughter of William Tuffnell, the great traveler, one of the many victims of geographical8 science and of the passion for discovery. Miss Helena did not belong to a noble family, but she was Scotch5, and that was better than all nobility in the eyes of Lord Glenarvan; and she was, moreover, a charming, high-souled, religious young woman.
Lord Glenarvan did not forget that his wife was the daughter of a great traveler, and he thought it likely that she would inherit her father’s predilections9. He had the Duncan built expressly that he might take his bride to the most beautiful lands in the world, and complete their honeymoon10 by sailing up the Mediterranean11, and through the clustering islands of the Archipelago.
However, Lord Glenarvan had gone now to London. The lives of the shipwrecked men were at stake, and Lady Helena was too much concerned herself about them to grudge14 her husband’s temporary absence. A telegram next day gave hope of his speedy return, but in the evening a letter apprised15 her of the difficulties his proposition had met with, and the morning after brought another, in which he openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Admiralty.
Lady Helena began to get anxious as the day wore on. In the evening, when she was sitting alone in her room, Mr. Halbert, the house steward16, came in and asked if she would see a young girl and boy that wanted to speak to Lord Glenarvan.
“Some of the country people?” asked Lady Helena.
“No, madame,” replied the steward, “I do not know them at all. They came by rail to Balloch, and walked the rest of the way to Luss.”
“Tell them to come up, Halbert.”
In a few minutes a girl and boy were shown in. They were evidently brother and sister, for the resemblance was unmistakable. The girl was about sixteen years of age; her tired pretty face, and sorrowful eyes, and resigned but courageous17 look, as well as her neat though poor attire18, made a favorable impression. The boy she held by the hand was about twelve, but his face expressed such determination, that he appeared quite his sister’s protector.
The girl seemed too shy to utter a word at first, but Lady Helena quickly relieved her embarrassment19 by saying, with an encouraging smile: “You wish to speak to me, I think?”
“No,” replied the boy, in a decided20 tone; “not to you, but to Lord Glenarvan.”
V. IV Verne
“Excuse him, ma’am,” said the girl, with a look at her brother.
“Lord Glenarvan is not at the castle just now,” returned Lady Helena; “but I am his wife, and if I can do anything for you —”
“You are Lady Glenarvan?” interrupted the girl.
“I am.”
“The wife of Lord Glenarvan, of Malcolm Castle, that put an announcement in the TIMES about the shipwreck12 of the Britannia?”
“Yes, yes,” said Lady Helena, eagerly; “and you?”
“I am Miss Grant, ma’am, and this is my brother.”
“Miss Grant, Miss Grant!” exclaimed Lady Helena, drawing the young girl toward her, and taking both her hands and kissing the boy’s rosy21 cheeks.
“What is it you know, ma’am, about the shipwreck? Tell me, is my father living? Shall we ever see him again? Oh, tell me,” said the girl, earnestly.
“My dear child,” replied Lady Helena. “Heaven forbid that I should answer you lightly such a question; I would not delude22 you with vain hopes.”
“Oh, tell me all, tell me all, ma’am. I’m proof against sorrow. I can bear to hear anything.”
“My poor child, there is but a faint hope; but with the help of almighty23 Heaven it is just possible you may one day see your father once more.”
The girl burst into tears, and Robert seized Lady Glenarvan’s hand and covered it with kisses.
As soon as they grew calmer they asked a complete string of questions, and Lady Helena recounted the whole story of the document, telling them that their father had been wrecked13 on the coast of Patagonia, and that he and two sailors, the sole survivors24, appeared to have reached the shore, and had written an appeal for help in three languages and committed it to the care of the waves.
During the recital25, Robert Grant was devouring26 the speaker with his eyes, and hanging on her lips. His childish imagination evidently retraced27 all the scenes of his father’s shipwreck. He saw him on the deck of the Britannia, and then struggling with the billows, then clinging to the rocks, and lying at length exhausted28 on the beach.
More than once he cried out, “Oh, papa! my poor papa!” and pressed close to his sister.
Miss Grant sat silent and motionless, with clasped hands, and all she said when the narration29 ended, was: “Oh, ma’am, the paper, please!”
“I have not it now, my dear child,” replied Lady Helena.
“You haven’t it?”
“No. Lord Glenarvan was obliged to take it to London, for the sake of your father; but I have told you all it contained, word for word, and how we managed to make out the complete sense from the fragments of words left — all except the longitude30, unfortunately.”
“We can do without that,” said the boy.
“Yes, Mr. Robert,” rejoined Lady Helena, smiling at the child’s decided tone. “And so you see, Miss Grant, you know the smallest details now just as well as I do.”
“Yes, ma’am, but I should like to have seen my father’s writing.”
“Well, to-morrow, perhaps, to-morrow, Lord Glenarvan will be back. My husband determined31 to lay the document before the Lords of the Admiralty, to induce them to send out a ship immediately in search of Captain Grant.”
“Is it possible, ma’am,” exclaimed the girl, “that you have done that for us?”
“Yes, my dear Miss Grant, and I am expecting Lord Glenarvan back every minute now.”
“Oh, ma’am! Heaven bless you and Lord Glenarvan,” said the young girl, fervently32, overcome with grateful emotion.”
“My dear girl, we deserve no thanks; anyone in our place would have done the same. I only trust the hopes we are leading you to entertain may be realized, but till my husband returns, you will remain at the Castle.”
“Oh, no, ma’am. I could not abuse the sympathy you show to strangers.”
“Strangers, dear child!” interrupted Lady Helena; “you and your brother are not strangers in this house, and I should like Lord Glenarvan to be able on his arrival to tell the children of Captain Grant himself, what is going to be done to rescue their father.”
It was impossible to refuse an invitation given with such heart, and Miss Grant and her brother consented to stay till Lord Glenarvan returned.
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1
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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generosity
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| n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为 | |
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tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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forefathers
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| n.祖先，先人；祖先，祖宗( forefather的名词复数 )；列祖列宗；前人 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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geographical
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| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
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predilections
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| n.偏爱，偏好，嗜好( predilection的名词复数 ) | |
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honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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shipwreck
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| n.船舶失事，海难 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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apprised
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的过去式和过去分词 )；评价 | |
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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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delude
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| vt.欺骗；哄骗 | |
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almighty
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| adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的 | |
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survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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narration
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| n.讲述，叙述；故事；记叙体 | |
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longitude
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| n.经线，经度 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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