“It is very true,” she said, “I never knew such good people; and they ought to be; so favored by Heaven, and leading a life which, if any thing earthly can, must give them, however faint, some foretaste of our joys hereafter. Did your eminence2 visit the Pellegrini?” This was the hospital, where Miss Arundel had found Lothair.
The cardinal looked grave. “No,” he replied. “My object was to secure for our young friend some interesting but not agitating3 distraction4 from certain ideas which, however admirable and transcendently important, are nevertheless too high and profound to permit their constant contemplation with impunity5 to our infirm natures. Besides,” he added, in a lower, but still distinct tone, “I was myself unwilling6 to visit in a mere7 casual manner the scene of what I must consider the greatest event of this century.”
“But you have been there?” inquired Lady St. Jerome.
His eminence crossed himself.
In the course of the evening Monsignore Catesby told Lothair that a grand service was about to be celebrated8 in the church of St. George: thanks were to be offered to the Blessed Virgin9 by Miss Arundel for the miraculous10 mercy vouchsafed11 to her in saving the life of a countryman, Lothair. “All her friends will make a point of being there,” added the monsignore, “even the Protestants and some Russians. Miss Arundel was very unwilling at first to fulfil this office, but the Holy Father has commanded it. I know that nothing will induce her to ask you to attend; and yet, if I were you, I would turn it over in your mind. I know she said that she would sooner that you were present than all her English friends together. However, you can think about it. One likes to do what is proper.”
One does; and yet it is difficult. Sometimes, in doing what we think proper, we get into irremediable scrapes; and often, what we hold to be proper, society in its caprice resolves to be highly improper12.
Lady St. Jerome had wished Lothair to see Tivoli, and they were all consulting together when they might go there. Lord St. Jerome who, besides his hunters, had his drag at Rome, wanted to drive them to the place. Lothair sat opposite Miss Arundel, gazing on her beauty. It was like being at Vauxe again. And yet a great deal had happened since they were at Vauxe; and what? So far as they two were concerned, nothing but what should create or confirm relations of confidence and affection. Whatever may have been the influence of others on his existence, hers at least had been one of infinite benignity13. She had saved his life; she had cherished it. She had raised him from the lowest depth of physical and moral prostration14 to health and comparative serenity15. If at Vauxe he had beheld16 her with admiration17, had listened with fascinated interest to the fervid18 expression of her saintly thoughts, and the large purposes of her heroic mind, all these feelings were naturally heightened now when he had witnessed her lofty and consecrated19 spirit in action, and when that action in his own case had only been exercised for his ineffable20 advantage.
“Your uncle cannot go tomorrow,” continued Lady St. Jerome, “and on Thursday I am engaged.”
“And on Friday—,” said Miss Arundel, hesitating.
“We are all engaged,” said Lady St. Jerome.
“I should hardly wish to go out before Friday anywhere,” said Miss Arundel, speaking to her aunt, and in a lower tone.
Friday was the day on which the thanksgiving service was to be celebrated in the Jesuit church of St. George of Cappadocia. Lothair knew this well enough and was embarrassed: a thanksgiving for the mercy vouchsafed to Miss Arundel in saving the life of a fellow-countryman, an that fellow-countryman not present! All her Protestant friends would be there, and some Russians. And he not there! It seemed, on his part, the most ungracious and intolerable conduct. And he knew that she would prefer his presence to that of all her acquaintances together. It was more than ungracious on his part; it was ungrateful, almost inhuman21.
Lothair sat silent, and stupid, and stiff, and dissatisfied with himself. Once or twice he tried to speak, but his tongue would not move, or his throat was not clear. And, if he had spoken, he would only have made some trifling22 and awkward remark. In his mind’s eye he saw, gliding23 about him, the veiled figure of his sick-room, and he recalled with clearness the unceasing and angelic tenderness of which at the time he seemed hardly conscious.
Miss Arundel had risen and had proceeded some way down the room to a cabinet where she was accustomed to place her work. Suddenly Lothair rose and followed her. “Miss Arundel!” he said, and she looked round, hardly stopping when he had reached her. “Miss Arundel, I hope you will permit me to be present at the celebration on Friday?”
She turned round quickly, extending, even eagerly, her hand with mantling24 cheek. Her eyes glittered with celestial25 fire. The words hurried from her palpitating lips: “And support me,” she said, “for I need support.”
In the evening reception, Monsignore Catesby approached Father Coleman. “It is done,” he said, with a look of saintly triumph. “It is done at last. He will not only be present, but he will support her. There are yet eight-and-forty hours to elapse. Can any thing happen to defeat us? It would seem not; yet, when so much is at stake, one is fearful. He must never be out of our sight; not a human being must approach him.”
“I think we can manage that,” said Father Coleman.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
cardinal
|
|
| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
eminence
|
|
| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
agitating
|
|
| 搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
distraction
|
|
| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
impunity
|
|
| n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
unwilling
|
|
| adj.不情愿的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
celebrated
|
|
| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
virgin
|
|
| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
miraculous
|
|
| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
vouchsafed
|
|
| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
improper
|
|
| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
benignity
|
|
| n.仁慈 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
prostration
|
|
| n. 平伏, 跪倒, 疲劳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
serenity
|
|
| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
beheld
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
fervid
|
|
| adj.热情的；炽热的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
consecrated
|
|
| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
ineffable
|
|
| adj.无法表达的，不可言喻的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
inhuman
|
|
| adj.残忍的，不人道的，无人性的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
trifling
|
|
| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
gliding
|
|
| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
mantling
|
|
| 覆巾 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
25
celestial
|
|
| adj.天体的；天上的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |