“Campian is one of the beat men I over knew,” said Phoebus. “He was a remarkable5 instance of energy combined with softness of disposition6. In my opinion, however, he ought never to have visited Europe: he was made to clear the backwoods, and govern man by the power of his hatchet7 and the mildness of his words. He was fighting for freedom all his life, yet slavery made and slavery destroyed him. Among all the freaks of Fate nothing is more surprising than that this Transatlantic planter should have been ordained8 to be the husband of a divine being—a true Hellenic goddess, who in the good days would have been worshipped in this country, and have inspired her race to actions of grace, wisdom, and beauty.”
“I greatly esteem9 him,” said Lothair “and I shall write to him directly.”
“Except by Campian, who spoke1 probably about you to no one save myself,” continued Phoebus, “your name has never been mentioned with reference to those strange transactions. Once there was a sort of rumor10 that you had met with some mishap11, but these things were contradicted and explained, and then forgotten: and people were all out of town. I believe that Cardinal12 Grandison communicated with your man of business, and between them every thing was kept quiet, until this portentous13 account of your doings at Rome, which transpired14 after we left England and which met us at Malta.”
“I have written to my man of business about that,” said Lothair, “but I think it will tax all his ingenuity15 to explain, or to mystify it as successfully as he did the preceding adventures. At any rate, he will not have the assistance of my lord cardinal.”
“Theodora was a remarkable woman on many accounts,” said Mr. Phoebus, “but particularly on this, that, although one of the most beautiful women that ever existed, she was adored by beautiful women. My wife adored her; Euphrosyne, who has no enthusiasm, adored her; the Princess of Tivoli, the most capricious being probably that ever existed, adored; and always adored, Theodora. I think it must have been that there was on her part a total absence of vanity, and this the more strange in one whose vocation16 in her earlier life had been to attract and live on popular applause; but I have seen her quit theatres ringing with admiration17 and enter her carriage with the serenity18 of a Phidian muse19.”
“I adored her,” said Lothair, “but I never could quite solve her character. Perhaps it was too rich and deep far rapid comprehension.”
“We shall never perhaps see her like again,” said Mr. Phoebus. “It was a rare combination, peculiar20 to the Tyrrhenian sea. I am satisfied that we must go there to find the pure Hellenic blood, and from thence it got to Rome.”
“We may not see her like again, but we may see her again,” said Lothair; “and sometimes I think she is always hovering21 over me.”
In this vein22, when they were alone, they were frequently speaking of the departed, and one day—it was before the arrival of Prince Agathonides—Mr. Phoebus said to Lothair: “We will ride this morning to what we call the grove23 of Daphne. It is a real laurel-grove. Some of the trees must be immemorial, and deserve to have been sacred, if once they were not so. In their huge, grotesque24 forms you would not easily recognize your polished friends of Europe, so trim and glossy25 and shrub-like. The people are very fond of this grove, and make frequent processions there. Once a year they must be headed by their priest. No one knows why, nor has he the slightest idea of the reason of the various ceremonies which he that day performs. But we know, and some day he or his successors will equally understand them. Yes, if I remain here long enough—and I sometimes think I will never again quit the isle—I shall expect some fine summer night, when there is that rich stillness which the whispering waves only render more intense, to hear a voice of music on the mountains declaring that the god Pan has returned to earth.”
It was a picturesque26 ride, as every ride was on this island, skirting the sylvan27 hills with the sea glimmering28 in the distance. Lothair was pleased with the approaches to the sacred grove: now and then a single tree with gray branches and a green head, then a great spread of underwood, all laurel, and then spontaneous plantations29 of young trees.
“There was always a vacant space in the centre of the grove,” said Mr. Phoebus, “once sadly overrun with wild shrubs30, but I have cleared it and restored the genius of the spot. See!”
They entered the sacred circle and beheld31 a statue raised on a porphyry pedestal. The light fell with magical effect on the face of the statue. It was the statue of Theodora, the placing of which in the pavilion of Belmont Mr. Phoebus was superintending when Lothair first made his acquaintance.
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1
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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2
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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3
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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4
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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5
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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6
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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7
hatchet
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| n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀 | |
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8
ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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9
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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10
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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11
mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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12
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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13
portentous
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| adj.不祥的，可怕的，装腔作势的 | |
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14
transpired
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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15
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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16
vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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17
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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18
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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19
muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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20
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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21
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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22
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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23
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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24
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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25
glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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26
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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27
sylvan
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| adj.森林的 | |
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28
glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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29
plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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30
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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31
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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