He had been present at the downfall of King Koffee; he had contracted during the expedition an ague which tormented6 him greatly during his later life, and he had received a wound and a medal. In gratitude7, it is to be presumed, for these gifts of fortune, the major, with some irony8, had converted the name Sarbylands into the barbaric appellation9 of a West African kingdom; and here, for many years, he lived with his two boys.
These lads, named respectively Maurice Alymer and David Sarby, were in no way related to the major, who, as has been stated before, was a bachelor; but they had entered into his life in rather an odd fashion. Alymer was the son of a beautiful girl with whom Jen had been passionately10 in love, but she did not return his affection, and married one of his brother officers, who was afterward11 killed in the Ashantee war. On returning to England Jen cherished a hope that she would reward his love by a second marriage, but the shock of her husband's death proved too much for the fragile widow. She died within a week after receiving the terrible news, and left behind her a wailing12 infant, which was consigned13 to the cold charity of indifferent relatives.
It was then that the major displayed the goodness of his heart and the nobility of his character. Forgetting his own sorrows, he obtained permission from the relatives to adopt the child, and to take charge of the trifle of property coming to the lad. Then he bought Sarbylands; set estate and house in order under the name "Ashantee," and devoted14 his life to cherishing and training the lad, in whose blue eyes he saw a look of his dead love. This Platonic15 affection begotten16 by the deathless memory of the one passion of his life, filled his existence completely and rendered him entirely17 happy.
With regard to David Sarby, he had passed with the estate to Jen. The boy's father, a libertine18, a drunkard and a confirmed gambler, had been forced, through his vices19, to sell his ancestral home; and within a year of the sale he had dissipated the purchase money in debauchery. Afterward, like the sordid20 and pitiful coward he had always proved himself to be, he committed suicide, leaving his only son, whose mother had long since been worried into her grave, a pauper21 and an orphan22.
The collateral23 branches of the old Sarby family had died out; the relatives on the mother's side refused to have anything to do with a child who, if heredity went for anything, might prove to be a chip of the old block; and little David might have found himself thrown on the parish, but that Major Jen, pitying the forlorn condition of the child, saved him from so ignominious24 a fate. His heart and his house were large enough to receive another pensioner25, so he took David back to the old deserted26 mansion27, and presented him to Maurice as a new playfellow. Henceforth the two boys grew to manhood under the devoted care of the cheerful old bachelor, who had protected their helpless infancy28.
The major was fairly well-to-do, having, besides his pension, considerable private property, and he determined29 in the goodness of his heart, that "the boys," as he fondly called them, should have every advantage in starting life. He sent them both to Harrow, and when they left that school, he called upon them to choose their professions. Maurice, more of an athlete than a scholar, selected the army, and the delighted major, who highly approved of his choice, entered him at Sandhurst. Of a more reflective nature and studious mind, David wished to become a lawyer, with a possible idea of ending as Lord Chancellor30; and accordingly his guardian31 sent him to Oxford32.
Both lads proved themselves worthy33 of Jen's goodness, and were soon in active exercise of the professions which they had chosen. Maurice joined a cavalry34 regiment35 and David was admitted to the bar. Then the major was thankful. His boys were provided for, and it only remained that each should marry some charming girl, and bring their families to gladden an old bachelor's heart at "Ashantee." The major had many day dreams of this sort; but alas36! they were destined37 never to be fulfilled. In the summer of '95 Fate began her work of casting into dire38 confusion the hitherto placid39 lives of the two young men.
Frequently the young barrister and the soldier came to visit their guardian, for whom they both cherished a deep affection. On the occasion of each visit Jen was accustomed to celebrate their presence by a small festival, to which he would ask two or three friends. With simple craft, the old man would invite also pretty girls, with their mothers; in the hope that his lads might be lured40 into matrimony.
The major, owing to circumstances heretofore related, was a confirmed bachelor, but he did not intend that his boys should follow so bad an example. He wished Maurice to marry Miss Isabella Dallas, a charming blonde from the West Indies; and David he designed as the husband of Lady Meg Brance, daughter of Lord Seamere. But Jen was mistaken in thinking that he could guide the erratic42 affections of youth, as will hereafter be proved. Sure enough, the lads fell in love, but both with the same woman, a state of things not anticipated by the major, who was too simple to be a matchmaker.
On this special occasion, however, no ladies were present at the little dinner, and besides Jen and his two boys. Dr. Etwald was the only guest. About this man with the strange name there is something to be said.
He was tall, he was thin, with a dark, lean face, and fiery43 watchful44 dark eyes. For three years he had been wasting his talents in the neighboring town of Deanminster; when, if intellect were in question, he should have been shouldering his way above the crowd of mediocrities in London. The man was dispassionate, brilliant and persevering45; he had in him the makings not only of a great physician, but of a great man; and he was wasting his gifts in a dull provincial46 town. He was unpopular in Deanminster, owing to the absence of what is termed "a good bedside manner," and the invalids47 of the cathedral city and Hurstleigh, for he had patients in both places, resented his brusque ways and avoidance of their scandal-mongering tea parties. Also he was a mystery; than which there can be no greater sin in provincial eyes. No one knew who Etwald was, or whence he came, or why he wasted his talents in the desert of Deanminster; and such secret past which he declined to yield up to the most persistent48 questioner, accentuated49 the distrust caused by his sombre looks and curt50 speeches. Provincial society is intolerant of originality51.
Etwald had become acquainted with Jen professionally, and having cured the major of one of his frequent attacks of ague, he had passed from being a mere41 medical attendant into the closer relationship of a friend. The boys had met him once or twice, but neither of them cared much for his sombre personality, and they were not overpleased to find that the major had invited the man to meet them on the occasion of this special dinner.
But Jen, good, simple soul, was rather taken with Etwald's mysticism, and, moreover, pitied his loneliness. Therefore he welcomed this intellectual pariah52 to his house and board; and on this fine June evening Etwald was enjoying an excellent dinner in the company of three cheerful companions.
Outside, the peaceful landscape was filled with a warm amber53 light, and this poured into the oak-paneled dining-room through three French windows which opened onto a close-shaven lawn. Dinner was at an end; Jaggard, the major's valet, butler and general factotum54, had placed the wines before his master, and was now handing around cigars and cigarettes. All being concluded to his satisfaction--no easy attainment55, for Jaggard, trained in military fashion, was very precise--he departed, closing the door after him. The warm light of the evening flashed on the polished table--Major Jen was sufficiently56 old-fashioned to have the cloth removed for desert--and lighted up the four faces around it with pale splendor57. This quartette of countenances59 is not unworthy of a detailed60 description.
Major Jen's calls for least. His face was round and red, with a terrific blonde mustache fiercely curled. He had merry blue eyes, sparse61 hair, more than touched with gray, and an expression of good-humor which was the index to his character. Man, woman and child trusted Jen on the spot, nor was it ever said that such trust was misplaced. Even the most censorious could find no fault with the frank and kindly62 major, and he had more friends and more pensioners63 and fewer enemies than any man in the shire. Can any further explanation be required of so simple and easily understood a character?
Lieutenant64 Maurice Alymer was also blonde, and also had blue eyes and a jaunty65 mustache, somewhat smaller than his senior's. His hair was yellow and curly, his features were boldly cut, and his six foot of flesh and muscle was straight and lithe66. Athlete was stamped strongly on his appearance, and if not clever, he was at least sufficiently good-looking and good-natured to make him almost as popular as the major. Jen always maintained that Maurice was the living image of himself when a dashing young officer, out in Ashantee; but as the good major was considerably67 under the middle height and Maurice considerably over it, this statement must be accepted with some reserve. It passed as one of Jen's jokes, for a mild quality of which he was noted68.
The other two men had dark and strong faces, which differed entirely from the Saxon simplicity69 and good looks of the major and Maurice. David was clean-shaven and almost as swart as Etwald, and his expression was that of a being with powerful passions, held in check by sheer force of will. He was broad and strongly built; and his smooth black hair, parted in the middle, was brushed carefully from a bold and rather protuberant70 forehead. The young barrister was somewhat of a dandy, but no one who once looked at his face thought of his dress affectations or dapper appearance. They saw intellect, pride and resolute71 will stamped upon the pale countenance58. Men with such faces end usually in greatness; and it seemed unlikely that David Sarby, barrister and ambitious youth, would prove an exception to the rule.
Lastly Etwald. It is difficult to describe the indescribable. He was austere72 in face, like Dante, with hollow cheeks, and a pallid73 hue74 which told of midnight studies. If he had passions, they could not be discerned in his features. Eye and mouth and general expression were like a mask. What actually lay behind that mask no one ever knew, for it was never off. His slightly hollow chest, his lean and nervous hands, and a shock of rather long, curling hair, tossed from a high forehead, gave Etwald the air of a student. But there was something sinister75 and menacing in his regard. He looked dangerous and more than a trifle uncanny. Physically76, mentally, morally he was an enigma77 to the bovine78 inhabitants of Deanminster and Hurstleigh.
Major Jen sustained the burden of conversation, for Maurice was absent-minded, and David, physiognomically inclined, was silently attempting to read the inscrutable countenance of Etwald. As for this latter, he sat smoking, with his brilliant eyes steadily79 fixed80 upon Maurice. The young man felt uneasy under the mesmeric gaze of the doctor, and kept twisting and turning in his seat. Finally he broke out impatiently in the midst of the major's babble81, and asked Etwald a direct question.
"Does my face remind you of anyone?" he demanded rather sharply.
"Yes, Mr. Alymer," replied Etwald, deliberately82, "it reminds me of a man who died."
"Dear me!" said Jen, with a sympathetic look.
"Was he a friend of yours, doctor?"
"Well, no, major, I can't say that he was. In fact," added Etwald, with the air of a man making a simple statement, "I hated him!"
"I hope you don't hate me?" said Maurice, rather annoyed.
"No, Mr. Alymer, I don't hate you," replied the doctor, in a colorless tone. "Do you believe in palmistry?" he asked, suddenly.
"All rubbish!" added the major, selecting a fresh cigar.
"What do you say, Mr. Sarby?" asked Etwald, turning to the lawyer.
"I am a believer."
Here Etwald rose and crossed over to where Maurice was sitting. The young man, guessing his errand, held out his left hand with a smile. Etwald scrutinized85 it closely, and returned to his seat.
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1
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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appellation
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| n.名称，称呼 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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13
consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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14
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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platonic
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| adj.精神的；柏拉图（哲学）的 | |
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16
begotten
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| v.为…之生父( beget的过去分词 )；产生，引起 | |
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17
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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18
libertine
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| n.淫荡者；adj.放荡的，自由思想的 | |
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19
vices
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| 缺陷( vice的名词复数 )； 恶习； 不道德行为； 台钳 | |
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sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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pauper
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| n.贫民，被救济者，穷人 | |
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22
orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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23
collateral
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| adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品 | |
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24
ignominious
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| adj.可鄙的，不光彩的，耻辱的 | |
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25
pensioner
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| n.领养老金的人 | |
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26
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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27
mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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28
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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29
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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30
chancellor
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| n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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33
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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36
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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38
dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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40
lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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41
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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42
erratic
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| adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的 | |
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43
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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45
persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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46
provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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47
invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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48
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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49
accentuated
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| v.重读( accentuate的过去式和过去分词 )；使突出；使恶化；加重音符号于 | |
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50
curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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51
originality
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| n.创造力，独创性；新颖 | |
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52
pariah
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| n.被社会抛弃者 | |
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53
amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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54
factotum
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| n.杂役；听差 | |
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55
attainment
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| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
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56
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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57
splendor
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| n.光彩；壮丽，华丽；显赫，辉煌 | |
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58
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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60
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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61
sparse
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| adj.稀疏的，稀稀落落的，薄的 | |
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62
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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pensioners
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| n.领取退休、养老金或抚恤金的人( pensioner的名词复数 ) | |
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64
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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65
jaunty
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| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
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66
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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67
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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68
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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69
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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70
protuberant
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| adj.突出的，隆起的 | |
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71
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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72
austere
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| adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的 | |
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73
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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74
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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75
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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76
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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77
enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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78
bovine
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| adj.牛的；n.牛 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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81
babble
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| v.含糊不清地说，胡言乱语地说，儿语 | |
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82
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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83
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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84
skeptic
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| n.怀疑者，怀疑论者，无神论者 | |
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85
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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86
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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