"I have taught young gentlemen before," he remarked privately13 to Mistress Halsell—"one at least with royal blood in his veins14, though he was not called prince—but my lord Marquess has a fire I have seen in no other. To set him to work upon a new branch of study is like setting a flame to brushwood. 'Tis as though he burned his way to that he would reach." The same fire expressed itself in all he did. He was passionately16 fond of all boyish sports, and there was no bodily feat17 he undertook which he did not finally perform better than others of his age performed it. He could leap, run, fence, shoot at a mark; there was no horse he could not ride, and at ten he stood as tall as a boy of fourteen, and was stalwart and graceful18 into the bargain. Of his beauty there could be no question, it being of an order which marked him in any assembly. 'Twas not only that his features were of so fine a moulding, that his thick hair curled about his brow in splendid rings, and that he had a large deep eye, tawny19 brown and fearless as a young lion's, but there was in the carriage of his head, the bearing of his body, the very movement of his limbs a thing which stamped him. In truth, it was as if nature, in a lavish20 mood and having leisure, had built a human creature of her best and launched him furnished forth21 with her fairest fortunes, that she might behold22 what he would do. The first time he was taken by his parents to London, there was a day upon which, while walking in the garden of Hampton Court, accompanied by his governor, he found himself stopped by a splendid haughty23 lady, whom Mr. Fox saluted24 with some fearfulness when she addressed him. She asked the boy's name, and, putting her hand on his shoulder, so held him that she might look at him well.
"The little Roxholm," she said. "Yes, his mother was the beauty who—"
'Twas as if she checked her speech. She made a quick, imperious movement with her head, and added: "He is all rumour25 said of him;" and she turned away with such abruptness26 that the child asked himself how he had vexed27 her, and wondered also at her manners, he being used only to grace and courtesy.
They were near the end of the terrace which looked upon the River Thames, and she went with her companion and leaned upon the stone balustrades, looking out upon the water with fierce eyes. "The woman who could give him a son like that," she said, "could hold him against all others, and demand what she chose. Squat28 Catherine herself could do it."
Little Roxholm heard her.
"She is a very handsome lady," he said, innocently, "though she has a strange way. Is she of the Court, and do you know her name?"
"'Tis her Grace the Duchess of Cleveland," answered Mr. Fox, gravely, as they walked away.
He was seven years old at this time, and 'twas during this visit to town that he heard a conversation which made a great impression upon him, opening up as it did new vistas29 of childish thinking. Having known but one phase of existence, he was not aware that he had lived the life of a young prince in a fairy tale, and that there were other children whose surroundings were as gloomy as his were fair and bright.
He was one day comfortably ensconced in the deep embrasure of a window, a book upon his knee, when Mistress Halsell and one of the upper servants came into the room upon which his study opened, and presently his ear was attracted by a thing they were speaking of with some feeling.
"As sweetly pretty a young lady as ever one beheld," he heard. "Never saw I a fairer skin or eyes more hyacinth-blue—and her hair trailing to the ground like a mantle30, and as soft and fine as silk."
'Twas this which made him stop in his reading. The description seeming so like that of a beauty in a story of chivalry31 in which knights32 fought for such loveliness.
"And now," the voice went on, "after but a few years of marriage all her beauty lost so that none would know her! Four poor, weak girl infants she hath given birth to, and her husband, Sir Jeoffry, in a fury at the coming of each, raging that it is not an heir. Before the first came he had begun to slight her, and when 'twas born a girl he well-nigh broke her heart. He is a great, bold, handsome man, and she, poor little lady, hopeless in her worship of him. And the next year there was another girl, and each year since—and Sir Jeoffry spends his time in riot and drinking and ill-living—and she fades away in her wing of the house, scarce ever seen."
"Poor, uncared-for thing, 'twould be happier if God took her, and her children, too," said Mistress Halsell.
"Three have been taken," replied her companion, in a low voice. "Neither she nor they have strength. And ah! to see her in these days—her pretty face grown thin and haggard, the blue of her eyes drenched33 out with weeping. 'Tis told he once said to her, 'When a woman grows thin and yellow, her husband will go in search of better looks, and none has right to blame him.' 'Twas on a day when she had dressed herself in her best to please him, but a few weeks after her third infant came into the world. And so weak was she, poor lady, and so hurt in spirit, that she gave a little sob34 and swooned."
The young Marquess read his book no more. He drew down his handsome childish brow and stared straight before him through the window. He was a boy with a fiery35 spirit, despite his general amiability36 of demeanour, and, had he lived among tormentors and tyrants37 and been ill-treated, would have had an ungovernable temper. The thing he had heard filled him with a kind of rage against this big handsome man who treated his lady cruelly and hated her infants. 'Twas all brutal38 and wicked and unfair, as if one should heartlessly beat a little dog that loved one. The picture brought before him was hideous39 and made him grow hot. His spirit had never been tamed, he had the blood of fighting men in his veins, and he had read innumerable stories of chivalry. He wished he were big enough to go forth in search of such men as this Sir Jeoffry, and strike them to the earth with his sword.
On such evenings as their Graces did not entertain, he was taken by his governour to spend an hour with his father and mother in the withdrawing-room, where they sat, and on this evening, when he went to them, each of them observed that he spoke40 less than usual and seemed in a new mood. He had always been filled with a passionate15 adoration41 of his mother, and was much given to following her with his eyes; but this night his gaze was fixed42 upon her in such earnest scrutiny43 that at last her Grace asked him laughingly what he saw in her looks more than ordinary. He had kept very close to her, and had held her hand, and kissed it more than once since he had been in the room. He lifted it to his lips again now, and pressed an impassioned kiss upon its fairness.
"You were never treated cruelly," he said. "No one would ever dare to speak so to you that you would sob and swoon. If any dared!" and his little hand involuntarily went to his side with a fierce childish gesture which made my lord Duke laugh delightedly.
"'Tis in his blood to draw," he said. "Bravo! Roxholm; bravo!"
His mother looked at his beautiful little face and, seeing a thing in his eyes which women who are mothers detect in the eyes of their offspring when others observe little, put a hand on each of his shoulders and went upon one knee so that she could be on a level with his face and see deeper.
"What," she said, with a tender comprehending warmth, "you have been hearing of some poor lady who is hardly treated, and you cannot endure to think of it, because you are a man even though you are but seven years old;" and she bent44 forward and kissed him with a lovely passion and her violet eyes bedewed. "Yes, love," she said, "you are a Man. All Osmondes are when they are born, I think. Indeed, John"—with the sweetest laughing look at her lord, who stood worshipping her from his place at the opposite side of the hearth—"I am sure that when you were seven years old, if you had had a little sword, you would have drawn45 it to defend a woman against a giant, though he had been big enough to have eaten you at one mouthful—and Gerald is like you," proudly. "Gerald is a Man, too."
"'Tis not fair," cried little Roxholm, passionately, "'tis not fair that a big gentleman should be so harsh to a poor lady who loves him, that he should make her cry till the blue goes from her eyes and she is beautiful no longer, and that he should hate her infants because they are not boys. And when she tried to please him he made her sob and swoon away. He should be killed for it—he should be killed."
His father and mother glanced at each other. "Surely," her Grace said, "he must have heard of the wicked Gloucestershire baronet my Lord Dunstanwolde told us stories of—Sir Jeoffry."
"Ay, his name was Sir Jeoffry," cried Roxholm, eagerly. "Sir Jeoffry it was they said."
"Yes," said my lord Duke, "Sir Jeoffry Wildairs, and a rank, heartless brute46 he is to be the father of helpless girl children."
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1
bouts
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| n.拳击（或摔跤）比赛( bout的名词复数 )；一段（工作）；（尤指坏事的）一通；（疾病的）发作 | |
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2
yokels
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| n.乡下佬，土包子( yokel的名词复数 ) | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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4
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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5
revelled
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| v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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6
gnomes
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| n.矮子( gnome的名词复数 )；侏儒；（尤指金融市场上搞投机的）银行家；守护神 | |
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7
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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8
attainments
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| 成就，造诣； 获得( attainment的名词复数 )； 达到； 造诣； 成就 | |
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9
advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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10
infancy
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| n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期 | |
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11
tragically
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| adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地 | |
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12
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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13
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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14
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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15
passionate
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| 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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16
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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17
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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18
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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19
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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20
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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21
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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22
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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23
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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24
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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25
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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26
abruptness
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| n. 突然，唐突 | |
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27
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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28
squat
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| v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的 | |
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29
vistas
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| 长条形景色( vista的名词复数 )； 回顾； 展望； （未来可能发生的）一系列情景 | |
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30
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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31
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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32
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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33
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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34
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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35
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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36
amiability
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| n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的 | |
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37
tyrants
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| 专制统治者( tyrant的名词复数 )； 暴君似的人； （古希腊的）僭主； 严酷的事物 | |
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38
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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39
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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40
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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41
adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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42
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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43
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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44
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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45
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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46
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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