CHAPTER XIII. TWO YEARS

With the coming of another summer there were reasons why Sir Percival Grandison did not think it best to have his son Lionel come home.

 

Troublous times were indeed brewing¹, and he did not want his enthusiastic son to hear the reports that were going from mouth to mouth and from place to place.

 

And when the next December came he was glad the lad was away, for in Boston, men painted and plumed² like Indians had gone at night aboard some laden³ vessels⁴ lying in the harbor, and had thrown nearly two hundred and fifty chests of tea into the water.

 

For England was bound to tax the people of the Colonies for tea, beyond what they were willing to stand. And very patient had the[Pg 156] Colonists⁶ been. Eight years before this there had been a Stamp Act put upon them by the mother country, trying to make them put a stamp on all their law papers, newspapers, and such things.

 

But this had made the people of the Colonies so very angry that the law was laid aside.

 

Now, strange as it may seem, there were yet some of the people who did not quite know whether it was right to stand up and say that England was wrong, and they would not stay on her side, or to think that they ought to obey the king in everything simply because he was the king, and it seemed wrong to break away from his rule.

 

And Sir Percival Grandison, really a fine, noble gentleman, found it hard to make up his mind as to what was entirely⁷ right or wrong in the important question.

 

Sally was now so much a student that nothing, it seemed, could stand in the way of her books and her swift way of learning. She understood all about the trouble with England,[Pg 157] and there was not a more decided⁸, staunch little American patriot⁹ than was she.

 

You know a patriot is one who loves well his or her own country, and Sally was a true, staunch young Colonist⁵. And Mistress Kent listened in surprise to some things she said that winter, wondering that a mere¹⁰ child should know her own mind so well.

 

"I suppose," she said one day, "that we ought to love the king and obey him. But here we are way off by ourselves in another country, where the people have their own homes, and fields and lands of their very own. And why should they want to keep taxing us harder and harder over in England, when we owe them nothing at all, and ask nothing of them? I wouldn't pay such unjust claims!"

 

Mistress Kent was timid, and watched carefully her speech, and could only warn the out-spoken child to be careful herself.

 

"The times are hot and full of threat," she said, "it is feared there may be fighting before long; it were better to watch our words."

 

[Pg 158]And Sally tried to be prudent¹², although it tried her sorely when Mistress Cory Ann would raise her voice and declare that folks were fools who thought it best to oppose the king. But she said those things most frequently when the men were away.

 

And Sally found great comfort and delight in her lessons, which increased from time to time. She also sang in the choir¹³ and at singing-school, greatly to Master Sutcliff's help and satisfaction.

 

One day she picked up part of a newspaper in the road, and was surprised to find that not a word of it could she read.

 

This was late in the fall, after her Fairy Prince had again gone away, bound for Oxford¹⁴ and its halls of learning. And as time went on, not a particle of the dreamy, story-like charm that clustered about the young Lionel died out of her heart. If anything, it grew stronger. Nor was it strange that, with her fancy-loving nature, the lonely child had to set up a kind of dream-castle for her mind to feed upon.

 

[Pg 159]Yet all was pure and innocent as could be, and, if not real, it yet was helpful. And if into her heart had grown a kind of affection for her Fairy Prince, who was so far removed from her in many ways, she felt that it must always stay just where it was, in truth a secret admiration¹⁵ for one far beyond and above her.

 

"Because," she said to herself, "we are oceans apart, not only because the great sea rolls between us, but because in every way he is so far away."

 

Now on this day when the strange paper came into her hands, Sally went slowly along, puzzling over the words, until she exclaimed:

 

"Oh, I know what it meaneth! The paper is in another language, and how I would like to understand it! I must learn it if I can find one to teach me, I must, I must!"

 

When she went at evening to Mistress Kent she took the sheet with her.

 

"Yes, it is a page of a French newspaper," said the mistress, "and although I can make out many of the words, I have not enough[Pg 160] knowledge of the strange tongue to think of teaching it."

 

A new ambition, or eager desire, jumped into Sally's heart.

 

"And is there no one who could teach me?" she asked.

 

"There may be many who could," answered the teacher, "but it hath always been thought a hard matter to learn another language. Parson Kendall hath wide knowledge in Latin, Greek, and some say in French, also. But, knowing for one's self, and imparting or giving knowledge to another, are two different things. It needeth a professor, or a teacher well skilled in other tongues, to teach them properly."

 

Into Sally's mind leaped another thought.

 

"My Fairy Prince will learn these other tongues, why cannot I? I will! A way there must be. I am poor, but I can learn."

 

Mistress Kent then promised Sally that another year, when she would be fourteen, she should begin the study of Latin, if she kept on flying ahead with her studies as she[Pg 161] was doing. There was no danger that Sally would forget the promise.

 

That night she set her wise head to planning and asking in what way she could manage to take up the study of French. Her two spare afternoons were still taken up with Dame¹⁶ Kent, the mother of her good teacher. The evenings, all except Saturday, were given to lessons and the singing-school. What time was there for anything else?

 

"Yet I will!" she said, over and again.

 

"That is right," said her inner Fairy. "Since the desire has come so strongly upon you to know the French language, only persevere¹⁷, and the way to learn it will open."

 

It opened in so simple a manner as to again surprise brave Maid Sally.

 

And her ever-present Fairy said:

 

"It doth in truth astonish me, the ease of it all."

 

She was on her way home from Mistress Kent's when Parson Kendall came toward her.

 

[Pg 162]"Good evening, young maiden," he said, with gentle dignity, "and how do the studies progress?"

 

"Very fairly, I thank you, sir."

 

"And what are they now?"

 

"I have arithmetic, sir, grammar, geography, and history."

 

"Quite a list; and are the studies still pleasant to thee?"

 

"Very, very pleasant, I thank you, sir. But, ah! if only I could learn the French language!"

 

"Learn French! And what, prithee, would a maid of thy years be needing of that?"

 

"I might need it when I am older, sir."

 

Then she added, with the respect that was natural to her, and was always expected of the young:

 

"I think I should much like studying other languages. Grammar pleaseth me; I like right well knowing my own parts of speech."

 

Parson Kendall looked pleased.

 

"When could'st thou find time for another[Pg 163] study?" he asked. "It is no such simple thing to master a strange tongue."

 

"I could, sir," was all Maid Sally said in reply.

 

The parson smiled.

 

"Could'st which?" he asked. "Find the time or master the language?"

 

"I meant, sir, I could learn the language, but Mistress Brace¹⁸ might have much to say if I asked for more time, and I must in some way work for the one who teaches me anything new."

 

"Thou hast the right idea about some things," said the parson, kindly¹⁹, "but go home now, and fret²⁰ not about knowing another tongue at present; it is not needed so early in life. But that which is greatly desired sometimes cometh to pass."

 

There was a twinkle in the good man's eye when he last spoke¹¹ that Sally liked to see.

 

"He is wise and kind," she said, as the parson passed on, "and I must wait for learning French until comes the right time for it, but learn it I must some day."

 

[Pg 164]"Think no more about it, but do the best you can with the fine teaching you have already," advised her Fairy.

 

And Sally tried to heed²¹ the advice.

 

It was but the next week on Wednesday afternoon, when Mistress Kent returned from visiting her sister, that she said to Sally:

 

"I met our good parson but just now, and he would like seeing you at his house on your way home. I hope he hath good tidings for you."

 

Sally trembled with hope as she went toward the parson's house, and it may have been that he feared lest the little maid might find it hard to use the great brass²² knocker on the front-door, for there he was in the garden as Sally entered the gate.

 

"It hath all been arranged, dear maiden," he said, in so father-like a tone that Sally felt tears starting to her eyes. "I deemed it best to see Mistress Brace before saying more to thee about the French lessons, but the use of one morning is to be given thee. Come on[Pg 165] Thursday by nine o'clock, and an hour and a half will I give thee.

 

"No payment will be required save that one or two simple rules must be observed. No more than half an hour a day at present must be given to French. This will make progress slow, but it is of more importance that figures, history, geography, and thy native speech should be well learned than that thou shouldst know a foreign tongue while so young.

 

"And so, see to it that other studies are not neglected for this new one with a new teacher. This is all."

 

When Sally began, to thank Mistress Cory Ann for her kindness in allowing her to go of a morning to the parson, sharp words arose to the mistress's lips, but she kept them back.

 

Sally was yet a great help to her. And a maid whom the parson would take pains to teach the French language was not to be too harshly treated. So she only said:

 

"Ah, well, it seems not strange to me that one who thinks not much of our king should[Pg 166] want to get able to talk with the French some day. So I told the parson he was welcome to teach you all the queer stuff he chose to, as I am sure he is."

 

Mistress Cory Ann Brace did not speak to Parson Kendall in that way at all, and Sally knew it. She curtseyed and bobbed and tried at first to pretend that she could not spare Sally during a morning.

 

But when the parson said, quietly, "Very well, then we must try some other plan," she came around as if the word "burgesses" was again sounding in her ears, and said that after all she reckoned that on Thursdays she could let the girl off for a couple of hours in the morning, and so it was settled without more ado.

 

Before spring again gave place to summer, the parson said to Goodwife Kendall:

 

"It doth astonish me, the way in which the Maid Sally Dukeen taketh her French! I have of late granted her an hour a day at the study, she so desired it. She hath verbs, accent, the[Pg 167] speech itself to a degree that will soon enable her to speak and write it correctly. And to-day the pretty wench asked if in the fall she could drop geography and take up Greek!"

 

"I bethink me she must have come of a race strong of will, keen of intellect, and quick to learn. I would that we knew more of the maid."

 

Did Sally grieve that no Fairy Prince would come sailing home on the Belle²³ Virgeen when June would be rich with flowers and song?

 

Yes, and no. Down deep in her heart was a little murmur²⁴ of pain. But her Fairy had cried as if in scorn:

 

"And what, prithee, have you to do with the comings and the goings of the Fairy Prince? If it be the will of his father that he should stick to his studies and not mix at all with the strife²⁵, and, it may be, the peril²⁶ of these days, why should it cause you sorrow? Dream, if you must, of the lad that is far away, but concern not yourself with the course that is marked out for him."

 

[Pg 168]And Sally was ashamed to mourn or sigh over her Dream Prince, except so far down in her heart that even her own inner Fairy could scarcely know it.

 

1 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

2 plumed   

饰有羽毛的

参考例句：

• The knight plumed his helmet with brilliant red feathers. 骑士用鲜红的羽毛装饰他的头盔。
• The eagle plumed its wing. 这只鹰整理它的翅膀。

3 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 colonist   

n.殖民者，移民

参考例句：

• The indians often attacked the settlements of the colonist.印地安人经常袭击殖民者的定居点。
• In the seventeenth century, the colonist here thatched their roofs with reeds and straw,just as they did in england.在17世纪，殖民者在这里用茅草盖屋，就像他们在英国做的一样。

6 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 patriot   

n.爱国者，爱国主义者

参考例句：

• He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
• He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

10 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

11 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

13 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

14 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

15 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

16 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

17 persevere   

v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
• It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。

18 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

19 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

20 fret   

v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损

参考例句：

• Don't fret.We'll get there on time.别着急，我们能准时到那里。
• She'll fret herself to death one of these days.她总有一天会愁死的.

21 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

22 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

23 belle   

n.靓女

参考例句：

• She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
• She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

24 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

25 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

26 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。