david elginbrod-第30部分

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disliked　asking　questions　about　people　to　an　uncommon　degree；　and　so
preferred　waiting　for　a　natural　revelation。　　Her　later　behaviour　had
repelled　him；　impressing　him　with　the　notion　that　she　was　proud；　and
that　she　had　made　up　her　mind；　notwithstanding　her　apparent
frankness　at　first；　to　keep　him　at　a　distance。　　That　she　was　fitful；
too；　and　incapable　of　showing　much　tenderness　even　to　poor　Harry；　he
had　already　concluded　in　his　private　judgment…hall。　　Nor　could　he
doubt　that；　whether　from　wrong　theories；　incapacity；　or　culpable
indifference；　she　must　have　taken　very　bad　measures　indeed　with　her
young　pupil。

The　next　day　resembled　the　two　former；　with　this　difference；　that
the　rain　fell　in　torrents。　　Seated　in　their　strawy　bower；　they　cared
for　no　rain。　　They　were　safe　from　the　whole　world；　and　all　the
tempers　of　nature。

Then　Hugh　told　Harry　about　the　slow　beginnings　and　the　mighty　birth
of　the　great　Roman　people。　　He　told　him　tales　of　their　battles　and
conquests；　their　strifes　at　home；　and　their　wars　abroad。　　He　told
him　stories　of　their　grand　men；　great　with　the　individuality　of
their　nation　and　their　own。　　He　told　him　their　characters；　their
peculiar　opinions　and　grounds　of　action；　and　the　results　of　their
various　schemes　for　their　various　ends。　　He　told　him　about　their
love　to　their　country；　about　their　poetry　and　their　religion；　their
courage；　and　their　hardihood；　their　architecture；　their　clothes；　and
their　armour；　their　customs　and　their　laws；　but　all　in　such
language；　or　mostly　in　such　language；　as　one　boy　might　use　in
telling　another　of　the　same　age；　for　Hugh　possessed　the　gift　of　a
general　simplicity　of　thought；　one　of　the　most　valuable　a　man　can
have。　　It　cost　him　a　good　deal　of　labour　（well…repaid　in　itself；　not
to　speak　of　the　evident　delight　of　Harry）；　to　make　himself　perfectly
competent　for　this；　but　he　had　a　good　foundation　of　knowledge　to
work　upon。

This　went　on　for　a　long　time　after　the　period　to　which　I　am　now　more
immediately　confined。　　Every　time　they　stopped　to　rest　from　their
rambles　or　gamesas　often；　in　fact；　as　they　sat　down　alone；　Harry's
constant　request　was：

〃Now；　Mr。　Sutherland；　mightn't　we　have　something　more　about　the
Romans？〃

And　Mr。　Sutherland　gave　him　something　more。　　But　all　this　time　he
never　uttered　the　wordLatin。




CHAPTER　V。

LARCH　AND　OTHER　HUNTING。

For　there　is　neither　buske　nor　hay
In　May；　that　it　n'ill　shrouded　bene；
And　it　with　new？leav閟　wrene；
These　wood閟　eke　recoveren　grene；
That　drie　in　winter　ben　to　sene；
And　the　erth　waxeth　proud　withall；
For　swot？dewes　that　on　it　fall；
And　the　poore　estate　forget；
In　which　that　winter　had　it　set：
And　than　becomes　the　ground　so　proude；
That　it　wol　have　a　new？shroude；
And　maketh　so　queint　his　robe　and　faire；
That　it　hath　hewes　an　hundred　paire；
Of　grasse　and　floures；　of　Ind　and　Pers；
And　many　hew閟　full　divers：
That　is　the　robe　I　mean；　ywis；
Through　which　the　ground　to　praisen　is。

CHAUCER'S　translation　of　the　Romaunt　of　the　Rose。


So　passed　the　three　days　of　rain。　　After　breakfast　the　following
morning；　Hugh　went　to　find　Harry；　according　to　custom；　in　the
library。　　He　was　reading。

〃What　are　you　reading；　Harry？〃　asked　he。

〃A　poem；〃　said　Harry；　and；　rising　as　before；　he　brought　the　book　to
Hugh。　It　was　Mrs。　Hemans's　Poems。

〃You　are　fond　of　poetry；　Harry。〃

〃Yes；　very。〃

〃Whose　poems　do　you　like　best？〃

〃Mrs。　Hemans's；　of　course。　　Don't　you　think　she　is　the　best；　sir？〃

〃She　writes　very　beautiful　verses；　Harry。　　Which　poem　are　you
reading　now？〃

〃Oh！　one　of　my　favouritesThe　Voice　of　Spring。〃

〃Who　taught　you　to　like　Mrs。　Hemans？〃

〃Euphra；　of　course。〃

〃Will　you　read　the　poem　to　me？〃

Harry　began；　and　read　the　poem　through；　with　much　taste　and　evident
enjoyment；　an　enjoyment　which　seemed；　however；　to　spring　more　from
the　music　of　the　thought　and　its　embodiment　in　sound；　than　from
sympathy　with　the　forms　of　nature　called　up　thereby。　　This　was　shown
by　his　mode　of　reading；　in　which　the　music　was　everything；　and　the
sense　little　or　nothing。　　When　he　came　to　the　line；

　　　　　〃And　the　larch　has　hung　all　his　tassels　forth；〃

he　smiled　so　delightedly；　that　Hugh　said：

〃Are　you　fond　of　the　larch；　Harry？〃

〃Yes；　very。〃

〃Are　there　any　about　here？〃

〃I　don't　know。　　What　is　it　like？〃

〃You　said　you　were　fond　of　it。〃

〃Oh；　yes；　it　is　a　tree　with　beautiful　tassels；　you　know。　　I　think　I
should　like　to　see　one。　　Isn't　it　a　beautiful　line？〃

〃When　you　have　finished　the　poem；　we　will　go　and　see　if　we　can　find
one　anywhere　in　the　woods。　　We　must　know　where　we　are　in　the　world；
Harrywhat　is　all　round　about　us；　you　know。〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　Harry；　〃let　us　go　and　hunt　the　larch。〃

〃Perhaps　we　shall　meet　Spring；　if　we　look　for　herperhaps　hear　her
voice；　too。〃

〃That　would　be　delightful；〃　answered　Harry；　smiling。　　And　away　they
went。

I　may　just　mention　here　that　Mrs。　Hemans　was　allowed　to　retire
gradually；　till　at　last　she　was　to　be　found　only　in　the　more
inaccessible　recesses　of　the　library…shelves；　while　by　that　time
Harry　might　be　heard；　not　all　over　the　house；　certainly；　but　as　far
off　as　outside　the　closed　door　of　the　library；　reading　aloud　to
himself　one　or　other　of　Macaulay's　ballads；　with　an　evident
enjoyment　of　the　go　in　it。　　A　story　with　drum　and　trumpet
accompaniment　was　quite　enough；　for　the　present；　to　satisfy　Harry；
and　Macaulay　could　give　him　that；　if　little　more。

As　they　went　across　the　lawn　towards　the　shrubbery；　on　their　way　to
look　for　larches　and　Spring；　Euphra　joined　them　in　walking　dress。
It　was　a　lovely　morning。

〃I　have　taken　you　at　your　word；　you　see；　Mr。　Sutherland；〃　said　she。
〃I　don't　want　to　lose　my　Harry　quite。〃

〃You　dear　kind　Euphra！〃　said　Harry；　going　round　to　her　side　and
taking　her　hand。　　He　did　not　stay　long　with　her；　however；　nor　did
Euphra　seem　particularly　to　want　him。

〃There　was　one　thing　I　ought　to　have　mentioned　to　you　the　other
night；　Mr。　Sutherland；　and　I　daresay　I　should　have　mentioned　it；　had
not　Mr。　Arnold　interrupted　our　t阾e…？t阾e。　　I　feel　now　as　if　I　had
been　guilty　of　claiming　far　more　than　I　have　a　right　to；　on　the
score　of　musical　insight。　　I　have　Scotch　blood　in　me；　and　was　indeed
born　in　Scotland；　though　I　left　it　before　I　was　a　year　old。　　My
mother；　Mr。　Arnold's　sister；　married　a　gentleman　who　was　half
Sootch；　and　I　was　born　while　they　were　on　a　visit　to　his　relatives；
the　Camerons　of　Lochnie。　　His　mother；　my　grandmother；　was　a　Bohemian
lady；　a　countess　with　sixteen　quarteringsnot　a　gipsy；　I　beg　to
say。〃

Hugh　thought　she　might　have　been；　to　judge　from　present　appearances。

But　how　was　he　to　account　for　this　torrent　of　genealogical
information；　into　which　the　ice　of　her　late　constraint　had　suddenly
thawed？　　It　was　odd　that　she　should　all　at　once　volunteer　so　much
about　herself。　　Perhaps　she　had　made　up　one　of　those　minds　which
need　making　up；　every　now　and　then；　like　a　monthly　magazine；　and　now
was　prepared　to　publish　it。　　Hugh　responded　with　a　question：

〃Do　I　know　your　name；　then；　at　last？　　You　are　Miss　Cameron？〃

〃Euphrasia　Cameron；　at　your　service；　sir。〃　　And　she　dropped　a　gay
little　courtesy　to　Hugh；　looking　up　at　him　with　a　flash　of　her　black
diamonds。

〃Then　you　must　sing　to　me　to…night。〃

〃With　all　the　pleasure　in　gipsy…land；〃　replied　she；　with　a　second
courtesy；　lower　than　the　first；　taking　for　granted；　no　doubt；　his
silent　judgment　on　her　person　and　complexion。

By　this　time　they　had　reached　the　woods　in　a　different　quarter　from
that　which　Hugh　had　gone　through　the　other　day　with　Harry。　　And
here；　in　very　deed；　the　Spring　met　them；　with　a　profusion　of
richness　to　which　Hugh　was　quite　a　stranger。　　The　ground　was
carpeted　with　primroses；　and　anemones；　and　other　spring　flowers；
which　are　the　loveliest　of　all　flowers。　　They　were　drinking　the
sunlight；　which　fell　upon　them　through　the　budded　boughs。　　By　the
time　the　light　should　be　hidden　from　them　by　the　leaves；　which　are
the　clouds　of　the　lower　firmament　of　the　woods；　their　need　of　it
would　be　gone：　exquisites　in　living；　they　cared　only　for　the
delicate　morning　of　the　year。

〃Do　look　at　this　darling；　Mr。　Sutherland！〃　exclaimed　Euphrasia
suddenly；　as　she　bent　at　the　root　of　a　great　beech；　where　grew　a
large　bush　of　rough　leaves；　with　one　tiny　but　perfectly…formed
primrose　peeping　out　between。　〃Is　it　not　a　little　pet？all
eyesall　one　eye　staring　out　of　its　curtained　bed　to　see　what　ever
is　going　on　in　the　world。You　had　better　lie　down　again：　it　is　not
a　nice　place。〃

She　spoke　to　it　as　if　it　had　been　a　kitten　or　a　baby。　　And　as　she
spoke；　she　pulled　the　leaves　yet　closer　over　the　little　starer　so　as
to　hide　it　quite。

As　they　went　on；　she　almost　obtrusively　avoided　stepping　on　the
flowers；　saying　she　almost　felt　cruel；　or　at　least　rude；　when　she
did　so。　　Yet　she　trailed　her　dress　over　them　in　quite　a　careless
way；　not　lifting　it　at　all。　　This　was　a　peculiarity　of　hers；　which
Hugh　never　understood　till　he　understood　herself。

All　about　in　shady　places；　the　ferns　were　busy　untucking　themselves
from　their　grave…clothes；　unrolling　their　mysterious　coils　of　life；
adding　continually　to　the　hidden　growth　as　they　unfolded　the
visible。　　In　this；　the