登陆注册
15328300000032

第32章 A VISITOR FROM TOWN(3)

"I have not the remotest suspicion what you mean, Mr.Moodie," replied Hollingsworth; "nobody, to my knowledge, has called for Priscilla, except yourself.But come; we are losing time, and I have several things to say to you by the way.""And, Mr.Hollingsworth!" repeated Moodie.

"Well, again!" cried my friend rather impatiently."What now?""There is a lady here," said the old man; and his voice lost some of its wearisome hesitation."You will account it a very strange matter for me to talk about; but I chanced to know this lady when she was but a little child.If I am rightly informed, she has grown to be a very fine woman, and makes a brilliant figure in the world, with her beauty, and her talents, and her noble way of spending her riches.I should recognize this lady, so people tell me, by a magnificent flower in her hair.""What a rich tinge it gives to his colorless ideas, when he speaks of Zenobia!" I whispered to Hollingsworth."But how can there possibly be any interest or connecting link between him and her?""The old man, for years past," whispered Hollingsworth, "has been a little out of his right mind, as you probably see.""What I would inquire," resumed Moodie, "is whether this beautiful lady is kind to my poor Priscilla.""Very kind," said Hollingsworth.

"Does she love her?" asked Moodie.

"It should seem so," answered my friend."They are always together.""Like a gentlewoman and her maid-servant, I fancy?" suggested the old man.

There was something so singular in his way of saying this, that I could not resist the impulse to turn quite round, so as to catch a glimpse of his face, almost imagining that I should see another person than old Moodie.But there he sat, with the patched side of his face towards me.

"Like an elder and younger sister, rather," replied Hollingsworth.

"Ah!" said Moodie more complacently, for his latter tones had harshness and acidity in them,--" it would gladden my old heart to witness that.

If one thing would make me happier than another, Mr.Hollingsworth, it would be to see that beautiful lady holding my little girl by the hand.""Come along," said Hollingsworth, "and perhaps you may."After a little more delay on the part of our freakish visitor, they set forth together, old Moodie keeping a step or two behind Hollingsworth, so that the latter could not very conveniently look him in the face.Iremained under the tuft of maples, doing my utmost to draw an inference from the scene that had just passed.In spite of Hollingsworth's off-hand explanation, it did not strike me that our strange guest was really beside himself, but only that his mind needed screwing up, like an instrument long out of tune, the strings of which have ceased to vibrate smartly and sharply.Methought it would be profitable for us, projectors of a happy life, to welcome this old gray shadow, and cherish him as one of us, and let him creep about our domain, in order that he might be a little merrier for our sakes, and we, sometimes, a little sadder for his.

Human destinies look ominous without some perceptible intermixture of the sable or the gray.And then, too, should any of our fraternity grow feverish with an over-exulting sense of prosperity, it would be a sort of cooling regimen to slink off into the woods, and spend an hour, or a day, or as many days as might be requisite to the cure, in uninterrupted communion with this deplorable old Moodie!

Going homeward to dinner, I had a glimpse of him, behind the trunk of a tree, gazing earnestly towards a particular window of the farmhouse; and by and by Priscilla appeared at this window, playfully drawing along Zenobia, who looked as bright as the very day that was blazing down upon us, only not, by many degrees, so well advanced towards her noon.I was convinced that this pretty sight must have been purposely arranged by Priscilla for the old man to see.But either the girl held her too long, or her fondness was resented as too great a freedom; for Zenobia suddenly put Priscilla decidedly away, and gave her a haughty look, as from a mistress to a dependant.Old Moodie shook his head; and again and again I saw him shake it, as he withdrew along the road; and at the last point whence the farmhouse was visible, he turned and shook his uplifted staff.

同类推荐
  • 演司空表圣诗品二十四首

    演司空表圣诗品二十四首

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 集大乘相论

    集大乘相论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 明良论四

    明良论四

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 子渊诗集

    子渊诗集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 好逑传

    好逑传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 爱不逢时

    爱不逢时

    梁景行,你已经长我一轮,还要让我等吗?你就不怕再等你就真的老了,我们就此错过吗?
  • 江月笑

    江月笑

    那一夜武林不再武林,江湖不再江湖。少年扔下三尺长剑决心离开武林放下江湖。这一夜,武林还在,江湖未必是江湖。他决定拾起丢下的长剑为天下人寻找江湖。
  • 炼世三千

    炼世三千

    一块玉佩,招来杀身之祸。失去记忆的他,从一代天骄沦落为草莽。作为草莽,他如何在这崇尚武力的世界中存活,如何找回记忆,斩杀仇敌。他,最后又能否再次踏上天骄之路,力战群雄,笑傲穹宇……
  • 屠戮仙王

    屠戮仙王

    带着芯片穿越到屠夫身上会怎样?戮仙,杀魔,降妖。无尽的秘境,无尽的宝藏。
  • 孤傲系的冷酷帝皇被废之后

    孤傲系的冷酷帝皇被废之后

    先帝崩殂,亲王谋逆,废帝辗转逃离之后,发现大千世界波光诡谲。仙神妖魔,佛鬼灵兽,无妄之灾不断降临。一代帝君,如何重得帝位,驭驶仙神斩杀妖魔踏鬼佛于脚下,并且主宰万界寰宇?敬请收藏!
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 魔绝天下

    魔绝天下

    一段旷世之战,一段痴情绝恋,一段转世重修,一段尘封的记忆,是谁?让这位旷古烁今的人悄然落泪,转世之后又会是怎样的一副场景。。。。。
  • 暗黑道院战记

    暗黑道院战记

    一拳诸天碎,一怒众神灭。吾命即荣耀,荣耀即不败。无惧万世唾骂,我自行我道,与天争运,与神争命,逆命运而行,踏破星空尽头谁与争锋。
  • 双城纪

    双城纪

    余年夏从古朴大气的南京,到小桥流水的苏州,始终深陷爱情囹圄并极力逃脱。可这突如其来的爱情依旧如影随形伴随她一生。33岁才初恋会不会为时已晚?詹斐君相信不管是30岁、40岁或50岁遇见她都会无可避免的爱上她。他爱得隐忍克制,她热情自由,却被他的深沉打动,然而最终选择了望而却步。待老之将至,他才重逢了这心心念念了一生的爱。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 乱斗数码兽

    乱斗数码兽

    数码宝贝是虚幻的吗?我并不怎么认为。我将续写自己与数码宝贝的故事。