友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
恐怖书库 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

lavengro-第3部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!



person of the neighbourhood; for whom he formed an attachment; 

which was returned; and this young person was my mother。



She was descended from a family of French Protestants; natives of 

Caen; who were obliged to leave their native country when old 

Louis; at the instigation of the Pope; thought fit to revoke the 

Edict of Nantes:  their name was Petrement; and I have reason for 

believing that they were people of some consideration; that they 

were noble hearts; and good Christians; they gave sufficient proof 

in scorning to bow the knee to the tyranny of Rome。  So they left 

beautiful Normandy for their faith's sake; and with a few louis 

d'ors in their purse; a Bible in the vulgar tongue; and a couple of 

old swords; which; if report be true; had done service in the 

Huguenot wars; they crossed the sea to the isle of civil peace and 

religious liberty; and established themselves in East Anglia。



And many other Huguenot families bent their steps thither; and 

devoted themselves to agriculture or the mechanical arts; and in 

the venerable old city; the capital of the province; in the 

northern shadow of the Castle of De Burgh; the exiles built for 

themselves a church where they praised God in the French tongue; 

and to which; at particular seasons of the year; they were in the 

habit of flocking from country and from town to sing …



'Thou hast provided for us a goodly earth; thou waterest her 

furrows; thou sendest rain into the little valleys thereof; thou 

makest it soft with the drops of rain; and blessest the increase of 

it。'



I have been told that in her younger days my mother was strikingly 

handsome; this I can easily believe:  I never knew her in her 

youth; for though she was very young when she married my father 

(who was her senior by many years); she had attained the middle age 

before I was born; no children having been vouchsafed to my parents 

in the early stages of their union。  Yet even at the present day; 

now that years threescore and ten have passed over her head; 

attended with sorrow and troubles manifold; poorly chequered with 

scanty joys; can I look on that countenance and doubt that at one 

time beauty decked it as with a glorious garment?  Hail to thee; my 

parent! as thou sittest there; in thy widow's weeds; in the dusky 

parlour in the house overgrown with the lustrous ivy of the sister 

isle; the solitary house at the end of the retired court shaded by 

lofty poplars。  Hail to thee; dame of the oval face; olive 

complexion; and Grecian forehead; by thy table seated with the 

mighty volume of the good Bishop Hopkins spread out before thee; 

there is peace in thy countenance; my mother; it is not worldly 

peace; however; not the deceitful peace which lulls to bewitching 

slumbers; and from which; let us pray; humbly pray; that every 

sinner may be roused in time to implore mercy not in vain!  Thine 

is the peace of the righteous; my mother; of those to whom no sin 

can be imputed; the score of whose misdeeds has been long since 

washed away by the blood of atonement; which imputeth righteousness 

to those who trust in it。  It was not always thus; my mother; a 

time was; when the cares; pomps; and vanities of this world 

agitated thee too much; but that time is gone by; another and a 

better has succeeded; there is peace now on thy countenance; the 

true peace; peace around thee; too; in thy solitary dwelling; 

sounds of peace; the cheerful hum of the kettle and the purring of 

the immense angola; which stares up at thee from its settle with 

its almost human eyes。



No more earthly cares and affections now; my mother!  Yes; one。  

Why dost thou suddenly raise thy dark and still brilliant eye from 

the volume with a somewhat startled glance?  What noise is that in 

the distant street?  Merely the noise of a hoof; a sound common 

enough:  it draws nearer; nearer; and now it stops before thy gate。  

Singular!  And now there is a pause; a long pause。  Ha! thou 

hearest something … a footstep; a swift but heavy footstep! thou 

risest; thou tremblest; there is a hand on the pin of the outer 

door; there is some one in the vestibule; and now the door of thy 

apartment opens; there is a reflection on the mirror behind thee; a 

travelling hat; a gray head and sunburnt face。  My dearest Son! … 

My darling Mother!



Yes; mother; thou didst recognise in the distant street the hoof…

tramp of the wanderer's horse。



I was not the only child of my parents; I had a brother some three 

years older than myself。  He was a beautiful child; one of those 

occasionally seen in England; and in England alone; a rosy; angelic 

face; blue eyes; and light chestnut hair; it was not exactly an 

Anglo…Saxon countenance; in which; by the bye; there is generally a 

cast of loutishness and stupidity; it partook; to a certain extent; 

of the Celtic character; particularly in the fire and vivacity 

which illumined it; his face was the mirror of his mind; perhaps no 

disposition more amiable was ever found amongst the children of 

Adam; united; however; with no inconsiderable portion of high and 

dauntless spirit。  So great was his beauty in infancy; that people; 

especially those of the poorer classes; would follow the nurse who 

carried him about in order to look at and bless his lovely face。  

At the age of three months an attempt was made to snatch him from 

his mother's arms in the streets of London; at the moment she was 

about to enter a coach; indeed; his appearance seemed to operate so 

powerfully upon every person who beheld him; that my parents were 

under continual apprehension of losing him; his beauty; however; 

was perhaps surpassed by the quickness of his parts。  He mastered 

his letters in a few hours; and in a day or two could decipher the 

names of people on the doors of houses and over the shop…windows。



As he grew up; his personal appearance became less prepossessing; 

his quickness and cleverness; however; rather increased; and I may 

say of him; that with respect to everything which he took in hand 

he did it better and more speedily than any other person。  Perhaps 

it will be asked here; what became of him?  Alas! alas! his was an 

early and a foreign grave。  As I have said before; the race is not 

always for the swift; nor the battle for the strong。



And now; doubtless; after the above portrait of my brother; painted 

in the very best style of Rubens; the reader will conceive himself 

justified in expecting a full…length one of myself; as a child; for 

as to my present appearance; I suppose he will be tolerably content 

with that flitting glimpse in the mirror。  But he must excuse me; I 

have no intention of drawing a portrait of myself in childhood; 

indeed it would be difficult; for at that time I never looked into 

mirrors。  No attempts; however; were ever made to steal me in my 

infancy; and I never heard that my parents entertained the 

slightest apprehension of lo
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 2 2
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!