neighboring Quaker meeting-house, in the preparation for which, and

the various special occupations of their "First-day" mornings, the



unsuspecting parents overlooked that inevitable change in the faces

of the lovers which they must otherwise have observed. After



dinner, as Eli was taking a quiet walk in the garden, Richard

Hilton approached him.



"Friend Mitchenor," said he, "I should like to have some talk with

thee."



"What is it, Richard?" asked the old man, breaking off some pods

from a seedling radish, and rubbing them in the palm of his hand.



"I hope, Friend Mitchenor," said the young man, scarcely knowing

how to approach so important a crisis in his life, "I hope thee has



been satisfied with my conduct since I came to live with thee, and

has no fault to find with me as a man."



"Well," exclaimed Eli, turning around and looking up, sharply,

"does thee want a testimony from me? I've nothing, that I know of,



to say against thee."

"If I were sincerely" target="_blank" title="ad.真诚地；诚恳地">sincerely attached to thy daughter, Friend Mitchenor,



and she returned the attachment, could thee trust her happiness in

my hands?"



"What!" cried Eli, straightening himself and glaring upon the

speaker, with a face too amazed to express any other feeling.



"Can you confide Asenath's happiness to my care? I love her with

my whole heart and soul, and the fortune of my life depends on your



answer."

The straight lines in the old man's face seemed to grow deeper and



more rigid, and his eyes shone with the chill glitter of steel.

Richard, not daring to say a word more, awaited his reply in



intense agitation.

"So!" he exclaimed at last, "this is the way thee's repaid me! I



didn't expect THIS from thee! Has thee spoken to her?"

"I have."



"Thee has, has thee? And I suppose thee's persuaded her to think

as thee does. Thee'd better never have come here. When I want to



lose my daughter, and can't find anybody else for her, I'll let

thee know."



"What have you against me, Friend Mitchenor?" Richard sadly asked,

forgetting, in his excitement, the Quaker speech he had learned.



"Thee needn't use compliments now! Asenath shall be a Friend while

_I_ live; thy fine clothes and merry-makings and vanities are not



for her. Thee belongs to the world, and thee may choose one of the

world's women."



"Never!" protested Richard; but Friend Mitchenor was already

ascending the garden-steps on his way to the house.



The young man, utterly overwhelmed, wandered to the nearest

grove and threw himself on the ground. Thus, in a miserable chaos



of emotion, unable to grasp any fixed thought, the hours passed

away. Towards evening, he heard a footstep approaching, and sprang



up. It was Moses.

The latter was engaged, with the consent of his parents and



expected to "pass meeting" in a few weeks. He knew what had

happened, and felt a sinceresympathy for Richard, for whom he had



a cordial regard. His face was very grave, but kind.

"Thee'd better come in, Richard," said he; "the evenings are damp,



and I v'e brought thy overcoat. I know everything, and I feel that

it must be a great cross for thee. But thee won't be alone in



bearing it."

"Do you think there is no hope of your father relenting?" he asked,



in a tone of despondency which anticipated the answer.

"Father's very hard to move," said Moses; "and when mother and



Asenath can't prevail on him, nobody else need try. I'm afraid

thee must make up thy mind to the trial. I'm sorry to say it,



Richard, but I think thee'd better go back to town."

"I'll go to-morrow,--go and die!" he muttered hoarsely, as he



followed Moses to the house.

Abigail, as she saw his haggard face, wept quietly. She pressed



his hand tenderly, but said nothing. Eli was stern and cold as an

Iceland rock. Asenath did not make her appearance. At supper, the



old man and his son exchanged a few words about the farm-work to be

done on the morrow, but nothing else was said. Richard soon



left the room and went up to his chamber to spend his last, his

only unhappy night at the farm. A yearning, pitying look from



Abigail accompanied him.

"Try and not think hard of us!" was her farewell the next morning,

• communication [kə,mju:ni´keiʃən] n.通信；通讯联系 (初中英语单词)


• possibility [,pɔsə´biliti] n.可能(性)；希望；前途 (初中英语单词)


• release [ri´li:s] vt&n.释放；放松；赦免 (初中英语单词)


• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)


• collection [kə´lekʃən] n.收集；征收；募捐 (初中英语单词)


• artificial [,ɑ:ti´fiʃəl] a.人工的；模拟的 (初中英语单词)


• definite [´definit] a.确定的，明确的 (初中英语单词)


• magnificent [mæg´nifisənt] a.壮丽的；豪华的 (初中英语单词)


• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)


• gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)


• forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)


• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)


• stream [stri:m] n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词)


• violence [´vaiələns] n.猛烈；暴力(行) (初中英语单词)


• emotion [i´məuʃən] n.感情；情绪；激动 (初中英语单词)


• liquid [´likwid] n.液体 a.流动的 (初中英语单词)


• whistle [´wisəl] v.吹哨 n.口哨；汽笛 (初中英语单词)


• innocent [´inəsənt] a.无罪的；单纯的 (初中英语单词)


• impulse [´impʌls] n.推动(力)；冲动；刺激 (初中英语单词)


• embrace [im´breis] vt.&n.拥抱；采纳；信奉 (初中英语单词)


• pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对…施压力 (初中英语单词)


• preparation [,prepə´reiʃən] n.准备；预习(时间) (初中英语单词)


• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)


• glitter [´glitə] n.光辉 vi.闪烁，炫耀 (初中英语单词)


• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• excitement [ik´saitmənt] n.兴奋；骚动；煽动 (初中英语单词)


• miserable [´mizərəbəl] a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词)


• unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)


• sincere [sin´siə] a.真挚的；直率的 (初中英语单词)


• sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)


• prevail [pri´veil] vi.胜(过)；流行；普遍 (初中英语单词)


• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)


• farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)


• gloomy [´glu:mi] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• classification [,klæsifi´keiʃən] n.分类(法)；等级 (高中英语单词)


• thicket [´θikit] n.灌木丛；密集的东西 (高中英语单词)


• mature [mə´tjuə] a.成熟的 v.(使)成熟 (高中英语单词)


• sweetness [´swi:tnis] n.甜蜜；芳香；亲切 (高中英语单词)


• fringe [´frindʒ] n.穗；边缘；刘海 (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)


• passionate [´pæʃənit] a.易动情的；易怒的 (高中英语单词)


• tenderness [´tendənis] n.娇嫩；柔软；温柔 (高中英语单词)


• forgiveness [fə´givnis] n.原谅，饶恕；宽仁 (高中英语单词)


• unexpected [ʌniks´pektid] a.突然的；意外的 (高中英语单词)


• strove [strəuv] strive的过去式 (高中英语单词)


• farmhouse [´fɑ:mhaus] n.农场住房，农舍 (高中英语单词)


• inevitable [i´nevitəbəl] a.不可避免的 (高中英语单词)


• crisis [´kraisis] n.转折点；危机 (高中英语单词)


• testimony [´testiməni] n.证明；证据；表明 (高中英语单词)


• sincerely [sin´siəli] ad.真诚地；诚恳地 (高中英语单词)


• confide [kən´faid] v.委托；吐露；信任 (高中英语单词)


• footstep [´futstep] n.足迹，脚步声 (高中英语单词)


• cordial [´kɔ:diəl] a.热忱的；亲切的 (高中英语单词)


• overcoat [´əuvəkəut] n.大衣 (高中英语单词)


• tenderly [´tendəli] ad.娇嫩地；柔和地 (高中英语单词)


• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)


• boyish [´bɔiiʃ] a.少年的；幼稚的 (英语四级单词)


• genial [´dʒi:niəl] a.愉快的；和蔼的 (英语四级单词)


• glimmer [´glimə] n.&vi.闪光 (英语四级单词)


• frosty [´frɔsti] a.霜冻的；冷淡的 (英语四级单词)


• contentment [kən´tentmənt] n.满足；使人满意的事 (英语四级单词)


• canopy [´kænəpi] n.(床上的)罩篷；天篷 (英语四级单词)


• bravery [´breivəri] n.勇敢，大胆，刚毅 (英语四级单词)


• boundless [´baundlis] a.无边无际的 (英语四级单词)


• hallowed [´hæləud] a.神圣的，崇高的 (英语四级单词)


• attachment [ə´tætʃmənt] n.附着；附件；爱慕 (英语四级单词)


• daring [´deəriŋ] a.&n.勇敢(的) (英语四级单词)


• haggard [´hægəd] a.憔悴的 (英语四级单词)


• morrow [´mɔrəu] n.翌日 (英语四级单词)


• mechanically [mi´kænikəli] ad.机械地；无意识地 (英语六级单词)


• quaker [´kweikə] n.教友会教徒 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• seedling [´si:dliŋ] n.幼苗 (英语六级单词)


• hoarsely [´hɔ:sli] ad.嘶哑地 (英语六级单词)