of his family connections, he is sure to get a church in Edinburgh

in a few years if he wishes. Undoubtedly, it would not be a great



match in a money sense. I suppose he has a manse and three or four

hundred pounds a year."



"That sum would do nicely for cabs."

"Penelope, you are flippant!"



"I don't mean it, dear; it's only for fun; and it would be so absurd

if we should leave Francesca over here as the presiding genius of an



Inchcaldy parsonage--I mean a manse!"

"It isn't as if she were penniless," continued Salemina; "she has



fortune enough to assure her own independence, and not enough to

threaten his--the ideal amount. I hardly think the good Lord's



first intention was to make her a minister's wife, but He knows very

well that Love is a master architect. Francesca is full of



beautiful possibilities if Mr. Macdonald is the man to bring them

out, and I am inclined to think he is."



"He has brought out impishness so far," I objected.

"The impishness is transitory," she returned, "and I am speaking of



permanent qualities. His is the stronger and more serious nature,

Francesca's the sweeter and more flexible. He will be the oak-tree,



and she will be the sunshine playing in the branches."

"Salemina, dear," I said penitently, kissing her grey hair, "I



apologise: you are not absolutely" target="_blank" title="ad.绝对地；确实">absolutelyignorant about Love, after all,

when you call him the master architect; and that is very lovely and



very true about the oak-tree and the sunshine."

Chapter XXIII. Ballad revels at Rowardennan.



`"Love, I maun gang to Edinbrugh,

Love, I maun gang an' leave thee!"



She sighed right sair, an' said nae mair

But "O gin I were wi' ye!"'



Andrew Lammie.

Jean Dalziel came to visit us a week ago, and has put new life into



our little circle. I suppose it was playing `Sir Patrick Spens'

that set us thinking about it, for one warm, idle day when we were



all in the Glen we began a series of ballad-revels, in which each of

us assumed a favourite character. The choice induced so much



argument and disagreement that Mr. Beresford was at last appointed

head of the clan; and having announced himself formally as The



Mackintosh, he was placed on the summit of a hastily arranged

pyramidal cairn. He was given an ash wand and a rowan-tree sword;



and then, according to ancient custom, his pedigree and the exploits

of his ancestors were recounted, and he was exhorted to emulate



their example. Now it seems that a Highland chief of the olden

time, being as absolute in his patriarchal authority as any prince,



had a corresponding number of officers attached to his person. He

had a bodyguard, who fought around him in battle, and independent of



this he had a staff of officers who accompanied him wherever he

went. These our chief proceeded to appoint as follows:-



Henchman, Ronald Macdonald; bard, Penelope Hamilton; spokesman or

fool, Robin Anstruther; sword-bearer, Francesca Monroe; piper,



Salemina; piper's attendant, Elizabeth Ardmore; baggage gillie, Jean

Dalziel; runningfootman, Ralph; bridle gillie, Jamie; ford gillie,



Miss Grieve. The ford gillie carries the chief across fords only,

and there are no fords in the vicinity; so Mr. Beresford, not liking



to leave a member of our household out of office, thought this the

best post for Calamity Jane.



With The Mackintosh on his pyramidal cairn matters went very much

better, and at Jamie's instigation we began to hold rehearsals for



certain festivities at Rowardennan; for as Jamie's birthday fell on

the eve of the Queen's Jubilee, there was to be a gay party at the



Castle.

All this occurred days ago, and yesterday evening the ballad-revels



came off, and Rowardennan was a scene of great pageant and

splendour. Lady Ardmore, dressed as the Lady of Inverleith,



received the guests, and there were all manner of tableaux, and

ballads in costume, and pantomimes, and a grand march by the clan,

• prosperity [prɔ´speriti] n.繁荣；成功；幸运 (初中英语单词)


• whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)


• grieve [gri:v] v.&n.(使)悲痛；哀悼 (初中英语单词)


• knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)


• inquiry [in´kwaiəri] n.询问；质询；调查 (初中英语单词)


• perceive [pə´si:v] vt.察觉；看出；领悟 (初中英语单词)


• suggestion [sə´dʒestʃən] n.建议，提议；暗示 (初中英语单词)


• altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)


• sufficiently [sə´fiʃəntli] ad.充分地，足够地 (初中英语单词)


• physical [´fizikəl] a.物质的；有形的 (初中英语单词)


• mental [´mentl] a.精神的；心理的 (初中英语单词)


• impression [im´preʃən] n.印刷；印象；效果 (初中英语单词)


• movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)


• lively [´laivli] a.活泼的；热烈的 (初中英语单词)


• distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• captive [´kæptiv] n.俘虏；捕获物 (初中英语单词)


• female [´fi:meil] a.女(性)的 n.女人 (初中英语单词)


• literary [´litərəri] a.文学(上)的 (初中英语单词)


• prominent [´prɔminənt] a.突起的；凸出的 (初中英语单词)


• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• climate [´klaimit] n.气候；特殊气候地带 (初中英语单词)


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


• interfere [,intə´fiə] vi.干涉；妨碍；打扰 (初中英语单词)


• engagement [in´geidʒmənt] n.婚约；雇用；受聘 (初中英语单词)


• trifle [´traifəl] n.琐事，小事；少量 (初中英语单词)


• partly [´pɑ:tli] ad.部分地；不完全地 (初中英语单词)


• painting [´peintiŋ] n.绘画；(油)画；着色 (初中英语单词)


• instruct [in´strʌkt] vt.教育；指导；通知 (初中英语单词)


• ignorance [´ignərəns] n.无知，愚昧 (初中英语单词)


• anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)


• ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)


• talent [´tælənt] n.天才；才干；天资 (初中英语单词)


• undoubtedly [ʌn´dautidli] ad.无疑地，确实地 (初中英语单词)


• nicely [naisli] ad.恰好地；谨慎地 (初中英语单词)


• genius [´dʒi:niəs] n.天才(人物)；天赋 (初中英语单词)


• independence [,indi´pendəns] n.独立，自主，自立 (初中英语单词)


• amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)


• intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)


• sunshine [´sʌnʃain] n.日光，阳光 (初中英语单词)


• absolutely [´æbsəlu:tli] ad.绝对地；确实 (初中英语单词)


• ignorant [´ignərənt] a.无知的，愚昧的 (初中英语单词)


• circle [´sə:kəl] n.圆圈 v.环绕；盘旋 (初中英语单词)


• series [´siəri:z] n.连续；系列；丛书 (初中英语单词)


• hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)


• absolute [´æbsəlu:t] a.绝对的 n.绝对 (初中英语单词)


• wherever [weər´evə] conj.无论在哪里 (初中英语单词)


• appoint [ə´pɔint] vt.安排；委派；任命 (初中英语单词)


• attendant [ə´tendənt] n.随员 a.伴随的 (初中英语单词)


• running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)


• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)


• costume [´kɔstju:m] n.服装(试样)；女装 (初中英语单词)


• paddle [´pædl] n.踏板 v.用浆划；划船 (高中英语单词)


• innocence [´inəsəns] n.无罪；天真 (高中英语单词)


• subsequent [´sʌbsikwənt] a.其次的；其后的 (高中英语单词)


• peculiarity [pi,kju:li´æriti] n.特色；特性；怪癖 (高中英语单词)


• contemporary [kən´tempərəri] a.&n.同时代的(人) (高中英语单词)


• perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)


• indifference [in´difrəns] n.冷淡；无足轻重 (高中英语单词)


• apparently [ə´pærəntli] ad.显然，表面上地 (高中英语单词)


• reverend [´revərənd] a.可尊敬的 (高中英语单词)


• fortnight [´fɔ:tnait] n.两星期 (高中英语单词)


• solely [´səulli] ad.唯一；单独；完全 (高中英语单词)


• warfare [´wɔ:feə] n.战争；斗争；竞争 (高中英语单词)


• concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)


• architect [´ɑ:kitekt] n.建筑师 (高中英语单词)


• ballad [´bæləd] n.民歌，民谣 (高中英语单词)


• summit [´sʌmit] n.顶(点)；绝顶 (高中英语单词)


• highland [´hailənd] n.山地，高地 (高中英语单词)


• baggage [´bægidʒ] n.行李 (高中英语单词)


• bridle [´braidl] n.(马)笼头；束缚 (高中英语单词)


• pageant [´pædʒənt] n.露天表演；虚饰 (高中英语单词)


• parrot [´pærət] n.鹦鹉；应声虫 (英语四级单词)


• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)


• inclement [in´klemənt] a.冷酷无情的 (英语四级单词)


• audible [´ɔ:dibəl] a.听得见的 (英语四级单词)


• perception [pə´sepʃən] n.感觉；概念；理解力 (英语四级单词)


• heroine [´herəuin] n.女英雄；女主人公 (英语四级单词)


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


• unconsciously [ʌn´kɔʃəsli] ad.无意识地；不觉察地 (英语四级单词)


• pathetic [pə´θetik] a.可怜的；悲哀的 (英语四级单词)


• flexible [´fleksəbəl] a.灵活的，柔韧的 (英语四级单词)


• formally [´fɔ:məli] ad.形式地，正式地 (英语四级单词)


• corresponding [,kɔri´spɔndiŋ] a.符合的；相当的 (英语四级单词)


• vicinity [vi´siniti] n.邻近，附近，接近 (英语四级单词)


• calamity [kə´læmiti] n.灾害，大灾难 (英语四级单词)


• simmer [´simə] v.煨，炖；内心充满 (英语六级单词)


• microscopic [,maikrə´skɔpik] a.(象)显微镜的 (英语六级单词)


• tumbler [´tʌmblə] n.杂技演员；不倒翁 (英语六级单词)


• inexpensive [,inik´spensiv] a.廉价的 (英语六级单词)


• rightful [´raitfəl] a.正义的；合法的 (英语六级单词)


• perspective [pə´spektiv] n.望远镜 a.透视的 (英语六级单词)


• lecturer [´lektʃərə] n.演讲者；讲师 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• disagreement [,disə´gri:mənt] n.不一致；争论 (英语六级单词)


• spokesman [´spəuksmən] n.发言人 (英语六级单词)


• footman [´futmən] n.侍应员；男仆 (英语六级单词)


• jubilee [´dʒu:bili:] n.欢乐的节日 (英语六级单词)