酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

Green Mansions-Part26_W.H.Hudson(1841-1922)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页
important and miraculous. Is it not so, senor?" he ended,



appealing to me.

"Is it, then, left for me to decide?" said I, addressing the



girl.

But though her face was towards me, she refused to meet my look



and was silent. Silent, but not satisfied: she doubted still,

and had perhaps caught something in my tone that strengthened her



doubt.

Old Nuflo understood the expression. "Look at me, Rima," he



said, drawing himself up. "I am old, and he is young--do I not

know best? I have spoken and have decided it."



Still that unconvinced expression, and her face turned expectant

to me.



"Am I to decide?" I repeated.

"Who, then?" she said at last, her voice scarcely more than a



murmur; yet there was reproach in the tone, as if she had made a

long speech and I had tyrannously driven her to it.



"Thus, then, I decide," said I. "To each of us, as to every kind

of animal, even to small birds and insects, and to every kind of



plant, there is given something peculiar--a fragrance, a melody,

a special instinct, an art, a knowledge, which no other has. And



to Rima has been given this quickness of mind and power to divine

distant things; it is hers, just as swiftness and grace and



changeful, brilliant colour are the hummingbird's; therefore she

need not that anyone dwelling in the blue should instruct her."



The old man frowned and shook his head; while she, after one

swift, shy glance at my face, and with something like a smile



flitting over her delicate lips, turned and re-entered the house.

I felt convinced from that parting look that she had understood



me, that my words had in some sort given her relief; for, strong

as was her faith in the supernatural, she appeared as ready to



escape from it, when a way of escape offered, as from the limp

cotton gown and constrained manner worn in the house. The



religion and cotton dress were evidently remains of her early

training at the settlement of Voa.



Old Nuflo, strange to say, had proved better than his word.

Instead of inventing new causes for delay, as I had imagined



would be the case, he now informed me that his preparations for

the journey were all but complete, that he had only waited for my



return to set out.

Rima soon left us in her customary way, and then, talking by the



fire, I gave an account of my detention by the Indians and of the

loss of my revolver, which I thought very serious.



"You seem to think little of it," I said, observing that he took

it very coolly. "Yet I know not how I shall defend myself in



case of an attack."

"I have no fear of an attack," he answered. "It seems to me the



same thing whether you have a revolver or many revolvers and

carbines and swords, or no revolver--no weapon at all. And for a



very simple reason. While Rima is with us, so long as we are on

her business, we are protected from above. The angels, senor,



will watch over us by day and night. What need of weapons, then,

except to procure food?"



"Why should not the angels provide us with food also?" said I.

"No, no, that is a different thing," he returned. "That is a



small and low thing, a necessity common to all creatures, which

all know how to meet. You would not expect an angel to drive



away a cloud of mosquitoes, or to remove a bush-tick from your

person. No, sir, you may talk of natural gifts, and try to make



Rima believe that she is what she is, and knows what she knows,

because, like a humming-bird or some plants with a peculiar



fragrance, she has been made so. It is wrong, senor, and, pardon

me for saying it, it ill becomes you to put such fables into her



head."

I answered, with a smile: "She herself seems to doubt what you



believe."

"But, senor, what can you expect from an ignorant girl like Rima?



She knows nothing, or very little, and will not listen to reason.

If she would only remain quietly indoors, with her hair braided,



and pray and read her Catechism, instead of running about after

flowers and birds and butterflies and such unsubstantial things,



it would be better for both of us."

"In what way, old man?"



"Why, it is plain that if she would cultivate the acquaintance of




文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号