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Beauty and The Beast-Part9_Bayard Taylor(1825-1878)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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in advance; his speech and manner were not, in all respects, those



of Friends, and he acknowledged that he was of Irish birth; and

moreover, some who had passed the wagons bearing his household



goods had been struck by the peculiar patterns of the furniture

piled upon them. Abraham Bradbury had of course been present at



the arrival, and the Friends upon the adjoining farms had kindly

given their assistance, although it was a busy time of the year.



While, therefore, no one suspected that the farmer could possibly

accept a tenant of doubtfulcharacter, a general sentiment of



curious expectancy went forth to meet the Donnelly family.

Even the venerable Simon Pennock, who lived in the opposite part of



the township, was not wholly free from the prevalent feeling.

"Abraham," he said, approaching his colleague, "I suppose thee has



satisfied thyself that the strange Friend is of good repute."

Abraham was assuredly satisfied of one thing--that the three



hundred silver dollars in his antiquated secretary at home were

good and lawful coin. We will not say that this fact disposed him



to charity, but will only testify that he answered thus:

"I don't think we have any right to question the certificate from



Islip, Simon; and William Warner's word (whom thee knows by

hearsay) is that of a good and honest man. Henry himself will



stand ready to satisfy thee, if it is needful."

Here he turned to greet a tall, fresh-faced youth, who had quietly



joined the group at the men's end of the meeting-house. He was

nineteen, blue-eyed, and rosy, and a little embarrassed by the



grave, scrutinizing, yet not unfriendly eyes fixed upon him.

"Simon, this is Henry's oldest son, De Courcy," said Abraham.



Simon took the youth's hand, saying, "Where did thee get thy

outlandish name?"



The young man colored, hesitated, and then said, in a low, firm

voice, "It was my grandfather's name."



One of the heavy carriages of the place and period, new and shiny,

in spite of its sober colors, rolled into the yard. Abraham



Bradbury and De Courcy Donnelly set forth side by side, to meet it.

Out of it descended a tall, broad-shouldered figure--a man in the



prime of life, whose ripe, aggressivevitality gave his rigid

Quaker garb the air of a military undress. His blue eyes seemed to



laugh above the measured accents of his plain speech, and the close

crop of his hair could not hide its tendency to curl. A bearing



expressive of energy and the habit of command was not unusual in

the sect, strengthening, but not changing, its habitual mask; yet



in Henry Donnelly this bearing suggested--one could scarcely

explain why--a different experience. Dress and speech, in him,



expressed condescension rather than fraternal equality.

He carefully assisted his wife to alight, and De Courcy led the



horse to the hitching-shed. Susan Donnelly was a still blooming

woman of forty; her dress, of the plainest color, was yet of the



richest texture; and her round, gentle, almost timid face looked

forth like a girl's from the shadow of her scoop bonnet. While she



was greeting Abraham Bradbury, the two daughters, Sylvia and Alice,

who had been standing shyly by themselves on the edge of the group



of women, came forward. The latter was a model of the demure

Quaker maiden; but Abraham experienced as much surprise as was



possible to his nature on observing Sylvia's costume. A light-blue

dress, a dark-blue cloak, a hat with ribbons, and hair in curls--



what Friend of good standing ever allowed his daughter thus to

array herself in the fashion of the world?



Henry read the question in Abraham's face, and preferred not to

answer it at that moment. Saying, "Thee must make me acquainted



with the rest of our brethren," he led the way back to the men's

end. When he had been presented to the older members, it was time



for them to assemble in meeting.

The people were again quietly startled when Henry Donnelly






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