Ihavealreadyhintedthatmyfatherneverrosetoanyveryexaltedrankinhisprofession，notwithstandinghisprowessandotherqualifications。Afterservingformanyyearsintheline，heatlastenteredascaptaininthemilitiaregimentoftheEarlof-，atthatperiodjustraised，andtowhichhewassentbytheDukeofYorktoinstructtheyoungleviesinmilitarymanoeuvresanddiscipline；andinthismissionIbelieveheperfectlysucceeded，competentjudgeshavingassuredmethattheregimentinquestionsooncamebyhismeanstobeconsideredasoneofthemostbrilliantintheservice，andinferiortonoregimentofthelineinappearanceordiscipline。

AstheheadquartersofthiscorpswereatD-thedutiesofmyfathernotunfrequentlycarriedhimtothatplace，anditwasononeoftheseoccasionsthathebecameacquaintedwithayoungpersonoftheneighbourhood，forwhomheformedanattachment，whichwasreturned；andthisyoungpersonwasmymother。

ShewasdescendedfromafamilyofFrenchProtestants，nativesofCaen，whowereobligedtoleavetheirnativecountrywhenoldLouis，attheinstigationofthePope，thoughtfittorevoketheEdictofNantes：theirnamewasPetrement，andIhavereasonforbelievingthattheywerepeopleofsomeconsideration；thattheywerenoblehearts，andgoodChristians，theygavesufficientproofinscorningtobowthekneetothetyrannyofRome。SotheyleftbeautifulNormandyfortheirfaith’ssake，andwithafewlouisd’orsintheirpurse，aBibleinthevulgartongue，andacoupleofoldswords，which，ifreportbetrue，haddoneserviceintheHuguenotwars，theycrossedtheseatotheisleofcivilpeaceandreligiousliberty，andestablishedthemselvesinEastAnglia。

AndmanyotherHuguenotfamiliesbenttheirstepsthither，anddevotedthemselvestoagricultureorthemechanicalarts；andinthevenerableoldcity，thecapitaloftheprovince，inthenorthernshadowoftheCastleofDeBurgh，theexilesbuiltforthemselvesachurchwheretheypraisedGodintheFrenchtongue，andtowhich，atparticularseasonsoftheyear，theywereinthehabitofflockingfromcountryandfromtowntosing-

’Thouhastprovidedforusagoodlyearth；thouwaterestherfurrows，thousendestrainintothelittlevalleysthereof，thoumakestitsoftwiththedropsofrain，andblessesttheincreaseofit。’

Ihavebeentoldthatinheryoungerdaysmymotherwasstrikinglyhandsome；thisIcaneasilybelieve：Ineverknewherinheryouth，forthoughshewasveryyoungwhenshemarriedmyfather(whowasherseniorbymanyyears)，shehadattainedthemiddleagebeforeIwasborn，nochildrenhavingbeenvouchsafedtomyparentsintheearlystagesoftheirunion。Yetevenatthepresentday，nowthatyearsthreescoreandtenhavepassedoverherhead，attendedwithsorrowandtroublesmanifold，poorlychequeredwithscantyjoys，canIlookonthatcountenanceanddoubtthatatonetimebeautydeckeditaswithagloriousgarment？Hailtothee，myparent!asthousittestthere，inthywidow’sweeds，intheduskyparlourinthehouseovergrownwiththelustrousivyofthesisterisle，thesolitaryhouseattheendoftheretiredcourtshadedbyloftypoplars。Hailtothee，dameoftheovalface，olivecomplexion，andGrecianforehead；bythytableseatedwiththemightyvolumeofthegoodBishopHopkinsspreadoutbeforethee；

thereispeaceinthycountenance，mymother；itisnotworldlypeace，however，notthedeceitfulpeacewhichlullstobewitchingslumbers，andfromwhich，letuspray，humblypray，thateverysinnermayberousedintimetoimploremercynotinvain!Thineisthepeaceoftherighteous，mymother，ofthosetowhomnosincanbeimputed，thescoreofwhosemisdeedshasbeenlongsincewashedawaybythebloodofatonement，whichimputethrighteousnesstothosewhotrustinit。Itwasnotalwaysthus，mymother；atimewas，whenthecares，pomps，andvanitiesofthisworldagitatedtheetoomuch；butthattimeisgoneby，anotherandabetterhassucceeded；thereispeacenowonthycountenance，thetruepeace；peacearoundthee，too，inthysolitarydwelling，soundsofpeace，thecheerfulhumofthekettleandthepurringoftheimmenseangola，whichstaresupattheefromitssettlewithitsalmosthumaneyes。

Nomoreearthlycaresandaffectionsnow，mymother!Yes，one。

Whydostthousuddenlyraisethydarkandstillbrillianteyefromthevolumewithasomewhatstartledglance？Whatnoiseisthatinthedistantstreet？Merelythenoiseofahoof；asoundcommonenough：itdrawsnearer，nearer，andnowitstopsbeforethygate。

Singular!Andnowthereisapause，alongpause。Ha!thouhearestsomething-afootstep；aswiftbutheavyfootstep!thourisest，thoutremblest，thereisahandonthepinoftheouterdoor，thereissomeoneinthevestibule，andnowthedoorofthyapartmentopens，thereisareflectiononthemirrorbehindthee，atravellinghat，agrayheadandsunburntface。MydearestSon!-

MydarlingMother!

Yes，mother，thoudidstrecogniseinthedistantstreetthehoof-

trampofthewanderer’shorse。

Iwasnottheonlychildofmyparents；Ihadabrothersomethreeyearsolderthanmyself。Hewasabeautifulchild；oneofthoseoccasionallyseeninEngland，andinEnglandalone；arosy，angelicface，blueeyes，andlightchestnuthair；itwasnotexactlyanAnglo-Saxoncountenance，inwhich，bythebye，thereisgenerallyacastofloutishnessandstupidity；itpartook，toacertainextent，oftheCelticcharacter，particularlyinthefireandvivacitywhichilluminedit；hisfacewasthemirrorofhismind；perhapsnodispositionmoreamiablewaseverfoundamongstthechildrenofAdam，united，however，withnoinconsiderableportionofhighanddauntlessspirit。Sogreatwashisbeautyininfancy，thatpeople，especiallythoseofthepoorerclasses，wouldfollowthenursewhocarriedhimaboutinordertolookatandblesshislovelyface。

Attheageofthreemonthsanattemptwasmadetosnatchhimfromhismother’sarmsinthestreetsofLondon，atthemomentshewasabouttoenteracoach；indeed，hisappearanceseemedtooperatesopowerfullyuponeverypersonwhobeheldhim，thatmyparentswereundercontinualapprehensionoflosinghim；hisbeauty，however，wasperhapssurpassedbythequicknessofhisparts。Hemasteredhislettersinafewhours，andinadayortwocoulddecipherthenamesofpeopleonthedoorsofhousesandovertheshop-windows。

Ashegrewup，hispersonalappearancebecamelessprepossessing，hisquicknessandcleverness，however，ratherincreased；andImaysayofhim，thatwithrespecttoeverythingwhichhetookinhandhediditbetterandmorespeedilythananyotherperson。Perhapsitwillbeaskedhere，whatbecameofhim？Alas!alas!hiswasanearlyandaforeigngrave。AsIhavesaidbefore，theraceisnotalwaysfortheswift，northebattleforthestrong。

Andnow，doubtless，aftertheaboveportraitofmybrother，paintedintheverybeststyleofRubens，thereaderwillconceivehimselfjustifiedinexpectingafull-lengthoneofmyself，asachild，forastomypresentappearance，Isupposehewillbetolerablycontentwiththatflittingglimpseinthemirror。Buthemustexcuseme；I

havenointentionofdrawingaportraitofmyselfinchildhood；

indeeditwouldbedifficult，foratthattimeIneverlookedintomirrors。Noattempts，however，wereevermadetostealmeinmyinfancy，andIneverheardthatmyparentsentertainedtheslightestapprehensionoflosingmebythehandsofkidnappers，thoughIrememberperfectlywellthatpeoplewereinthehabitofstandingstilltolookatme，ay，morethanatmybrother；fromwhichpremissesthereadermayformanyconclusionwithrespecttomyappearancewhichseemethgooduntohimandreasonable。Shouldhe，beingagood-naturedperson，andalwaysinclinedtoadoptthecharitablesideinanydoubtfulpoint，bewillingtosupposethatI，too，waseminentlyendowedbynaturewithpersonalgraces，I

tellhimfranklythatIhavenoobjectionwhatevertohisentertainingthatidea；moreover，thatIheartilythankhim，andshallatalltimesbedisposed，undersimilarcircumstances，toexercisethesamespeciesofcharitytowardshimself。

WithrespecttomymindanditsqualitiesIshallbemoreexplicit；

for，wereItomaintainmuchreserveonthispoint，manythingswhichappearinthesememoirswouldbehighlymysterioustothereader，indeedincomprehensible。Perhapsnotwoindividualswereevermoreunlikeinmindanddispositionthanmybrotherandmyself：aslightisopposedtodarkness，sowasthathappy，brilliant，cheerfulchildtothesadandmelancholybeingwhosprangfromthesamestockashimself，andwasnurturedbythesamemilk。

Once，whentravellinginanAlpinecountry，Iarrivedataconsiderableelevation；Isawinthedistance，farbelow，abeautifulstreamhasteningtotheocean，itsrapidwatersheresparklinginthesunshine，andtheretumblingmerrilyincascades。

Onitsbankswerevineyardsandcheerfulvillages；closetowhereI

stood，inagranitebasinwithsteepandprecipitoussides，slumberedadeep，darklagoon，shadedbyblackpines，cypresses，andyews。Itwasawild，savagespot，strangeandsingular；ravenshoveredabovethepines，fillingtheairwiththeiruncouthnotes，pieschattered，andIheardthecryofaneaglefromaneighbouringpeak；therelaythelake，thedark，solitary，andalmostinaccessiblelake；gloomyshadowswereuponit，which，strangelymodified，asgustsofwindagitatedthesurface，occasionallyassumedtheshapeofmonsters。SoIstoodontheAlpineelevation，andlookednowonthegaydistantriver，andnowatthedarkgranite-encircledlakeclosebesidemeinthelonesolitude，andI

thoughtofmybrotherandmyself。Iamnomoraliser；butthegayandrapidriver，andthedarkandsilentlake，were，ofaverity，nohademblemsofustwo。

Sofarfrombeingquickandcleverlikemybrother，andabletorivaltheliteraryfeatwhichIhaverecordedofhim，manyyearselapsedbeforeIwasabletounderstandthenatureofletters，ortoconnectthem。Aloverofnooksandretiredcorners，Iwasasachildinthehabitoffleeingfromsociety，andofsittingforhourstogetherwithmyheadonmybreast。WhatIwasthinkingabout，itwouldbedifficulttosayatthisdistanceoftime；I

rememberperfectlywell，however，beingeverconsciousofapeculiarheavinesswithinme，andattimesofastrangesensationoffear，whichoccasionallyamountedtohorror，andforwhichI

couldassignnorealcausewhatever。

Bynatureslowofspeech，Itooknopleasureinconversation，norinhearingthevoicesofmyfellow-creatures。Whenpeopleaddressedme，Inotunfrequently，especiallyiftheywerestrangers，turnedawaymyheadfromthem，andiftheypersistedintheirnoticeburstintotears，whichsingularityofbehaviourbynomeanstendedtodisposepeopleinmyfavour。Iwasasmuchdislikedasmybrotherwasdeservedlybelovedandadmired。Myparents，itistrue，werealwayskindtome；andmybrother，whowasgoodnatureitself，wascontinuallylavishinguponmeeverymarkofaffection。

Therewas，however，oneindividualwho，inthedaysofmychildhood，wasdisposedtoformafavourableopinionofme。Oneday，aJew-Ihavequiteforgottenthecircumstance，butIwaslongsubsequentlyinformedofit-onedayatravellingJewknockedatthedoorofafarmhouseinwhichwehadtakenapartments；Iwasnearathandsittinginthebrightsunshine，drawingstrangelinesonthedustwithmyfingers，anapeanddogweremycompanions；theJewlookedatmeandaskedmesomequestions，towhich，thoughI

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读