登陆注册
5149100000004

第4章 ON THE NORTHERN ICE(2)

He shaped his hands and trumpeted through them, but the silence was as before -- it was complete.So then he gave chase, setting his teeth hard and putting a tension on his firm young muscles.But go however he would, the white skater went faster.After a time, as he glanced at the cold gleam of the north star, he perceived that he was being led from his direct path.For a moment he hesitated, wondering if he would not better keep to his road, but his weird companion seemed to draw him on irresistibly, and finding it sweet to follow, he followed.

Of course it came to him more than once in that strange pursuit, that the white skater was no earthly guide.Up in those latitudes men see curious things when the hoar frost is on the earth.Hagadorn's own father -- to hark no further than that for an instance!

-- who lived up there with the Lake Superior Indians, and worked in the copper mines, had welcomed a woman at his hut one bitter night, who was gone by morning, leaving wolf tracks on the snow! Yes, it was so, and John Fontanelle, the half-breed, could tell you about it any day -- if he were alive.(Alack, the snow where the wolf tracks were, is melted now!)Well, Hagadorn followed the white skater all the night, and when the ice flushed pink at dawn, and arrows of lovely light shot up into the cold heavens, she was gone, and Haga-dorn was at his destination.The sun climbed arrogantly up to his place above all other things, and as Hagadorn took off his skates and glanced carelessly lakeward, he beheld a great wind-rift in the ice, and the waves showing blue and hungry between white fields.

Had he rushed along his intended path, watching the stars to guide him, his glance turned upward, all his body at magnificent momentum, he must certainly have gone into that cold grave.

How wonderful that it had been sweet to follow the white skater, and that he followed!

His heart beat hard as he hurried to his friend's house.But he encountered no wed-ding furore.His friend met him as men meet in houses of mourning.

"Is this your wedding face?" cried Haga-

dorn."Why, man, starved as I am, I look more like a bridegroom than you!""There's no wedding to-day!"

"No wedding! Why, you're not --"

"Marie Beaujeu died last night --"

"Marie --"

"Died last night.She had been skating in the afternoon, and she came home chilled and wandering in her mind, as if the frost had got in it somehow.She grew worse and worse, and all the time she talked of you.""Of me?"

"We wondered what it meant.No one knew you were lovers.""I didn't know it myself; more's the pity.

At least, I didn't know --"

"She said you were on the ice, and that you didn't know about the big breaking-up, and she cried to us that the wind was off shore and the rift widening.She cried over and over again that you could come in by the old French creek if you only knew --""I came in that way."

"But how did you come to do that? It's out of the path.We thought perhaps --"But Hagadorn broke in with his story and told him all as it had come to pass.

That day they watched beside the maiden, who lay with tapers at her head and at her feet, and in the little church the bride who might have been at her wedding said prayers for her friend.They buried Marie Beaujeu in her bridesmaid white, and Hagadorn was before the altar with her, as he had intended from the first! Then at midnight the lovers who were to wed whispered their vows in the gloom of the cold church, and walked together through the snow to lay their bridal wreaths upon a grave.

Three nights later, Hagadorn skated back again to his home.They wanted him to go by sunlight, but he had his way, and went when Venus made her bright path on the ice.

The truth was, he had hoped for the com-

panionship of the white skater.But he did not have it.His only companion was the wind.The only voice he heard was the bay-ing of a wolf on the north shore.The world was as empty and as white as if God had just created it, and the sun had not yet colored nor man defiled it.

同类推荐
  • 耳目记

    耳目记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编人事典十三岁部

    明伦汇编人事典十三岁部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 茶解

    茶解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说沙曷比丘功德经

    佛说沙曷比丘功德经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Signs of Change

    Signs of Change

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 佣兵天下:妖孽请自重

    佣兵天下:妖孽请自重

    “少废话,脱衣服!”月疏离瞪了皇帝一眼,皇帝乖乖点头,“喔。”他站了起来,非常配合的褪去了衣裳……可月疏离嘴角微微的抽搐了下,整个人似乎雷劈了一般:“该死的男人,裤子不用脱……”一个堂堂雇佣兵,穿到古代,变成个人尽可夫的妖后,还要带这个懵懂痴傻的皇帝,她到底招谁惹谁了?
  • 读者文摘精华:没有人天生身价不菲(原创版)

    读者文摘精华:没有人天生身价不菲(原创版)

    人的一生就是一个追求幸福、追求成功的过程。没有人天生身价不菲,都是在这个过程中实现理想,达到人生的目标的。最终是否成功不重要,重要的是,在不断地追求中享受了这个过程,享受这个过程,其实就是最大的幸福。这是一本哲理散文集,收了作者创作20余年的100多篇经典作品,作者试图通过以小见大的视角,来让人懂得这么个道理。那就是那些有追求的人,一直走在路上的人,幸福,同时也有价值。
  • 你是淡雅的诗,生活是华丽的油彩

    你是淡雅的诗,生活是华丽的油彩

    再美丽的油彩,也不应过分浓烈;再华丽的生活,也需要淡然处之。这本书的心灵故事深入浅出,用每个精致细微的生活小事让我们直面自己的内心世界。当你看到别人在熠熠发光,当你因为生活而被迫滋生坚强,当你因为五光十色的世界而暂停前行,你都要学会淡然处之,让心中多一些柔软的力量,才能担当更华丽的生活。
  • 风华未嫌迟

    风华未嫌迟

    全城皆知皇城第一废物要休了爱慕已久的未婚夫!一直是全城话点的某女也很无奈,没办法,就是这么红。疯子,傻子,那好,就疯傻给你们看。灭绿茶,砍白莲,降怨灵,唤魔兽,她就是新时代三好青年。这位大哥,君子动口不动手,所以你就咬人?打遍六界无敌手,书院雷池跪杨柳。当魔种之谜解开后,面对他们的,是生死抉择。这九十九级天阶,每一步都有她流过的血。你用生命保护的女孩子,她也在用生命保护你。与六界为敌,众叛亲离,愿我身陷黑暗,换你永存白昼。原以为离开是最好的守护,没想到是她的催命符。“如若你不能爱我一生一世,那便爱我这一次,可好。”他心系天下,我心系他,苍生不配,他配。一念生死,一念神魔。
  • Malbone an Oldport Pomance

    Malbone an Oldport Pomance

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 月牙儿·我这一辈子:老舍短篇小说选

    月牙儿·我这一辈子:老舍短篇小说选

    老舍的小说主要描写市民尤其是城市贫民的生活和命运,文笔生动幽默,富有浓郁的“京味”以及对传统文化的反思,具有极为鲜明的艺术个性。书中精选了老舍短篇小说十八篇:前十三篇,如《黑白李》、《断魂枪》、《月牙儿》等,选自1956年老舍先生自选成集的《老舍短篇小说选》;后五篇,如《大悲寺外》、《开市大吉》、《我这一辈子》等,选自老舍早年出版的多部短篇小说集。《月牙儿·我这一辈子:老舍短篇小说选》选目丰富,比较全面地展示了老舍在短篇小说创作领域的艺术成就。
  • 四声

    四声

    书店里的年轻人,仿佛并未感到老板的不耐烦。他站在巨大的落地窗前,轻轻翻过一页书,甚至连端书的姿势都未曾变换过。但如果老板站起身来,走到那位年轻人身边,便会发现,书城中央的黑色舞台会变得一清二楚。舞台周围是数不清的少女,身上穿着统一的红色裙装,她们正用力呼喊着偶像的名字。那些喊声到了三层,却又显得不那么清晰了,仿佛是“李晴天”又或者是“李景天”,但无论是哪个名字,都并不出名。
  • 唯愿守住这时光

    唯愿守住这时光

    她是千金小姐,却甘愿到他身边做小助理。他是商场新秀,却看不懂她的情。他说,秦初姚是我最重要的女人。只有她知道,她从来都不曾,因为他有命定的恋人,内定的未婚妻。她离开,他捧着她的日记泪湿眼眶,终于明白,她就是那粒吹进他心里的沙,与他心融。再次相见,他问她,“你记不记得你从我这里拿走的东西?现在你还给我吧。”秦初姚看着他,不明白。“你不记得没关系,我记得你还有东西放我这里,不过我没打算还给你。”苏铭堔抓着她的手放在自己胸口,“我很乐意跟你一起拥有它。”我喜欢你的时候,你不喜欢我,我爱上你的时候,你才刚开始喜欢我,等你终于爱上我的时候......你不知道我等这一天等了一个世纪。
  • 哈佛职场情商课

    哈佛职场情商课

    “智商决定录用,情商决定晋升”。是否拥有高情商,关系到你的职场命运。本书针对职场人士而编写,从认识情商、认清自我、完善自我、激励自我、了解他人以及情商在工作、人际交往中的作用等方面出发,全面诠释了职场人士应该怎样提高自己的情商。虽然你没有哈佛学子那样高的学历,但是可以通过努力让自己的情商和他们处于同一个水平。
  • 企业家的“基因”(吴晓波细说商业史04)

    企业家的“基因”(吴晓波细说商业史04)

    “吴晓波细说商业史”系列图书为全数字系列产品,是对《激荡三十年》《跌荡一百年》《浩荡两千年》的补充。该系列整理了吴晓波近年来所写作的文章,了解中国百年商业的风雨历程,再现那些可歌可泣的历史商人,探寻中国商业百年变迁,深入中国商人企业家精神内核。《企业家的“基因”(吴晓波细说商业史04)》:从杜月笙到王石,聚焦中国企业家百年史。