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                    MALBONE:     AN   OLDPORT ROMANCE。 



              MALBONE: AN 

OLDPORT ROMANCE。 



     by THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON。 



   〃What is Nature unless there is an eventful human life passing 

                               within her? 

 Many joys and many sorrows are the lights and shadows in which 

      she shows most beautiful。〃THOREAU; MS。                Diary。 



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                           MALBONE:       AN   OLDPORT ROMANCE。 



                                 CHAPTER I。 



                                       AN ARRIVAL。 

     IT  was   one   of   the   changing   days   of   our   Oldport   midsummer。   In   the 

morning it had rained in rather a dismal way; and Aunt Jane had said she 

should   put   it   in   her  diary。 It   was   a  very  serious thing   for  the   elements 

when they got into Aunt Jane's diary。 By noon the sun came out as clear 

and sultry as if there had never been a cloud; the northeast wind died away; 

the bay  was   motionless; the   first locust of   the summer   shrilled   from  the 

elms;   and   the   robins   seemed   to   be   serving   up   butterflies   hot   for   their 

insatiable     second    brood;   while    nothing    seemed    desirable    for  a  human 

luncheon except ice…cream and fans。 In the afternoon the southwest wind 

came up the bay; with its line of dark…blue ripple and its delicious coolness; 

while the hue of the water grew more and more intense; till we seemed to 

be living in the heart of a sapphire。 

     The    household      sat  beneath    the  large   western    doorway      of  the   old 

Maxwell House;he rear door; which looks on the water。                   The house had 

just been reoccupied by my Aunt Jane; whose great…grandfather had built 

it; though it had for several generations been out of the family。 I know no 

finer specimen of those large colonial dwellings in which the genius of Sir 

Christopher   Wren   bequeathed   traditions   of   stateliness   to   our   democratic 

days。     Its   central   hall   has   a   carved   archway;   most   of   the   rooms   have 

painted tiles and are wainscoted to the ceiling; the sashes are red…cedar; the 

great    staircase   mahogany;       there   are  pilasters   with   delicate   Corinthian 

capitals;    there   are   cherubs'   heads    and   wings    that   go  astray   and    lose 

themselves in closets and behind glass doors; there are curling acanthus… 

leaves   that   cluster   over   shelves   and   ledges;   and   there   are   those   graceful 

shell…patterns which one often sees on old furniture; but rarely in houses。 

The high front door still retains its Ionic cornice; and the western entrance; 

looking   on   the   bay;   is   surmounted   by   carved   fruit   and   flowers;   and   is 

crowned; as is the roof; with that pineapple in whose symbolic wealth the 

rich merchants of the last century delighted。 



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                           MALBONE:       AN   OLDPORT ROMANCE。 



     Like most of the statelier houses in that region of Oldport; this abode 

had   its   rumors   of   a   ghost   and   of   secret   chambers。   The   ghost   had   never 

been properly lionized nor laid; for Aunt Jane; the neatest of housekeepers; 

had   discouraged   all   silly   explorations;   had   at   once   required   all   barred 

windows   to   be   opened;   all   superfluous   partitions   to   be   taken   down;   and 

several highly eligible dark…closets to be nailed up。 If there was anything 

she hated; it was nooks and odd corners。 Yet there had been times that year; 

when the household would have been glad to find a few more such hiding… 

places; for during the first few weeks the house had been crammed with 

guests     so  closely   that   the  very   mice    had   been    ill…accommodated        and 

obliged to sit up all night; which had caused them much discomfort and 

many audible disagreements。 

     But this   first   tumult   had   passed   away;   and   now  there   remained   only 

the various nephews and nieces of the house; including a due proportion of 

small   children。      Two   final   guests   were   to   arrive   that   day;   bringing   the 

latest breath of Europe on their wings;Philip Malbone; Hope's betrothed; 

and little Emilia; Hope's half…sister。 

     None of the family had seen Emilia since her wandering mother had 

taken   her   abroad;   a   fascinating   spoiled   child   of   four;   and   they   were   all 

eager     to  see   in   how    many     ways    the   succeeding      twelve    years    had 

completed or corrected the spoiling。             As for Philip; he had been spoiled; 

as Aunt Jane declared; from the day of his birth; by the joint effort of all 

friends   and neighbors。  Everybody  had   conspired to   carry  on   the   process 

except   Aunt   Jane   herself;   who   directed   toward   him   one   of   her   honest; 

steady; immovable dislikes; which may be said to have dated back to the 

time   when   his   father   and   mother   were   married;   some   years   before   he 

personally entered on the scene。 

     The New York steamer; detained by the heavy fog of the night before; 

now came in unwonted daylight up the bay。                  At the first glimpse; Harry 

and the boys pushed off in the row…boat; for; as one of the children said; 

anybody who had been to Venice would naturally wish to come to the very 

house in a gondola。 In another half…hour there was a great entanglement of 

embraces at the water…side; for the guests had landed。 



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                           MALBONE:       AN   OLDPORT ROMANCE。 



     Malbone's self…poised easy grace was the same as ever; his chestnut… 

brown eyes were as winning;  his features as handsome; his   complexion; 

too   clearly   pink   for   a   man;   had   a   sea   bronze   upon   it:   he   was   the   same 

Philip who had left home; though with some added lines of care。                      But in 

the brilliant little fairy beside him all looked in vain for the Emilia they 

remembered        as  a  child。   Her   eyes   were    more    beautiful   than   ever;the 

darkest   violet   eyes;   that   grew   luminous   with   thought   and   almost   black 

with   sorrow。   Her   gypsy   taste;   as   everybody   used   to   call   it;   still   showed 

itself in the scarlet and dark blue of her dress; but the clouded gypsy tint 

had gone from her cheek; and in its place shone a deep carnation; so hard 

and brilliant that it appeared to be enamelled on the surface; yet so firm 

and   deep…dyed   that   it   seemed   as   if   not   even   death   could   ever   blanch   it。 

There is a kind of beauty that seems made to be painted on ivory; and such 

was     hers。   Only     the  microscopic      pencil   of   a  miniature…painter      could 

portray those slender eyebrows; that arched caressingly over the beautiful 

eyes;or the silky hair of darkest chestnut that crept in a wavy line along 

the temples; as if longing to meet the brows;or those unequalled lashes! 

〃Unnecessarily long;〃 Aunt Jane afterwards pronounced them; while Kate 

had   to   admit   that   they   did   indeed   give   Emilia   an   overdressed   look   at 

breakfast;     and   that  she   ought   to  have    a  less  showy   set    to  match    her 

morning costume。 

     But what was most irresistible about Emilia;that which we all noticed 

in this interview; and which haunted us all thenceforward;was a certain 

wild; entangled look she wore; as of some untamed out…door thing; and a 

kind of pathetic lost sweetness in her voice; which made her at once and 

forever a heroine of romance with the children。 Yet she scarcely seemed to 

heed their existence; and only submitted to the kisses of Hope and Kate as 

if that were a part of the price of coming home; and she must pay it。 

     Had she been alone; there might have been an awkward pause; for if 

you   expect   a   cousin;   and   there   alights   a   butterfly   of   the   tropics;   what 

hospitality   can   you   offer?     But   no   sense   of   embarrassment   ever   came 

near Malbone; especially with the children to swarm over him and claim 

him for their own。 Moreover; little Helen got in the first remark in the way 



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                           MALBONE:      AN    OLDPORT ROMANCE。 



of serious conversation。 

     〃Let   me   tell   him   something!〃   said   the   child。    〃Philip!   that   doll   of 

mine that you used to know; only think! she was sick and died last summer; 

and went into the rag…bag。 And the other split down the back; so there was 

an end of her。〃 

     Polar ice would have been thawed by this reopening of communicatio

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