《安徒生童话英文版》第30章

　　"The pope is not allowed to marry," replied the gentleman.

　　"I don't like that," was the lady's remark.

　　She certainly might have asked more sensible questions; but if shehad not been allowed to say just what she liked, would her daughterhave been there, leaning so gracefully on her shoulder, and lookingstraight before her, with a smile that was almost mournful on herface?

　　Mr. Alfred again spoke of Italy, and of the glorious colors inItalian scenery; the purple hills, the deep blue of the Mediterranean,the azure of southern skies, whose brightness and glory could onlybe surpassed in the north by the deep-blue eyes of a maiden; and hesaid this with a peculiar intonation; but she who should haveunderstood his meaning looked quite unconscious of it, which alsowas charming.

　　"Beautiful Italy!" sighed some of the guests.

　　"Oh, to travel there!" exclaimed others.

　　"Charming! Charming!" echoed from every voice.

　　"I may perhaps win a hundred thousand dollars in the lottery,"said the naval officer's widow; "and if I do, we will travel- I and mydaughter; and you, Mr. Alfred, must be our guide. We can all threetravel together, with one or two more of our good friends." And shenodded in such a friendly way at the company, that each imaginedhimself to be the favored person who was to accompany them to Italy."Yes, we must go," she continued; "but not to those parts wherethere are robbers. We will keep to Rome. In the public roads one isalways safe."

　　The daughter sighed very gently; and how much there may be in asigh, or attributed to it! The young man attributed a great deal ofmeaning to this sigh. Those deep-blue eyes, which had been lit up thisevening in honor of him, must conceal treasures, treasures of heartand mind, richer than all the glories of Rome; and so when he left theparty that night, he had lost it completely to the young lady. Thehouse of the naval officer's widow was the one most constantly visitedby Mr. Alfred, the sculptor. It was soon understood that his visitswere not intended for that lady, though they were the persons who keptup the conversation. He came for the sake of the daughter. They calledher Kaela. Her name was really Karen Malena, and these two names hadbeen contracted into the one name Kaela. She was really beautiful; butsome said she was rather dull, and slept late of a morning.

　　"She has been accustomed to that," her mother said. "She is abeauty, and they are always easily tired. She does sleep ratherlate; but that makes her eyes so clear."

　　What power seemed to lie in the depths of those dark eyes! Theyoung man felt the truth of the proverb, "Still waters run deep:"and his heart had sunk into their depths. He often talked of hisadventures, and the mamma was as simple and eager in her questionsas on the first evening they met. It was a pleasure to hear Alfreddescribe anything. He showed them colored plates of Naples, andspoke of excursions to Mount Vesuvius, and the eruptions of firefrom it. The naval officer's widow had never heard of them before.

　　"Good heavens!" she exclaimed. "So that is a burning mountain; butis it not very dangerous to the people who live near it?"

　　"Whole cities have been destroyed," he replied; "for instance,Herculaneum and Pompeii."

　　"Oh, the poor people! And you saw all that with your own eyes?"

　　"No; I did not see any of the eruptions which are represented inthose pictures; but I will show you a sketch of my own, whichrepresents an eruption I once saw."

　　He placed a pencil sketch on the table; and mamma, who had beenover-powered with the appearance of the colored plates, threw a glanceat the pale drawing and cried in astonishment, "What, did you see itthrow up white fire?"