Waltey

Prevod

Leta 1690 je v Kitteryju v Mainu stala veličastna hiša, dobro zastražena ter obdana z obrambnim jarkom in dvižnim mostom, ki so ga ponoči dvignili. Ob njej je bila pristava, prav tako obdana z jarkom, kjer so redili govedo, ovce in konje. Tu je v samotnem dostojanstvu živela lady Ursula, hči gospodarja opatije Grondale onstran morja, katere daljni sijaj se je nekako zrcalil v tem dvorcu sredi divjine. Srebrnina, mahagonijevo pohištvo, slike, tapiserije, z voskom loščena tla in rezljane skrinje s platnom so pričali o bogastvu; v kapeli je hišni kaplan vsako jutro in vsak večer vodil molitev, in čeprav je glavna dvorana lahko sprejela petsto ljudi, je gospa v njej navadno obedovala s svojimi tridesetimi služabniki, pri čemer je bil njen del mize za dva čevlja dvignjen nad njihovim.

Osrečevala jo je vera, da se bo kapitan Fowler, ki se je tedaj daleč stran bojeval s Francozi, vrnil in jo, kakor je obljubil, vzel za ženo, toda nekega dne je prišel razcapan sel z bridko novico o kapitanovi smrti. O svoji žalosti ni govorila, in čeprav ji je obraz obledel in njen korak ni bil več lahkoten, je še naprej opravljala dela, ki jih je šega tistega časa nalagala ženskam: pomagala je bolnim, delila miloščino revnim, poučevala neuke in širila vero med divjaki. Kako velika je bila torej njena radost, ko je iz Anglije priplula ladja in prinesla pismo samega kapitana Fowlerja, ki je ovrgel govorice o porazu ter ji naznanil svoj prihod. Dvorana je zdaj znova oživela in odsevala veselje svoje gospodarice; na lica se ji je vrnila barva, v oči pa lesk, svojo nepotrpežljivost pa je lahko krotila le s še bolj zavzetim delom in še bolj vnemo pri dobrodelnosti. Dan prihoda njenega ljubega je bil že blizu, ko so Ursulo in njene služabnike, medtem ko so bili zunaj varnega zavetja dvorca, napadli Indijanci in jih pobili. Pokopali so jih tam, kjer so padli, in kapitan Fowler ni našel nikogar, ki bi mu lahko izpovedal svojo ljubezen ali žalost.

Izvirnik

In 1690 a stately house stood in Kittery, Maine, a strongly guarded place with moat and drawbridge (which was raised at night) and a moated grange adjacent where were cattle, sheep, and horses. Here, in lonely dignity, lived Lady Ursula, daughter of the lord of Grondale Abbey, across the water, whose distant grandeurs were in some sort reflected in this manor of the wilderness. Silver, mahogany, paintings, tapestries, waxed floors, and carven chests of linen represented wealth; prayers were said by a chaplain every morning and evening in the chapel, and, though the main hall would accommodate five hundred people, the lady usually sat at meat there with her thirty servants, her part of the table being raised two feet above theirs.

It was her happiness to believe that Captain Fowler, now absent in conflict with the French, would return and wed her according to his promise, but one day came a tattered messenger with bitter news of the captain's death. She made no talk of her grief, and, while her face was pale and step no longer light, she continued in the work that custom exacted from women of that time: help for the sick, alms for the poor, teaching for the ignorant, religion for the savage. Great was her joy, then, when a ship came from England bringing a letter from Captain Fowler himself, refuting the rumor of defeat and telling of his coming. Now the hall took on new life, reflecting the pleasure of its mistress; color came back to her cheek and sparkle to her eye, and she could only control her impatience by more active work and more aggressive charities. The day was near at hand for the arrival of her lover, when Ursula and her servants were set upon by Indians, while away from the protection of the manor, and slain. They were buried where they fell, and Captain Fowler found none to whom his love or sorrow could be told.

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