The Splendor

Written by Tony Chang

Content

Chapter1 .............................................................................. 4

Chapter 2 ........................................................................... 10

Chapter 3 ........................................................................... 16

Chapter 4 ........................................................................... 23

Chapter 5 ........................................................................... 30

Chapter 6 ........................................................................... 36

Chapter 7 ........................................................................... 43

Chapter 8 ........................................................................... 49

Chapter 9 ........................................................................... 58

Words checked : 5665

Oxford in 3000: 93%

Acknowledgement

I am currently studying at Wenzao Ursuline College of

Languages, and it is, in fact, my first time to write a story. I was

assigned to write a novel by my writing teacher, Professor Smith.

Although at the beginning he gave me a lot of introductions about

novel settings in class, I was still in the dark for the first month. It

took me some time to understand settings in a novel. However, after

reading travelling around the world in 80 days, I believe if I can write

an adventurous story, it certainly will be interesting. Lastly, I would

like to thank my classmate, Linda Tseng, for drawing a ll the

illustrations in the novel.

I hope all readers can enjoy “The Splendor.”

Chapter1

This story does not begin with once-upon-a-time but to

tell a rebellious but independent girl turning into a good one

after reading an unforgettable story in a diary.

“Papa, papa, I must go to school now or I will be late. I do

not want to be the last one. Ms. Catherine will be upset.” said

Adele.

Adele was a 12-year-old girl with beautiful blond hair and

a pair of glistening blue eyes. Compared to mischievous boys at

school, she was not an exact troublemaker, but sometimes a

rebellious girl. She did not like to wear dress. She had her own

opinions towards everything. She did not want to be an

absolutely obedient girl who couldn’t decide to whom she would

marry. Of course, her biggest dream was to become a brave

sailor.

Indeed, she was brave. She loved to play with boys in

school, most of the time, and was said that she would stand up

for other girls, preventing those gangsters from bullying them.

But there was one thing she did not know. She was not

Ambassador Thomas’s biological daughter.

He was a kind and patient man and already retired from his

position. He had been to a lot of places when he was young. The

last expedition he went was China. He was asked by the king to

bring back those who were unfortunately forced to stay in that

mysterious land for months. However, on his way back to

London, there was a man begging him to take good tender of

his newborn girl. He agreed to it and promised he would treat

this infant as his own daughter.

Ambassador Thomas did satisfy the girl with good

materials. He bought her lots of dresses. The other time, he

purchased a customer-made closet for her in order to store them.

He sent Adele to the best school with well-qualified teachers. He

even hired a piano teacher to teach her how to play the piano.

Although she was asked to learn a variety of talents, none of

which she was good at, Ambassador Thomas had a high

expectation on her.

But, clearly, Adele was unhappy. She did not want her life

to be like this.

Sometimes, she would resist going to school or refuse to

learn another instrument. One day, she had an argument with

Ambassador Thomas again. He was disappointed, and Adele

was no better. She felt upset. It was as if she had not inherited

any merit from his father.

To avoid another unnecessary clash, she hid herself from

her father. Even though Ambassador Thomas apologized to her

and promised her he would not force her to learn anything she

disliked, she was unwilling to compromise and choose to hide

herself in the dusty attic.

Sorrow kept her weeping in the corner alone. After crying

for several hours, she felt tired and decided to go back to her

room. She suddenly kicked a book. She picked up the old book

and blew off the dust on it.

“It was not a book. It was a diary. But who would leave his

diary in the attic? Could it belong to Daddy or someone else?”

she thought.

With her curiosity, she opened the diary. To her surprise,

she discovered a fascinating story.

Chapter 2

Adele turned to the first page and carefully read every line

of words.

“This year, it is said that there will be a gigantic ship that

ever has been. I shall have a look at it. ”

At that time, two powerful countries, Spain and Portugal,

controlled over the entire Pacific Ocean and a new continent,

South America.

To cope with them, General Bernad, 50 or so, proposed to

the king of England that the accomplishment of the mega-ship

would be a glorious event in England’s history.

It was somehow convincing to the king. However, most

people in the palace disliked General Bernad and opposed to the

plan he came up with. He, actually, was an aggressive man. He

was also said to be a self-center barbarian.

Finally, in 1590, the king of The United Kingdom approved

it and made General Bernad build a mega-ship for the purpose

of territorial expansion. It took half a year to build this giant

ship, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of ship-makers.

In October, the entire construction was done with a

surprising speed. It was said this mega-ship was the grandest

ship in Europe. Its capacity was up to 1500 people. Therefore,

the king gave it an edgy name, The Splendor.

“I heard some people on the street talking about The

Splendor. Its capacity and outlook are amazing. It will be set off

this month. How great it is! I wish I could see the world with a

different view by The Splendor. ”

Appointed by the king, General Bernad was on behalf of

The Great Britain to find out gold overseas.

Sir Francis was excited that there would be a definitely

fantastic journey. He couldn’t wait taking on the ship and set off

a leg of the journey.

But his occupation was a banker. He couldn’t leave his

banks unmanaged. After considering for two days, he made up

his mind to sell off the bank to fulfill his dream, but he, at the

same time, also donated a portion of money to an orphanage. In

fact, Sir Francis was an orphan. But his background did not

bother him much. Finishing his college degree, he established

his own business at a very young age. Within years, he was

already a successful banker and a well-known philanthropist.

The Next day, he had his servant, Gilbert buy everything

they needed. Gilbert was a humble servant of Sir Francis.

Seven years ago, it was the first time they met. In a

bone-chilling winter, Gilbert was homeless. What’s worse, he

was laid off. He couldn’t pay his rent and was kicked out of the

apartment. But Sir Francis met him on the bridge. He invited

Gilbert to his home and later asked him whether he would like

to be his butler or not. Gilbert felt elated at his offer and

accepted it. Since then, Sir Francis treated him like his own

young brother and they were very close.

When everything was settled down, Gilbert went to the

Bureau of Navy to buy tickets for them. However, General

Bernad stopped him. He was suspicious of Gilbert’s identity. He

did not believe that such a man with a plain outfit could afford

to the cost. He made the soldier take him to an investigation

room. Gilbert tried to explain his identity, but, for some reason,

General Bernad refused to listen to it.

Later on, Gilbert repetitively told him his master was Sir

Francis. General Bernad was shocked and felt embarrassed. He

instantly ordered the soldier to release him and sneakily walked

away without saying a word.

Chapter 3

Such sensational news attracted many upper-class people.

The tickets were sold out within a few days. In November, The

Splendor was set off from Victoria harbor. It was a truly

glorious moment for the whole nation. Headline of every piece

of newspaper was on the subject of The Splendor. Men and

women talked about it on the street. On that day, the king

himself even came to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. His

enthusiastic words inspired citizens. Crowds of people stood

on two sides of the bank and waved a farewell at them. With

clear clouds in the sky and breezing wind, it seemed that this

journey would be a success.

“It was a sunny day. I assure that there will be a lot of

amazing people and places towards east. My excitement

accelerates as I approach every step of The Splendor.”

Sir Francis and Gilbert were arranged into a first-class

room. The food was good, of course. The pillows were fluffy.

Soon, they arrived at their first stop, South Africa. At that time,

South Africa was a part of The United Kingdom’s colony. Once

they embarked on the land, they discovered that the atmosphere

was totally different from England’s. Slaves are everywhere. Sir

Francis asked Gilbert why slaves were pervasive on this land.

“My master, slaves are not considered to be humans. There

are usually regarded as products. Good slaves can be sold in a

good price if their health condition is well.” replied Gilbert.

It was unfair! How could they trade slaves in a certain price?

But it was out of question that Sir Francis couldn’t make a

difference given that this was a temporary stop in South Africa.

After staying there in two days, they continued to sail towards

east. During the time they were on the ship, they got acquainted

with successful businessmen, influential politicians, wealthy

widows and so forth. They also met with general Bernad, the

one had previously detained Gilbert. It was for sure that Gilbert

recognized him instantly as they were on the aisle afar. General

Bernad heard Sir Francis was on the Splendor. He thought it

may be a good opportunity to apologize to him in person.

Certainly, Sir Francis accepted his apology.

The facilities of The Splendor were really excellent. Food

courts were available for 24 hours. Entertainment was

everywhere. For example, there were game rooms providing a

variety of card games or musical contests in the afternoon. It

was as if this were a self-sufficient society. For some reason, Sir

Francis did not like it. The reason was very simple, that is, he

hated extravagance. He couldn’t believe a gambler could lose all

his money overnight, or a businessman could spend thousands

of pounds on a bottle of fine wine. Everything happening here

discomforted him. He tried to avoid any engagement.

Sometimes, he would ask Gilbert not to open the door for a day.

For weeks, Sir Francis rarely walked out of the room.

After another long week, they arrived at the second stop,

India. They did not stay too long here. But there was a particular

event that made Sir Francis unforgettable.

“I have a great time dancing with these kids even though I

don’t perceive why there are some marks on their faces. They

seem friendly thought I am a foreigner.”

The second day they were in India. Sir Francis decided to

take a stroll after dinner. After walking for 30 miles, he saw a

group of kids dancing with each other near the campfire. “Is it a

religious ritual in local?” Sir Francis wondered. He went further

in order to take a closer look at it. “It seems like a celebration,

yes, it must be a celebration.” thought Sir Francis. He wanted to

partake of it. But he couldn’t speak any language except

English. All he could do was stood afar and gazed at their

movements. He found it interesting. Soon, a kid enthusiastically

held his hand to invite him to join with them. Sir Francis

regarded it as a sincere invitation. He was delighted. To Sir

Francis, it was a fantastic night. He danced for three hours in a

roll. To him, dancing with a group of people was far better from

his social life on The Splendor.

Next morning, Gilbert was anxiously waiting for Sir

Francis for several hours at harbor. It was a relief when he

eventually saw his master waving at him.

Chapter 4

Unfortunately, the bad weather put off their schedule.

They should have been in China in March. However, it was

almost early May. The rainy season was April and May. As

north-east monsoon approached, it always brought heavy rain. It

could be dangerous if they did not embark on the land soon.

General Bernad made a public announcement requiring all

members to stay in their room for their safety concern.

“It has been three days since we were asked to stay in our

room. I don’t know how long this nightmare is going to continue.

It was utterly dark and blurry outside. Visibility is nearly zero.

Rumor has it that the horrible sea monster was awakened, but I

believe that it must be something else.”

All of a sudden, the candlelight was off. Constant and

violent shakings destabilized everything. The power of

shakings was so strong that it could almost trigger tsunami. The

scene was miserable. Everything was turned upside down.

Windows were broken and people fell down on the aisle. It

wasn’t until they stabilized themselves that realized The

Splendor was hit by a storm. Sea water flooded the ship. But it

was too late. The ship was sinking. Every man was forced to

make a choice, including Sir Francis and his servant, Gilbert.

They ended up jumping down from the Splendor. However,

none of them can swim.

They soon lost consciousness.

“I thought I was going to drown, but, oddly enough, there

was something pulling my body. I am not sure what it was, but

one thing is certain. I am still alive.”

When Sir Francis opened his eyes, he was lying in

somewhere. Before he had figured out the reason why he was

rescued, a man with strange clothing that he had never seen it

before entered the room. Sir Francis stepped back. He shouted

his humble servant’s name for help, realizing Gilbert was not

there. The man opened his mouth and spoke English to him. Sir

Francis was terribly shocked. He had no time for thought. The

man continued his words, meanwhile, introducing himself to Sir

Francis.

“My name is Chen Biao. You can just call me Biao. I know

you are scared, but I can explain everything to you as long as

you relax.”

Sir Francis calmed himself down. Chen Biao gave him a

cup of tea.

“The reason why I can speak English is because I learn it

from my teacher. Mr. Johnson. He is my English teacher and I

am a foreign businessman. Mostly, I trade with your country,

The United Kingdom.”

“I see. I must apologize for my impolite behavior.” replied

Sir Francis.

“You don’t have to, gentlemen. It’s okay.” said Chen Biao.

“Have you seen me servant?” asked Sir Francis.

“Your servant? No sir. I am afraid that you are the only

survivor I saw on the beach.” said Chen Biao.

Sir Francis couldn’t believe the fact that he was the only

survivor of The Splendor. He was anxious of looking for his

servant. But he didn’t notice that his stitch fell apart when he

tried to get down the bed.

“You’d better stay in bed. Cautious, there was an injury on

your left leg, as you can see. You don’t wanna have a scar on it,

d’ya?” said Chen Biao.

Sir Francis was disappointed about what he had been told.

How could he calmly stay here while knowing nothing about

Gilbert’s situation?

“I should take you to see someone. Perhaps she can cure

your wound in a better way.”

“Who do you mean she?” Sir Francis wondered.

“Miss Ahyeong, the most famous doctor in town. It seems

that my physician cannot deal with your serious injury. You will

get infected soon if you don’t let her heal you.” Chen Biao

handed him over a crutch. It took him half an hour to get

accustomed to walk with a stick.

Chapter 5

Chen Biao led Sir Francis to a wooden-built house. Inside

the house, there were not any fancy decorations, a wooden-made

chair, a scraped table made of willow and a single bed against

the entrance. But Sir Francis saw his servant lying on the bed.

Sir Francis wondered, “Isn’t that Gilbert? Why is he here? Why

did this mysterious woman keep him?”

Endless questions popped up on his mind. Now, his

curiosity surpassed anything. All he wanted was a satisfactory

explanation. When the moment he was attempting to raise his

questions, the woman turned her head around. He halted. Her

beauty almost took his breath away. With a pair of sparkling

black eyes, her elegance was particularly stood out. With a good

shape, her figure was slim and curvy. What a nymph, he called.

Any man would pursue such “she”. Then, Chen Biao began to

talk.

“Miss Ahyeong, this is my patient. He has a serious wound

on his leg. I hope you can help him out.” said Chen Biao.

“Have a seat and I shall see his condition” said Miss

Ahyeong.

“I…wh…” Sir Francis stuttered. He was numb even

though he had tons of questions he would like to know from her.

“Do not worry, Sir. My father used to be merchandiser. I

learn most my English from him.” said Miss Ahyeong. “You’d

better sit down. It is not good for you to have any

overreaction. ”Miss Ahyeong explained.

“Okay.” Sir Francis sat down. He took a deep breath. He

couldn’t believe everything he saw today. It was madly crazy.

The more he thought about it, the higher his blood surged. Then,

he suddenly passed out.

“What is wrong with him?” asked Chen Biao.

“Let’s get him lie down first. I guess he probably couldn’t

handle what he had had so far. ”said Miss Ahyeong.

It wasn’t until an hour later that Sir Francis was conscious

again.

“Why am I here?” asked Sir Francis.

“You just passed out. It’s alright now. Now you should

drink some Chinese herb tea.” answered Miss Ahyeong.

“Where is my servant, Gilbert? Why was he still lying there?

Is there anything wrong with him?” Sir Francis asked her in an

anxious tone.

“Gilbert? He is your servant? Well, he is in a coma, but I

believe no serious injury.” said Miss Ahyeong.

“Thank you for your kindness. I truly appreciate it.” said

Sir Francis.

Miss Ahyeong was curious about what they’d encountered.

Sir Francis carefully explained everything to Chen Biao and

Miss Ahyeong, including his nation, The Splendor and the

horrible storm.

“I am sorry for your loss.” said Chen Biao.

“Thank you for your understanding. The past is the past. At

least, I have my best friend, Gilbert, with me. Nothing matters

more than that. At this moment, all I hope is Gilbert can be

awake.”

“He will. He certainly will.” said Miss Ahyeong.

Hours passed. Suddenly, there was a weak voice from the

bed. “Water, I need some water.”

Sir Francis rushed to the bed and tightly hugged his servant.

“Now you are awake. Do you have any idea how hard this

is for me? I have been praying for it.”

“Good. Good. Everyone is in a good condition now. It’s a

bit dark outside. I have some business to take care of. Now if

you excuse me, Miss Ahyeong, can you take care of them?”

asked Chen Biao.

“I understand. There is no need to worry. They can stay

here until they get better.” Miss Ahyeong said.

Sir Francis and Gilbert stayed there for a night. Miss

Ahyeong cooked some Chinese foods for them. But, to both of

them, they could hardly hold chopsticks during the dinner. It

took them a whole night to learn how to hold chopsticks. It was

a wonderful night for all of them.

Chapter 6

When Gilbert recovered well, he couldn’t wait to see the

world outside. He read a lot of books about the other side of the

world, but he never had a chance to witness it. One day morning,

he went out to street to help Miss Ahyeong buy some grocery.

The birds were flying around the main square. Children

were chasing one after another. Business was prosperous. The

main street was packed with vendors selling clothing, vegetables,

toys and so forth. A group of middle-aged women stood in front

of a vendor and were busy with haggling over a lower price.

Moreover, Gilbert saw several men nimbly performing

Chinese acrobatics on the street. Plates were being spun around

on their tiptoes while throwing colorful balls to each other. It

attracted a lot of audience clapping for them.

To Gilbert’s amazement, some of the performers kindly

invited Gilbert to join them. He was eager to be a part of them,

but he remembered that he had a mission.

He walked into a store to ask if they sold a set of bowls or

not. However, Gilbert couldn’t speak any Chinese. The salesman

was puzzled no matter how hard Gilbert tried to describe what

he wanted. His drawings finally made the salesman understand

his needs. He found that everything was different from what he

had experienced in England. He wanted to know more about

Chinese culture. Therefore, he asked Chen Biao to teach him

Chinese.

On the other hand, during Sir Francis’s recovery, he stayed

in Miss Ahyeong’s dwelling. He learned calligraphy, Chinese

chess and flute from Miss Ahyeong. He also studied some

medical books with her. Sir Francis, actually, was attracted by

Miss Ahyeong. More than appearance, he found that she was a

knowledgeable woman even if she didn’t go to school. She had

her opinions on everything, but no in a stubborn way. She was

optimistic toward her life even though she was not affluent, but

there was one thing that was behind the scene.

Every man in the town knew Miss Ahyeong was a widow,

but Sir Francis was not aware of it. In fact, her father arranged

her marriage when she was young. But it was a tragedy.

Her husband died at the age of 18. Since then, Miss

Ahyeong had to stay her identity as a widow. In traditional

society, re-marriage or divorce was unacceptable in Chinese

culture. Women must strictly follow social norms, so did Miss

Ahyeong. It was a shame if she got married with another man.

She could be regarded as a faithless woman, so Miss Ahyeong

had to keep the secret as much as she could. She could not

reveal anything to him because no women were encouraged to

reveal their past relations. But Sir Francis seemed to know

something about her background, but he chose to keep it in mind

instead.

“Miss Ahyeong is such a generous and good woman. How

come she deserves such an unfortunate treatment? I swear I will

treat her well with all my heart.”

For that, Sir Francis wrote love poetry for her, but he dared

not to show it to her. The more he stayed with her, the more he

wanted to own her. It was the same for Miss Ahyeong. She tried

to control her feelings toward this man. Even if he was a

foreigner, he showed her respect in many ways. He was a caring

gentleman. He always talked about his stories with an

interesting way. She felt like they were tightly connected. After

all, they share so much in common. Both of them loved reading

poetry. In their leisure time, they also loved to play cards. It

was a long period of time that they were into a relationship.

In the evening, they went to the market together. Of course,

people cast their doubt on such a couple, but their love was so

affirmed that they ignored any suspicious judgment. It was

rumored that such an outlandish man would bring a catastrophe

to the town. Behind their back, there was another survivor to

bring a mournful message.

Chapter 7

It had been three months since The Splendor sank.

General Bernad was, in fact, one of the survivors. He was

bothered by the fact that such a perfect and magnificent ship

would be destroyed by a gust a strong-power wind. After he was

rescued by several local citizens, Ambassador Thomas was

anxious to look for him and the other potential survivors. But,

sadly, what he only learned was the general was the only man

alive.

Ambassador Thomas wrote a letter to the king in person

reporting General Bernad’s survival. The king was astonished

and confused about the event. He immediately recalled general

Bernad to meet up with him as soon as he could. It took General

Bernad half and a month to arrive at London. General Bernad

clearly explained everything he had ran into to the king.

However, the king did not fully believe his words. He

wondered if there were other survivors on The Splendor who

could tell him the whole process of come-and-go. He assigned a

mission to Ambassador Thomas. He must bring as many

survivors as he could in Hong Kong. Therefore, Ambassador

Thomas began his searching. He accidentally heard a lot of

rumors from folks gossiping about an attentive couple. He

decided to see if it was true or not.

When he knocked on the door, it was Miss Ahyeong that

came to the door. Miss Ahyeong was in puzzlement. But

Ambassador Thomas politely asked him if there was any man or

woman staying in her house.

“Yes, Sir Francis lived here with me. Is there anything

wrong?” replied Miss Ahyeong.

“May I come into the house?” asked Ambassador Thomas.

Miss Ahyeong, of course, invited him to the house, but she

didn’t expect that what she was told could raise a difficult

choice for Sir Francis. Miss Ahyeong offered him a cup of

Chinese herb tea.

“Thank you, madam. I see you speak good English.” said

Ambassador Thomas.

“You welcome, Sir. May I ask why you visit us?” asked

Miss Ahyeong.

It was difficult for Ambassador Thomas to make clear his

coming. He supposed he should talk in subtlety. Firstly, he

asked how she met him. Miss Ahyeong answered without any

suspicion. She told him about everything she had learned from

Sir Francis. Secondly, he further asked how many survivors she

knew. She so far had only known Sir Francis and his servant, so

her answer was straightforward, two.

Ambassador Thomas reaffirmed the number of survivors

and Miss Ahyeong swore that she did not lie on him.

Now, it was time that Ambassador Thomas revealed his

purpose. He told Miss Ahyeong his king’s request in a gentle

way. Miss Ahyeong was horrified. Her face was pale as if she

had been told she had had an incurable disease. Ambassador

Thomas tried to comfort her, but such news was instant Miss

Ahyeong had no preparation for Sir Francis’s returning. She

excused herself for being uncomfortable and would like to take

a rest. Ambassador Thomas reminded her of the leaving date.

Miss Ahyeong counted the days. It was less than three

months. How could she inform Sir Francis of her pregnancy

while she had to tell him about his departure?

Chapter 8

At that night, Miss Ahyeong was clearly unhappy. She

seemed upset and worrisome. Sir Francis noticed her sadness

during the time they had dinner at the dinner table. He did not

say much, either. He left a letter after they finished the dinner.

Then, he went to sleep. At midnight, Miss Ahyeong was

sleepless. She saw the letter on the wooden table.

“Dear Ahyeong,

I know you’ve been depressed recently, but I hope you can

at least let me know what bugs you on your mind. It breaks my

heart as I watch your endless sigh, but there is little thing I can

help. Please tell me what it is for the sake of our relationship.

Otherwise, I will not sleep nor eat anything until the truth is told

from your mouth.

Your beloved Francis.”

After reading this letter, Miss Ahyeong couldn’t stop her

tears falling down from her lines. She felt sorrowful and guilty

for not telling him about what she’d been informed by

Ambassador Thomas.

The day following, Thomas’s words are no longer a taboo

between them. Meanwhile, she let him know her pregnancy. It

was a dilemma for Sir Francis to take a side. One must be given

up, either his marriage or his nationality. If he had given up his

marriage, it would have meant to make him commit suicide

because he could not forlorn his beloved one and their baby.

Both her wife and baby meant a lot to him. In contrast, he could

not defy his mighty king’s order. He would have been regarded

as a traitor if he’d disobeyed his king. He couldn’t take any risk.

Gilbert overheard their conversation. He, then, went to

Chen Biao for help. Chen Biao came to Miss Ahyeong’s house.

“In this way, there are two options. The first one is to report the

king about the sinking Splendor and you can return, or the

second choice is to disclaim your nationality, but it is dangerous

and risky. If the local governor did not accept you as a legal

citizen, you would be considered a criminal. You could be put to

death in the worst case. I saw the way they treated pirates.”

“But I am not a pirate. I am a traveler who unfortunately

encountered a gust of strong wind on my way here.” said Sir

Francis.

“They don’t really care unless you can pay them a lot of

money.”

“But I’d donated it before I came here.”

“Then, you have no choice but to take the first one, right?”

It was a heavy burden for Sir Francis. Since he couldn’t

give up his nationality, he would end up sailing for London to

report anything he happened to the king. When he returned

home, he woefully told his wife about his final decision. Miss

Ahyeong was melancholic, wanting to renegotiate with him,

but it seemed that there is no room for negotiation. Not because

he was unwilling to do it, but they couldn’t come up with other

good alternatives. One thing was for sure: they would relish

every moment they had. Within two months, they traveled every

tourist attraction in Hong Kong.

At the same time, her belly became bigger and bigger day

by day. One day, the baby in her belly continuously kicked her.

She was painful and called for Sir Francis’s help. Sir Francis

immediately contacted a gynecologist.

On 2 of September, she gave birth to an adorable daughter.

With a pair of glittering blues eyes and blond hair, Sir Francis

tightly hugged her in his arm. However, villagers were

frightened after hearing it.

After a few weeks, some conservatives thought it was

appropriate to keep this newborn girl in their village. They

demanded the couple to send her away.

Coincidentally, Sir Thomas revisited Sir Francis and

would like to take him back to England. Again, it was a torment

to Sir Francis. Saying goodbye to his daughter and his wife

broken his heart. At that night, they had another argument

ongoing. No compromise was made, but tomorrow was the last

day he could stay in Hong Kong. They decided to put aside the

debate. Hence, Sir Francis left a note on the table.

Dear Ahyeong,

Since the first day I saw you, I have fallen in love with you,

but I have to make a decision now. I know this might be the last

time I see you in my lifetime. You play a significant role in my

life. Every part of me has tightly attached to you because I am

your man. Adele, our daughter, is the name I want to name her.

Adele represents love, kind and tender. I believe she will bear a

lot of resemblance on your personality. Always with an

enthusiastic smile on your fact, I am fascinated. Allow my

selfishness to ask you a favor, that is, would you allow me to

take little Adele with me. I promise I will treat her as well as I do.

With all my heart, I hope I can have your agreement. Lastly, I

want to thank you for everything you’d done for me.

Love Francis

The next morning, Miss Ahyeong noticed the note while she

was preparing for the breakfast for him. Forgiveness, she

thought, was all she could offer now. She agreed to his request.

She walked him to the harbor, softly kissing him on his lips

when he was about to take on the ship. She concealed her

emotion and waved him farewell.

Chapter 9

As for Gilbert, he made up his mind to stay in Hong Kong.

He found both Chinese characters and Chinese people

interesting. He assisted Chen Biao, the businessman, in

handling his business. On that day of his master’s leaving, he

waved goodbye to him. To Gilbert, he would never forget his

kind master.

However, happy ends only exist in Hollywood. Sir Francis,

for no reason, was diagnosed with pneumonia on his way back

to England. His high fever did not fade no matter how many

times the doctor visited him. Day after day, his body got weaker

and weaker. Even the doctor on the ship could not promise his

chance of survival. Even Sir Francis himself couldn’t know how

many days he had. In his last day, he stayed in his room. He

wrote his final paragraph on the last page.

“This was the last journey I had. I have no regret for this

life even though I was an orphan. I had my best friend and the

most loyal servant, Gilbert, to accompany me to this mysterious

land. On this land, I met with the most important woman in my

lifetime. She healed my wound and heart. Her beauty caught my

breath every time I look into her dark eyes. She gave me a lovely

daughter, but I am afraid that I have to break my promise to my

beloved Ahyeong. ”

He asked Ambassador Thomas to keep the girl. Of course,

Ambassador Thomas knew everything happening between him

and Miss Ahyeong. He gave his promise to Sir Francis that he

would take good care of her. In this way, Sir Francis was

contented. He closed his eyes in all readiness for his death. He

closed his eyes and stopped breathing. Yes, he passed away.

It had been three hours after Adele opened the diary. She

was deeply touched by everything on his father ’s journal. Now,

she knew everything. For every effort his father had put, she

understood there was no point angering Ambassador Thomas. It

was all for her father’s will. She wiped out tear on her face and

determined to apologize to Ambassador Thomas for her

immature behavior. She went downstairs and embraced

Ambassador Thomas.

“Father, I will make you proud one day.”

The end

Glossary

1. glisten: to shine and look wet and oily

2. mischievous: someone who is mischievous likes to have fun, especially by

playing tricks on people or doing things to annoy or embarrass them

3. rebellious: deliberately not obeying people in authority or rules of behavior

4. gangster: a member of a violent group of criminals

5. expedition: a long and carefully organized journey, especially to a

dangerous or unfamiliar place, or the people that make this journey

6. mysterious: mysterious events or situations are difficult to explain or

understand

7. tender: gentle and careful in a way that shows love

8. infant: baby or very young child

9. purchase: to buy something

10. resist: to stop yourself from having something that you like very much or

doing something that you want to do

11. willing: prepared to do something, or having no reason to not want to do

it

12. compromise: an agreement that is achieved after everyone involved

accepts less than what they wanted at first, or the act of making this

agreement

13. weep: to cry, especially because you feel very sad:

14. accomplishment: something successful or impressive that is achieved

after a lot of effort and hard work

15. convince: to make someone feel certain that something is true

15. oppose: to disagree with something such as a plan or idea and try to

prevent it from happening or succeeding

16. aggressive: behaving in an angry, threatening way, as if you want to fight

or attack someone

17. barbarian: someone from a different tribe or land, who people believe to

be wild and not civilized

18. territorial: related to land that is owned or controlled by a particular

country

19. mobilize: to encourage people to support something in an active way

20. capacity: the amount of space a container, room etc has to hold things or

people

21. orphanage: a large house where children who are orphans live and are

taken care of

22. philanthropist: a rich person who gives a lot of money to help poor people

23. butler: a rich person who gives a lot of money to help poor people

24. suspicious: thinking that someone might be guilty of doing something

wrong or dishonest

25. sneakily: doing things in a secret and often dishonest or unfair way:

26. sensational: very interesting, exciting, and surprising

27. glorious: having or deserving great fame, praise, and honour:

28. enthusiastic: feeling or showing a lot of interest and excitement about

something

29. inspire: to encourage someone by making them feel confident and eager

to do something:

30. fluffy: very light and soft to touch

31. embark: to go onto a ship or a plane, or to put or take something onto a

ship or plane

32. temporary: continuing for only a limited period of time

33. acquaint: to deliberately find out about something

34. wealthy: having a lot of money, possessions etc

35. self-sufficient: able to provide all the things you need without help from

other people

36. engagement: when you become involved with someone or something in

order to understand them

37. partake: to take part in an activity or event

38. survivor: someone who continues to live after an accident, war, or illness

39. cautious: careful to avoid danger or risks

40. heal: if a wound or a broken bone heals or is healed, the flesh, skin, or

bone grows back together and becomes healthy again:

41. crutch: one of a pair of long sticks that you put under your arms to help

you walk when you have hurt your leg

42. deal with: to take the necessary action, especially in order to solve a

problem

43. scraped: to rub against a rough surface in a way that causes slight damage

or injury, or to make something do this

44. surpass: to be even better or greater than someone or something else

45. sparkling: very clean, and seeming to shine brightly

46. elegance: beautiful, attractive, or graceful

47. stutter: to speak with difficulty because you cannot stop yourself from

repeating the first consonant of some words

48. numb: a part of your body that is numb is unable to feel anything, for

example because you are very cold

49. overreaction: to react to something with too much emotion, or by doing

something that is unnecessary

50. surge: if a feeling surges or surges up, you begin to feel it very strongly

51. coma: someone who is in a coma has been unconscious for a long time,

usually because of a serious illness or injury

52. appreciation: used to thank someone in a polite way or to say that you are

grateful for something they have done

53. encounter: to experience something, especially problems or opposition

54. chopsticks: one of the two thin sticks that you use to eat food in many

countries in Asia

55. recovery: the process of getting better after an illness, injury etc

56. chase: to quickly follow someone or something in order to catch them

57. prosperous: rich and successful

58. haggling: to argue when you are trying to agree about the price of

something

59. nimbly: able to move quickly and easily with light neat movements

60. acrobatics: skilful movements of your body, for example jumping through

the air or balancing on a rope

61.spin: to turn around and around very quickly, or to make something do

this

62. puzzled: something that is difficult to understand or explain

63. dwelling: a house, apartment etc where people live

64. calligraphy: the art of producing beautiful writing using special pens or

brushes, or the writing produced this way

65. opinion: your ideas or beliefs about a particular

66. optimistic: believing that good things will happen in the future

67. affirm: to state publicly that something is true

68. norm: generally accepted standards of social behavior

69. faithless: someone who is faithless cannot be trusted:

70. reveal: to make known something that was previously secret or unknown

71. encourage: to give someone the courage or confidence to do something

72. generous: someone who is generous is willing to give money, spend time

etc, in order to help people or give them pleasure

73. poetry: poems in general, or the art of writing them

74. doubt: a feeling of being not sure whether something is true or right

75. suspicious: thinking that someone might be guilty of doing something

wrong or dishonest

76. catastrophe: a terrible event in which there is a lot of destruction,

suffering, or death

77. magnificent: very good or beautiful, and very impressive:

78. astonished: very surprised about something

79. process: a series of actions that are done in order to achieve a particular

result

80. assign: to give someone a particular job or make them responsible for a

particular person or thing

81. gossip: to talk about other people's behavior and private lives, often

including remarks that are unkind or untrue

82. attentive: listening to or watching someone carefully because you are

interested

83. herb: a small plant that is used to improve the taste of food, or to make

medicine

84. subtlety: the quality that something has when it has been done in a clever

or skilful way, with careful attention to small details

85. incurable: impossible to cure

86. pregnancy: when a woman is pregnant (=has a baby growing inside her

body

87. worrisome: making you anxious

88. sorrowful: very sad

89. guilty: feeling very ashamed and sad because you know that you have

done something wrong

90. inform: to officially tell someone about something or give them

information

91. dilemma: a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what to do,

because all the choices seem equally good or equally bad

92. commit suicide: to kill yourself deliberately

93. defy: to refuse to obey a law or rule, or refuse to do what someone in

authority tells you to do

94. woefully: very sad

95. melancholic: feeling very sad

96. relish: to enjoy an experience or the thought of something that is going to

happen

97. coincidentally: happening completely by chance without being planned

98. concealment: to hide something carefully

99. assist: to help someone to do something

100. diagnose: to find out what illness someone has, or what the cause of a

fault is, after doing tests, examinations etc

101. pneumonia: a serious illness that affects your lungs and makes it

difficult for you to breathe:

102. journal: a serious magazine produced for professional people or those

with a particular interest

103. immature: someone who is immature behaves or thinks in a way that is

typical of someone much younger - used to show disapproval

All the definitions are from: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Link: http://www.ldoceonline.com/

Written by Tony Chang

E4a Composition 1

Instructor: Mr. Kenneth M. Smith

Wenzao Ursuline College of Languages

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

June 2012

Cover picture is from:

http://www.v eselo.info/english/photo/caribbean-ship/caribbean-sea-ship. html

Right of copy will be only allowed under the circumstance of

the author’s permission.

dele was born in a wealthy family. She never questioned

that, but one day everything was beyond her

imagination when she found a diary. She came to realize that her

inability in being a traditional and well-behaved girl was

inherited from her father. But what did it ultimately happen to

her father? Was her an orphan when she was given birth to? One

thing is for sure, however, she was emotionally strong because

bravery was a gift from her perseverant parents.

A