Throwing up the window-shades, the President hurried over to the boy, who had arisen at his entrance, and took a sharp look at the blue lips and the pallid2 face.
“Sit down,” he said, “and wait till I come back.”
Father Keenan, who at that time happened to be President of Campion College, bolted from the room—a most undignified thing for a Rector to do. On his way out, he detected hanging on a chair in the obscurest corner of the parlor3 the dripping “trunks” which were still puzzling the good porter. That much-perturbed man was standing4 outside in anticipation5 of further orders.
“Brother, go to the refectory and tell the refectorian to get up a quick breakfast for a hungry boy. Then go to the clothes-keeper and get a complete outfit6 of clothes for a fourteen-year-old and have them in the parlor inside of ten minutes. If the clothes-keeper says he hasn’t any, tell him to steal them.”
The words were not well out of Father Keenan’s mouth when he was dashing along the corridor. The infirmary was close at hand, and the infirmarian in his office.
“Here quick, drink this down,” cried the Rector a moment later, putting to the young Indian’s mouth a small glass of cognac.
Clarence swallowed it at a gulp7, whereupon while he coughed and choked and sputtered8, the Rector, a veritable Good Samaritan, threw a heavy overcoat, which he had brought with him, over the flaming table cover.
“Does it burn?” asked the Rector, referring not to the coat but the cognac.
“I—I’m not a regular drinker,” said the youth wrapping the coat about him and breaking into the ghost of his old smile.
“This way, now,” continued Father Keenan, catching9 the boy’s arm; and he led him into the corridor.
The boy’s steps were faltering10, and the Rector at once, noticing his weakness, caught him about the waist much as John Rieler had done, and bundled him into the refectory.
“This way, Father,” said the refectorian, trying to look as though he were accustomed to feeding bare-legged boys attired11 in table-covers and winter overcoats in summer-time; and the “Squire12,” as he was popularly known among the students of Campion, pointed13 to a seat in front of which waited a plate of toast, a juicy bit of beefsteak and a huge slice of cornbread.
At sight of the food, Clarence slipped from the Rector’s grasp and fell unbidden into the seat.
For the next five minutes he showed that in the matter of eating he was perfectly14 able to take care of himself.
The Rector and the Squire interrupted their observation of the much occupied youth by gazing at each other now and then and exchanging smiles of wonder and admiration15.
“If you’re thinking of coming to school here, my boy,” observed the Rector, when Clarence had disposed of all the beefsteak and most of the toast and three-fourths of the cornbread, “I fancy we’ll have to board you on the European plan.”
Clarence lifted his eyes and smiled in his old way.
“Excuse haste and an empty stomach,” he said.
The Rector laughed in a manner most undignified. In fact, he was so undignified, be it said, that everybody respected him.
“What makes you so hungry?” he asked.
“Because I’ve eaten nothing since ten o’clock yesterday morning.”
“Where on earth have you been?”
“I was with gypsies till yesterday evening; but I left without taking my supper.”
“Who in the world are you?”
“My name is Clarence Esmond. About a week ago I was over at McGregor—”
“Halloa!” cried the Rector. “Why, they’re dragging the river for you.”
“They might as well stop; it’s no use,” said Clarence, taking the last piece of toast and looking regretfully at the empty beefsteak dish.
“My, but this is an adventure!” exclaimed the President. “So you’re not a moist corpse16 after all.”
The Squire’s eyes were sticking out of his head.
“If you were only dead,” he said to Clarence, “you’d be worth a thousand dollars to me.”
“I’m sorry I can’t please everybody,” said the youth, taking up the last slab17 of cornbread. “Am I expected to apologize for being alive?”
“Did you sleep last night?” continued the Rector.
“How could I? I was in the river most of the time.”
“But the river,” said the Rector, “has a very fine bed.”
Clarence broke into laughter.
“Thank you so much, sir,” he said, “I never, never, never enjoyed a meal so much in all my born days.”
“You’re welcome,” said Father Keenan. He turned to the wide-eyed squire, adjuring18 that thoroughly19 excited young man to go see whether the complete outfit of clothing were awaiting Clarence in the parlor. Their talk was brief; but when Father Keenan turned to address Clarence, the lad’s head was sunk upon his breast. He was sound asleep.
“Never mind about those clothes, Squire; or, rather, have them sent over to the infirmary.” Saying which, Father Keenan took Clarence, including table-cover and coat, in his arms, and conveyed him to the infirmary, where, warmly wrapped in a comfortable bed, he slept unbrokenly till after five o’clock in the afternoon.
Returning to his room, the Rector took up the morning paper. In examining the mail, he had, when Clarence’s arrival interrupted him, noticed the large headlines announcing a dreadful railroad wreck20 in the west; a broken bridge, a Pullman sleeper21 and a passenger car immersed in a flooded river. Suddenly, as his eyes ran down the list of the missing, he gasped22.
For there in black type were the names of Mr. Charles Esmond, mining expert, and wife.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
disastrous
|
|
| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
pallid
|
|
| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
parlor
|
|
| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
anticipation
|
|
| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
outfit
|
|
| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
gulp
|
|
| vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
sputtered
|
|
| v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
catching
|
|
| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
faltering
|
|
| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
attired
|
|
| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
squire
|
|
| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
corpse
|
|
| n.尸体，死尸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
slab
|
|
| n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
adjuring
|
|
| v.（以起誓或诅咒等形式）命令要求( adjure的现在分词 )；祈求；恳求 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
19
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
wreck
|
|
| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
sleeper
|
|
| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |