Uncle William, who had been watching him, chuckled6 a little. “Andy’s lobsters,” he said politely.
Andy shuffled7 in his chair. “They’re your claws, William—they’re on your premises—”
“Yes, yes,” said Uncle William soothingly8, “I know ’bout that. You just eat all you want and I’ll pay the bill—when it comes in. You all ready, Benjy?”
“All ready—and hungry for anything you’ve got—especially lobster4.”
They drew up to the table and reached out to the red pile—breaking it down slowly.... Juno, from her lounge, came across and rubbed against Uncle William’s big leg. Then she sat up. When Uncle William’s hand reached down with casual motion, and a hard, red morsel9, she snuffed at it daintily before her teeth opened on it. Then she bent10 her head and growled12 a little, and crouched13 over it, crushing it under her paw and moving her tail in swift, restrained joy... to eat was good—but to hold it—there under her paw—caught fast—and growl11 a little.... Up above Uncle William rumbled14 on—about the weather and fishing and house building and lobsters.... Presently he reached up and took down a spy-glass and went to the window. The red curtain was up and the sun came in with soft, side slants15. Down below, the water of the harbor slowly filled with dusk and reached away. Uncle William looked out across it toward the west.
“I’ve been kind o’ watching her,” he said, “for some time—I guess she’s goin’ by.”
Benjamin Bodet came and stood beside him, looking out.
Uncle William glanced at him affectionately as he handed him the glass. He was not quite used—even yet—to having Benjy around. Sometimes he waked in the night and remembered Benjy was there—before he heard the sound of the waves on the beach or the wind coming across the moor16 behind the house.... This sometimes gave him a feeling that perhaps it might be heaven instead of Arichat... and it kept him from getting used to Benjy’s presence in the house.
Andy, from his seat at the table, looked at them with grudging17 eye. “You see anything?” he said.
“She’s running by,” said Uncle William. He came and sat down and looked contentedly18 at the untidy table. “That was a pretty good meal, Andy.”
Andy nodded, without enthusiasm. “The last one I’ll have this season—like as not,” he said.
“Oh, you bring ’em up here any time and we ’ll help you out, Benjy and me.” The tall man had come back from the window and he smiled down at them. “I’ll do my share,” he said.
Uncle William looked at him, as if fearing a little that he might vanish in his thinness. “You set down, Benjy,” he said, “I’m going to clear the table and then we ’ll get down the map—”
“Have you heard—?” asked the man quickly.
“It come today—while you was gone, and it’s to both of us,” said Uncle William.
He held the pan of red shells in his hand, looking at it doubtfully. Juno, with her back to the stove, licked her paw and rubbed it down her nose and rubbed again—and licked it and rubbed again—in gentle rhythm.
Uncle William glanced at her with benignant eye. “She does set store by lobster,” he said, “much as anybody I ever see. I guess I’ll save ’em for her.” He moved toward the sink.
Andy’s eye followed him with disapproving19 glance. “I’d heave ’em out,” he said.
“Don’t you worry, Andy, I’m goin’ to put ’em under the sink—way back. The’ won’t no fish-warden get ’em in there. It’s much’s I can do to find things myself—when they get under here—” He emerged from the depths with serene20 face. “I see some things in there now, I’ve been looking for quite a spell. Tomorrow I’m going to have a real good clarin’-up time—You see!”
“I wanted you to go up to my place tomorrow,” said Bodet whimsically. “I thought perhaps you could work that contractor21 around to let me have my house the way I want it.”
“Well, I’ll go if you want me to,” said Uncle William placidly22, “The dishes can wait a spell—some of ’em can wait,” he added, with a touch of conscience.
Benjamin smiled. “You might do them before we go.”
“And you could wipe,” said Uncle William cheerfully.
Benjamin’s face was perhaps a trifle less glowing than Uncle William’s, but his assent23 was cheerful. “All right, William, I’ll do my part—You help me with that contractor and I’ll wipe dishes for you—all day, if you say so.”
Uncle William regarded him thoughtfully. “You ought to have George Manning to help you about your house, Benjy. He could do it for you—nice.”
“Manning?” Bodet looked at him with lifted eyebrows—“You mean that boy—?”
“He ain’t a boy exactly, Benjy. He looks kind o’ young—not having any whiskers, and chewing a piece of grass the way he does when he’s thinking. But he’s old enough. He’s built a good many houses on the Island, fust and last—much as eighteen or twenty, I should think, counting barns—and hen-coops and fish-houses.”
Bodet smiled. “My house isn’t a hencoop, William.”
“I know, Benjy—it’s going to be a nice house—when you get it started,” said William.
Bodet sighed and threw out an impatient hand.
Uncle William looked at him sympathetically. “Does bother ye a good deal, don’t it?—You might talk with George about it,” he added hopefully, “‘Twon’t hurt any to talk to him—he’s chuck full of ideas. He’s about the best man we’ve got on the Island, I guess,” he added slowly. “The’ ain’t but one thing wrong about George.”
“What’s wrong with him!” asked Bodet with a little, skeptical24 smile.
“He ain’t married,” said Uncle William.
Bodet laughed out. “Neither are you, William.”
“No, I ain’t married and you ain’t married. But that’s different—we’re old men.”
“Just tottering25 around,” laughed Bodet.
“It ain’t the tottering, Benjy—It’s the hevin’ had your chance—and lost it.... That’s what’s happened to us.” He was looking at him with affectionate eyes, over the big spectacles.
Bodet nodded. “That’s what’s happened to us. And George Manning, I suppose—”
“George never had a chance,” said Uncle William thoughtfully.... “I don’t mean that nobody would ’a’ had him. I guess the’ ain’t a girl on the Island but what’s set her cap for George, one time or another—set it kind o’ modest, you know. But George don’t see ’em. He just goes around looking at the sky and things—kind o’ thinkin’ in his mind—might bump right up against a girl and not know she was there—” Uncle William chuckled. “I’ve talked to him about ’em,” he added conscientiously—“I’ve told him, a good many times, how interestin’ they be—but it don’t seem to do any good.” Uncle William sighed a little.
Bodet stood up, shaking himself. “Did you say there was a letter—?” he suggested.
Uncle William blinked a little and took it from his pocket, regarding it fondly. “You read it,” he said, “whilst I get down the map.”
Andy watched him, a little morosely26, as he mounted a chair and reached for the map on its nail—“When you two going to get a girl!” he said.
Uncle William looked down at him with open mouth. “Now that’s an idea!” he said slowly.
“What’s an idea?” asked Andy.
Uncle William’s mouth closed firmly. “Nothin’—I didn’t mean nothin’, I guess. I was just a-thinking.” He chuckled softly. “We’ve got a girl,” he added kindly27. “We heard from her yesterday.” He reached again to the map.
“When’s she coming?” demanded Andy.
“Well—?” Uncle William climbed slowly from the chair with his map, “She can’t come—exactly—”
Andy stared at him. “Then you ain’t got her, Willum—”
“Oh, yes, we’ve got her—and she wants to come—worst way. She’s the one I told you about—down to New York?” He looked at Andy over his spec-tades. “She’s a nice girl,” he added. His face held a deep glow. “‘Bout the nicest girl you ever see, I reckon.”
“I don’t know her,” said Andy coldly. “Well, mebbe you forget—But I remember well enough telling you about her one day—down to your house—when Harr’et had gone fox-berrying—and you and me was there alone, and we was makin’—”
“Like enough I do remember,” said Andy hastily.
“That’s the one,” said Uncle William, “the one I kind o’ helped to get home from New York—and she ’d come—any day—if there was a place to sleep. Benjy’s in the other room and I’m in this one—and the’ ain’t any other—” His forehead wrinkled at the problem. “She’s got to come—and she’s got to hev a place,” he said with decision.
“She could sleep down to my house,” said Andy.
“Why, so she could—She could sleep down to his house, Benjy,” said Uncle William.
The tall man swung his glasses from his nose and looked at them—first one and then the other. Then a smile came into his face. “The Lord bless you, Andy,” he said, “I think I had come about to the end of my dish-washing powers—”
“All you’ve done, was wipe ’em, Benjy,” said Uncle William anxiously.
“I know, William—and it’s all right—and I liked it!”
“You ’d pay a little suthin’,” suggested Andy.
“Oh, anything reasonable,” responded the tall man. “Now let’s see the map.”
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
mound
|
|
| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
lobster
|
|
| n.龙虾，龙虾肉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
lobsters
|
|
| 龙虾( lobster的名词复数 )； 龙虾肉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
chuckled
|
|
| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
shuffled
|
|
| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
soothingly
|
|
| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
morsel
|
|
| n.一口，一点点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
growl
|
|
| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
growled
|
|
| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
rumbled
|
|
| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
slants
|
|
| （使）倾斜，歪斜( slant的第三人称单数 )； 有倾向性地编写或报道 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
moor
|
|
| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
grudging
|
|
| adj.勉强的，吝啬的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
contentedly
|
|
| adv.心满意足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
disapproving
|
|
| adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
serene
|
|
| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
contractor
|
|
| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
placidly
|
|
| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
assent
|
|
| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
skeptical
|
|
| adj.怀疑的，多疑的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
tottering
|
|
| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
morosely
|
|
| adv.愁眉苦脸地，忧郁地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |