Two girls were walking slowly arm in arm along a stretch of country road. There was no one else in sight at the time, yet they seemed entirely2 unafraid. A quarter of a mile beyond them, however, a dim light burned in the window of a small frame house. Near it was a tumbled mass of brick and stone.
"We received our orders for work this afternoon, Eugenia dear," Barbara remarked. "They were sorry you were not with us. But you are to come in to headquarters as soon as possible, when arrangements will be made for you."
Unconsciously Barbara sighed and although it was too dark in the moonlight to distinguish the expression on her face, her companion paused for a moment.
[Pg 48]
"Are you disappointed in what they wish you to do, Barbara, child?" Eugenia inquired more gently than she usually spoke3. "You sound rather forlorn and 'wee' as the Scotch4 sometimes say. Of course, I know you are tired from the long trip into Brussels and coming here to spend the night with me. It is lovely to have you for this quiet walk, but I'm afraid you'll find a bed on the floor a pretty hard resting place even for war times."
"Oh, I shan't mind. Besides, I brought over some more bed-clothes," the younger girl answered, although her attention was not really fixed5 upon her reply.
Eugenia had guessed correctly in thinking Barbara was tired. Her face was very small and white, so that her eyes appeared almost unnaturally6 large and blue. Her only color was in her lips, which drooped7 like a weary child's.
"Oh, yes, the work is all right. One can't expect an easy time of it these days. Besides, I hope some day to prove to you, Eugenia, that I did not come to Europe to nurse in the Red Cross just for the sake[Pg 49] of an adventure. Of course, I shall never dare hope to do anything to compare with what you have done, or to be anything like you, but——"
Barbara's speech was interrupted by her friend's hand being laid firmly across her lips.
"I prefer your not saying things like that," she answered in a tone that the other girl felt obliged to respect. It was not that Eugenia was unduly8 modest. Only that she had never appeared to desire to talk about her final experience in France. Indeed, the other three girls had been provoked before this by her reticence9. It was all very well for Eugenia not to discuss before strangers her rescue and care of Captain Castaigne under such extraordinary difficulties. But it was tiresome10 of her never to be willing to relate the details of her experience to her most intimate companions. Personally, Barbara Meade intended to hear the whole thing some day from beginning to end. Then she would be able to tell the story to the Countess Amelie, who had become her own[Pg 50] and Nona's devoted11 friend. For Captain Castaigne had given only a brief account of the circumstances to his mother. Actually he had been as reticent12 in the matter as Eugenia. However, Barbara was not in the mood tonight to demand other people's confessions13.
"If you are tired, suppose we sit down for a while," Eugenia suggested. The two girls found a tree near by that had been uprooted14 by an underground explosion and lay face down upon the earth with its arms outspread, like a defeated giant.
Unconsciously they both sighed with relief and then smiled half humorously at each other.
"We are all to work at the same hospital in Brussels," Barbara went on. "At least, Mildred and Nona and I have been chosen for the same place. I don't know about you. Thank goodness, it is an American hospital and supported by our money!"
"Don't be prejudiced," Eugenia remonstrated15.
But Barbara shook her head impatiently. "How can one help being? You are only[Pg 51] pretending to yourself that you are neutral. If the Germans had been conquered, perhaps I should feel equally sorry for them. But to me Belgium is like a gallant16 boy who went out with his head up and his lips smiling to do battle with a giant. The courage of it is like a song!"
In silence Eugenia agreed.
Then Barbara leaned her curly brown head on her companion's arm.
"I have a piece of news for you, Gene," she added. "Really, I came to you tonight to be the first to tell you. Who do you think arrived in Brussels today to help with the American Relief work?" Barbara did not wait for an answer to her question. "Dick Thornton!" she finished with a sudden indrawing of her breath.
The older girl did not glance toward her companion. Her attention seemed to be fixed upon a particularly effective June moon which was just emerging from a cloud-like veil.
"That is tremendously good news, isn't it? And it is great of Dick to insist on being useful in spite of his misfortune![Pg 52] But perhaps I am not so surprised as you think I ought to be, Barbara. Nona half confessed the possibility of his turning up to me several days ago. She told me I was not to speak of this, however, to you, because Dick might not be able to come and he did not wish—" Eugenia hesitated a second—"he did not wish Mildred to be disappointed. Now I am particularly glad you are all to be in Brussels. Perhaps you may have a chance to see Dick nearly as often as you like."
"Yes, it will be awfully17 nice for Mildred and Nona and I am delighted for them," Barbara interrupted, moving several feet away from her friend. "But I do hope you will be with us, Eugenia, to associate with me! I hate to be in the way. And I am afraid I will be, under the circumstances."
The younger girl had lowered her voice to the purest confidential18 tone. Then, although they were quite alone, she looked carefully around before going on.
"Perhaps I haven't any right to say so, but I am almost sure there is a bond[Pg 53] between Nona Davis and Dick. I didn't dream of this when we were in Paris together. But I know they have been writing each other constantly ever since. Besides, if you had seen their meeting today!"
She ceased talking, for Eugenia was shaking her head in doubt.
"But isn't Nona one of the prettiest girls you ever saw and the most charming?" Barbara demanded argumentatively the next instant. She seemed almost angry at the older girl's silent disagreement.
This time Eugenia inclined her head.
"I have no idea of disputing Nona's beauty or charm, or Dick Thornton's either. He is a splendid American fellow. And if one of you Red Cross girls must fall in love, certainly I should prefer you to fall in love with Dick. However, at present I simply don't believe there is an affair between Dick and Nona."
"But you'll see in time," Barbara persisted.
"Yes, I'll see in time," Eugenia concluded.
[Pg 54]
Then Barbara crept closer again.
"The moonlight, or something, makes me feel dismal," she confided19. "I don't know why, but the moon gives me the blues20 far more than it ever makes me romantic. Sometimes I wonder if we will ever get back home safely, all of us, without any illness or sorrow or anything," Barbara ended vaguely21.
Eugenia could be a remarkably22 comforting person when she liked.
She made no reply at the moment, only drew the younger girl toward her.
"Now I have something to tell you, Barbara. It is good of you to wish me to be in Brussels with you, but I'm really not much good as a companion. You girls are ever so much happier without me, I feel sure, or I wouldn't desert you."
"Desert us?" Barbara stiffened23 at once, forgetting the other subject of their conversation.
"You don't mean, Eugenia Peabody, that you have decided24 to give up the Red Cross work and go back home? You, of all of us! I simply won't believe it.[Pg 55] Why, I thought you were the most devoted, the most——"
Eugenia laughed half-heartedly. "I didn't say I was going home, Barbara," she protested. "But you are right in thinking I mean to give up my Red Cross work, at least if I am allowed to resign. I don't know why, but recently I don't seem to feel the same fondness for nursing. I kind of dread25 a great many things about it."
Barbara laid her hand caressingly26 upon Eugenia's knee.
Really Eugenia was growing so surprisingly human these days that one could scarcely recall the old Eugenia.
"Oh, that is just because you are tired. I know you have always denied this, but you have never been exactly the same since your siege with Captain Castaigne. The responsibility and the work were too much for you. I don't think he was ever half grateful enough! The idea of his joining his regiment27 without coming to say good-by to you—just writing a letter! Promise me you will go quietly away somewhere[Pg 56] and rest for a few weeks, Eugenia. Then I know you'll feel like getting back into harness again. Really, I need you to be with us. I haven't any backbone28 unless you are around to make me afraid of you."
Eugenia shook her head. "Perhaps I shall not be very far away and we may be able to see each other now and then. I have been thinking of a scheme for several days, almost ever since we came into Belgium. You remember I told you I had a good deal of money, but did not always know just how to spend it. Well, I have found a way here. I am going to get a big house and I am going to fill it full to overflowing29 with the Belgian babies and all the children who need an old maid mother to look after them. And I think I found the very house I need today. It is an old place that is supposed to be haunted and is far away from everything else. But it is big and has an old veranda30. Perhaps I'll still be doing Red Cross work if I take care of well babies as well as sick ones. Do you think I'll make a great failure as a mother, Bab?" she ended.
[Pg 57]
Without replying Barbara's answer was yet sufficiently31 reassuring32.
At the same time she was wondering if these past few months had changed Eugenia as much as she appeared to be changed. But perchance she had always been mistaken in her view of her.
Then both girls started suddenly to their feet. For the little French girl, Nicolete, had come upon them unawares. She gave Barbara a glance revealing but little affection. Then beckoning33 Eugenia mysteriously aside she soon ran off again like a sprite in the moonlight.
点击收听单词发音
1 serenely | |
adv.安详地,宁静地,平静地 | |
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2 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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3 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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4 scotch | |
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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5 fixed | |
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的 | |
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6 unnaturally | |
adv.违反习俗地;不自然地;勉强地;不近人情地 | |
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7 drooped | |
弯曲或下垂,发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8 unduly | |
adv.过度地,不适当地 | |
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9 reticence | |
n.沉默,含蓄 | |
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10 tiresome | |
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的 | |
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11 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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12 reticent | |
adj.沉默寡言的;言不如意的 | |
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13 confessions | |
n.承认( confession的名词复数 );自首;声明;(向神父的)忏悔 | |
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14 uprooted | |
v.把(某物)连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 );根除;赶走;把…赶出家园 | |
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15 remonstrated | |
v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 );告诫 | |
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16 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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17 awfully | |
adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地 | |
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18 confidential | |
adj.秘(机)密的,表示信任的,担任机密工作的 | |
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19 confided | |
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等) | |
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20 blues | |
n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐 | |
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21 vaguely | |
adv.含糊地,暖昧地 | |
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22 remarkably | |
ad.不同寻常地,相当地 | |
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23 stiffened | |
加强的 | |
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24 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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25 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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26 caressingly | |
爱抚地,亲切地 | |
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27 regiment | |
n.团,多数,管理;v.组织,编成团,统制 | |
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28 backbone | |
n.脊骨,脊柱,骨干;刚毅,骨气 | |
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29 overflowing | |
n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的,充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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30 veranda | |
n.走廊;阳台 | |
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31 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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32 reassuring | |
a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的,使人放心的 | |
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33 beckoning | |
adj.引诱人的,令人心动的v.(用头或手的动作)示意,召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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