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CHAPTER XII—HUNCH AND MAMIE
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HUNCH1 went down to Liddington Sunday morning on the combination freight and passenger train. Bruce had come to the station with him, and stood looking after the train for a long time after it had pulled away. Hunch saw him through the rear window.

It was a crisp January morning. The snow had come and the train rattled2 through a flat, white country, cut into strips as far as one could see by the straight up and down lines of the black pine stumps3. At Liddington Hunch went up to the white brick hotel on the main street and ate his dinner alone. He walked up and down for an hour after dinner, trying to think clearly about Mamie and Bruce. Now, that he was on the ground, he was not sure why he had come. But it drew near three o’clock, and he walked out to Bruce’s cottage.

At first there was no answer to his knock. The curtains were down, and the snow had not been cleared away from the steps. He knocked again and rattled the knob. He heard some one moving. A little later an inside door opened, and then, after some fumbling4 with the lock, Mamie opened the door. She was pale and thin. A shawl was drawn5 over her head and shoulders.

“Oh!” she said, then smiled. “How do you do, Mister Badeau?”

Hunch stepped in and closed the door.

“What’s the matter?” he said. “You ain’t sick?”

“No, just a little under the weather. Come in and sit down.”

The front room was cold.

“Ain’t you got no fire?” Hunch asked.

“Yes, I made a little fire in the kitchen this morning. I can sit out there, you know. I don’t need any in here. Guess we’d better go out there anyhow, where it’s warmer.”

“You go ahead,” said Hunch; then, “Where’s your wood? I’ll make a fire here.”

“Oh, no, you mustn’t?”

“Now you just leave me be, Mis’ Considine. You set down in the kitchen and lemme fix you up. Where’s the wood?”

“It’s out here in the box,” said Mamie, opening the kitchen door.

Hunch saw why she was sparing of wood. There were only a few armfuls. But he built a roaring fire in the front room, and then took the ax out into the back yard and split up a heap of boards and timber waste that lay under the snow. Mamie watched him through the window. After a few strokes he grew warm from the exercise, and taking off his coat he handed it through the door to Mamie, and said, “Warm weather, ain’t it?” Mamie was smiling when she reappeared at the window. Hunch filled the wood box and laid a large pile on the floor at each end. Then he put on his coat.

“Well,” he said, “that’s more like. Pull up a chair, Mis’ Considine.”

“You must be hungry, Mr. Badeau, after all that work. I’m going to make you some coffee, anyway.”

“Now, don’t you do nothing of the sort. That ain’t work? That’s just fun.” Unconsciously he expanded his chest as he spoke6. In spite of his bent7 shoulders, it was a deep, rounded chest, different from Bruce’s. Mamie did not know that there was admiration8 in her eyes as she watched him.

“Now, you’ve got to let me, Mr. Badeau. I don’t have company very often. You just sit still and let me work awhile. I’m not doing my share.” So Hunch sat by the stove and watched her as she stepped about the kitchen. Her manner had brightened, and there was a flush on her cheeks. She took pains to keep the pantry door closed, but once Hunch caught a glimpse inside and saw that the shelves were nearly bare. While drinking the coffee they both felt a slight restraint. Occasionally when their eyes met, Mamie would lower hers and laugh nervously9. They talked of old times, and Hunch recalled, somewhat awkwardly, the day he had first met her on the beach by the life-saving station.

Then there was a long pause, and Hunch said, “Look here, Mis’ Considine, there ain’t no use trying to make me think things that ain’t so is so. I’m going down town and bring up something to eat.”

Mamie flushed.

“Now, don’t say nothing. You just leave me be and we’ll fix things up in great shape.”

Mamie tried to protest, but Hunch put on his ulster and started up the street, saying over his shoulder as he went down the steps, “I’ll be back in no time.”

He found Joe Cartier, who kept the grocery and meat market across from the hotel, at his house, and made him open his store and put up a large bundle of provisions. When he returned, Mamie was at the front window. She hurried to open the door.

“Come on and we’ll have a blowout,” said Hunch, as he cut the string and spread the packages over the kitchen table. “There’s a good many of the things that don’t have to be cooked at all. I got some preserve—thought you might like it. Do you? It’s peach.”

Mamie’s eyes were hesitating between laughter and tears, but she nodded quickly and the laugh triumphed. Then they both set to work. Hunch laid the table-cloth, and puttered about clumsily, while Mamie prepared the meal. Mamie laughed, at his awkwardness, and after a time grew so cheerful that she joked him and made him blush through the bronze on his face. And they sat facing each other across the table, with all the lively chatter10 of two foolish young people. Afterward11 she washed the dishes and he wiped them.

But when it was finished and they sat before the stove in the front room, the sense of restraint returned. For a long time neither spoke. They looked at the two cracked mica12 windows in the stove door, which glowed redly when the flames leaped up behind them. It was Mamie who finally broke the silence.

“Is—Bruce well?”

“He’s—he’s pretty well. He didn’t feel quite able to come down to-day. You know we’re bunking13 together. You see, I know about—now, you mustn’t think I’m poking14 my nose into none of my business. I and Bruce was together a good while, and we come to know a good deal about each other, o’ course.”

Mamie was looking at the stove windows. The wood in the stove had fallen, sending up sparks and shoots of flame that danced grotesquely15 on the mica.

“You see, if there’s anything I can do, ‘t aint ‘s if I was doing a favor. It’s just that mebbe I was lucky in getting a place that pays a little more’n Bruce’s. And you see he’d do just the same by me if it come that I was kind of on my uppers.”

Mamie was still silent.

“Now, you just be sensible-’cause it’s all sort of in the family, you know—and tell me how it is about the rent, and mebbe we can kind of patch things up, because three heads is better ‘n two. Understand?”

Mamie leaned back in her chair and rested her face in her hands. When Hunch looked at her he saw that she was crying, and he waited till she should speak. Finally she said, “I don’t know just what we’re going to do. It—it’s only that there’s some one else wants the house and we—of course——”

“Yes, of course,” said Hunch.

“I thought, maybe I ought to take a room somewhere.”

“That’s so. Something smaller. I dunno but what’s like as not you’d feel better anyhow. This is a pretty big house for a little bit of a thing like you. Mebbe ‘s long as Bruce is working up to Manistee you could get a room and sort of keep house for yourself. Be kind of snug16, don’t you think so?”

“Tell you what,” he said, after they had sat for several minutes without talking, “I’ll see what we can do.” He rose and put on his coat. Mamie watched him, but seemed unable to reply, and let him go out without a word.

He returned an hour later. Mamie was still sitting by the stove.

“It’s all fixed17 up,” he said, shaking the snow from his coat. “You’re going over to Cartier’s. They’ve got a big room for you, and he’s going to see that you get moved all right. You can take your meals right in the house. And ‘twon’t cost you hardly anything. Now, you just drop them blues18 and we’ll see if we can’t get you fatter ‘n you ever was. You’re a-going to have a good time yet this winter. And Bruce ‘ll come down Sundays. I’ve got to get the train. Guess I might’s well start along.” She got up slowly and followed him to the door. Neither knew what to say. Hunch buttoned his ulster and drew on one of his big fur mittens19. He looked at his hand, big and freckled21, with hard, knotted fingers and broken nails. He held it out hurriedly and said, “Well—good-by.”

She took his hand shyly. Suddenly she bent down and kissed it, and a tear dropped on it. Hunch pulled his hand away.

“Oh, don’t do that——”

She looked up into his face. She did not seem to care now if he saw her crying.

Hunch forgot that he had shaken hands and he took hers again, this time with his mitten20 on. Then he opened the door and hurried out. She stood at the window looking after him as he walked down the street, but he did not turn around.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 hunch CdVzZ     
n.预感,直觉
参考例句:
  • I have a hunch that he didn't really want to go.我有这么一种感觉,他并不真正想去。
  • I had a hunch that Susan and I would work well together.我有预感和苏珊共事会很融洽。
2 rattled b4606e4247aadf3467575ffedf66305b     
慌乱的,恼火的
参考例句:
  • The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
  • Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里,窗户都格格作响。
3 stumps 221f9ff23e30fdcc0f64ec738849554c     
(被砍下的树的)树桩( stump的名词复数 ); 残肢; (板球三柱门的)柱; 残余部分
参考例句:
  • Rocks and stumps supplied the place of chairs at the picnic. 野餐时石头和树桩都充当了椅子。
  • If you don't stir your stumps, Tom, you'll be late for school again. 汤姆,如果你不快走,上学又要迟到了。
4 fumbling fumbling     
n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理
参考例句:
  • If he actually managed to the ball instead of fumbling it with an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动,经常这样结束。
  • If he actually managed to secure the ball instead of fumbling it awkwardly an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-50提议有时。他从off-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动,经常这样结束。
5 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
6 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
7 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
8 admiration afpyA     
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕
参考例句:
  • He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
  • We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。
9 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地,不安地
参考例句:
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
10 chatter BUfyN     
vi./n.喋喋不休;短促尖叫;(牙齿)打战
参考例句:
  • Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
  • I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。
11 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
12 mica gjZyj     
n.云母
参考例句:
  • It could not pass through material impervious to water such as mica.它不能通过云母这样的不透水的物质。
  • Because of its layered structure,mica is fissile.因为是层状结构,云母很容易分成片。
13 bunking b5a232c5d1c1e6be90eb9bb285b6f981     
v.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位( bunk的现在分词 );空话,废话
参考例句:
  • A tacit friendship had developed between them since they had been bunking together. 他们俩自从睡在一个帐篷里以来,彼此之间已悄然结下了友谊。 来自辞典例句
  • Bunking the tube was easy on the outward journey. 外出旅游期间,睡在睡袋里是件很容易的事情。 来自互联网
14 poking poking     
n. 刺,戳,袋 vt. 拨开,刺,戳 vi. 戳,刺,捅,搜索,伸出,行动散慢
参考例句:
  • He was poking at the rubbish with his stick. 他正用手杖拨动垃圾。
  • He spent his weekends poking around dusty old bookshops. 他周末都泡在布满尘埃的旧书店里。
15 grotesquely grotesquely     
adv. 奇异地,荒诞地
参考例句:
  • Her arched eyebrows and grotesquely powdered face were at once seductive and grimly overbearing. 眉棱棱着,在一脸的怪粉上显出妖媚而霸道。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
  • Two faces grotesquely disfigured in nylon stocking masks looked through the window. 2张戴尼龙长袜面罩的怪脸望着窗外。
16 snug 3TvzG     
adj.温暖舒适的,合身的,安全的;v.使整洁干净,舒适地依靠,紧贴;n.(英)酒吧里的私房
参考例句:
  • He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
  • She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。
17 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
18 blues blues     
n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐
参考例句:
  • She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
  • He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。
19 mittens 258752c6b0652a69c52ceed3c65dbf00     
不分指手套
参考例句:
  • Cotton mittens will prevent the baby from scratching his own face. 棉的连指手套使婴儿不会抓伤自己的脸。
  • I'd fisted my hands inside their mittens to keep the fingers warm. 我在手套中握拳头来保暖手指。
20 mitten aExxv     
n.连指手套,露指手套
参考例句:
  • There is a hole in the thumb of his mitten.他的手套的姆指上有个洞。
  • He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live.I want to see your brother and meet your parents".他一手接过她的钱,一手抓起她的连指手套,“带我去你住的地方,我想见见你的弟弟和你的父母。
21 freckled 1f563e624a978af5e5981f5e9d3a4687     
adj.雀斑;斑点;晒斑;(使)生雀斑v.雀斑,斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Her face was freckled all over. 她的脸长满雀斑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Her freckled skin glowed with health again. 她长有雀斑的皮肤又泛出了健康的红光。 来自辞典例句


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