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CHAPTER XXIV JEAN AGAIN
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A week passed, and Dorothy heard nothing further about her father’s business troubles. Tavia’s ankle mended, and she declared that she had never missed a foot so much in all her life.

The disgrace of Jean and her friends, in having been disciplined for their escapade, also vanished, and the ringleader was now as fearless as ever.

Occasionally Tavia would pat herself on her back, and say to Dorothy:

“You can’t imagine our luck! I will never get over it.”

But Dorothy knew no more than before what Tavia referred to, although she did suggest that Tavia might go up to the stable, and thank Jake for his part in her escape.

It was one rainy morning, when the girls would not reasonably think of venturing out of doors, that Jean fixed1 herself for the storm and started for the post-office. This meant that she had mail which she did not wish to go in with that of the school.

179 She rushed along and in the gully, as she took the shortest cut across the woods, she saw approaching her a woman—the fortune teller2!

In spite of Jean’s hurry the woman overtook her, and, slouching up to the narrow path, demanded Jean to stop.

“I can’t,” Jean replied, “I have only a few minutes in which to get to the post-office.”

“But my business is more important than mailing a letter,” said the woman. “I know you—I know all about you, and if you do not pay me well with the money which you spend so easily on candy, I will expose you at your school!”

For a moment Jean was startled, then, recovering her presence of mind, she said:

“There is nothing that anyone can know of me that would injure my reputation. Let me pass!”

“No, my fine young lady; I will not let you pass until you give me a dollar out of that shiny purse,” sneered3 the woman. “Do you suppose I do not know enough to have you expelled from Glenwood?”

“I don’t care what you know,” exclaimed Jean with ill temper. “But if you detain me longer I will let the town officer know what sort of place you conduct. How did you know about me and my letter? How did you tell my fortune?”

“From my ball, of course,” said the woman. “How else could I tell? And I remember it.180 You are to be careful about the girl you hate. If you say one word against her, you will be the one who will suffer. Give me my dollar.”

Jean was now perplexed4. Plainly if she did not humor the woman she would be late for class, and she could not well risk a second offence after that which had caused her so much indignity5.

“Will you promise to tell me how you knew about that letter if I give you a dollar?” she asked.

“Yes, indeed, I will,” the woman answered.

Jean opened her purse, and handed out a dollar bill.

“Now tell me,” she demanded.

The fortune teller fingered the dollar greedily.

“I knew about it—because I saw it in my ball. Tell the other girls that and Shebad’s luck will turn.”

Jean scowled6 at her, but did not deign7 to answer. She ran on quickly to the post-office, but her mind went faster than her steps. Somehow, the woman held an influence over her. She could tell nothing of Dorothy Dale’s father’s business! What could it matter? What could happen if she did? Yet she feared to do so.

At the post-office she found, as she expected, a registered letter awaiting her. She signed the book nervously8, and without opening the missive, raced back through the woods.

181 If only she could find out where Edna and Tavia were on the night of the fortune telling! And how had Tavia hurt her foot? Perhaps the fortune teller knew!

There she was—across the marsh9. Jean would just run over and ask her. She glanced at her watch. Yes, she had fifteen minutes. Picking her steps through the damp woods Jean hurried to the woman who was sitting down, evidently nursing that dollar.

The old fortune teller glanced up, as she saw the girl coming.

“What now?” she asked indifferently.

“I want to ask you a question,” replied Jean nervously.

“I have not my ball,” demurred10 the woman.

“But it is not about myself,” said Jean. “I want to know can you tell me, how a girl—a brown-haired and brown-eyed girl—hurt her foot on the night that we—came to your place?”

This was news to Madam Shebad—news that she might turn into money!

“What are her initials?” she asked.

“T. T.,” replied Jean.

The woman looked serious. “Let me see your hand,” she said.

“But it has nothing to do with me,” insisted Jean. “And I have to hurry back, or I shall be late.”

182 “Can’t you induce the girl to come to me?” the pretender asked.

“I am afraid not,” said Jean. “She is not a friend of mine.”

“Then I will tell you this. If you come to me any time before nightfall I will look into my ball, and find out what you want to know. It never fails.”

Jean ran off without replying. If she should be late!

So many things seemed to detain her. There was that cripple paper-boy. She had to take his paper, and wait for change. Then, at the little bridge, there was the cowboy with his cows, and they were so slow in crossing. After all it was a very nervous thing to do, to disobey rules. She would not risk it again.

The bell rang as she turned into the gate. She was breathless, and could not hide her confusion. Cologne had been out getting some berries. She saw Jean, and, Jean thought, looked at her rather suspiciously. That is the price of wrong-doing—always suspecting others.

“Hello! there!” called out Cologne defiantly11. “Been out doing nature-work?”

It was cruel of Cologne, but she could not resist.

“Yes, human nature,” replied Jean sarcastically12. “And I found a fine specimen13.”

183 “Good,” said Cologne. “Be sure to produce it at class for we have gone stone dry.”

Jean was getting desperate. Everything went wrong with her, and all her plans to make a great “splurge” at school were falling flat. Her secret club could not be depended upon—she suspected everyone. While never the brightest of scholars, she had lately been so distracted that her lessons were not only neglected, but seemed to be too much for her tortured mind.

One thing only she never failed in, and that was in the matter of dress. Her pride in her personal appearance was a part of her very nature, but Jean, to-day, wished heartily14 that she could go home!

Home! She rarely thought of that. Her mother—Jean sighed heavily when the thought pressed itself upon her. Somehow, that fortune teller always made her gloomy. She would never see her again. With such a confusion of thoughts she entered the classroom.

Tavia had gotten back, and could not resist giving her a sharp glance. Dorothy was busy with her books—she was pale, but the sun shone through her hair, and cast a beautiful glow about her.

Little Zada was so bent15 over that she seemed a part of her desk. She had to work hard now to make up for the time lost in worry.

184 All the girls were in their seats when Jean entered the room. Why did they all seem to question her with looks?

“Miss Faval,” said Miss Cummings, the English teacher, “you are ten minutes late. This is a day for hard work, and we cannot afford to lose a moment. Please get to your lesson at once.”

Jean looked obediently at the teacher’s desk. Yes, she would get to work at once.

But somehow her head did not feel just right. She took out her books, and bravely tried to conquer her stupid feelings.

Suddenly the floor moved—her desk moved—and then—Jean Faval fell in a dead faint!

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 teller yggzeP     
n.银行出纳员;(选举)计票员
参考例句:
  • The bank started her as a teller.银行起用她当出纳员。
  • The teller tried to remain aloof and calm.出纳员力图保持冷漠和镇静。
3 sneered 0e3b5b35e54fb2ad006040792a867d9f     
讥笑,冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
  • It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。
4 perplexed A3Rz0     
adj.不知所措的
参考例句:
  • The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛,走了又回来,犹豫不决,总怕上当受骗。
  • The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。
5 indignity 6bkzp     
n.侮辱,伤害尊严,轻蔑
参考例句:
  • For more than a year we have suffered the indignity.在一年多的时间里,我们丢尽了丑。
  • She was subjected to indignity and humiliation.她受到侮辱和羞辱。
6 scowled b83aa6db95e414d3ef876bc7fd16d80d     
怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
  • The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。
7 deign 6mLzp     
v. 屈尊, 惠允 ( 做某事)
参考例句:
  • He doesn't deign to talk to unimportant people like me. 他不肯屈尊和像我这样不重要的人说话。
  • I would not deign to comment on such behaviour. 这种行为不屑我置评。
8 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。
9 marsh Y7Rzo     
n.沼泽,湿地
参考例句:
  • There are a lot of frogs in the marsh.沼泽里有许多青蛙。
  • I made my way slowly out of the marsh.我缓慢地走出这片沼泽地。
10 demurred demurred     
v.表示异议,反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • At first she demurred, but then finally agreed. 她开始表示反对,但最终还是同意了。
  • They demurred at working on Sundays. 他们反对星期日工作。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
11 defiantly defiantly     
adv.挑战地,大胆对抗地
参考例句:
  • Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 sarcastically sarcastically     
adv.挖苦地,讽刺地
参考例句:
  • 'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
  • Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她,讽刺地鞠了一躬。
13 specimen Xvtwm     
n.样本,标本
参考例句:
  • You'll need tweezers to hold up the specimen.你要用镊子来夹这标本。
  • This specimen is richly variegated in colour.这件标本上有很多颜色。
14 heartily Ld3xp     
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很
参考例句:
  • He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿,就出去找他的马。
  • The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手,热情地和我握手。
15 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。


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