He muttered and fumed2 about the drawing-room after dinner.
He was confoundedly pinched for money, and upon his word he would not be surprised if he should have to sell the horses. “And what my life will be stuck down here without the hunting, I can’t imagine. Damnable!”
The Captain growled3 out the last word under his breath in consideration of Katherine and Hilda, who had joined their father and mother after their own tea and a game of lawn-tennis. But Mrs. Archinard was not the woman to allow to pass unnoticed such a well-founded cause of grievance4.
With a look of delicate disgust she laid down the volume of Turgenieff that she was reading.
“Shall I send the children away, Charles? Either they or you had best go, if you are going to talk like that.”
“Beg pardon,” said the Captain shortly. “No, of course they don’t go.”
“I am sure I have few enough enjoyments6 without being made to suffer because you are to lose one of yours.”
“Who asks you to suffer, Kate? But you don’t wait for the asking. You’re only too willing to offer yourself as a souffre-douleur on all occasions.”
Then Mrs. Archinard retired7 behind her book in scornful resignation and, after twenty minutes of silence, the little girls were very glad to get away to bed.
Hilda was just undressed when Mrs. Archinard sent for her to come to her room. Her head ached, and Hilda must brush her hair; it was early yet. This was a customary task, and one that Hilda prided herself upon accomplishing with sovereign beneficence. Taylor’s touch irritated Mrs. Archinard; Hilda only was soothing8.
In dressing-gown and slippers9 she ran to her mother’s room.
Mrs. Archinard’s long hair—as black and as fine as Hilda’s—fell over the back of the large arm-chair in which she reclined.
“Such a headache!” she sighed, as Hilda took up the brush and began to pass it slowly and gently down the length of hair. “It is really brutal10 of your father to forget my head as he does.”
Hilda’s heart sank. The unideal attitude of her father and mother toward one another was one of her great sorrows. Papa was certainly fond of his pretty wife, but he was so fretful and impatient, and mamma so continually grieved. It was all wrong. Hilda had already begun to pass judgment11, unconsciously, on her father; but her almost maternal12 tenderness for her mother as yet knew no doubt.
“It would be very dreadful if the horses had to go, wouldn’t it?” she said. Her father’s bad temper might be touching13 if its cause were suggested.
“Of course it would; and so are most things dreadful. I am sure that life is nothing but dreadfulness in every form.” Yet Mrs. Archinard was not at all an unhappy woman. Her life was delicately epicurean. She had few wants, but those few were never thwarted14. From the early cup of exquisite15 tea brought to her bedside, through all the day of dilettante16 lounging over a clever book—a day relieved from monotony by pleasant episodes—dainty dishes especially prepared, visits from acquaintances, with whom she had a reputation for languid cynicism and quite awesome17 literary and artistic18 cleverness—to this hour of hair-brushing, few of her moments were not consciously appreciative19 of the most finely flavored mental and physical enjoyment5. But the causes for enjoyment certainly seemed so slight that Mrs. Archinard’s graceful20 pessimism21 usually met with universal sympathy. Hilda was very sorry for her mother. To lie all day reading dreary22 books; condemned23 to an inaction that cut her off from all the delights of outdoor life, seemed to her tragic24. Mrs. Archinard did not undeceive her; indeed, perhaps, the most fascinating of Mrs. Archinard’s artistic occupations was to fancy herself very tragic. Hilda went back to her room much depressed25.
The girls slept together, and Katherine was sitting up in her night-gown writing her journal by candlelight and enjoying a sense of talent flowing at all costs—for writing by candlelight was strictly26 forbidden—as she dotted down what she felt to be a very original and pungent27 account of the day and the people it had introduced.
When, however, she heard the patter of Hilda’s heedless slippers in the corridor, she blew out the candle in a hurry, pinched the glowing wick, and skipped into bed. She might take an artistic pleasure in braving rules, but Katherine knew that Hilda would have shown an almost dull amazement28 at her occupation; and although Katherine characterized it as dull, she did not care to arouse it. She wished to stand well in Hilda’s eyes in all things. Hilda must find nothing to criticise29 in her either mentally or morally.
“What shall we do if the horses are sold?” she exclaimed, as Hilda got into the little bed beside hers. “Only imagine! no hunting next winter! at least, none for us!”
“Poor papa,” Hilda sighed.
“Oh, you may be sure that he will keep one hunter at least, but of course he will be dreadfully cut off from it with only one, and of course our horses will have to go if the worst comes to the worst. You won’t miss it as much as I will, Hilda; the riding, yes, no doubt, but not the hunting. Still Lord Mainwaring will give us a mount, and now that Mr. Odd is here, he will be sure to have a lot of horses. The old squire30 let everything of that sort run down so, Miss Odd had only two hunters. Well, Hilda, and what do you think of Mr. Odd?”
“Oh, I love him, Katherine!” Hilda lay looking with wide eyes into the soft darkness of the room. The windows were open, and the drawn31 chintz curtains flapped gently against the sills.
“I wouldn’t say that if I were you, Hilda,” Katherine remarked, with some disapproval32.
“Why not?” Hilda’s voice held an alarmed note. Katherine was, to a great extent, her mentor33.
“It doesn’t sound very—dignified. Of course you are only a little girl, but still—one doesn’t say such things.”
“But I do love him; how can one help loving a person who treats one so kindly34. And then—anyway—even if he had not been kind to me I should love him, I think.”
Hilda would have liked to be able properly to analyze35 her sensations and win her sister’s approval; but how explain clearly?
“That would be rather foolish,” Katherine said, in a tone of kind but restraining wisdom; “one shouldn’t let one’s feelings run away with one like that. Shall I tell you what I think about Mr. Odd?”
“Oh yes, please.”
“I think he is like the river where we jumped in to-day—ripples on the top, kindness and smiles, you know—but somewhere in his heart a big hole—a hole with stones and weeds in it.” Katherine was quoting from her journal, but Hilda might as well think the simile36 improvised37: Katherine felt some pride in it; it certainly justified38, she thought, the conventionally illicit39 act of the candle.
Hilda lay in silent admiration40.
“Oh, Katherine, I never know how I feel things till you tell me like that,” she said at last. “How beautiful! Yes, I am sure he has a hole in his heart.” And tears came into Hilda’s eyes and into her mind the line:—
“Allone, withouten any companye,”
“As for Mrs. Odd,” Katherine continued, pleased with the success of her psychology41, “she has no heart to make a hole in.”
“Katherine, do you think so? How dreadful!”
“She is a thorough egotist. She doesn’t know much either, Hilda, for when Darwin came in she laughed a lot at the name and said she wouldn’t be paid to read him—the real Darwin.”
“Perhaps she likes other things best.”
“Herself,” said Katherine decisively. “Miss Odd of course we have had time to make up our minds about.”
“I like her; don’t you? She has such a clear, trustful face.”
“She is rather rigid42; about as hard on other people as she would be on herself. She could never do anything wrong.”
“I don’t quite like that; being hard on other people, I mean. One could be quite sure about one’s own wrongness, but how can one about other people’s? It is rather uncharitable, isn’t it, Katherine?”
“She isn’t very charitable, but she is very just. As for Lord Allan, he is a sort of type, and, therefore, not very entertaining.”
“A type of what?”
“Oh, just the eldest43 son type; very handsome, very honest, very good, with a strong sense of responsibility. Jimmy Hope is just like him, which is a great pity, as one expects a difference in the younger son—more interest.”
Katharine went to sleep with a warmly comfortable sense of competence44. She doubted whether many people saw things as clearly as she did.
She was wakened by an unpleasant dreaming scream from Hilda.
“What is the matter, Hilda?” She spoke45 crossly. “How you startled me.”
“Oh, such a horrid46 dream!” Hilda half sobbed47. “How glad I am that it isn’t so!”
“What was it?” Katherine asked, still crossly; severity she thought the best attitude towards Hilda’s fright.
“About the river, down in the hole; I was choking, and my legs and arms were all tangled48 in roots.”
“Well, go to sleep now,” Katherine advised.
Hilda was obediently silent, but presently a small, supplicating49 voice was heard.
“Katherine—I’m so sorry—don’t be angry—might I come to you? I’m so frightened.”
“Come along,” said Katherine, still severely50, but she put her arms very fondly around her shivering sister, snuggled her consolingly and kissed her.
“Silly little Hilda,” she said.
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1
stodginess
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| n.难消化，笨拙 | |
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fumed
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| 愤怒( fume的过去式和过去分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟 | |
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growled
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| 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 | |
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grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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enjoyments
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| 愉快( enjoyment的名词复数 )； 令人愉快的事物； 享有； 享受 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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thwarted
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| 阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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dilettante
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| n.半瓶醋，业余爱好者 | |
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awesome
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| adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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appreciative
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| adj.有鉴赏力的，有眼力的；感激的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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pessimism
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| n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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criticise
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| v.批评，评论；非难 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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disapproval
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| n.反对，不赞成 | |
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mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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analyze
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| vt.分析，解析 (=analyse) | |
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simile
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| n.直喻，明喻 | |
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improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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illicit
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| adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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psychology
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| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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competence
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| n.能力，胜任，称职 | |
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45
spoke
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| 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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46
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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47
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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48
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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49
supplicating
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| v.祈求，哀求，恳求( supplicate的现在分词 ) | |
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50
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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