She, Mermaid, was a desert islander and the surfboat, returning, was a boat come to take her off. She had been alone, utterly16 alone, on the desert island for years. At the sight of the boat coming through the surf emotion should be hers. It was, and would have been anyway; but it might never have been the imaginative and kindled17 thing it became with the keeper’s help. Standing at the tiller he would call out, as the boat turned shoreward:
“Courage! You shall be restored to your family and friends!”
And when the boat was beached he would advance to the child, bow respectfully before her, and even sometimes, kneeling, kiss her hand. He would say:
“Your gracious Majesty18, we have voyaged to the Indies and have taken possession of them in the name of Castile!”
Or:
“Welcome, my lady, back to the world of living men!”
Or, merely bowing, and with a deference19 as studied as Stanley’s in the African jungle:
[21]“Madame Mermaid, I believe!”
Mermaid received him without full comprehension but with high glee. With a deplorable lack of etiquette20 she invariably reached up both arms, put them around his lowered neck, and kissed him.
She was pretty with the promise of loveliness, perhaps of beauty. It was not only her hair and her eyes but the modelling of her chin and the spacing of her features. The skin was unusually clear, with colour in the cheeks, and a few faint, clustered freckles21.
The men were devoted22 to her and she returned their affection. Even Ha Ha, the sad soul, the introspective one, though he never smiled, was less gloomy in his opinions when Mermaid stood by. Ho Ha, unable to compete with the keeper in telling engrossing23 stories, set himself to work to provide pets. There were foxes on the beach and he had come upon a litter. The cubs24 were dedicated25 to Mermaid—until nightfall when their mother gnawed26 the ropes which fastened them. Ho Ha sought vainly in Bellogue and Blue Port for a white rabbit with pink eyes. The beach was infested27 with plain brown rabbits, for the most part rather unafraid of man. Mermaid could approach within a few feet of these but they would not stay to let her touch them. Occasionally, trotting28 along the ocean shore beside Ho Ha, Mermaid came upon the round-toed tracks of a cat. Then the coast guardsman would explain how some of the summer people had left their cats on the[22] beach in the fall to fend29 for themselves. Cats so abandoned, explained Ho Ha, quickly became wild; they doubtless caught birds and visited the water’s edge in the reasonable hope of finding a bit of fish for supper. They were as wild as the foxes and much more savage30; if Mermaid should see one she must not make advances lest she be set upon and clawed. The sinuous31 line in the sand was the trail of a snake, probably a harmless garter snake, but possibly a black snake. Mermaid shuddered32 and her little hand closed more firmly over Ho Ha’s fingers.
While her natural education was thus proceeding33 Cap’n Smiley gave much thought to the question of her schooling34. Soon she would be seven, if, indeed, she were not already. Since the lack of a birthday is troublesome he bestowed35 his own upon her and promised some sort of a birthday party come May 27th.
But before this celebration ripened36 the agreeable course of life on the beach suffered an intrusion. On a fine May day Cap’n Smiley was puzzled to see advancing along the beach and turning in toward his station a group of women whom he recognized, as they neared, to be from Blue Port. Hastily assuring himself that his sister was not one, he arrested the drill with the breaches37 buoy and stepped forward to meet them. There were Mrs. Horton, Mrs. Brand, Mrs. Dayton, and Miss Errily. The four came up slowly,[23] talking among themselves with earnestness. When they were within earshot they stopped and Miss Errily seemed to take the lead, her thin lips closed in a straight line.
“Good morning,” said Cap’n Smiley, pleasantly. “We’re about finished with the drill, but there’s time enough to see it done over if——”
Miss Errily interrupted him:
“We didn’t come to see the drill, Cap’n Smiley,” she said in the severe tone natural to her. “We came to protest, on behalf of good people, against your allowing that child with the improper38 name to stay here. No one knows anything about her and I dare say the name you’ve given her is no worse than the rest if it were known; but a crew of rough men is not a fit surrounding in which any child should be brought up.”
For an ex-schoolteacher Miss Errily’s sentence construction was not flattering, but it was not the construction which bothered the keeper. The pleasant expression left his face.
“I don’t like insinuations, Miss Errily. Say what you have to say right out.”
Miss Errily compressed her lips more tightly before reopening them.
“Everyone knows, Cap’n Smiley, that this girl is a nobody-knows-who.”
“Go on,” the keeper told her.
“Doubtless,” pursued Miss Errily, “she is a—no, I[24] cannot bring myself to say it, and it is unnecessary—an Improper Child” (Miss Errily’s tone capitalized the words) “With Improper Origins and Antecedents. Her proper place is an Institution. Naturally, the Children’s Home connected with the county house and poor farm. They train them very well for domestic service, and good servants are becoming scarce. Few nowadays can keep their place and so, few keep their places. Besides, it is a Scandal—I speak frankly—an Open Scandal for a child of her years to be living here with rough men who cannot look after her properly nor discipline her. School, church, and home; she goes without all three.”
Cap’n Smiley’s blue eyes flashed as the blue ocean at which he had been gazing flashed when the sun caught the waves. Now he turned and faced the women, but Ho Ha, who had been listening with clenched39 fists, was before him. At the beginning of Miss Errily’s remarks Ho Ha had whispered in Mermaid’s ear and the child had scampered40 toward the station, not unpleased, for she did not like the looks the visitors gave her.
“Wait a minute, Miss Errily,” said Ho Ha. He drawled the words. “Wait—a—minute. You are not holding school, now. Who sent you?”
The spokeswoman stiffened41. She replied, angrily:
“We represent the Feeling of a Community. We——”
“And this,” observed Ho Ha, not waiting for her,[25] “is another community. If you represent any feelings except your own and those of a few other meddlesome42 women, Miss Errily, it’s the first time in forty years—you’re about sixty-two, aren’t you? My father was in your first class and you were about twenty-two then.”
“Hosea!” said the keeper, in a low tone of rebuke43, but he shook oddly as he said it.
“My age,” quivered Miss Errily, “whatever it is, should be sufficient to insure Respectful Treatment.” But she was obviously upset. Mrs. Brand took her place.
“Insult me, if you dare, Hosea Hand!” she cried, challengingly. Ho Ha looked at her thoughtfully.
“I wouldn’t tell any one to his face what you write about people to other people, Maria Brand,” he rejoined. “I still have your letter in which you wrote me that Cap’n Smiley’s sister——”
“I never wrote such a letter!” almost shrieked44 Maria Brand, with a look of half terror at the keeper, whose eye, fixed45 on the glittering ocean, remained there. Ho Ha, turning to Mrs. Dayton as if he were finishing a sentence addressed to her, went on implacably.
“—if you must look after other people’s children, why not look after your husband’s?” Mrs. Dayton went red and white, half opened her lips, and then started to walk rapidly away. The ranks had broken. Miss Errily and Maria Brand, followed by Mrs. Horton,[26] were also in rapid retreat in the direction taken by Amelia Dayton who had no children, and whose husband’s did not bear the name of Dayton. Cap’n Smiley frowned on his surfman. “That was going too far!” he censured46 him.
“Not a bit, not a bit!” said Ho Ha with heat. “Nothing but a pack of busybodies! Dick Dayton’s brats47 roll in dirt while Amelia Dayton lends money at usury48. My regret is that I didn’t get a chance to ask Jane Horton if she had paid her farmer’s fine yet. You know he watered the milk and I can guess by whose orders!”
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1
velvety
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| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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2
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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mermaid
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| n.美人鱼 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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dunes
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| 沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
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7
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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9
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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buoy
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| n.浮标；救生圈；v.支持，鼓励 | |
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12
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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15
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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16
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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17
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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18
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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19
deference
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| n.尊重，顺从；敬意 | |
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20
etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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21
freckles
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| n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
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22
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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23
engrossing
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| adj.使人全神贯注的，引人入胜的v.使全神贯注( engross的现在分词 ) | |
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24
cubs
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| n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 ) | |
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25
dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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26
gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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27
infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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28
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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29
fend
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| v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开 | |
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30
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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31
sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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32
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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33
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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34
schooling
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| n.教育；正规学校教育 | |
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35
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
breaches
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| 破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背 | |
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38
improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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39
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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42
meddlesome
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| adj.爱管闲事的 | |
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43
rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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44
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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46
censured
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| v.指责，非难，谴责( censure的过去式 ) | |
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47
brats
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| n.调皮捣蛋的孩子( brat的名词复数 ) | |
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48
usury
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| n.高利贷 | |
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