This friendly remark was addressed in confidence to a group of three persons at the forward end of the car, who began preparations for the halt as the clanking of the wheels beneath them grew more measured, and the carriage trembled and lurched under the pressure of the brakes. But the cheery grin which went with it was exclusively directed to the two ladies who rose now from their arm-chairs, and who gently relaxed their features in amused response.
Whether the porter was moved only by the comeliness7 of these faces and their gracious softening8, or whether he was aware that they were patrician9 countenances10, so to speak, and belonged to Mrs. and Miss Minster, persons of vast wealth and importance and considerable stockholders in this very railroad, is not clear. But he made a great bustle11 over getting their parcels down from the racks overhead, and helping12 them to don their outer garments. He smoothed the rich fur of their sealskin cloaks with almost affectionate strokes of his coffee-colored palms, and made a pile of their belongings13 on the next seat with an exaggerated show of dexterity14 and zeal15. This done, he turned for a cursory16 moment to the young man who constituted the third member of the group, peremptorily17 pulled up the collar of his overcoat to the top of his ears, and was back again with his arms full of the ladies’ bundles as the train came to a stop.
“This way, ladies,” he said, marching jauntily18 under his burden toward the door.
“I will bid you good-day, Mr. Boyce,” said the elder of the women, speaking with somewhat formal politeness, but offering her hand.
“Good-day, sir,” the younger said simply, with a little inclination19 of the head, but with no “Mr. Boyce,” and no proffer20 of her gloved fingers.
The young man murmured “so delighted to have had the privilege” between low answering bows, and then stood watching the two fur-draped figures move to the door and disappear, with a certain blankness of expression on his face which seemed to say that he had hoped for a more cordial leave-taking. Then he smiled with reassurance21, folded up and pocketed his thin car-cap, adjusted his glossy22 silk hat carefully, and proceeded to tug23 out his own valise. It was a matter of some difficulty to get the cumbrous bag down off the high icy steps to the ground. It was even more disagreeable to carry it along when he had got it down, and after a few paces he let it fall with a grunt24 of vexation, and looked about him for assistance. “How much better they do these things in Europe!” was what he thought as he looked.
All day long he had been journeying over a snowbound country—with white-capped houses, white-frozen streams, white-tufted firs, white-mantled fields and roads and hillsides, forever dodging25 one another in the dissolving panorama26 before his window. The train drawn27 up for the moment behind him might have come in from the North Pole, so completely laden28 with snow was every flat surface—of roof and beam, of platform and window-frame—presented by the dark line of massive coaches. Yet it seemed to him that there was more snow, more bleak29 and cheerless evidence of winter, here in his native Thessaly, than he had seen anywhere else. It was characteristic, too, he felt, that nobody should appear to care how much inconvenience this snow caused. There was but an indifferently shovelled30 path leading from where he stood, across the open expanse of side-tracks to the old and dingy31 dép?t beyond—cleared for the use of such favored passengers as might alight from the drawing-room section of the train. Those who had arrived in the ordinary cars at the rear were left to flounder through the smoke-begrimed drifts as best they could.
The foremost of these unconsidered travellers were coming up, red and angry with the exertion32 of carrying their own luggage, and plunging33 miserably34 along through the great ridges35 of discolored snow heaped between the tracks, when Mr. Boyce’s impatient eye fell upon somebody he knew.
“Hello there, Lawton!” he shouted. “Come here and help me with this infernal bag, won’t you!”
The man to whom he called had been gazing down the yard at the advancing wayfarers36. He looked up now, hesitated for a moment, then came forward slowly, shuffling37 through the snow to the path. He was a middle-aged38, thin, and round-shouldered man, weak and unkempt as to face and hair and beard, with shabby clothes and no overcoat. Although he wore mittens39, he still from force of habit had his hands plunged40 half-way into his trousers pockets. Even where it would have been easy to step over the intermittent42 drifts and mounds43 at the sides of the tracks, he shiftlessly pushed his feet through them instead.
“Hello, Hod!” he said slowly, with a kind of melancholy44 hesitation45, “is that you?”
Young Mr. Boyce ignored the foolish question, and indicated the valise with a nod of his head.
“I wish you’d get that thing down to the house, Ben. And take these checks for my trunks, too, will you, and see that they’re brought down. Where is that expressman, anyway? Why isn’t he here, on hand, attending to his business?”
“I don’t know as I can, Hod,” said the man without an overcoat, idly kicking into a heap of mingled46 cinders47 and snow with his wet, patched boots, and glancing uneasily down the yard. “I’m down here a-waitin’—for—that is to say, I’ve got somethin’ else to do. Prob’ly you can get some other fellow outside the deepo.”
Mr. Boyce’s answer to this was to add a bright half-dollar to the brass48 baggage-checks he already held in his hand. The coin was on the top, and Ben Lawton could not help looking at it. The temptation was very great.
“I ought to stay here, you know,” he faltered49. “Fact is, honest Injun! I got to stay here! I’m lookin’ for—somebody a-comin’ in on this train.”
“Well, you can look, can’t you, and do this too? There’s no hurry about the things. If they’re home two hours hence it will be time enough.”
“Yes, I know, it might be so as I could do it, later on,” said Lawton, taking one of his hands from his pocket and stretching it tentatively toward the money. Then a second thought prompted him to waver, and he drew back the hand, muttering feebly: “Then, again, it might be so as I couldn’t do it. You better get somebody else. And yet—I don’t know—p’raps—”
Mr. Boyce settled the question by briskly reaching down for his bag. “All right! Please yourself,” he said. “I’ve got no more time to waste with you. I’ll do it myself.”
Before he had fairly lifted the valise from the ground, the irresolute50 Lawton made up his mind. “Put her down again, Hod,” he said. “I’ll manage it somehow.”
He took the half-dollar in his mittened51 hand, and tossed it gently up and down on the striped blue and white surface of yarn52. “It’s the first money I’ve earned for over a week,” he remarked, as if in self-defence.
Even as he spoke, a young woman in black who had been wandering about in the dép?t yard came running excitedly up to him. She gave a little inarticulate cry of recognition as she drew near. He turned, saw her, and in a bewildered way opened his arms. She dropped her bundles and bandbox heedlessly into the snow, and threw herself upon his breast, hiding her face on his threadbare coat, and sobbing53 audibly.
Mr. Boyce had been entirely54 unprepared for this demonstration55, and looked wonderingly upon the couple who stood in the path before him. After a moment or two of silent inspection56 he made as if to pass them, but they did not move. The girl still hid her face, although she had ceased to weep, and Lawton bent57 his head down over hers, with tears in his eyes and his gaze fixed58 vaguely59 on the snow beyond her, while he tenderly patted her shoulder with the hand that did not hold the half-dollar.
“All right, then, Ben,” Mr. Boyce called out. “If you’ll just let me pass, I’ll walk on. Have the things there by five.”
At the first sound of this voice, the girl raised her head. She turned now, her tear-stained face luminous60 with a deep, wrathful emotion, and looked at the speaker.
The young man did not for more than an instant try to meet this glance. His cheek flushed and his eyes sought the ground. He lifted his hand with a hurried, awkward gesture toward his hat, made a hasty plunge41 around them through the snow, and walked swiftly away past the gate into the dép?t.
The girl’s intent gaze followed the retiring Mr. Boyce until he disappeared. Then it shifted suddenly and fell upon the face of Ben Lawton, from whose embrace she had now withdrawn61.
The poor man made no effort whatsoever62 to brave its searching and reproachful inquiry63. He balanced the half-dollar on his mitten’s edge, watched the exercise with a piteously futile64 pretence65 of interest, and looked as if he was about to cry.
“What ‘things’ were those he spoke of, father?” she asked, after a long pause.
The passengers who had temporarily left the train for the doubtful solace66 of the refreshment2 counter were beginning now to return. Some of them jostled past the couple who stood blocking the narrow path; and one of these, a stout67 and choleric68 man in a silk skull-cap and a fur-lined overcoat, brusquely kicked the big valise out of the way, overturning it in the snow. Lawton had not found the courage necessary for a complete explanation. He bent over now, set the bag on its bottom again, and made partial answer:
“This is one of ’em.”
The heavy train, snow-capped and sombre, began to draw out of the yard. The two Lawtons stood and silently watched it unfold its length—saw first the broad, plate-glass panes69 of the drawing-room and sleeping cars, with their luxurious70 shadows and glimpses of well-groomed heads and costly71 stuffs behind, glide72 slowly, sedately73 by; then, more rapidly, the closer-set windows of the yellow, common cars, through the steam on which visions of hats and faces dimly crowded; and last, the diminishing rear platform, with its solitary74 brakeman vehemently75 whirling the horizontal wheel of the brake—grow small, then indistinct, then vanish altogether. A sense of desertion, of having been left behind, seemed to brood over the old clapboarded dép?t like a cloud, darkening the ashen76 masses of snow round about and chilling the very air.
The daughter looked once more at her father.
“You are going to carry his things!” she said, with a stern, masterful inflection in her voice, and with flashing eyes.
“Hope-to-die, Jess, I tried as hard as I could to get out of it—made all sorts of excuses,” Lawton pleaded, shrinking meantime from her gaze, and furtively77 but clumsily slipping the coin into his pocket. “But you know the kind of fellow Hod is—” he stammered78 here with confusion, and made haste to add—“what I mean is—he—well, he just wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
She went, on coldly, as if she had not heard: “You have got his money—I saw it—there in your hand.”
“Well, I tell you what, Jess,” the father answered, with an accession of boldness, “half-dollars don’t grow on every bush up this way. I ain’t seen one afore in a fortnight. And to-morrow’s Thanksgiving, you know—and then you’ve come home—and what was a fellow to do?”
The girl turned, as if it were fruitless to say more. Then the necessity for relief mastered her: she faced him again, and ground the words from between her set teeth with scornful sadness:
“You take his money—and yet you knew!”
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1
refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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3
aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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cranberry
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| n.梅果 | |
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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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6
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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7
comeliness
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| n. 清秀, 美丽, 合宜 | |
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softening
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| 变软，软化 | |
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patrician
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| adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官 | |
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10
countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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cursory
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| adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的 | |
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peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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jauntily
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| adv.心满意足地；洋洋得意地；高兴地；活泼地 | |
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inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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20
proffer
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| v.献出，赠送；n.提议，建议 | |
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reassurance
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| n.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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23
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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24
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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25
dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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26
panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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27
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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28
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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29
bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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30
shovelled
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| v.铲子( shovel的过去式和过去分词 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份 | |
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31
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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33
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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35
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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wayfarers
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| n.旅人，（尤指）徒步旅行者( wayfarer的名词复数 ) | |
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37
shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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38
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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39
mittens
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| 不分指手套 | |
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40
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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41
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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42
intermittent
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| adj.间歇的，断断续续的 | |
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43
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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44
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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45
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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46
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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47
cinders
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| n.煤渣( cinder的名词复数 )；炭渣；煤渣路；煤渣跑道 | |
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48
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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49
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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50
irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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51
mittened
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| v.（使）变得潮湿，变得湿润( moisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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53
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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54
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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55
demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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56
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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57
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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58
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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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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61
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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62
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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63
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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64
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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66
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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68
choleric
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| adj.易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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69
panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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70
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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72
glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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sedately
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| adv.镇静地，安详地 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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ashen
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| adj.灰的 | |
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furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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