At the elegant family mansion1 on Boston's most aristocratic avenue, Jesse Devereaux, watching by the bedside of his sick father, waited with burning impatience2 for the answer to the letter in which he had poured out the overwhelming tenderness of his soul.
No shadow of doubt clouded his love, he felt so sure of Liane's love in return. Had it not trembled in her voice, gleamed in her eyes, and blushed on her cheeks?
Oh, they would be so happy together, he and his young bride, Liane! He would make up to her for all the poverty and sorrow of her past life. Life should be flower-strewn and love-sweet for her now.
Of course he expected some opposition3 from Lyde, his proud, fashionable sister, when she learned that he was off with his engagement to the heiress, Miss Clarke, and meant to wed4 a poor girl, who worked for her living. But he meant to stand firm, and when she saw how sweet and[Pg 160] beautiful Liane was, she would be ready to excuse him and accept his darling for a sister.
In these rosy5 daydreams6 the hours flew, and on the second day after posting his letter he received a reply.
It gave him something of an unpleasant shock when he held the square blue envelope in his hand and read the ill-written address:
MISTER JESS DEVEROW,
No. — Comonwelt Avnoo,
Bostin,
Mass.
His cheek flushed, and he sighed.
"Poor girl, of course she has had no opportunities of education, but she can have private teachers, and soon remedy all that."
And he opened the letter with the eagerness of a lover, despite the slight damper on his spirits, caused by his love's bad chirography, united to even worse orthography7.
His eager eyes traveled quickly over the small sheet with the awkward sentences of one little used to epistolary work.
Stonecliff, the 17 Sept.
Deer Mister Devrow: Deer me, what a s'hpise your letter wuz! I thought you wuz jest flirtin' with me! I had heerd what a flirt8 you wuz, so I jest tryed my hand[Pg 161] on you! They told me you wuz ingage to the beautiful Miss Clarke, and I thought what fun to cut her out!
But I didn't think I could do it. I didn' know as I was so pretty till I tuk the beauty prize that nite. Deer me, how glad I wuz of that money! I'm a grate heiress now, like Miss Clarke, ain't I?
I'm much obleedge fur your offer to marry, but I can't see my way clear to accept, being as I don't love you well enuff. I never did admire these dark men with sassy, black eyes and dark hair. I've heern tell they are as jealous as a turk. I make bold to say, I think Mr. Deen is the style I most admire—deep blue eyes and brown curls. He seems to have took a fancy to me, too, and if he should ast me the question you did, I know I could say yes. Forgive if this pains, but it's best to be frank, so you won't go on loving me in vane.
I'm grateful to you for your vote that helped to git me that hundred dollars! I'm goin' down to Bostin to see the sites, and buy me a red silk gown, I always wuz crazy for one!
Truly yours,
Liane Lester.
Devereaux sat like one dazed, going over and over the letter of rejection9. He could hardly realize that Liane's little hand had penned those words.
No more cruel blow at a strong man's love and pride had ever been dealt than that letter, showing the writer to be possessed10 of so shallow a nature as to be incapable11 of appreciating the treasure of a true heart's love, so ungratefully thrown away.
[Pg 162]
Jesse Devereaux thrust it away from him at last, and sat staring blankly before him with heavy eyes, like one contemplating12 the ruins of his dearest hope.
It seemed to him as if he had just laid some dearly loved one in the grave. Hours and days of sorrow seemed to pass over him as he sat there brooding darkly over his fate.
Was it indeed but an hour ago he had felt so hopeful and glad, telling himself he had just found the sweetest joy of life in the dawn of love?
What foolish thoughts, what a misplaced love, what rash confidence in an innocent face and demure13, pansy-blue eyes!
She had just been flirting14 with him because she heard he was a great flirt, and was engaged to Miss Clarke, and she wanted to see if she could "cut her out." It was all heartless vanity that he had taken for shy, bashful love. The ignorant little working girl had proved herself an adept15 in the art of flirtation16.
It was a crushing blow, and his heart was very sore. He had loved her so, ever since the night they had first met, loved her with the passion of his life! Even now the memory of her sweetness would not down. He would be haunted forever[Pg 163] by her voice, her glance, her smile, so alluring17 in their beauty, so false in true womanly worth and grace, will-o'-the-wisp lights, shining but to betray.
And Malcolm Dean was his rival in the heart of the lovely, coquettish working girl! She admired his "deep-blue eyes and brown curls" as much as she disliked "sassy black eyes and dark hair." She would marry him if he asked her, she said. Jesse wondered cynically18 if Dean had been merely flirting, too, or would his love prompt him to elevate pretty Liane to the proud position of his bride.
Meanwhile, Liane, innocent as an angel, of course, of the letter that Roma had sent in her name, had duly arrived in the city.
Her grandmother had taken her to cheap lodgings19 that night, and, after they had been shown to a room, the old woman said abruptly20:
"Now I'll go and inquire about my daughter."
Liane went to the window and looked out in awe21 at the lights of the great city, wondering how far away from this spot Jesse Devereaux could be to-night. Her young heart throbbed22 with joy at the thought of his nearness, for she had no realization23 of the extent of Boston.
[Pg 164]
While she was musing24 and wondering granny returned, saying crossly:
"It seems I made a mistake in the address. She ain't here at all, but I'm tired, and not a step shall I stir from this to-night, so we'll go to bed, Liane, and I'll hunt her in the morning."
"But if she should die before morning, granny?"
"Let her die, then; I can't help it! Go to bed!" snarled25 the old woman, creeping into bed; so Liane, seeing the uselessness of remonstrance26, followed her example.
The next morning, after breakfast, granny announced that she would leave Liane in care of the landlady27, while she went out in search of the dying daughter.
"Let me go with you," pleaded the girl, with a vague hope of meeting Devereaux somewhere on the street, all her thought clinging to him with tender persistence28.
"No, I won't have you along with me, but I'll come back for you as soon as I find her," snapped granny, so sharply that Liane gave in and watched her depart with keen regret.
"I should have liked to go with her to see some[Pg 165] of the sights of the great city," she sighed, so forlornly that the landlady said cheerily:
"Well, come in here and sit a while with my sick sister, and I'll hurry up my morning's work and go out with you myself this afternoon."
Lizzie White was a pretty shop girl, just recovering from a spell of fever, and she took an instant interest in the pretty new boarder.
"Sister Annie can show you all over the city," she said. "But," hesitatingly, "haven't you any other clothes to wear?" her glance falling deprecatingly on Liane's simple dark-blue print gown and summer straw hat. "It's time for fall things, you know," she added.
Liane blushed at the poverty of her attire29, but answered gently:
"These are the best clothes I have, but I have a little money of my own, and if I knew where to go, I would buy a blue serge suit."
"Sister Annie can take you to a place this afternoon—the very store where I work when I am well," replied Lizzie encouragingly.
Afternoon came, but no granny yet, and Mrs. Brinkley offered to take Liane out, saying it was such a pity to stay indoors all day when the sun shone so bright and warm.
Liane accepted eagerly, and then her new friend, Lizzie, shyly proffered30 her a new fall suit of her own to wear.
"Do wear it to please me, and because people will make remarks on your print gown," she said eagerly, and the girl, fearful that Mrs. Brinkley might be ashamed of her shabby attire, accepted gratefully.
Her appearance was indeed quite different when clothed in Lizzie's brown cloth skirt, scarlet31 silk waist, and jaunty32 brown jacket, with a brown walking skirt to match.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
mansion
|
|
| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
impatience
|
|
| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
opposition
|
|
| n.反对，敌对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
wed
|
|
| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
rosy
|
|
| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
daydreams
|
|
| n.白日梦( daydream的名词复数 )v.想入非非，空想( daydream的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
orthography
|
|
| n.拼字法，拼字式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
flirt
|
|
| v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
rejection
|
|
| n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
possessed
|
|
| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
incapable
|
|
| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
contemplating
|
|
| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
demure
|
|
| adj.严肃的；端庄的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
flirting
|
|
| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
adept
|
|
| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
flirtation
|
|
| n.调情，调戏，挑逗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
alluring
|
|
| adj.吸引人的，迷人的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
cynically
|
|
| adv.爱嘲笑地，冷笑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
lodgings
|
|
| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
awe
|
|
| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
throbbed
|
|
| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
realization
|
|
| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
musing
|
|
| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
snarled
|
|
| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
remonstrance
|
|
| n抗议，抱怨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
landlady
|
|
| n.女房东，女地主 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
persistence
|
|
| n.坚持，持续，存留 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
attire
|
|
| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
proffered
|
|
| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
scarlet
|
|
| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
jaunty
|
|
| adj．愉快的，满足的；adv.心满意足地，洋洋得意地；n.心满意足；洋洋得意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |