“Talking to Miss Bedford, if you must know, my dear sister,” said Nelly pertly; but the next moment she encountered a glance from Ella, in obedience3 to which she was instantly silent; and, crossing over, she kissed the pale girl lovingly, and said, “Good-night.”
But all this was not lost upon Laura, who bit her lips till Nelly had half hesitatingly quitted the room.
“What sweet obedience!” she then said sarcastically4. “Really, Miss Bedford, you must give me some lessons in the art of winning people’s affections. I have no doubt that papa will satisfy you if there is any extra charge.”
Ella did not speak; but her gentle look might have disarmed5 animosity, as she turned her soft eyes almost appealingly towards her irate6 visitor. She was in some degree, though, prepared for what was coming, for Nelly had lingered behind to place her on her guard; and as she stood facing Laura she did not shrink, neither did she make answer to the taunts7 conveyed in those bitter words.
“I trust that you have enjoyed a pleasant evening, Miss Bedford,” continued Laura, who seemed to be working herself up, and gathering8 together the battalions9 of her wrath10, ready for the storm she meant to thunder upon the defenceless head before her. But still there was no reply in words—nothing but the calm pleading gaze from the soft grey eyes.
“Can we make arrangements for you to be introduced to some other family, where you can carry on your intrigues11?”
Still no answer—only a pitiful, almost imploring12 look that ought to have disarmed the most wrathful. But at this moment Ella involuntarily raised a white rose, which till then had remained concealed13, as her hand hung down amidst the soft folds of her dress; and no sooner did Laura catch sight of the blossom than, interpreting the act to be one of insolent14 triumph, she threw herself upon the shrinking girl, tore the flower from her hand, and flung it upon the floor, where she crushed it beneath her foot as she stamped upon it furiously.
“How dare you!” she almost shrieked15, in tones that bade fair some day to rival those of Mamma Bray. “Such cowardly—such insolent acts! To dare to insult me after practising your low cunning to-day, laying your snares16 for my poor unworldly brother, and then setting other traps—to—to—inveigle—to entrap—There, don’t look at me with that triumphant17 leer! You shall be turned out of this house, into which you have gained entrance by false pretences18, so as to act the part of a scheming adventuress!”
For a few moments Laura seemed as if she would strike the object of her resentment19, so fierce was the burst of passion that came pouring forth—the unlucky act having roused every bitter and angry feeling in her breast: disappointed love, ambition, hatred—all were mingled20 into a poison that was like venom21 to her barbed and stinging words, as she stooped even to abusing the innocent cause of her dislike.
At length Ella raised her hands, and spoke22 deprecatingly; but each appeal only seemed to rouse Laura to fresh outbursts of violence, so that at last the bitter taunts and revilings were suffered in silence, the angry woman’s voice rising louder with her victim’s patience, till, alarmed by her daughter’s angry, hysterical23 cries, Mrs Bray hurried into the room.
“What is the meaning of all this?” she shrieked. “Laura!—Miss Bedford! Are you both mad?”
Ella was about to speak, but Laura fiercely interrupted her.
“Speak a word if you dare!” she said. “I will not have anything said! Such insolence24 is insupportable.”
“But what has Miss Bedford been doing?” shrieked Mrs Bray. “You are alarming the whole house. What does it mean?”
“Nothing. Let it rest,” cried Laura, cooling down rapidly, but with face a-flame; for she could not bear her mother to be a witness to her humiliation25, there being, based on Laura’s slight exaggerations of one or two attentions, a full belief in the Bray family that even if the question had not been put by Charley Vining, matters had so far progressed that he was sure to be her husband: hence her objection to a word being uttered; and, shrinking back, Ella stood with bended head, while a passage of arms took place between mother and daughter, Mrs Bray’s curiosity increasing with Laura’s reticence26.
Finding though, at last, that nothing was to be gained, Mrs Bray followed Laura from the room; and Ella, trembling with excitement and the agitation27 of many painful hours, was about to welcome the solitude28 hers at last, when once more the door opened, and, pale and wild-looking, so that she felt to pity her, Laura again appeared, closing the door carefully behind her, and then standing to gaze thoughtfully in Ella’s face.
She had come to threaten—to try and enforce silence; but her voice was husky; the fierce passion which had before sustained her had now passed away, and the weak woman, cut to the heart by disappointment, was once more asserting herself.
For quite five minutes she stood with heaving breast, trying to speak, but the words would not come; and at last, dreading29 to let the woman she hated and despised, one whom she looked upon as full of deceit and guile30, gaze upon and triumph in her tears, Laura turned and fled from the room; and once more Ella was alone.
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1
bray
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| n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫 | |
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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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3
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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5
disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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6
irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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7
taunts
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| 嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 ) | |
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8
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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9
battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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10
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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11
intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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12
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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13
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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14
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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15
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
snares
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| n.陷阱( snare的名词复数 )；圈套；诱人遭受失败（丢脸、损失等）的东西；诱惑物v.用罗网捕捉，诱陷，陷害( snare的第三人称单数 ) | |
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17
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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18
pretences
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| n.假装( pretence的名词复数 )；作假；自命；自称 | |
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19
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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20
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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21
venom
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| n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨 | |
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22
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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23
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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24
insolence
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| n.傲慢；无礼；厚颜；傲慢的态度 | |
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25
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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26
reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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27
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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28
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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29
dreading
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| v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的现在分词 ) | |
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30
guile
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| n.诈术 | |
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