Max Bray had not been long settled to his satisfaction when Laura entered, shutting the door with a force that whispered—nay, shouted—of a temper soured by some recent disappointment. She gave a sharp glance round the room, and then, seeing no one, threw herself into a chair, a sob7 at the same moment bursting from her breast.
“She shall go—that she shall!” exclaimed Laura suddenly, as she gave utterance8 to her thoughts. “Such deceit!—such quiet carneying ways! But there shall be no more of it: she shall go!”
Laura Bray ceased speaking; and, starting up, she began to pace the room, but only to stop short on seeing her brother gazing at her with a half-mocking, half-amused expression of countenance9 from behind the curtain.
“You here, Max!” she exclaimed, colouring hotly.
“Bai Jove, ya-a-as!” he drawled. “But, I say, isn’t it a bad plan to go about the house shouting so that every one can hear your bewailings, because a horsey cad of a fellow gives roses to one lady and thorns to another?”
“What do you mean, Max?” said Laura.
“What do I mean! Well, that’s cool, bai Jove! O, of course nothing about meetings by moonlight alone, and roses and vows10, and that sort of spooneyism! But didn’t you come tearing and raving11 in here, saying that she should go, and that you wouldn’t stand it, and swore—”
“O, Max?” cried Laura passionately12.
“Bai Jove! why don’t you let a fellow finish?” drawled Max. “Swore, I said—swore like a cat just going to scratch; and I suppose that you would like to scratch, eh?”
“But, Max, did you really hear what I said?” cried Laura.
“Hear? Bai Jove! of course I did—every word. Couldn’t help it. Good job it was only me.”
“How could you be so unmanly as to listen!” cried Laura.
“Listen? Bai Jove, how you do talk! I didn’t listen; you came and raved13 it all at me. And so she shall go, shall she?”
“Yes!” exclaimed Laura, firing up, and speaking viciously, “that she shall—a deceitful creature! I see through all her plots and plans, and I’ll—”
“Tear her eyes out, won’t you, my dear, eh? Now just look here, Laury: you think me slow, and all that sort of fun, and that I don’t see things; but I’m not blind. So the big boy has kicked off his allegiance, has he? and run mad after the little governess, has he? and the big sister is very angry and jealous!”
“Jealous, indeed!” cried Laura—“and of a creature like that!”
“All right; only don’t interrupt,” said Max mockingly. “Jealous, I said, and won’t put up with it, and quite right too! But, all the same, I’m not going to have her sent away.”
“And why not, pray?” cried Laura with flashing eyes.
“Because I don’t choose that she shall go,” said Max coolly.
Laura started, and then in silence brother and sister sat for a few moments gazing in each other’s eyes, a flood of thought sweeping14 the while across the brain of the latter as she recalled a score of little things till then unnoticed, or merely attributed to a natural desire to flirt15; but, with the key supplied by Max Bray’s last words, Laura felt that she could read him with ease, and her brow contracted as she tried to make him shrink; but that did not lie in her power.
“Max!” she exclaimed at last, “I’m ashamed of you! It’s mean, and contemptible16, and base, and grovelling17! I’m disgusted! Why, you’ll be turning your eyes next to the servants’ hall!”
“Thank you, my dear!” drawled Max. “Very high-flown and grand! But I shall be content at present with the schoolroom. And now suppose I say I’m ashamed of you; and, bai Jove, I am! A girl of your style and pretensions18, instead of winking19 at what you’ve seen, or coming to your brother for counsel, to go howling about the house—”
“Max!” half shrieked20 Laura. “I don’t care—bai Jove, I don’t!” he exclaimed. “So you do go howling about the house like a forlorn shepherdess, bai Jove, so that every one can see what a fool you are making of yourself!”
“And pray what would my noble brother’s advice be?” cried Laura sarcastically21.
Max Bray was another man for an instant, as, starting up in his chair, he caught his sister by the arm, drawing her towards him until she sank down in a sitting position upon the ottoman at his feet, when, with the drawling manner and affectation gone, he leaned over her, talking in a low earnest voice, and so impressively, that Laura’s mocking smile gave place to a look of intense interest. She drew nearer to him at length, as he still talked on eagerly; then she clasped her hands together, and rested them upon his knees.
“But no!” she exclaimed, suddenly starting as it were from something which seemed to enthral her, “I will not be a party to it, Max!”
“Very good, my dear,” he said cavalierly; “then you shall have the pleasure of watching progress, and seeing yourself thrust out, if you please. Bai Jove, though, Laury, I did think you were a girl of more spirit! Seems really, though, a good deal smitten22, does Charley.”
Laura’s countenance changed, and her teeth were set together.
“I shall let him go on, then, for my part, if you choose it to be so.”
“I choose!” cried Laura, with the tears in her eyes. “O, Max, why do you torture me?”
“Then look here!” said Max.
And once more he leaned over towards her, assuming a quiet ease, but at the same time it was plain to see that he was greatly excited. He talked on and on impressively, with the effect of making Laura’s lips part and her eyes to glisten23 with a strange light. Then a pallor overspread her countenance, but only to be swept away by a look of exultation24 as Max still talked on.
“But it is impossible, Max!” cried Laura, at length.
“Perhaps you’ll leave me to judge about that, and think only of your own part!” he said coolly. “Is my advice—are my offers—worth accepting?”
“O yes, Max, yes!” cried Laura excitedly; “I’d do anything!”
“I don’t want you to do anything,” said Max, smiling with triumph; “only what I advise. Help me, and I will help you with all my heart. But I always knew that you would. You say that you don’t like my choice. Well and good; I might say that I don’t like yours. Perhaps my affair will come to nothing; but, anyhow, you are the gainer. I won’t say anything about hating, but let you have your selection. Now let me have mine. But if you have anything better to propose, I am ready to listen.”
“But I have no plans, Max. I only thought of her being sent away; I’m half broken-hearted and worn-out with disappointment!”
“Yes, just so. I expected as much, and I was waiting here to see you,” said Max. “I’m not blind, Laury, nor deaf either. I heard you two shouting across the hall. So you’ve been telling the old lady that some one shall go, have you?”
“Yes, I have!” exclaimed Laura, ignoring the past conversation; “and she shall go too! Mamma did promise me.”
“Ya-a-as, I know,” said Max, relapsing into his drawl; “but that was before she promised me. The second will counts before the first made. But, as I said before, and we understand now, she’s not going—so there’s an end of it.”
“O, of course!” cried Laura passionately. “Everything must be as mamma’s dear boy wishes! He shall have everything he likes, and do as he likes, and say what he likes, and every one else is to give way to him!”
“Bai Jove, now, don’t be an idiot!” exclaimed Max. “What’s the good—now that I’m working on your side, and we have got to understand one another—of running back like this? I’m obliged to speak plain, and to tell you that you are only a stupid child, Laury, and that you’ve taken a liking25 for another stupid child—and there’s a pair of you; but all the same, if you do as I tell you, all will come right!”
Laura tossed her head, and seemed somewhat mollified, perhaps from being reminded of her folly26.
“There,” said Max, “that will do for this morning; so now do just as I tell you, and leave all the rest to me. But is it a bargain?”
Laura Bray was thoughtful for a few minutes. She was placed in a position which required consideration: the languid brother, whom she had hitherto almost despised, was asking her to forego one purpose for the sake of an equivalent; but it was the fact of his asking her to trust herself entirely27 to his guidance that troubled her; and for a while she shrank from yielding.
“Well,” he said again, “is it a bargain?”
Still Laura did not answer, but remained gazing fixedly28 at the speaker, who watched her as attentively29, his flushed cheek and eager eyes displaying the interest he took in the affair. At last, though, she leaned forward, and taking one of his arms between her hands,
“I never trusted you yet, Max,” she said.
“Sisterly, very—but perfectly30 true,” he exclaimed, laughing.
“But I will, Max, this time. But if you play me false—”
“Hush!” ejaculated Max, throwing himself back in his chair, and forcing his glass beneath his brow to stare at the new-comer; for at that moment the drawing-room door opened, and Ella Bedford stood upon the threshold.
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收听单词发音
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1
bray
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| n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫 | |
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2
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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3
ambrosia
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| n.神的食物；蜂食 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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5
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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6
panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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8
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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9
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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10
vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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11
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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12
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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13
raved
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| v.胡言乱语( rave的过去式和过去分词 )；愤怒地说；咆哮；痴心地说 | |
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14
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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15
flirt
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| v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者 | |
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16
contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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17
grovelling
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| adj.卑下的，奴颜婢膝的v.卑躬屈节，奴颜婢膝( grovel的现在分词 )；趴 | |
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18
pretensions
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| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
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19
winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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20
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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22
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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23
glisten
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| vi.（光洁或湿润表面等）闪闪发光，闪闪发亮 | |
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24
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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25
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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26
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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27
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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28
fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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29
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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30
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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