But that was a strictly1 business affair.
"We're feeling frightfully fossilised at having bought nothing, except what we absolutely needed, for nearly a month," said Miss Penny. "From that point of view I should imagine the Garden of Eden may have been just a trifle slow—"
"Ah, you see, Mother Eve hadn't had the advantages of a superior education," said Graeme.
"And there are some fripperies we simply must have," said Miss Penny, "even for a runaway2 wedding like this. You see, when we decided3 to come here we had no idea how much farther we were going, and so we couldn't possibly provide. Of course if we had known you were here—"
At which Margaret laughed.
"You would have provided accordingly," said Graeme. "Well, you must put all the blame on to Mr. Pixley. I wonder what he would say if he knew all about it."
"He would use language unadapted to prayer-meetings and public platforms," said Miss Penny. "He can, you know, when he tries hard."
"I imagined so. It will be rather amusing to see what he'll do when he finds out."
"He'll do the very nastiest thing that is open to him, whatever that is, and poor Mrs. Pixley will have an exceedingly bad time. And he'll probably have a fit on his own account."
"Oh, we can hardly expect him to be so kind as all that—"
"The only one I'm sorry for is Charles Svendt. He's really not half a bad sort, in his way, you know," said Miss Penny.
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid, under the circumstances, I can't squeeze out any sympathy even for Charles Svendt."
Arrived at St. Peter Port, the ladies permitted him to attend them to the door of the largest drapery establishment they could find, and then told him he was at liberty to go and enjoy himself for a couple of hours.
"Two hours? Good Heavens! What can you want in there for two hours?"
"Usual thing!" sparkled Miss Penny. "Tablecloths4!"—with which cryptic5 utterance6 he had to be satisfied.
"And where do we meet again—if ever?"
"Hauteville House—Victor Hugo's. It's part of your honeymoon—a bit on account."
"And whereabouts is it?"
"No idea. If we can find it, you can. Au revoir!"
He went first to get his hair cut, since the practice of the tonsorial art in Sark is still in the bowl-and-scissors stage.
Then he sought out a lawyer of repute, whose name he had got from the Vicar, and gave him instructions for the drawing of a brief but comprehensive deed of settlement of all Margaret's portion on herself absolutely and entirely7. While this important document was being engrossed8, he sought out the Rector of St. Peter Port, in George Place, and in a short but pleasant interview was accepted as tenant9 of the whole of the Red House in Sark for the month of July, with the option of a longer stay if he chose.
Then back to the lawyer's, where he signed his deed, paid the fees, and took it away with him.
After that, to fill in the time occupied elsewhere by the purchase of mythical10 tablecloths, he rambled11 up and down the quaint12 foreign-flavoured streets till he found a jeweller's shop of size, in the Arcade13, and decided, after careful inspection14 from the outside, that it would answer all requirements.
For he had a ring and half a ring to buy for Margaret, and he thought he would buy one also for Hennie Penny, as a pleasant reminder15 of their good days in Sark.
So utterly16 unconventional had their proceedings17 been, so thoroughly18 had the spirit of the remote little island possessed19 them, and so all-sufficient had they been to one another, that the thought of an engagement ring had troubled his mind as little as the lack of it had troubled Margaret's. But the absolute necessity of a wedding ring had reminded him of his lapse20, and now he would repair it on a scale remotely commensurate with his feelings. Remotely, because, if his pocket had borne any relation to his feelings, he would have bought up the whole shop and lavished21 its contents upon her, though he knew that the simple golden circlet would far outweigh22 all else in her mind.
He was waiting placidly23 for them in the shade of the dark trees of Hauteville, when they came panting up the steep way, flushed with victory and the joys of purchase after long abstinence.
"Well, has the proprietor24 of that big shop retired25 with a competence26?" he asked, as he threw away the end of his cigar.
"Can you lend us our boat-fares home?" gasped27 Miss Penny.
"So bad as all that? I can't say yet. I've not begun my own purchases. We'll see when I'm through. If I'm cleaned out too we'll offer to work our passages."
"You can pawn28 your watch. Meg and I haven't got one between us. We left them at home on purpose."
"Thoughtful of you. Now let us into the treasure-house."
They enjoyed the wonders of Hauteville immensely,—objectively, the wonderful carved work and the tapestries29, the china and the furniture,—the odd little bedroom with the bed on the floor, so that the Master could roll out to his work at any moment of inspiration, and the huge balconies, and the glass eyrie on the roof whence he surveyed his wide horizons, and where, above the world, he worked;—and subjectively30, the whole quaint flavour and austere31 literary atmosphere of the place.
"No wonder he produced masterpieces," said Graeme, delighting in it all. "The view alone is an inspiration."
Then he took them up to Old Government House for lunch and a rest in the garden, and then away to the Arcade to the jeweller's shop, which proved adequate to all his demands;—for Margaret, a half-hoop of diamonds which the jeweller, with an air of sincerity32, assured them were as fine stones as he had ever seen in the course of a long and prosperous career. Which ring Margaret would thenceforth value before all her others, though in the simple matter of intrinsic worth her jewel-case could beat it hollow.—And a plain gold circlet which, when she got it, would be more precious to her than all the rest put together.—And for Miss Penny, in spite of her protestations, a handsome signet ring which, when cornered, she chose in preference to a more feminine jewel, and which was left to be engraved33 with her family crest34 and motto.
"I have never adopted the habit of rings," she said, as they drifted towards the ice-shop. "Chiefly, perhaps, because I never had any worth wearing. But I've always thought I would like to wear a crest signet. I shall prize this, Mr. Graeme, as the very greatest treasure I have—"
"Until someone gives you a plain gold one, Hennie, and that will put all the rest into the shade," said Margaret.
"Ah!" said Miss Penny.
点击收听单词发音
1 strictly | |
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地 | |
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2 runaway | |
n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的 | |
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3 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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4 tablecloths | |
n.桌布,台布( tablecloth的名词复数 ) | |
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5 cryptic | |
adj.秘密的,神秘的,含义模糊的 | |
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6 utterance | |
n.用言语表达,话语,言语 | |
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7 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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8 engrossed | |
adj.全神贯注的 | |
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9 tenant | |
n.承租人;房客;佃户;v.租借,租用 | |
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10 mythical | |
adj.神话的;虚构的;想像的 | |
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11 rambled | |
(无目的地)漫游( ramble的过去式和过去分词 ); (喻)漫谈; 扯淡; 长篇大论 | |
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12 quaint | |
adj.古雅的,离奇有趣的,奇怪的 | |
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13 arcade | |
n.拱廊;(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道 | |
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14 inspection | |
n.检查,审查,检阅 | |
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15 reminder | |
n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示 | |
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16 utterly | |
adv.完全地,绝对地 | |
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17 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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18 thoroughly | |
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地 | |
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19 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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20 lapse | |
n.过失,流逝,失效,抛弃信仰,间隔;vi.堕落,停止,失效,流逝;vt.使失效 | |
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21 lavished | |
v.过分给予,滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22 outweigh | |
vt.比...更重,...更重要 | |
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23 placidly | |
adv.平稳地,平静地 | |
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24 proprietor | |
n.所有人;业主;经营者 | |
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25 retired | |
adj.隐退的,退休的,退役的 | |
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26 competence | |
n.能力,胜任,称职 | |
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27 gasped | |
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
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28 pawn | |
n.典当,抵押,小人物,走卒;v.典当,抵押 | |
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29 tapestries | |
n.挂毯( tapestry的名词复数 );绣帷,织锦v.用挂毯(或绣帷)装饰( tapestry的第三人称单数 ) | |
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30 subjectively | |
主观地; 臆 | |
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31 austere | |
adj.艰苦的;朴素的,朴实无华的;严峻的 | |
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32 sincerity | |
n.真诚,诚意;真实 | |
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33 engraved | |
v.在(硬物)上雕刻(字,画等)( engrave的过去式和过去分词 );将某事物深深印在(记忆或头脑中) | |
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34 crest | |
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖 | |
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