Miss Penny's natural goodness of heart impelled1 her to the most delicate consideration towards Mrs. Pixley. Hennie Penny, you see, had come bravely through dire2 troubles of her own, and tribulation3 softens4 the heart as it does the ormer. She anticipated the nervous old lady's every want, soothed5 her bruised6 susceptibilities in a thousand hidden ways, tended her as lovingly as an only daughter might have done,—and all out of the sheer necessity of her heart, and with never a thought of reward other than the satisfaction of her own desire for the happiness of all about her.
Not that the others were one whit7 less considerate, but, in the natural course of things, Miss Penny's heart and time were, perhaps, a little more at liberty for outside service, and in Mrs. Pixley the opportunity met her half-way.
It is safe to say that the old lady had never in her life been so much made of. Margaret had always been gentle and sweet with her; but the cold white light of Mr. Pixley's unco' guidness had always cast a shadow upon the household, and Margaret had got from under it whenever the chance offered.
"You are very good to me, my dear," Charles heard his mother say to Hennie Penny, one day when they two were alone together and did not know anyone was near. "If I had ever had a daughter I would have liked her to be like you. How did you learn to be so thoughtful of other people?"
"I think it must have been through having come through lots of troubles of my own," said Hennie Penny simply.
"Troubles abound," said the tremulous old lady. "You have drawn8 the sting of yours and kept only the honey," which saying astonished Charles greatly. He had no idea his mother could say things like that. She had had time to think plenty of them, indeed, but there had never been room for more than one shining light in the household and that had cast strong shadows.
Charles had gone quietly away smiling to himself, and had been in cheerful spirits for the rest of the day.
The first night, when the ladies had gone chattering9 upstairs to make sure that all the arrangements were in order, Graeme and Pixley sat out on the verandah smoking a final pipe.
The ladies' voices floated through the open windows as they passed from room to room, and Graeme laughed softly. "What's up?" asked Pixley, gazing at him soberly.
"I was thinking of the changes here since the first night I slept in this house all by myself, and heard ghosts creeping about and all kinds of noises."
"Much jollier to hear them," said Charles, as Miss Penny's and Margaret's laughter came floating down the softness of the night.
"Ay, indeed! Very much jollier," and they smoked and listened.
No word had so far passed between them as to the troubles that lay behind. There had, indeed, been no opportunity until now, and Graeme had no mind to broach10 the matter.
But Pixley had only been waiting till they could discuss things alone, and the time had come.
"It will take them months to get to the bottom of things over there," he said quietly. "I saw the accountants, and they say everything's in a dreadful mess. He must have been involved for years. It makes me absolutely sick to think of it all, Graeme, and him—"
"I'm sure it must, old chap. Why think of it? It's done, and it can't be undone11, and everyone knows you had nothing to do with it."
"I know. Everyone is very kind, but I can't get rid of it. It's with me all the time like a dirty shadow."
"We'll chase it away. No place like Sark for getting rid of bogeys12 and worries."
"How things will come out it's impossible to say. I made special enquiries into Margaret's affairs, and it's quite certain he's tampered13 with her money, but they could not say yet to what extent. On the other hand, certain of her securities are intact, so everything is not gone. But what I wanted to say was this. I am determined14 that Margaret shall not suffer, whatever may have happened. Any deficiency I shall make good myself."
"My dear fellow, she would never hear of it."
"That's why I'm talking to you."
"Well, I won't hear of it either. As I told you before, it was a trouble to me when I heard she had any money. Whatever she had I settled on herself, and we can get on very well without it."
"All the same I'm not going to have her lose anything through my—through him. Neither you nor she can stop me doing what I like with my own money."
"We can refuse to touch it."
"That would be nonsense."
"Not half as bad as you crippling yourself for life to make good what you'd never made away with."
"It wouldn't do that," said Charles quietly. "Ormerod's a long-headed fellow, and we made some pretty good hits before the bottom dropped out of things. You must let me have my own way in this matter, Graeme, if it's only for my own peace of mind. I'm going to ask Miss Penny to be my wife. Do you think—"
"My dear fellow," said Graeme, jumping up and shaking him heartily15 by the hand, "that's the best bit of news I've heard since Meg said 'I will' in the church there. She's an absolutely splendid girl, is Hennie. Except Meg herself, I don't know any girl I admire so much. She's as good and sweet as they make 'em, and for sound common-sense she's a perfect gold mine."
"And you don't think—?"
"I've never heard a hint of anyone else. Like me to ask Meg? She'd be sure to know. Girls talk of these things, you know."
"I don't know. Would it be quite—"
"Everything's fair in love and war,—proverbial, my boy. But I'm pretty sure you've a clear field, and I congratulate you both with all my heart. Come to think of it, she's been as dull as a ditch since you went away"
"Really?"
"Fact! I was trying the other night to prove to her that she'd got influenza16 coming on, or hay-fever, or something of the kind. She's as different as chalk from cheese since eleven o'clock to-day. It's you, I'll bet you a sovereign."
Charles did not respond to the offer. He sat smoking quietly and let his thoughts run along brighter paths than they had done for days.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
impelled
|
|
| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
dire
|
|
| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
tribulation
|
|
| n.苦难，灾难 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
softens
|
|
| （使）变软( soften的第三人称单数 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
soothed
|
|
| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
bruised
|
|
| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
whit
|
|
| n.一点，丝毫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
chattering
|
|
| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
broach
|
|
| v.开瓶，提出(题目) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
undone
|
|
| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
bogeys
|
|
| n.妖怪，可怕的人（物）( bogey的名词复数 )v.妖怪，可怕的人（物）( bogey的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
tampered
|
|
| v.窜改( tamper的过去式 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
heartily
|
|
| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
influenza
|
|
| n.流行性感冒，流感 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |