CHAPTER XVII A GREEN-EYED BILLY

“Have some candy?” said Miss Cecilia, offering a big box of bonbons¹ to Billy, who was visiting her.

“Where 'd you git 'em?” he asked, as he helped himself generously.

“Maurice sent them to me this morning.”

Billy put all his candy back into the box.

“I don't believe I wants noner yo' candy,” he said, scowling² darkly. “I reckon you likes him better 'n me anyhow, don't you?”

“I love you dearly,” she replied.

The child stood in front of her and looked her squarely in the eye. His little form was drawn³ to its full, proud height, his soft, fair cheeks were flushed, his big, beautiful, grey eyes looked somber⁴ and sad.

“Is you in love with that red-headed Maurice Richmond an' jes' a-foolin' o' me?” he asked with dignity.

A bright flush dyed crimson⁵ the young lady's pretty face.

She put her arm around the childish, graceful⁶ figure and drew the little boy to the sofa beside her.

“Now, honey, you mustn't be silly,” she said gently, “you are my own, dear, little sweetheart.”

“An' I reckon he's yo' own, dear, big sweetheart,” said the jealous Billy. “Well, all I got to say is thishere; if he's a-goin' to come to see you ev'y day then I ain't never comin' no mo'. He's been acarryin' on his foolishness 'bout⁷ 's long as I can stand it. You got to chose 'tween us right this minute; he come down here mos' ev'y day, he's tuck you drivin' more'n fifty hundred times, an' he's give you all the candy you can stuff.”

“He is not the only one who comes to see me,” she said smiling down at him. “Jimmy comes often and Len Hamner and Will Reid. Don't you want them to come?”

“Don't nobody pay no 'tention to Jimmy,” he replied contemptuously; “he ain't nothin' but a baby, an' them other mens can come if you wants 'em to; but,” said Billy, with a lover's unerring intuition, “I ain't a-goin' to stand fer that long-legged, sorrel-top Maurice Richmond a-trottin' his great big carkiss down here ev'y minute. I wish Aunt Minerva 'd let me put on long pants to-morrer so 's we could git married.” He caught sight of a new ring sparkling on her finger.

“Who give you that ring?” he asked sharply.

“A little bird brought it to me,” she said, trying to speak gayly, and blushing again.

“A big, red-headed peckerwood,” said Billy savagely⁸.

“Maurice loves you, too,”—she hoped to conciliate him; “he says you are the brightest kid in town.”

“Kid,” was the scornful echo, “'cause he's so big and tall, he's got to call me a kid. Well, he'd jes' awasting' hi'self lovin' me; I don't like him an' I ain't agoin' to never like him an' soon's I puts on long pants he's goin' to get 'bout the worses' lickin' he ever did see.

“Say, does you kiss him like you does me?” he asked presently, looking up at her with serious, unsmiling face.

She hid her embarrassment⁹ in a laugh.

“Don't be foolish, Billy,” she replied.

“I'll bet he's kissed you more 'n fifty hunderd times.”

“There's Jimmy whistling for you,” said Miss Cecilia. “How do you two boys make that peculiar¹⁰ whistle? I would recognize it anywhere.”

“Is he ever kiss you yet?” asked the child.

“I heard that you and Jimmy whipped Ed Brown because he imitated your own particular whistle. Did you?”

“How many times is he kiss you?” asked Billy.

The young girl put her arm around him and tried to nestle his little body against her own.

“I'm too big, anyway, for your real sweetheart,” she said. “Why, by the time you are large enough to marry I should be an old maid. You must have Frances or Lina for your sweetheart.”

“An' let you have Maurice!” he sneered¹¹.

She stooped to lay her flushed cheek against his own.

“Honey,” she softly said, “Maurice and I are going to be married soon; I love him very much and I want you to love him too.”

He pushed her roughly from him.

“An' you jes' 'ceived me all the time,” he cried, “an' me a-lovin' you better 'n anybody I ever see sence I's born? An' you a Sunday-School teacher? I ain't never a-goin' to trus' nobody no mo'. Good-bye, Miss Cecilia.”

She caught his hand and held it fast; “I want you and Jimmy to be my little pages at the wedding, and wear dear little white satin suits all trimmed with gold braid,” she tried to be enthusiastic and arouse his interest; “and Lina and Frances can be little flower-girls and we'll have such a beautiful wedding.”

“Jimmy an' Lina an' Frances can be all the pages an' flower-girls an' brides an' grooms¹² they wants to, but you can't rope me in,” he scornfully replied. “I's done with you an' I ain't never goin' to have me no mo' sweetheart long's I live.”

1 bonbons   

n.小糖果( bonbon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• For St. Valentine's Day, Mother received a heart-shaped box of delicious bonbons. 情人节的时候，母亲收到一份心形盒装的美味棒棒糖。 来自互联网
• On the first floor is a pretty café offering take-away bonbons in teeny paper handbags. 博物馆底层是一家漂亮的咖啡厅，提供可以外带的糖果，它们都用精小的纸制手袋包装。 来自互联网

2 scowling   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There she was, grey-suited, sweet-faced, demure, but scowling. 她就在那里，穿着灰色的衣服，漂亮的脸上显得严肃而忧郁。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Scowling, Chueh-hui bit his lips. 他马上把眉毛竖起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

5 crimson   

n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色

参考例句：

• She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
• Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

6 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

7 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

8 savagely   

adv. 野蛮地，残酷地

参考例句：

• The roses had been pruned back savagely. 玫瑰被狠狠地修剪了一番。
• He snarled savagely at her. 他向她狂吼起来。

9 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

10 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

11 sneered   

讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sneered at people who liked pop music. 他嘲笑喜欢流行音乐的人。
• It's very discouraging to be sneered at all the time. 成天受嘲讽是很令人泄气的。

12 grooms   

n.新郎( groom的名词复数 )；马夫v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的第三人称单数 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗

参考例句：

• Plender end Wilcox became joint grooms of the chambers. 普伦德和威尔科克斯成为共同的贴身侍从。 来自辞典例句
• Egypt: Families, rather than grooms, propose to the bride. 埃及：在埃及，由新郎的家人，而不是新郎本人，向新娘求婚。 来自互联网