"Huh?" said Mary Lee sleepily.
"Did you hear something fall? I thought I heard a scream and a fall. Is Jean in bed with you?"
Mary Lee was now awake. "Yes, Aunt Sarah, she's here," she answered. "I don't know whether I heard anything or not, I was so sound asleep."
Miss Sarah lay down again, but her ears were open to the slightest noise and in a little while she heard a plaintive1 meow. Again she sat up. "I hear a cat," she said. "It's somewhere near-by, and I shut Lady Gray in the kitchen myself."
"Maybe it's on the porch roof," said Mary Lee, drowsily2.
Miss Sarah arose and went to the window which overlooked the porch. "Scat!" she said, putting out her head. She waited a few moments but there was no sound from this quarter. When she drew [Pg 186]in her head the meowing sounded more plainly than ever.
"It certainly is in the house," said Miss Sarah. She went to the door leading out into the hall and discovered that the sound seemed to come from one of the rooms opposite. In one of these slept the boys; the other was where she had turned the key upon Nan. Slipping on a dressing3 gown and slippers4, and taking a candle, she went forth5 to investigate. She stopped first at the door where the Gordon boys slept; all was still. At Nan's door she listened. It was plain that the meowing came from there. Lady Gray having failed of catching6 the mouse had found her way into the room which Nan had left and was trying to make it known that she wished to be let out.
Miss Sarah opened the door and was met with every evidence of satisfaction by Lady Gray. "How in the world did you get up here?" asked Miss Sarah in surprise. But just then a curious damply smelling air arrested her attention and she perceived the door standing7 ajar. "Of all things!" she exclaimed and went on with her candle. "Nan," she called, "Nan, what prank8 is this? I wonder if that willful child really has run off to her grandmother's." She cautiously went on to the stairs, shading her candle with one hand and peering down [Pg 187]into the dark hallway. A white heap at the foot of the stairs caught her eye. She hurried down to find Nan, pale and still, lying there.
"Oh, dear, dear, dear," cried Miss Sarah, "what has happened? Nan! Nan!" but Nan did not stir.
Unable to carry both Nan and the candle, Miss Sarah hastened back to her room. "Mary Lee, Mary Lee!" she called, "get up quick and bring a candle! Hurry!"
At this peremptory9 summons, Mary Lee leaped from her bed. "What is the matter? What is it?" she cried.
"Nan has fallen down the stairs. Come right along. Here, take both candles and I'll carry her."
Trembling, Mary Lee followed apprehensively10, and lighted the way for her aunt to bear the helpless burden up-stairs to the room from which the girl had escaped. As Mary Lee caught sight of the white face and limp form, she burst into tears. "Oh, is she dead? Is she dead?" she cried.
"I don't know," said Miss Sarah, her lips quivering. "Run get me some camphor, or hartshorn or smelling salts, or, better yet, there is a little brandy in the medicine closet; bring that."
"I'll bring them all," answered Mary Lee, rushing away and coming back laden11 with bottles. "Oh, Aunt Sarah," she said, anxiously watching her aunt [Pg 188]force the brandy between the shut lips, "suppose she is dead! Suppose she is, and I called her an angle-worm. Oh, my dear Nan! My poor Nan! What will mother say?"
"Hush12 up," cried Aunt Sarah, tortured beyond forbearance. "I reckon you're not the only one who is feeling distressed13. She's coming around, Mary Lee," she said presently, "but I can't tell whether there are any bones broken or not. We'd better get the doctor at once. Her right arm looks queer to me. Call Randolph and send him for Dr. Woods."
Aroused by the confusion, Jack14 came pattering to the door. "What is the matter?" she called as she heard Mary Lee knocking on the boys' door.
"Nan's fallen down the stairs," said Mary Lee, concisely15.
"Is she dreadfully hurt? Oh, Mary Lee, is she?"
"We don't know, but we are going to send for the doctor."
Jack rushed across to where Nan was lying. "Go right back to bed," commanded Aunt Sarah. "I don't want a case of croup. I've got about as much as I can manage right here."
"I want to see my Nan."
"Go to bed," ordered Miss Sarah, and Jack sobbingly16 obeyed.
[Pg 189]
Mary Lee returned with the report that Randolph would go instantly. She poured out some of the brandy and came close to the bed to see Nan opening her eyes.
"She was stunned," said Aunt Sarah. "No, she mustn't have any liquor; it will be bad for her now. She is gaining consciousness."
Nan gave a weak moan. "What's the matter?" she said faintly. "My arm hurts so. Where's mother?"
Aunt Sarah's chin quivered and her eyes filled as she answered, "You've had a fall, child. Keep quiet till the doctor comes."
Nan closed her eyes and lay still for a moment. Presently she said: "I was hungry and I went down to get something to eat." Then she fainted again and Aunt Sarah was busy with restoratives when the doctor came. He was a bluff17, hearty18, middle-aged19 man who had known Nan all her life.
"What's all this?" he said. "Tumbling down stairs in the dead of night? Walking like a ghost in shut up places? What does this mean, Miss Nan?"
Nan tried to smile but felt herself slipping off into an unreal world while the doctor looked her over. "Nothing worse than a broken arm," he decided20, "only a simple fracture, fortunately." The bone [Pg 190]was slipped into place, causing a moment of exquisite21 agony, and after leaving a soothing22 potion, the doctor said, "She will be feverish23 and possibly a little delirious24 after her fall. I will come again in the morning." He departed leaving Miss Sarah to a solitary25 vigil while Nan moaned and wandered off again into the world of unreality.
Toward morning she began to mutter about strange things of which Aunt Sarah had never heard: the Poppy Fairy and Giant Pumpkin-Head, the Place o' Pines and the red cloth. Then she tried to sing a little song beginning: "A little child goes wandering by." At this the tears started to Aunt Sarah's eyes and she busied herself in putting iced cloths on the burning head.
Sunday morning dawned softly bright, a dim haze26 over the purple mountains and a faint mist enveloping27 the valley. Mary Lee awoke with the realization28 that something distressful29 had happened. She told the twins to keep very quiet for Nan was very sick, and it was a sober little group which gathered around the breakfast table.
Randolph and Ashby tiptoed about cautiously. Jean took refuge with Unc' Landy and Jack established herself just outside the door of the room where Nan lay. Mary Lee rushed down to Cousin Mag's with the woeful tale and Cousin Mag hurried [Pg 191]back with her offers of help. She insisted upon taking Aunt Sarah's place and allowing her to rest, but this Aunt Sarah would not permit.
"I reckon I am more responsible for this than any one else is, Margaret," she said. "I was in a perfect pepper-jig of a temper because Nan went over to Uplands, and when she answered me back pretty saucily30 I was madder at that than anything, so I made her go without her supper and locked her up into the bargain. We're both of us pretty well punished and I reckon it's going to be my only consolation31 to nurse her."
Cousin Mag then declared that the twins should stay at her house a few days and she would see to it that the housekeeping went on smoothly32 at the Corners'. "You'll have to take some rest," she declared, "and I will come over every day to see that you get it."
So began the long siege for Aunt Sarah and Nan, each of whom was receiving a punishment not anticipated. Because she felt herself partly to blame, Aunt Sarah was tenderness itself, and for the same reason Nan was a docile33 patient.
Jean was perfectly34 willing to spend a week at Cousin Mag's and rather liked the idea, but Jack at first rebelled, and only after receiving the promise that she should see Nan every day was she willing [Pg 192]to go. So every afternoon a wistful little face appeared at Nan's door.
It was on the third day that Nan first noticed her. After her fever and delirium35, she lay weak and exhausted36, but she gave a faint smile of welcome to her little sister. Aunt Sarah had stepped from the room for a minute and Jack ventured inside. "Can't I do something for you? May I kiss you just once, Nannie?" she said softly.
"Yes indeed," said Nan, and Jack dropped a gentle kiss upon her cheek.
"Have you seen the red cloth?" asked Nan with as much anxiety in her voice as her weakness would allow.
"Oh, I haven't looked," said Jack, "but I will." Aunt Sarah's footsteps were heard in the hall and Jack slipped out. "I kissed her," she said facing Aunt Sarah at the door, "but I didn't make her worse." Aunt Sarah smiled but made no reply.
Jack went out into the hall. She had found something to do for Nan. She tiptoed down-stairs and went out upon the porch softly closing the door behind her and looking toward Uplands. Yes, there hung the red cloth from the second story window. For a moment the child stood irresolute37, then she started off, but with more than one backward look. She was doing the same thing as that [Pg 193]for which Nan had been punished, but she didn't care. It was for Nan. Nan wanted her Aunt Helen to know that she could not come to her. She remembered that this had distressed her sister in their talk that evening before the imprisonment38.
The little girl trudged39 on downhill, across the brook40 and uphill, on the other side. In a few minutes she had reached the house and was trying to make up her mind at which door she should knock. She decided upon that which opened upon the front porch and here she raised the brass41 knocker and let it fall twice. The door was opened by Miss Helen herself. Jack knew her at once from Nan's description, and it may be that Miss Helen guessed Jack's identity for she said: "Come in, dear."
"I can't come in," said Jack. "Nan's tumbled down-stairs and has broken her arm. She can't come to see you and she's dreadful sorry."
"Oh, dear, oh, dear, how grieved I am to hear that!" said Miss Helen. "How did it happen?"
"Aunt Sarah shut her up and wouldn't give her any supper, so she got up in the night and Lady Gray saw a mouse and jumped so the candle went out and Nan fell nearly all the way from the top. It's a wonder she wasn't killed, Cousin Mag says."
Just what Lady Gray had to do with the accident Miss Helen could not clearly understand. "Oh, I [Pg 194]am so sorry," she repeated. She hesitated before asking, "Why did Aunt Sarah shut her up?"
Jack did not reply at once. "I don't believe I ought to tell that," she said. Then after some consideration of the subject: "Maybe I can tell half; she shut her up for one thing and she made her go without her supper because Nan sassed her back."
Miss Helen smiled but immediately she said gravely, "Nan should not have done that."
"Maybe you would, too, if you were doing something your mother let you do and your mother's aunt said you shouldn't," returned Jack, feeling that in this rather mixed-up speech she had adequately excused Nan, and Miss Helen read the meaning sufficiently42 well to take in the fact that Miss Sarah had disapproved43 of Nan's coming to Uplands.
"Aunt Sarah has written to mother," said Jack, "and Mary Lee has written, too, so I reckon Aunt Sarah will feel awfully44 sorry when mother's letter comes and says Nan wasn't disobeying." Jack gave further enlightenment. "I see Nan every day," she added.
"I am sure that makes Nan happier," returned Miss Helen. "Which of the twins are you? Jack, I suppose."
"Yes, I am Jack. Jean is over to Cousin Mag's. We sleep there now while Nan is sick. Nan won't [Pg 195]be able to write for ever so long, for her right arm is all wrapped up in something and she can't move it. It is funny that it is her right arm and her writing arm, too, isn't it? I must go now."
"I wish you could stay," said Miss Helen wistfully. "I will write to Nan, and you must give her my love. Can't you stay and see your grandmother? She is asleep now, for she is very tired, but she will waken soon."
"I'm afraid I can't stay," said Jack who had no great desire to see a grandmother of whom she had heard from Mary Lee and Unc' Landy only ill reports. "I saw the red cloth. Nan told me about it," Jack went on. "I came over to tell you about her. She doesn't know I came but she'll be glad."
"You love Nan very much, don't you?" said Miss Helen tenderly.
"Yes. I love Jean 'cause she's my twin, but Nan always takes up for me and helps me out of scrapes. I get into a great many," sighed Jack. "Maybe I'm in one now," she added thoughtfully.
"Oh, dear, I hope not," Miss Helen hastened to say. "I must not keep you if you ought not to stay. You must not be disobedient if any one has forbidden your coming here."
"Nobody did 'zackly, but—I reckon I'd better not stay."
[Pg 196]
Miss Helen stooped to kiss her. "I hope to see you soon again," she said, "and I am very much obliged to you for telling me about Nan."
Jack trudged back satisfied at having done her errand. If Aunt Sarah discovered it she said nothing and a day later came a letter from Mrs. Corner in reply to Miss Sarah's. In it she said: "I feel now, dear Aunt Sarah, that I did wrong in harboring any ill-will toward Helen. I am sure my dear husband would wish me to meet any advances from her with an equally forgiving spirit and I do want my children to see and love their Aunt Helen, the only sister of their father. So Nan has my permission to go to Uplands when she receives an invitation. When one feels that the waves from the dark river may perhaps soon be touching45 her feet, quarrels and dissensions seem very petty things. I realized this when I first knew of the danger threatening me. Now that I feel that I am permitted a longer lease of life the bitterness of the past is something to be forgotten. I view life with a new understanding and I would encourage peace, forgiveness and forbearance."
Aunt Sarah read the letter thoughtfully, Nan watching her with big eyes looking from a very white little face. Aunt Sarah put her head back [Pg 197]against the back of the big chair in which she was sitting and rocked silently for some moments.
"What does mother say?" asked Nan feebly.
"She says you may go to Uplands. Would you like to start now, Nan?" Aunt Sarah spoke46 half sadly, half jestingly. "Well, Nan," she went on, "I reckon we are both punished pretty thoroughly47, you for your sauciness48 and I for my hardness. Neither of us has any scores to pay that I see. Goodness, child, when I picked you up from the foot of those stairs I would have given my right hand to have taken back my conduct toward you."
"I was dreadfully saucy49, Aunt Sarah," said Nan. "It was wicked for me to speak so to you, and I had no business, either, to sneak50 down into the kitchen in the middle of the night. I have given my right hand, for a little while," she added, "only it don't do away with what I said and did."
Aunt Sarah bent51 over and kissed the child's forehead. Two salt tears trickled52 down from her eyes and fell on Nan's cheek. Those drops washed out all ill feeling between them, for Nan understood that Aunt Sarah did really love her and that she, too, had suffered, if not bodily pain, at least bodily fatigue53 and much mental anguish54 on Nan's account.
There was another letter which came later to Nan. [Pg 198]It was not exactly a lecture, and the reproof55 was slight, but after reading it Nan felt that in being impertinent to her aunt she had abused her mother's trust and had hurt her as well as Aunt Sarah, so she resolved that never, never again, no matter what, would she treat Aunt Sarah with disrespect.
Many were the attentions showered upon the little girl during her illness, but chief among them, and most pleasing to her, were those which came from Uplands. Not a day passed that she did not receive some token of her Aunt Helen's thought of her. Lovely flowers were never suffered to fade before they were replaced by others. Dainties to tempt56 her palate followed the flowers, and when she could sit up came packages of picture postal57 cards of different places in Europe or interesting photographs. To these were added once in a while a cheerful story-book or a magazine, so, in spite of pain and lack of freedom, Nan fared well and in due time was out again, her arm in a sling58 and herself a little pale, but otherwise no worse for her accident.
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1
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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drowsily
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| adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地 | |
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3
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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4
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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6
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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7
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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8
prank
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| n.开玩笑，恶作剧；v.装饰；打扮；炫耀自己 | |
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9
peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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10
apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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12
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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13
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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14
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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15
concisely
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| adv.简明地 | |
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sobbingly
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| 啜泣地，呜咽地，抽抽噎噎地 | |
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bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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18
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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19
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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delirious
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| adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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enveloping
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 ) | |
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realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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distressful
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| adj.苦难重重的，不幸的，使苦恼的 | |
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saucily
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| adv.傲慢地，莽撞地 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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35
delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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irresolute
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| adj.无决断的，优柔寡断的，踌躇不定的 | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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39
trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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41
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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43
disapproved
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| v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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45
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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46
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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47
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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48
sauciness
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| n.傲慢，鲁莽 | |
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49
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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50
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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51
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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52
trickled
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| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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53
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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54
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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55
reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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56
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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57
postal
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| adj.邮政的，邮局的 | |
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58
sling
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| vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓 | |
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