He had slipped to the head of the back stairs, lifted the long flaps of the tail of his new coat and carefully seated himself on the last step to wait her appearance. He smiled with assurance. She couldn't get down without a word at least.
"I'm gwine ter bring things to er head dis day, sho's yer born!" he muttered, wagging his head.
He had been to Norfolk the week before on an excursion to attend the annual convention of his African mutual1 insurance society, "The Children of the King." While there he had met the old woman who had given him a startling piece of information about Cleo which had set his brain in a whirl. He had long been desperately4 in love with her, but she had treated him with such scorn he had never summoned the courage to declare his affection.
The advent5 of Helen at first had made no impression on his slowly working mind, but when he returned from Norfolk with the new clew to Cleo's life he watched the[Pg 300] girl with increasing suspicion. And when he saw the collapse6 of Norton over the announcement of her presence he leaped to an important conclusion. No matter whether his guess was correct or not, he knew enough to give him a power over the proud housekeeper7 he proposed to exercise without a moment's delay.
"We see now whether she turns up her nose at me ergin," he chuckled8, as he heard the door open.
He rose with a broad grin as he saw that at last she was alone. He adjusted his suit with a touch of pride and pulled down his vest with a little jerk he had seen his master use in dressing10. He had found the heavy, black, double-breasted vest in the cedar11 box, but thought it rather sombre when contrasted with a red English hunting jacket the major had affected12 once in a fashionable fox hunt before the war. The rich scarlet13 took his fancy and he selected that one instead. He carried his ancient silk hat jauntily14 balanced in one hand, in the other hand a magnolia in full bloom. The petals15 of the flower were at least a half-foot long and the leaves longer.
He bowed with an attempt at the easy manners of a gentleman in a gallant16 effort to attract her attention. She was about to pass him on the stairs without noticing his existence when Andy cleared his throat:
"Ahem!"
Cleo paused with a frown:
"What's the matter? Have you caught cold!"
Andy generously ignored her tone, bowed and handed her the magnolia:
"Would you embellish18 yousef wid dis little posie, m'am?"[Pg 301]
The woman turned on him, drew her figure to its full height, her eyes blazing with wrath19, snatched the flower from his hand and threw it in his face.
Andy dodged20 in time to save his nose and his offering went tumbling down the stairs. He shook his head threateningly when he caught his breath:
"Look a here, m'am, is dat de way yer gwine spessify my welcome?"
"Why, no, I was only thanking you for the compliment!" she answered with a sneer21. "How dare you insult me?"
"Insult you, is I?" Andy chuckled. "Huh, if dat's de way ye talk I'm gwine ter say sumfin quick——"
"You can't be too quick!"
Andy held her eye a moment and pointed23 his index finger in her face:
"Yassam! As de ole sayin' is—I'm gwine take my tex' from dat potion er de Scripter whar de 'Postle Paul pint24 his 'pistle at de Fenians!—I'se er comin' straight ter de pint."
"Well, come to it, you flat-nosed baboon25!" she cried in rage. "What makes your nose so flat, anyhow?"
Andy grinned at her tantalizingly26, and spoke27 with a note of deliberate insult:
"I don't know, m'am, but I spec hit wuz made dat way ter keep hit outen odder folks' business!"
"You impudent28 scoundrel, how dare you speak to me like this?" Cleo hissed30.
A triumphant31 chuckle9 was his answer. He flicked32 a piece of imaginary dust from the rim33 of his hat, his eyes rolled to the ceiling and he slowly said with a smile:
"Well, yer see, m'am, circumstances alters cases an'[Pg 302] dat always makes de altercations34! I git holt er a little secret o' yourn dat gimme courage——"
"A secret of mine?" Cleo interrupted with the first flash of surprise.
"Yassam!" was the unctuous35 answer, as Andy looked over his shoulder and bent36 to survey the hall below for any one who might possibly be passing.
"Yassam," he went on smoothly37, "down ter Norfork las' week, m'am——"
"Wait a minute!" Cleo interrupted. "Some one might be below. Come to my room."
"Yassam, ob course, I wuz gwine ter say dat in de fust place, but ye didn't gimme time"—he bowed—"cose, m'am, de pleasure's all mine, as de sayin' is."
He placed his silk hat jauntily on his head as they reached the door, and gallantly38 took hold of Cleo's arm to assist her down the steps.
She stopped abruptly39:
"Wait here, I'll go ahead and you can come in a few minutes."
"Sholy, sholy, m'am, I understan' dat er lady allus likes ter make er little preparations ter meet er gemman. I understands. I des stroll out on de lawn er minute."
"The backyard's better," she replied, quietly throwing him a look of scorn.
"Yassam, all right. I des take a little cursory40 view er de chickens."
"As soon as I'm out of sight, you can come right up."
Andy nodded and Cleo quickly crossed the fifty yards that separated the house from the neat square brick building that was still used as the servants' quarters.[Pg 303]
In a few minutes, with his silk hat set on the side of his head, Andy tipped up the stairs and knocked on her door.
He entered with a grandiloquent41 bow and surveyed the place curiously42. Her room was a sacred spot he had never been allowed to enter before.
"Have a seat," Cleo said, placing a chair.
Andy bowed, placed his hat pompously43 on the table, pulled down his red vest with a jerk and seated himself deliberately44.
Cleo glanced at him:
"You were about to tell me something that you heard in Norfolk?"
Andy looked at the door as an extra precaution and smiled blandly45:
"Yassam, I happen ter hear down dar dat a long time ergo, mo'rn twenty years, afore I cum ter live here—dat is when I wuz er politicioner—dey wuz rumors46 'bout3 you an' de major when you wuz Mister Tom's putty young nurse."
"Well?"
"De major's wife fin22' it out an' die. De major wuz heart-broke, drap everything an' go Norf, an' while he wuz up dar, you claims ter be de mudder of a putty little gal17. Now min' ye, I ain't nebber seed her, but dat's what I hears you claims——"
Andy paused impressively and Cleo held his eye in a steady, searching stare. She was trying to guess how much he really knew. She began to suspect that his story was more than half a bluff47 and made up her mind to fight.
"Claim? No, you fool!" she said with indifferent contempt, "I didn't claim it—I proved it. I proved[Pg 304] it to his satisfaction. You may worry some one else with your secret. It doesn't interest me. But I'd advise you to have your life insured before you mention it to the major"—she paused, broke into a light laugh and added: "So that's your wonderful discovery?"
Andy looked at her with a puzzled expression and scratched his head:
"Yassam."
"Then I'll excuse you from wasting any more of your valuable time," Cleo said, rising.
Andy rose and smiled:
"Yassam, but dat ain't all, m'am!"
"No?"
"Nobum. I ain't 'sputin dat de little gal wuz born des lak you say, or des lak, mebbe, de major believes ter dis day"—he paused and leaned over until he could whisper in her ear—"but sposen she die?"
The woman never moved a muscle for an instant. She spoke at last in a half-laughing, incredulous way:
"Suppose she died? Why, what do you mean?"
"Now, mind ye," Andy said, lifting his hands in a persuasive48 gesture, "I ain't sayin' dat she raly did die—I des say—sposen she die——"
Cleo lost her temper and turned on her tormentor49 in sudden fury:
"But she didn't! Who dares to tell such a lie? She's living to-day a beautiful, accomplished50 girl."
Andy solemnly raised his hand again:
"Mind ye, I don't say dat she ain't, I des say sposen—sposen she die, an' you git a little orphan51 baby ter put in her place, twenty years ergo, jis' ter keep yer grip on de major——"
Cleo peered steadily52 into his face:
"'Yassam, but dat ain't all, m'am.'" "'Yassam, but dat ain't all, m'am.'"
[Pg 305]
"Did you guess that lie?"
He cocked his head to one side and grinned:
"I don't say dat I did, an' I don't say dat I didn't. I des say dat I mought, an' den29 ergin I moughn't!"
"Well, it's a lie!" she cried fiercely—"I tell you it's an infamous53 lie!"
"Yassam, dat may be so, but hit's a putty dangous lie fer you, m'am, ef——"
He looked around the room in a friendly, cautious way and continued in a whisper:
"Especially ef de major wuz ter ever git pizened wid it!"
Cleo's voice dropped suddenly to pleading tones:
"You're not going to suggest such an idea to him?"
Andy looked away coyly and glanced back at her with a smile:
"Not ef yer ax me——"
"Well, I do ask you," she said in tender tones. "A more infamous lie couldn't be told. But if such a suspicion were once roused it would be hard to protect myself against it."
"Oh, I des wants ter help ye, m'am," Andy protested earnestly.
"Then I'm sure you'll never suggest such a thing to the major?—I'm sorry I've treated you so rudely, and spoke to you as I did just now."
Andy waved the apology aside with a generous gesture and spoke with large good nature:
"Oh, dat's all right, m'am! Dat's all right! I'm gwine ter show you now dat I'se yer best friend——"
"I may need one soon," she answered slowly. "Things can't go on in this house much longer as they are."
"Yassam!" Andy said reassuringly54 as he laid his[Pg 306] hand on Cleo's arm and bent low. "You kin2 'pend on me. I'se always called Hones' Andy."
She shuddered55 unconsciously at his touch, looked suddenly toward the house and said:
"Go—quick! Mr. Tom has come. I don't want him to see us together."
Andy bowed grandly, took up his hat and tipped down the stairs chuckling56 over his conquest, and Cleo watched him cross the yard to the kitchen.
"I'll manage him!" she murmured with a smile of contempt.
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收听单词发音
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1
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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6
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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7
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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8
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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10
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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cedar
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| n.雪松，香柏(木) | |
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12
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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13
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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14
jauntily
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| adv.心满意足地；洋洋得意地；高兴地；活泼地 | |
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15
petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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16
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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17
gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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embellish
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| v.装饰，布置；给…添加细节，润饰 | |
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19
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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20
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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21
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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22
fin
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| n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼 | |
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23
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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24
pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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baboon
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| n.狒狒 | |
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tantalizingly
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| adv.…得令人着急，…到令人着急的程度 | |
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27
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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28
impudent
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| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
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29
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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30
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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31
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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32
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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33
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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34
altercations
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| n.争辩，争吵( altercation的名词复数 ) | |
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35
unctuous
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| adj.油腔滑调的，大胆的 | |
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36
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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37
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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38
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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39
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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40
cursory
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| adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的 | |
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41
grandiloquent
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| adj.夸张的 | |
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42
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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43
pompously
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| adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样 | |
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44
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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45
blandly
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| adv.温和地，殷勤地 | |
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46
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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47
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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48
persuasive
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| adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的 | |
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49
tormentor
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| n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter | |
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50
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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51
orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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52
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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53
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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54
reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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55
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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56
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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