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CHAPTER 10 BENEATH THE FLAGSTONES
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Louise offered no serious objection to Penny’s proposal, for she too was curious to learn who might be prowling about the Marborough yard. Driving on down the road for a considerable distance, they parked the car just off the pavement and walked back to the estate. A high hedge bounded the front side of the Marborough property, but they were able to peer through the scanty1 foliage2 into the yard.

“It will be just our luck that the light has disappeared,” Penny muttered. “I don’t see it anywhere.”

“I do!” Louise whispered excitedly. “Look over there by the wishing well.”

In the darkness, both girls could see the faint glow of a covered lantern which had been deposited on the ground. A shadowy figure was bending over, examining some object on the ground.

“Can you tell who it is?” Penny murmured.
[80]

“Not from here. Dare we move closer?”

“Let’s risk it,” Penny said, and led the way through the open gateway3.

Taking the precaution to keep tall bushes between themselves and the wishing well, the girls quietly stole closer. Soon they were near enough to distinguish that someone in dark clothing was kneeling on the ground, face turned away from them. Apparently4 the person was trying to lift one of the flagstones which formed a circular base about the covered well.

“Who can he be?” Penny whispered, pausing. “And what is he doing?”

At that moment the figure straightened, and the lantern was lifted from the ground.

“It’s a she, not a he!” Louise observed in an undertone.

“Mrs. Marborough!”

“It looks like her from here,” Louise nodded. “But what can she be doing at the well?”

Completely mystified, the girls remained motionless, watching. Mrs. Marborough raised one of the flagstones and peered beneath it.

“She’s searching for something,” Penny whispered. “Probably she works after dark so she won’t be observed.”

It was evident to both girls that the moving light which had attracted their attention the previous night had, undoubtedly5, been Mrs. Marborough’s lantern.
[81]

Although they now could understand the old lady’s irritation6 at their intrusion, her actions mystified them. As they continued to watch, she pried7 up one stone after another, frequently resting from her labors8.

“We might offer to help her,” Louise proposed half-seriously.

“If we show ourselves now she’ll order us never to return,” Penny replied. “We want to find out what this is all about.”

During the next ten minutes the girls huddled9 behind the friendly bush. At the end of that period, Mrs. Marborough gathered together her tools, and went wearily into the house.

“Obviously she didn’t find what she was after,” Penny said, coming from behind the shelter. “What do you suppose it can be?”

“Buried treasure, perhaps.”

“Or possibly the family silverware hidden during the Civil War,” Penny chuckled10. “I’m afraid not. Mrs. Marborough lived at Rose Acres all her early years. If there had been anything valuable buried, wouldn’t she have done her searching long ago?”

“If that’s a question, I can’t answer it,” sighed Louise. “What’s our next move? Home?”

“I should say not! Let’s inspect the wishing well.”

Penny started forward, taking pains to avoid a patch of light which came from the lower windows of the Marborough house. Even in the semi-darkness the girls were able to see that many flagstones about the well had been removed and fitted again into place.
[82]

“Just for luck I shall make a wish!” Penny announced unexpectedly, lowering the bucket into the pit.

“What will it be this time?” Louise inquired, slightly amused.

Penny drank deeply of the cool, sweet water, and tossed a token into the well.

“I wish that Rose Acres would give us a whopping big mystery!” she said gaily11. “Lou, why did Mrs. Marborough return to Riverview after being away so many years?”

“This is her ancestral home.”

“True, but didn’t she tell us that whether or not she remains12 here depends upon certain conditions? Lou, she must have had a very special reason for coming, and it may be connected with this wishing well! We ought to find out about it!”

“Why?”

“Why?” Penny fairly wailed13. “Oh, Lou, at times you’re the most exasperating14 person. Here we are face to face with something baffling, and you wonder why we should interest ourselves in it!”

“I like mystery as well as you, but you know Mrs. Marborough won’t care to have us interfere15 in her private affairs.”

“Probably not,” Penny conceded. “Oh, well, we can forget all about it if that’s the way you feel.”
[83]

“How could we learn anything without provoking Mrs. Marborough?”

“I know of no way,” Penny admitted. “In fact, she’ll probably be irritated when I rap on her door again.”

Louise followed her chum down the path toward the house.

“Ought we bother Mrs. Marborough now?” she asked in mild protest. “She may think we have been spying on her.”

“Which of course we never would consider doing,” Penny chuckled.

Paying no heed16 to Louise, she boldly clomped across the veranda17 and knocked on the door. The girls did not have long to wait. In a moment Mrs. Marborough appeared, looking decidedly flustered18 and nervous.

“Who is it?” she asked sharply, and then recognized the girls. “Oh, I see!”

“Mrs. Marborough, do excuse us,” Penny began hastily. “I’ve learned something which I feel sure you’ll wish to hear.”

“You’ve seen another light in the yard perhaps?” the old lady inquired, her voice slightly mocking.

Penny glanced at Louise, uncertain what to say in reply.

“There has been no one in my yard either last night or this evening,” Mrs. Marborough resumed tartly19. “I appreciate your interest in my welfare, but I can only repeat that I am quite capable of looking after myself.”
[84]

“We came to tell you about that big rock which we discovered on the hillside,” Penny interposed. “Do you care to hear what Jay Franklin did?”

Despite herself, Mrs. Marborough was interested. She hesitated, and then came outside, carefully closing the door behind her. The peculiar20 action was not lost upon the girls.

“It’s quite chilly21 out tonight,” Penny said significantly. “Perhaps it would be better to step inside.”

“I don’t mind a little fresh air,” Mrs. Marborough replied. “Now what is it that you wish to tell me?”

Feeling far from comfortable, Penny explained how Jay Franklin had kept the big rock as his own property and was endeavoring to sell it to the museum at a handsome profit.

“But he told me he would give the stone to the institution!” Mrs. Marborough exclaimed indignantly. “Will you see Mr. Franklin tomorrow?”

“I can,” Penny nodded.

“Then if you do, ask him to come here and see me.”

As if the matter were completely settled, Mrs. Marborough started to re?nter the house. She did not invite the girls to accompany her. However, sensing that they were puzzled by her lack of hospitality she said apologetically:

“I would invite you in only the house isn’t fixed22 up yet. After everything is cleaned and straightened, you both must come to tea.”
 
Without giving the girls an opportunity to say that they shouldn’t mind a disorderly house, she gently closed the door.

“Well, at least Mrs. Marborough didn’t slam it in our faces this time,” Penny remarked cheerfully. “Lou, we’re making progress!”

“Progress toward what?” Louise demanded.

“I’m not sure yet,” Penny laughed as they started for their car. “All the same, I have a feeling that we’re on our way!”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 scanty ZDPzx     
adj.缺乏的,仅有的,节省的,狭小的,不够的
参考例句:
  • There is scanty evidence to support their accusations.他们的指控证据不足。
  • The rainfall was rather scanty this month.这个月的雨量不足。
2 foliage QgnzK     
n.叶子,树叶,簇叶
参考例句:
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage.小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
  • Dark foliage clothes the hills.浓密的树叶覆盖着群山。
3 gateway GhFxY     
n.大门口,出入口,途径,方法
参考例句:
  • Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
  • A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。
4 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
5 undoubtedly Mfjz6l     
adv.确实地,无疑地
参考例句:
  • It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
  • He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。
6 irritation la9zf     
n.激怒,恼怒,生气
参考例句:
  • He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
  • Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说,但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。
7 pried 4844fa322f3d4b970a4e0727867b0b7f     
v.打听,刺探(他人的私事)( pry的过去式和过去分词 );撬开
参考例句:
  • We pried open the locked door with an iron bar. 我们用铁棍把锁着的门撬开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • So Tom pried his mouth open and poured down the Pain-killer. 因此汤姆撬开它的嘴,把止痛药灌下去。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
8 labors 8e0b4ddc7de5679605be19f4398395e1     
v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 );苦干;详细分析;(指引擎)缓慢而困难地运转
参考例句:
  • He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors. 他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜,令人生厌。 来自辞典例句
  • Farm labors used to hire themselves out for the summer. 农业劳动者夏季常去当雇工。 来自辞典例句
9 huddled 39b87f9ca342d61fe478b5034beb4139     
挤在一起(huddle的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
  • We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。
10 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
11 gaily lfPzC     
adv.欢乐地,高兴地
参考例句:
  • The children sing gaily.孩子们欢唱着。
  • She waved goodbye very gaily.她欢快地挥手告别。
12 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
13 wailed e27902fd534535a9f82ffa06a5b6937a     
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句
14 exasperating 06604aa7af9dfc9c7046206f7e102cf0     
adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • Our team's failure is very exasperating. 我们队失败了,真是气死人。
  • It is really exasperating that he has not turned up when the train is about to leave. 火车快开了, 他还不来,实在急人。
15 interfere b5lx0     
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰
参考例句:
  • If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话,可能弊多利少。
  • When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件,棘手的事情就来了。
16 heed ldQzi     
v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心
参考例句:
  • You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
  • For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。
17 veranda XfczWG     
n.走廊;阳台
参考例句:
  • She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
  • They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。
18 flustered b7071533c424b7fbe8eb745856b8c537     
adj.慌张的;激动不安的v.使慌乱,使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The honking of horns flustered the boy. 汽车喇叭的叫声使男孩感到慌乱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. 她太紧张了,都忘记了该如何作答。 来自辞典例句
19 tartly 0gtzl5     
adv.辛辣地,刻薄地
参考例句:
  • She finished by tartly pointing out that he owed her some money. 她最后刻薄地指出他欠她一些钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Kay said tartly, "And you're more Yankee than Italian. 恺酸溜溜他说:“可你哪,与其说是意大利人,还不如说是新英格兰人。 来自教父部分
20 peculiar cinyo     
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。
21 chilly pOfzl     
adj.凉快的,寒冷的
参考例句:
  • I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
  • I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后,寒气逼人。
22 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。


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