“Come grandpa, it is time for our walk,” she would announce, and Dr. Barrows would obediently lay down his pen or his book, and follow. And the sight of her happy, rosy1 face, as she frisked about in the fallen leaves, the sound of her merry voice as she asked innumerable questions, made him forget his anxiety over seminary affairs, and before he knew it he was looking up at the blue sky, breathing deeply the delicious air, with something of the same joyousness2.
[22]“Grandpa, don’t you think that is a beautiful house?”
They were walking out Grayson avenue, and as Caro spoke3 she pointed4 to a large old-fashioned mansion5 of gray stone, with a row of stately pillars across its front. It stood in the midst of extensive grounds where were many fine trees and shrubs6, in the background hot-houses were to be seen, and nearer the street a fountain was sending up a silvery shower.
A cloud crossed the president’s face as he replied; “Yes, dear, it is a beautiful place. That is where Trolley7 once lived.”
“Are there any children there?” she asked.
“No; Miss Grayson and her invalid8 brother live there alone.”
It was a very large house for just two persons, Caro thought. “Did Trolley belong to the sick brother?” she asked.
“I don’t know; perhaps so.”
“Don’t you suppose he was sorry?”
“Very likely, but it couldn’t be helped you know, Trolley was determined9 to live with us.”
“I am glad he did,” said Caro.
She couldn’t ask any more questions for Professor Rice joined them and began to talk[23] to her grandfather, but she could think, and it presently occurred to her that this must be the place that adjoined Marjorie’s orchard10. She walked along very soberly, her mind full of the sick man no one ever saw, and the gate that was never opened.
When she and Marjorie went over on the avenue to mail a letter not long after this, Caro asked, “Did you know that your gate opened into the garden of the Grayson house?”
“Why yes, of course. Look Caro! there’s Miss Elizabeth now!”
They were almost at the gate, and as Marjorie spoke a tall, handsome woman crossed the sidewalk and entered the carriage that was waiting for her.
“Doesn’t she look cross!” Marjorie exclaimed.
But Caro was too much impressed with her elegance11 to consider her expression, which was not cross, by the way, only extremely sad.
“Let’s play dressing12 up,” she proposed, “and I bid to be Miss Grayson.”
Marjorie was willing and chose to be Mrs. Rice the professor’s wife who had at present the distinction of being the seminary bride. As[24] a coachman was needed, little Tom Turner who sat on the curbstone longing13 for an invitation, was offered the position, and perched on a piano stool in front of a steamer chair he drove his spirited horses—two rocking chairs—with great skill.
Miss Grayson in an old silk gown of Aunt Charlotte’s swept into her carriage with astonishing dignity any number of times that morning, followed by Mrs. Rice in a flowered kimono.
When they grew tired of this play they went to the orchard, and there Caro decided14 that it would be quite easy to climb the wall if you didn’t mind the currant bushes.
“You’d better not,” cried Marjorie, shocked at such audacity15, but when she was assured that it was just lovely up there, she could not resist and she and Tom followed.
It was an old-fashioned garden into which the children looked, already rather brown and bare except for a few chrysanthemums16 and asters, but still with a beauty of its own quite different from the smooth elegance of the grounds in front of the house.
[25]They sat there full of delight over their adventure, craning their necks to see as far as possible into this unknown land, when there came the sound of footsteps on the fallen leaves.
Marjorie was down in an instant, and Tom after her, but Caro waited till an invalid’s chair appeared, rolled by a tall colored man. In the midst of the rugs and shawls a handsome, boyish face was to be seen, and Caro who had expected—she didn’t know what—was so surprised that instead of slipping down after Marjorie as she had intended she sat perfectly17 still.
“Stop just here Thompson, I must have that bit of view through the trees,” said the occupant of the chair, and Caro saw he had a camera.
She watched with interest till the right position was found and the picture taken.
“Now turn me around, so I can get that white birch against the stone wall.”
Close to the birch sat Caro. “Wait a minute and I’ll get down,” she called, remembering how provoked Brother Arthur was when she got in his way.
“Stay just where you are,” a decided voice[26] commanded, and Caro staid, feeling not unlike the convicts at the prison who had to have their pictures taken whether they liked it or not.
It was over in a second and then down she scrambled18 and ran after the other children.
“Caro! what made you so long? what did you see?” Marjorie cried.
“Nothing but two men; but Marjorie they took my picture!”
“Oh Caro, maybe they are going to arrest you!”
“I don’t believe they are,” Caro answered gravely, “for do you know Marjorie he—the sick man I mean—is very nice looking.”
As they walked back to the house she added, “Just think how dreadful it must be not to be able to walk.”
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收听单词发音
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1
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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joyousness
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| 快乐，使人喜悦 | |
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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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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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7
trolley
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| n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车 | |
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8
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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11
elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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12
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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13
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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14
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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15
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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16
chrysanthemums
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| n.菊花( chrysanthemum的名词复数 ) | |
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17
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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18
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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