She had asked no questions of Benedicta concerning the coming of David, but on the morning after his arrival she accidentally overheard the explanation as well as several other things.
“Where did you find Mr. Collins?” Clementina was asking the housekeeper3 as she lingered in the kitchen after breakfast.
“I didn’t find him,” was the answer. “He found me.”
“Where’bouts?” persisted the child.
“Why, he was on his way to the garage, when[218] he spied the number of my car—or Miss Dudley’s car, I should say—and he raced after me, yellin’ at the top of his voice. He s’posed it was Miss Polly inside. I guess he was amazin’ly flabbergasted when he saw me drivin’,” she chuckled4.
“What’s ’flapper—grasted’?” questioned Clementina.
“Oh, just a good deal surprised,” was the quiet answer.
“Why didn’t you say so, then? It’s lots easier.”
“It doesn’t tell so much,” replied Benedicta.
“They didn’t. I heard the train come in, so I thought I’d see if they’d come. And there they were!”
“Had they got married?”
“Married! I should hope not! What put that into your head?”
“Why, a girl that lived in the next room to me before I lived with Miss Dudley went off to the shore with a feller one day and when they come back they were married.”
“Huh! we ain’t that kind up here.”
“Anyway, Dr. Abbe’s her beau, ain’t he?”
“Not that I know of.”
“I don’t see why,” muttered Clementina. “Who did that Mr. Collins come to see?”
“Miss Polly, he said.”
“Did she ask him?”
[219] “I don’t know.”
“Is he her beau?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know very much, do you?”
“I don’t know much about beaux and I don’t want to!”
“Why don’t you want to?”
“Because I don’t! I should if it wasn’t for that.”
“Don’t you like ’em? I do.”
“Much you know about ’em.”
“I do! I’m goin’ to have a beau and I’m goin’ to marry him when I grow up.”
“Why had I? I think it’s awful lovely to get married in a long white satin dress and a veil and a bouquet7 and go to New York.”
“Huh! you’re a great kid.”
“Why am I?”
“Teeters and tongs8! if you don’t stop I shan’t know whether I’m makin’ cocoa gingerbread or coastin’ down Overlook Hill.”
“Oh! may I have a piece when it’s baked?”
“I’ll see, if you’ll run away now and let me be.”
“If you don’t want me, I s’pose I’ll have to,” plaintively9.
Nothing further came to Polly’s ears, except the patter of small footsteps, which told her of Clementina’s retreat.
[220] Why did Benedicta allow them to bother her and resent it almost as interference when Polly remonstrated10?
Now Clementina’s thin voice was piping out again.
“Say, how soon will the cocoa gingerbread be done?”
“Oh, not for a good bit!”
“Say, don’t you think Dolly Merrifield’s brother is an awful lovely gentleman?”
“I guess so.”
“He’s beautifuller than any of the other gentlemen, isn’t he?”
“Yere.”
“Why don’t he be Miss Polly’s beau? They look sweet together.”
“Teeters and tongs! What’s got into you?”
“There isn’t any cocoa gingerbread inside o’ me!” resented Clementina.
“Nor there won’t be unless you stay out of here!” Benedicta’s voice was as nearly impatient as it ever came to be with the children.
“I don’t know where to wait,” complained the child.
“Go and see Grissel and Dolly and the rest.”
“I ain’t a wheel-chair one.”
“Well, I’ll make you one if you don’t go this minute!”
Which dreadful threat sent the little feet off again, not to return within Polly’s hearing.
[221] Although there were tasks still awaiting her, she lingered by her window long after her mending was finished and the garments folded ready to be put away. The questioning that had floated up to her from the kitchen had flooded her mind with thoughts that would not be thrust out, and she brooded over them with troubled brow and restless fingers.
As yet she had said little to David. She had resolved not to be left alone with him if she could prevent it, although she felt that it was only delaying a sure occurrence. If he had been arrogant11 or assuming, as at the last time she saw him, she felt that things would have been easier for her; but he was cordial without assumption and genial12 without familiarity. He had rarely, she thought, appeared in so attractive a light—and yet—and yet—Polly knew that she had no love to give him, that she never could have any love for him again. Had he killed it by his faithless behavior, or had she never loved him? She could not tell. If there had been any real love in her heart for David Collins, of this she was confident, none of it was left. Still, she dreaded13 to tell him so. She vowed14 there in the silence of her room that she would not let herself be led into a position from which there was no escape.
Early after breakfast David had proposed going down to Overlook but Polly had excused herself for lack of time. Lilith, promptly15 taking her cue from[222] Polly, had many duties which must be performed at once, and so on. Mrs. Daybill would gladly have accepted the invitation, but was unwilling16 to go unless one of the girls would be of the party. So it came about that Dr. Abbe and David went off in the car alone. Polly hoped fervently17 that they would not return before noon. She chided herself for her attitude towards David, yet she was unable to bring her mind to any dearer feeling for him than kindliness18.
Finally she rose and was putting away her mended garments when the purring of a motor car caught her ear. Drawing a little sigh she speeded her work and started towards the front window. Short of it she halted. That car was not hers. She watched it round the corner—Was that—? It was! “Nita!” she whispered joyously19 and flew down the stairs.
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收听单词发音
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1
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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2
timorous
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| adj.胆怯的，胆小的 | |
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3
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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4
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
brooks
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| n.小溪( brook的名词复数 ) | |
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6
snobs
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| （谄上傲下的）势利小人( snob的名词复数 )； 自高自大者，自命不凡者 | |
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7
bouquet
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| n.花束，酒香 | |
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8
tongs
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| n.钳；夹子 | |
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9
plaintively
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| adv.悲哀地，哀怨地 | |
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10
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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11
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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12
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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13
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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14
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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15
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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16
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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17
fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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18
kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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19
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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