Chapter 12

 Mr. Robert van Rensselaer drove on to the depot¹, where stood his private car; as he sped away to the city he first took something to drink, and then sat smoking and meditating² until the depot was reached. Here he heard street voices: "Extra! Extra!" and bought a paper. He stepped into his automobile³, with the word "Home," and then settled back to read the news. There was the whole scene of the conference, with the embellishments of the usual kind, and the story of the strike resolutions and the beginning of rioting. There were also some savage⁴ editorials—it was a "yellow" journal. Mr. Robert van Rensselaer read them and smiled.

 

He arrived at his residence,—which, it should be added, was no longer a little apartment, but a palatial⁵ mansion⁶ just a few blocks above the paternal⁷ one. As he was[41] still meditating about the strike, it was with a start that he came back to himself when the butler, who opened the door for him, remarked:—

 

"I beg pardon, sir. There's a lady in the parlor⁸ to see you."

 

Mr. van Rensselaer opened his eyes. "A lady?" he said.

 

"A lady, I presume, sir," said the butler.

 

"What's her name?"

 

"She didn't give any name, sir. She just said she must see you; and she would not take any refusal, sir."

 

"Humph!" said the other. "I'll go in."

 

And so in he went and gazed at the woman, who wore a heavy veil. She rose up and flung it aside, disclosing a face ghastly white, and so like a death's head that the other started back.

 

"Do you know me?" she asked.

 

"Er—no," said Mr. van Rensselaer.

 

"You really don't know me, Robbie?"

 

And then suddenly he gave a gasp⁹, and cried, "Daisy!"

 

[42]"Yes," said the other, "Daisy."

 

They sat for a full minute gazing at each other: she at a well-filled face and waist-coat; he at a trembling skeleton.

 

"Well?" said he, suddenly; "what do you want?"

 

"Nothing much," she replied. "I'm dying, you know, Robbie."

 

"What's the matter?" asked he.

 

"Consumption."

 

"Humph! It's been a long time. What have you been doing?"

 

"I've been living up north—in Albany. I took another name, you know, as soon as I left New York. There's a child, Robbie."

 

"Oh!" exclaimed the other. "Sure enough! A boy?"

 

"No, a girl."

 

"Humph! Must be—let's see—twelve years old now."

 

"Thirteen, Robbie. That's what I've come to see you about."

 

"So I guessed. Is she here—in New York?"

 

[43]"No; she's up in Albany—with some kind people. I couldn't bear to bring her; but I—I—"

 

The woman stopped and gazed into his eyes a moment. Then she went on swiftly, stretching out her lean arms to him. "Do something for her, Robbie, won't you? That's what I want. I'm not for this world long, and I can't help her, but you can. I've led a hard life, but she hasn't an idea of it; she has the locket you gave me, but I've kept the secret from her, and she doesn't even know her father's name. I've never bothered you, Robbie; but do for her what you might have done for me."

 

"I imagine the old gentleman did pretty well by you, didn't he?" said the other in a matter-of-fact way.

 

"I'm not complaining," said she. "Only promise you'll find her and do something for her. It won't hurt you—do promise me, do."

 

The woman's voice quivered, and she leaned forward in the chair, steadying her shaking form. The other, always a kind-hearted[44] man, was touched. "I will, Daisy," he said, "I will."

 

"You promise me?" gasped¹⁰ the woman.

 

"Yes, I promise you."

 

All right," said she, starting to rise. "That's all I want. You won't have any trouble in finding her. Her name—her—"

 

And then suddenly she staggered. She lurched backward, grasping at the chair, and turned white, a horrible sound coming from her throat. The man leaped forward and caught her. She lay limp in his arms. He shouted for help, and when the butler came, sent him on the run for a cab.

 

"Take her around the corner to the hospital," he commanded.

 

So they bore out the gasping¹¹ form; and Mr. Robert van Rensselaer went slowly and thoughtfully upstairs. "Devilish annoying," he mused¹². "How shall I find the girl after that?"

 

When the butler came back he inquired anxiously. "She was dead before we got there, sir," said the man.

1 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

2 meditating   

a.沉思的，冥想的

参考例句：

• They were meditating revenge. 他们在谋划进行报复。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics. 这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

3 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

4 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

5 palatial   

adj.宫殿般的，宏伟的

参考例句：

• Palatial office buildings are being constructed in the city.那个城市正在兴建一些宫殿式办公大楼。
• He bought a palatial house.他买了套富丽堂皇的大房子。

6 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

7 paternal   

adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的

参考例句：

• I was brought up by my paternal aunt.我是姑姑扶养大的。
• My father wrote me a letter full of his paternal love for me.我父亲给我写了一封充满父爱的信。

8 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

9 gasp   

n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说

参考例句：

• She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
• The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。

10 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 gasping   

adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
• "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗？”“我巴不得能喝点！”

12 mused   

v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）

参考例句：

• \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史