Just then Miss Granville and her maid went by, but Whitridge did not catch her glance of recognition.
"You not—you never kom-men back," said the Chinaman, shaking his head disconsolately1 and bringing Whitridge's gaze away from the splendid figure of womanhood moving up the gangway. The devotion that shone in the yellow giant's eyes pierced his heart.
"Maybe, Chang—maybe. I don't know," answered Whitridge. "Good-by, old man—good-by." He caught Chang's yellow hand and wrung3 it and coolies idling round wondered at the sight. "You're white all——" He wanted to tell him that he was white all through, but something closed his throat and he dared not trust himself further. He fled up the gangway.
When he reached the deck he looked back, intending to give Chang a farewell hand wave, but the Chinaman had disappeared. He searched the pier2 from end to end, but there was a dimness in his eyes and they made no discovery. He turned to go forward and collided with two men, one in the uniform of a United States naval4 lieutenant5 and the other in civilian6 garb7.
"I beg your pardon," he said quickly and then his gaze met the officer's.
A challenging tenseness straightened Whitridge. The man in uniform started back a step as if he had been struck. Then, his good-looking, but weak face went pale, his lips parted loosely, and his features became as expressionless as so much putty, under the glance which Whitridge shot at him. It was a glance of but a second. It began in hostility8 and ended with a lash9 of contempt as he swung on forward.
The naval officer watched Whitridge until he disappeared through the saloon gangway.
"You look as you might—if you had seen a ghost, Campbell," said the civilian.
"I—I thought I did, Evans," stammered10 the officer and making an effort to recover control of himself. "I believed—I thought—that man was dead." His voice went to a whisper. "That—that's Lavelle of the Yakutat."
"No! Impossible!"
"It's he. I couldn't be mistaken. He was in the class at Annapolis with me."
"He's a rotter, if there ever was one," interrupted Evans bitterly. The other nodded dumbly. "Good thing he didn't land in the navy."
"Until he was shown up I was blamed for—for his being 'bilged,' you know. But really I wasn't to blame. Some of the fellows planted some beer and booze in our room; he stood mute, but I had to testify. They expelled him."
The officer spoke11 as if conscience-smitten, but his companion did not seem to be listening to him. He interrupted him.
"It's a mighty12 unpleasant thing to think of being in the same ship with a man like that," he said very solemnly. As he spoke a shudder13 passed over him.
The banging of a gong and a cry of "All ashore14, who're going ashore!" cut short the conversation and hurried the officer over the side.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
disconsolately
|
|
| adv.悲伤地，愁闷地；哭丧着脸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
pier
|
|
| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
wrung
|
|
| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
naval
|
|
| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
lieutenant
|
|
| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
civilian
|
|
| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
garb
|
|
| n.服装，装束 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
hostility
|
|
| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
lash
|
|
| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
stammered
|
|
| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
shudder
|
|
| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
ashore
|
|
| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |