“Ah, Shelton!” he said, in his quietly festive5 voice; “glad to see the pilgrim here, at last. You're not off already?” and, laying his hand on Shelton's arm, he proposed to walk a little way with him across the fields.
This was the first time they had met since the engagement; and Shelton began to nerve himself to express some sentiment, however bald, about it. He squared his shoulders, cleared his throat, and looked askance at Mr. Dennant. That gentleman was walking stiffly, his cord breeches faintly squeaking6. He switched a yellow, jointed7 cane8 against his leggings, and after each blow looked at his legs satirically. He himself was rather like that yellow cane-pale, and slim, and jointed, with features arching just a little, like the arching of its handle.
“They say it'll be a bad year for fruit,” Shelton said at last.
“My dear fellow, you don't know your farmer, I 'm afraid. We ought to hang some farmers—do a world of good. Dear souls! I've got some perfect strawberries.”
“I suppose,” said Shelton, glad to postpone9 the evil moment, “in a climate like this a man must grumble10.”
“Quite so, quite so! Look at us poor slaves of land-owners; if I couldn't abuse the farmers I should be wretched. Did you ever see anything finer than this pasture? And they want me to lower their rents!”
And Mr. Dennant's glance satirically wavered, rested on Shelton, and whisked back to the ground as though he had seen something that alarmed him. There was a pause.
“Now for it!” thought the younger man.
“If they'd said, now,” he remarked jocosely12, “that the frost had nipped the partridges, there 'd have been some sense in it; but what can you expect? They've no consideration, dear souls!”
Mr. Dennant switched his cane against his shin.
“Yes,” he said, “it 's awfully hard to put up with, but what can a fellow do? One must have farmers. Why, if it was n't for the farmers, there 'd be still a hare or two about the place!”
Shelton laughed spasmodically; again he glanced askance at his future father-in-law. What did the waggling of his head mean, the deepening of his crow's-feet, the odd contraction15 of the mouth? And his eye caught Mr. Dennant's eye; its expression was queer above the fine, dry nose (one of the sort that reddens in a wind).
“I've never had much to do with farmers,” he said at last.
“Have n't you? Lucky fellow! The most—yes, quite the most trying portion of the human species—next to daughters.”
“Well, sir, you can hardly expect me—” began Shelton.
“I don't—oh, I don't! D 'you know, I really believe we're in for a ducking.”
A large black cloud had covered up the sun, and some drops were spattering on Mr. Dennant's hard felt hat.
Shelton welcomed the shower; it appeared to him an intervention16 on the part of Providence17. He would have to say something, but not now, later.
“I 'll go on,” he said; “I don't mind the rain. But you'd better get back, sir.”
“Dear me! I've a tenant18 in this cottage,” said Mr. Dennant in his, leisurely19, dry manner “and a beggar he is to poach, too. Least we can do 's to ask for a little shelter; what do you think?” and smiling sarcastically20, as though deprecating his intention to keep dry, he rapped on the door of a prosperous-looking cottage.
It was opened by a girl of Antonia's age and height.
“Ah, Phoebe! Your father in?”
“No,” replied the girl, fluttering; “father's out, Mr. Dennant.”
The sweet-looking Phoebe dusted them two chairs, and, curtseying, left them in the parlour.
“What a pretty girl!” said Shelton.
“Yes, she's a pretty girl; half the young fellows are after her, but she won't leave her father. Oh, he 's a charming rascal22 is that fellow!”
This remark suddenly brought home to Shelton the conviction that he was further than ever from avoiding the necessity for speaking. He walked over to the window. The rain was coming down with fury, though a golden line far down the sky promised the shower's quick end. “For goodness' sake,” he thought, “let me say something, however idiotic23, and get it over!” But he did not turn; a kind of paralysis24 had seized on him.
“Tremendous heavy rain!” he said at last; “coming down in waterspouts.”
It would have been just as easy to say: “I believe your daughter to be the sweetest thing on earth; I love her, and I 'm going to make her happy!” Just as easy, just about the same amount of breath required; but he couldn't say it! He watched the rain stream and hiss25 against the leaves and churn the dust on the parched26 road with its insistent27 torrent28; and he noticed with precision all the details of the process going on outside how the raindrops darted29 at the leaves like spears, and how the leaves shook themselves free a hundred times a minute, while little runnels of water, ice-clear, rolled over their edges, soft and quick. He noticed, too, the mournful head of a sheltering cow that was chewing at the hedge.
Mr. Dennant had not replied to his remark about the rain. So disconcerting was this silence that Shelton turned. His future father-in-law, upon his wooden chair, was staring at his well-blacked boots, bending forward above his parted knees, and prodding30 at the carpet; a glimpse at his face disturbed Shelton's resolution. It was not forbidding, stern, discouraging—not in the least; it had merely for the moment ceased to look satirical. This was so startling that Shelton lost his chance of speaking. There seemed a heart to Mr. Dennant's gravity; as though for once he were looking grave because he felt so. But glancing up at Shelton, his dry jocosity31 reappeared at once.
“What a day for ducks!” he said; and again there was unmistakable alarm about the eye. Was it possible that he, too, dreaded32 something?
“I can't express—” began Shelton hurriedly.
“Yes, it's beastly to get wet,” said Mr. Dennant, and he sang—
And jump out anywhere.”
“You 'll be with us for that dinner-party next week, eh? Capital! There's the Bishop34 of Blumenthal and old Sir Jack35 Buckwell; I must get my wife to put you between them—”
“The Bishop's a great anti-divorce man, and old Buckwell 's been in the court at least twice—”
“In the season of the year!”
“No, thank you, Phoebe. That girl ought to get married,” went on Mr. Dennant, as Phoebe blushingly withdrew. A flush showed queerly on his sallow cheeks. “A shame to keep her tied like this to her father's apron-strings—selfish fellow, that!” He looked up sharply, as if he had made a dangerous remark.
The keeper he was watching us,
For him we did n't care!
Shelton suddenly felt certain that Antonia's father was just as anxious to say something expressive38 of his feelings, and as unable as himself. And this was comforting.
“You know, sir—” he began.
But Mr. Dennant's eyebrows rose, his crow's-feet twinkled; his personality seemed to shrink together.
“By Jove!” he said, “it's stopped! Now's our chance! Come along, my dear fellow; delays are dangerous!” and with his bantering39 courtesy he held the door for Shelton to pass out. “I think we'll part here,” he said—“I almost think so. Good luck to you!”
“Grateful!”
Again Mr. Dennant's eyebrows quivered as if they had been tweaked; he had been found out, and he disliked it. The colour in his face had died away; it was calm, wrinkled, dead-looking under the flattened41, narrow brim of his black hat; his grey moustache drooped42 thinly; the crow's-feet hardened round his eyes; his nostrils43 were distended44 by the queerest smile.
Shelton's face quivered; he raised his hat, and, turning as abruptly46 as his senior, proceeded on his way. He had been playing in a comedy that could only have been played in England. He could afford to smile now at his past discomfort47, having no longer the sense of duty unfulfilled. Everything had been said that was right and proper to be said, in the way that we such things should say. No violence had been done; he could afford to smile—smile at himself, at Mr. Dennant, at to-morrow; smile at the sweet aroma48 of the earth, the shy, unwilling49 sweetness that only rain brings forth50.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
Oxford
|
|
| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
ironical
|
|
| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
eyebrows
|
|
| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
slit
|
|
| n.狭长的切口；裂缝；vt.切开，撕裂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
festive
|
|
| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
squeaking
|
|
| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
jointed
|
|
| 有接缝的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
cane
|
|
| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
postpone
|
|
| v.延期，推迟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
grumble
|
|
| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
jocosely
|
|
| adv.说玩笑地，诙谐地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
13
averted
|
|
| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
awfully
|
|
| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
contraction
|
|
| n.缩略词，缩写式，害病 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
intervention
|
|
| n.介入，干涉，干预 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
providence
|
|
| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
tenant
|
|
| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
leisurely
|
|
| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
sarcastically
|
|
| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
bide
|
|
| v.忍耐；等候；住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
rascal
|
|
| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
idiotic
|
|
| adj.白痴的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
paralysis
|
|
| n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
hiss
|
|
| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
parched
|
|
| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
insistent
|
|
| adj.迫切的，坚持的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
torrent
|
|
| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
darted
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
prodding
|
|
| v.刺，戳( prod的现在分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
jocosity
|
|
| n.诙谐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
32
dreaded
|
|
| 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) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
wrestle
|
|
| vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
bishop
|
|
| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
jack
|
|
| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
starry
|
|
| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
expressive
|
|
| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
bantering
|
|
| adj.嘲弄的v.开玩笑，说笑，逗乐( banter的现在分词 )；（善意地）取笑，逗弄 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
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： |
|
|
|
|
41
flattened
|
|
| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
drooped
|
|
| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
nostrils
|
|
| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
distended
|
|
| v.（使）膨胀，肿胀( distend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
vice
|
|
| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
abruptly
|
|
| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
discomfort
|
|
| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
aroma
|
|
| n.香气，芬芳，芳香 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
unwilling
|
|
| adj.不情愿的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |