CHAPTER XII A WEEK LATER

“Ortermobiles” ses Mr. Wolley tying his horse up feercely to the veranda¹ post “is a meniss to our prisint civilisashun. Nowadays” ses he, “its impossible for a gintleman to drive in quite peece in aven the most seclooded porshun of the woods. The gratest evil which these damnible veehicles have brot” ses he “is its maleevilint effect upon the conshunse and disposition² of modun peeble. Peeple who own these infernul evil smelling noysy cursed cars are like the victims of some orful drug—devoyed of dacinsy—of rispict—of consideration and proper mercy tord there feller beings. There shud be a lor passed making it a criminal offinse punishible by the pinnytensherry to ride the dammed masheen on the public hyways at all. Rodes and highways are the legitimut proppety of horses and pedestryians. Its a disgrace to our modun civilysashun that we have cum to such a sorry pass—a week-need trimbling fritened lot afrade to vinchure forth⁵ for feer of having our lives cut aff widout warning by these infernal veehicles.”
Wid that he mops his brow, and sets down widout looking on the shteps. I was swaping down the verandahs wid a pale of water, and had driven the family at the poynt of me broom to the lons below. Whin the auld⁶ gintleman found himself sated in a pool of the water he shoots up wid a yell. Miss Claire runs forward and trys to squaze the water out from his cote tales—larfing as her father swares.
“Poor old daddy!” ses she “I’m afrade if I let you go arfter the male much longer you’ll be a pray to nerviss prosperation.”
“Do you imagine” ses the auld gintleman feercely “that I’m to be robbed of me daily drive by a parcel of godless hairbrained—damnible——”
“Papa” ses little Billy, bringing over his pale from his sandpile. “I loves the oretermobiles?”
“Why bless me hart!” ses the auld man melting “and what do you know of them you raskill” ses he.
“I had a ride in one yistiday” ses Billy.
“What!” ses the hole family at wance.
“Yes” ses Billy, nodding his little hed, “Theres a grate big wan⁷ in that place there” ses he poynting, “and yistiday when Claire was digging her old flours there cum a yung man who luked over the fince, and he sed—he sed——”
Miss Claire wint first crimson⁸ thin wite. Then crimson agin.
“Billy deerie” ses she, “cum and let me swing you in the hammick.”
“Go on Billy” airges Mr. James, guving his sister a quare look.
“He sed good morning to Claire, and she was very rood and jest wint on wid her digging and then he sed he was sorry and he cudent help himself becoz he herd⁹ what she sed about honting her, and then he seen me and said hello yung wan, come over here, and then I went and he reeched down and lifted me up and tuk me over to his place. And he guv me a ride in his nortemobile and on a donkey’s back, did’nt he Claire?”
She sed, widout looking up.
“I suppose he did, Billy, but I” ses she “was too bizzy. I—I d-didnt look” ses she.
Mr. James bounces up. “Claire” ses he “that hidge of yours is taking a jolly long time to dig.”
Mrs. Wolley looked turribly alarmed.
“He was probably sum gardiner or groom” ses she “Did you spake to him Claire deer?”
“No!” ses Miss Claire wid emfasis.
“Yet you let him take little Billy?” ses Mr. James.
“Am I me brother’s kaper?” ses she flushing round on thim all.
“I won’t have Claire badgered” ses the auld gintleman. “Is she rayspunsible for the silly thricks of the yung ass³ in there? He’s the very one who whin I refoosed to move out of the rode to let his infernal masheen go by drove it rite⁴ under me horse’s nose, almost upsetting me. Billy” ses he, “if I heer of your taking any more rides or spaking to the man over there I’ll whip you. You under stand sir?”
“Yessir” whimpered the preshus lamb and flew to me arms for comfut.

1 veranda   

n.走廊；阳台

参考例句：

• She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
• They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。

2 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

3 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

4 rite   

n.典礼，惯例，习俗

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
• Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 auld   

adj.老的，旧的

参考例句：

• Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?怎能忘记旧日朋友，心中能不怀念？
• The party ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Sync.宴会以《友谊地久天长》的歌声而告终。

7 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。

8 crimson   

n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色

参考例句：

• She went crimson with embarrassment.她羞得满脸通红。
• Maple leaves have turned crimson.枫叶已经红了。

9 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。