CHAPTER XVIII TWO DAYS LATER

Larst nite whin the intyre family had retired¹ for there hard airned slape there cum a wild ringing at the dure bell. I herd² it first in me slape and yells in frite, thinking of bounding nites and burglars. I opened me dure and stuck me hed out. The hole family were assimbled in the lower hall in their nite gowns. Mr. John called up to me:
“Delia!” ses he, “wud ye plase ansser the bell.”
“I will not” ses I. “Do you tak me for a gump!”
“Theres somewan at the dure” ses Miss Claire swately, “The boys arent drissed and nayther am I. Run along Delia.”
“I’m dummed if I do” ses I wid indigation.
“Oh shaw” ses Mr. James, “what fools we mortals be. Whares me revolver?” ses he. “I’ll go,” and whistling down he desinds. We heer his voyce shouting at the closed door:
“Who’s there?”
“Whats that?”
“Who?”
“A tillygram?”
“One minute,” and he opened the dure.
“Who’s it for?” arsks the intyre family at wanse.
“Delia!” ses he, and the family larfing wint to there rooms.
“Put it on the bottom stip darlint” ses I, “and get out of site if you plaze.”
I wint down and got the paper. It was as follows:
“Coming at wanse. The saints protick you darlint in the manewile. Minnie Carnavan.”
This marning whin I clared aff the brikfust dishes I fownd a letter oonder Mr. Wolley’s chare, which dishthressed me badly. It were as follows:
“Deer sir:
Do not fail to come to night early as Miss Flyte needs attention J. B.”
I intinded to hand the dummed thing back to Mr. Wolley spaking at the same time me humble⁴ but contemshus opinyon of an auld⁵ sinner like himself wid a luvly lorful wife and 4 preshus children of his own. But after brikfust Mr. Wolley wint out and I sor him not agin till nite. At tin Minnie arrived. She was all exsitement.
“Now tell me widout words” ses she “what divilmint the family has been oop to.”
“Divilment” ses I brideling “shure its a swate family they be. Its ashamed I am to heer you spaking langwidge aginst an innersint and luvly family like the Wolleys.”
“Ah go wan³” ses Minnie. “Whats the auld spalpeen been up to larst.”
“If ye mane Mr. Wolley” ses I coldly, “then its a sore subjeck yeve tooched. O Minnie” ses I “the auld gintleman is a baste⁶.”
Minnie like to ate me opp wid hunger for some more words upon the subjeck.
I tuk out the letter and handed it to her widout further words. She red it throo widout spaking, but I seen her mouth and eyes popping wid exsitemint.
Joost thin Mrs. Wolley walks innersintly into me kitchin. She has sum fine lace in her hand, and she ses: “Lind me your ironing bord Delia. I’m doing these oop mesilf.” Joost thin she seen Minnie, and she smiles swately—“Ah is this a frind of yours, Delia?” ses she.
Minnie got oop. I seen her studying the poor crachure for a moment, and then suddintly she walked oop to her and hild out the letter.
“I belave mam” ses she “that this will intrust you.”
“What is it?” ses the madam, putting on her glarses.
“Its a letter mam” ses Minnie “to yere hoosband.”
I seen her reed it throo, and aven then she had not grasped the meaning of the avil minded crachure’s words, till the latter spoke⁷ oop agin:
“Are you a dummy⁸?” asks Minnie, “Don’t you see what yere auld man is after being oop to. Delia here” ses she “innersintly remarked about his sneeking out at nite to mate anuther female. The paper there reveels the auld man’s inamoreeta.”
I thort the auld lady wud faynt. She toorned white as milk, and I seen the paper shaking in her hand like she had the ague. But wid out condisinding a ward⁹ to eyther Minnie or mesilf she wint out the kitchen and upstares.
“Miss Carnavan” ses I, biling over wid rage, “theres a trane laving widin tin minits. Yell have plinty of time to catch it.”
Minnie smiled.
“Delia darlint” ses she “did you think I’d be after thravelling sixty miles to visit you for harf an our? No darlint” ses she “I’ve brot me bag along and I’ll be wid you for a fortnite yet.”
“That you wont¹⁰” ses I, “for its your bag will be out in the cinter of the strate and yersilf will follow in a sicond.”
Minnie faulded her arms and fixed¹¹ me wid a look of power and scorn.
“Delia Omally” ses she “the day you toorn your best frind out into the strate” ses she “will be your last. Trate me” ses she “in anny way save as a perfeck lady and I’ll publish yere letter on the housetops.”
It cum upon me then that like the foolish loonytick I be I’d put mesilf in Minnie’s power.
“O wirrah, wirrah, wirrah!” I cryed throwing me aprun over me hed.
“Don’t be after making a fool of yersilf” ses Minnie, “Have sinse, Delia mavourneen. Here I am, and here I stay.”
At loonch Mr. James and John et there meel alone. Mrs. Wolley and Miss Claire were locked up in the bed room. During the meel the gintlemen spake not at all, save wanse thin Mr. John sed:
“Tak sum loonch upstares to mother and Claire, Delia” ses he, and thin after a moment: “Get that woman out of the house” ses he “as quickly as possible.”
“And Delia” puts in Mr. James, conthrolling his nachelly loud voyse, “kape your mouth shut.”
“Yes sor” ses I.
Mr. Wolley did not turn up again aven for dinner, and the hole family, wid the ixsipshun of the madum et in silense. Miss Claire’s eyes looked red, and I seen her lips were trimbling, as tho she cud skursely kape the teers back. She cum downstares after the meel, and wispers in me eer:
“Heres a note for Mr. Dudley when he cums. I—I wont be home to-nite Delia” ses she wistfully.
“Whare are you going darlint.”
“To look for father” ses she. “O Delia” ses she, “I’m afrade sumething dredful is about to happen.”
“Let me go wid you darlint” ses I.
“But—the letter?” ses she, “somewan must give it to Mr. Dudley.”
“I’ll be plazed to do it” spoke up Minnie at wanse.
She looked at Minnie misdoutfully. Thin she wint up to her and quitely guv her the note.
“I’ll trust you then!” ses she to the crachure.
About sivin in the avening the hole family, including meself set out from the house for 17 Arch Strate, which is the number on the letter paper. Mr. John and Mr. James walked on eyther side there puir mother, haulding her up by the arms, while Miss Claire and I carried hankychiffs and smilling salts. By and by we cam to the place, a little auld barn setting up aginst the side walk. The family guv a look at the noomber and thin walked boldly in widout nocking. There were a noysy lot of men inside. A little greesy fellow in overalls¹² cum sontering up to Mr. John.
“What can I do for you?” ses he.
Mr. James ansers befure his brother can spake.
“Is Mr. Wolley here?” ses he bloontly.
“Shure” ses the man “he’s over there wid Miss Flyte” ses he.
Mrs. Wolley stepped forward, her eyes popping out wid anger.
“Where?” ses she in such a horty tone the man stared at her wid surprise.
“There!” ses he, and poynts across the barn. “Hes having a bit of trubble wid the auld lady” ses he.
 
“Mr. Wolley cum crorling frum underneath¹³ the ortermobile.”
We wint across the barn, but see nothing but wan of thim red tooring cars. We’ve cum close to the ortermobile whin Mr. James makes a discuvery. Theres sumwan lying undernathe the masheen. He’s hammering on sumthing, and theres a lited lantern on the flure beside him. Just as the discuvery was made, Mr. John likewise seen the feet; then Miss Claire reckynised her papa’s boots and me his hat. Mrs. Wolley nelt down and looked under the masheen. Then she guv a scrame.
“Charles!” ses she and almost faints. Mr. Wolley cum crorling frum undernathe the ortermobile. He looks a site, wid his face cuvvered clane wid dirt and his hands dripping down wid greese.
He guv a look about him, seen us all, and drapped his mouth open wid astonishment¹⁴. Joost then Mr. James burst out larfing, and the hole blessed family joyned in.
“You dummed old frord” ses Mr. James.
“What do you meen sor?” ses Mr. Wolley.
“Whares Miss Flyte?” asks Mr. John.
The auld fellow looked sheepish, and he guv a look back at the ortermobile.
“Well, ye may as well no the thruth” ses he, “Ive made a good invistmint. I’ve bort Miss Flyte. She’s a ginooine bargin, better than anny Frinch imported car, and at quarter the price. I’ve been coming avenings to lern how to run and understand her. Isn’t she a booty?” ses he, turning to his new infachuation.
Mrs. Wolley guv a little sob¹⁵, then she run tord him jest like a child, and he guv her a kiss, and then helped her clime into the masheen.
“There’s room for six” ses he. “All aboord. We’ll tak Miss Flyte home.”

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 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。

3 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。

4 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

5 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。

6 baste   

v.殴打，公开责骂

参考例句：

• The paper baste the candidate for irresponsible statement.该报公开指责候选人作不负责任的声明。
• If he's rude to me again,I'll baste his coat.如果他再对我无礼的话，我就要揍他了。

7 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：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 dummy   

n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头

参考例句：

• The police suspect that the device is not a real bomb but a dummy.警方怀疑那个装置不是真炸弹，只是一个假货。
• The boys played soldier with dummy swords made of wood.男孩们用木头做的假木剑玩打仗游戏。

9 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

10 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

11 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

12 overalls   

n.（复）工装裤；长罩衣

参考例句：

• He is in overalls today.他今天穿的是工作裤。
• He changed his overalls for a suit.他脱下工装裤，换上了一套西服。

13 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

14 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

15 sob   

n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣

参考例句：

• The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。
• The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答，也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。