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CHAPTER IX THE TURNING POINT
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The first inkling that Nicolette had of the happenings at the château was on Christmas Day itself after High Mass. When she came out of church with her father some of the people had already got hold of the news: those who had arrived late had heard of it as they came along, and with that agitation1 which comes into even, monotonous2 lives whenever the unexpected occurs, groups of village folk stood about outside the church, and instead of the usual chaff3 and banter4, every one talked only of the one thing: the events at the château.
“What? You have not heard?”
“No, what is it?”
“A death in the family.”
“Holy Virgin5, who?”
“The old Comtesse? She is very old!”
“The Comtesse Marcelle? She is always sick!”
“No one knows.”
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Nicolette, vaguely6 frightened, questioned those who seemed to know best. Mais, voilà! no one knew anything definite, although one or two averred7 that they had seen a man on horseback go up to the château, soon after dawn. This detail did not calm Nicolette’s fears. On the contrary. If the sad news had come from a distance ... from Paris, for example.... Oh! it was unthinkable! But already she had made up her mind. After midday dinner she would go and see Micheline. It was but a short walk to the château, and surely father could spare her for an hour or two.
Jaume Deydier was obdurate8 at first. What had Nicolette to do with the château? Their affairs were no concern of hers. He himself never set foot inside that old owl’s nest, and he had hoped that by now Nicolette had had enough of those proud, ungrateful folk. If they had trouble at the mas, would some one from the château come over to see what was amiss? But Nicolette held on to her idea. If Micheline was in trouble she would have no one to comfort her. Even father could not object to her friendship with Micheline, dear, misshapen, gentle Micheline!—and then there was the Comtesse Marcelle! If the old Comtesse
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spoke9 to either of them at all, it would only be to say unkind things! Oh! it was terrible to think of those three women at the château, faced with trouble, and with no one to speak to but one another. And until recently—the last two years, in fact—Nicolette had always gone over to the château on Christmas afternoon to offer Christmas greetings and calènos from the mas, in the shape of oranges, lemons, tangerines, and a beautiful Poumpo taillado, baked by herself. And now when Micheline was perhaps in trouble, and she, Nicolette, pining to know what the trouble was oh! father could not be so cruel as to stop her going.
No doubt Deydier would have remained obdurate, but just at that moment he happened to catch sight of Ameyric. The lad was standing10 close by, an eager expression on his face, and—if such an imputation11 could be laid at the door of so sober a man as Jaume Deydier—one might almost say that an imp12 of mischief13 seized hold of him and whispered advice which he was prompt to take.
“Well, boy!” he called over to Ameyric; “what do you say? Will you call for Nicolette after dinner, and walk with her to the château?”
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“Aye! and escort her back,” Ameyric replied eagerly, “if Mademoiselle Deydier will allow.”
After which the father gave the required permission, mightily14 satisfied with his own diplomacy15. He had always believed in Christmas festivals for bringing lads and maidens16 together, and he himself had been tokened on Christmas Eve.
Ameyric shook him warmly by the hand: “Thank you, Mossou Deydier,” he murmured.
“Well, boy,” Deydier retorted in a whisper, “it should be to-day with you, or I fear me it will be never.”
Whenever she thought over the sequence of events which had their beginning on that Christmas morning, Nicolette always looked upon that climb up to the château as a blank. She could not even have told you if it was cold or warm. She wore her beautiful orange-coloured shawl with the embroidery18 and deep fringe, and she had on shoes that were thoroughly19 comfortable for the long tramp up the road. She knew that Ameyric helped her to carry the baskets that contained the fruits and cakes; she also knew that at times he talked a great deal, and that at others there were long silences between them. She knew that she was
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very, very sorry for Ameyric, because love that is not reciprocated20 is the most cruel pain that can befall any man. She also tried to remember what Father Fournier had said in his sermon at midnight Mass, and her own firm resolution not to hate her enemies, and to submit her selfish will to the wishes of her father.
Now and again friends overtook them and walked with them a little way, or others coming from Pertuis met them and exchanged greetings.
The roads between the villages round about here are always busy at Christmas time with people coming and going to and fro, from church, or one another’s houses, and Ameyric, who grumbled21 when a chattering22 crowd came to disturb his tête-à-tête with Nicolette, had to own that, but for the roads being so busy, he would not perhaps have been allowed to walk at this hour with Nicolette.
And people who saw them that afternoon spread the news abroad.
“Ameyric Barnadou,” they said, “will be tokened before the New Year to Nicolette Deydier.”
Father Siméon-Luce was just leaving the château when Nicolette arrived there with Ameyric. Jasmin was at the door, and the
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old priest said something to him, and then put on his hat. Ameyric was waiting in the court-yard, and Nicolette, with a basket on each arm, had gone up to the main entrance door alone. She curtsied to the priest, who nodded to her in an absent-minded manner.
“Very sad, very sad,” he murmured abstractedly, “but only to be expected.” Then he seemed to become aware of Nicolette’s identity, and added kindly23:
“You have come to see Mademoiselle Micheline, my child? Ah! a very sad Christmas for them all.”
But somehow Nicolette felt that these were conventional words, and that if there had been real sorrow at the château, Father Siméon-Luce would have looked more sympathetic. Somewhat reassured24 already, Nicolette waited till the old priest had gone across the court-yard, then she slipped in through the great door and spoke to Jasmin:
“Who is it, Jasmin?” she asked excitedly.
“Madame de Mont-Pahon,” the old man replied, and Nicolette was conscious of an immense feeling of relief. She had not realised herself until this moment how desperately25 anxious she had been.
“She died, it seems, the night before last, in
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Paris,” Jasmin went on glibly26, “but how the news came here early this morning, I do not pretend to know, Mam’zelle Nicolette,” he added in an awed27 whisper, “it must be through the devil’s agency.”
Jasmin had never even tried to fathom28 the mysteries of the new aerial telegraph which of late had been extended as far as Avignon, and which brought news from Paris quicker than a man could ride from Pertuis. The devil, in truth, had something to do with that, and Jasmin very much hoped that Father Siméon-Luce had taken the opportunity of exorcising those powers of darkness whilst he ate his Christmas dinner with the family.
“Can I see Mademoiselle Micheline?” Nicolette broke in impatiently on the old man’s mutterings.
“Yes, yes, mam’zelle! Mademoiselle Micheline must be somewhere about the house. But mam’zelle must excuse me—we—we—are busy in the kitchen——”
“Yes, yes, go, Jasmin! I’ll find my way.”
It was now late in the afternoon, and twilight29 was drawing rapidly in; while Jasmin shuffled30 off in one direction Nicolette made her way through the vestibule. It was very dark, for candles were terribly dear these days, but
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Nicolette knew every flagstone, every piece of furniture in the familiar old place, and she made her way cautiously toward the great hall, where hung the portraits. A buzz of conversation came from there. Then and only then did Nicolette realise what a foolish thing she had done. How would she dare thrust herself in the midst of the family circle at a moment like this? She had taken to living of late so much in the past that she had not realised how unwelcome she was at the château: but now she remembered: she remembered the last time she had been here, and how the old Comtesse had not even spoken to her, whilst Bertrand’s fiancée had made cutting remarks about her. She looked down ruefully on her baskets, feeling that her cakes would no more be appreciated than herself. A furious desire seized her to turn back and to run away: but she would leave the calènos with Jasmin, for she would be ashamed to own to her father what a coward she had been. Already she had made a movement to go, when a name spoken over there in the portrait gallery fell on her ear.
“Bertrand.”
Instinctively31 Nicolette paused: there was magic in the name: she could not go whilst its echo lingered in the old hall.
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“It need make no difference to Bertrand’s plans,” the old Comtesse was saying in that hard, decisive tone which seemed to dispose of the destinies of her whole family.
Hers was the only voice that penetrated32 as far as the vestibule where Nicolette had remained standing; the soft, wearied tones of the Comtesse Marcelle, and the uncertain ones of Micheline did not reach the listener’s ears.
“No. Perhaps not for the New Year,” the old Comtesse said presently in response to a remark from one of the others; “but soon, you may be sure. The will will be read directly after the funeral, and there is no reason why Bertrand should not be here a week later.”
Again there was a pause, during which all that Nicolette heard was a weary sigh. Then Madame’s harsh voice was raised again.
“You are a fool, my good Marcelle! What should go wrong, I should like to know?...”
Then once more a pause and presently a loud, hard laugh.
“Pardi! but I should not have credited you with such a talent for raising bogeys33, my dear. Have I not told you, over and over again, that I had Sybille de Mont-Pahon’s definite promise that the two young people shall be co-heirs of her fortune? Instead of lamenting34 there,
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you should rejoice. Sybille has died most opportunely35, for now Bertrand can pay his debts even before his marriage, and the young couple can make a start without a cloud upon the horizon of their lives!”
At this point Nicolette felt that she had no right to listen further. She deposited her two baskets upon the table in the vestibule, and tiptoed back to the door. Even as she did so she heard old Madame’s unpleasant voice raised once more.
“You should thank me on your knees,” she said tartly36, “for all I have done. Debts, you call them? and dare to upbraid37 me for having contracted them? Let me tell you this: Rixende de Peyron-Bompar would never have tolerated this old barrack at all, had she seen it as it was. The stuffs which I bought, the carpets, the liveries for those loutish38 servants were so much capital invested to secure the Mont-Pahon millions. What did they amount to? Five thousand louis at most! and we have secured five millions and Bertrand’s happiness.”
And Nicolette, as she finally ran out of the house, heard a murmur17, like a sigh of longing39:
“God grant it!”
But she was not quite sure whether the sound came from the old picture hall, or was just the
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echo of the wish that had risen from her heart.
Outside she met Ameyric, and he escorted her home. He spoke again of his love, and she was no longer impatient to hear him talk. She was intensely sorry for him. If he had the same pain in his heart that she had, then he was immensely to be pitied: and if it lay in her power to make one man happy, then surely it was her duty to do so.
But she would make no definite promise.
“Let us wait until the spring,” she said, in answer to an earnest appeal from him for a quick decision.
“Orange-blossom time?” he asked.
“Perhaps,” she replied.
And with this half-promise he had perforce to be satisfied.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 agitation TN0zi     
n.搅动;搅拌;鼓动,煽动
参考例句:
  • Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
  • These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。
2 monotonous FwQyJ     
adj.单调的,一成不变的,使人厌倦的
参考例句:
  • She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
  • His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律,一个调调儿。
3 chaff HUGy5     
v.取笑,嘲笑;n.谷壳
参考例句:
  • I didn't mind their chaff.我不在乎他们的玩笑。
  • Old birds are not caught with chaff.谷糠难诱老雀。
4 banter muwzE     
n.嘲弄,戏谑;v.取笑,逗弄,开玩笑
参考例句:
  • The actress exchanged banter with reporters.女演员与记者相互开玩笑。
  • She engages in friendly banter with her customers.她常和顾客逗乐。
5 virgin phPwj     
n.处女,未婚女子;adj.未经使用的;未经开发的
参考例句:
  • Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗?
  • There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。
6 vaguely BfuzOy     
adv.含糊地,暖昧地
参考例句:
  • He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
  • He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面,对一切都视而不见。
7 averred 4a3546c562d3f5b618f0024b711ffe27     
v.断言( aver的过去式和过去分词 );证实;证明…属实;作为事实提出
参考例句:
  • She averred that she had never seen the man before. 她斩钉截铁地说以前从未见过这个男人。
  • The prosecutor averred that the prisoner killed Lois. 检察官称被拘犯杀害洛伊丝属实。 来自互联网
8 obdurate N5Dz0     
adj.固执的,顽固的
参考例句:
  • He is obdurate in his convictions.他执着于自己所坚信的事。
  • He remained obdurate,refusing to alter his decision.他依然固执己见,拒不改变决定。
9 spoke XryyC     
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。
10 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
11 imputation My2yX     
n.归罪,责难
参考例句:
  • I could not rest under the imputation.我受到诋毁,无法平静。
  • He resented the imputation that he had any responsibility for what she did.把她所作的事情要他承担,这一责难,使他非常恼火。
12 imp Qy3yY     
n.顽童
参考例句:
  • What a little imp you are!你这个淘气包!
  • There's a little imp always running with him.他总有一个小鬼跟着。
13 mischief jDgxH     
n.损害,伤害,危害;恶作剧,捣蛋,胡闹
参考例句:
  • Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
  • He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。
14 mightily ZoXzT6     
ad.强烈地;非常地
参考例句:
  • He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet. 他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
  • This seemed mightily to relieve him. 干完这件事后,他似乎轻松了许多。
15 diplomacy gu9xk     
n.外交;外交手腕,交际手腕
参考例句:
  • The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
  • This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。
16 maidens 85662561d697ae675e1f32743af22a69     
处女( maiden的名词复数 ); 少女; 未婚女子; (板球运动)未得分的一轮投球
参考例句:
  • stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
  • Transplantation is not always successful in the matter of flowers or maidens. 花儿移栽往往并不成功,少女们换了环境也是如此。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
17 murmur EjtyD     
n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言
参考例句:
  • They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
  • There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。
18 embroidery Wjkz7     
n.绣花,刺绣;绣制品
参考例句:
  • This exquisite embroidery won people's great admiration.这件精美的绣品,使人惊叹不已。
  • This is Jane's first attempt at embroidery.这是简第一次试着绣花。
19 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
参考例句:
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
20 reciprocated 7ece80b4c4ef4a99f6ba196f80ae5fb4     
v.报答,酬答( reciprocate的过去式和过去分词 );(机器的部件)直线往复运动
参考例句:
  • Her passion for him was not reciprocated. 她对他的热情没有得到回应。
  • Their attraction to each other as friends is reciprocated. 作为朋友,他们相互吸引着对方。 来自辞典例句
21 grumbled ed735a7f7af37489d7db1a9ef3b64f91     
抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 发牢骚; 咕哝; 发哼声
参考例句:
  • He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
  • The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏,水手们边干活边发着牢骚。
22 chattering chattering     
n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
  • I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。
23 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
24 reassured ff7466d942d18e727fb4d5473e62a235     
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
25 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地
参考例句:
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
26 glibly glibly     
adv.流利地,流畅地;满口
参考例句:
  • He glibly professed his ignorance of the affair. 他口口声声表白不知道这件事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He put ashes on his head, apologized profusely, but then went glibly about his business. 他表示忏悔,满口道歉,但接着又故态复萌了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
27 awed a0ab9008d911a954b6ce264ddc63f5c8     
adj.充满敬畏的,表示敬畏的v.使敬畏,使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声,人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 fathom w7wy3     
v.领悟,彻底了解
参考例句:
  • I really couldn't fathom what he was talking about.我真搞不懂他在说些什么。
  • What these people hoped to achieve is hard to fathom.这些人希望实现些什么目标难以揣测。
29 twilight gKizf     
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期
参考例句:
  • Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
  • Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。
30 shuffled cee46c30b0d1f2d0c136c830230fe75a     
v.洗(纸牌)( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 );拖着脚步走;粗心地做;摆脱尘世的烦恼
参考例句:
  • He shuffled across the room to the window. 他拖着脚走到房间那头的窗户跟前。
  • Simon shuffled awkwardly towards them. 西蒙笨拙地拖着脚朝他们走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
31 instinctively 2qezD2     
adv.本能地
参考例句:
  • As he leaned towards her she instinctively recoiled. 他向她靠近,她本能地往后缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He knew instinctively where he would find her. 他本能地知道在哪儿能找到她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
32 penetrated 61c8e5905df30b8828694a7dc4c3a3e0     
adj. 击穿的,鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。
  • They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他们已进入先前没人去过的地区。
33 bogeys b2a4b1f0fd90fd69f064325029732e29     
n.妖怪,可怕的人(物)( bogey的名词复数 )v.妖怪,可怕的人(物)( bogey的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Bogeys appear to be heading directly at us. 我们现在左转,面向150,偏离敌机30度。 来自互联网
  • Movement is powered by hidden electric motors on 'bogeys' integrated into the wall thickness. 运动是由电动机的隐藏'忌'融入壁厚。 来自互联网
34 lamenting 6491a9a531ff875869932a35fccf8e7d     
adj.悲伤的,悲哀的v.(为…)哀悼,痛哭,悲伤( lament的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Katydids were lamenting fall's approach. 蝈蝈儿正为秋天临近而哀鸣。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Lamenting because the papers hadn't been destroyed and the money kept. 她正在吃后悔药呢,后悔自己没有毁了那张字条,把钱昧下来! 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡
35 opportunely d16f5710c8dd35714bf8a77db1d99109     
adv.恰好地,适时地
参考例句:
  • He arrived rather opportunely just when we needed a new butler. 就在我们需要一个新管家的时候他凑巧来了。 来自互联网
  • Struck with sudden inspiration, Miss Martha seized the occasion so opportunely offered. 玛莎小姐此时灵机一动,及时地抓住了这个天赐良机。 来自互联网
36 tartly 0gtzl5     
adv.辛辣地,刻薄地
参考例句:
  • She finished by tartly pointing out that he owed her some money. 她最后刻薄地指出他欠她一些钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Kay said tartly, "And you're more Yankee than Italian. 恺酸溜溜他说:“可你哪,与其说是意大利人,还不如说是新英格兰人。 来自教父部分
37 upbraid jUNzP     
v.斥责,责骂,责备
参考例句:
  • The old man upbraided him with ingratitude.那位老人斥责他忘恩负义。
  • His wife set about upbraiding him for neglecting the children.他妻子开始指责他不照顾孩子。
38 loutish SAvxy     
adj.粗鲁的
参考例句:
  • He was not as loutish as his manner suggested.他举止粗野,但人不是那样的。
  • I was appalled by the loutish behaviour.这种粗野行为令我大为震惊。
39 longing 98bzd     
n.(for)渴望
参考例句:
  • Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
  • His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。


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