When at last he limped up to the dock at Crystalia, missing fire horribly, and having to help along by poling as soon as the water was sufficiently7 shallow, he found Hilda waiting for him. She smiled very brightly. And somehow he felt the unpleasantness of the voyage fading into a plain sense of satisfaction over being back. It seemed a singularly long time since he had set out with Louise....
"Good morning!" Hilda called to him from the dock.
[Pg 120]
He nodded and grinned; and poled, perhaps, the more vigorously. With his foot he desperately8 prodded9 the almost exhausted10 engine.
"Why Les, what's the matter?" she cried. For he was, in truth, a sight.
"Stalled two miles out," he replied bluntly, though not curtly11, giving the engine a final kick by way of advising it that its labours for the day were at an end.
"Why, Les—how dreadful! Oh, I can't help laughing. Your face is so funny!"
He made a grimace12 and rubbed his cheeks with the sleeve of his flannel13 shirt, not particularly improving matters thereby14.
"I don't want the old thing any more—it's just so much junk!" He stepped out on the dock and moored15 the naughty little craft, though without any great enthusiasm, and rather as though he hoped a strong wind would come and carry the miscreant16 irrevocably to sea. Then he added: "Hilda, I've got an idea! I'll auction18 it off and turn over the proceeds to your father's missionary19 fund!"
Her laugh rang.
"Don't you think that would be a good idea?"
"Oh, Les—you're so funny!"
She laughed a great deal as they walked along together through the hot white sand toward the Crystalia cottages, occupied mostly by Chicago-Oak Park people, and forming no part of what was generally known as the religious colony. Leslie was by[Pg 121] this time entirely20 over his maritime21 grouch22. He conceived, always in his elusively23 serious way, a delight in being quite as "funny" as he could. An outsider might have registered the impression that, even at his funniest, Leslie wasn't honestly amusing enough to elicit24 such frequent, rich, joyous25 peals26 of laughter; but Hilda was very happy—happy!—so happy that she needed no deliberate stimulus27 to mirth; so happy she could with the utmost ease shift her mood from grave to gay, or from gay to grave, matching the mood of her companion.
"I know you've forgotten," she said, swinging along beside him and occasionally flashing up a most captivating glance.
"Forgotten what?"
"I'll never tell!"
"Then how can I know what I've forgotten, if you don't remind me?" Though gossamer28 at best, it had an effect of logic29—perhaps a rather graspable masculine logic, at that.
"Maybe you'll remember—when it's too late." Her eyes sparkled.
"Oh, you mean the tournament?"
She nodded.
"I hadn't forgotten it."
"Well, you see I was afraid you had."
He smiled. She was really quite delightful30.
"I'm so glad, Les. There'll be time for you to get into light things. Oh, I'm so glad your memory didn't really fail!"
[Pg 122]
He looked at her quietly a moment, but her gaze was now all on the sun-patterned turf. They had entered the forest of Betsey, and were pursuing the winding31 road toward the Point.
"Oh, that's nothing," he said solemnly. "I never forget appointments with ladies."
She laughed again, then ventured: "Tell me. Didn't you forget, just the tiniest little bit, when you were taking Louise across, or," she rather hurried on, "when you were out there in the middle of the lake and the engine was acting32 up? Please be ever so honest!"
Leslie looked down again at the girl beside him. Odd he had never noticed how intelligent and shyly grown-up Hilda was! She had been merely Louise's little sister; all at once she became Hilda, a self-sufficient entity33, perfectly34 capable of standing35 alone. Also she looked very fresh and charming this morning in her cool white jumper and skirt. He looked at Hilda in a kind of searching way; then, pleasantly meeting her eyes, he answered her question. "No, not even the tiniest little bit."
Their walk together through the forest was enlivened with gay and unimportant chatter36. As they passed the hidden bower37 where Hilda, at an earlier hour, had crouched38 to spy and listen, the girl almost danced at the thought of having so delightfully39 usurped40 her sister's place. And the best part of it was that it was perfectly all right; because Louise had gone to meet her own true lover. Leslie didn't[Pg 123] belong to Louise; it seemed almost too wonderful to be true that he didn't!
As it happened, Louise entered the lad's thoughts also as he and Hilda walked side by side along the sylvan41 path. Perhaps something of the same odd transposition weighed, even with him. He had gone this identical way with some one else, only a few eternities ago. He had held her in his arms a moment, and then.... Then what was it she had said? Friends! First she had said she cared, and after that she had said she wanted.... Did she really know what she wanted? For weeks they had gone around together constantly. The moon had been wonderful. Then the letter had come from the West, and she had decided42 she had better begin being a nice, harmless sister. Still, she had let him kiss her once, even after the advent43 of the fatal epistle—a sort of passionate44 farewell surrender—wanted to let him down as easy as possible. Ugh! He was in no mood to spare her now. And then Leslie came slowly back; back to the bright, rare summer morning; back to the forest of Betsey, with its hopeful glints of sunshine; back—to Hilda. He sighed. At least he had learned something more about women.
They came to Beachcrest Cottage, and, since Leslie's cottage was further along, in the direction of the lighthouse, it was here they parted. Before he ran off, however, to make himself presentable, Leslie underwent the ordeal45 (pleasant rather than not[Pg 124] as it turned out), of being introduced to Miss Whitcom.
She was seated on the second step of the flight leading up to the screened porch, seemed in very good spirits, and was writing a letter—employing a last year's magazine as base of operations. The ink bottle balanced itself just on the edge of the next step up: a key, if one please, to Marjory Whitcom's whole character. Had she been writing at the cottage desk in the living room, where everything was convenient, then she would never, never have spent her life doing wild and impossible things. And had the ink bottle been placed firmly instead of upon the ragged46 edge, then, having eluded47 Barrett O'Donnell all these years, she would not now be writing to him.
"Aunt Marjie," said Hilda, her eyes shining and her cheeks flushed, "this is Leslie."
He was pleased to meet Miss Whitcom, but assured her he must deny himself the pleasure of shaking hands. Look at them! He had had his engine all to pieces. He was going to auction off the boat now and give the Rev17. Needham's missionary fund the first real boost in a decade.
"Leslie!" hushed Hilda in great dismay. How did they know but the Rev. Needham might be within hearing distance?
But Miss Whitcom laughed delightedly, whether or no, and said that after hearing such a gallant48 expression of religious zeal49 she simply must shake[Pg 125] his hand, grime and all. And she did so. She had a way of winning young men completely.
"And did you pilot my elder niece over to Beulah before we sleepyheads here at home were even stirring?"
"Yes, Aunt Marjie. It was Leslie. You know!" And Hilda blushed at her very vagueness, which swept back so quaintly50 to embrace the pancake catastrophe51.
"Oh, yes," replied Miss Whitcom with dreadful pointedness52. "I know—oh, yes. I know very well indeed! And I know of a certain young lady who departed and forgot to turn off the burners of the stove, so that plain, humdrum53 mortals must quit the table hungry—positively hungry!"
Leslie somehow managed to establish connections. "Whatever happened, I'm afraid I was partly to blame, Miss Whitcom."
"Aha! Only partly?" For she fancied his chivalry54 carried along with it a tone, so far as he was concerned, of extenuation55.
"Well, I suppose having me there, talking, helped to make her forget."
"H'm!" She eyed him in her odd, sharp way. But he looked back with a half understanding defiance56. "So you won't take all the blame?"
Leslie smote57 the lower step with his foot, then shyly glanced at Hilda. Hilda laughed and coloured.
[Pg 126]
So Miss Whitcom said, looking drolly58 off to sea: "The plot thickens!"
And she was right; there were greater doings ahead.
Leslie sprang off along the ridge59 to get into tennis garb60. He decided, as was only natural, that the one infallible way of cleansing61 himself was to plunge62 into the sea. He was consequently in his little cottage bedroom about two minutes, and then emerged in swimming apparel.
Leslie was well-formed and sun-browned. He sped off over the sand to the shore, and thence dived straight out of sight.
"Swims rather well," commented Miss Whitcom. "That crawl stroke isn't by any means the easiest to master."
"Yes, Leslie's the best swimmer on the Point," said Hilda proudly.
Miss Whitcom dipped her pen, but the ink went dry on it, and the letter lay uncompleted.
"I do believe he's forgotten all about you and is going to swim straight across!" she declared. For Leslie was, indeed, streaking63 out in fine style, making the water splash in the sun, and occasionally tossing his head as though keenly conscious of life's delightfulness64.
"He'll turn back," said Hilda quietly.
"You think so?"
[Pg 127]
"I know he will!" she laughed.
"Oh, you know?"
"Why how ridiculous! Nobody could swim clear across, Aunt Marjie. It's seventy miles!"
"Really?"
"Did you ever hear of anybody swimming as far as that?"
"I'm not sure I ever did," the other admitted. They were silent a little, both watching the swimmer. Then the lady remarked in a dreamy way: "They always look so fine and free when they're young, and the sun flashes over the water, and they make straight out, as though they never meant to stop at all."
Hilda was a little at a loss to know how this rather curious speech should be taken. She felt dimly that there was something below the surface, as so frequently there seemed to be when Aunt Marjie spoke65; but at first she couldn't imagine what it was.
"So fine and free," Miss Whitcom repeated in the same tone. "They make straight out. But they always turn back."
And then Hilda asked, giving voice to a sudden bold dart66 of intuitive understanding: "You mean men, Aunt Marjie?"
Whereupon her aunt laughed away the odd impulse of symbolism. "Yes, the men, Hilda. They try to carry us off our feet in the beginning. They want us to believe they're young gods. And they[Pg 128] can't understand why some of us are coming to grow sceptical, and why we're beginning to want to try our hand at a few things ourselves."
"He's turning around now!" cried Hilda, who was not paying the very best sort of attention.
"Yes, poor dears," the other persisted. "The other shore would be too far off."
"Oh, much too far!" agreed Hilda, jumping up to wave her hand.
Whatever Aunt Marjie might be getting at, Hilda, for her part, was ever so glad of the sea's prohibitive vastness.
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收听单词发音
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1
sputtered
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| v.唾沫飞溅( sputter的过去式和过去分词 )；发劈啪声；喷出；飞溅出 | |
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2
balked
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| v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑 | |
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budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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momentum
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| n.动力，冲力，势头；动量 | |
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dismally
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| adv.阴暗地，沉闷地 | |
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7
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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prodded
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| v.刺，戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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10
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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11
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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12
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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13
flannel
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| n.法兰绒；法兰绒衣服 | |
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14
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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15
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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16
miscreant
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| n.恶棍 | |
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17
rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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18
auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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19
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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20
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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21
maritime
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| adj.海的，海事的，航海的，近海的，沿海的 | |
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22
grouch
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| n.牢骚，不满；v.抱怨 | |
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23
elusively
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| adv.巧妙逃避地，易忘记地 | |
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24
elicit
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| v.引出,抽出,引起 | |
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25
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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26
peals
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| n.（声音大而持续或重复的）洪亮的响声( peal的名词复数 )；隆隆声；洪亮的钟声；钟乐v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的第三人称单数 ) | |
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27
stimulus
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| n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物 | |
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28
gossamer
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| n.薄纱，游丝 | |
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29
logic
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| n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性 | |
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30
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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31
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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32
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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33
entity
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| n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物 | |
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34
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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35
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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36
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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37
bower
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| n.凉亭，树荫下凉快之处；闺房；v.荫蔽 | |
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38
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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40
usurped
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| 篡夺，霸占( usurp的过去式和过去分词 )； 盗用； 篡夺，篡权 | |
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41
sylvan
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| adj.森林的 | |
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42
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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43
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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44
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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45
ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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46
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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47
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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48
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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49
zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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50
quaintly
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| adv.古怪离奇地 | |
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51
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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52
pointedness
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| n.尖角，尖锐；棱角 | |
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53
humdrum
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| adj.单调的，乏味的 | |
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54
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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55
extenuation
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| n.减轻罪孽的借口；酌情减轻；细 | |
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56
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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57
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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58
drolly
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| adv.古里古怪地；滑稽地；幽默地；诙谐地 | |
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59
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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60
garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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61
cleansing
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| n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词 | |
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62
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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63
streaking
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| n.裸奔（指在公共场所裸体飞跑）v.快速移动( streak的现在分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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64
delightfulness
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| n.delightful（令人高兴的，使人愉快的，给人快乐的，讨人喜欢的）的变形 | |
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65
spoke
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| 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 | |
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66
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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