Hester Thornton stepped out of the drawing-room at the Grange, and, walking a little way down the broad gravel1 sweep, began to listen intently. Hester was about seventeen—a slender girl for her age. Her eyes were dark, her eyebrows2 somewhat strongly marked, her abundant hair, of a much lighter3 shade of brown, was coiled in close folds round her well-shaped head. Her lips were slightly compressed, her chin showed determination. Hester had not been beautiful as a child, and she was not beautiful as a girl, but her face was pleasant to look at, very bright when animated4, very steadfast5 and sweet when in repose6. The air was like nectar to her cheeks. She was naturally a pale girl, but a faint rose colour was now discernible in her complexion7, and the [Pg 2]look of expectation in her dark eyes made them charming.
A step was heard on the gravel behind, and she turned quickly.
"Is that you, father?" she exclaimed.
"Yes. Are not you very imprudent to come out at this hour in your thin house shoes, and with nothing on your head? There is a very heavy dew falling."
"Oh, I never take cold," replied Hester with a smile, which showed her even and pretty white teeth; "and I certainly shan't to-night," she continued, "for I am feeling far too excited."
Sir John Thornton was considered by most of his acquaintances (he could boast of scarcely any friends) as a reserved and almost repellent person, but now, as his eyes rested on his young daughter, something seemed to soften8 their expression; he took her slight hand and drew it affectionately through his arm.
"It takes a small thing to excite you, my love," he said; "but you always were of a turbulent disposition—just your poor mother over again."
Hester sighed faintly when Sir John spoke9 of his wife, then she quickly cheered up and said in an eager voice—
"You don't call it a little thing, father, to know that in a minute or two I shall welcome Nan back from school? Nan comes to-night—Annie Forest to-morrow. It would be difficult for any girl to want more to make her perfectly10 happy."
Sir John raised his brows.
"I only know Miss Forest by hearsay," he said, "so I will reserve my judgment11 upon her; but I do know Nan. She will upset the entire régime of the [Pg 3]house. I like order, and she likes disorder12. I like quiet meals, she likes uproarious ones. I hate shocks and she adores them. I am glad, of course, to welcome the child home, but at the same time I dread13 her arrival. I cannot possibly understand how it is that Mrs. Willis, who is supposed to be such a splendid instructor14 of youth, should not have brought Nan a little better into control. Now, you, my dear Hetty, are very different. You have passions and feelings—no one has them more strongly—but you keep them in check. Your reticence15 and your reserve please me much. In short, Hester, no father could have a more admirable daughter to live with him. I am pleased with you, my dear; the experiment of having you home from school to look after my house has turned out well. There is nothing I would not do to please you, and while your friend Miss Forest is here, I will do my best to render her visit a success. The only discordant16 element will be Nan. I cannot understand why Mrs. Willis has not got Nan into the same control she had you in."
"You forget," said Hester, "that I am seventeen and Nan only eight. No one ever yet could say 'No' to Nan. Father, don't you hear the carriage wheels? She is coming—I know she is coming. Please forgive me, I must run to meet her."
Sir John released his daughter's hand, and Hester flew with the speed of an arrow from a bow up the long avenue. She was not mistaken. Her keen ears had detected the smooth roll of wheels. A landau drawn17 by a pair of horses had even now entered the lodge18 gates. Hester, looking up, heard some gay voices, some childish laughter. Then an imperious [Pg 4]voice shouted to the coachman to pull up the horses and Nan Thornton and another girl sprang out of the carriage and ran to Hester's side.
Confused utterances19, sundry20 embraces, the quick intermingling of ejaculations, kisses, commands, explanatory remarks—all rose on the sweet night air.
"Hetty, you look quite grown up. Please, Jenkins, you can drive on to the house. I'm not getting in again. Aren't you glad to see me, Het? I have come back a greater tease and torment21 than ever."
"Yes, Nan, delighted—more than delighted. Oh! you sweet, how nice it is to feel you kissing me! Why, Annie, how did you happen to come to-night? I didn't expect you until to-morrow. I was wondering how I could endure the next twenty-four hours of expectation, even with Nan to keep me company, and now you are here. Oh, how very, very glad I am."
"Kiss me, Hester," said Annie. "Nan and I concocted22 this little plan. We thought we'd take you by surprise. Oh dear, oh dear, I feel so wild and excited that I'm sure I shall be just as troublesome as I used to be before you tamed me down at school. Now then, Nan, you are not to have all the kisses. Hester, dear, how sweet and gracious and prim23 and lady-of-the-manorish you do look!"
"I don't care what I look like, I only know what I feel," replied Hester: "about the happiest girl in England. But don't let us stand here talking any longer, or father will take it into his head that I am catching24 cold in the night air. Here, Nan, take my arm. Annie, my other side is at your disposal. Now, do let us come to the house."
The girls began to move slowly down the long winding25 avenue. Nan had the pretty, soft dark [Pg 5]eyes which used to characterise her as a little child. Her abundant fluffy26 golden hair hung below her waist. Her baby lips and sweet little face looked as charming as of old. She was a very pretty child, and promised to be a beautiful woman by-and-by. Her beauty, however, was nothing at all beside the radiant sort of loveliness which Annie Forest possessed27. She was a creature all moods, all expression, all life, all movement. She had early given promise of remarkable28 beauty, and this had been more than fulfilled. Hester glanced at her now and again in the most loving admiration29.
"It is good to have you back, Nan," she said, "and it is delightful30 to know that you have come at last to pay your long, long promised visit," she continued, looking at Annie. "Well, here we are at home. Nan, you must go up and show yourself to nurse this minute. Annie, let me take you to your room."
"Dear old nursey," said Nan; she rushed up the stairs, shouting her old nurse's name as she went; her quick footsteps flew down the long corridor, she pushed open the baize door which separated the nurseries from the rest of the house, and in a moment found herself in the old room.
Nan's nurse was a cherry-cheeked old woman of between sixty and seventy years of age.
"Eh, my darling, and how did you get back without me hearing the sound of the carriage wheels!" she exclaimed. "Eh dear, eh dear, I meant to be down on the front steps to greet you, Miss Nan. Eh, but you look bonny, and let me examine your hair, dear—I hope they cut the points regular. If they don't, it will break away and not keep even."
[Pg 6]
"Oh, don't bother about my hair now," said Nan. "What does hair signify when a child has just got home, and when she wants a kiss more than anything else in the world? Now, nursey, sit down in that low armchair and let us have a real hug. That's better; and how are you? You look as jolly as ever."
"So I am, my pet; I'm as happy as the day is long since Miss Hetty has come home and took the housekeeping over. I was in a mortal fret31 before, with her at school and you at school, but now I think the danger is past."
"Yes, pet, perhaps so; but I didn't fret without reason, you may be quite sure of that."
"It's a sin to be too curious, Miss Nan—it leads people into untold34 mischief35. Curiosity was the sin of Eve, and it's best to nip it in the bud while you're young. Now let me brush out your hair, my darling, and get you ready for supper."
"Yes, in a minute," said Nan. She pushed back the shady hat in which she had traveled, and seated herself afresh on her nurse's knee.
"How do my kisses feel?" she asked, breathing a very soft one on each of the old woman's cheeks.
"Eh, dear," said the nurse, "they're like fresh cream and strawberries."
"Well, you shall have six more if you tell me what your fears were."
Nurse looked admiringly back at Nan.
"You're just the audacious, contrary, troublesome bit of a thing you always were," she said; "but [Pg 7]somehow I can't resist you. There's no fear now of anything happening, so you needn't be in a taking; but what did put me out was this: I thought your father, Sir John, might be bringing a new mistress here."
"What! a new mistress?—A housekeeper36, do you mean?" Nan's brown eyes were open at their widest.
"No, dearie, no, a wife—someone to take the head of the house. Men like Sir John must have their comforts, and a house without a mistress isn't as it ought to be. But there, Miss Hetty is here now, and that makes everything right."
"But a new mistress," repeated Nan—"a new wife for father. Why, she—she'd be a stepmother. Oh, how I'd hate her."
"Well, darling, there's not going to be any such person; it was only an idle fear of your poor old nurse's that will never come to anything. Forget that I said it to you, Miss Nan. Oh, my word! and there's the gong, so supper is ready, and Sir John won't like to be kept waiting. Let me brush out your hair, I won't be a minute. Now, there's my pretty. It's good to have you back again, Miss Nancy. Only I misdoubt me that you'll turn the house topsy-turvey, as you always and ever did."
While nurse was speaking, she was deftly37 and quickly changing Nan's travel-stained frock for a white one, and was tying a coral pink sash round her waist.
"Now you're ready," she said, giving the little figure a final pat.
Nan shook out her golden mane and went demurely38 downstairs—more demurely than was her wont39. The dawning of possible trouble filled her [Pg 8]sweet eyes. A new wife—a possible stepmother! Oh, no, by no possibility could such a horror be coming; nevertheless, her full cup of happiness was vaguely40 troubled by the thought.
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1
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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3
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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4
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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steadfast
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| adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的 | |
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6
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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7
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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8
soften
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| v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和 | |
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9
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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10
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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11
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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12
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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13
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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14
instructor
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| n.指导者，教员，教练 | |
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reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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16
discordant
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| adj.不调和的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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18
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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22
concocted
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| v.将（尤指通常不相配合的）成分混合成某物( concoct的过去式和过去分词 )；调制；编造；捏造 | |
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23
prim
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| adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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24
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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25
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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26
fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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27
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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28
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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29
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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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
fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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32
croak
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| vi.嘎嘎叫，发牢骚 | |
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33
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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34
untold
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| adj.数不清的，无数的 | |
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35
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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36
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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37
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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38
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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39
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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40
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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