"There is no use in having children like that about," she said in a tone of great contempt; and although her stepmother looked after her longingly5, Cecile was obliged to leave the room and go to comfort and pet Maurice.
The poor little girl's own heart was very heavy; she dreaded6 this harsh new voice and face that had come into her life. It did not matter very greatly for herself, Cecile thought, but Maurice—Maurice was very tender, very young, very unused to unkindness. Was it possible that Aunt Lydia would be unkind to little Maurice? How he would look at her with wonder in his big brown eyes, bigger and browner than English eyes are wont7 to be, and try hard to understand what it all meant, what the new tone and the new words could possibly signify; for Mrs. D'Albert, though she never professed8 to love the children, had always been just to them, she had never given them harsh treatment or rude words. It is true Cecile's heart, which was very big, had hungered for more than her stepmother had ever offered; but Maurice had felt no want, he had Cecile to love him, Toby to pet him; and Mrs. D'Albert always gave him the warmest corner by the hearth9, the nicest bits to eat, the best of everything her poor and struggling home afforded. Maurice was rather a spoiled little boy; even Cecile, much as she loved him, felt that he was rather spoiled; all the harder now would be the changed life.
But Cecile had something else just at present to make her anxious and unhappy. She was a shrewd and clever child; she had not been tossed about the world for nothing, and she could read character with tolerable accuracy. Without putting her thoughts into regular words, she yet had read in that hard new face a grasping love of power, an eager greed for gold, and an unscrupulous nature which would not hesitate to possess itself of what it could. Cecile trembled as she felt that little bag of gold lying near her heart—suppose, oh! suppose it got into Aunt Lydia's hands. Cecile felt that if this happened, if in this way she was unfaithful to the vow10 she had made, she should die.
"There are somethings as 'ud break any heart," she said to herself, "and not to find Lovedy when I promised faithful, faithful to Lovedy's mother as I would find her; why, that 'ud break my heart. Father said once, when people had broken hearts they died, so I 'ud die."
She began to consider already with great anxiety how she could hide this precious money.
In the midst of her thoughts Maurice awoke, and Toby shook himself and came round and looked into her face.
Toby was Maurice's own special property. He was Maurice's dog, and he always stayed with him, slept on his bed at night, remained by his side all day; but he had, for all his attachment11 for his little master, looks for Cecile which he never bestowed12 upon Maurice. For Maurice the expression in his brown eyes was simply protecting, simply loving; but for Cecile that gaze seemed to partake of a higher nature. For Cecile the big loving eyes grew pathetic, grew watchful13, grew anxious. When sitting very close to Maurice, apparently14 absorbed in Maurice, he often rolled them softly round to the little girl. Those eyes spoke volumes. They seemed to say, "You and I have the care of this little baby boy. It is a great anxiety, a great responsibility for us, but we are equal to the task. He is a dear little fellow, but only a baby; you and I, Cecile, are his grown-up protectors." Toby gamboled with Maurice, but with Cecile he never attempted to play. His every movement, every glance, seemed to say—"We don't care for this nonsense, I only do it to amuse the child."
On this particular morning Toby read at a glance the new anxiety in Cecile's face. Instantly this anxiety was communicated to his own. He hung his head, his eyes became clouded, and he looked quite an old dog when he returned to Maurice's side.
When Maurice was dressed, Cecile conducted him as quietly as she could down the stairs and out through the hall to the old-world and deserted16 little court. The sun was shining here this morning. It was a nice autumn morning, and the little court looked rather bright. Maurice quite clapped his hands, and instantly began to run about and called to Toby to gambol15 with him. Toby glanced at Cecile, who nodded in reply, and then she ran upstairs to try and find some breakfast which she could bring into the court for all three. She had to go into the little sitting-room17 where her stepmother lay breathing loud and hard, and with her eyes shut. There was a look of great pain on her face, and Cecile, with a rush of sorrow, felt that she had looked much happier when she alone had been caring for her. Aunt Lydia, however, must be a good nurse, for she had made the room look quite like a sickroom. She had drawn18 down the blinds and placed a little table with bottles by the sofa, and she herself was bustling19 about, with a very busy and important air. She was not quiet, however, as Cecile had been, and her voice, which was reduced to a whisper pitch, had an irritating effect, as all voices so pitched have.
Cecile, securing a loaf of bread and a jug20 of milk, ran downstairs, and she, Maurice, and Toby had their breakfast in truly picnic fashion. Afterward21 the children and dog stayed out in the court for the rest of the day. The little court faced south, and the sun stayed on it for many hours, so that Maurice was not cold, and every hour or so Cecile crept upstairs and listened outside the sitting-room door. There was always that hard breathing within, but otherwise no sound. At last the sun went off the court, and Maurice got cold and cried, and then Cecile, as softly as she had brought him out, took him back to their little bedroom. Having had no sleep the night before, she was very weary now, and she lay down on the bed, and before she had time to think about it was fast asleep.
From this sleep she was awakened22 by a hand touching23 her, a light being flashed in her eyes, and Aunt Lydia's strong, deep voice bidding her get up and come with her at once.
Cecile followed her without a word into the next room.
The dying woman was sitting up on a sofa, supported by pillows, and her breathing came quicker and louder than ever.
"I am so glad Jesus loves me,
Even me."
repeated the child instantly.
"Even me," echoed the dying woman.
Then she closed her eyes, but she felt about with her hand until it clasped the little warm hand of the child.
"Go back to your room now, Cecile," said Aunt Lydia.
But the dying hand pressed the little hand, and Cecile answered gravely and firmly:
"Stepmother 'ud like me to stay, Aunt Lydia."
Aunt Lydia did not speak again, and for half an hour there was silence. Suddenly Cecile's stepmother opened her eyes bright and wide.
"Lovedy," she said, "Lovedy; find Lovedy," and then she died.
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2
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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3
texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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4
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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5
longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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6
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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7
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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8
professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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9
hearth
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| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
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10
vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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11
attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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12
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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14
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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15
gambol
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| v.欢呼，雀跃 | |
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16
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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17
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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18
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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19
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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20
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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21
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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22
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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23
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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24
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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25
hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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