Bernice did not fully1 realize the outrageous2 trap that had been set for her until she met her aunt’s amazed glance just before dinner.
“Why Bernice!”
“I’ve bobbed it, Aunt Josephine.”
“Why, child!”
“Do you like it?”
“Why Bernice!”
“I suppose I’ve shocked you.”
“No, but what’ll Mrs. Deyo think tomorrow night? Bernice, you should have waited until after the Deyo’s dance — you should have waited if you wanted to do that.”
“It was sudden, Aunt Josephine. Anyway, why does it matter to Mrs. Deyo particularly?”
“Why child,” cried Mrs. Harvey, “in her paper on ‘The Foibles of the Younger Generation’ that she read at the last meeting of the Thursday Club she devoted3 fifteen minutes to bobbed hair. It’s her pet abomination. And the dance is for you and Marjorie!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, Bernice, what’ll your mother say? She’ll think I let you do it.”
“I’m sorry.”
Dinner was an agony. She had made a hasty attempt with a curling-iron, and burned her finger and much hair. She could see that her aunt was both worried and grieved, and her uncle kept saying, “Well, I’ll be darned!” over and over in a hurt and faintly hostile torte. And Marjorie sat very quietly, intrenched behind a faint smile, a faintly mocking smile.
Somehow she got through the evening. Three boy’s called; Marjorie disappeared with one of them, and Bernice made a listless unsuccessful attempt to entertain the two others — sighed thankfully as she climbed the stairs to her room at half past ten. What a day!
When she had undressed for the night the door opened and Marjorie came in.
“Bernice,” she said “I’m awfully4 sorry about the Deyo dance. I’ll give you my word of honor I’d forgotten all about it.”
“‘Sall right,” said Bernice shortly. Standing5 before the mirror she passed her comb slowly through her short hair.
“I’ll take you down-town to-morrow,” continued Marjorie, “and the hairdresser’ll fix it so you’ll look slick. I didn’t imagine you’d go through with it. I’m really mighty6 sorry.”
“Oh, ‘sall right!”
“Still it’s your last night, so I suppose it won’t matter much.”
Then Bernice winced7 as Marjorie tossed her own hair over her shoulders and began to twist it slowly into two long blond braids until in her cream-colored negligée she looked like a delicate painting of some Saxon princess. Fascinated, Bernice watched the braids grow. Heavy and luxurious8 they were moving under the supple9 fingers like restive10 snakes — and to Bernice remained this relic11 and the curling-iron and a to-morrow full of eyes. She could see G. Reece Stoddard, who liked her, assuming his Harvard manner and telling his dinner partner that Bernice shouldn’t have been allowed to go to the movies so much; she could see Draycott Deyo exchanging glances with his mother and then being conscientiously12 charitable to her. But then perhaps by to-morrow Mrs. Deyo would have heard the news; would send round an icy little note requesting that she fail to appear — and behind her back they would all laugh and know that Marjorie had made a fool of her; that her chance at beauty had been sacrificed to the jealous whim13 of a selfish girl. She sat down suddenly before the mirror, biting the inside of her cheek.
“I like it,” she said with an effort. “I think it’ll be becoming.”
Marjorie smiled.
“It looks all right. For heaven’s sake, don’t let it worry you!”
“I won’t.”
“Good night Bernice.”
But as the door closed something snapped within Bernice. She sprang dynamically to her feet, clinching14 her hands, then swiftly and noiseless crossed over to her bed and from underneath15 it dragged out her suitcase. Into it she tossed toilet articles and a change of clothing, Then she turned to her trunk and quickly dumped in two drawerfulls of lingerie and stammer16 dresses. She moved quietly. but deadly efficiency, and in three-quarters of an hour her trunk was locked and strapped17 and she was fully dressed in a becoming new travelling suit that Marjorie had helped her pick out.
Sitting down at her desk she wrote a short note to Mrs. Harvey, in which she briefly18 outlined her reasons for going. She sealed it, addressed it, and laid it on her pillow. She glanced at her watch. The train left at one, and she knew that if she walked down to the Marborough Hotel two blocks away she could easily get a taxicab.
Suddenly she drew in her breath sharply and an expression flashed into her eyes that a practiced character reader might have connected vaguely19 with the set look she had worn in the barber’s chair — somehow a development of it. It was quite a new look for Bernice — and it carried consequences.
She went stealthily to the bureau, picked up an article that lay there, and turning out all the lights stood quietly until her eyes became accustomed to the darkness. Softly she pushed open the door to Marjorie’s room. She heard the quiet, even breathing of an untroubled conscience asleep.
She was by the bedside now, very deliberate and calm. She acted swiftly. Bending over she found one of the braids of Marjorie’s hair, followed it up with her hand to the point nearest the head, and then holding it a little slack so that the sleeper20 would feel no pull, she reached down with the shears21 and severed22 it. With the pigtail in her hand she held her breath. Marjorie had muttered something in her sleep. Bernice deftly23 amputated the other braid, paused for an instant, and then flitted swiftly and silently back to her own room.
Down-stairs she opened the big front door, closed it carefully behind her, and feeling oddly happy and exuberant24 stepped off the porch into the moonlight, swinging her heavy grip like a shopping-bag. After a minute’s brisk walk she discovered that her left hand still held the two blond braids. She laughed unexpectedly — had to shut her mouth hard to keep from emitting an absolute peal25. She was passing Warren’s house now, and on the impulse she set down her baggage, and swinging the braids like piece of rope flung them at the wooden porch, where they landed with a slight thud. She laughed again, no longer restraining herself.
“Huh,” she giggled26 wildly. “Scalp the selfish thing!”
Then picking up her staircase she set off at a half-run down the moonlit street.
收听单词发音 |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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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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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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9
supple
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| adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺 | |
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restive
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| adj.不安宁的，不安静的 | |
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relic
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| n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物 | |
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conscientiously
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| adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实 | |
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whim
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| n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想 | |
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14
clinching
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的现在分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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stammer
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| n.结巴，口吃；v.结结巴巴地说 | |
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17
strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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shears
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| n.大剪刀 | |
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severed
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| v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂 | |
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deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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24
exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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25
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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26
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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