They went straight to the stables. Mr. Carver stood speechless at the remnant of the turnout he had sent to the professor's home early in the morning.
"Mr. Carver," announced Frances coolly, as she slipped from Starlight's back, "the trap is up the road, just this side of the fork. I wish you would send for it."
"What's the matter?"
[Pg 51]
"One wheel missing, that's all," as if that were a slight affair. "And Mr. Carver," coaxingly3, "just have it fixed4 as soon as you can, and don't say too much about it. It's not a bad break, just one wheel!"
"Bless my soul!" Mr. Carver, with an innate5 love of beauty, gazed admiringly at flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, "Of course, of course! Come into the office; let me brush your dress for you, it will never do to go home that way." The cloth skirt was covered with long black hairs from the rug.
"Starlight run away?" he asked, as they stood in the little office, while he was busily whisking her skirt.
"Oh, no!" Frances was looking through the open door at Lawson as he went down the stable aisle6, his horse's bridle7 across his arm. He was walking with quick, confident step, shoulders well back, head carried high. She watched him out of sight.
"How did it happen?" asked Mr. Carver.
Frances told it as briefly8 as she could, winding9 up with her triumphant10 boast, "But I was first at the finish."
[Pg 52]
"Good Lord!" laughed her delighted listener. "What will your father say?"
Frances looked around at the open littered desk, the ink-crusted pen and splashed blotter and loose papers, at the thin oak partition of the walls covered with calendars and sporting prints. She was sobered. "I don't know," she said suddenly; "I am going to see. Good-by, thank you!"
She hurried out, she had just missed her car. She waited at the corner impatiently. It was long past the noon, the long string of carriages which had filled the street at an earlier hour was gone, the shops up and down looked deserted11, some belated driver drove briskly past, an empty buggy or two waited here and there; the autumn sun blazed on houses and pavement.
"Were you going to leave me?" The tone was distinctly resentful.
"Why—" It nearly slipped her lips that, having started alone, she expected to return alone; and though she caught the words before their utterance12, the look of her thought[Pg 53] showed so plainly on her face that the young man read it easily enough.
"We are at least going the same way," he said stiffly.
"Yes," said Frances weakly, making for the car which was at last in sight.
He assisted her in and seated himself by her side; and though the car was deserted save for motorman and conductor, he found he had nothing to say, nor had she either.
They rode silently up the street, over the high bridge spanning the railroad, between the twin guardians13 of the University's approach—Chancellor's and Anderson's—out to the University gates. But it was not in Lawson to be silent, a winsome14 young woman by his side, along any such road as the white, winding way under the scarlet15 maples16 and russet oaks, through the grounds to her father's door.
"What do you do on Sunday?" he began tentatively.
"Sunday! That's the busiest day in the week. We go to Sunday school, church—that's in the morning; school again in the[Pg 54] afternoon at the mission; then we go for a walk, father and I."
"You never go driving Sunday?"
"Driving! that's one thing father is emphatic17 about; he will never allow Starlight out of the stables on Sunday."
Lawson set his teeth. He had no thought of Starlight when he spoke18 of driving next day, and was half angered that she was so unconscious of his meaning.
"And in the evening?" he asked, for the sake of saying something.
"We go to church again."
He saw plainly there was not a moment for him unless it was made, and that the young woman had no thought of making it.
"Then I shall not see you for a day or two." Glimpses about quadrangle or doorway19 he counted as nothing. "Good-by!" He held out his hand with elaborate courtesy.
Frances laid her own, heavily gloved in his for an instant and looked him frankly20 in the eyes. "Good-by!" she said. "What a ride it was, but—" a little sigh was on her lips as she opened the heavy door.
[Pg 55]
Susan, watching for the young woman's approach, keeping her dinner warm and warming her own wrath21 as well, saw the leave-taking.
"Hm! hm!" grunted22 the old negress, "what Miss Frances doing comin' home dis way, dat man 'long her too?"
The Faculty23 might be cosmopolitan24; Susan was Virginian to the backbone25. "An' he a fur-away-er," which was Susan's term for people from anywhere except her own State. "An' he a fur-away-er," she muttered, as she betook herself to the kitchen.
Frances marched straight to the study, where the professor always lingered a short space after his dinner, and told her tale briefly. She expected many words. The professor, like many another man in an emergency, had none. His daughter was worse scared than if he had stormed. When he did speak she felt she had no idea what he would say. Would he forbid her riding altogether?
She went to her dinner, but he laid down his book and looked long at the glowing[Pg 56] coals, then got up and went his way. She was his motherless daughter, sweet, true, beloved. A girl must have some fad26, he supposed. Sweethearts, or horses? He chose the latter. He never dreamed of both.
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1
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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2
inordinately
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| adv.无度地，非常地 | |
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3
coaxingly
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| adv. 以巧言诱哄，以甘言哄骗 | |
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4
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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5
innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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6
aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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7
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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8
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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9
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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10
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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11
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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12
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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13
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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14
winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 | |
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15
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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16
maples
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| 槭树，枫树( maple的名词复数 )； 槭木 | |
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17
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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18
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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19
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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20
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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22
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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23
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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24
cosmopolitan
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| adj.世界性的，全世界的，四海为家的，全球的 | |
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25
backbone
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| n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气 | |
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26
fad
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| n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好 | |
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