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CHAPTER XV. THE NEW GOVERNESS.
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 “Wish me luck, Dodger1!”
 
“So I do, Florence. Are you goin’ to begin teachin’ this mornin’?”
 
“Yes; and I hope to produce a favorable impression. It is very important to me to please Mrs. Leighton and my future pupil.”
 
“I’m sure you’ll suit. How nice you look!”
 
Florence smiled, and looked pleased. She had taken pains with her dress and personal appearance, and, being luckily well provided with handsome dresses, had no difficulty in making herself presentable. As she stepped out of the shabby doorway2 upon the sidewalk no one supposed her to be a tenant3, but she was generally thought to be a visitor, perhaps the agent of some charitable association.
 
“Perhaps all will not judge me as favorably as you do, Dodger,” said Florence, with a laugh.
 
“If you have the headache any day, Florence, I’ll take your place.”
 
“You would look rather young for a tutor, Dodger, and I am afraid you would not be dignified4. Good-morning! I shall be back to dinner.”
 
“I am glad to find you punctual, Miss Linden,” said Mrs. Leighton, as Florence was ushered5 into her presence. “This is your pupil, my daughter, Carrie.”
 
Florence smiled and extended her hand.
 
“I hope we will like each other,” she said.
 
The little girl eyed her with approval. This beautiful young lady was a pleasant surprise to her, for, never having had a governess, she expected to meet a stiff, elderly lady, of stern aspect. She readily gave her hand to Florence, and looked relieved.
 
“Carrie,” said Mrs. Leighton, “you may show Miss Linden the way to the schoolroom.”
 
“All right, mamma,” and the little girl led the way upstairs to a back room on the third floor.
 
“So this is to be our schoolroom, is it, Carrie?” said Florence. “It is a very pleasant room.”
 
“Yes; but I should have preferred the front chamber6. Mamma thought that I might be looking into the street too much. Here there is only a back yard, and nothing to look at.”
 
“Your mamma seems very judicious,” said Florence, smiling. “Are you fond of study?”
 
“Well, I ain’t exactly fond, but I will do my best.”
 
“That is all that can be expected.”
 
“Do you know, Miss Linden, you don’t look at all like I expected.”
 
“Am I to be glad or sorry for that?”
 
“I thought you would be an old maid, stiff and starched7, like May Robinson’s governess.”
 
“I am not married, Carrie, so perhaps you may regard me as an old maid.”
 
“You’ll never be an old maid,” said Carrie, confidently. “You are too young and pretty.”
 
“Thank you, Carrie,” said Florence, with a little blush. “You say that, I hope, because you are going to like me.”
 
“I like you already,” said the little girl, impulsively8. “I’ve got a cousin that will like you, too.”
 
“A young girl?”
 
“No; of course not. He is a young man. His name is Percy de Brabazon. It is a funny name, isn’t it? You see, his father was a Frenchman.”
 
Florence was glad that she already knew from Percy’s own mouth of the relationship, as it saved her from showing a degree of surprise that might have betrayed her acquaintance with the young man.
 
“What makes you think your cousin would like me, Carrie?”
 
“Because he always likes pretty girls. He is a masher.”
 
“That’s slang, Carrie. I am sure your mamma wouldn’t approve your using such a word.”
 
“Don’t tell her. It just slipped out. But about Percy—he wants very much to be married.”
 
Florence was not surprised to hear this, for she had the best reason for knowing it to be true.
 
“Is he a handsome young man?” she asked, demurely9.
 
“He’s funny looking. He’s awful good-natured, but he isn’t the sort of young man I would like,” concluded Carrie, with amusing positiveness.
 
“I hope you don’t let your mind run on such things. You are quite too young.”
 
“Oh, I don’t think much about it. But Percy is a dude. He spends a sight for clothes. He always looks as if he had just come out of a bandbox.”
 
“Is he in any business?”
 
“No; he has an independent fortune, so mamma says. He was in Europe last year.”
 
“I think, Carrie, we must give up talking and attend to business. I should have checked you before, but I thought a little conversation would help us to get acquainted. Now show me your books, and I will assign your lessons.”
 
“Don’t give me too long lessons, please, Miss Linden.”
 
“I will take care not to task you beyond your strength. I don’t want my pupil to grow sick on my hands.”
 
“I hope you won’t be too strict. When May Robinson makes two mistakes her governess makes her learn her lessons over again.”
 
“I will promise not to be too strict. Now let me see your books.”
 
The rest of the forenoon was devoted10 to study.
 
Florence was not only an excellent scholar, but she had the art of imparting knowledge, and, what is very important, she was able in a few luminous11 words to explain difficulties and make clear what seemed to her pupil obscure.
 
So the time slipped quickly and pleasantly away, and it was noon before either she or her pupil realized it.
 
“It can’t be twelve,” said Carrie, surprised.
 
“Yes, it is. We must defer12 further study till to-morrow.”
 
“Why, it is a great deal pleasanter than going to school, Miss Linden. I dreaded13 studying at home, but now I like it.”
 
“I hope you will continue to, Carrie. I can say that the time has passed away pleasantly for me.”
 
As Florence prepared to resume her street dress, Carrie said:
 
“Oh, I forgot! Mamma asked me to invite you to stay to lunch with me. I take lunch as soon as school is out, at twelve o’clock, so I won’t detain you long.”
 
“Thank you, Carrie; I will stay with pleasure.”
 
“I am glad of that, for I don’t like to sit down to the table alone. Mamma is never here at this time. She goes out shopping or making calls, so poor I have to sit down to the table alone. It will be ever so much pleasure to have you with me.”
 
Florence was by no means sorry to accept the invitation.
 
The meals she got at home were by no means luxurious14, and the manner of serving them was by no means what she enjoyed.
 
Mrs. O’Keefe, though a good friend and a kindhearted woman, was not a model housekeeper15, and Florence had been made fastidious by her early training. Lunch was, of course, a plain meal, but what was furnished was of the best quality, and the table service was such as might be expected in a luxurious home.
 
Just as Florence was rising from the table, Mrs. Leighton entered the room in street dress.
 
“I am glad you remained to lunch, Miss Linden,” she said. “You will be company for my little girl, who is very sociable16. Carrie, I hope you were a good girl, and gave Miss Linden no trouble.”
 
“Ask Miss Linden, mamma,” said Carrie, confidently.
 
“Indeed, she did very well,” said Florence. “I foresee that we shall get along admirably.”
 
“I am glad to hear that. She is apt to be indolent.”
 
“I won’t be with Miss Linden, mamma. She makes the studies so interesting.”
 
After Florence left the house, Carrie pronounced an eulogium upon her which led Mrs. Leighton to congratulate herself upon having secured a governess who had produced so favorable an impression on her little girl.
 
“Was you kept after school, Florence?” asked Dodger, as she entered her humble17 home. “I am afraid you’ll find your dinner cold.”
 
“Never mind, Dodger. I am to take dinner—or lunch, rather—at the house where I am teaching; so hereafter Mrs. O’Keefe need not wait for me.”
 
“And how do you like your place?”
 
“It is everything that is pleasant. You wished me good luck, Dodger, and your wish has been granted.”
 
“I was lucky, too, Florence. I’ve made a dollar and a quarter this mornin’.”
 
“Not by selling papers, surely?”
 
“Not all. A gentleman gave me fifty cents for takin’ his valise to the Long Branch boat.”
 
“It seems we are both getting rich,” said Florence, smiling.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 dodger Ku9z0c     
n.躲避者;躲闪者;广告单
参考例句:
  • They are tax dodgers who hide their interest earnings.他们是隐瞒利息收入的逃税者。
  • Make sure she pays her share she's a bit of a dodger.她自己的一份一定要她付清--她可是有点能赖就赖。
2 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
3 tenant 0pbwd     
n.承租人;房客;佃户;v.租借,租用
参考例句:
  • The tenant was dispossessed for not paying his rent.那名房客因未付房租而被赶走。
  • The tenant is responsible for all repairs to the building.租户负责对房屋的所有修理。
4 dignified NuZzfb     
a.可敬的,高贵的
参考例句:
  • Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中,他始终沉默以保持尊严。
  • He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。
5 ushered d337b3442ea0cc4312a5950ae8911282     
v.引,领,陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
  • A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 chamber wnky9     
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所
参考例句:
  • For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说,牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
  • The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。
7 starched 1adcdf50723145c17c3fb6015bbe818c     
adj.浆硬的,硬挺的,拘泥刻板的v.把(衣服、床单等)浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • My clothes are not starched enough. 我的衣服浆得不够硬。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The ruffles on his white shirt were starched and clean. 白衬衫的褶边浆过了,很干净。 来自辞典例句
8 impulsively 0596bdde6dedf8c46a693e7e1da5984c     
adv.冲动地
参考例句:
  • She leant forward and kissed him impulsively. 她倾身向前,感情冲动地吻了他。
  • Every good, true, vigorous feeling I had gathered came impulsively round him. 我的一切良好、真诚而又强烈的感情都紧紧围绕着他涌现出来。
9 demurely demurely     
adv.装成端庄地,认真地
参考例句:
  • "On the forehead, like a good brother,'she answered demurely. "吻前额,像个好哥哥那样,"她故作正经地回答说。 来自飘(部分)
  • Punctuation is the way one bats one's eyes, lowers one's voice or blushes demurely. 标点就像人眨眨眼睛,低声细语,或伍犯作态。 来自名作英译部分
10 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
参考例句:
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
11 luminous 98ez5     
adj.发光的,发亮的;光明的;明白易懂的;有启发的
参考例句:
  • There are luminous knobs on all the doors in my house.我家所有门上都安有夜光把手。
  • Most clocks and watches in this shop are in luminous paint.这家商店出售的大多数钟表都涂了发光漆。
12 defer KnYzZ     
vt.推迟,拖延;vi.(to)遵从,听从,服从
参考例句:
  • We wish to defer our decision until next week.我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定。
  • We will defer to whatever the committee decides.我们遵从委员会作出的任何决定。
13 dreaded XuNzI3     
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)
参考例句:
  • The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
  • He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》
14 luxurious S2pyv     
adj.精美而昂贵的;豪华的
参考例句:
  • This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
  • The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。
15 housekeeper 6q2zxl     
n.管理家务的主妇,女管家
参考例句:
  • A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
  • She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家,一家人吃得很省。
16 sociable hw3wu     
adj.好交际的,友好的,合群的
参考例句:
  • Roger is a very sociable person.罗杰是个非常好交际的人。
  • Some children have more sociable personalities than others.有些孩子比其他孩子更善于交际。
17 humble ddjzU     
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低
参考例句:
  • In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见,他将在选举中获胜。
  • Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。


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