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首页 » 儿童英文小说 » Adrift in New York » CHAPTER XXXVII. THE DIPLOMACY OF MRS. O’KEEFE.
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CHAPTER XXXVII. THE DIPLOMACY OF MRS. O’KEEFE.
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 Mrs. O’Keefe was a warm-hearted woman, and the sad, drawn1 face of Mr. Linden appealed to her pity.
 
“Why should I let the poor man suffer when I can relieve him?” she asked herself.
 
So the next morning, after Curtis had, according to his custom, gone downtown, being in the invalid2’s sick chamber3, she began to act in a mysterious manner. She tiptoed to the door, closed it and approached Mr. Linden’s bedside with the air of one about to unfold a strange story.
 
“Whist now,” she said, with her finger on her lips.
 
“What is the matter?” asked the invalid, rather alarmed.
 
“Can you bear a surprise, sir?”
 
“Have you any bad news for me?”
 
“No; it’s good news, but you must promise not to tell Curtis.”
 
“Is it about Florence? Your messenger can hardly have reached Chicago.”
 
“He isn’t going there, sir.”
 
“But you promised that he should,” said Mr. Linden, disturbed.
 
“I’ll tell you why, sir. Florence is not in Chicago.”
 
“I—I don’t understand. You said she was there.”
 
“Begging your pardon, sir, it was Curtis that said so, though he knew she was in New York.”
 
“But what motive4 could he have had for thus misrepresenting matters?”
 
“He doesn’t want you to take her back.”
 
“I can’t believe you, Mrs. Barnes. He loves her, and wants to marry her.”
 
“He couldn’t marry her if she consented to take him.”
 
“Why not? Mrs. Barnes, you confuse me.”
 
“I won’t deceive you as he has done. There’s rason in plinty. He’s married already.”
 
“Is this true?” demanded Mr. Linden, in excitement.
 
“It’s true enough; more by token, to-morrow, whin he’s out, his wife will come here and tell you so herself.”
 
“But who are you who seem to know so much about my family?”
 
“I’m a friend of the pore girl you’ve driven from the house, because she would not marry a rascally5 spalpeen that’s been schemin’ to get your property into his hands.”
 
“You’re a friend of Florence? Where is she?”
 
“She’s in my house, and has been there ever since she left her home.”
 
“Is she—well?”
 
“As well as she can be whin she’s been workin’ her fingers to the bone wid sewin’ to keep from starvin’.”
 
“My God! what have I done?”
 
“You’ve let Curtis Waring wind you around his little finger—that’s what you’ve done, Mr. Linden.”
 
“How soon can I see Florence?”
 
“How soon can you bear it?”
 
“The sooner the better.”
 
“Then it’ll be to-morrow, I’m thinkin’, that is if you won’t tell Curtis.”
 
“No, no; I promise.”
 
“I’ll manage everything, sir. Don’t worry now.”
 
Mr. Linden’s face lost its anxious look—so that when, later in the day, Curtis looked into the room he was surprised.
 
“My uncle looks better,” he said.
 
“Yes, sir,” answered the nurse. “I’ve soothed6 him like.”
 
“Indeed! You seem to be a very accomplished7 nurse.”
 
“Faith, that I am, sir, though it isn’t I that should say it.”
 
“May I ask how you soothed him?” inquired Curtis, anxiously.
 
“I told him that Miss Florence would soon be home.”
 
“I do not think it right to hold out hopes that may prove ill-founded.”
 
“I know what I am about, Mr. Curtis.”
 
“I dare say you understand your business, Mrs. Barnes, but if my uncle should be disappointed, I am afraid the consequences will be lamentable8.”
 
“Do you think he’ll live long, sir?”
 
Curtis shrugged9 his shoulders.
 
“It is very hard to tell. My uncle is a very feeble man.”
 
“And if he dies, I suppose the property goes to you?”
 
“I suppose so.”
 
“But where does Florence come in?”
 
“It seems to me, Mrs. Barnes, that you take a good deal of interest in our family affairs,” said Curtis, suspiciously.
 
“That’s true, sir. Why shouldn’t I take an interest in a nice gentleman like you?”
 
Curtis smiled.
 
“I am doing my best to find Florence. Then our marriage will take place, and it matters little to whom the property is left.”
 
“But I thought Miss Florence didn’t care to marry you?”
 
“It is only because she thinks cousins ought not to marry. It’s a foolish fancy, and she’ll get over it.”
 
“Thrue for you, sir. My first husband was my cousin, and we always agreed, barrin’ an occasional fight——”
 
“I don’t think Florence and I will ever fight, Mrs. Barnes.”
 
“What surprises me, Mr. Curtis, is that a nice-lookin’ gentleman like you hasn’t been married before.”
 
Curtis eyed her keenly, but her face told him nothing.
 
“I never saw one I wanted to marry till my cousin grew up,” he said.
 
“I belave in marryin’, meself. I was first married at sivinteen.”
 
“How long ago was that, Mrs. Barnes?”
 
“It’s long ago, Mr. Curtis. I’m an old woman now. I was thirty-five last birthday.”
 
Curtis came near laughing outright10, for he suspected—what was true—that the nurse would never see her fiftieth birthday again.
 
“Then you are just my age,” he said.
 
“If I make him laugh he won’t suspect nothing,” soliloquized the wily nurse. “That’s a pretty big lie, even for me.”
 
“Shure I look older, Mr. Curtis,” she said, aloud. “What wid the worry of losin’ two fond husbands, I look much older than you.”
 
“Oh, your are very well preserved, Mrs. Barnes.”
 
Curtis went into his uncle’s chamber.
 
“How are you feeling, uncle?” he asked.
 
“I think I am better,” answered Mr. Linden, coldly, for he had not forgotten Mrs. Barnes’ revelations.
 
“That is right. Only make an effort, and you will soon be strong again.”
 
“I think I may. I may live ten years to annoy you.”
 
“I fervently11 hope so,” said Curtis, but there was a false ring in his voice that his uncle detected. “How do you like the new nurse?”
 
“She is helping12 me wonderfully. You made a good selection.”
 
“I will see that she is soon discharged,” Curtis inwardly resolved. “If her being here is to prolong my uncle’s life, and keep me still waiting for the estate, I must clear the house of her.”
 
“You must not allow her to buoy13 you up with unfounded hopes. She has been telling you that Florence will soon return.”
 
“Yes; she seems convinced of it.”
 
“Of course she knows nothing of it. She may return, but I doubt whether she is in Chicago now. I think the family she was with has gone to Europe.”
 
“Where did you hear that, Curtis?” asked Mr. Linden, with unwonted sharpness.
 
“I have sources of information which at present I do not care to impart. Rest assured that I am doing all I can to get her back.”
 
“You still want to marry her, Curtis?”
 
“I do, most certainly.”
 
“I shall not insist upon it. I should not have done so before.”
 
“Have you changed your mind, uncle?”
 
“Yes; I have made a mistake, and I have decided14 to correct it.”
 
“What has come over him?” Curtis asked himself. “Some influence hostile to me has been brought to bear. It must be that nurse. I will quietly dismiss her to-morrow, paying her a week’s wages, in lieu of warning. She’s evidently a meddler15.”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
2 invalid V4Oxh     
n.病人,伤残人;adj.有病的,伤残的;无效的
参考例句:
  • He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
  • A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。
3 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。
4 motive GFzxz     
n.动机,目的;adv.发动的,运动的
参考例句:
  • The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
  • He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。
5 rascally rascally     
adj. 无赖的,恶棍的 adv. 无赖地,卑鄙地
参考例句:
  • They said Kelso got some rascally adventurer, some Belgian brute, to insult his son-in-law in public. 他们说是凯尔索指使某个下贱的冒险家,一个比利时恶棍,来当众侮辱他的女婿。
  • Ms Taiwan: Can't work at all, but still brag and quibble rascally. 台湾小姐:明明不行,还要硬拗、赖皮逞强。
6 soothed 509169542d21da19b0b0bd232848b963     
v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 );抚慰;使舒服;减轻痛苦
参考例句:
  • The music soothed her for a while. 音乐让她稍微安静了一会儿。
  • The soft modulation of her voice soothed the infant. 她柔和的声调使婴儿安静了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
7 accomplished UzwztZ     
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的
参考例句:
  • Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
  • Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。
8 lamentable A9yzi     
adj.令人惋惜的,悔恨的
参考例句:
  • This lamentable state of affairs lasted until 1947.这一令人遗憾的事态一直持续至1947年。
  • His practice of inebriation was lamentable.他的酗酒常闹得别人束手无策。
9 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 outright Qj7yY     
adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的
参考例句:
  • If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事,你应该直率地对我说。
  • You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。
11 fervently 8tmzPw     
adv.热烈地,热情地,强烈地
参考例句:
  • "Oh, I am glad!'she said fervently. “哦,我真高兴!”她热烈地说道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • O my dear, my dear, will you bless me as fervently to-morrow?' 啊,我亲爱的,亲爱的,你明天也愿这样热烈地为我祝福么?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
12 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
13 buoy gsLz5     
n.浮标;救生圈;v.支持,鼓励
参考例句:
  • The party did little to buoy up her spirits.这次聚会并没有让她振作多少。
  • The buoy floated back and forth in the shallow water.这个浮标在浅水里漂来漂去。
14 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
15 meddler f6c9dbbecb54071a3d3fe2f2c9725861     
n.爱管闲事的人,干涉者
参考例句:
  • "I know you, you scoundrel! I have heard of you before. You are Holmes, the meddler." “我知道你,这个恶棍。我以前听过你。你是福尔摩斯,爱管闲事的人。” 来自互联网


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