Pompey, unconscious of the danger he had escaped, walked up to the tumbler and smelt3 of it. This attracted the attention of Mr. Craven, who stooped and picked it up. His bewilderment increased. If it had been a stone, he would have understood better, but how a tumbler should have found its way here as a missile was incomprehensible.
It slowly dawned upon him that the person who threw it must be somewhere near. Then again, on examining it further, he began to suspect that it was one of his wife's tumblers, and he jumped to the [60] conclusion that it was Frank who threw it.
"Pompey," he said, calling the dog, "do you see this tumbler?"
Pompey wagged his tail.
"Who threw it?"
Pompey looked up, as if for instructions.
"Go find him!" said Mr. Craven, in a tone of command.
The dog seemed to understand, for he put his nose to the ground and began to run along, as if in search.
"Oh, murther! What if he finds me?" thought Katy, crouching a little lower. "Won't he be mad, jist?"
Katy might have crawled away unobserved, very possibly, if she had started as soon as the missile was thrown. Now, that dog and man were both on the lookout5, escape was cut off.
"Will he find me?" Katy asked herself, with some anxiety.
[61]
The question was soon answered.
Pompey jumped over the wall, and a joyous6 bark announced his discovery. He knew Katy, and seemed to fancy that she had concealed7 herself in joke. He jumped upon her, and wagged his tail intelligently, as if to say:
"You see, I've found you out, after all."
Mr. Craven hurried to the wall, eagerly expecting to detect Frank in the person concealed. He started back in astonishment8 as Katy O'Grady rose and faced him. Then he became wrathful, as he realized that his own hired servant had had the audacity9 to fling a tumbler at his hat.
"What brings you out here, Katy?" he demanded, with a frown.
"Shure, sir," said Katy, nonchalantly, "I was tired wid stayin' in the hot kitchen, and I thought I'd come out and take the air jist."
"And so you neglected the work."
"The worruk will be done; niver you mind about that."
"Did you fling this tumbler at my head?" demanded Mr. Craven, sternly.
[62]
"Let me look at it, sir."
Katy looked at it scrutinizingly, and made answer:
"Very likely, sir."
"Don't you know?"
"I wouldn't swear it was the same one, sir, but it looks like it."
"Then you admit throwing a tumbler at my head, do you?"
"No, sir."
"Didn't you say you did just now?"
"I threw it at your hat."
"It is the same thing. How came you to have the cursed impudence10 to do such a thing?" asked her master, wrathfully.
"Because you was goin' to shoot the dog," said Katy, coolly.
"Suppose I was, is it any business of yours?"
"The dog doesn't belong to you, Mr. Craven. It belongs to Master Frank."
"He calls you a brute, Pomp," said Katy, caressing13 Pompey—"you that's such a good dog. It's a shame!"
[63]
"Catherine," said Mr. Craven, with outraged14 dignity, "your conduct is very improper15. You have insulted me."
"By the powers, how did I do it?" asked Katy, with an affectation of innocent wonder.
"I'd like to see him thry it!" said Katy, putting her arms akimbo in such a resolute17 fashion that Mr. Craven involuntarily stepped back slightly.
"You are a servant in my house."
"No, I'm not. The house don't belong to you at all, sir. It belongs to my mistress and Master Frank."
"That's the same thing. According to the law, I am in control of their property," said Mr. Craven, resolved upon a master-stroke which, he felt confident, would overwhelm his adversary20. "After the great impropriety of which you have been guilty this afternoon, I discharge [64] you from my employment."
"You discharge me!" exclaimed Katy, with incredulous scorn.
"I discharge you, and I desire you to leave the house to-morrow."
"You discharge me!" repeated Katy, with a ringing laugh. "That's a good one."
Mr. Craven's cadaverous face colored with anger.
"If you don't go quietly, I'll help you out," he added, incautiously.
"Come on, then," said Katy, assuming a warlike attitude. "Come on, then, and we'll see whether you can put out Katy O'Grady."
"Your impudence will not avail you. I am determined21 to get rid of you."
"And do ye think I'm goin' to lave the house, and my ould misthress, and Master Frank, at the orders of such an interloper as you, Mr. Craven?" she cried, angrily.
"I don't propose to multiply words about it," said Mr. Craven, with an assumption of dignity. "If you had behaved well, you might have [65] stayed. Now you must go."
"Yes, you must, and the less fuss you make about it the better."
Mr. Craven supposed that he had the decided23 advantage, and that Katy, angry as she was, would eventually succumb24 to his authority. But he did not know the independent spirit of Catherine O'Grady, whose will was quite as resolute as his own.
"And ye think I'm goin' at your word—I that's been in the family since Master Frank was a baby?"
"I am sorry for you, Katy," said Mr. Craven, in triumphant25 magnanimity. "But I cannot permit a servant to remain in my house who is guilty of the gross impropriety of insulting me."
"I know why you want to get rid of me," said Katy, nodding her head vigorously.
"Why?" asked Craven, with some curiosity.
"You want to p'ison the dog."
[66]
Mr. Craven started. How had his secret leaked out?
"What do you mean?"
"Mane! I mane that I saw you lavin' the p'isoned mate for the dog three days agone, and if it hadn't been for me he'd have eaten it, and the poor creetur would be stiff in death."
"He did eat it. I saw him," said Mr. Craven, hastily.
"No, he didn't. It wasn't the same mate!" said Katy, triumphantly26.
"What was it, then?"
"It was a piece I cut off and carried out to him," said Katy. "The other I wrapped up in a piece of paper, and buried it in the field."
Mr. Craven's eyes were opened. Pompey's cast-iron constitution was explained. After all, he was not that natural phenomenon which Mr. Craven had supposed him to be. But he was angry at Katy's interference no less.
[67]
"Say no more? Won't I be tellin' the misthress and Master Frank how you tried to kill the poor dog, first with p'ison, and nixt wid a pistol?"
There was something in this speech that made Mr. Craven hesitate and reflect.
He knew that Katy's revelation would provoke Frank, and make him an enemy, and he feared the boy's influence on his mother, particularly as he was concocting28 plans for inducing his wife to place some of her money in his hand under pretext29 of a new investment. He must be careful not to court hostile influences, and after all, he resolved to bear with Katy, much as he disliked her.
"On the whole, Katy," he said, after a pause, "I will accept your apology, and you may stay."
"My apology!" said Katy, in astonishment.
"Yes, your explanation. I see your motives30 were good, and I will think no more about it. You had better not mention this matter to Mrs. Craven or Frank, as it might disturb them."
"And won't you try to kill Pomp agin?" asked Katy.
"No; I dislike dogs, especially as they are apt to run mad, but as Frank is attached to Pompey, I won't interfere. You had better take this tumbler and wash it, as it is uninjured."
"All right, sir," said Katy, who felt that she had gained a victory, although Mr. Craven assumed that it was his.
"I am very glad you are so devoted31 to your mistress," said Mr. Craven, who had assumed his old suavity32. "I shall propose to her to increase your wages."
"He's a mighty33 quare man!" thought the bewildered Katy, as she hurried back to her work, followed by Pompey.
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收听单词发音
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1
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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8
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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14
outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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15
improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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16
constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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17
resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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18
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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22
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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27
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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concocting
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| v.将（尤指通常不相配合的）成分混合成某物( concoct的现在分词 )；调制；编造；捏造 | |
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29
pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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30
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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31
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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32
suavity
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| n.温和；殷勤 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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