The old lady was sitting in a rocking-chair beside the bed, when Margaret lifted her head from the pillow, and said, in a tone of curiosity,—
“Who are you?”
“Who am I?” inquired her mother. “Don’t you know me, Margaret?”
“You look some like my mother. Are you?”
“Yes, Margaret, I am your own mother, who loves you.”
204“I believe you are. How long have I been sick, mother?”
“It is—let me see,” said the old lady, reflectively. “It must be six weeks. Yes, it will be six to-morrow.”
“And for six weeks I have been confined to this room and this bed?”
“Yes, my child.”
“Do not call me child, mother. All the beauty and bloom of childhood, all its happy hopes and trustful spirit, have gone forever. There are some who are children all their lives. But I—it seems a great while since I was a child.”
“Why, you are young yet, Margaret.”
“Young! don’t call me young, mother. I am older than you.”
“Older than I?” said the old lady, who fancied Margaret’s brain a little disordered, and sought to restore it by reasoning; “but you know a child cannot be older than its mother. You are but thirty-seven, while I am seventy.”
“I don’t mean older in years, mother. Older in suffering, older in the experience of life. It isn’t years that make us old, mother, but our own passions.”
This was uttered half in soliloquy.
“I am afraid you will hurt yourself by talking, Margaret. You had better go to sleep; or would you like some gruel6?”
“No, mother.”
There was silence for a few minutes. During this time Margaret was scanning attentively7 the little room and its furniture. Nothing could be plainer, and yet more comfortable. There was a rag carpet on the floor, and a few plain articles of furniture scattered8 about the room; there was a 205small clock on the mantel, whose drowsy9 ticking could be distinctly heard, so free was the neighborhood from noises of every description. It was such a retreat as the old would like for its quiet, while they would not be troubled by its monotony and lack of excitement. But Margaret was too impetuous and excitable to feel it otherwise than oppressive.
“Seven years, Margaret; seven years come fall.”
“Seven years! seven years, mother! I should think you would have died of solitude11 long ago. You haven’t any neighbors, have you?”
“None very near. None that I go to see. I do not care to visit. Tabby, here, is company for me. Ain’t you, Tabby?”
The large cat, that was lying at the other end of the room, rose at this appeal, and after stretching herself in a way to show her extraordinary size, walked slowly across the room, and submitted herself, with an appearance of pleasure, to the old lady’s caresses12.
“See, Margaret; she answers for herself,” as the cat, in recognition of the attention shown her, purred loudly.
“I don’t know but you are right in choosing such a friend,” said Margaret, after a thoughtful pause. “She will treat you well as long as you do not abuse her. That cannot be said of all human friends. Yet I should not be able to live six months as you do, mother. My temperament13 needs excitement.”
“I fear it has not always brought you good, Margaret,” said the old lady, who could ill comprehend the turbulent spirit which her daughter inherited from a father of mixed French and Irish blood.
206One afternoon a week later, Margaret, after turning restlessly for some minutes, asked her mother if she had not a newspaper in the house.
“I get tired looking at the cat,” she exclaimed; “I want something else to think of.”
“I don’t know,” said the old lady, hesitatingly. “I don’t take a paper; but perhaps I can find one that came round a bundle, if that will do.”
“Yes, mother, anything. It don’t matter what.”
After diligent14 search, the old lady managed to discover part of a last week’s daily paper that had come round a package which she had recently bought. Apologizing for the unsatisfactory result of her search, she placed it in Margaret’s hand.
In general, there is nothing very interesting in an old daily paper; but Margaret, who had been shut out from the world for nearly two months, and knew nothing of what had transpired15 during that time, seized the fragment with avidity, and read it entire, even to the advertisements. Finally her glance wandered to the deaths; she started as she met the name of Rand.
Died. At his residence in Fifth Avenue, Gerald Rand, Esq., 71.
“He’s dead, then, at last,” she murmured, “and Jacob Wynne has got the thousand dollars which were promised him. Let him enjoy it while he may. It will not be long, unless,—but I must see him before I take any decisive step. He may have said what he did only to provoke me. Would to heaven it were so! Yes, I must see him; I must give him one more chance, and then, if he still scorns me,” this she said with fierce emphasis, “let him look to himself.”
207“What have you read that excites you so much, Margaret?” questioned her mother, anxiously.
“Nothing particular.”
“Did I?” said Margaret. “I was only talking to myself. It’s a way I have. But, mother,” she continued, changing her tone suddenly, “do you think I shall be well enough to go out to-morrow?”
“To-morrow!” repeated the old lady, lifting up both hands in extreme astonishment17; “why, you must be raving18 crazy to think of such a thing! What in the world do you want to go out for?”
“Never mind now,” said her daughter, evasively. “I thought I should like to go out. But I suppose I am weaker than I think for.”
“Why, the fever has only just left you. It would be death to think of leaving the house.”
“We won’t say anything more about it, mother. Only I get tired of staying in the same place so long. The time moves so slowly. What time is it?”
“Three o’clock.”
“It has been three for the last hour,” said Margaret, with a touch of impatience19 in her tone.
“I declare the clock has stopped,” said the old lady, adjusting her spectacles; “I must have forgotten to wind it up. I declare it’s most time to get tea.”
She filled the tea-kettle, and set it over the fire, Margaret looking on with languid attention.
Her mother thought that Margaret had given up the idea of leaving the house. It was only an invalid’s fancy, she thought. But Margaret had a purpose in view, and only deferred20 carrying it out till her weakness had somewhat abated21. On the third day, though still far from strong, she determined22 to leave the house. Knowing that her mother 208would never consent, she devised a stratagem23 to get her out of the way.
“Is there an orange in the house?” she asked, immediately after breakfast.
“No, Margaret.”
“I can get one at the store.”
“But that is a good ways off. Isn’t it, mother?”
“Only quarter of a mile.”
“It is too far for you to go.”
“Too far? I go there several times a week, Margaret.”
“Then if it will not be too much trouble, I should really like to have you go.”
“I will go immediately. Isn’t there anything else you would like?”
“Nothing, mother.”
“God forgive me for deceiving her!” thought Margaret. “But I cannot do otherwise. He knows that.”
Scarcely was her mother out of the house than Margaret hastily rose from the bed, and with trembling fingers arrayed herself in the garments which had been so long laid aside. They had been carefully washed and mended by her mother, so that they looked comparatively respectable. She threw them on very hastily, fearing that her mother would return and detect her. She saw half a dollar on the mantel. This also she took, knowing that she should need money, and left the house.
When her mother returned with the orange she found, to her dismay, that her daughter had disappeared. On the table there was a scrap25 of paper, with these words traced hurriedly upon it:—
“Forgive the artifice26 I have employed, dear mother. I knew you would not let me go, and I must. There is 209something of great importance that I must attend to without delay. When that is over, I may come back to you.
“Margaret.
“P. S. I took a half dollar from the mantel, as I may need it.”
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收听单词发音
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1
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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2
delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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4
amendment
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| n.改正，修正，改善，修正案 | |
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5
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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6
gruel
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| n.稀饭，粥 | |
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7
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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8
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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9
drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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10
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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11
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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12
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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13
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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14
diligent
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| adj.勤勉的，勤奋的 | |
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15
transpired
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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16
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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17
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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18
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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19
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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20
deferred
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| adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从 | |
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21
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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22
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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23
stratagem
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| n.诡计，计谋 | |
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24
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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25
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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26
artifice
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| n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计 | |
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