CHAPTER XXXII. SOMEBODY WAITS IN VAIN.

 Mrs. Kennedy was busy at her stand, piling up some fruit, when a woman who was a stranger to her approached.

 

"Is this Mary Kennedy?" the newcomer asked.

 

"That's me name," answered the old woman. "But I don't know you, ma'am."

 

"My name is Mrs. Conroy. I'm a nurse. Mrs. Wardell sent me to you."

 

"Yes, I know Mrs. Wardell. But what is it you want, ma'am? I don't need a nurse now, though I did some time ago, goodness knows."

 

"I am not looking for a position," smiled Mrs. Conroy. "I am looking for a young lady named Gertrude Horton."

 

"Gertrude Horton! Who sint you?" questioned Mrs. Kennedy suspiciously.

 

"Her uncle, Mark Horton, sent me."

 

At this Mrs. Kennedy was more interested than ever.

 

[Pg 249]

 

"An' what does he want of the darling, Mrs. Conroy?"

 

"He wants her to return home."

 

"Heaven be praised fer that!"

 

"Where can I find Miss Horton?"

 

Again Mrs. Kennedy grew suspicious.

 

"I can tell you that quick enough, ma'am—but I must know if it's all right, first."

 

"Why, what do you mean?"

 

"There's a villain¹ of a cousin, Homer Bulson, who's been tryin' to git Miss Gertrude in his clutches. You're not doing this work for him?"

 

"No, indeed, Mrs. Kennedy. Mr. Horton sent me himself. He wants Miss Gertrude to come straight home. He wants her to forgive him for his harshness."

 

"To hear that now!" ejaculated Mrs. Kennedy joyfully². "What a change must have come over him!"

 

"I do not know how he was before, but he is now very anxious for her to return. He thinks he might get better if she were with him."

 

"What a pity Gertrude can't go to him this minit!" said Mrs. Kennedy.

 

"Will you tell me where I can find her?"

 

"She is not in New York, Mrs. Conroy. She went to Lakewood early this morning."

 

[Pg 250]

 

"To stay?"

 

"Oh, no! She'll be back to-night."

 

"Will you see her then?"

 

"To be sure—she lives with me."

 

"Oh!"

 

"I'll send her home the minit I see her," went on Mrs. Kennedy.

 

"Then I'll return and tell him that," said the nurse. "Be sure and insist upon her coming. He is so anxious he is almost crazy over it."

 

"Sure and he ought to be—drivin' her away in that fashion."

 

"I guess it was his sickness did it, Mrs. Kennedy. The man is not himself; anybody can see that. The case puzzles the doctors very much."

 

Mrs. Conroy had some necessary shopping to do, but an hour saw her returning to the mansion³ on Fifth Avenue.

 

"Well?" questioned Mark Horton anxiously. "Did you see her?"

 

"She had gone out of town—to Lakewood. But she will be back to-night."

 

"And will she come to me?"

 

"I cannot answer that question, Mr. Horton. I told the woman with whom she lives to send her up here."

 

"Did you say she must come—that I wanted[Pg 251] her to come?" persisted the retired⁴ merchant eagerly.

 

"I did, and the woman was quite sure Miss Gertrude would come."

 

"When was she to get back from Lakewood?"

 

"By seven or eight o'clock."

 

"Then she ought to be here by nine or ten."

 

All that afternoon Mark Horton showed his impatience⁵. Usually he took a nap, but now he could not sleep. He insisted upon getting up and walking around.

 

"The very thought that she will be back makes me feel stronger," he declared. "It is more of a tonic⁶ than Homer's wine."

 

"Please do not grow impatient," said Mrs. Conroy. "You know there may be some delay."

 

Slowly the evening came on and the street lamps were lit. Mr. Horton sat at a front window, looking out. He did not want a light in the room.

 

"I wish to watch for her," he explained. "You may light up when she comes."

 

He was now feverish⁷, but would not take the soothing⁸ draught⁹ the nurse prepared. Hour after hour passed, and presently he saw Homer[Pg 252] Bulson enter his quarters, and then go out again.

 

"I do not know how Homer will take the news," he told himself. "But he will have to make the best of it. Of one thing I am resolved—Gertrude shall do as she pleases if only she remains¹⁰ with me, and she shall have half of my fortune when I die."

 

At last it was nine o'clock, and then the sick man became more nervous than ever. Every time a woman appeared on the dimly lit street he would watch her eagerly until she went past the mansion.

 

"She will not come!" he groaned¹¹. "She will not come!"

 

At ten o'clock Mrs. Conroy tried to get him to bed, but he was stubborn and would not go. Another hour went by, and then another. As the clock struck twelve Mark Horton fell forward in his chair.

 

"She has deserted¹³ me!" he groaned. "And I deserve it all!" And he sank in a chair in a dead faint.

 

With an effort the nurse placed him upon the bed and did what she could for him. But the shock had been great, and in haste she sent for a physician.

 

"He has had them before," explained the [Pg 253]doctor. "I will give him something quieting—I can do no more. Each shock brings him closer to the end. It is the most puzzling case on record."

 

As he was so feeble Mrs. Conroy thought best to send for his nephew, and Homer Bulson was summoned just as he was waking up.

 

"All right, I'll be over," he said, with a yawn. He did not feel like hurrying, for he was tired, and had been through such an experience before. It was after eight when he at last showed himself.

 

"You are worse, Uncle Mark," he said, as he took the sufferer's hand.

 

"Yes, I am worse," was the low answer. "Much worse."

 

"It is too bad. Hadn't you better try some of that new wine I brought you?"

 

"Not now, Homer. I feel as if I never cared to eat or drink again." And Mark Horton gave a groan¹².

 

"You must not be so downcast, uncle."

 

"Homer, Gertrude has turned her back upon me!"

 

"Gertrude!" cried the nephew, very much startled.

 

"Yes, Gertrude. I—I did not think it possible."

 

[Pg 254]

 

"But I don't understand, Uncle Mark. Did you—er—did you send to her?"

 

"I will confess I did, Homer. I could stand it no longer. I wanted to see the dear child again."

 

"And she turned her back on you?" went on Bulson, hardly knowing what to say.

 

"She did. I sent for her to come at once. She had not gone to Boston, but to Lakewood, and was to be back in the evening. That was yesterday. She is not yet here, and that proves that she has forsaken¹⁴ me and wants nothing more to do with me."

 

At these words a crafty¹⁵ look came into Homer Bulson's eyes.

 

"Uncle Mark, I am sorry for you, but I could have told you as much some time ago," he said smoothly¹⁶.

 

"You could have told me?"

 

"Yes. I went to Gertrude when she was thinking of going to Boston and begged her to come back. I even offered to go away, so that she would not be bothered with me. But she would not listen. She said that she was done with you, and that she preferred her theatrical¹⁷ friends to such a home as this, where there was no excitement. She is changed—and changed for the worse."

 

[Pg 255]

 

"Oh, Homer! can this be true? The dear, gentle Gertrude I once so loved and petted! But it is my own fault. I drove her away. I have only myself to blame." And burying his face in his pillow, the sick man sobbed¹⁸ aloud.

 

Instead of replying, Homer Bulson got out of a medicine closet the bottle of wine he had brought two days before and poured out a glassful.

 

"Take this, Uncle Mark. I know it will do you good," he said.

 

"No, I want no wine!" cried Mr. Horton. And suddenly he dashed wine and glass to the floor. "I hate it! It does me no good. I want nothing but Gertrude!" And he buried his face in his pillow again.

 

"I will do my best to bring her to you," said Bulson hypocritically.

 

He remained at the mansion a short while, and was then told that there was a man who wished to see him.

 

He hurried to his own apartments across the way, and here found himself face to face with Sam Pepper.

 

"You played me a fine trick," growled¹⁹ Pepper. "Give me back the papers you stole from me."

 

"Let us come to an understanding," said[Pg 256] Bulson. "I am willing to pay for what I took, Pepper. Come with me."

 

"Want to drug me again?"

 

"No. I want to get where it is quiet. Come."

 

"All right, I'll go along. Supposing you come to my place?"

 

"That will suit me. I want to make a new deal with you."

 

And the pair started for Sam Pepper's resort on the East Side.

1 villain   

n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因

参考例句：

• He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
• The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。

2 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。

3 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

4 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

5 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

6 tonic   

n./adj.滋补品，补药，强身的，健体的

参考例句：

• It will be marketed as a tonic for the elderly.这将作为老年人滋补品在市场上销售。
• Sea air is Nature's best tonic for mind and body.海上的空气是大自然赋予的对人们身心的最佳补品。

7 feverish   

adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的

参考例句：

• He is too feverish to rest.他兴奋得安静不下来。
• They worked with feverish haste to finish the job.为了完成此事他们以狂热的速度工作着。

8 soothing   

adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的

参考例句：

• Put on some nice soothing music.播放一些柔和舒缓的音乐。
• His casual, relaxed manner was very soothing.他随意而放松的举动让人很快便平静下来。

9 draught   

n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计

参考例句：

• He emptied his glass at one draught.他将杯中物一饮而尽。
• It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught.可惜这房间没北窗，没有过堂风。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 groan   

vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音

参考例句：

• The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
• The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

13 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

14 Forsaken   

adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词

参考例句：

• He was forsaken by his friends. 他被朋友们背弃了。
• He has forsaken his wife and children. 他遗弃了他的妻子和孩子。

15 crafty   

adj.狡猾的，诡诈的

参考例句：

• He admired the old man for his crafty plan.他敬佩老者的神机妙算。
• He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家，也是个狡黠的独裁者。

16 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

17 theatrical   

adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的

参考例句：

• The final scene was dismayingly lacking in theatrical effect.最后一场缺乏戏剧效果，叫人失望。
• She always makes some theatrical gesture.她老在做些夸张的手势。

18 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

19 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》