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CHAPTER IV
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 At the risk of offending a stray customer Kitty delayed opening the post-office until her outraged1 spirit had become a little calmer—only a little, for the mingled2 passions so brutally3 aroused would subside4 only through sheer exhaustion5.  She had no one to confide6 in, no one to count on for sympathy and comfort.  She had thought she had grown used to being alone in the world, but she had never experienced loneliness like this.  Her bosom8 heaved, but her eyes remained dry.
 
The sounds of her aunt opening the shop next door roused her from a sort of stupor9.  Taking the big key, she proceeded to open the office for the day’s business.  There was some book-keeping to be done, also a schedule or two to fill up, but her hand shook so that she could scarcely write.  And suddenly she realized that she was afraid, desperately10 afraid.  She was so wholly p. 34dependent on that man next door; her very existence was in his hands; she was, to all intents and purposes, his prisoner.
 
A few pounds would have made all the difference now.  She possessed11 less than two shillings.  There was no escape.
 
She unlocked the safe, and transferred part of its contents, money, stamps, and so forth12, to their proper drawers.  The money gave her a sickish feeling; so much of it—the price of her salvation13 over and over again—her freedom in a fraction of it. . . .  Violently she shut the drawer and turned to the desk.
 
A child came in with a letter and a penny, and, a little later, a woman with a parcel.  Then there was a longish blank till an elderly man entered.  He made a brief remark on the weather and proceeded to fill up a money order request-form.  Presently he pushed it across the counter along with the money, £27, in three five-pound and twelve one-pound notes, also an eightpence to pay the charge.  Laying the money on the desk, she collected her wits and carefully wrote out the order.  Her sleeve brushed the notes separate without her noticing.
 
The man wanted to know when a letter would be delivered in a certain outlying place in Ireland, p. 35and she took the “Post-office guide” to the counter and found him the information contained therein.  He went out, leaving the door open.  The brisk current of morning air was welcome.  Before she could turn from the counter a girl came in with a few shillings for her savings14 account. . . .
 
When the girl had gone Kitty put her hands to her head, which was now throbbing15 painfully.  Some little time elapsed before she returned to the desk.  Observing the notes, she gathered them up and placed them in the proper drawer for money order and postal16 order transactions.  She locked the drawer with a key on the bunch hanging from her belt.  Often this drawer contained fairly large sums.  Once more she attacked her clerical work.
 
Somehow the morning passed.  At noon she was relieved for half an hour, by her uncle.  He peered about, but made no remark, and without even glancing at him she passed through the short passage leading to the shop and thence to the cottage.  Her dinner was waiting on the table.  Miss Corrie, who had put it there, had gone back to the shop; she dined with her brother later.
 
Kitty could not eat.  After a while she went up to her room and lay down for ten minutes.  p. 36The pity was that she did not spend the whole of her half-hour upstairs.
 
The first thing Corrie did on being left to himself, was to snatch from the floor, under the shadow of the desk, a five-pound note.  Holding it stretched between his hands, he stood transfixed, while the clock ticked nearly a hundred seconds.  Then his hands began to shake and sweat appeared on his face. . . .  Two minutes later he left the office to take care of itself, going out by the public way.  Keeping close to the wall he passed round behind the office and shop and into the yard at the back of the house.  The place was not overlooked by neighbours, but he glanced keenly about him before he turned his gaze upwards17.  Above the ivy18 an attic19 window was wide open.
 
He tiptoed to an out-house; he tiptoed back with a ladder.  He placed the ladder in position and climbed a few bars, halted, and made a show of doing something to the ivy.  Ascending further, he repeated the performance.  At last he was at the window.  For a few seconds he remained with his body bent20 and stretched into the room, then he withdrew, descended21 the ladder, replaced it in the out-house, and returned to the office.
 
At 12.30 his niece appeared.  He moved towards p. 37the shop, seemed to change his mind, and came back.  He cleared his throat, and said—
 
“I’ll check the cash.”
 
Hitherto the formality had always taken place after business hours, but the girl, too sick at heart to be surprised at anything, without hesitation22 or remark handed him her keys.
 
Before long Miss Corrie called him to dinner.
 
“It’ll ha’ to wait,” he returned, apparently23 immersed in his task.
 
At the end of twenty minutes he spoke24.
 
“Here!”
 
She came over.  “Anything wrong?” she asked wearily.
 
He pointed25 to the open drawer.  “Ye’re short!”
 
“Nonsense!  Twenty-seven pounds—that’s been the only money order business to-day.”
 
“Well, there’s only twenty-two.”
 
“You’ve made a mistake,” she said, with reviving alertness.  “Three fives and twelve singles.”
 
“Was that how Torrance gave ye the money?  Be very sure now!—Three fives and twelve singles?  Eh?”
 
“I’m perfectly26 sure,” she returned impatiently.  “The notes must have stuck.  How much do you make me short?”
 
p. 38“Count for yourself.”
 
She took them out and laid them on the counter.  There was a short silence broken only by the rustle27 of the paper and the ticking of the clock.
 
Suddenly she raised her head and looked him straight in the eyes, without a word.
 
He stood her gaze for a brief space, then turned it to the notes.  His fist banged the counter.
 
“Five pound short—a five-pound note—where is it?”
 
Still she stared at him silent.
 
“Can ye no answer?” he snarled28 at last.
 
She answered with an odd, slow smile.  It maddened him.  He strode across to the passage and shouted for his sister.
 
Miss Corrie came at once.  “What’s the matter, John?  Mind, the lad’s in the shop.”
 
“Send him to his dinner.”
 
Kitty spoke.  “No.  I want a witness.”
 
“A witness!” screeched29 the woman.  “What for?”
 
Corrie pushed her aside, and bawled—
 
“Peter, ye can go for your dinner now.”  He waited until he heard a door open and close, then wheeled and said to his sister—“She’s five pound short.”
 
Miss Corrie threw up her hands.
 
p. 39“Yes,” said Kitty quietly, “I’m five pounds short.”
 
The woman was about to speak, but her brother motioned her to hold her tongue.
 
“I want to know where that five-pound note is. . . .  Do ye hear me, girl?”
 
She paid not the slightest attention.
 
“See here, Rachel,” he said, somewhat wildly, “she admits she got twenty-seven pound from Torrance this morning.  She had the key o’ the drawer all the time I was here my lone7.  As you and the boy can swear I never passed to the house.  When I checked the cash in her presence, I found her five pound short. . . .  And she won’t say what’s become o’ it.”
 
“Tell him,” cried Miss Corrie.  “Speak!”
 
“What’s the use?” said the girl, and there was a pause.
 
“Were ye up the stair at your dinner-time?” he demanded.
 
No answer.
 
“Ay; I heard her,” said her aunt.
 
“Then it’s my duty to—to make a search,” he said in a thick voice.
 
“Get the police,” said Kitty.  “They’re honest.”
 
He all but lost control then.  “Up to your p. 40room!” he roared.  “Rachel, you maun come likewise.”
 
Kitty turned and led the way.  She felt that this was only the beginning of the ghastly farce30, nothing could possibly be found in her room unless her uncle contrived31 to put it there while he was pretending to search, and she would see to it that he was not allowed to manage that!
 
“If it’s no in there,” said Corrie, as they reached the small landing, “your aunt’ll ha’ to search your person.  Go inside the two o’ ye.  I’ll bide32 here.  Rachel, you make search.”
 
Kitty began to feel puzzled in a dull, dreary33 fashion.  Her uncle could play no tricks from where he stood.  Why should he make such a long business of the matter?  He had failed to terrify her, and—
 
“Where’ll I search?” wailed34 Miss Corrie.
 
“Every place.  It’s got to be found,” replied her brother.  “It’s Government money.”
 
“It’ll take a long, long time.  Would ye no give her another chance to—to speak?”
 
“She’s had her chance.  Hurry up!”
 
It was no doubt natural that Miss Corrie should start with the chest of drawers that served also for a dressing35 table, placed at an angle with the p. 41window and near it.  She drew out the right-hand top drawer.
 
“Turn it out on the floor,” he ordered.
 
Kitty sat down on the bed and apathetically36 watched the scattering37 of her poor little fineries, gloves, ribbons, fancy buttons, and so on.
 
“It’s no’ there, anyway,” remarked Rachel, rising at last.
 
She opened the neighbour drawer, and Kitty winced38, for it held her father’s manuscripts.
 
“Oh!” gasped39 Rachel, and stood petrified40.
 
“Hurry up!” called her brother, and she started.
 
“It—it’s here,” she whispered, and held it up.
 
Corrie strode in, snatched it and held it close to his niece’s face.
 
Kitty was white as death now.  What dumb innocence41, what loud defence, could stand against this?
 
Her aunt slunk from the room.
 
“Well,” said Corrie at last in a lowered voice, “I’ll let ye go free now; I’ll let ye go free till this time to-morrow—no, till ten o’clock to-morrow night.  But if ye want to go free after that, ye know the way—the only way.  Now ye can think over it.  I’ll mind the office myself.”
 
With that he went out.
 
p. 42Had Kitty held a weapon of any sort then, she would certainly have tried to kill him.
 
*     *     *     *     *
 
In the evening her aunt brought her some tea, set it down, and retired42 without a word.  But no restraint was put on her movements.  Restraint was unnecessary.  Where could she go, penniless?  Later, when she heard Symington’s voice in the kitchen, she stole downstairs and out of doors.
 
In the dusk, an hour afterwards, she stood at her old place, waiting the roaring approach, the thundering dash past, of the London mail.  Colin Hayward would not be on board, she told herself, and wondered vaguely43 why, after all, he had left early in the morning.  And now he would be in London, and things there would already be making him forget her.  She did not love him as she judged a maid should love a man—but oh! how gladly she would have yielded now to his tender arms and his kind voice. . . .
 
The train was coming—it was nearly on her.  Something white fluttered from a window.  But the signal could not be for her!—and yet with her heart in her eyes she gazed.  And just for a tick of time she had a glimpse of Colin’s face.  It was all over.
 
p. 43She laid her arms on the fence, and bowed her face on them, and wept as never she had wept in all her one-and-twenty years—such tears of bitterness, such tears of loneliness.
 
Perhaps Sam, quitting his post on the railway, may have wondered at the bowed figure, but he went off discreetly44 by his one way, a hundred yards further down the field.
 
In the starry45 darkness Kitty came to herself, and slowly made her way to the only home she had.  Emotion had weakened her physically46, but her spirit yet struggled strongly in the toils47.  She had still nearly twenty-four hours of freedom, such as it was.  To-night it was too late for any persecution48 from Alec Symington, who surely must have left the cottage some time ago, and gone home, for it was now nearing eleven o’clock.
 
But on the road, at the gate of the field, he was waiting.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 outraged VmHz8n     
a.震惊的,义愤填膺的
参考例句:
  • Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
  • He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。
2 mingled fdf34efd22095ed7e00f43ccc823abdf     
混合,混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 ); 混进,与…交往[联系]
参考例句:
  • The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
  • The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候,这一男一女就开始交往了。
3 brutally jSRya     
adv.残忍地,野蛮地,冷酷无情地
参考例句:
  • The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
  • A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。
4 subside OHyzt     
vi.平静,平息;下沉,塌陷,沉降
参考例句:
  • The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。
  • The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。
5 exhaustion OPezL     
n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述
参考例句:
  • She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
  • His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了,显然是太累了。
6 confide WYbyd     
v.向某人吐露秘密
参考例句:
  • I would never readily confide in anybody.我从不轻易向人吐露秘密。
  • He is going to confide the secrets of his heart to us.他将向我们吐露他心里的秘密。
7 lone Q0cxL     
adj.孤寂的,单独的;唯一的
参考例句:
  • A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
  • She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。
8 bosom Lt9zW     
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的
参考例句:
  • She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
  • A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。
9 stupor Kqqyx     
v.昏迷;不省人事
参考例句:
  • As the whisky took effect, he gradually fell into a drunken stupor.随着威士忌酒力发作,他逐渐醉得不省人事。
  • The noise of someone banging at the door roused her from her stupor.梆梆的敲门声把她从昏迷中唤醒了。
10 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地
参考例句:
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
11 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
参考例句:
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
12 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
13 salvation nC2zC     
n.(尤指基督)救世,超度,拯救,解困
参考例句:
  • Salvation lay in political reform.解救办法在于政治改革。
  • Christians hope and pray for salvation.基督教徒希望并祈祷灵魂得救。
14 savings ZjbzGu     
n.存款,储蓄
参考例句:
  • I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假,那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
  • By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时,他的存款已全部用完。
15 throbbing 8gMzA0     
a. 跳动的,悸动的
参考例句:
  • My heart is throbbing and I'm shaking. 我的心在猛烈跳动,身子在不住颤抖。
  • There was a throbbing in her temples. 她的太阳穴直跳。
16 postal EP0xt     
adj.邮政的,邮局的
参考例句:
  • A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
  • Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。
17 upwards lj5wR     
adv.向上,在更高处...以上
参考例句:
  • The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
  • The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。
18 ivy x31ys     
n.常青藤,常春藤
参考例句:
  • Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
  • The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。
19 attic Hv4zZ     
n.顶楼,屋顶室
参考例句:
  • Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
  • What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理?
20 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
21 descended guQzoy     
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的
参考例句:
  • A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
  • The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。
22 hesitation tdsz5     
n.犹豫,踌躇
参考例句:
  • After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天,他终于直说了。
  • There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。
23 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
24 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
25 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
26 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
27 rustle thPyl     
v.沙沙作响;偷盗(牛、马等);n.沙沙声声
参考例句:
  • She heard a rustle in the bushes.她听到灌木丛中一阵沙沙声。
  • He heard a rustle of leaves in the breeze.他听到树叶在微风中发出的沙沙声。
28 snarled ti3zMA     
v.(指狗)吠,嗥叫, (人)咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 );咆哮着说,厉声地说
参考例句:
  • The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
  • As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时,它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
29 screeched 975e59058e1a37cd28bce7afac3d562c     
v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 );发出粗而刺耳的声音;高叫
参考例句:
  • She screeched her disapproval. 她尖叫着不同意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The car screeched to a stop. 汽车嚓的一声停住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
30 farce HhlzS     
n.闹剧,笑剧,滑稽戏;胡闹
参考例句:
  • They played a shameful role in this farce.他们在这场闹剧中扮演了可耻的角色。
  • The audience roared at the farce.闹剧使观众哄堂大笑。
31 contrived ivBzmO     
adj.不自然的,做作的;虚构的
参考例句:
  • There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。
  • The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。
32 bide VWTzo     
v.忍耐;等候;住
参考例句:
  • We'll have to bide our time until the rain stops.我们必须等到雨停。
  • Bide here for a while. 请在这儿等一会儿。
33 dreary sk1z6     
adj.令人沮丧的,沉闷的,单调乏味的
参考例句:
  • They live such dreary lives.他们的生活如此乏味。
  • She was tired of hearing the same dreary tale of drunkenness and violence.她听够了那些关于酗酒和暴力的乏味故事。
34 wailed e27902fd534535a9f82ffa06a5b6937a     
v.哭叫,哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She wailed over her father's remains. 她对着父亲的遗体嚎啕大哭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The women of the town wailed over the war victims. 城里的妇女为战争的死难者们痛哭。 来自辞典例句
35 dressing 1uOzJG     
n.(食物)调料;包扎伤口的用品,敷料
参考例句:
  • Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
  • The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。
36 apathetically ca956ea3dceae84df7e91c053844494b     
adv.不露感情地;无动于衷地;不感兴趣地;冷淡地
参考例句:
  • "I'm not hungry," Jui-chueh replied apathetically. “我不想吃,”瑞珏第一个懒洋洋地说。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
  • She behaves apathetically these days. 她这些天表现的很淡漠。 来自互联网
37 scattering 91b52389e84f945a976e96cd577a4e0c     
n.[物]散射;散乱,分散;在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的;分散在不同范围的;广泛扩散的;(选票)数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式);散布;驱散
参考例句:
  • The child felle into a rage and began scattering its toys about. 这孩子突发狂怒,把玩具扔得满地都是。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The farmers are scattering seed. 农夫们在播种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
38 winced 7be9a27cb0995f7f6019956af354c6e4     
赶紧避开,畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. 狗咬了他的脚腕子,疼得他龇牙咧嘴。
  • He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. 他左腿一阵剧痛疼得他直龇牙咧嘴。
39 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
40 petrified 2e51222789ae4ecee6134eb89ed9998d     
adj.惊呆的;目瞪口呆的v.使吓呆,使惊呆;变僵硬;使石化(petrify的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • I'm petrified of snakes. 我特别怕蛇。
  • The poor child was petrified with fear. 这可怜的孩子被吓呆了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
41 innocence ZbizC     
n.无罪;天真;无害
参考例句:
  • There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
  • The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。
42 retired Njhzyv     
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。
43 vaguely BfuzOy     
adv.含糊地,暖昧地
参考例句:
  • He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
  • He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面,对一切都视而不见。
44 discreetly nuwz8C     
ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地
参考例句:
  • He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇,一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
  • Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么,有意避开了。
45 starry VhWzfP     
adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的
参考例句:
  • He looked at the starry heavens.他瞧着布满星星的天空。
  • I like the starry winter sky.我喜欢这满天星斗的冬夜。
46 physically iNix5     
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律
参考例句:
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
47 toils b316b6135d914eee9a4423309c5057e6     
参考例句:
  • It did not declare him to be still in Mrs. Dorset's toils. 这并不表明他仍陷于多赛特夫人的情网。
  • The thief was caught in the toils of law. 这个贼陷入了法网。
48 persecution PAnyA     
n. 迫害,烦扰
参考例句:
  • He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
  • Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。


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