It was an open plain of country, and although there were clumps6 of trees here and there, great clumps with cool shade under them, there were also acres and acres of common land on which the sun beat remorselessly. This land was covered with heather, not yet in flower, and with bracken, which was already putting on its autumn glory of yellow and red. Neither the bracken nor the heather minded the July heat, but the butterflies thought it a trifle uncomfortable, and made for the clumps of trees, and looked longingly7 and regretfully at what had been a noisy, babbling8 little brook9, but was now a dry and stony10 channel, deserted11 even by the dragon-flies.
At the other side of the brook was a hedge, composed principally of wild roses and hawthorn12 bushes, and beyond the hedge was a wide dyke13, and at the top of the dyke a wire paling, and beyond that again, a good-sized vegetable garden.
From the tops of the trees, had any one been energetic enough to climb up there, or had any bird been sufficiently14 endowed with curiosity to glance his bright eyes in that direction, might have been seen smoke, ascending16 straight up into the air, and proceeding17 from the kitchen chimneys of a square-built gray house.
The house was nearly covered with creepers, and had a trellis porch, sheltering and protecting its open hall-door. Pigeons were cooing near, and several dogs were lying flat out in the shade which the wide eaves of the house afforded. There was a flower garden in front, and a wide gravel18 sweep,[Pg 2] and a tennis court and croquet lawn, and a rose arbor19, and even a great, wide, cool-looking tent. But as far as human life was concerned the whole place looked absolutely deserted. The pigeons cooed languidly, and the dogs yapped and yawned, and made ferocious20 snaps at audacious and troublesome flies. But no one handled the tennis bats, nor took up the croquet mallets; no one stopped to admire the roses, and no one entered the cool, inviting21 tent. The whole place might have been dead, as far as human life was concerned; and although the smoke did ascend15 straight up from the kitchen chimney, a vagrant22 or a tramp might have been tempted23 to enter the house by the open hall door, were it not protected by the lazy dogs.
Up, however, by the hedge, at the other side of the kitchen garden, could be heard just then the crackle of a bough24, the rustle25 of a dress, and a short, smothered26, impatient exclamation27. And had anyone peered very close they would have seen lying flat in the long grasses a tall, slender, half-grown girl, with dark eyes and rosy28 cheeks, and tangled29 curly rebellious30 locks. She had one arm raised, and was drawing herself deliberately31 an inch at a time along the smooth grass. Several birds had taken refuge in this fragrant32 hedge of hawthorn and wild roses. They were talking to one another, keeping up a perpetual chatter33; but whenever the girl stirred a twig34, or disturbed a branch, they stopped, looking around them in alarm, but none of them as yet seeing the prone35, slim figure, which was, indeed, almost covered by the grasses. Perfect stillness once more—the birds resumed their conversation, and the girl made another slight movement forward. This time she disturbed no twig, and interrupted none of the bird gossip. She was near, very near, a tempting36 green bough, and on the bough sat two full-grown lovely thrushes; they were not singing, but were holding a very gentle and affectionate conversation, sitting close together, and looking at one another out of their bright eyes, and now and then kissing each other with that loving little peck which means a great deal in bird life.
The girl felt her heart beating with excitement—the birds were within a few inches of her—she could see their breasts heaving as they talked. Her own eyes were as bright as theirs with excitement; she got quite under them, made a sudden upward, dexterous37 movement, and laid a warm, detaining hand on each thrush. The deed was done—the little prisoners were secured. She gave a low laugh of ecstasy38, and sitting upright in the long grass, began gently to fondle her prey39, cooing as she talked to them, and trying to coax40 the terrified little prisoners to accept some kisses from her dainty red lips.
“Poll! Where’s Polly Parrot?—Poll—Poll—Poll!” came a chorus of voices. “Poll, you’re wanted at the house this minute. Where are you hiding?—You’re wanted at home this minute! Polly Parrot—where are you, Polly?”[Pg 3]
“Oh, bother!” exclaimed the girl under her breath; “then I must let you go, darlings, and I never, never had two of you in my arms at the same moment before. It’s always so. I’m always interrupted when I’m enjoying ecstasy. Well, good-by, sweets. Be happy—bless you, darlings!”
She blew a kiss to the released and delighted thrushes, and stood upright, looking very lanky41 and cross and disreputable, with bits of grass and twig sticking in her hair, and messing and staining her faded, washed cotton frock.
“Now, what are you up to, you scamps?—can’t you let a body be?”
“Oh, Polly!”
Two little figures came tumbling down the gravel walk at the other side of the wire fence. They were hot and panting, and both destitute42 of hats.
“Polly, you’re wanted at the house. Helen says so; there’s a b-b-baby come. Polly Perkins—Poll Parrot, you’d better come home at once, there’s a new b-b-baby just come!”
“A what?” said Polly. She vaulted43 the dyke, cleared the fence, and kneeling on the ground beside her two excited, panting little brothers, flung a hot, detaining arm round each.
“A baby! it isn’t true, Bunny? it isn’t true, Bob? A real live baby? Not a doll! a baby that will scream and wriggle44 up its face! But it can’t be. Oh, heavenly! oh, delicious! But it can’t be true, it can’t! You’re always making up stories, Bunny!”
“Not this time,” said Bunny. “You tell her, Bob—she’ll believe you. I heard it yelling—oh, didn’t it yell, just! And Helen came, and said to send Polly in. Helen was crying, I don’t know what about, and she said you were to go in at once. Why, what is the matter, Poll Parrot?”
“Nothing,” said Polly, “only you might have told me about Helen crying before. Helen never cries unless there’s something perfectly45 awful going to happen. Stay out in the garden, you two boys—make yourselves sick with gooseberries, if you like, only don’t come near the house, and don’t make the tiniest bit of noise. A new baby—and Helen crying! But mother—I’ll find out what it means from mother!”
Polly had long legs, and they bore her quickly in a swift race or canter to the house. When she approached the porch the dogs all got up in a body to meet her; there were seven or eight dogs, and they surrounded her, impeding46 her progress.
“Not a bark out of one of you,” she said, sternly, “lie down—go to sleep. If you even give a yelp47 I’ll come out by and by and beat you. Oh, Alice, what is it? What’s the matter?”
A maid servant was standing48 in the wide, square hall.
“What is it, Alice? What is wrong? There’s a new baby—I’m delighted at that. But why is Helen crying, and—oh!—oh!—what does it mean—you are crying, too, Alice.”
“It’s—Miss Polly, I can’t tell you,” began the girl. She threw her apron49 over her head, and sobbed50 loudly. “We didn’t know where you was, miss—it’s, it’s—We have been looking for you everywhere, miss. Why, Miss Polly, you’re as white, as white—Don’t take on now, miss, dear.”
“You needn’t say any more,” gasped51 Polly, sinking down into a garden chair. “I’m not going to faint, or do anything silly. And I’m not going to cry either. Where’s Helen? If there’s anything bad she’ll tell me. Oh, do stop making that horrid52 noise, Alice, you irritate me so dreadfully!”
Alice dashed out of the open door, and Polly heard her sobbing53 again, and talking frantically54 to the dogs. There was no other sound of any sort. The intense stillness of the house had a half-stunning, half-calming effect on the startled child. She rose, and walked slowly upstairs to the first landing.
“Polly,” said her sister Helen, “you’ve come at last. Where were you hiding?—oh, poor Polly!”
“Where’s mother?” said Polly. “I want her—let me go to her—let me go to her at once, Nell.”
“Oh, Polly——”
Helen’s sobs55 came now, loud, deep, and distressful56. There was a new baby—but no mother for Polly any more.
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1
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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zephyr
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| n.和风，微风 | |
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drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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languorous
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| adj.怠惰的，没精打采的 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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longingly
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| adv. 渴望地 热望地 | |
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babbling
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| n.胡说，婴儿发出的咿哑声adj.胡说的v.喋喋不休( babble的现在分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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hawthorn
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| 山楂 | |
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dyke
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| n.堤，水坝，排水沟 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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arbor
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| n.凉亭；树木 | |
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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vagrant
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| n.流浪者，游民；adj.流浪的，漂泊不定的 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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dexterous
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| adj.灵敏的；灵巧的 | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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lanky
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| adj.瘦长的 | |
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destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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vaulted
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| adj.拱状的 | |
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wriggle
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| v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒 | |
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45
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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impeding
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| a.(尤指坏事)即将发生的，临近的 | |
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yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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48
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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50
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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51
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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52
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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53
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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54
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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55
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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distressful
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| adj.苦难重重的，不幸的，使苦恼的 | |
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