There are occasions when people who are accused wrongfully of a fault will take it patiently: there was scarcely ever known to be a time when wrongdoers did so.
The children in the garret were having a wild time of mirth and excitement. There was no time for any one to think, no time for any one to do aught but enjoy. The lateness of the hour, the stealthy gathering1, the excellent supper, and, finally, the gay songs, had roused the young spirits to the highest pitch. Polly was the life of everything; Maggie, her devoted2 satellite, had a face which almost blazed with excitement.
Her small eyes twinkled like stars, her broad mouth never ceased to show a double row of snowy teeth. She revolved3 round her brothers and sisters, whispering in their ears, violently nudging them, and piling on the agony in the shape of cups of richly creamed and sugared tea, of thick slices of bread-and-butter and jam, and plum cake, topped with bumpers4 of foaming5 ginger-beer.
Repletion6 had reached such a pass in the case of the Ricketts brother and sister that they could scarcely move; the Jones brothers were also becoming slightly heavy-eyed; but the Maybright children fluttered about here and there like gay butterflies, and were on the point of getting up a dance when Aunt Maria and the frightened Helen burst upon the scene.
It required a much less acute glance than Aunt Maria’s to[Pg 56] point out Polly as the ringleader. She headed the group of mirth-seekers, every lip resounded7 with her name, all the other pairs of young eyes turned to her. When the garret door was flung open, and Aunt Maria in no measured tones announced herself, the children flew like frightened chickens to hide under Polly’s wing. The Rickettses and Joneses scrambled8 to their feet, and ran to find shelter as close as possible to headquarters. Thus, when Polly at last found her voice, and turned round to speak to Aunt Maria, she looked like the flushed and triumphant9 leader of a little victorious10 garrison11. She was quite carried away by the excitement of the whole thing, and defiance12 spoke13 both in her eyes and manner.
“How do you do, Aunt Maria?” she said. “We did not expect you. We were having supper, and have just finished. I would ask you to have some with us, only I am afraid there is not a clean plate left. Is there, Maggie?”
Maggie answered with a high and nervous giggle14, “Oh, lor’, Miss Polly! that there ain’t; and there’s nothing but broken victuals15 either on the table by now. We was all hungry, you know, Miss Polly.”
“So perhaps,” continued Polly, “you would go downstairs again, Aunt Maria. Helen, will you take Aunt Maria to the drawing-room? I will come as soon as I see the supper things put away. Helen, why do you look at me like that? What’s the matter?”
“Oh, Polly!” said Helen, in her most reproachful tones.
She was turning away, but Aunt Maria caught her rather roughly by the shoulder.
“Do all this numerous party belong to the family?” she said. “I see here present thirteen children. I never knew before that my sister had such an enormous family.”
Helen felt in far too great a state of collapse16 to make any reply; but Polly’s saucy17, glib18 tones were again heard.
“These are our visitors, Aunt Maria. Allow me to introduce them. Master and Miss Ricketts, Masters Tom, Jim, and Peter Jones. This is Maggie, my satellite, and devoted friend, and—and——”
But Aunt Maria’s patience had reached its tether. She was a stout19, heavily made woman, and when she walked into the center of Polly’s garrison she quickly dispersed20 it.
“March!” she said, laying her hand heavily on the girl’s shoulder. “To your room this instant. Come, I shall see you there, and lock you in. You are a very bad, wicked, heartless girl, and I am bitterly ashamed of you. To your room this minute. While your father is away you are under my control, and I insist on being obeyed.”
“Oh, lor’!” gasped21 Maggie. “Run,” she whispered to her brother and sister. “Make for the door, quick. Oh, ain’t it awful! Oh, poor dear Miss Polly! Why, that dreadful old lady will almost kill her.”
But no, Polly was still equal to the emergency.[Pg 57]
“You need not hold me, Aunt Maria,” she said, in a quiet voice, “I can go without that. Good night, children. I am sorry our jolly time has had such an unpleasant ending. Now then, I’ll go with you, Aunt Maria.”
“In front, then,” said Aunt Maria. “No loitering behind. Straight to your room.”
Polly walked down the dusty ladder obediently enough; Aunt Maria, scarlet22 in the face, stumped23 and waddled24 after her; Helen, very pale, and feeling half terrified, brought up the rear. All went well, and the truant25 exhibited no signs of rebellion until they reached the wide landing which led in one direction to the girl’s bedroom, in the other to the staircase.
Here Polly turned at bay.
“I’m not going to my room at present,” she said. “If I’ve been naughty, father can punish me when he comes home. You can tell anything you like to father when he comes back on Monday. But I’m not going to obey you. You have no authority over me, and I’m not responsible to you. Father can punish me as much as he likes when you have told him. I’m going downstairs, now; it’s too early for bed. I’ve not an idea of obeying you.”
“We will see to that,” said Aunt Maria. “You are quite the naughtiest child I ever came across. Now then, Miss, if you don’t go patiently, and on your own feet, you shall be conveyed to your room in my arms. I am quite strong enough, so you can choose.”
Polly’s eyes flashed.
“If you put it in that way, I don’t want to fuss,” she said. “I’ll go there for the present, but you can’t keep me there, and you needn’t try.”
Aunt Maria and Polly disappeared round the corner, and poor Helen stood leaning against the oak balustrade, silently crying. In three or four minutes Aunt Maria returned, her face still red, and the key of the bedroom in her pocket.
“Now, Helen, what is the matter? Crying? Well, no wonder. Of course, you are ashamed of your sister. I never met such a naughty, impertinent girl. Can it be possible that Helen should have such a child? She must take entirely26 after her father. Now, Helen, stop crying, tears are most irritating to me, and do no good to any one. I am glad I arrived at this emergency. Matters have indeed come to a pretty crisis. In your father’s absence, I distinctly declare that I take the rule of my poor sister’s orphans27, and I shall myself mete28 out the punishment for the glaring act of rebellion that I have just witnessed. Polly remains29 in her room, and has a bread and water diet until Monday. The other children have bread and water for breakfast in the morning, and go to bed two hours before their usual time to-morrow. The kitchenmaid I shall dismiss in the morning, giving her a month’s wages in lieu of notice. Now, Helen, come downstairs. Oh, there is just one thing more. You[Pg 58] must find some other room to sleep in to-night. I forbid you to go near your sister. In fact, I shall not give you the key. You may share my bed, if you like.”
“I cannot do that, Aunt Maria,” said Helen. “I respect you, and will obey you as far as I can until father returns, and tells us what we really ought to do. But I cannot stay away from Polly to-night for any one. I know she has been very naughty. I am as shocked as you can be with all that has happened, but I know too, Aunt Maria, that harsh treatment will ruin Polly; she won’t stand it, she never would, and mother never tried it with her. She is different from the rest of us, Aunt Maria; she is wilder, and fiercer, and freer; but mother often said, oh, often and often, that no one might be nobler than Polly, if only she was guided right. I know she is troublesome, I know she was impertinent to you, and I know well she did very wrong, but she is only fourteen, and she has high spirits. You can’t bend, nor drive Polly, Aunt Maria, but gentleness and love can always lead her. I must sleep in my own bed to-night, Aunt Maria. Oh, don’t refuse me—please give me up the key.”
“You are a queer girl,” said Aunt Maria. “But I believe you are the best of them, and you certainly remind me of your mother when you speak in that earnest fashion. Here, take the key, then, but be sure you lock the door when you go in, and when you come out again in the morning. I trust to you that that little wild, impertinent sister of yours doesn’t escape—now, remember.”
“While I am there she will not,” answered Helen. “Thank you, auntie. You look very tired yourself, won’t you go to bed now?”
“I will, child. I’m fairly beat out. Such a scene is enough to disturb the strongest nerves. Only what about the other children? Are they still carousing30 in that wicked way in the garret?”
“No. I am sure they have gone to bed, thoroughly31 ashamed of themselves. But I will go and see to them.”
“One thing more, child. Before I go to bed I should like to fill in a telegraph form to Miss Grinsted. If she gets it the first thing in the morning she can reach here to-morrow night. Well, Helen, again objecting; you evidently mean to cross me in everything; now what is the matter? Why has your face such a piteous look upon it?”
“Only this, Aunt Maria. Until father returns I am quite willing to obey you, and I will do my best to make the others good and obedient. But I do think he would be vexed32 at your getting Miss Grinsted until you have spoken to him. Won’t you wait until Monday before you telegraph for her?”
“I’ll sleep on it, anyhow,” replied Mrs. Cameron. “Good night, child. You remind me very much of your mother—not in appearance, but in the curious way you come round a person, and insist upon having everything done exactly as you like. Now, my dear, good night. I consider you all the[Pg 59] most demoralized household, but I won’t be here long before matters are on a very different footing.”
The bedroom door really closed upon Aunt Maria, and Helen drew a long breath.
Oh, for Monday to arrive! Oh, for any light to guide the perplexed33 child in this crisis! But she had no time to think now. She flew to the garret, to find only the wreck34 of the feast and one or two candles flickering35 in their sockets36. She put the candles out, and went next to the children’s bedrooms. Bob and Bunny, with flushed faces, were lying once more in their cribs, fast asleep. They were dreaming and tossing about, and Nurse stood over them with a perplexed and grave face.
“This means nightmare, and physic in the morning,” said the worthy37 woman. “Now, don’t you fret38 and worry your dear head, Miss Helen, pet. Oh, yes, I know all about it, and it was a naughty thing to do, only children will be children. Your aunt needn’t expect that her old crabbed39 head and ways will fit on young shoulders. You might go to Miss Firefly, though, for a minute, Miss Helen, for she’s crying fit to break her heart.”
Helen went off at once. Firefly was a very excitable and delicate child. She found the little creature with her head buried under the clothes, her whole form shaken with sobs40.
“Lucy, darling,” said Helen.
The seldom-used name aroused the weeping child; she raised her head, and flung two thin arms so tightly round Helen’s neck that she felt half strangled.
“Oh, it’s so awful, Nell; what will she do to poor Polly! Oh, poor Polly! Will she half kill her, Nell?”
“No, Fly—how silly of you to take such an idea into your head. Fly, dear, stop crying at once—you know you have all been naughty, and Polly has hurt Aunt Maria, and hurt me, too. You none of you knew Aunt Maria was coming, but I did not think you would play such a trick on me, and when father was away, too.”
“It wasn’t Polly’s fault,” said Firefly, eagerly. “She was tempted41, and we were the tempters. We all came round her, and we did coax42, so hard, and Polly gave way, ’cause she wanted to make us happy. She’s a darling, the dearest darling in all the world, and if Aunt Maria hurts her and she dies, I—I——”
The little face worked in a paroxysm of grief and agony.
“Don’t, Fly,” said Helen. “You are much too tired and excited for me to talk calmly to you to-night. You have been naughty, darling, and so has Polly, and real naughtiness is always punished, always, somehow or another. But you need not be afraid that any real harm will happen to Polly. I am going to her in a moment or two, so you need not be in the least anxious. Now fold your hands, Fly, and say ‘Our Father.’ Say it slowly after me.”
Firefly’s sobs had become much less. She now lay quiet, her little chest still heaving, but with her eyes open, and fixed43 with a pathetic longing44 on Helen’s face.
“You’re nearly as good as mother,” she said. “And I love you. But Polly always, always must come first. Nell, I’ll say ‘Our Father,’ only not the part about forgiving, for I can’t forgive Aunt Maria.”
“My dear child, you are talking in a very silly way. Aunt Maria has done nothing but her duty, nothing to make you really angry with her. Now, Fly, it is late, and Polly wants me. Say those dear words, for mother’s sake.”
There was no child at Sleepy Hollow who would not have done anything for mother’s sake, so the prayer was whispered with some fresh gasps45 of pain and contrition46, and before Helen left the room, little Lucy’s pretty dark eyes were closed, and her small, sallow, excitable face was tranquil47.
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收听单词发音
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1
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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2
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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4
bumpers
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| （汽车上的）保险杠，缓冲器( bumper的名词复数 ) | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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repletion
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| n.充满，吃饱 | |
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7
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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8
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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9
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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10
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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11
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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12
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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13
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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14
giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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15
victuals
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| n.食物；食品 | |
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16
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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17
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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18
glib
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| adj.圆滑的，油嘴滑舌的 | |
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20
dispersed
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| adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
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21
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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22
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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23
stumped
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| 僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说 | |
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24
waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
truant
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| n.懒惰鬼，旷课者；adj.偷懒的，旷课的，游荡的；v.偷懒，旷课 | |
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26
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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27
orphans
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| 孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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28
mete
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| v.分配；给予 | |
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29
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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30
carousing
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| v.痛饮，闹饮欢宴( carouse的现在分词 ) | |
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31
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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32
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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33
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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36
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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37
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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38
fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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39
crabbed
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| adj.脾气坏的；易怒的；（指字迹）难辨认的；（字迹等）难辨认的v.捕蟹( crab的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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40
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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41
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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42
coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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43
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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44
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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45
gasps
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| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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46
contrition
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| n.悔罪，痛悔 | |
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47
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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