There was no harm about Clive; he was simply a young, restless, fast- growing boy, who constantly wanted fresh outlets9 for his energies. He loved to tease his cousins, but met his match in Merle, who generally turned the tables and carried the war into the enemy's camp. When they were not sparring or playing jokes upon one another, the two were firm allies. Merle had always wished for a brother, and lively Clive was a companion after her own heart. Mrs. Ramsay, indeed, complained that her younger daughter was becoming an utter tomboy, but she was glad for the two to be together, as she could trust Merle not to allow her cousin to go too far, and to keep him from endangering either his own limbs or the safety and comfort of other people.
The Spring term had advanced only a few weeks when a most untoward10 thing happened. Merle got mumps11! How she picked them up nobody knew, but, as mother said, in a doctor's house you may always be prepared to catch anything, and it was a marvel12 the children had had so few complaints. Merle was not really very ill, but her face and neck were swollen13 and painful, and, worst of all, she was considered in a highly infectious condition and was carefully isolated14 in a top bedroom. Neither Mavis nor Clive had had mumps, and it was hoped they might escape, though as they had been with Merle the germs might still be incubating. Mavis was, of course, not allowed to go to 'The Moorings,' and Clive was debarred from his lessons at The Vicarage, and they had to preserve a species of quarantine, equally trying to them both, for at Dr. Tremayne's suggestion Mavis turned temporary governess to Clive and coached him in several subjects in which he was deficient15. The young rascal16, highly aggrieved17 at this unexpected tuition, took liberties with his gentle cousin which he would not have dared to take with Mr. Carey, and extracted as much fun as possible from his studies. Mavis was quite sure he made mistakes on purpose, and pretended to be stupid in order to reduce the standard of what was required, but the main object was to keep him quiet and out of mischief18, and her teaching served that end at any rate.
"I wouldn't be a mistress in a boys' preparatory school if they offered me a thousand a year!" she told Mother. "I'd rather clean doorsteps, or sew buttons on shirts at a farthing a dozen, or sell watercress, or wash dishes in a restaurant!"
"Nonsense! It's not so bad as all that, surely!" laughed Mrs. Ramsay. "If you knew how the little wretch19 rags me! I only wish it was Merle who had to teach him and that I had the mumps instead. It must be nice and quite comfortable by the fire upstairs!"
Merle, however, did not at all appreciate the privilege of being ill and confined to one room. She was not so fond of indoor amusements as her sister, and soon tired of reading and drawing and games of patience. Her great grievance21 was that she was left so much alone. Mrs. Ramsay had to attend to Aunt Nellie, to answer the telephone, and to interview patients who came while the doctors were out and to take their messages, as well as to do the housekeeping, so she was kept constantly busy and had not much time to sit upstairs with Merle. Dr. Tremayne and her father paid her flying visits, but these were too short to content her.
"What's five minutes out of a long day?" she asked. "It's too bad! When Mavis used to have bronchitis we all almost lived in her bedroom. Nobody makes the least fuss about me! You don't even look decently sorry or very sympathetic! You come smiling in as if mumps were a sort of joke. It isn't a smiling matter to me, I can tell you. I'm fed up with them!"
"Poor old lady! It's a shame to laugh at your big face! Shall I cry instead?" said Father.
"It wouldn't seem quite so heartless!" retorted his indignant patient.
Next day Merle received a letter, which was pushed under the door. It was all in rhyme, and as it was in Dr. Ramsay's handwriting she concluded that her father must have sat up late the night before courting the muse20 of poetry. His verses ran as follows:
MERLE WITH MUMPS
When Merle was suffering from the mumps
She felt most down and in the dumps;
Her friends, to cheer her up the while,
Laughed at her face to make her smile.
But eyeing with reproach her folk
She told them 'twas a sorry joke.
"Hard-hearted wretches," so she cried,
"To jeer22 while here upstairs I bide23!"
Having no bad intent to tease her,
But wishing only just to please her,
Her family then ceased their jeers24
And showed their sympathy in tears.
Her mother, who her pillow set,
Dropped tears and made the room quite wet,
And gurgled forth25, "Alack-a-day,
That here upstairs with mumps you stay!"
Her uncle just outside the door
Sobbed26 till his chest was hoarse27 and sore,
And, swallowing in his throat some lumps,
He mourned, "My Niece has got the mumps"
The maids who came her plight28 to see
Splashed tears in cups of milk or tea;
The room it grew so very damp
Her limbs began to feel the cramp29.
Her father to her chamber30 crept,
And lifted up his voice and wept;
With kerchief of capacious size
He stood and groaned31 and mopped his eyes.
So big the tears that from him fell
They were enough to make a well,
And, standing32 in a pool of water,
He sighed, "Alack! my mumpsy daughter!"
"Stop! Stop!" cried Merle, "O don't be sad!
These waterworks will drive me mad!
Good gracious, how I wish you'd smile
Instead of weeping all the while!
"Cheer up, for goodness' sake, I pray,
And treat me in your usual way.
No more I'll call you hearts of leather,
In spite of mumps we'll laugh together!"
Perhaps the family thought they had not done enough to relieve the tedium33 of Merle's banishment34; at any rate they set to work and made great efforts to amuse her. Mavis sketched35 her portrait, adding wings and a halo, and printed underneath36 "Saint Merle suffering her Martyrdom." Mother clicked away on the typewriter, and deposited a document in her daughter's room, which claimed to be:
Extract from "The Durracombe and Devon Times"
SOCIETY GOSSIP
It is with sincere regret that we record the indisposition of that leader of our local social life, Miss Merle Ramsay. Well known for her dramatic talent, she lately acted the part of principal boy at an important performance held in Chagmouth, the Metropolis38 of the West. Her audience, which included some of the most celebrated39 critics and press representatives of the neighbourhood, was unanimous in acknowledging her spirited conception of what was certainly a difficult and delicate role, which, in less skilled hands than hers, might have degenerated40 into buffoonery or sheer melodrama41. She was greatly to be congratulated on her achievement, and it is hoped this is not the last time she will appear on the boards and give Devon audiences the opportunity of enjoying her rare humour. It may be noted42 that, in addition to her powers of dramatic representation, Miss Ramsay has no mean record in the world of sport.
Her athletic43 proclivities44 are marked, and she has the distinguished45 honour of being president of the Games Club at that great west country centre of education 'The Moorings.' Among her many activities Miss Ramsay numbers a facility in music and an affection for horticulture; she has travelled much in the immediate46 neighbourhood of Durracombe, and her favourite hobby is motoring.
Miss Ramsay, who through the nature of her indisposition was unable to afford our press representative a personal interview, sent messages of thanks for the local sympathy expressed for her condition.
"It is a matter of much gratification to me to know that I am missed," were her words; "I trust soon to be back at work and to be able to fulfil my many engagements." At the request of the local Entertainments Committee we are asked to state that, owing to the absence of their most prominent member, no further performances will be given for the present. We wish Miss Ramsay a speedy return to health.
Merle laughed very much over these literary effusions, and they certainly had the effect of cheering her up. What she pined for chiefly, however, was company. She had a very sociable47 disposition37 and hated to be alone. She particularly missed Clive, who had grown to be her best playfellow. She begged for the dog or the cat to share her solitude48, but that was strictly49 forbidden on the ground that they might be germ-carriers and convey the mumps to others. One day she was sitting at her table trying to amuse herself with an everlasting50 game of patience, when she suddenly heard peculiar51 noises on the roof above. There was a scraping and bumping, as if an eagle or some other enormous bird had alighted there. The sounds continued till at last there was a thump52 on the skylight and Clive's mischievous53 face appeared grinning down at her. Immensely thrilled she lifted the window, and he crawled farther along and thrust his head through.
"Hello, old girl! How are you getting on? I say! You do look rather a sight! I wanted to have a squint54 at you! Are you going to have your photo taken?"
"Don't be a young beast! How did you get up here?"
"They're repainting the house next door, so I took French leave and borrowed the tall ladder. I've had rather a business clambering about till I found your window. I say, does your face hurt?"
"Not much now, but it did at first."
"You look like the picture of the fat woman at a fair!"
"Wait till you get it yourself, and then I'll jeer."
"I'm awfully55 sorry for you! Look here, I've brought you some toffee. Can you catch it if I throw it down? I've finished that boat we were making. Tom helped me. Mavis is hemming56 some sails; then I'm going to try it on the reservoir. I wish you could come with me!"
"So do I," said the patient dolefully. "But that's out of the question. Don't you think you ought to be going back? Suppose somebody takes away the ladder!"
"I'd drop down into your room then."
"And catch the mumps?"
"Shouldn't much care if it meant missing my lessons!"
"I can hear somebody coming upstairs!"
"I'll be off then. Ta-ta! You're not exactly beautiful, but on the whole you don't look so bad as I expected. You needn't tell anybody I came! Bye-bye!"
On the 14th of February Merle was still a prisoner. She had almost forgotten there was such a saint as St. Valentine, so it came as a great surprise to find certain mysterious parcels brought up on her breakfast tray. There were flowers and a packet of chocolates, and a new game of solitaire, and an amusing little mascot57 dog with a movable head. It was almost like having a birthday. On the top of the parcels was an envelope addressed in a disguised handwriting. It contained a sheet of pink paper bearing the picture of a heart pierced by an arrow, while Cupid drew his bow in the distance. Underneath was written:
"Sweet Merle, of Durracombe the belle58,
Accept this heart that loves you well:
A heart most tender, kind, and true,
That lives and beats for only you!
'Twere cruel in this faithful heart
To plant and fix so big a dart59,
So heal its wound I beg and pray,
And be my VALENTINE to-day!"
The sender, as is usual in valentines, remained anonymous60, and Merle could only guess at the authorship, though she had strong suspicions of Daddy and taxed him with it.
"St. Valentine never lets out secrets!" he twinkled. "He's a most discreet61 old gentleman. People don't make as much use of him as formerly62. Very foolish of them, for he came in extremely handy. It's a pity to let good old customs drop. A St. Valentine revival63 society might be rather a good idea. By the by, that heart isn't anatomically correct! It looks more like a specimen64 from a butcher's shop than the human variety!"
"Don't be horrid65!" laughed Merle. "You can't expect Cupid to know the difference! He's sent me some nice things. Aren't there any more saints in the calendar who bring presents? What's the next red-letter day?"
"Nothing till Shrove Tuesday, my dear, and by that time, I hope, you'll be downstairs again, and eating your pancakes with the rest of the family."
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1
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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outgrown
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| 长[发展] 得超过（某物）的范围( outgrow的过去分词 )； 长[发展]得不能再要（某物）； 长得比…快； 生长速度超过 | |
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strutted
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| 趾高气扬地走，高视阔步( strut的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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perturbed
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| adj.烦燥不安的v.使（某人）烦恼，不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
outlets
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| n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店 | |
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10
untoward
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| adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的 | |
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11
mumps
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| n.腮腺炎 | |
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12
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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13
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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14
isolated
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| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
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15
deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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16
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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17
aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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18
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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19
wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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20
muse
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| n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感 | |
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21
grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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22
jeer
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| vi.嘲弄，揶揄；vt.奚落；n.嘲笑，讥评 | |
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23
bide
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| v.忍耐；等候；住 | |
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24
jeers
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| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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25
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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26
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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27
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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28
plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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29
cramp
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| n.痉挛；[pl.](腹)绞痛；vt.限制，束缚 | |
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30
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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31
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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32
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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33
tedium
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| n.单调；烦闷 | |
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34
banishment
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| n.放逐，驱逐 | |
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35
sketched
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| v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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36
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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37
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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38
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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39
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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40
degenerated
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
melodrama
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| n.音乐剧；情节剧 | |
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42
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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43
athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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44
proclivities
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| n.倾向，癖性( proclivity的名词复数 ) | |
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45
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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46
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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47
sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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48
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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49
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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50
everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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51
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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52
thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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53
mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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54
squint
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| v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的 | |
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55
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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56
hemming
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| 卷边 | |
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57
mascot
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| n.福神，吉祥的东西 | |
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58
belle
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| n.靓女 | |
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59
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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60
anonymous
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| adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的 | |
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61
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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62
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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63
revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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64
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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65
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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