Of all things in the world that tried Polly's patience most were the troublesome little black buttons that originally adorned1 those useful parts of her clothing, and that were fondly supposed to be there when needed. But they never were. The little black things seemed to be invested with a special spite, for one by one they would hop2 off on the slightest provocation3, and go rolling over the floor, just when she was in her most terrible hurry, compelling her to fly for needle and thread on the instant. For one thing Mrs. Pepper was very strict about—and that was, Polly should do nothing else till the buttons were all on again, and the boots buttoned up firm and snug4.
“Oh dear!” said Polly, sitting down on the floor, and pulling on her stockings. “There now, see that hateful old shoe, mamsie!” And she thrust out one foot in dismay.
“What's the matter with it?” said Mrs. Pepper straightening the things on the bureau. “You haven't worn it out already, Polly?”
“Oh no,” said Polly, with a little laugh. “I hope not yet, but it's these dreadful hateful old buttons!” And she twitched5 the boot off from her foot with such an impatient little pull, that three or four more went flying under the bed. “There now—there's a lot more. I don't care! I wish they'd all go; they might as well!” she cried, tossing that boot on the floor in intense scorn, while she investigated the state of the other one.
“Are they all off?” asked Phronsie, pulling herself up out of a little heap in the middle of the bed, and leaning over the side, where she viewed Polly sorrowfully. “Every one, Polly?”
“No,” said Polly, “but I wish they were, mean old things; when I was going down to play a duet with Jasper! We should have had a good long time before breakfast. Oh, mayn't I go just once, mamsie? Nobody'll see me if I tuck my foot under the piano; and I can sew 'em on afterwards—there'll be plenty of time. Do, just once, mamsie!”
“No,” said Mrs. Pepper firmly, “there isn't any time but now. And piano playing isn't very nice when you've got to stick your toes under it to keep your shoes on.”
“Well then,” grumbled6 Polly, hopping7 around in her stocking-feet, “where is the work-basket, mamsie? Oh—here it is on the window-seat.” A rattle8 of spools9, scissors and necessary utensils10 showed plainly that Polly had found it, followed by a jumble11 of words and despairing ejaculations as she groped hurriedly under chairs and tables to collect the scattered12 contents.
When she got back with a very red face, she found Phronsie, who had crawled out of bed, sitting down on the floor in her little nightgown and examining the boot with profound interest.
“I can sew 'em, Polly,” she said, holding up her hand for the big needle that Polly was trying to thread—“I can now truly; let me, Polly, do!”
“Dear no!” said Polly with a little laugh, beginning to be very much ashamed. “What could you do with your little mites13 of hands pulling this big thread through that old leather? There, scamper14 into bed again; you'll catch cold out here.
“Tisn't very cold,” said Phronsie, tucking up her toes under the night-gown, but Polly hurried her into bed, where she curled herself up under the clothes, watching her make a big knot. But the knot didn't stay; for when Polly drew up the long thread triumphantly15 to the end—out it flew, and away the button hopped16 again as if glad to be released. And then the thread kinked horribly, and got all twisted up in disagreeable little snarls17 that took all Polly's patience to unravel18.
“It's because you're in such a hurry,” said Mrs. Pepper, who was getting Phronsie's clothes. And coming over across the room she got down on one knee, and looked over Polly's shoulder. “There now, let mother see what's the matter.”
“Oh dear,” said Polly, resigning the needle with a big sigh, and leaning back to take a good stretch, followed by Phronsie's sympathizing eyes; “they never'll be on! And there goes the first bell!” as the loud sounds under Jane's vigorous ringing pealed19 up over the stairs. “There won't be time anyway, now! I wish there wasn't such a thing as shoes in the world!” And she gave a flounce and sat up straight in front of her mother.
“Polly!” said Mrs. Pepper sternly, deftly20 fastening the little buttons tightly into place with quick, firm stitches, “better be glad you've got them to sew at all. There now, here they are. Those won't come off in a hurry!”
“Oh, mamsie!” cried Polly, ignoring for a moment the delights of the finished shoe to fling her arms around her mother's neck and give her a good hug. “You're just the splendidest, goodest mamsie in all the world. And I'm a hateful, cross old bear, so I am!” she cried remorsefully21, buttoning herself into her boots. Which done, she flew at the rest of her preparations and tried to make up for lost time.
But 'twas all of no use. The day seemed to be always just racing22 ahead of her, and turning a corner, before she could catch up to it, and Ben and the other boys only caught dissolving views of her as she flitted through halls or over stairs.
“Where's Polly?” said Percy at last, coming with great dissatisfaction in his voice to the library door. “We've called her, I guess a million times, and she won't hurry.”
“What do you want to have her do?” asked Jasper, looking up from the sofa where he had flung himself with a book.
“Why, she said she'd make Van and me our sails you know,” said Percy, holding up a rather forlorn looking specimen23 of a boat, but which the boys had carved with the greatest enthusiasm, “and we want her now.”
“Can't you let her alone till she's ready to come?” said Jasper quickly. “You're always teasing her to do something,” he added.
“I didn't tease,” said Percy indignantly, coming up to the sofa, boat in hand, to enforce his words. “She said she'd love to do 'em, so there, Jasper King!”
“Coming! coming!” sang Polly over the stairs, and bobbing into the library, “Oh—here you are, Percy! I couldn't come before; mamsie wanted me. Now, says I, for the sails.” And she began to flap out a long white piece of cotton cloth on the table to trim into just the desired shape.
“That isn't the way,” said Percy, crowding up, the brightness that had flashed over his face at Polly's appearance beginning to fade. “Hoh! those won't be good for anything—those ain't sails.”
“I haven't finished,” said Polly, snipping24 away vigorously, and longing25 to get back to mamsie. “Wait till they're done; then they'll be good—as good as can be!”
“And it's bad enough to have to make them,” put in Jasper, flinging aside his book and rolling over to watch them, “without having to be found fault with every second, Percy.”
“They're too big,” said Percy, surveying them critically, and then looking at his boat.
“Oh, that corner's coming off,” cried Polly cheerfully, giving it a sharp cut that sent it flying on the floor. “And they won't be too big when they're done, Percy, all hemmed26 and everything. There,” as she held one up for inspection27, “that's just the way I used to make Ben's and mine, when we sailed boats.”
“Is it?” asked Percy, looking with more respect at the piece of cloth Polly was waving alluringly28 before him. “Just exactly like it, Polly?”
“Yes,” said Polly, laying it down again for a pattern—“oh, how does this go—oh—that's it, there—yes, this is just exactly like Bensie's and mine—that was when I was ever so little; and then I used to make Joel's and Davie's afterwards and—”
“And were theirs just like this?” asked Percy, laying his hand on the sail she had finished cutting out.
“Pre-cisely,” said Polly, with a pin in her mouth. “Just as like as two peas, Percy Whitney.”
“Then I like them,” cried Percy, veering29 round and regarding them with great satisfaction—as Van bounded in with a torrent30 of complaints, and great disappointment in every line of his face.
“Oh now, that's too bad!” he cried, seeing Polly fold up the remaining bits of cloth, and pick up the scraps31 on the floor. “And you've gone and let her cut out every one of 'em, and never told me a word! You're a mean, old hateful thing, Percy Whitney!”
“Oh don't!” said Polly, on her knees on the floor.
“I forgot—” began Percy, “and she cut 'em so quick—and—”
“And I've been waiting,” said Van, in a loud wrathful key, “and waiting—and waiting!”
“Never mind, Van,” said Jasper consolingly, getting off from the sofa and coming up to the table.
“They're done and done beautifully, aren't they?” he said, holding up one.
But this only proved fresh fuel for the fire of Van's indignation.
“And you shan't have 'em, so!” he cried, making a lunge at the one on the table, “for I made most of the boat, there!”
“Oh no, you didn't!” cried Percy in the greatest alarm, hanging on to the boat in his hand. “I cut—all the keel—and the bow—and—”
“Oh dear!” said Polly, in extreme dismay, looking at Jasper. “Come, I'll tell you what I'll do, boys.”
“What?” said Van, cooling off a little, and allowing Percy to edge into a corner with the beloved boat and one sail. “What will you, Polly?”
“I'll make you another pair of sails,” said Polly groaning32 within herself as she thought of the wasted minutes, “and then you can see me cut 'em, Van.”
“Will you really,” he said, delight coming all over his flushed face.
“Yes, I will,” cried Polly, “wait a minute till I get some more cloth.” And she started for the door.
“Oh now, that's too bad!” said Jasper. “To have to cut more of those tiresome33 old things! Van, let her off!”
“Oh no, I won't! I won't!” he cried in the greatest alarm, running up to her as she stood by the door. “You did say so, Polly! You know you did!”
“Of course I did, Vanny,” said Polly, smiling down into his eager face, “and we'll have a splendid pair in just—one—minute!” she sang.
And so the sails were cut out, and the hems34 turned down and basted35, and tucked away into Polly's little work-basket ready for the sewing on the morrow. And then Mr. King came in and took Jasper off with him; and the two Whitney boys went up to mamma for a story; and Polly sat down in mamsie's room to tackle her French exercise.
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1
adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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2
hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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3
provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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4
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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5
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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6
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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7
hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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8
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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9
spools
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| n.（绕线、铁线、照相软片等的）管( spool的名词复数 )；络纱；纺纱机；绕圈轴工人v.把…绕到线轴上（或从线轴上绕下来）( spool的第三人称单数 )；假脱机（输出或输入） | |
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10
utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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11
jumble
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| vt.使混乱，混杂；n.混乱；杂乱的一堆 | |
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12
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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13
mites
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| n.（尤指令人怜悯的）小孩( mite的名词复数 )；一点点；一文钱；螨 | |
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14
scamper
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| v.奔跑，快跑 | |
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15
triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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16
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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17
snarls
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| n.（动物的）龇牙低吼( snarl的名词复数 )；愤怒叫嚷（声）；咆哮（声）；疼痛叫声v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的第三人称单数 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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18
unravel
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| v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开 | |
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19
pealed
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| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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21
remorsefully
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| adv.极为懊悔地 | |
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22
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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23
specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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24
snipping
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| n.碎片v.剪( snip的现在分词 ) | |
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25
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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26
hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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27
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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28
alluringly
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| 诱人地，妩媚地 | |
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29
veering
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| n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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30
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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31
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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32
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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33
tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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34
hems
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| 布的褶边，贴边( hem的名词复数 )； 短促的咳嗽 | |
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35
basted
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| v.打( baste的过去式和过去分词 )；粗缝；痛斥；（烤肉等时）往上抹[浇]油 | |
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