小说搜索     点击排行榜   最新入库
首页 » 儿童英文小说 » The Mean-Wells » CHAPTER VI MRS. TICKELL, MRS. WALL, AND AN ACCIDENT
选择底色: 选择字号:【大】【中】【小】
CHAPTER VI MRS. TICKELL, MRS. WALL, AND AN ACCIDENT
关注小说网官方公众号(noveltingroom),原版名著免费领。
 “INFANTS!” said Geoffrey, popping his head round the nursery door, “come up in the orchard1; I’ve rigged up such a jolly swing there!”
 
Priscilla and Loveday looked up from their play quite excited by the news. They were keeping a shop at the moment—a book-shop—and had all their nursery books and all the bits of paper and string they could collect arranged before them on the window-seat, which made a splendid counter. Books made such nice parcels, and were so easy to wrap up. On the counter, too, they had an old Japanese jewel-case that their mother had given them some time ago; it had two drawers, with handles, so made a beautiful till for their money, and they were doing such good business that already the till was heavy with the weight of the cowries it held.
 
Priscilla had just wrapped up her “Playing Trades,” and handed it across the counter to a customer, saying, “That will be half-a-crown—thank you,” and was searching the till for a sixpenny-piece, when Geoffrey opened the nursery door and popped his head in. Business came to a standstill at once, and the two little shopwomen hurried away, leaving books, and till, and everything. Half-way down the stairs Priscilla stopped.
 
“Loveday,” she said, “don’t you think it would be rather nice if you bought some sweets with your penny, and we ate them while we were swinging?”
 
Loveday nodded.
 
“You will both wait for me while I am gone to buy them, won’t you? You won’t be mean, and go on and begin to swing till I come?”
 
“All right,” said Geoffrey; “we’ll wait if you don’t take too long.” Loveday, being the only one possessed2 of any wealth, had to be treated with consideration. “Cut along, infant!”
 
Loveday had actually taken two steps, but Geoffrey’s words brought her back again.
 
“I don’t think you ought to call us infants,” she said severely3. “It doesn’t sound at all nice, and if you do it again I don’t think I shall give you a single sweet. We aren’t infants; father said so. Infants are—are—well, we aren’t infants.”
 
“I think we will go on and begin to swing,” said Geoffrey, to tease her—“don’t you, Prissy? If we wait for the end of this conversation I am afraid the tree will die of old age.”
 
“I don’t know how you can like to be such a rude boy,” said Loveday cuttingly. “Nobody thinks rude boys funny or nice.”
 
There were two sweet-shops quite near to Dr. Carlyon’s house, and the children were allowed to go alone to both of them. Mrs. Tickell’s was on one side of the street, and Mrs. Wall’s was almost opposite. Mrs. Tickell was the favourite with the children; she was always more pleasant and smiling and patient than Mrs. Wall, and gave more generous measure. On the other hand, the children found Mr. Tickell rather a drawback. True, he was not often in the shop, as he was generally busy in the bakehouse, for the Tickells, in addition to having sweets and apples, and prize-packets and little china figures, made cakes and pasties and jam-tarts to sell. But when Mr. Tickell was in the shop he always stood by the half-door, and asked the most trying questions, such as: “Now, can you say to me your six times right through without a mistake?” or, “Can you tell me when Henry the Eighth began to reign4?” Once he even asked Geoffrey to say his dates right through, before the Conquest and all. It was really dreadful, and as he always stood by the door, there was no escaping him.
 
But Mrs. Tickell was so kind, and Emily, their daughter, was so beloved by the children, that they bore with Mr. Tickell for their sakes, and the shop remained their favourite.
 
Mr. Wall was of no account at all; the children had a notion that he would be kind if he were left to himself, but that he was afraid of Mrs. Wall. He very seldom spoke5, and when he did it was only to say something that they all thought very silly, such as “Fine weather this for little ducks,” or something equally aggravating6. So they put him down in their minds as a weak creature, and took very little interest in him. Mrs. Wall was a very solemn and unsmiling person. She never grew friendly as Mrs. Tickell did. Priscilla heard some one once telling a story of the Walls’ only son, who had died, she gathered, in sometragic, mysterious way a long time ago, before she was born or was old enough to remember anything. But what struck her even more than the story was the remark, “And Mrs. Wall has never smiled since.”
 
After that, whenever she was within sight of Mrs. Wall, Priscilla was always watching her to see if this was true or not. She would hardly believe that she did not forget sometimes, and smile before she remembered; but Priscilla had never yet seen her do so.
 
“It must be dreadful for Mr. Wall to have her always looking so—so cross,” she confided7 to her father one day. “As for him, I don’t think he could smile if he wanted to; his mouth is so very wide it couldn’t possibly go any wider.”
 
To-day Loveday ran off with her penny in her hand to buy some bull’s-eyes at Mrs. Tickell’s, but, as usual, she examined both the shop windows thoroughly8 first, that she might get some idea as to how best to lay out her money, and she was very glad she did, for in Mrs. Wall’s window there was quite a large assortment9 of new things; there were pink and white sugar mice, black liquorice babies with red lips and blue eyes, sugar bird-cages, and little cocoa-nut fish-cakes. They were all two a penny but the mice, and those were a farthing each.
 
Loveday felt, after gazing for some time, that she must have one of the dolls, and that she wanted two of the mice. So she pushed open the shop door and went in. A bell behind the door jangled loudly, so Loveday knew that Mrs. Wall was upstairs “cleaning,” and that Mr. Wall was absent, for the bell was alwaysunhung and placed on the counter if they were at hand.
 
Loveday liked to find the shop empty—it gave her time to look about; but to-day, when she had looked about her for a few minutes, she remembered that Geoffrey and Priscilla were waiting for her, and would begin without her if she did not make haste, so she hammered sharply on the counter with her penny, to make Mrs. Wall hurry. Silence followed. She waited again what seemed to her a very long time, then knocked once more, this time even more loudly. Still silence.
 
During the next few minutes Loveday quite changed her mind as to what she would spend her money on. She suddenly remembered that Emily Tickell had told her she had some beautiful rose-drops coming in, and some honey-drops; and Loveday loved both. Besides which, the thought crossed her mind that it might not be easy to divide the two mice and the one doll. The mice were very hard to break, and she could not give the whole doll to one; it would not be fair. She wished then that she had not come to Mrs. Wall’s, and was just wondering if she could creep out of the shop again without being seen, when she heard a sound, and Mrs. Wall opened the little glass-topped door, and came up the two steps leading from the parlour to the shop. She looked rather crosser and sterner than usual.
 
“I had only just gone up to change,” she said sharply, “and as sure as ever I go, that bell is certain to ring. What can I do for you, miss?”
 
Loveday felt uncomfortable; her heart was quite set now on getting the rose-drops and the honey-drops, and not the doll or the mice, but what could she say or do! Then a way out of her difficulty suddenly opened out before her.
 
“Please, can you change a penny for me?” she asked very politely.
 
Mrs. Wall did not say anything, but her lips set a little more tightly than usual as she went to the till and took out two halfpennies.
 
“Thank you,” said Loveday, with a sigh of relief, and, hurrying out, she flew across the road to the Tickells’ shop, almost opposite. As she reached the door she glanced back for one more look at Mrs. Wall’s fascinating store, but all she saw was Mrs. Wall’s cold stern eye looking after her with anything but an amiable10 expression in it, and she turned with relief to Emily Tickell’s welcoming smile.
 
When at last she reached the orchard with her two precious packets in her hands, Geoffrey and Priscilla were busy arranging a bit of wood for a seat for the swing. They had not been swinging, they assured her, at least only just trying it to see if it was all right, and Loveday was satisfied and distributed her sweets.
 
But as soon as the sweets were in their mouths they began, and what a glorious time they did have for a while!
 
They swung so high, and it seemed so dangerous and exciting, and sometimes they took it in turns to swing, sometimes two got on together, and once even the three of them.
 
“Perhaps we hadn’t better all get on together again,” said Priscilla after that, looking at the slim skipping-rope they had all been depending on. “It isn’t a very strong one, is it?”
 
“Strong enough,” said Geoffrey.
 
“Let’s play something else now,” said Loveday, flinging herself down on the grass. “I am tired of swinging, and it makes me feel rather sick.”
 
Priscilla was sitting in the swing, just lazily moving it. “What shall we do, then?” she asked reluctantly. “I don’t think we will stop quite yet; let’s go on for a little while longer, just one or two more swings, and you watch us, Loveday, like a darling.”
 
“I can’t watch you,” said Loveday; “it makes my head swing too.”
 
“I tell you what,” said Geoffrey, “we’ll just have one more good turn, then I’ll get out the sticks and hoops11, and we’ll have a game of ‘La Grace.’ You sit where you are, Prissy, and when I’ve given you a good start I’ll spring up at the back of you. Loveday, you can look away if it makes you giddy;” and with the same he sent the swing with Prissy in it flying up through the air, then back she came, and up she went again and back; but this time Geoffrey held on the ropes, and as the swing swung forward the third time, he sprang up on his feet on to the seat. The ropes quivered and strained, and for a moment their flight was checked; then on they went again, up and down and up; then, with a scream and a heavy thud, they both came down to the ground, Priscilla underneath12, Geoffrey on top of her.
 
Loveday was too bewildered to cry or to scream. At first, in fact, she did not realise what had happened. She thought they were playing some game, and that in a moment they would both jump up with a laugh and a shout; and yet—Priscilla was so very white and still, and lay so long, and though Geoffrey often groaned13 in fun and pretended to be hurt, it was somehow not quite like this; and when at last Geoffrey tried to get up, but only screamed and fell back again, Priscilla still never made a sound or a movement. Geoffrey made one more effort, and dragged himself off Priscilla; but he could not get up, for every time he tried to raise himself on his arm, the pain was greater than he could bear.
 
“I believe I’ve broken my shoulder—or something!” he gasped14. “Loveday, run quick, and tell some one to come! Get father, and—Prissy, Prissy”—he broke off to call his sister. “Oh, why doesn’t she open her eyes? Prissy, speak; do speak.”
 
He tried to move her, but he could not manage that.
 
“Run, Loveday, as fast as ever you can—do!”
 
He looked so ill and scared, and Priscilla looked so dreadful, lying so still with her arms all crumpled15 up under her, that Loveday nearly fainted with fear; but she ran and ran as she had never run before, and all the way her clear shrill16 voice rang out: “Daddy, mother, Nurse, come quick! Where are you? Oh, do come!” She called so loudly, and there was such real distress17 in her voice, that by the time she reached the house her father was hurrying out to meet her; and before she had gasped out half her tale of woe18, he had gathered her up in his arms, and, followed by, it seemed, the whole household, was rushing to[56] the orchard, where Priscilla lay as Loveday had left her, and Geoffrey, as pale now as Priscilla, was still struggling to get up and at the same time to choke back the tears of pain that would force their way up.
 
Then there followed a busy, sad, painful time, when, between them all, they got the two injured ones to bed, and attended to their hurts. Geoffrey’s shoulder was not fractured, but it was dislocated, and he had strained and bruised19 both arms.
 
“If you had fallen backwards,” said Dr. Carlyon gravely, “instead of forwards, you would probably have dislocated your neck. How could you run yourself and your sisters into such a danger? It was most culpable20 of you.”
 
“It seemed all right,” groaned poor Geoffrey, “and I don’t know now why we fell. The branch was a strong one——”
 
“Yes, but the rope was not, and you put it up loosely, so that it rubbed every time you swung, and, of course, rubbed through in a very little while. You shall see the frayed21 ends when you are well enough; perhaps it will help to teach you how a swing should not be hung.”
 
Poor Priscilla had a fractured arm and a cut head, and was badly bruised all over; and when, poor child, she awoke from her unconsciousness, she found herself one big block of pain from head to heels, or so it seemed to her. But worst of all, perhaps, was the dreadful pain in her head from the blow, and the jerk, and the shock. She could not endure a ray of light, nor a sound, nor to speak or be spoken to.
 
Poor Loveday crept into the bedroom time after time to be near her. She brought her best books and her favourite toys, her paint-box, and even her pink parasol to lend, or to give to Priscilla, if by doing so Priscilla could only be got to look better and to take some interest in things. But Priscilla lay very still and white, moaning occasionally, and did not look at Loveday or her treasures, or seem able to take any interest in anything, and poor little Loveday crept away again, feeling perfectly22 miserable23, and at her wits’ end, for if those things failed, she really did not know what could be done. And if she went to Geoffrey she only felt more miserable, for he was so remorseful24 and unhappy, and kept on saying such dreadful things about himself for having caused it all, that one could not dare ask him to play, or even to read aloud, or to do anything.
 
At last Loveday grew to look so ill and moped, that her father and mother decided25 it would be better for her to go away for a little while to more cheerful surroundings, or she would be ill too. But then came the question: “Where could she go?”
 
“Granny would have her, and be delighted to,” said Mrs. Carlyon, “but I don’t know how to get her up there. I couldn’t possibly travel up and back all in one day, and I should not like to be longer away from home just now. Nor can you be spared either.”
 
“And I would like her to have sea air,” said Dr. Carlyon. “I think it would be much better for her.”
 
“And I would like her to be where she could have a child or so to play with,” added Mrs. Carlyon.
 
So it seemed they had to find a place for Loveday with children, not very far from home, but by the sea. It was Nurse who settled the difficulty at last.
 
“I suppose you wouldn’t like to send her to Bessie, down at Porthcallis, sir, would you? She’s got a nice little cottage, and close to as nice a bit of safe, sandy beach as you could find anywhere, made on purpose for children, I should think, and her own little boy must be nearly as old as Miss Loveday. Bessie does understand children too, and she is very fond of Miss Loveday.”
 
This was one of Nurse’s great anxieties. She could not bear the idea of her “baby” being sent away; but if it was better for her that she should—and Nurse saw that it was—she was anxious that she should go to some one who loved her and would make her happy.
 
Bessie Lobb had been a housemaid for a few years with Dr. and Mrs. Carlyon when Geoffrey and Priscilla were babies. She had left to get married before Loveday was born, but she had been back several times to Trelint to visit her relations, and had always come several times to see her former master and mistress, and children, and Nurse.
 
Every one hailed Nurse’s suggestion with joy, for Porthcallis was only about fifteen miles from Trelint. The beach was, as Nurse said, very safe, the air was beautiful; and Bessie was a good, kind, trustworthy body, and her husband was a nice respectable man, and devoted26 to children.
 
Mrs. Carlyon wrote to Bessie at once, and very quickly a reply came to say that Bessie would be proud and pleased to have Miss Loveday. She had a spare bedroom that Miss Loveday could have, and she would do her best to make her comfortable and happy.
 
“That is capital,” said Mrs. Carylon, greatly relieved that matters were settling themselves so well. “I will write to Bessie at once, and say I will bring Loveday on Thursday.”
 
“Then I had better set to work at once to sort out my toys and begin to pack, I suppose,” said Loveday, in a tone of great importance, “or I am sure I shall never be ready in time.”
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 orchard UJzxu     
n.果园,果园里的全部果树,(美俚)棒球场
参考例句:
  • My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
  • Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。
2 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。
3 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
4 reign pBbzx     
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势
参考例句:
  • The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
  • The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。
5 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。
6 aggravating a730a877bac97b818a472d65bb9eed6d     
adj.恼人的,讨厌的
参考例句:
  • How aggravating to be interrupted! 被打扰,多令人生气呀!
  • Diesel exhaust is particularly aggravating to many susceptible individuals. 许多体质敏感的人尤其反感柴油废气。
7 confided 724f3f12e93e38bec4dda1e47c06c3b1     
v.吐露(秘密,心事等)( confide的过去式和过去分词 );(向某人)吐露(隐私、秘密等)
参考例句:
  • She confided all her secrets to her best friend. 她向她最要好的朋友倾吐了自己所有的秘密。
  • He confided to me that he had spent five years in prison. 他私下向我透露,他蹲过五年监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 thoroughly sgmz0J     
adv.完全地,彻底地,十足地
参考例句:
  • The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
  • The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。
9 assortment FVDzT     
n.分类,各色俱备之物,聚集
参考例句:
  • This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全,任君选择。
  • She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。
10 amiable hxAzZ     
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的
参考例句:
  • She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
  • We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。
11 hoops 528662bd801600a928e199785550b059     
n.箍( hoop的名词复数 );(篮球)篮圈;(旧时儿童玩的)大环子;(两端埋在地里的)小铁弓
参考例句:
  • a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
  • Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎,这个季节的裙圈比较宽大,裙裾却短一些。 来自飘(部分)
12 underneath VKRz2     
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面
参考例句:
  • Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
  • She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣,里面套着一条连衣裙。
13 groaned 1a076da0ddbd778a674301b2b29dff71     
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦
参考例句:
  • He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
  • The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
14 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》
15 crumpled crumpled     
adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式
参考例句:
  • She crumpled the letter up into a ball and threw it on the fire. 她把那封信揉成一团扔进了火里。
  • She flattened out the crumpled letter on the desk. 她在写字台上把皱巴巴的信展平。
16 shrill EEize     
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫
参考例句:
  • Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
  • The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。
17 distress 3llzX     
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛
参考例句:
  • Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
  • Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。
18 woe OfGyu     
n.悲哀,苦痛,不幸,困难;int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌
参考例句:
  • Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
  • A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸,自认福是福。
19 bruised 5xKz2P     
[医]青肿的,瘀紫的
参考例句:
  • his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
  • She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤,摔得鼻青脸肿。
20 culpable CnXzn     
adj.有罪的,该受谴责的
参考例句:
  • The judge found the man culpable.法官认为那个人有罪。
  • Their decision to do nothing makes them culpable.他们不采取任何行动的决定使他们难辞其咎。
21 frayed 1e0e4bcd33b0ae94b871e5e62db77425     
adj.磨损的v.(使布、绳等)磨损,磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • His shirt was frayed. 他的衬衫穿破了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The argument frayed their nerves. 争辩使他们不快。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
22 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。
23 miserable g18yk     
adj.悲惨的,痛苦的;可怜的,糟糕的
参考例句:
  • It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他,这是可耻的。
  • Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。
24 remorseful IBBzo     
adj.悔恨的
参考例句:
  • He represented to the court that the accused was very remorseful.他代被告向法庭陈情说被告十分懊悔。
  • The minister well knew--subtle,but remorseful hypocrite that he was!牧师深知这一切——他是一个多么难以捉摸又懊悔不迭的伪君子啊!
25 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
26 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的
参考例句:
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。


欢迎访问英文小说网

©英文小说网 2005-2010

有任何问题,请给我们留言,管理员邮箱:[email protected]  站长QQ :点击发送消息和我们联系56065533