Mrs. Chatterton, standing1 by her toilet table, carefully examining her wealth of gray hair to note
the changes in its tint2, was suddenly surprised in the very act of picking out an obnoxious3 white
hair, by a slight noise in the further corner of the apartment. And dropping her fingers quickly and
turning away from the glass, she exclaimed, "How dare you, Hortense, come in without
knocking?"
"If you make a noise I'll kill you," declared a man, standing in the shadow of a portiere and
watching her underneath4 a slouched black hat. There was a slight click that caused the listener's
nerves to thrill. But her varied5 life had brought her nothing if not self-control, and she coolly
answered, "If you want my money, say so."
"Not exactly money, ma'am," said the man, "for I don't suppose you have much here. But I'll thank
you to hand over that there box of diamonds." He extended the other hand with its dingy6 fingers
toward a large ebony jewel-case elaborate with its brass7 hinges, and suggestive of double locks, on
a corner of the table.
"If you are determined8 to take it, I suppose I must give it to you," said Mrs. Chatterton, with
evident reluctance9 handing the box designated, very glad to think she had but a few days before
changed the jewels to another repository to escape Hortense's prying10 eyes. In making the
movement she gave a sweeping11 glance out the window. Should she dare to scream? Michael was
busy on the lawn, she knew; she could hear his voice talking to one of the under gardeners.
"See here, old lady," warned the man, "you keep your eyes in the room. Now then," his greedy
glance fastened on the glittering gems12 on her fingers, "I'll thank you to rip them things off." Dick,
racing13 along the further end of the hall after his bird with a "Whoop14, la--I've almost caught you,"
startling him, he proceeded to perform the service for himself.
"There he goes!" cried Dick, "in her room. Bother! Well, I must catch him." So without the
preamble15 of knocking, the boy dashed into the dressing-room. The bird whizzing ahead of him,
flashed between the drawn16 folds of the portiere.
"Excuse me," cried Dick, rushing in, "but my swallow--oh!"
"Go back!" cried Mrs. Chatterton hoarsely17, "you'll be killed."
The bird flying over his head, and the appearance of the boy, disconcerted the robber for one
instant. He held the long white hand in his, tearing off the rings. There was no chance for her to
escape, she knew, but she could save Dick.
"Go back!" she screamed again. There was only a moment to think, but Dick dashed in, and with a
mighty18 spirit, but small fists, he flung himself against the stalwart arms and shoulders.
"O heavens!" screamed Mrs. Chatterton. "He's but a boy, let him go. You shall have the rings.
Help--help!"
Dick, clutching and tearing blindly at whatever in the line of hair or ragged19 garment he could lay
hold of, was waging an unequal warfare20. But what he did was accomplished21 finely. And the bird,
rushing blindly into the midst of the contention22, with whirrings and flappings indescribable, helped
more than an army of servants, to confuse the man. Notwithstanding, it was soon over, but not
before Mrs. Chatterton had wrenched23 her fingers free, and grasped the pistol from its loose hold in
his other hand. The box under his arm fell to the floor, and Dick was just being tossed to the other
side of the room; she could hear him strike the cheval-glass with a dull thud.
"I can shoot as well as you," said Mrs. Chatterton, handling the pistol deftly24. "Make a noise, and I
will."
He knew it, by her eyes, and that she had taken good aim.
"Where are you, Dick?" cried Polly's voice outside, and rapping at the door. "Mrs. Chatterton,
have you seen him?"
"Come in," called Mrs. Chatterton, with firmest of fingers on the trigger and her flashing eyes
fastened upon the seamed, dirty face before her.
Polly threw wide the door.
"We have a man here that we don't want," said Mrs. Chatterton. "I'll take care of him till you get
help. Hurry!"
"Oh, Dick!" cried Polly in a breath, with a fearful glance at the boy lying there.
"I think he's all right, Polly." She dared say no more, for Dick had not stirred.
Polly clasped her hands, and rushed out almost into Jasper's face. "A burglar--a burglar!" and he
dashed into Mrs. Chatterton's room.
"Don't interfere," said Mrs. Chatterton. "I'm a splendid markswoman."
"You needn't shoot," said the man sullenly25. "I won't stir."
"No, I don't think you will," said the gray-haired woman, her eyes alight, and hand firm as a rock.
"Well, here are the men."
Jasper had seized a table-spread, and as Michael and the undergardeners advanced, he went back
of the robber, and cleverly threw it over his head. It was easy to secure and bind26 him then. Polly
rushed over to Dick.
"Turn the creature over and let us see how he looks," said Mr. King, hurrying in as the last knot of
the rope was made fast. The old slouched hat had fallen off in the struggle, and the man's features
came plainly to view. "He's no beauty, and that's a fact."
"I've seen that fellow round here for many a day," said Michael, giving the recumbent legs a small
kick. "Oncet he axed me ef we wanted ony wourk done. I mind yees, yer see," with another
attention from his gardening boot.
"I want to tie one rope," cried a voice. Dick opened his eyes, rubbed them, and felt of his head.
"I'm all right, Polly. I saw stars, but I've got over it, I guess. Let me give him the last knot." He
staggered blindly to his feet.
"I'll tie for you," said Jasper, "trust me, Dick's all right, only stunned," he telegraphed to the
rapidly increasing group.
"Tell his mother so, do, somebody," said old Mr. King.
"Well, Cousin Eunice, you've covered yourself with glory," he turned on her warmly. She had
thrown aside the pistol, and now sank into a chair.
"Never mind," she waved it off carelessly, "I'll imagine the compliments. Just now I want a glass
of wine. Call Hortense, will you?"
The man on the floor tried to raise his head. But he couldn't, so was obliged to content himself
with an ugly grin.
"That bird has flown," he said. "I'll peep. She put me up to it; we was goin' shares on the old lady's
stuff."
With that Mrs. Chatterton's spirit returned. She sprang from her chair, and rushed around from
bureau to closet to see the extent of her maid's dishonesty. But beyond a few minor27 deficiencies of
her wardrobe, there was no robbery to speak of. Evidently Hortense had considered it unwise to be
burdened with much impedimenta. So the robber was hauled off to justice, and Phronsie, coming
wonderingly up the stairs, came softly in upon them, in time to see Dick rush up to Mrs.
Chatterton with a "You're a brick!" before them all.
After that, there was no more hope of keeping things quiet in the house for Phronsie's sake.
Meanwhile the bird, who had played no mean part in the engagement, now asserted himself, and
blindly rushed into capture.
"Isn't he lovely!" cried Phronsie, tearing her gaze off from the wonderful wings, as the swallow
fluttered under the mosquito netting speedily brought in.
"Yes, his wings are," said Polly. "Oh, Dick! do tell over again how it all happened."
So Dick rehearsed once more as far as he knew the story, tossing off lightly his part of it.
"Your poor head, does it ache?" cried Polly, feeling of the big bump on the crown.
"No, not a bit," declared Dick, shaking his brown poll. "I'm glad I didn't crack the glass."
"That heavy plate?" cried Polly, looking over at the cheval-glass with a shiver.
Phronsie deserted28 the fascinating bird, and began to smooth Dick's head with both hands.
"Do let me bathe it," she begged. "I'll get the Pond's Extract."
"No, I won't," said Dick. "It smells awfully29, and I've had so much of it for my leg. I'm all right,
Phronsie. See his wings now--he's stretching."
But Phronsie was not to be diverted from her purpose.
"I'll get bay rum," she said. "May I?"
Dick made a wry30 face. "Worse and worse."
"Cologne, then."
"No, I hate it."
"He doesn't want it bathed, Phronsie dear," said Polly. "Boys like to get hurt, you know. 'Tisn't
manly31 to be fixed32 up."
Phronsie gave a sigh, which so went to Dick's heart, that he said, "All right, bring on some water if
you want to. But don't get any brown paper; I had enough of that when I was a boy."
And at the end of that exciting day, the secret came out, after all, in rather a tame fashion. Dr.
Fisher and Jasper met Polly in an angle of the hall, as she was running upstairs after dinner for her
schoolbooks.
"Polly," asked the little doctor, putting both hands on her shoulders, and looking into the brown
eyes, "should you be willing to go abroad with your mother and Phronsie, Mr. King and Jasper?"
"Oh!" Polly gasped33. "But you?" came in a later breath, "we couldn't leave you," she cried loyally.
"Well, I suppose I should go along too," said the little doctor, enjoying her face.
"Why, Jasper Elyot King!" cried Polly, slipping out from under the doctor's palms, and seizing the
two hands extended, she began to spin around as in the olden days, "did you ever, ever hear of
anything so perfectly34 magnificent! But Ben and Joel and Davie!" and she paused on the edge of
another pirouette.
Dr. Fisher made haste to answer, "Polly, Mrs. Whitney will take care of them." And Jasper led her
off into the dance again.
"How can we ever leave the boys! Oh! I don't see," cried Polly, a bit reproachfully, her hair blown
over her rosy35 cheeks. As they danced lightly down the long hall, Dr. Fisher leaned against a pillar,
and watched them.
"Have to," said Jasper, guiding his partner deftly in the intricacies of the chairs and statuary.
"That's a good spin, Polly," he said, as they brought up by the little doctor's side.
"Lovely!" said Polly, pushing back her locks from the sparkling eyes.
"I'm almost tempted36 to dance myself," said Dr. Fisher. "If I wasn't such an old fellow, I'd try; that
is, if anybody asked me."
"I will," said Polly, laughing. "Come, Papa Fisher," holding out her hand, "do give me the honor."
"All right," said Dr. Fisher bravely. So Jasper took the deserted post by the pillar, and whistled a
Strauss waltz. Thereupon a most extraordinary hopping37 up and down the hall was commenced, the
two figures bobbing like a pair of corks38 on a quivering water-surface.
The doors opened, and several faces appeared, amongst the number Mrs. Fisher's.
"I couldn't help it," said the little doctor, coming up red and animated39, and wiping his forehead.
His spectacles had fallen off long since, and he had let them go. "It looked so nice to see Jasper
and Polly, I thought I'd try it. I didn't suppose I'd get on so well; I really believe I can dance."
"Humph!" laughed Mr. King, "it looks like it. Just see Polly."
"Oh, Papa Fisher!" cried Polly with a merry peal40 in which Jasper, unpuckering his lips from the
Strauss effort, had joined, "we must have looked"--Here she went off again.
"Yes," said Jasper, "you did. That's just it, Polly, you did. Lucky you two caperers didn't break
anything."
"Well, if you've got through laughing," observed Dr. Fisher, "I'll remark that the secret is out."
"Do you like it, Polly?" asked Mr. King, holding out his hand. "Say, my girl?" And then before she
could answer, he went on, "You see, we can't do anything without a doctor on our travels. Now
Providence41 has given us one, though rather an obstinate42 specimen," he pointed43 to Father Fisher.
"And he wants to see the hospitals, and you want to study a bit of music, and your mother wants
rest, and Jasper and Phronsie and I want fun, so we're going, that's all."
"When?" demanded Polly breathlessly.
"In a month."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
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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2
tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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3
obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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4
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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5
varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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6
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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7
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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8
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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9
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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10
prying
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| adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开 | |
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11
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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12
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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13
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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14
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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15
preamble
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| n.前言；序文 | |
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16
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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17
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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18
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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19
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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20
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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21
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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22
contention
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| n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张 | |
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23
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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24
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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25
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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26
bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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27
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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28
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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29
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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30
wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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31
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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32
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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33
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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34
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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35
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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36
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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37
hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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38
corks
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| n.脐梅衣；软木( cork的名词复数 )；软木塞 | |
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39
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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40
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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41
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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42
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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43
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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