These three young people were the vicar’s only surviving children; but there were two more occupants of the room—the two lads who were being coached to enter the University at the same time as his own son. Number one was a fair, dandified-looking youth, who sat astride a deck-chair, with his trousers hitched11 up so as to display long, narrow feet, shod in scarlet12 silk socks and patent-leather slippers13. He had fair hair, curling over his forehead; bold blue eyes, an aquiline14 nose, and an air of being very well satisfied with the world in general and himself in particular. This was Oswald Elliston, the son of a country squire15, who had heard of the successes of Mr Asplin’s pupils, and was storing up disappointment for himself in expecting similar exploits from his own handsome, but by no means over-brilliant, son. The second pupil had a small microscope in his hand, and was poring over a collection of “specimens,” with his shoulders hitched up to his ears, in a position the reverse of elegant. Every now and then he would bend his head to write down a few notes on the paper beside him, showing a square-chinned face, with heavy eyebrows16 and strong roughly-marked features. His clothes were worn, his cuffs17 invisible, and his hair ruffled18 into wild confusion by the unconscious rubbings of his hands; and this was the Honourable19 Robert Darcy, third son of Lord Darcy, a member of the Cabinet, and a politician of world-wide reputation.
The servants at the vicarage were fond of remarking, apropos20 of the Honourable Robert, that he “didn’t look it”; which remark would have been a subject of sincere gratification to the lad himself, had it been overheard; for there was no surer way of annoying him than by referring to his position, or giving him the prefix21 to which he was entitled.
The young folks looked up inquiringly as Mr and Mrs Asplin entered the room, for the hour after tea was set apart for recreation, and the elders were usually only too glad to remain in their own quiet little sanctum. Oswald, the gallant22, sprang to his feet and brought forward a chair for Mrs Asplin, but she waved him aside, and broke impetuously into words.
“Children! we have news for you. You are going to have a new companion. Father has had a letter this afternoon about another pupil—”
Mellicent yawned, and Esther looked calmly uninterested, but the three lads were full of interest. Their faces turned towards the vicar with expressions of eager curiosity.
“A new fellow! This term! From what school, sir?”
“A ladies’ boarding-school at Brighton!” Mrs Asplin spoke23 rapidly, so as to be beforehand with her husband, and her eyes danced with mischievous24 enjoyment25, as she saw the dismay depicted26 on the three watching faces. A ladies’ school! Maxwell, Oswald, and Robert, had a vision of a pampered27 pet in curls, and round jacket, and their backs stiffened28 in horrified29 indignation at the idea that grown men of seventeen and eighteen should be expected to associate with a “kid” from a ladies’ school!
The vicar could not restrain a smile, but he hastened to correct the mistake. “It’s not a ‘fellow’ at all, this time. It’s a girl! We have had a letter from Arthur Saville’s mother, asking us to look after her daughter while she is in India. She will come to us very soon, and stay, I suppose, for three or four years, sharing your lessons, my dears, and studying with you—”
“A girl! Good gracious! Where will she sleep?” cried Mellicent, with characteristic matter-of-fact curiosity, while Esther chimed in with further inquiries30.
“What is her name? How old is she? What is she like? When will she come? Why is she leaving school?”
“Not very happy. Peggy. In the little box-room over the study. About fifteen, I believe. Haven’t the least idea. In a few weeks from now,” said Mrs Asplin, answering all the questions at once in her impulsive31 fashion, the while she walked round the table, stroked Maxwell’s curls, bent32 an interested glance at Robert’s collection, and laid a hand on Esther’s back, to straighten bowed shoulders. “She is Arthur’s sister, so she is sure to be nice, and both her parents will be in India, so you must all be kind to the poor little soul, and give her a hearty33 welcome.”
Silence! Nobody had a word to say in response to this remark; but the eyes of the young people met furtively34 across the table, and Mr Asplin felt that they were only waiting until their seniors should withdraw before bursting into eager conversation.
“Better leave them to have it out by themselves,” he whispered significantly to his wife; then added aloud, “Well, we won’t interrupt you any longer. Don’t turn the play-hour into work, Rob! You will study all the better for a little relaxation35. You have proved the truth of that axiom, Oswald—eh?” and he went laughing out of the room, while Oswald held the door open for his wife, smiling assent36 in lazy fashion.
“Another girl!” he exclaimed, as he reseated himself on his chair, and looked with satisfaction at his well-shod feet. “This is an unexpected blow! A sister of the redoubtable37 Saville! From all I have heard of him, I should imagine a female edition would be rather a terror in a quiet household. I never saw Saville,—what sort of a fellow was he to look at, don’t you know?”
Mellicent reflected.
“He had a nose!” she said solemnly. Then, as the others burst into hilarious38 laughter, “Oh, it’s no use shrieking39 at me; I mean what I say,” she insisted. “A big nose—like Wellington’s! When people are very clever, they always have big noses. I imagine Peggy small, with a little thin face, because she was born in India, and lived there until she was six years old, and a great big nose in the middle—”
“Sounds appetising,” said Maxwell shortly. “I don’t! I imagine Peggy like her mother, with blue eyes and brown hair. Mrs Saville is awfully41 pretty. I have seen her often, and if her daughter is like her—”
“I don’t care in the least how she looks,” said Esther severely42. “It’s her character that matters. Indian children are generally spoiled, and if she has been to a boarding-school she may give herself airs. Then we shall quarrel. I am not going to be patronised by a girl of fourteen. I expect she will be Mellicent’s friend, not mine.”
“I wonder what sums she is in!” said Mellicent dreamily. “Rob! what do you think about it? Are you glad or sorry? You haven’t said anything yet.”
Robert raised his eyes from his microscope, and looked her up and down, very much as a big Newfoundland dog looks at the terrier which disturbs its slumber43.
“It’s nothing to me,” he said loftily. “She may come if she likes.” Then, with sudden recollection, “Does she learn the violin? Because we have already one girl in this house who is learning the violin, and life won’t be worth living if there is a second.”
He tucked his big notebook under his chin as he spoke, and began sawing across it with a pencil, wagging his head and rolling his eyes, in imitation of Mellicent’s own manner of practising, producing at the same time such long-drawn, catlike wails44 from between his closed lips as made the listeners shriek40 with laughter. Mellicent, however, felt bound to expostulate.
“It’s not the tune45 at all,” she cried loudly. “Not like any of my pieces; and if I do roll my eyes, I don’t rumple46 up my hair and pull faces at the ceiling, as some people do, and I know who they are, but I am too polite to say so! I hope Peggy will be my friend, because then there will be two of us, and you won’t dare to tease me any more. When Arthur was here, a boy pulled my hair, and he carried him upstairs and held his head underneath47 the shower-bath.”
“I’ll pull it again, and see if Peggy will do the same,” said Rob pleasantly; and poor Mellicent stared from one smiling face to another, conscious that she was being laughed at, but unable to see the point of the joke.
“When Peggy comes,” she said, in an injured tone, “I hope she will be sympathetic. I’m the youngest, and I think you ought all to do what I want; instead of which you make fun, and laugh among yourselves, and send me messages. For instance, when Max wanted his stamps brought down—”
Maxwell passed his big hand over her hair and face, then, reversing the direction, rubbed up the point of the little snub nose.
“Never mind, chubby48, your day is over! We will make Peggy the message-boy now. Peggy will be a nice, meek49 little girl, who will like to run messages for her betters! She shall be my fag, and attend to me. I’ll give her my stamps to sort.”
“I rather thought of having her for fag myself; we can’t admit a girl to our study unless she makes herself useful,” said Oswald languidly; whereupon Rob banged the notebook on the table with clanging decision.
“Peggy belongs to me,” he announced firmly. “It’s no use you two fellows quarrelling. That matter is settled once for all. Peggy will be my fag; I’ve barleyed her for myself, and you have nothing to say in the matter.”
But Esther tossed her head with an air of superior wisdom.
“Wait till she comes,” she said sagely50. “If Peggy is anything like her brother, you may spare yourself the trouble of planning as to what she must or must not do. It is waste of time. Peggy will be mistress over us all!”
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1
revelled
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| v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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Oxford
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| n.牛津（英国城市） | |
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supervision
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| n.监督，管理 | |
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vouchsafing
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的现在分词 )；允诺 | |
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scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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7
sniffs
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的第三人称单数 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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8
prattled
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| v.（小孩般）天真无邪地说话( prattle的过去式和过去分词 )；发出连续而无意义的声音；闲扯；东拉西扯 | |
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9
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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obtuse
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| adj.钝的；愚钝的 | |
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hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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aquiline
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| adj.钩状的，鹰的 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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cuffs
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| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
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18
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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19
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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apropos
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| adv.恰好地；adj.恰当的；关于 | |
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prefix
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| n.前缀；vt.加…作为前缀；置于前面 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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23
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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24
mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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26
depicted
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| 描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述 | |
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27
pampered
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| adj.饮食过量的，饮食奢侈的v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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32
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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33
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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35
relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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redoubtable
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| adj.可敬的；可怕的 | |
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38
hilarious
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| adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed | |
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39
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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40
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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41
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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42
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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43
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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44
wails
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| 痛哭，哭声( wail的名词复数 ) | |
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45
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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46
rumple
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| v.弄皱，弄乱；n.褶纹，皱褶 | |
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47
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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48
chubby
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| adj.丰满的，圆胖的 | |
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49
meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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50
sagely
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| adv. 贤能地，贤明地 | |
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