He put the drawing down by the papers on the table.
“Writing again,” said Audry; “you are always writing. I cannot think what it is all for.”
95
“One must be doing something,” he answered.
She hardly seemed to heed7 his reply. “It is nice to have some one to come to,” she said; “everything is all wrong just now.”
“What is the matter, dear?” he asked, noticing that the child had been crying.
“Oh, I have such a tale to tell you about Aline. You know that mother thought that the thief was Edward, and father has been spending ever so much time and trouble over it and has practically proved that it could not be Edward; because, though Edward may have taken the cup, there was some money that went one day when Edward was away from Holwick. So mother must needs get it into her head that it was Aline.”
“How utterly8 ridiculous!” said Ian.
“Yes, and at first I do not think she really thought so; it was only because she does not like Aline and is particularly angry with her just now, because it was Aline who was the cause of her being shown up as wrong about Edward; and——and,” the child went on sobbing9 as she spoke10,—“it was partly my fault. Mother knows I love Aline and I was rude to her the other day and she knows it punishes me more than anything else for her to be unkind to Aline”; and here Audry quite broke down.
“Do not cry, dear child,” said Ian, stroking her thick brown locks. “Come, tell me all about it and we’ll make a nice plan to put things right for Aline.”
Audry and her mother never got on very well together. Both were headstrong and impulsive11, but whereas Audry’s nature was generous and kind, the lady of Holwick was a hard selfish woman. She loved her daughter96 in her selfish way, but power was her one desire, and she wanted entirely12 to dictate13 the course of her life for her; and even in the things of little importance was apt to be tyrannical. Aline had become a cause of much contention14 between them, and Eleanor Mowbray had now added to her natural dislike of Aline a desire to spite her daughter by ill-treating her little friend.
“Well, you know that Aline is in the habit of taking things to the sick people round about,” Audry went on, when her grief had a little subsided15, “and old Elspeth generally acts as almoner. Mother, however, has interfered16 lately, and has said that she will not allow it without her permission and that, she will hardly ever give,—never, for the people that Aline most cares about. So Aline has been buying things with her own money and you know she has not much.”
“No, poor child, it must be very sad for her.”
“Indeed it is, Master Menstrie, but what has happened is sadder still. I met her coming back from the Arnsides yesterday, and some one must have told mother that she had been there; for mother said I was to tell Aline to go and speak to her directly she came back. I warned her how angry mother was and Aline asked me what it was all about. I said that I was not absolutely certain, but that I thought it was because she imagined that Aline had been taking things from the Hall. I went with her to see mother,” Audry went on, “and I never saw mother so furious, and you know how angry she can be.”
“I cannot say that I do,” said Ian, “I have never even seen her.”
97
“Well, anyway, she was purple with wrath17 and would not allow Aline to say a word,—‘What do you mean, you dirty little thief,’ she said, ‘taking things that do not belong to you and giving them to your good-for-nothing friends, you little beggar-brat, you? Here you are living on charity and you must needs steal things from under our very noses.’
“When she paused to take breath, Aline told her that she had bought the things with her own money. But that only made mother more angry than ever. ‘What, you dare to lie to me, money indeed, what money have you, you miserable18 child of a penniless wastrel19? Your father was never more than a petty laird at the best and he had not even the sense to keep the little he had. If you have any money we all know where you got it. No wonder you were so certain that Edward had not taken it,’ she said with a sneer20.
“Aline drew herself up in that stately way that she has. She took no notice of what mother said about her being a thief, but answered;—‘My father was a gentleman, your father did not bear arms. You may call me what you like, but I will not have my father spoken of like that.’”
“Dear little princess,” said Ian.
“Mother nearly choked with rage and almost screamed; ‘You insolent21 hussie, he was a wretched good for nothing ne’er do weel, or he would not have left you unprovided for.’
“Then for the first time in my life I saw Aline lose her temper. It was not like mother at all, but a sort of unnatural22 calm. She turned as white as chalk and said very slowly and softly, almost hissing23 the words;-‘Woman,98 you are not fit to have cleaned father’s shoon. Leave the dead alone.’
“Mother rushed at her, calling her thief and liar24, and I tried to stop her, but she hit me and sent me down full length upon the floor. She snatched up a heavy riding strop and beat Aline furiously with it. I implored25 her to stop but she only hit out at me. I think she was out of her mind with passion.
“Oh, I am so unhappy. I try to love mother and it is so difficult. I wish that I had never been born.”
Ian did his best to comfort the child and after a time she calmed down and said that she would go and find Aline.
When she had gone Ian paced rapidly up and down the room, going over the miserable story in his mind. Certainly there was one good thing in his not escaping the first night as he had intended; he was at least here to try and make plans with her to help her, but how was it to be done? The more he thought the more hopeless he became. Delighted, as he knew his mother would be to look after the child, he knew that as long as his father lived it was impossible; he would find out who had sent her and turn her out of the house or worse than ever—and Ian felt his flesh creep—his father might think that she was a heretic too and then.... Again the vision of Aline burning in the flames rose vividly26 and distinctly before him, as though it were an actual sight. Ian groaned27 in agony. “O Lord,” he cried, “not that, not that!” He was nearly beside himself; but as the vision passed away he grew calmer. He still walked rapidly to and fro, however, and clenched28 and unclenched his hands till the nails dug into the flesh. Here was this99 sweet child, the sweetest thing that he had ever seen in his life, for whom he was ready to do anything,—he was perfectly29 willing to suffer all things for her, he was willing to die for her if need be, not only to save her life, but even to make her happy, if he could make sure of it,—and yet, here he was, absolutely unable to do anything at all, not even to save her from one jealous woman. It was pitiable, it was almost ludicrous; he who had escaped the forces of the inquisition and the united endeavours of the whole countryside, to be foiled in this way by one woman.
Then he clenched his teeth. No. There must be a way and he must find it: “And if there is not one,” he said, bringing his fist down on the top of a chair with a crash, “I will make one.” The chair broke under the blow. “Exactly so,” he said; “if they will not yield they shall break.”
After a time Audry returned with Aline. The child did her best to be cheerful, but it was obviously impossible; so Ian thought that it would be best for her to relieve her feelings by talking about it, if she could not put the subject away from her mind altogether.
“Everything sad seems to have happened all at once,” she said. “Mistress Mowbray said such dreadful things about father and now she has been telling every one that I am a thief and poor little Joan does not seem able to get over the effects of Moll’s visit.”
“You mustn’t pay too much attention to what mother says,” Audry said softly. “She loses her temper just as I do and I do not think that she really meant anything that she said about Captain Gillespie. It was only that she was so angry.”
100
“Well, that is what I minded most, at least at the time. After all, poor father has gone and it does not really matter to him now what she says, and it does matter to me when people think that I am a thief. Every one seemed to be staring at me as I passed to-day.”
“I think that must be mainly your imagination, little one,” said Ian, toying with a tress of the wonderful hair. “No one who really knew you could believe it for a moment, and the other people do not really matter, do they?”
Aline was a little bit consoled, but she said rather pitifully,—“All the same I wish we could find out the thief.” Then a fresh cloud seemed to gather and she went on; “Do you think that ‘Moll o’ the graves’ really can tell the future? She said that little Joan and I were going to die,—and what did she mean when she said that my path was through the fire?”
Ian shivered and caught his breath as he thought of his vision, but he spoke as calmly as he could. “Oh, one cannot say; I am afraid that the awful old witch is trying to frighten the child to death.”
“Yes,” said Audry, “they say that she and Joan’s mother, Sarah Moulton, had a terrible quarrel about something and many people think that it was old Moll who terrified her into her grave and that she wants for some reason to do the same with the child.”
“The best thing,” said Ian, “is to take no notice of her. We must not give way to superstition30. It is only by allowing her to frighten us that she can really do anything. What were you going to tell us about Joan, Aline?”
“Well, she just seems to get weaker and weaker. I101 met Master Barlow to-day, who had come over again from Barnard Castle to see her and I said, ‘Of a truth, what is the matter with Joan?’ and he replied, ‘I do not know what is wrong with her, little maid; but I fear she has no chance in that abode31.’
“So I feared greatly and asked him what might be done and I told him what Master Richard had said about sending her to Barnard Castle. That, he said, was good, but he would suggest better. He knew a very learned physician in Durham and also a good woman who would house the child if Master Mowbray would be at the expense of sending her, it being a far cry, nigh upon forty mile. Yet he did not hold out much hope even then.”
“Oh, I am sure father will do that,” said Audry, “and then you will see little Joan coming back well and strong. Come, what you want is a run in the fresh air.”
“I want to go down to Janet Arnside’s again, so I will go now.”
The children left the room and climbed the secret stair. On their way out they turned along beside the moat, which always had a certain fascination32 for Aline. There were now king-cups and bog33 myrtle growing on the outer bank, where the part of the wall had broken away, and sheltered from the wind on the south side, water lilies were floating in the dark water. It was a still, lovely day and the beautiful walls and windows of the old Hall were perfectly reflected in the wide expanse of the black mirror, where also could be seen the clear blue of the sky and the great cumulus-clouds.
“I love this old moat,” said Aline.
“I cannot say that I do; yet I am unable to say why, but I always think it looks cruel and I feel that something102 terrible might happen in that deep water, some unsolved mystery, I do not know what it is.”
“Yes, I see what you mean, but at the same time it looks kindly34 and protecting as it goes round the house; it might be cruel, but somehow I feel too that it might be kind.”
“Well, I must go and darn my hose,” said Audry, “and you said you wanted to go down and see Janet Arnside and her boy.”
Audry picked up a large stone as she went, and threw it into the water; it fell with a heavy sullen35 splash and the sound echoed back from the walls. Aline stood a moment and watched the widening rings till they gradually died away, and then turned down toward the hamlet.
103
THE HALL FROM N. W. SHOWING PELE-TOWER GRANARY AND LEDGE
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
sketch
|
|
| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
sketches
|
|
| n.草图( sketch的名词复数 )；素描；速写；梗概 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
elusive
|
|
| adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
graceful
|
|
| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
heed
|
|
| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
sobbing
|
|
| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
spoke
|
|
| 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： |
|
|
|
|
11
impulsive
|
|
| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
dictate
|
|
| v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
contention
|
|
| n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
subsided
|
|
| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
interfered
|
|
| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
wrath
|
|
| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
wastrel
|
|
| n.浪费者；废物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
sneer
|
|
| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
insolent
|
|
| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
unnatural
|
|
| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
hissing
|
|
| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
liar
|
|
| n.说谎的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
implored
|
|
| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
vividly
|
|
| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
clenched
|
|
| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
superstition
|
|
| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
abode
|
|
| n.住处，住所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
fascination
|
|
| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
bog
|
|
| n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
sullen
|
|
| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |