Charleston, S.C.
Important Berkeley estate business brings me to New Munich Thursday, February tenth.
WALTER.
She had ten days before his coming to anticipate with some uneasiness the shock he would certainly get in making the acquaintance of her husband's sisters and in seeing the kind of home she lived in.
"If only I could dispose of that navy blue owl1 on the sideboard!" she worried. "And of all that imitation onyx in the parlour! And the 'oil-paintings' in the sitting-room2! As for Jennie and Sadie themselves—— Oh, what can Walter be coming here for? I don't suppose they've discovered coal on our estate. I hope not, such a dirty mess as it would make! More like our luck to discover we don't, after all, own the place."
But she found, when she announced her brother-in-law's prospective3 visit, that she herself had not yet got all the shocks and surprises the Leitzels were capable of affording her. Her Southern sentiment of hospitality received another unexpected blow in discovering that Jennie and Sadie quite seriously objected to entertaining her brother-in-law at their home.
"We ain't used to comp'ny stopping here," Jennie explained to her. "Danny's business acquaintances always go to the hotel. It wouldn't suit me just so well. We ain't so young as we used to be, and it would certainly be a worry to me to have company stopping here. You'd best not begin that kind of thing, Margaret. If your brother-in-law slep' and eat here, it would mebby give our Sadie the headache."
That New Munich hospitality, instead of being a condition of daily life as with Southerners, was so specialized4 an occasion as to cause the upsetting of a household and the expenditure5 of the nervous energy of a whole family, Margaret had come to recognize. People did not "keep open house"; they "entertained." But how was she to spring such a thing upon Walter, who knew no other standard of hospitality than that of the open Southern home? How explain to him upon his arrival that her home and her husband's was not open to him, and that he must stop at a hotel?
She had not at all solved the problem when in a wholly unlooked-for way it was solved for her. Confined to bed one day with a violent headache, and quite helpless to protect her babies from Jennie's hygienic theories, the twins were kept by their aunt in a hot, airtight room such as Jennie considered their proper environment, with the result that they cried all day; and the next day had heavy colds—their first disorder7 of any kind since their birth. But when Margaret, herself recovered, insisted upon taking them, suffering from influenza8 as they were, out into the chill air of a cold day in January, Jennie's thwarted9 will, thwarted affection, and wild anxiety for these babies of Danny's whom she loved almost fiercely, broke all bounds, and she gave Margaret her ultimatum10.
"Or either you keep those children in the house till they're well already, or either I and Sadie leave this house where we have to look on at such croolities, and go to keep house by ourselves! Yes, this very day we go!"
Margaret paused in the strenuous11 work of getting little Daniel's arms into his coat sleeves, preparatory to his outing, and gazed up at Jennie with such a light of joyful12 hope in her eyes that Jennie, had she not been too blindly furious to see it, would certainly have withdrawn13 this proffered14 happiness from her now heartily15 detested16 sister-in-law.
"If Danny wasn't in Philadelphia to-day, I'd 'phone to his office and have him make you keep them in!" she raged frantically17. "They'll get pneumonia18, so they will!"
"Daniel couldn't make me, Jennie. I act under the doctor's orders. Daniel's a lawyer, not a physician. I'm taking the babies out to save them from having pneumonia."
"Daniel couldn't make you, couldn't he? Well, I can! Yes, and I mean what I say! You take these babies out on a day like this when they're sick, and I and Sadie move out this very day!" she harshly reiterated19, under the delusion20 that Margaret would never put her to the test: for not only was Jennie incapable21 of realizing Margaret's utter indifference22 to the economic advantage of their joint23 housekeeping, but it also seemed to her wholly incredible that her sister-in-law could subject her devoted24 and indulgent husband to the suffering he would certainly undergo if deprived of his sisters' constant ministrations to his comforts.
"And when Danny comes home from Philadelphia to-night and finds us gone and our half of the furniture being moved out, what do you think he'll say to you for driving us out?"
Margaret, realizing that she must conceal25 the heaven opened up by this unexpected ultimatum, quickly cast down her eyes, that her tormentor26 might not see her quivering eagerness.
"I'll goad27 her to moving out!" she desperately28 resolved. "Oh! if only I can make it impossible for her to back down from her threat."
She suddenly raised her eyes again and laughed sarcastically29. "Oh, you can't scare me with your threats! You'll not go!"
"You'll see whether we won't! You just dare to take those sick children outside this house, and you won't find I and Sadie here when you come home!"
"That won't worry me. You'll be back soon enough. Catch you leaving your brother's house! Oh, no, my dear, you don't fool me for one minute. Why, where on earth would you go?"
"Maybe you don't know," put in Sadie triumphantly30, "that Jennie and me own the nice empty house at the corner that the tenants31 moved out of because we wouldn't repaper!"
"Yes," exclaimed Jennie, "we own it and it's empty; and it's all been cleaned only last week a'ready. So then you see if we couldn't move out of here perfectly32 convenient!"
Margaret's hopes rose higher, while at the same time she suffered fearful misgivings33 lest by any inadvertency on her part they be dashed.
"Ha!" she laughed derisively34 and most artificially. "You'd never move in there and lose the rent of that house! You can't fool me! I'm not scared. Come, baby dear, other little arm now!" she said, tugging35 at Daniel Junior's coat. "Fancy your moving out! Ha!"
Her utterly36 unnatural37 tone of taunting38 sarcasm39 ought not to have deceived even so slow a mind as Jennie Leitzel's, but the woman's rage dulled what penetration40 she ordinarily had and she was completely misled.
"I'm not trying to fool you!" she almost screamed. "I tell you that sure as you go out the door with those two twins, my brother, when he comes home this evening, will find us and our furniture gone, never to come back! I'll prove it to you, I'll prove it! And we'll take Emmy along, and there'll be no dinner for my poor brother when he comes home!"
"Oh, yes, there will," Margaret laughed quite sardonically41. "There will be dinner and there will be two dear, devoted sisters. If you do take your departure, you'll be back soon enough!" Her unnatural tones kept it up, every phrase carefully calculated to force the consummation she so devoutly42 wished, though inwardly her very soul was sick at the part she played; for deep down in her heart there was an undercurrent of pity for these poor creatures so limited in their capacity for happiness and yet capable of fiercely loving the babies so dear to them all and the brother they had cherished from babyhood.
"You'll see, then, if we'll come back again!" Jennie hoarsely43 harked back at her. "Yes, you'll see! And you'll see what Danny'll——"
Margaret having tucked the babies warmly into their coach, laughed again devilishly as she wheeled them out to the porch.
"You'll be back! Bye-bye until I see you again!" And with a peal44 of mocking laughter, so cleverly melodramatic that she marvelled45 at her own hitherto unsuspected histrionic talent, she disappeared.
And so it transpired46 that the marriage of Daniel Leitzel afforded one more sensation to New Munich's not yet surfeited47 taste for gossip concerning their notable townsman; for when Daniel got home that evening at seven o'clock he found a dismantled48 and disordered house, no dinner, no cook, no sisters; only two sweetly sleeping babies in the nursery and a wife with a face uplifted with a new-born happiness and peace. So deep was the serenity49 that had settled upon her and upon the servantless, dismantled, and disordered household, that Daniel's rage and grief, his bitter reproaches, his lamentations over the extra expense his home would now be to him passed over her head as though it were nothing more than the somewhat irritating cackle of an old hen.
Daniel, after a call on his sisters at their new home down at the corner and a long and painful interview with them, in which they affirmed that unless he exercised his marital50 and scriptural authority to make Margaret apologize and promise that in the future she would treat them and their wishes with the consideration which was their due, they would not return to his house, though from this close proximity51 to him they could and would continue to see after his comforts—after this most unsatisfactory and upsetting conversation with his sisters, Daniel went to his bed very late that night, feeling, for the first time in his life, that he was abused of Fate; but Margaret lay awake long, revelling52 ecstatically in the realization53 that now at last she had a home of her very own; two lovely babies on whom she could expend6 the pent-up riches of her heart and in whom her own highest ideals might perhaps be wrought54 out; a friend who deeply shared her life and whom now she could freely bring into the sanctum of her own home. Oh, life was full and rich! She was young, she was strong, she was happy.
The husband asleep at her side was a negligible quantity in her estimate of her blessings55; he was a responsibility she had incurred56 and to which she certainly meant to be faithful. It was not in his power to make her very unhappy.
But Margaret was, in fact, rejoicing a little too soon. Jennie and Sadie had gone out from her home, but they had not yet gone out of her life, as she was to realize later.
Daniel's anger was not modified when, next morning, he was obliged, for the first time in his life, to get up and attend to the furnace and the kitchen range. Margaret judiciously57 repressed her amusement at his plight58.
"Oh, well, dear, you are not the only one. It's the first time in my life I ever had to get up and get breakfast," she offered what seemed to him most irrelevant59 consolation60.
"Marriage," she reflected philosophically61 when, without kissing her good-bye, he left her to go to his office, "must be an adjusting of one's self to, and acceptance of, the inevitable62, Daniel being the Inevitable!"
She decided63, as she called up the Employment Office, that she needed three servants, but she did not have the temerity64 to engage more than one. For here was a point at which Daniel held the whip-hand: he could refuse to pay the wages of those he considered superfluous65, and she had no money of her own.
"As Jennie and Sadie paid half of Emmy's wages," she reflected, "it will go hard with Daniel to have to pay the maid entirely66 himself. Anyway," she rejoiced, "I shan't now have to send Walter to a hotel."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
owl
|
|
| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
sitting-room
|
|
| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
prospective
|
|
| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
specialized
|
|
| adj.专门的，专业化的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
expenditure
|
|
| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
expend
|
|
| vt.花费，消费，消耗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
disorder
|
|
| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
influenza
|
|
| n.流行性感冒，流感 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
thwarted
|
|
| 阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
ultimatum
|
|
| n.最后通牒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
strenuous
|
|
| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
joyful
|
|
| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
withdrawn
|
|
| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
proffered
|
|
| v.提供，贡献，提出( proffer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
heartily
|
|
| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
detested
|
|
| v.憎恶，嫌恶，痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
frantically
|
|
| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
pneumonia
|
|
| n.肺炎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
reiterated
|
|
| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
delusion
|
|
| n.谬见，欺骗，幻觉，迷惑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
incapable
|
|
| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
indifference
|
|
| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
joint
|
|
| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
conceal
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
tormentor
|
|
| n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
goad
|
|
| n.刺棒，刺痛物；激励；vt.激励，刺激 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
desperately
|
|
| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
sarcastically
|
|
| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
triumphantly
|
|
| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
tenants
|
|
| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
misgivings
|
|
| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
derisively
|
|
| adv. 嘲笑地，嘲弄地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
tugging
|
|
| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
utterly
|
|
| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
unnatural
|
|
| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
taunting
|
|
| 嘲讽( taunt的现在分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
sarcasm
|
|
| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
penetration
|
|
| n.穿透，穿人，渗透 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
sardonically
|
|
| adv.讽刺地，冷嘲地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
devoutly
|
|
| adv.虔诚地，虔敬地，衷心地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
hoarsely
|
|
| adv.嘶哑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
peal
|
|
| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
marvelled
|
|
| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
transpired
|
|
| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的过去式和过去分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
surfeited
|
|
| v.吃得过多( surfeit的过去式和过去分词 )；由于过量而厌腻 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
dismantled
|
|
| 拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
serenity
|
|
| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
marital
|
|
| adj.婚姻的，夫妻的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
proximity
|
|
| n.接近，邻近 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
revelling
|
|
| v.作乐( revel的现在分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
realization
|
|
| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
wrought
|
|
| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
blessings
|
|
| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
incurred
|
|
| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
judiciously
|
|
| adv.明断地，明智而审慎地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
plight
|
|
| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
irrelevant
|
|
| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
consolation
|
|
| n.安慰，慰问 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
philosophically
|
|
| adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
inevitable
|
|
| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
temerity
|
|
| n.鲁莽，冒失 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
superfluous
|
|
| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |