It certainly was a great change to be transported from the wild excitement of public life to the monotonous2 existence of a quiet house like his; but when he had asked her to give up the stage, he had thought he was lifting from her shoulders a load of which she would gladly be free. He had wished his wife to take her ease and enjoy her days, not to toil3 wearily as if for her daily bread. But now he began to think that he had been totally wrong. While he had been working away with unconscious happiness in the City, his beautiful wild bird had been beating her breast against the bars of her gilded4 cage, and pining for that freedom which to all gifted beings is so dear. These thoughts and many more of the same strain passed through Forster’s mind, while he made his way to the City. Long before he reached his office he had decided5 how to act.
‘I will speak to Madeline to-night,’ he said to himself, and hear her views. Something must be done to make her contented6.’
Meanwhile Madeline, left with Miss Forster, walked about the room in new restlessness. She looked out of the window; it was a damp, dark day; she looked at her watch, it was past ten o’clock. In an hour she had promised to meet the man, and by this time she had settled in her mind that she must go.
What he could want with her she could not tell, and she had not paused to inquire. That he meant her no good she knew, but it was useless to anticipate the evil, till she knew its nature.
She went upstairs with a heavy heart, and returned, greatly to Miss Forster’s surprise, in walking costume.
The little boy, confident of his reception, came bounding in and clung affectionately to her skirts. She kissed him fondly, but told him he could not go with her that morning.
‘Not at all? May I not go a little way, mamma?’
‘Not even a little way, darling; I must go alone to-day.’
There was such a strange ring in her voice that Miss Forster looked up in some amazement7, while the child clung closer to Madeline, and ardently8 kissed the cold, pale cheek.
‘Mamma is going to see a doctor,’ he said; ‘is it not so, mamma?’
“No, dear.’
‘Then where are you going alone, on such a cold wet day?’
Madeline flushed uneasily, and impatiently put the child from her.
‘You should not ask so many questions,’ she said; ‘it is rude!’ Then, noting the little crestfallen9 face, she hurriedly caught him up again and kissed him, while her own eyes filled with tears.
‘Hush, do not mind, I was wrong; but I did not mean to pain you, darling—no, no—not you!’
During the enacting10 of this scene Miss Forster had still remained in the room. Up to this moment she had said nothing; but her eyes had followed all her sister-in-law’s movements, and watched her face with peculiar11 interest. When Madeline had put down the boy, and was about to leave the room, she spoke12.
‘The carriage has not come round,’ she said.
Madeline started, and turned. She had ignored the presence of her sister-in-law; and that lady noticed that the sudden recollection of it brought another uncomfortable flush to the pale cheek, and caused another anxious look about the room.
‘I—I have not ordered the carriage,’ she said.
‘Indeed?’
No question had been asked, therefore Madeline was not bound to reply; but feeling that she must say something, she stammered13 rather awkwardly—
‘I am going to walk. I prefer it to-day, as my head is bad, but I shall not be long away.’ Then, as if in dread14 of further questioning, she hurried from the room.
It was certainly a most inclement15 morning, but Madeline, being suitably clad, did not heed16 the weather. After walking a short distance, she hailed a passing hansom and drove to the park gate, close to the Albert Memorial; here she alighted, and crossing to the footpath17 sank wearily upon one of the seats to watch for the Frenchman’s arrival.
She had not sat long when she saw him.
Previous to her coming, Gavrolles, as we must continue to call him, had been parading theatrically18 round the memorial for a quarter of an hour, to the great admiration19 of several idle nursemaids. He did not at first see Madeline. He was smoking a cigar, glancing with careless interest at the somewhat tawdry designs, and keeping a cat-like eye on the figures which were moving about the park.
Another turn round the monument; then his eye fell upon Madeline, who still retained her seat close by. In a moment the whole man seemed to change. He smiled, tossed away his cigar, and advanced gallantly20 towards her. He raised his hat, then cordially extended his right hand.
‘Good morning,’ he exclaimed in French; ‘charmed to see you abroad so early! May I so far presume upon your friendship as to walk with you a very little way around the park?’
Madeline rose in silence, took no notice of his extended hand, and walked along by his side. She looked cold, haughty21, and defiant22; but in truth her heart was sinking terribly. As for Gavrolles, if he was a little disconcerted at first, he quickly regained23 his composure. As he drew back his rejected hand he smiled, and the smile seemed to say: ‘It is your turn now, Madame! Eh bien, enjoy your pride to the full; my time is at hand, and I mean to take advantage of it.’
‘Parbleu! he exclaimed, ‘how the place is deserted24; and yet to my mind the morning is the pleasantest time of the day. See how fresh the flowers and the grass!—and the breeze is still sweet and cool with last night’s dew! It seems to bring new life to a man. Ah, yes; it is charming!’
He expanded his chest, he raised his hat to let the breeze play with his flowing locks of hair, then he gave a sidelong glance at Madeline, and met her eyes. She paused, and for the first time that day addressed him—
‘I cannot stay,’ she said quietly. ‘Why have you forced me to meet you here to-day?’
He shrugged25 his shoulders, he raised his hand in polite protestation.
‘Forced you!’ he exclaimed. ‘Ah, but you use hard words, my dear Madeline. I employ force to no one; certainly not to one so esteemed26. If your memory is good, you must know that I merely asked an interview. You were gracious enough not only to grant it, but to name also our place of meeting.’
She looked him steadily27 in the face, and her lip curled contemptuously.
‘Will you oblige me by answering my question?’ Again he smiled, but while he did so his face was by no means pleasant to see.
‘I will make my best endeavours, madame.’
‘First, tell me this: when you went to that house last night were you certain of meeting me there?’
‘I most certainly hoped to have the pleasure of meeting you. I have lived in this strange world long enough to know that nothing is certain.’
‘Did you know that I had married an honourable28 man?’
‘I knew that; yes.’
‘And yet you made up your mind to thrust yourself upon me?’
He bowed profoundly. ‘My dear Madeline, your penetration29 is wonderful. I perceive you are one of the few beings in this stupid world fully30 capable of understanding me.’
‘Unfortunately for myself,’ Madeline continued, ‘I understand you sufficiently31 to know that you would not plan this meeting if there was no purpose to be obtained by it. What new injury do you wish to do me now?’
He gazed at her flushed face and muttered, ‘Ma foi, but she is charming!’ Then he added, aloud—
‘I merely wished to tell you, Madeline, something that you do not know.’
‘And that is——’
‘Only this—that although you have married an honourable man, as you say, you are nevertheless still my wife.’
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收听单词发音
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1
feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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7
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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enacting
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 ) | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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12
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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13
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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15
inclement
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| adj.严酷的，严厉的，恶劣的 | |
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heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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footpath
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| n.小路，人行道 | |
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theatrically
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| adv.戏剧化地 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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28
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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29
penetration
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| n.穿透，穿人，渗透 | |
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30
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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