It was the girl's delight to "trail" these grass-grown ruts through the dense4 groves6 hanging shaggily to the south banks. In a little they ran out on a high shoulder of The Qu'Appelle. Here the bare hill was ribbed with the parallel paths to the number of seven or eight that slipped over the ravine crest7, disappearing a few paces below into a thick grove5 of stunted8 oak. Halting the eager broncho, the girl let her eyes rest on the valley.
It was a pretty gulf9 cleaving10 the prairie for a width of two or three miles and winding11 out of sight into the blue distance. There was visible the shine of lakes and their linking streams. Under the amber12 light of the autumnal sunrise the valley was pricked13 out into a landscape of gold. The bank upon which they stood swept away to the southeast in a forest crescent wonderful with the variegated14 leafage of the searing year. Paling greens, bright yellows, faint oranges mingled15 with browns and buffs and the brilliant wines and reds. Falling away from their feet the colourful forest was a charming Joseph's coat, but in the spacious16 distance its mottled glory blent into the russet-yellow of the prairie autumn.
The north bank rose beyond, walling the ravine in a billowy rank of great, rounded hills bald as the skull17 of the golden eagle and seamed with dark lines of wooded gulches18. Here and there along the crests19 hung over the edges of the great, harvest blanket, strips of wheat fields studded with their nuggets of brown stooks. In the blue radiance above drifted a fleet of soft clouds with creamy breasts and fringes of amber fire. On the floor of the valley lay a lake spread out in a broad silver ribbon that rose to the skyline for miles into the west.
"You beautiful Qu'Appelle!" cried the girl softly. "We love you—Bobs and I."
For many minutes she revelled20 in the ecstasy21 of gleaming morning and golden valley, her cheeks bitten to roses by the tanging wind-drift. At length she granted release to her impatient horse and let him dash down into the trees. Under their branches she drew him to a walk and, leaving the selection of their trail to the petulant22 Bobs, abandoned herself to the alchemy of the harvest woods.
Passing slowly through the depths of a grove of white-stemmed poplars they ran out into a tiny glade23. Here The Willow24, a pretty brook25, dammed by industrious26 beavers27, gathered itself into a little pond before its last wild rush to the lake. As they cleared the trees Bobs pricked up his ears and quickened his step, giving a low whinny. His rider glanced curiously28 ahead, surprised to see a horseman in the pool. Her face changed suddenly from surprise to pleasure. The horse was sipping29 the cool water. The rider was Ned Pullar.
"Mary!" he cried delightedly, sending his horse through the stream. "This is my lucky day. Darkey and I have been haunting Willow Glade for an hour past hoping just this, but never dreaming that you and Bobs would really show up."
"How did you know I was coming?" demanded the girl happily.
"I did not know," was the reply. "I only knew this to be one of your favourite haunts on a Sunday morning and conceived a long chance of meeting you here. It was necessary to have a personal talk with you. This morning I determined30 to see you before the day was gone."
"Are you in trouble, Ned?" cried the girl suddenly, a soberness driving the pleasure from her face.
"Very great trouble, Mary," said Ned. "Do you not know?"
Deeply he searched the eyes looking into his. He could tell by the innocence31, the solicitude32 of them that they had not learned the thing he feared. He was greatly relieved.
"What is it, Ned?" was her anxious query33. "I have heard of no trouble."
"Perhaps it is only a cloud over the sun," was the reply. "It may pass by. Indeed you have brightened things a lot for me already. Let us breathe our broncs while we talk it all over."
Slipping from his saddle he assisted her to dismount. Taking charge of the horses he secured them to adjacent trees and followed to where she had seated herself on a gnarled log at the foot of the little falls.
"I have a little surprise for you," said he, throwing himself on the leaves at her feet. "I am not returning to college this fall."
Her eyes opened wide, expressing a mystified incredulity.
"Sad but true!" was his reiteration34.
"But your year, Ned! It is your final. You must finish."
"Sheer foolishness, eh? This smashing of a final year? So it seemed to me for a little. Only a little. I cannot leave Dad."
At the words he averted35 his eyes.
She studied the downcast face, an expression of pride growing in her eyes.
"You understand, I am sure," said he softly. "It has been worse this vacation than ever before. Dad's at a great disadvantage now and I have to watch him like a lynx. Swale's bar is a powerful lodestone. But he is bracing36 gamely. He has not touched the stuff for three weeks and if I stay with him now I believe he'll win out. Then I'll not lose the year after all. A steady grind at the homestead should work out an extra-mural pass, and I could pull down my degree with the rest of you."
"You will be missed, Ned."
He looked up quickly into her eyes. They were a peculiar37 mixture of sympathy and fun.
"Undoubtedly38!" agreed Ned disconsolately39, though his eyes twinkled. "How the Registrar41 will grieve at the non-appearance of my hitherto regular fee. And Grimes, sweet janitor42! He will drop not a tear, but a diabolic wink40 at my sudden demise43."
"Mercenary Registrar!" sighed Mary. "And unspeakably happy Grimes! Doubtful mourners, I admit. But others will follow the two chiefs. I see the Rugby Team pacing after slowly and aghast. They mourn Captain and star punter at one fell stroke or rather in the unavailable person of one fellow, Pullar. Methinks there was to have been a great International Debate. But now?—How can I go on down the long line? Behold44 the Winged Seven, favourites for the Hockey Cup, now, alas45, the Wingless Six! And the Eight-oared Crew?—Can you not see that you will be missed ever so little?"
Ned looked up with a rueful grin.
"Grave losses all," replied Ned. "The ironic46 heartlessness of the small Co-ed notwithstanding. Varsity will gradually recover from her terrible handicap. Infinitely47 more terrible is it for me. Calculate the unmaterialized wisdom of four hundred priceless lectures. But, after all—it is nothing."
"No-o?" commented Mary slyly in sceptical demur48.
Ned glanced into the brown eyes in time to surprise a smile uniquely pleasing in its whimsical delight. Instantly they became mockingly sober.
"Mary!" said he seriously, holding her gaze. "Will you miss me?"
The girl's eyes wandered suddenly to tree, sky, brook, finally resting on a log at their feet.
"What a sudden switch from general to particular," said she, absorbed apparently49 in the task of pecking a hole in the bark with the dainty toe of her riding-boot.
Laughing quietly Ned proceeded.
"If you could peep into my mind, Mary, you would find a seething50 resentment51 there. And all because of you. Soon you will be rejoining the old class. There's the rub. I cannot conceive of Pellawa without you."
"Indeed?"
"And a very big 'indeed,'" aggrieved52 Ned. "To think that Rooter Combes and his rah-rahs will be in clover. This obsession53 has been actively54 depressing since last Thursday. Perhaps you remember riding by Sparrow's. You looked quaintly55 desirable in that chic56, brown slicker——"
"With my face all spattered and Bobs a mud tramp!"
"I did not see Bobs at all, just a chicily hooded57 girl with peeping curls of brown hair, flashing eyes and a nod adorably imperious but very welcome."
"I should not have recognized you."
"But you did and at that particular moment the act was doubly precious to me. How can I resign you, Mary, to the too tender solicitude of Combes and those dear fellows?"
Mary tipped her head reflectively while she read his half-serious eyes.
"Is this your trouble, Ned?" said she smiling frankly58 down at him. "Do you mean that you will miss me—quite a little?"
"Just so. Since you comprise the population of Pellawa—for me. But——"
"You may not be called upon to forego the society of this so immensely necessary person."
Now it was his eyes that opened wide.
"I have a piece of big news for you," continued Mary, shaking her head wisely while she enjoyed his surprise. "I, too, am dropping out. No Varsity for me this term. You see me to-day, Ned, a specially59 permitted schoolma'am. Last Thursday as I rode by Sparrow's I was on my way to sign the entangling60 documents. Bridges are all burned. To-morrow I begin teaching—where do you think?"
He shook his head.
"In the school of—The Craggs. I shall be your very close neighbour. Mary McClure is not flitting away from you. Combes and his tender-hearted fellows should worry very considerably61, I fancy."
"Mary, Mary!" was the elated cry. "I am sorry for you but riotously62 happy for myself."
She looked down upon him a moment with eyes brimmingly glad, then a shadow crept into them.
"I am spending this year with Mother and Dad," she said simply.
Looking earnestly at her he caught the shine of tears. Stifling63 the gay words leaping to his lips he rose and stepping to her drew her head to his breast.
"Mary," said he gently, "our work is planned for a year ahead. Home is the only place for us just now."
"We'll make it a great year, Ned," was the hopeful reply. "When I was a little girl, everything good for Mother and Dad was described as 'bestest.' This is to be the 'bestest' year for our loved ones that they have ever known. Can we make it so?"
"You are only a little girl yet," said Ned, kissing the face turned up to him. "And this is to be their 'bestest' year. We shall see to that. Now for my trouble, the thing that drove me out to find you. These last moments have made it deepen rather than vanish. On Thursday afternoon, a short time before I saw you, I had an adventure. Have you heard of it?"
"Not even a rumour64, Ned. Mother and I are not as intimate with Pellawa life as we should be."
"I am glad you have not heard," said Ned earnestly. "There was an encounter in the pool-room. Your father was involved."
At Ned's words a fear flashed into the girl's eyes.
"Your father and I have made rather slow progress in our mutual65 acquaintanceship. We got to know each other much better at Sparrow's. I cannot say the event has helped any. We are now enemies publicly acknowledged. At least your father so considers me. The clash was sharp and promises serious trouble ahead for us. It will hamper66 us not a little in our plans of the last few minutes."
"Ned!" she cried with lips a-tremble. "You did not fight? Not that?"
He looked at her, deeply troubled by the white face and the pain in her glance. She was looking at the scar on his cheek. He thought of the wager67. A staggering regret swept over him. He was about to tell her the whole story, but now? No. She should not know all—just yet. Forcing a reassuring68 smile he replied:
"No. We did not fight. It was a touch and go but resulted in nothing more than a sharp brush with your father's gang. That scratch is from the boot of Bill Baird. I was able to restrain the Valley Gang, thanks to Easy Murphy's loyalty69. Otherwise the worst would have happened. We did not fight and I am confident I can give you my promise that we never shall."
Immense relief filled the girl's eyes.
"You were in a hard place," said she, her look of strange comprehension searching his face. "You held your hand because—because of our love. I know it."
Her sure intuition astonished him, but before he could speak she continued:
"There is startling cause for cheer in all this, Ned. If you can prevent the terrible possibility I am thinking of, you can win Dad."
"How would you have me do it, Mary?" was his abrupt70 appeal.
She pondered deeply, her eyes growing in solicitude as the moments passed. At length she looked at him with troubled face, shaking her head.
"I do not know," was her helpless confession71. "How would you win him?"
"The only way is to play the man with him," was the slow answer. "He would turn over heaven or hell to break me. Obviously I must break him."
The girl shuddered72 at the words. Watching the quivering face he was surprised to hear her say:
"I know there is no other way. One of you must conquer. But there is a condition I want to make. You will be right, always, Ned, as well as irresistible73. I know you will."
"I shall always have the right with me. I have it now," was the quick reply. "I expect to butt74 into stone walls at times, but we shall win out. There is only one great, lurking75 dread76. Sometimes I fear your father may strike at me through you, we mean so much to each other."
As he spoke77 he fancied he saw in her eyes the glimmer78 of a haunting fear. But it vanished so swiftly he doubted he had ever glimpsed it. The big eyes reading his were heavy with grief. With sudden impulse he crushed her in the shelter of his great arms.
"I should not have breathed the thought," said he penitently79. "Nothing conceivable can ever strike our love, Mary. You are not afraid?"
"Not of that," was the reply as she nestled contentedly80 within the strength of him. "Many things may happen, but not that. Just now Father is obsessed81 with his new friendship. It is a thousand pities that the friend should be Chesley Sykes. His presence in Pellawa is an ominous82 mystery to me. So far he has deported83 himself with desirable aloofness84. May he continue to do so. He is completely outside of this beautiful moment. Let us forget him."
"And ride away together," suggested Ned.
"I have an hour yet," calculated Mary.
"We'll spend it riding No-trail Gulch," tempted85 Ned.
"Let us away," laughed the girl gaily86. "For the trail——"
"Is luring," completed Ned, leading her to the horses.
A moment later they clattered87 over the gravel88 bed of the brook and into the trees.
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收听单词发音
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1
zigzagged
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| adj.呈之字形移动的v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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buffaloes
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| n.水牛（分非洲水牛和亚洲水牛两种）( buffalo的名词复数 )；（南非或北美的）野牛；威胁；恐吓 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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stunted
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| adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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cleaving
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| v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的现在分词 ) | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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variegated
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| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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18
gulches
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| n.峡谷( gulch的名词复数 ) | |
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crests
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| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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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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21
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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27
beavers
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| 海狸( beaver的名词复数 )； 海狸皮毛； 棕灰色； 拼命工作的人 | |
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28
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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29
sipping
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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32
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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query
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| n.疑问，问号，质问；vt.询问，表示怀疑 | |
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reiteration
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| n. 重覆, 反覆, 重说 | |
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35
averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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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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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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disconsolately
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| adv.悲伤地，愁闷地；哭丧着脸 | |
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40
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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41
registrar
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| n.记录员，登记员；(大学的)注册主任 | |
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42
janitor
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| n.看门人，管门人 | |
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43
demise
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| n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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45
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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46
ironic
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| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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48
demur
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| v．表示异议，反对 | |
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49
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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50
seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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51
resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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52
aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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53
obsession
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| n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感) | |
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54
actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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55
quaintly
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| adv.古怪离奇地 | |
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56
chic
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| n./adj.别致(的)，时髦(的)，讲究的 | |
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57
hooded
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| adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
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58
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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59
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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60
entangling
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| v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的现在分词 ) | |
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61
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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62
riotously
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| adv.骚动地，暴乱地 | |
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stifling
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| a.令人窒息的 | |
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64
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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65
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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66
hamper
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| vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子 | |
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67
wager
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| n.赌注；vt.押注，打赌 | |
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68
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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69
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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70
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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71
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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72
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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73
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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74
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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75
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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76
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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77
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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78
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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79
penitently
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80
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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81
obsessed
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| adj.心神不宁的,鬼迷心窍的,沉迷的 | |
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82
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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83
deported
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| v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止 | |
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84
aloofness
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| 超然态度 | |
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85
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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86
gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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87
clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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88
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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