Aspasia took the letter between disdainful finger and thumb, and turned it over to peruse1. Rosamond, leaning her chin on her hand, looked away from the breakfast-table through the small-paned windows into the wintry garden, and was lost in some dream again.
Miss Cuningham's nostrils2 dilated3 with indignation as she read the brief dry lines in which Major Bethune informed Lady Gerardine that he would be glad if she could now furnish him with some of the promised material for his work, as he was at a stand-still. He could run down for the day, if it suited, and with kind regards to her niece—begged to remain, and so forth4.
"Kind regards to her niece," repeated that young lady to herself with an ominous5 tightness of expression. "Yes, Aunt," she said aloud, with some alacrity6. "Leave it to me; I shall write to Major Bethune."
She finished her tea with a gulp7 and hurried to the corner of the drawing-room, where she had established her Lares and Penates, to undertake the congenial task.
Her dimples pointed8 deep satisfaction as she wrote. "Kind regards," indeed! This Major of Guides should be taught his proper place in the estimation of Miss Aspasia Cuningham.
DEAR MAJOR BETHUNE (she wrote)—My aunt bids me to say that she will be charmed if you can arrange your promised visit for next week. You did promise to come here, did not you? I positively9 forget. It seems such ages since that dreadful, dreary10 sea journey, that it was quite a surprise to hear from you this morning. We are having such a happy time here that India and all the rest of it seem never to have existed. We do enjoy being by ourselves. Kind regards from my Aunt, Yours very truly,
concluded Miss Aspasia with a vindictive11 flourish.
Having despatched this epistle in triumph, it was astonishing how much brighter became Miss Cuningham's outlook upon the world at large and the manor-house in particular. She developed a renewed interest in housekeeping details; not, as she was careful to explain, that it mattered really what they gave this gentleman to eat or to drink, only Aunt Rosamond was so fastidious.
She discovered that it was absolutely necessary for the entertainment of any visitor that a pony12 and cart should immediately be added to the establishment, and spent an exciting afternoon in scouring13 the countryside for the same.
It was, of course, the sense of duty well accomplished14 that gave such a sparkle to her eye and such an irrepressible tilt15 to the corners of her lips, as she sat waiting for the return of the above-mentioned vehicle from the station the day of Major Bethune's arrival. It had not been her intention to gratify him with a sight of her countenance16 so soon; but Lady Gerardine, after faithfully promising17 to be in attendance at the appointed time, had wandered off, in the vague way of which Aspasia was becoming resignedly tolerant, for one of her long solitary18 rambles19; and the girl could not, for the credit of the house, but take on herself the neglected hospitable20 duty.
Alas21 for all the resolves of a noble pride! She had hardly been ten minutes in the company of the newly arrived guest before she had fallen into the old terms of confidential22 intimacy23.
Afterwards she could not quite tell herself how it had happened; whether because of the good softening24 of his harsh face as he looked down at her, or of the warm close grasp of his hand which drove away at once the forlorn feeling which had possessed25 her poor little gregarious26 soul all these days; or whether it were the mollifying influence of old Mary's scones27, the cosiness28 of the fragrant29 tea and the leaping fire in contrast to the dreary dusk gathering30 outside. Perhaps it was merely that her healthy nature could harbour no resentment31, albeit32 the most justifiable33. However it may have been, Major Bethune found his welcome at the manor-house sweet. Even the maidenly34 coldness of her first greeting pleased his fastidious old-fashioned notions; and the subsequent thawing35 of this delicate rime36 came upon him with something of the balm of sunshine on a frosty morning.
His face stiffened37, however, at Aspasia's first confidence about her aunt, into which she plunged38, after her usual manner, without the slightest preamble39.
"She's awfully40 good to me, always; sweeter to me than ever, these last few days—when we meet! But I scarcely see her, except at meals. And then we don't seem to be living in the same world. It's like talking through the telephone," cried the girl. "Of course, I am quite aware," she went on, "that the poor darling is suffering from neu—neurasth—well, whatever they call it; that her nerves are all wrong. 'Tisn't anything so very new either," she giggled41, "'tis just too much Runkle—Runkleitis.... I know myself, even I, at times, have felt as if I could scream and tear out his hair by the roots. What must it have been for her! She kept up, you see; that's her way. And now that she's free of him for a bit, it's the reaction, I suppose."
He drank his tea in sips42, listening to her, his head bent43. The firelight leaped and cast changing lights upon his countenance. Baby thought he looked thinner, older, sterner; yet she could never be afraid of him. There was something extraordinarily44 pleasant in having him there. The very loneliness of the Old Ancient House added a zest45. The unsubstantial image of Harry46 English faded like a ghost before the dawn in the strong man's presence. She edged her chair an inch closer.
"I am sorry Lady Gerardine is no better," said he, formally, into the silence.
"Oh, better!" answered Aspasia. "Will you have another cup?" ("That makes the third." She was pleased; here was a tribute to her capacity.) "Better?—that's what is so funny, she's as well as possible. She looks young, young, with a bloom on her cheeks, and sometimes she walks about smiling to herself. It makes me creep. I can't think what she's smiling at. She comes down, singing softly to herself. Why, there are times when she looks just like a girl. No one could ever believe she's had two husbands," cried terrible Baby.
Major Bethune put down his cup, untouched. ("He didn't want it after all," commented she.) "It is rather strange," she went on aloud; "she's simply bloomed since she came here, and the whole house is full of Harry English. And she's shut up half the time, in his old rooms under the roof, routing among those old letters, you know—those letters there was all the fuss about. I thought we'd killed her over them between us," said Baby, with her little nervous laugh. "And now, I don't know, but I almost think I would rather see her cry and look pale as before. It would seem more natural. Really, I'm frightened sometimes."
Her pretty face, with its wide open eyes, took a piteous look in the firelight.
"You don't think it means anything?" she resumed. And the tears suddenly welled, the corners of her mouth drooped47: she seemed no more than a child. He stretched out his arm and took her hand.
"Mean?" he said. "Why, Miss Aspasia, what should it mean? Something perhaps that your kind heart would find hard to understand. But it means, after all, nothing so very unusual. Lady Gerardine, and it is all the better for her, is of those who are quickly consoled. The country air is doing her good, and the old letters——" he dropped her hand, his tones grew incisive48. "It is only when the past is more satisfactory than the present that memories are disagreeable."
"Oh," cried Aspasia. She started to her feet. "What a funny way you have of saying that!" And as the meaning of his words forced itself upon her, "How unkind! I think you hate Aunt Rosamond."
"I?" said he, startled. He rose in his turn. "What an absurd idea!" He laughed, but his lips seemed stiff. "I?—I would not presume, how could I? to have any feeling for Lady Gerardine but that of distant respect."
The door opened and in came Rosamond.
"In the dark!" she said, looking upon them unseeingly after the light of the hall. "Is that Major Bethune?"
She came forward, while Aspasia, on her knees, violently poked49 the fire into a blaze.
"Rose of the World," thought Bethune, as the ruddy glow fell upon the figure of his friend's widow. It was true she looked like a girl. Her cheek was rose-red from the cold wind. Her shadowed eyes brilliant. The light tendrils of her hair floated back from her white forehead.
"You are welcome," she said, and mingled50 with her grace and sweetness there was a timidity which was as exquisite51 and as indescribable an addition to her beauty as the bloom to the purple of the grape or the mist to the line of the hills at dawn. He bowed over her hand. He felt angry with himself that he had no word to say.
"Tea?" said Aspasia. As he took the cup from her to pass it to Lady Gerardine, he heard the spoon clink against the saucer with the trembling of his own hand.
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1
peruse
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| v.细读，精读 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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dilated
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| adj.加宽的，扩大的v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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gulp
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| vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽 | |
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8
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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vindictive
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| adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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scouring
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| 擦[洗]净，冲刷，洗涤 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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tilt
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| v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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rambles
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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softening
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| 变软，软化 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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gregarious
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| adj.群居的，喜好群居的 | |
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scones
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| n.烤饼，烤小圆面包( scone的名词复数 ) | |
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cosiness
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| n.舒适，安逸 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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justifiable
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| adj.有理由的，无可非议的 | |
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maidenly
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| adj. 像处女的, 谨慎的, 稳静的 | |
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thawing
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| n.熔化，融化v.（气候）解冻( thaw的现在分词 )；（态度、感情等）缓和；（冰、雪及冷冻食物）溶化；软化 | |
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rime
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| n.白霜；v.使蒙霜 | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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preamble
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| n.前言；序文 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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41
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
sips
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| n.小口喝，一小口的量( sip的名词复数 )v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的第三人称单数 ) | |
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43
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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45
zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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46
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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47
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
incisive
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| adj.敏锐的，机敏的，锋利的，切入的 | |
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49
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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50
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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51
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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