He was sitting on a stool at Mrs. Bellairs' feet. She had abandoned to him one plump taper-fingered hand. The gay little parlour of the Queen Square house was full of sunshine and of the screeching1 ecstasy2 of Mistress Kitty's canary bird.
"How beautiful you are!" said he; it was for the fourth time within the half-hour. Conversation between them had languished3 somehow.
Kitty Bellairs flung a sidelong wistful look upon her lover's countenance4. His eyes, gazing upwards5 upon her, devoured6 her beauty with the self-same expression that she had found so entrancing earlier in the day. "Deep wells of passion," she had told herself then. Now a chill shade of misgiving7 crept upon her.
"His eyes are like a calf8's," she said to herself suddenly.
*****
"How beautiful——" thus he began to murmur9 once again, when his mistress's little hand, twitching10 impatiently from his grasp, surprised him into silence.
"Oh dear! a calf in very truth," thought she. "Baah—baa ooh.... What can I have seen in him? 'Twas a sudden pastoral yearning11....!"
"May I not hold your hand?" said he, shifting himself to his silken knees and pressing against her.
Yet he was a pretty boy and there was a charm undoubted in the freshness of this innocence12 and youth awakening13 to the first glimmer14 of man's passion.
"Delightful15 task——" she quoted under her breath, and once more vouchsafed16 him, with a sweep like the poise17 of a dove, her gentle hand.
As it lay in his brown fingers, she contemplated18 it with artistic19 satisfaction and played her little digits20 up and down, admiring the shape and colour of the nails, the delicate dimples at the knuckles21. But Lord Verney's great boy's paw engulfed22 them all too quickly, and his brown eyes never wavered from their devout23 contemplation of her countenance.
"How——"
Mistress Kitty sprang to her feet.
"I vow24," she cried, "'tis my hour for the waters, and I had clean forgot them!"
She called upon her maid:
"Lydia, child, my hat!—Lord Verney, if it please you, sir, your arm as far as the Pump Room." ("At least," she thought to herself, "all Bath shall know of my latest conquest")
She tied her hat ribbons under her chin.
"How like you the mode?" said she. And, charmed into smiles again by the rosy25 vision under the black plumes26, she flashed round upon him from the mirror. "Is it not, perhaps, a thought fly-away? Yet 'tis the latest. What says my Verney?"
The poor youth vainly endeavoured to discriminate27 and criticise28.
"It is indeed a very fine hat," said he ... "and there seem to be a vast number of feathers upon it." He hesitated, stammered29. "Oh, what care I for modes! 'Tis you, you——"
"What are you staring at, girl?" cried Mistress Bellairs sharply, to her Abigail. "Out with you!"
"Well, my Verney?" said she. "Mercy, how you look, man! Is anything wrong with my face?"
She tilted30 that lovely little piece of perishable31 bloom innocently towards him as she spoke32. And the kiss she had read in his eyes landed with unprecedented33 success upon her lips.
"Why, who knows?" thought she, with a little satisfied smile, as she straightened her modish34 hat. "There may be stuff in the lad, after all!"
She took his arm. Dazed by his own audacity35, he suffered her to lead him from the room. They jostled together down the narrow stairs.
"How beautiful you are!" said he; and kissed her again as they reached the sombre dark-panelled vestibule.
"Fie!" said she with a shade of testiness36 and pushed him back, as her little black page ran to open the door.
The kiss, like his talk, lacked any heightening of tone—and what of a lover's kiss that shows no new ardour, what of a vow of love that has no new colour, no fresh imagery? But the trees in Queen Square were lightly leafed with pale, golden-green. The sunshine was white-gold, the breeze fresh and laughing; the old grey town was decked as with garlands of Young Love.
"He is but new to it," she argued against her fleeting37 doubts, "and he is, sure, the prettiest youth in all Bath."
Love and Spring danced in Mistress Kitty's light heart and light heels as she tripped forth38. And Love and Spring gathered and strove and sought outlet39 in Verney's soul as inevitably40, and irresistibly41, and almost as unconsciously as the sap in the young shoots that swayed under the caress42 of the breeze and amorously43 unfurled themselves to the sunlight.
*****
The Pump Room was cool and dim after the grey stone street upon which the young year's sunshine beat as fierce as its youth knew how. The water droned its little song as it welled up, faintly steaming.
"Listen to it," quoth Mistress Kitty. "How innocent it sounds, how dear it looks!"
With a smile she took the glass transferred to her by Verney, and: "Ugh!" said she, "how monstrous44 horrid45 it tastes, to be sure! 'Tis, I fear," she said, again casting a glance of some anxiety at her new lover's countenance, "a symbol of life."
"Yet," said he, "these waters are said to be vastly wholesome46."
"Wholesome!" cried Mistress Kitty, sipping47 again, and again curling her nose upwards and the corners of her lips downwards48, in an irresistibly fascinating grimace49. "Wholesome, my lord! Heaven defend us! And what is that but the last drop to complete their odiousness50! Wholesome, sir? I would have you know 'tis not for wholesomeness52 I drink." She put down her glass, undiminished save by the value of a bird's draught53. "Do I look like a woman who needs to drink waters for 'wholesomeness?'"
"Indeed, no," floundered he in his bewildered way.
"There are social obligations," said she, sententiously. "A widow, sir, alone and unprotected, must conform to common usage. And then I have another reason, one of pure sentiment."
She cocked her head and fixed54 her mocking eye upon him.
"My poor Bellairs," said she, "how oft has it not been my pleasure and my duty to fill such a glass as this and convey it to his lips? In his last years, poor angel, he had quite lost the use of his limbs!"
Lord Verney had no answer appropriate to these tender reminiscences; and Mistress Kitty, having, it seemed, sufficiently55 conformed to the usage of Bath, as well as sacrificed to the manes of the departed, turned briskly round, and, leaning against a pilaster, began to survey the room.
"La! how empty!" quoth she. "'Tis your fault if I am so late, my lord. Nobody, I swear, but that Flyte woman, your odious51 Spicer, sir—ha, and old General Tilney. Verily, I believe these dreadful springs have the power of keeping such mummies in life long after their proper limit. 'Tis hardly fair on the rest of the world. Why, the poor thing has scarce a sense or a wit left, and yet it walks! Heaven preserve us! why, it runs!" she cried suddenly with a little chirp56, as the unfortunate veteran of Dettingen, escaping from the guiding hands of his chairman, started for the door with the uncontrolled trot57 of semi-paralytic senility.
"And that reminds me," said Mistress Kitty, "that Sir George is most particular that I should walk five minutes between every glass. Here comes your estimable aunt, Lady Maria, and her ear-trumpet58, and the unfortunate Miss Selina. I protest, with that yellow feather she is more like my dear dead Toto than ever.
"Was that your pet name for your husband?" murmured Lord Verney, in a strangled whisper.
"Fie, sir!" cried the widow. "My cockatoo—I referred to my cockatoo." She sighed profoundly. "I loved him," she said.
He looked at her, uncertain to which of the lamented59 bipeds she referred.
"Selina," cried Lady Maria, in the strident tones of the deaf woman persuaded of her own consequence (the voice of your shy deaf one loses all sound in her terror of being loud)—"Selina, how often must I tell you that you must clip in my glass yourself! Who's that over there? Where are my eyeglasses? Who's that, did you say? Mistress Bellairs? Humph! And who's she got with her in tow now? Who did you say? Louder, child, louder. What makes you mumble60 so? Who? Verney—Lord Verney? Why, that's my nevvy. Tell him to come to me this minute. Do you hear, Selina, this minute! I won't have him fall into the net of widow Bellairs!"
The cockatoo top-knot nodded vehemently61. Poor Miss Selina, agitated62 between consciousness that the whole Pump Room was echoing to Lady Maria's sentiments and terror of her patroness, took two steps upon her errand, and halted, fluttering. Lord Verney had flushed darkly purple. Mistress Kitty hung with yet more affectionate weight upon his arm and smiled with sweet unconsciousness. For the moment she was as deaf as Lady Maria.
The latter's claw-like hand had now disengaged a long-stemmed eyeglass from her laces.
"'Tis indeed," she pronounced in her commanding bass64, "my nevvy Verney with that vile65 Bellairs!—-Nevvy! Here, I say!—Selina, fool, have you gone to sleep?"
An echo, as of titters, began to circle round the Pump Room. The painted face of Lady Flyte was wreathed into a smile of peculiar66 significance, as she whispered over her glass to her particular friend of the moment, Captain Spicer. This gentleman's pallid67 visage was illumined with a radiance of gratified spite. His lips were pursed as though upon a plum of superdelicious gossip. He began to whisper and mouthe. Young Squire68 Greene approached the couple with an eager ear and an innocent noddy face that strove to look vastly wise.
"I assure you," mouthed the Captain. "Was I not there?"
"In his bedroom?" cried Lady Flyte, with a shrill69 laugh.
Lady Maria's cockatoo crest70 rose more fiercely. It seemed to Kitty Bellairs as if she heard the old lady's jaws71 rattle72. It was certain that in her wrath73 she squawked louder than even the late lamented Toto. Then Mistress Kitty, who, to say the truth, began to find the scene a little beyond enjoyment74, felt the young arm upon which she leaned stiffen75, the young figure beside her rear itself with a new manliness76.
"Pray, Mistress Bellairs," said my Lord Verney, he spoke loudly and, to her surprise, with perfect facility, even dignity, "will you allow me to introduce you to my aunt, Lady Maria Prideaux?—Aunt Maria," said he, and his voice rang out finely, imposing77 a general silence, "let me present Mistress Bellairs. This lady has graciously condescended78 to accept me as her future husband. I am the happiest and the most honoured of men."
The last sentence he cried out still more emphatically than the rest, and then repeated it with his eye on Kitty's suddenly flushed cheek, almost in a whisper and with a quiver of strong emotion.
The astounded79 Mistress Kitty rose from her deep curtesy with a swelling80 heart.
"The dear lad," she said to herself. "The dear, innocent chivalrous81 lad!"
There was almost a dimness in her brilliant black eye. Her emotion was of a kind she had never known before: it was almost maternal82.
Under stress of sudden genuine emotion, the wit of intrigue83 in the cleverest woman falls in abeyance84. Mistress Bellairs found no word out of the new situation.
Lady Maria's deafness had increased to an alarming extent.
"Gratified, I'm sure," she mumbled85, stuck out her dry hand and withdrew it before Mistress Bellairs had time to touch it.
"My future wife," bawled86 the budding peer, in his aged63 relative's ear.
It was curious to note how old Lady Maria seemed suddenly to have become. Huddled87 in herself she nodded vacantly at her nephew.
"Thank ye for asking, child," said she, "but the waters try me a good deal."
Lord Verney attempted another shout in vain.
"So Sir George says," remarked my lady.
"'Tis the very eye of my poor dear Toto," thought Mistress Bellairs.
Lord Verney looked round in despair. Miss Selina thought him monstrous handsome and gallant88, and her poor old-maid's heart warmed to the lover in him. She approached Lady Maria and gently lifted her trumpet.
Lady Maria, glad enough of a diversion, applied89 it to her ear with unwonted affability.
"What is it, my dear? Any sign of the Duchess?"
"Your nephew," said Miss Selina in modest accents, "your nephew, my Lord Verney, wishes to inform you that he is about to contract a matrimonial alliance with the lady he has just introduced to you."
Miss Selina blushed behind the mouthpiece as she made this announcement. Then she cried: "Oh," with an accent of suffering, for Lady Maria had rapped her over the knuckles with the instrument.
"Matrimonial fiddlesticks!" said Lord Verney's aunt. "Selina, you're a perfect fool!—Madam," remarked the wraith90 of the departed cockatoo, inclining her crest with much dignity towards the blooming Kitty, "I wish you good-morning."
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收听单词发音
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1
screeching
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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3
languished
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| 长期受苦( languish的过去式和过去分词 )； 受折磨； 变得（越来越）衰弱； 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐 | |
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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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5
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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misgiving
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕 | |
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8
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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9
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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12
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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13
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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14
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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15
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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poise
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| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
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18
contemplated
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| adj. 预期的 动词contemplate的过去分词形式 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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20
digits
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| n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾 | |
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21
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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22
engulfed
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| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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26
plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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27
discriminate
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| v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待 | |
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criticise
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| v.批评，评论；非难 | |
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29
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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30
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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perishable
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| adj.（尤指食物）易腐的，易坏的 | |
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32
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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unprecedented
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| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
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34
modish
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| adj.流行的，时髦的 | |
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35
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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testiness
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| n.易怒，暴躁 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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irresistibly
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| adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地 | |
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42
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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43
amorously
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| adv.好色地，妖艳地；脉；脉脉；眽眽 | |
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44
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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45
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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46
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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47
sipping
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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48
downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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49
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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50
odiousness
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| n.可憎；讨厌；可恨 | |
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51
odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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52
wholesomeness
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| 卫生性 | |
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53
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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54
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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55
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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56
chirp
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| v.(尤指鸟)唧唧喳喳的叫 | |
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57
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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58
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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59
lamented
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| adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mumble
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| n./v.喃喃而语，咕哝 | |
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vehemently
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| adv. 热烈地 | |
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62
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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63
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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64
bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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65
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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66
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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67
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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68
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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69
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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70
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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71
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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72
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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73
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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74
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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75
stiffen
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| v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬 | |
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76
manliness
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| 刚毅 | |
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77
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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78
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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79
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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80
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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81
chivalrous
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| adj.武士精神的；对女人彬彬有礼的 | |
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82
maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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83
intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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84
abeyance
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| n.搁置，缓办，中止，产权未定 | |
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85
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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86
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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87
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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88
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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89
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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90
wraith
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| n.幽灵；骨瘦如柴的人 | |
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