It seemed so unnecessary for any one to meet her at the South Station and taxi with her over to the North Station, but there was Miss Newton, a friend who had visited the Brandons and who lived almost in Boston. With her, Nancy’s mother had arranged, both for crossing the big city and having lunch, so that there could be no possible danger in her daughter’s journey. Also, after lunch in the15 upstairs station restaurant, Miss Newton, a lively young woman who seemed just like a girl to Nancy, insisted upon making up a little box of fruit for the train journey.
“Never can tell about these long afternoon rides,” said Miss Newton, when she bought five more blue plums. “They may side-track you and you’ll be glad to have a fruity supper along with you.”
Nancy expressed her gratitude3, of course, and as the Boston and Maine afternoon train steamed out, she didn’t feel quite so lonely without her mother, because of Miss Newton’s jolly waving and pleasant little send-off.
The train was crowded. Many mothers and children seemed to have been on shopping tours. Naturally Nancy was concerned with the prospect4 before her, for since Rosalind’s letters were so effusively5 pre-welcoming and so hysterically6 anxious about what she termed, “the troubles and trials at Fernlode,” Nancy could form no opinion of the strange household. She knew she was going to be shy of that important new, stylish7, beautiful Aunt16 Betty, for the reputation she had obtained was enough to strike awe8 into the heart of any girl visitor. Of Uncle Frederic she knew positively9 that she just loved him, for he had visited her own home late last fall, and he was “a king” as Ted2 expressed it. Rosalind had been away at boarding school all the time, it seemed to Nancy, so the young cousins had never met, for even Rosalind’s vacations had been usually spent abroad. This year, however, she had insisted upon remaining at home, although her father and step-mother were to sail shortly.
But now Nancy’s train sped on, and the flying landscape, though novel after the big factories and the bridges were passed, held small interest for the young summer tourist. She noticed that a woman with two small boys had bought those silly little boxes of ice-cream with the foolish tin spoons, and their delight in lapping up the stuff was rather amusing. It was funny, too, to see the people spill water cups along the aisle10, and when a very stout11 man dozed12 off, and let his bald17 head tap a lady on her bead-bedecked shoulder, Nancy indulged in an audible titter while the ice-cream boys shouted loud enough to wake up the indecorous gentleman.
Such trifling13 incidents helped to while away the time, and after the big mill dam was passed, which according to the timetable indicated the state line of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, with somehow touching14 on a corner of Maine, then Nancy knew the journey was almost over.
The afternoon was cool and pleasant, for early June was still behaving beautifully, and Nancy was not sorry that she had taken her mother’s advice and worn her school suit of blue serge.
“I suppose,” she ruminated15, “Rosalind’s clothes will be gor-gee-ous.” This visioned her own limited outfit16. “But being so fat it must be hard getting clothes. They all have to be made to order, of course.”
It was at this juncture17 that the little old-fashioned woman, in the seat opposite Nancy, spread her ginghamed self out in the aisle, in18 order to cope more freely with the over-crowded bag she was struggling to close. Her efforts were so violent, and her groans18 so audible, that everybody around took frank notice of her. First, she would get between the two seats, backing to that in front, and trudge19 away at the helpless, hopeless carry-all. Then, she would put the bag on the floor and work from the aisle. Finally, she literally20 threw up her hands and looked comically at Nancy.
“Ain’t it the mischief21, sissy?” she said suddenly. “I got to get off with that bag bulged22 wide open.”
Nancy laughed outright23. “Sissy” was such an old-fashioned name to be called. Then she looked critically at the recalcitrant24 bag.
“Maybe I could do it,” she suggested, although she instinctively25 felt like calling the car man to help. Yet the funny little country woman, with her checked gingham dress, her bronzed skin and her perfectly26 useless hat, that merely rested on the top of her frowsy head, was smiling so friendly, that Nancy felt19 impelled27 to offer personal aid.
So she stepped over and tackled the bag. It was too full, much too full, of course, and the articles in it were the non-crushable kind, hard and firm. Surely the biggest opponent to the catch and its clasp meeting was a bottle, for it bulged out in one place as fast as Nancy tried to push it in at another.
“I’m afraid I can’t close it,” Nancy admitted reluctantly. “Couldn’t you take anything out?”
The woman pulled her face into such funny crinkles, it looked as if she was winking28 all over it. Then she made queer noises, but they could not be called words, and at last a man who had been watching the performance, over his reading glasses, dropped his paper and silently offered his services.
He was a very dignified29 gentleman, and he readily acknowledged Nancy’s presence, although he did not directly address her. The little woman was being regarded as very much out of order, and truth to tell she was very generally disturbing the peace in that end of20 the car.
But now the man, with his strong hands and white shirt-cuffs, undertook to conquer the rebel bag. He would plainly have no nonsense, would make short work of it, for his face was set with a look of active determination.
Once, twice, he tried to snap it shut. Then—there was something like an explosion!
Splash! A perfect fountain of red liquid shot straight up in the air!
“Oh, mercy!” yelled the owner of the bag. “There goes Martha’s grape juice!”
And go it did, apparently30 as far and farther than even good home-made grape juice is supposed to travel, for it covered the face and shirt front of the determined31 man, it all but shampooed the blonde head in the next seat front, it managed, somehow, to include Nancy in its area, for across the aisle shot a thin but virulent32 little stream, and while one party was trying to dodge33 it another would fall into its furious path.
“A bomb! A bomb!” yelled one of the ice21 cream boys joyfully34.
“Maybe it’s a bandit’s hold-up,” yelped35 the other boy, hopefully.
“It’s my lovely grape juice and it’s working—” moaned the woman in the gingham dress. But what she meant by “working” was not what the spectators were thinking of. She meant effervescing36, while they simply saw liquid fireworks shooting around the car.
It was all over in a few moments, but the well intentioned man could not erase37 the stains from his expansive shirt front—it was hard enough to get the grape juice out of his eyes.
The blonde woman, whose bobbed head had been caught in the shower, seemed the one most injured, and she took no trouble to restrain her indignation!
“The idea! Carrying that stuff around!” she argued. “Just imagine! Black and blue grape juice,” and she swabbed her head frantically38 with all the handkerchiefs she could resurrect from pockets and hand bags. Blonde hair dyed wine color did look odd.
22 “I’m awfully39 sorry,” the gingham woman admitted. “It was just a present from my cousin Martha—”
“Then, why didn’t you hire a truck instead of buying a railway ticket,” fired back the crimson-spotted blonde. “Seems to me—” But her further arguments were lost in the sudden stopping of the train and the hurried getting off of the unfortunate grape juice owner.
She made opportunity for a smile to Nancy, however, as she edged her way out, and as she left the train it was the boy who had shouted “bomb” at the accident who pegged40 her the cork41 of that bottle. Strange to say, the woman caught the stopper, and bravely took the almost empty bottle from the rebellious42 bag, banged the cork in firmly, and was then on her way—with the bottle in one hand and the famous bag in the other.
Everyone’s face seemed to betray amusement, for during the entire episode the little woman had shown real good nature. First, she was patient, as well as determined, in attempting23 to close the obstreperous43 bag; next, when the mighty44 all-knowing man went to her assistance and caused the grape juice explosion, she only smiled and herself took the blame for his mistake.
All of this wavered in Nancy’s mind, and with it came one of those unaccountable little flickering45 thoughts, unbidden and unreasonable46. It suggested a future meeting of Nancy and the gingham woman.
“But wherever would I and why ever should I meet her again?” Nancy deliberated. “She’s probably just some farmer lady, and this station is miles from Craggy Bluff47.”
The incident served admirably to brighten the last hour of her journey, and even the wonderful capers48 of a late afternoon sun, gyrating over the New England hills, failed to hold interest now, as a long train trip wound up the miles, like a boy’s fish line after a long waiting and a poor catch.
Nancy’s bag and hat box were made hold of even before the trainman called out the station, and now that she had actually arrived24 at Rosalind’s summer place, Nancy caught her breath, apprehensively49.
“With mother in Europe and Manny far off, I’ll have to like it,” she reflected, “but then, why shouldn’t I?” Her question poised50 itself boldly before her, for somehow even the lure51 of luxury was not altogether reassuring52.
It was now almost seven o’clock, and the young tourist noticed no one preparing to leave the train at the approaching station. True, there were so few passengers left, there might be individual stations for each one of them; but Craggy Bluff was sure to be exclusive.
The very word as she thought of it, rather terrified Nancy, for, after all, she enjoyed folks, loved companionship and appreciated girlhood’s privileges.
“But Rosalind and—Orilla,” she was forced to reflect, “they will be good company—I hope.” It was Orilla’s personality that puzzled her, for the accounts of that queer girl had been anything but flattering.
“Craggy Bluff!” called out the trainman,25 who promptly53 approached Nancy and took up her bag. This had been arranged for by the thoughtful Miss Newton, when the train was leaving Boston, so that there was no danger of Nancy mistaking her destination, or being inconvenienced by her baggage.
She stepped from the train, thanked the trainman and took her bag, just as a smiling girl ran up to her.
It was Rosalind! Fat and rosy54, jolly and rollicking.
“Nancy!” she cried happily.
“Rosalind!” responded the traveller.
“Oh, how ducky! I just couldn’t wait. Over here. Chet!” called Rosalind to the chauffeur55, who promptly hurried along for the bags. Rosalind continued to puff56 and putter. “Nancy! Isn’t it too darling to have you come?” Her arm was wound around Nancy’s waist. “Do you like the woods? And the water? And the hills? We even have wild beasts out here, but I never have hunted alone. Here’s our car. Jump right in. Chet, I must call at the post office.” Thus rattled26 on the exuberant57 Rosalind, as Nancy formed her first pleasant opinion of the important cousin.
Following these preliminaries, Nancy did manage to say a few words. But they didn’t mean anything, much, other than being pleasant words happily spoken.
The cousins were at last becoming acquainted, and while Nancy knew she was sure to love the impulsive58 Rosalind, Rosalind felt she was simply “dead in love” with Nancy, all of which favored the hopeful summertime ahead.
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1
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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ted
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| vt.翻晒，撒，撒开 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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effusively
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| adv.变溢地，热情洋溢地 | |
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hysterically
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| ad. 歇斯底里地 | |
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stylish
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| adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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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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aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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ruminated
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| v.沉思( ruminate的过去式和过去分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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trudge
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| v.步履艰难地走；n.跋涉，费力艰难的步行 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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recalcitrant
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| adj.倔强的 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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virulent
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| adj.有毒的，有恶意的，充满敌意的 | |
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dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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joyfully
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| adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地 | |
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yelped
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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effervescing
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| v.冒气泡，起泡沫( effervesce的现在分词 ) | |
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erase
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| v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹 | |
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frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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pegged
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| v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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obstreperous
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| adj.喧闹的，不守秩序的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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47
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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48
capers
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| n.开玩笑( caper的名词复数 )；刺山柑v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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51
lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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52
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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53
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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54
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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55
chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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56
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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57
exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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58
impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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