She put on her panoply4 of pride, and braced5 up her nerves to a pitch of strained excitement. And then, after all, the effort seemed to have been wasted! There was no fight to be fought, no struggle to be made. The social atmosphere among her visitors that Saturday afternoon was as mildly relaxing as the breath of a misty6 woodland landscape in autumn, and Minnie felt her Spartan7 mood melting beneath it.
Whether it were due to the influence of Dr. Bodkin's presence (the doctor usually spent the Saturday half-holiday in his study, preparing the morrow's sermon; or, it may be, occasionally reading the newspaper, or even taking a nap)—or whether it were the shadow of Algernon's approaching departure, the fact was that the little company appeared depressed8, and attuned9 to melancholy10.
Rhoda Maxfield was not there. She had privately11 told Algy that she could not bear to be present among his friends on that last Saturday. "They will be saying 'Good-bye' to you, and—and all that," said the girl, with quivering lips. "And I know I should burst out crying before them all." Whereupon Algy had eagerly commended her prudent12 resolution to stay at home.
No other of the accustomed frequenters of the Bodkins' drawing-room was absent. The doctor's was the only unusual presence in the little assembly. He stood in his favourite attitude on the hearth13, and surveyed the company as if they had been a class called up for examination. Mr. Diamond sat beside Miss Bodkin's sofa, and was, perhaps, a thought more grave and silent than usual.
Minnie lay with half-closed eyes on her sofa, and felt almost ashamed of the proud resolutions she had been making. It seemed very natural to be silently miserable14. No one appeared to expect her to be anything else. If she had even begun to cry, as Miss Chubb did when Algernon went to the piano and sang "Auld15 Lang Syne16," it would have excited no wondering remark.
Pathos17 was not Algy's forte18 in general, but circumstances gave a resistless effect to his song. The tears ran down Miss Chubb's cheeks, so copiously19, as to imperil the little gummed curls that adorned20 her face. Even the Reverend Peter Warlock, who was a little jealous of Algy's high place in Miss Bodkin's good graces, exhibited considerable feeling on this occasion, and joined in the chorus "For au—auld la—ang syne, my friends," with his deep bass21 voice, which had a hollow tone like the sound of the wind in the belfry of St. Chad's.
Here Mrs. Errington's massive placidity22 became useful. She broke the painful pause which ensued upon the last note of the song, by asking Dr. Bodkin, in a sonorous23 voice, if he happened to be acquainted with Lord Seely's remarkably25 brilliant pamphlet on the dog-tax.
"No," replied the doctor, shaking his head slowly and emphatically, as who should say that he challenged society to convict him of any such acquaintance.
It did not at all matter to Mrs. Errington whether he had or had not read the pamphlet in question, the existence of which, indeed, had only come to her own knowledge that morning, by the chance inspection26 of an old newspaper that had been hunted out to wrap some of Algy's belongings27 in. What the good lady had at heart was the introduction of Lord Seely's name, in whose praise she forthwith began a flowing discourse28.
This brought Miss Chubb, figuratively speaking, to her legs. She always a little resented Mrs. Errington's aristocratic pretensions29, and was accustomed to oppose to them the fashionable reminiscences of her sole London season, which had been passed in an outwardly smoke-blackened and inwardly time-tarnished house in Manchester Square, whereof the upper floors had been hired furnished for a term by the Right Reverend the Bishop30 of Plumbunn. And the bishop's lady had "chaperoned" Miss Chubb to such gaieties as seemed not objectionable to the episcopal mind. As the rose-scent of youth still clung to the dry and faded memories of that time, Miss Chubb always recurred31 to them with pleasure.
Having first carefully wiped away her tears by the method of pressing her handkerchief to her eyes and cheeks as one presses blotting-paper to wet ink, so as not to disturb the curls, Miss Chubb plunged32, with happy flexibility33 of mood, into the midst of a rout34 at Lady Tubville's, nor paused until she had minutely described five of the dresses worn on that occasion, including her own and the bishopess's, from shoe to head-dress.
Mrs. Errington came in ponderously35. "Tubville? I don't know the name. It isn't in Debrett?"
"And the supper!" pursued Miss Chubb, ignoring Debrett. "Such refinement36, together with such luxury—! It was a banquet for Lucretius."
"What, what?" exclaimed the doctor in his sharp, scholastic37 key. He had been conversing38 in a low voice with Mr. Warlock, but the Latin name caught his ear.
"I am speaking of a supper, Dr. Bodkin, at the house of a leader of tong. I never shall forget it. Although I didn't eat much of it, to be sure. Just a sip39 of champagne40, and a taste of—of—What do you call that delightful41 thing, with the French name, that they give at ball suppers? Vo—vo—What is it?"
"Vol-au-vent?" suggested Algy, at a venture.
"Ah! vol-o-voo. Yes; you will excuse my correcting you, Algernon, but that is the French pronunciation. Just one taste of vol-o-voo was all that I partook of; but the elegance—the plate, the exotic bouquets42, and the absolute paraphernalia43 of wax-lights! It was a scene for young Romance to gloat on!"
"But what had Lucretius to do with it?" persisted the doctor.
Miss Chubb looked up, and shook her forefinger44 archly.
"Now, Dr. Bodkin, I will not be catechised; you can't give me an imposition, you know. And as to Lucretius, beyond the fact that he was a Roman emperor, who ate and drank a great deal, I honestly own that I know very little about him."
This time the doctor was effectually silenced. He stood with his eyes rolling from Mr. Diamond to the curate, and from the curate to Algy, as though mutely protesting against the utterance45 of such things under the very roof of the grammar school. But he said not a syllable46.
Mr. Diamond had looked at Minnie with an amused smile, expecting to meet an answering glance of amusement at Miss Chubb's speech. But the fringed eyelids47 hung heavily over the beautiful dark eyes, which were wont48 to meet his own with such quick sympathy. Mr. Diamond felt a little shock of disappointment. Without giving himself much account of the matter, he had come to consider Miss Bodkin and himself as the only two persons in the little coterie49 who had an intellectual point of view in common on many topics. The circumstance that Miss Bodkin was a very beautiful and interesting woman, certainly added a flattering charm to this communion of minds. He had almost grown to look upon her attention and sympathy as peculiarly his own—things to which he had a right. And the unsmiling, listless face which now met his gaze, gave him the same blank feeling that we experience on finding a well-known window, accustomed to present gay flowers to the passers-by, all at once grown death-like with a down-drawn ghastly blind.
Mr. Diamond looked at Minnie again, and was struck with the expression of suffering on her face. He knew she disliked being condoled50 with about her health; so he said gently, "I think Errington's departure is depressing us all. Even Miss Bodkin looks dull."
Minnie lifted her eyelids now, and her wan51 look of suffering was rather enhanced by the view of those bright, wistful eyes.
"I think Errington is an enviable fellow," continued Mr. Diamond.
"So do I. He is going away."
"That's a hard saying for us, who are to remain behind, Miss Bodkin! But I meant—and I think you know that I meant—he is enviable because he will be so much regretted."
"I don't know that he will be 'so much regretted.'"
"Surely——Why, one fair lady has even been shedding tears!"
"Oh, Miss Chubb? Yes; but that proves very little. The good soul is always overstocked with sentiment, and will use any friend as a waste-pipe to get rid of her superfluous52 emotion."
"Well, I should have made no doubt that you would be sorry, Miss Bodkin."
"Sorry! Yes; I am sorry. That is to say, I shall miss Algernon. He is so clever, and bright, and gay, and—different from all our Whitford mortals. But for himself, I think one ought to be glad. Papa says, and you say, and I say myself, that his journey to London on such slender encouragement is a wild-goose chase. But, after all, why not? Wild geese must be better to chase than tame ones."
"Not so easy to catch, nor so well worth the catching53, though," said Mr. Diamond, smiling.
"I said nothing about catching. The hunting is the sport. If a good fat goose had been all that was wanted, Mr. Filthorpe, of Bristol, offered him that; and even, I believe, ready roasted. But—if I were a man, I think I would rather hunt down my wild goose for myself."
"You had better not let Errington hear your theory about the pleasures of wild-goose hunting."
"Because he is apt enough for the sport already?"
"N—not precisely54. But he would take advantage of your phrase to characterise any hunting which it suited him to undertake, and thus give an air of impulse and romance to, perhaps, a very prosaic55 ambition, very deliberately56 pursued."
"I wonder why——," said Minnie, and then stopped suddenly.
"Yes! You wonder why?"
"No, I wonder no longer. I think I understand."
"Miss Bodkin is pleased to be oracular," said Mr. Diamond, with a careless smile; and then he moved away towards the piano, where Mrs. Bodkin was playing a quaint24 sonata57 of Clementi, and stood listening with a composed, attentive58 face. Nevertheless, he felt some curiosity about the scope of Minnie's unfinished sentence.
The sentence, if finished, would have run thus: "I wonder why you are so hard on Algernon!" But with the utterance of the first words an explanation of Diamond's severe judgment59 darted60 into her mind. Might he not have some feeling of jealousy61 towards Algernon? (Miss Chubb's words were lighting62 up many things. Probably the good little woman had never in her life before said anything of such illuminating63 power.) Yes, Diamond must be jealous. Algernon had unrivalled opportunities of attracting pretty Rhoda's attention. Nay64, had he not attracted it already? Minnie recalled little words, little looks, little blushes, which seemed to point to the real nature of Rhoda's feelings for Algernon. Rhoda did not—no; she surely did not—care for Matthew Diamond. Minnie had a momentary65 elation66 of heart as she thus assured herself, and at the same time she felt an impulse of scorn for the girl who could disregard the love of such a man, as though it were a valueless trifle. But, then, did Rhoda know? did Rhoda guess? And then Minnie, suddenly checking her eager mental questioning in mid-career, turned her fiery67 scorn against herself for her pitiful weakness.
As she lay there so graceful68 and outwardly tranquil69, whilst the studied, passionless turns and phrases of old Clementi trickled70 from the keys, she had hot fits of raging wounded pride, and cold shudders71 of deadly depression. The numb72 listlessness which had shielded her at the beginning of the afternoon had disappeared during her short conversation with Diamond. She was sensitive now to a thousand stinging thoughts.
What a fool she had been! What a poor, blind fool! She tried to remember all the details of the past days. Did others see what Miss Chubb had seen in Diamond's face? And had she—Minnie Bodkin, who prided herself on her keen observation, her cleverness, and her power of reading motives—had she been the only one to miss this obvious fact? She had been deluding73 herself with the thought that Matthew Diamond came and sat beside her couch, and talked, and smiled for her sake! Poor fool! Why, did not his frequent visits date from the time when Rhoda's visits had begun, too? It was all clear enough now; so clear, that the self-delusion which had blinded her seemed to have been little short of madness. "As if it were possible that a man should waste his love on me!" she thought bitterly.
At that moment she caught Mr. Warlock's eyes mournfully fixed upon her. His gaze irritated her unendurably. "Am I so pitiable a spectacle?" she asked herself. "Is my folly74 written on my face, that that idiot stares at me in wonder and compassion75?"
Minnie gave him one of her haughtiest76 and coldest glances, and then turned away her head.
Poor Mr. Warlock! It must be owned that there are strange, cruel pangs77 unjustly inflicted78 and suffered in this world by the most civilised persons.
The little party broke up sooner than usual. The dispirited tone with which it had begun continued to the end. Algernon made his farewells to Miss Chubb, Mr. Warlock, Mr. Diamond, and Dr. Bodkin. But to Minnie he whispered, "I will run in once more on Monday to say 'Good-bye' to your mother and to you, if I may."
The rest departed almost simultaneously79. Matthew Diamond lingered an instant at the door of the drawing-room, to say to Mrs. Bodkin, "I hope this is not to be the last of our pleasant Saturdays, although we are losing Errington?"
It was an unusual sort of speech from the reserved, shy tutor, who carried his proud dread80 of being thought officious or intrusive81 to such a point, that Minnie was wont to say, laughingly, that Mr. Diamond's diffidence was haughtier82 than anyone else's disdain83.
Mrs. Bodkin smiled, well pleased. "Oh, I hope not, indeed!" she said in her quick, low accents. "Minnie! Do you hear what Mr. Diamond is saying?"
Minnie did not answer. She thought how happy this wish of his to keep up "our pleasant Saturdays" would have made her yesterday!
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
solitude
|
|
| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
sleepless
|
|
| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
panoply
|
|
| n.全副甲胄，礼服 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
braced
|
|
| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
misty
|
|
| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
spartan
|
|
| adj.简朴的，刻苦的；n.斯巴达；斯巴达式的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
depressed
|
|
| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
attuned
|
|
| v.使协调( attune的过去式和过去分词 )；调音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
privately
|
|
| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
prudent
|
|
| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
hearth
|
|
| n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
auld
|
|
| adj.老的，旧的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
syne
|
|
| adv.自彼时至此时，曾经 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
pathos
|
|
| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
forte
|
|
| n.长处，擅长；adj.(音乐)强音的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
copiously
|
|
| adv.丰富地，充裕地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
adorned
|
|
| [计]被修饰的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
bass
|
|
| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
placidity
|
|
| n.平静，安静，温和 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
sonorous
|
|
| adj.响亮的，回响的；adv.圆润低沉地；感人地；n.感人，堂皇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
quaint
|
|
| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
remarkably
|
|
| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
inspection
|
|
| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
belongings
|
|
| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
discourse
|
|
| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
pretensions
|
|
| 自称( pretension的名词复数 )； 自命不凡； 要求； 权力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
bishop
|
|
| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
recurred
|
|
| 再发生，复发( recur的过去式和过去分词 )； 治愈 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
flexibility
|
|
| n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
rout
|
|
| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
ponderously
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
refinement
|
|
| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
scholastic
|
|
| adj.学校的，学院的，学术上的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
conversing
|
|
| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
sip
|
|
| v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
champagne
|
|
| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
delightful
|
|
| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
bouquets
|
|
| n.花束( bouquet的名词复数 )；（酒的）芳香 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
paraphernalia
|
|
| n.装备；随身用品 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
forefinger
|
|
| n.食指 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
utterance
|
|
| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
syllable
|
|
| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
eyelids
|
|
| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
wont
|
|
| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
coterie
|
|
| n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体，小圈子 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
condoled
|
|
| v.表示同情，吊唁( condole的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
wan
|
|
| (wide area network)广域网 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
superfluous
|
|
| adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
catching
|
|
| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
precisely
|
|
| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
prosaic
|
|
| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
deliberately
|
|
| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
sonata
|
|
| n.奏鸣曲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
attentive
|
|
| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
darted
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
jealousy
|
|
| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
lighting
|
|
| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
illuminating
|
|
| a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
nay
|
|
| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
momentary
|
|
| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
elation
|
|
| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
fiery
|
|
| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
graceful
|
|
| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
tranquil
|
|
| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
trickled
|
|
| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
shudders
|
|
| n.颤动，打颤，战栗( shudder的名词复数 )v.战栗( shudder的第三人称单数 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
numb
|
|
| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
deluding
|
|
| v.欺骗，哄骗( delude的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
folly
|
|
| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
compassion
|
|
| n.同情，怜悯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
haughtiest
|
|
| haughty（傲慢的，骄傲的）的最高级形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
77
pangs
|
|
| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
inflicted
|
|
| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
simultaneously
|
|
| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
dread
|
|
| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
intrusive
|
|
| adj.打搅的；侵扰的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
haughtier
|
|
| haughty（傲慢的，骄傲的）的比较级形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
83
disdain
|
|
| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |