It was her habit to remain in town very late in the summer; she preferred the house in Washington Square to any other habitation whatever, and it was under protest that she used to go to the seaside for the month of August.
At the sea she spent her month at an hotel. The year that her father died she intermitted this custom altogether, not thinking it consistent with deep mourning; and the year after that she put off her departure till so late that the middle of August found her still in the heated solitude1 of Washington Square.
Mrs. Penniman, who was fond of a change, was usually eager for a visit to the country; but this year she appeared quite content with such rural impressions as she could gather, at the parlour window, from the ailantus-trees behind the wooden paling.
The peculiar2 fragrance3 of this vegetation used to diffuse4 itself in the evening air, and Mrs. Penniman, on the warm nights of July, often sat at the open window and inhaled5 it.
This was a happy moment for Mrs. Penniman; after the death of her brother she felt more free to obey her impulses.
A vague oppression had disappeared from her life, and she enjoyed a sense of freedom of which she had not been conscious since the memorable6 time, so long ago, when the Doctor went abroad with Catherine and left her at home to entertain Morris Townsend.
The year that had elapsed since her brother's death reminded her--of that happy time, because, although Catherine, in growing older, had become a person to be reckoned with, yet her society was a very different thing, as Mrs. Penniman said, from that of a tank of cold water.
The elder lady hardly knew what use to make of this larger margin7 of her life; she sat and looked at it very much as she had often sat, with her poised8 needle in her hand, before her tapestry9 frame.
She had a confident hope, however, that her rich impulses, her talent for embroidery10, would still find their application, and this confidence was justified11 before many months had elapsed.
Catherine continued to live in her father's house in spite of its being represented to her that a maiden12 lady of quiet habits might find a more convenient abode13 in one of the smaller dwellings14, with brown stone fronts, which had at this time begun to adorn15 the transverse thoroughfares in the upper part of the town.
She liked the earlier structure--it had begun by this time to be called an "old" house--and proposed to herself to end her days in it.
If it was too large for a pair of unpretending gentlewomen, this was better than the opposite fault; for Catherine had no desire to find herself in closer quarters with her aunt.
She expected to spend the rest of her life in Washington Square, and to enjoy Mrs. Penniman's society for the whole of this period; as she had a conviction that, long as she might live, her aunt would live at least as long, and always retain her brilliancy and activity.
Mrs. Penniman suggested to her the idea of a rich vitality16.
On one of those warm evenings in July of which mention has been made, the two ladies sat together at an open window, looking out on the quiet Square.
It was too hot for lighted lamps, for reading, or for work; it might have appeared too hot even for conversation, Mrs. Penniman having long been speechless.
She sat forward in the window, half on the balcony, humming a little song.
Catherine was within the room, in a low rocking-chair, dressed in white, and slowly using a large palmetto fan.
It was in this way, at this season, that the aunt and niece, after they had had tea, habitually17 spent their evenings.
"Catherine," said Mrs. Penniman at last, "I am going to say something that will surprise you."
"Pray do," Catherine answered; "I like surprises.
And it is so quiet now."
"Well, then, I have seen Morris Townsend."
If Catherine was surprised, she checked the expression of it; she gave neither a start nor an exclamation18.
She remained, indeed, for some moments intensely still, and this may very well have been a symptom of emotion.
"I hope he was well," she said at last.
"I don't know; he is a great deal changed.
He would like very much to see you."
"I would rather not see him," said Catherine quickly.
"I was afraid you would say that.
But you don't seem surprised!"
"I am--very much."
"I met him at Marian's," said Mrs. Penniman.
"He goes to Marian's, and they are so afraid you will meet him there.
It's my belief that that's why he goes.
He wants so much to see you."
Catherine made no response to this, and Mrs. Penniman went on.
"I didn't know him at first; he is so remarkably19 changed.
But he knew me in a minute.
He says I am not in the least changed.
You know how polite he always was.
He was coming away when I came, and we walked a little distance together.
He is still very handsome, only, of course, he looks older, and he is not so--so animated20 as he used to be.
There was a touch of sadness about him; but there was a touch of sadness about him before--especially when he went away.
I am afraid he has not been very successful--that he has never got thoroughly21 established. I don't suppose he is sufficiently22 plodding23, and that, after all, is what succeeds in this world."
Mrs. Penniman had not mentioned Morris Townsend's name to her niece for upwards24 of the fifth of a century; but now that she had broken the spell, she seemed to wish to make up for lost time, as if there had been a sort of exhilaration in hearing herself talk of him.
She proceeded, however, with considerable caution, pausing occasionally to let Catherine give some sign. Catherine gave no other sign than to stop the rocking of her chair and the swaying of her fan; she sat motionless and silent.
"It was on Tuesday last," said Mrs. Penniman, "and I have been hesitating ever since about telling you.
I didn't know how you might like it. At last I thought that it was so long ago that you would probably not have any particular feeling.
I saw him again, after meeting him at Marian's.
I met him in the street, and he went a few steps with me. The first thing he said was about you; he asked ever so many questions.
Marian didn't want me to speak to you; she didn't want you to know that they receive him.
I told him I was sure that after all these years you couldn't have any feeling about that; you couldn't grudge25 him the hospitality of his own cousin's house.
I said you would be bitter indeed if you did that.
Marian has the most extraordinary ideas about what happened between you; she seems to think he behaved in some very unusual manner.
I took the liberty of reminding her of the real facts, and placing the story in its true light.
HE has no bitterness, Catherine, I can assure you; and he might be excused for it, for things have not gone well with him.
He has been all over the world, and tried to establish himself everywhere; but his evil star was against him.
It is most interesting to hear him talk of his evil star.
Everything failed; everything but his--you know, you remember--his proud, high spirit. I believe he married some lady somewhere in Europe.
You know they marry in such a peculiar matter-of-course way in Europe; a marriage of reason they call it.
She died soon afterwards; as he said to me, she only flitted across his life.
He has not been in New York for ten years; he came back a few days ago.
The first thing he did was to ask me about you.
He had heard you had never married; he seemed very much interested about that.
He said you had been the real romance of his life."
Catherine had suffered her companion to proceed from point to point, and pause to pause, without interrupting her; she fixed26 her eyes on the ground and listened.
But the last phrase I have quoted was followed by a pause of peculiar significance, and then, at last, Catherine spoke27.
It will be observed that before doing so she had received a good deal of information about Morris Townsend.
"Please say no more; please don't follow up that subject."
"Doesn't it interest you?" asked Mrs. Penniman, with a certain timorous28 archness.
"It pains me," said Catherine.
"I was afraid you would say that.
But don't you think you could get used to it?
He wants so much to see you."
"Please don't, Aunt Lavinia," said Catherine, getting up from her seat.
She moved quickly away, and went to the other window, which stood open to the balcony; and here, in the embrasure, concealed29 from her aunt by the white curtains, she remained a long time, looking out into the warm darkness.
She had had a great shock; it was as if the gulf30 of the past had suddenly opened, and a spectral31 figure had risen out of it.
There were some things she believed she had got over, some feelings that she had thought of as dead; but apparently32 there was a certain vitality in them still.
Mrs. Penniman had made them stir themselves.
It was but a momentary33 agitation34, Catherine said to herself; it would presently pass away.
She was trembling, and her heart was beating so that she could feel it; but this also would subside35.
Then, suddenly, while she waited for a return of her calmness, she burst into tears.
But her tears flowed very silently, so that Mrs. Penniman had no observation of them.
It was perhaps, however, because Mrs. Penniman suspected them that she said no more that evening about Morris Townsend.
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
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
fragrance
|
|
| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
diffuse
|
|
| v.扩散；传播；adj.冗长的；四散的，弥漫的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
inhaled
|
|
| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
memorable
|
|
| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
margin
|
|
| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
poised
|
|
| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
tapestry
|
|
| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
embroidery
|
|
| n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
justified
|
|
| a.正当的，有理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
maiden
|
|
| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
abode
|
|
| n.住处，住所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
dwellings
|
|
| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
adorn
|
|
| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
vitality
|
|
| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
habitually
|
|
| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
exclamation
|
|
| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
remarkably
|
|
| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
animated
|
|
| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
sufficiently
|
|
| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
plodding
|
|
| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
grudge
|
|
| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
timorous
|
|
| adj.胆怯的，胆小的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
concealed
|
|
| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
gulf
|
|
| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
spectral
|
|
| adj.幽灵的，鬼魂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
momentary
|
|
| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
agitation
|
|
| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
subside
|
|
| vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |