The rawness of March gave way to a half-hearted April, days of pelting1 rain with a few hours now and then of warm sunshine. Patches of grass showed green against the dirty snowbanks lingering stubbornly in sheltered corners; here and there a tiny purple or yellow crocus put up its bright head; a few brave robins2 started their nest-keeping and, perched shivering on bare boughs3, valiantly4 sung the promise of spring.
There were other signs to mark the changing of the seasons--an organ-grinder trundled his wagon5 down the street, rag-pickers chanted, small, scurrying6 figures darted7 in and out on roller-skates, marbles rattled8 in ragged9 pockets, and the Lincoln boys and girls at Highacres turned their attention from basketball and hockey to swimming and the school dramatics.
Isobel Westley had been chosen to play the part of Hermia in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Her family shared her pleasure--they felt that a great distinction had come to them. Gyp and Jerry, particularly, were immensely excited. Jerry, who had only been to the theatre twice in her life, thought Isobel far more wonderful than the greatest actress who ever lived. Both girls sat by the hour and listened admiringly while Isobel rehearsed her lines before them.
Mrs. Westley, who had never quite outgrown10 a love of amateur dramatics, gave her approval to Isobel's plans for her costume. The other girls, Isobel explained, were making theirs, but Hermia's should be especially nice--so couldn't Madame Seelye design it? Madame Seelye did design it--Isobel standing12 patiently before the long mirror in the fashionable modiste's fitting-room while Madame, herself, on her knees, pinned and unpinned and pinned again soft folds of pink satin which made Isobel's face, above it, reflect the color of a rose.
"You'd think the whole world revolved13 'round your old play," exclaimed Graham, not ill-humoredly. He had asked to be allowed to use the car to take a "crowd of the fellows" out to see if any sap was running in the woods and Mrs. Westley had explained that Isobel had to have her last fitting, stop at the hair-dresser's to try on a wig14, and then go on to Alding's to match a pair of slippers15.
"It does," laughed Isobel back, her eyes shining. She was very happy, and when she was happy she was a gay, good-natured Isobel and a very beautiful Isobel. All through the school year her spirit had smarted under the prominence17 attained18 by her schoolmates in the various school activities--Ginny Cox was conspicuous19 in everything and on the honor roll, besides; Peggy Lee played hockey and basketball, Dorrie was in the Glee Club, Pat Everett was a lieutenant20 in her scout21 troop, Cora Stanton was editor of the school paper, Sheila Quinn was the class president--even Gyp was a sub on the all-school basketball team, and Jerry--since that day she had skied down Haskin's Hill she had pushed her way into everything (that was the way Isobel thought of it); she played on the hockey team and had "subbed" on the sophomore22 basketball team and it was certain she would be picked on the swimming team. Though Isobel scorned all these activities because they were not "any fun," according to her creed23, deep in her heart she had envied the girls who could enjoy them. But now her vanity was soothed24 and satisfied; anyone could play basketball or skate or swim, but no one could be the Hermia that she was going to be! Miss Gray had complimented her upon the interpretation25 she gave the role and her eyes told her what she saw in Madame Seelye's mirror.
And Dana King was playing Lysander--a fine Athenian lad he made. Isobel could afford now to forget the grudge26 she had nursed against him ever since the Christmas party. He looked so really grown-up that it pleased her to be a little shy with him, as though she had just met him--to forget that they had been schoolmates since kindergarten days. She read admiration27 in his eyes. What would he think, she said to herself, with a little flutter, when he saw the rose-pink costume?
"Isobel Westley, what fun to have a rehearsal28 every afternoon," had cried one of a group of girls which surrounded her.
"Does Lysander walk home with Hermia every day?" asked another, with a meaning laugh.
"Tell us all about it," coaxed29 Amy Mathers. "It's too romantic for anything."
Isobel blushed and laughed and pushed them away. She knew that they all envied her--she wanted them to envy her. She knew that anyone of them would gladly change places with her. Even Gyp and Jerry had sighed and begged their mother to help them get up some sort of a play in which they could take part. Gyp had asked Miss Gray to be allowed to help in the make-up room, even if she did nothing more than pass the little jars of cream and sticks of paint. And to Jerry had been assigned the especial task of shoving Puck, who was sadly rattle-brained, upon the stage, when the cues came.
The play was to be given on Saturday evening. On Friday evening a full-dress rehearsal was called. Hermia's costume was finished and was spread, in all its ravishing beauty, across the guest-room bed. On the floor from beneath it peeped the slippers which had been made to order.
"It'll make all the others look cheap," declared Isobel, thrilling at the pretty sight.
Mrs. Westley looked troubled. Certain doubts had been disturbing her ever since that first moment of enthusiasm when she had yielded to Isobel's coaxing30. Isobel had said that the other girls were making their own costumes--she knew that the faculty31 disliked any extravagance or great expenditures32 of money in any of the school affairs--might it not have been better to have helped Isobel fashion something simple and pretty at home? Then when she watched Isobel's flushed, happy face, radiantly pretty, she smothered33 her doubt.
"Pride goeth before a fall, daughter mine. Take care that your costume doesn't make you forget your part," she laughed. After all, Isobel was so pretty that she would outshine the others, anyway--let her costume be ever so dowdy34!
Gyp, Jerry, Tibby, even Graham, superintended Isobel's preparations for the dress rehearsal. Gyp sat back on her heels and declared that Hermia was "good enough to eat." Jerry thought so, too, though she had not the courage to say so. Graham straddled the footboard of the bed and passed scathing35 remarks concerning girls' "duds," but his eyes were proudly admiring and in his pocket he treasured a ticket for the first row that he had bought from another fellow at an advanced price. Isobel ready, they all squeezed merrily into the automobile36, taking care not to crush the rose-pink finery, and whirled off to Highacres.
Isobel, who loved dramatic situations in real life quite as well as in make-believe, planned to conceal37 her radiance until her first appearance on the stage, when she would startle them all, and especially Lysander, with her dazzling loveliness. She stood in a shadow of the wings with her coat wrapped about her. Except for Jerry, waiting to do her humble38 part, she was alone. She listened to the ceaseless chatter39 in the dressing40-room with a happy smile. She heard Mr. Oliver, the coach, giving sharp orders. There was some trouble with the curtain. She took a quick step forward to see what it was; the high heel of her satin slipper16 caught in a coil of rope from the staging and she fell forward to her knees. With the one thought to save the satin gown, she jerked her body quickly backward.
"Oh, Isobel, are you hurt?" Jerry was at her side in a moment.
"N-no, only----" Isobel managed to get to her feet, but she leaned dizzily against the scene propping41. "Whoever left that old rope here! They ought to be reported!" She glared angrily at poor Jerry as though the fault must be hers. "I've--I've ruined my dress," she sobbed42.
Jerry examined the satin skirt. "There isn't the tiniest spot, Isobel. But are you sure you are not hurt? Please try to walk."
That was exactly what Isobel did not want to do, for there was a horrible aching pain around her knee. Then she heard Mr. Oliver's voice again. The curtain had been fixed43; in a moment----
"Leave me alone! You'd just like it if I couldn't go on----"
"Isobel! Oh, here you are." Dana King stuck his head around the corner. Isobel let her cape44 drop to the floor. The whiteness of her face only added to the pleasing effect. "Whew!" Lysander whistled. "Some class! Say, you're great! Come on--old Oliver's throwing a fit."
With Jerry's anxious eyes and Dana King's admiring gaze upon her, it was possible for Isobel to walk out upon the stage. Somehow or other she got through her part--miserably, she knew, for again and again Mr. Oliver made her repeat her lines and once, in despair, stopped everything to ask her if she was ill, and did not wish to have Miss Lee take her part. Isobel did not intend giving up her part to anyone; she gritted45 her little white teeth and went on.
Upon arriving home she declined the hot cocoa Mrs. Westley had waiting for her and hurried to her room on the plea of being very tired. She sat huddled47 in her dressing gown waiting, with a white, strained face, until she heard the girls' steps on the stairs. Then she called Jerry.
"Close the door," she whispered, without further greeting. "I want you to promise not to tell mother or--or anyone that--I hurt myself. I didn't hurt myself--much, and, anyway, I'm going to be in that play if I die!" Isobel had hard work to keep back the tears.
Jerry was all sympathy. "I won't tell anyone, Isobel, if you don't want me to. And let me look at your knee--it is your knee, isn't it? I know a lot about those things 'cause Little-Dad's a doctor, you see." Jerry knelt by the side of Isobel's chair and gently drew aside the dressing gown. "Oh, Isobel!" she cried softly. The knee was badly swollen48 and the flesh had discolored. "That looks--maybe you ought----"
Isobel jerked away from her. "If you're going to make a fuss you can go to bed! But if you know anything--oh, it hurts--terribly----"
Without another word Jerry went after hot water and towels. Half through the night she sat by Isobel's bed, her eyes heavy with sleep, patiently administering pack after pack. Gradually the pain subsided49 and Isobel dropped off into slumber50.
All the next day Isobel's secret weighed heavily on Jerry's conscience; with it, too, was an uncertain admiration for Isobel's grit46. But Jerry wondered if she, even though she might be the Hermia that Isobel was and wear the rose satin--could want it enough to endure the pain silently.
Isobel had begged to be allowed to stay in bed all day and "rest" and her mother had willingly acquiesced51, carrying her meals to her room and chatting with her, unsuspecting, while she nibbled52 at what was on the tray.
Jerry helped Isobel dress. The pain caused by the effort to stand on the injured leg brought a deep flush to Isobel's cheeks and tiny purplish shadows under her pretty eyes, so that she made even a lovelier Hermia than on the evening before. That knowledge, the murmur53 of admiration that swept through the crowded hall, the envy she read on the other girls' faces, the shy, boyish wonder in Lysander's lingering glance, helped her through the agony of it all until the very end when, quite suddenly, she crumpled54 into Lysander's quickly-outstretched arms! The last scene had a touch of reality not expected; no one had the presence of mind to ring down the curtain; the girls and boys rushed pell-mell upon the stage.
Graham and Dana King carried Isobel to an empty classroom where she quickly regained55 consciousness. Her first sensation was a deep thankfulness that the play was over and that she could tell about her injured knee. Jerry had already done so, a little conscience-smitten, and Uncle Johnny had rushed away for a doctor. Isobel looked at her crumpled rose-pink skirts with something akin11 to loathing56 and clung tightly to her mother's hand. Graham, in a voice that sounded far off, was assuring her that he could carry her out to the car without hurting her the least bit! And Dana King was asking, at regular intervals57, and in an anxious voice, if she felt better. Oh, it was nice to have them all care--it made the pain easier----
...She liked the funny bright lights swimming all around her and the quick steps and the hushed voices.... Mrs. Hicks' little round eyes blinking at her ... the feel of the soft sheets and the doctor's cold touch on her poor, swollen knee ... the swinging things before her eyes and the far-off hum of voices that were really very close and the tiny star of light over the blur58 in the other end of the room ... the million stars ... the slippery taste of the medicine someone gave her ... and always mother's fingers tight, tight about her own....
"This is very serious," came in a small voice that couldn't be the doctor's because he spoke59 with a deep boom ... then she went to sleep....
收听单词发音 |
1
pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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robins
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| n.知更鸟，鸫( robin的名词复数 )；（签名者不分先后，以避免受责的）圆形签名抗议书（或请愿书） | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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outgrown
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| 长[发展] 得超过（某物）的范围( outgrow的过去分词 )； 长[发展]得不能再要（某物）； 长得比…快； 生长速度超过 | |
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akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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wig
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| n.假发 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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slipper
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| n.拖鞋 | |
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prominence
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| n.突出；显著；杰出；重要 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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scout
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| n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索 | |
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sophomore
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| n.大学二年级生；adj.第二年的 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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rehearsal
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| n.排练，排演；练习 | |
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coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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expenditures
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| n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费 | |
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smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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dowdy
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| adj.不整洁的；过旧的 | |
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scathing
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| adj.（言词、文章）严厉的，尖刻的；不留情的adv.严厉地，尖刻地v.伤害，损害（尤指使之枯萎）( scathe的现在分词) | |
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automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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propping
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| 支撑 | |
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sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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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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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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grit
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| n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关 | |
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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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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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49
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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50
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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51
acquiesced
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| v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
nibbled
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的过去式和过去分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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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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