CHAPTER XIV. JUST A MATTER OF JELLY

 Pollyanna was a little late for supper on the night of the accident to John Pendleton; but, as it happened, she escaped without reproof¹.

 

Nancy met her at the door.

 

“Well, if I ain't glad ter be settin' my two eyes on you,” she sighed in obvious relief. “It's half-past six!”

 

“I know it,” admitted Pollyanna anxiously; “but I'm not to blame—truly I'm not. And I don't think even Aunt Polly will say I am, either.”

 

“She won't have the chance,” retorted Nancy, with huge satisfaction. “She's gone.”

 

“Gone!” gasped² Pollyanna. “You don't mean that I've driven her away?” Through Pollyanna's mind at the moment trooped remorseful³ memories of the morning with its unwanted boy, cat, and dog, and its unwelcome “glad” and forbidden “father” that would spring to her forgetful little tongue. “Oh, I DIDN'T drive her away?”

 

“Not much you did,” scoffed⁴ Nancy. “Her cousin died suddenly down to Boston, and she had ter go. She had one o' them yeller telegram letters after you went away this afternoon, and she won't be back for three days. Now I guess we're glad all right. We'll be keepin' house tergether, jest you and me, all that time. We will, we will!”

 

Pollyanna looked shocked.

 

“Glad! Oh, Nancy, when it's a funeral?”

 

“Oh, but 'twa'n't the funeral I was glad for, Miss Pollyanna. It was—” Nancy stopped abruptly⁵. A shrewd twinkle came into her eyes. “Why, Miss Pollyanna, as if it wa'n't yerself that was teachin' me ter play the game,” she reproached her gravely.

 

Pollyanna puckered⁶ her forehead into a troubled frown.

 

“I can't help it, Nancy,” she argued with a shake of her head. “It must be that there are some things that 'tisn't right to play the game on—and I'm sure funerals is one of them. There's nothing in a funeral to be glad about.”

 

Nancy chuckled⁷.

 

“We can be glad 'tain't our'n,” she observed demurely⁸. But Pollyanna did not hear. She had begun to tell of the accident; and in a moment Nancy, open-mouthed, was listening.

 

At the appointed place the next afternoon, Pollyanna met Jimmy Bean according to agreement. As was to be expected, of course, Jimmy showed keen disappointment that the Ladies' Aid preferred a little India boy to himself.

 

“Well, maybe 'tis natural,” he sighed. “Of course things you don't know about are always nicer'n things you do, same as the pertater on 'tother side of the plate is always the biggest. But I wish I looked that way ter somebody 'way off. Wouldn't it be jest great, now, if only somebody over in India wanted ME?”

 

Pollyanna clapped her hands.

 

“Why, of course! That's the very thing, Jimmy! I'll write to my Ladies' Aiders about you. They aren't over in India; they're only out West—but that's awful far away, just the same. I reckon you'd think so if you'd come all the way here as I did!”

 

Jimmy's face brightened.

 

“Do you think they would—truly—take me?” he asked.

 

“Of course they would! Don't they take little boys in India to bring up? Well, they can just play you are the little India boy this time. I reckon you're far enough away to make a report, all right. You wait. I'll write 'em. I'll write Mrs. White. No, I'll write Mrs. Jones. Mrs. White has got the most money, but Mrs. Jones gives the most—which is kind of funny, isn't it?—when you think of it. But I reckon some of the Aiders will take you.”

 

“All right—but don't furgit ter say I'll work fur my board an' keep,” put in Jimmy. “I ain't no beggar, an' biz'ness is biz'ness, even with Ladies' Aiders, I'm thinkin'.” He hesitated, then added: “An' I s'pose I better stay where I be fur a spell yet—till you hear.”

 

“Of course,” nodded Pollyanna emphatically. “Then I'll know just where to find you. And they'll take you—I'm sure you're far enough away for that. Didn't Aunt Polly take—Say!” she broke off, suddenly, “DO you suppose I was Aunt Polly's little girl from India?”

 

“Well, if you ain't the queerest kid,” grinned Jimmy, as he turned away.

 

It was about a week after the accident in Pendleton Woods that Pollyanna said to her aunt one morning:

 

“Aunt Polly, please would you mind very much if I took Mrs. Snow's calf's-foot jelly this week to some one else? I'm sure Mrs. Snow wouldn't—this once.”

 

“Dear me, Pollyanna, what ARE you up to now?” sighed her aunt. “You ARE the most extraordinary child!”

 

Pollyanna frowned a little anxiously.

 

“Aunt Polly, please, what is extraordinary? If you're EXtraordinary you can't be ORdinary, can you?”

 

“You certainly can not.”

 

“Oh, that's all right, then. I'm glad I'm EXtraordinary,” sighed Pollyanna, her face clearing. “You see, Mrs. White used to say Mrs. Rawson was a very ordinary woman—and she disliked Mrs. Rawson something awful. They were always fight—I mean, father had—that is, I mean, WE had more trouble keeping peace between them than we did between any of the rest of the Aiders,” corrected Pollyanna, a little breathless from her efforts to steer⁹ between the Scylla of her father's past commands in regard to speaking of church quarrels, and the Charybdis of her aunt's present commands in regard to speaking of her father.

 

“Yes, yes; well, never mind,” interposed Aunt Polly, a trifle impatiently. “You do run on so, Pollyanna, and no matter what we're talking about you always bring up at those Ladies' Aiders!”

 

“Yes'm,” smiled Pollyanna, cheerfully, “I reckon I do, maybe. But you see they used to bring me up, and—”

 

“That will do, Pollyanna,” interrupted a cold voice. “Now what is it about this jelly?”

 

“Nothing, Aunt Polly, truly, that you would mind, I'm sure. You let me take jelly to HER, so I thought you would to HIM—this once. You see, broken legs aren't like—like lifelong invalids¹⁰, so his won't last forever as Mrs. Snow's does, and she can have all the rest of the things after just once or twice.”

 

“'Him'? 'He'? 'Broken leg'? What are you talking about, Pollyanna?”

 

Pollyanna stared; then her face relaxed.

 

“Oh, I forgot. I reckon you didn't know. You see, it happened while you were gone. It was the very day you went that I found him in the woods, you know; and I had to unlock his house and telephone for the men and the doctor, and hold his head, and everything. And of course then I came away and haven't seen him since. But when Nancy made the jelly for Mrs. Snow this week I thought how nice it would be if I could take it to him instead of her, just this once. Aunt Polly, may I?”

 

“Yes, yes, I suppose so,” acquiesced¹¹ Miss Polly, a little wearily. “Who did you say he was?”

 

“The Man. I mean, Mr. John Pendleton.”

 

Miss Polly almost sprang from her chair.

 

“JOHN PENDLETON!”

 

“Yes. Nancy told me his name. Maybe you know him.”

 

Miss Polly did not answer this. Instead she asked:

 

“Do YOU know him?”

 

Pollyanna nodded.

 

“Oh, yes. He always speaks and smiles—now. He's only cross OUTSIDE, you know. I'll go and get the jelly. Nancy had it 'most fixed¹² when I came in,” finished Pollyanna, already halfway¹³ across the room.

 

“Pollyanna, wait! Miss Polly's voice was suddenly very stern. I've changed my mind. I would prefer that Mrs. Snow had that jelly to-day—as usual. That is all. You may go now.”

 

Pollyanna's face fell.

 

“Oh, but Aunt Polly, HERS will last. She can always be sick and have things, you know; but his is just a broken leg, and legs don't last—I mean, broken ones. He's had it a whole week now.”

 

“Yes, I remember. I heard Mr. John Pendleton had met with an accident,” said Miss Polly, a little stiffly; “but—I do not care to be sending jelly to John Pendleton, Pollyanna.”

 

“I know, he is cross—outside,” admitted Pollyanna, sadly, “so I suppose you don't like him. But I wouldn't say 'twas you sent it. I'd say 'twas me. I like him. I'd be glad to send him jelly.”

 

Miss Polly began to shake her head again. Then, suddenly, she stopped, and asked in a curiously¹⁴ quiet voice:

 

“Does he know who you—are, Pollyanna?”

 

The little girl sighed.

 

“I reckon not. I told him my name, once, but he never calls me it—never.”

 

“Does he know where you—live?”

 

“Oh, no. I never told him that.”

 

“Then he doesn't know you're my—niece?”

 

“I don't think so.”

 

For a moment there was silence. Miss Polly was looking at Pollyanna with eyes that did not seem to see her at all. The little girl, shifting impatiently from one small foot to the other, sighed audibly. Then Miss Polly roused herself with a start.

 

“Very well, Pollyanna,” she said at last, still in that queer voice, so unlike her own; “you may you may take the jelly to Mr. Pendleton as your own gift. But understand: I do not send it. Be very sure that he does not think I do!”

 

“Yes'm—no'm—thank you, Aunt Polly,” exulted¹⁵ Pollyanna, as she flew through the door.

1 reproof   

n.斥责，责备

参考例句：

• A smart reproof is better than smooth deceit.严厉的责难胜过温和的欺骗。
• He is impatient of reproof.他不能忍受指责。

2 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 remorseful   

adj.悔恨的

参考例句：

• He represented to the court that the accused was very remorseful.他代被告向法庭陈情说被告十分懊悔。
• The minister well knew--subtle,but remorseful hypocrite that he was!牧师深知这一切——他是一个多么难以捉摸又懊悔不迭的伪君子啊！

4 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

5 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

6 puckered   

v.（使某物）起褶子或皱纹( pucker的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His face puckered , and he was ready to cry. 他的脸一皱，像要哭了。
• His face puckered, the tears leapt from his eyes. 他皱着脸，眼泪夺眶而出。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

8 demurely   

adv.装成端庄地，认真地

参考例句：

• "On the forehead, like a good brother,'she answered demurely. "吻前额，像个好哥哥那样，"她故作正经地回答说。 来自飘（部分）
• Punctuation is the way one bats one's eyes, lowers one's voice or blushes demurely. 标点就像人眨眨眼睛，低声细语，或伍犯作态。 来自名作英译部分

9 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

10 invalids   

病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The invention will confer a benefit on all invalids. 这项发明将有助于所有的残疾人。
• H?tel National Des Invalids is a majestic building with a golden hemispherical housetop. 荣军院是有着半球形镀金屋顶的宏伟建筑。

11 acquiesced   

v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Senior government figures must have acquiesced in the cover-up. 政府高级官员必然已经默许掩盖真相。
• After a lot of persuasion,he finally acquiesced. 经过多次劝说，他最终默许了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

13 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

14 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

15 exulted   

狂喜，欢跃( exult的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The people exulted at the victory. 人们因胜利而欢腾。
• The people all over the country exulted in the success in launching a new satellite. 全国人民为成功地发射了一颗新的人造卫星而欢欣鼓舞。