CHAPTER XVI. A RED ROSE AND A LACE SHAWL

 It was on a rainy day about a week after Pollyanna's visit to Mr. John Pendleton, that Miss Polly was driven by Timothy to an early afternoon committee meeting of the Ladies' Aid Society. When she returned at three o'clock, her cheeks were a bright, pretty pink, and her hair, blown by the damp wind, had fluffed into kinks and curls wherever the loosened pins had given leave.

 

Pollyanna had never before seen her aunt look like this.

 

“Oh—oh—oh! Why, Aunt Polly, you've got 'em, too,” she cried rapturously, dancing round and round her aunt, as that lady entered the sitting room.

 

“Got what, you impossible child?”

 

Pollyanna was still revolving¹ round and round her aunt.

 

“And I never knew you had 'em! Can folks have 'em when you don't know they've got 'em? DO you suppose I could?—'fore I get to Heaven, I mean,” she cried, pulling out with eager fingers the straight locks above her ears. “But then, they wouldn't be black, if they did come. You can't hide the black part.”

 

“Pollyanna, what does all this mean?” demanded Aunt Polly, hurriedly removing her hat, and trying to smooth back her disordered hair.

 

“No, no—please, Aunt Polly!” Pollyanna's jubilant voice turned to one of distressed² appeal. “Don't smooth 'em out! It's those that I'm talking about—those darling little black curls. Oh, Aunt Polly, they're so pretty!”

 

“Nonsense! What do you mean, Pollyanna, by going to the Ladies' Aid the other day in that absurd fashion about that beggar boy?”

 

“But it isn't nonsense,” urged Pollyanna, answering only the first of her aunt's remarks. “You don't know how pretty you look with your hair like that! Oh, Aunt Polly, please, mayn't I do your hair like I did Mrs. Snow's, and put in a flower? I'd so love to see you that way! Why, you'd be ever so much prettier than she was!”

 

“Pollyanna!” (Miss Polly spoke³ very sharply—all the more sharply because Pollyanna's words had given her an odd throb⁴ of joy: when before had anybody cared how she, or her hair looked? When before had anybody “loved” to see her “pretty”?) “Pollyanna, you did not answer my question. Why did you go to the Ladies' Aid in that absurd fashion?”

 

“Yes'm, I know; but, please, I didn't know it was absurd until I went and found out they'd rather see their report grow than Jimmy. So then I wrote to MY Ladies' Aiders—'cause Jimmy is far away from them, you know; and I thought maybe he could be their little India boy same as—Aunt Polly, WAS I your little India girl? And, Aunt Polly, you WILL let me do your hair, won't you?”

 

Aunt Polly put her hand to her throat—the old, helpless feeling was upon her, she knew.

 

“But, Pollyanna, when the ladies told me this afternoon how you came to them, I was so ashamed! I—”

 

Pollyanna began to dance up and down lightly on her toes.

 

“You didn't!—You didn't say I COULDN'T do your hair,” she crowed triumphantly⁵; “and so I'm sure it means just the other way 'round, sort of—like it did the other day about Mr. Pendleton's jelly that you didn't send, but didn't want me to say you didn't send, you know. Now wait just where you are. I'll get a comb.”

 

“But Pollyanna, Pollyanna,” remonstrated⁶ Aunt Polly, following the little girl from the room and panting up-stairs after her.

 

“Oh, did you come up here?” Pollyanna greeted her at the door of Miss Polly's own room. “That'll be nicer yet! I've got the comb. Now sit down, please, right here. Oh, I'm so glad you let me do it!”

 

“But, Pollyanna, I—I—”

 

Miss Polly did not finish her sentence. To her helpless amazement⁷ she found herself in the low chair before the dressing⁸ table, with her hair already tumbling about her ears under ten eager, but very gentle fingers.

 

“Oh, my! what pretty hair you've got,” prattled⁹ Pollyanna; “and there's so much more of it than Mrs. Snow has, too! But, of course, you need more, anyhow, because you're well and can go to places where folks can see it. My! I reckon folks'll be glad when they do see it—and surprised, too, 'cause you've hid it so long. Why, Aunt Polly, I'll make you so pretty everybody'll just love to look at you!”

 

“Pollyanna!” gasped¹⁰ a stifled¹¹ but shocked voice from a veil of hair. “I—I'm sure I don't know why I'm letting you do this silly thing.”

 

“Why, Aunt Polly, I should think you'd be glad to have folks like to look at you! Don't you like to look at pretty things? I'm ever so much happier when I look at pretty folks, 'cause when I look at the other kind I'm so sorry for them.”

 

“But—but—”

 

“And I just love to do folks' hair,” purred Pollyanna, contentedly¹². “I did quite a lot of the Ladies' Aiders'—but there wasn't any of them so nice as yours. Mrs. White's was pretty nice, though, and she looked just lovely one day when I dressed her up in—Oh, Aunt Polly, I've just happened to think of something! But it's a secret, and I sha'n't tell. Now your hair is almost done, and pretty quick I'm going to leave you just a minute; and you must promise—promise—PROMISE not to stir nor peek¹³, even, till I come back. Now remember!” she finished, as she ran from the room.

 

Aloud Miss Polly said nothing. To herself she said that of course she should at once undo¹⁴ the absurd work of her niece's fingers, and put her hair up properly again. As for “peeking” just as if she cared how—

 

At that moment—unaccountably—Miss Polly caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror of the dressing table. And what she saw sent such a flush of rosy¹⁵ color to her cheeks that—she only flushed the more at the sight.

 

She saw a face—not young, it is true—but just now alight with excitement and surprise. The cheeks were a pretty pink. The eyes sparkled. The hair, dark, and still damp from the outdoor air, lay in loose waves about the forehead and curved back over the ears in wonderfully becoming lines, with softening¹⁶ little curls here and there.

 

So amazed and so absorbed was Miss Polly with what she saw in the glass that she quite forgot her determination to do over her hair, until she heard Pollyanna enter the room again. Before she could move, then, she felt a folded something slipped across her eyes and tied in the back.

 

“Pollyanna, Pollyanna! What are you doing?” she cried.

 

Pollyanna chuckled¹⁷.

 

“That's just what I don't want you to know, Aunt Polly, and I was afraid you WOULD peek, so I tied on the handkerchief. Now sit still. It won't take but just a minute, then I'll let you see.”

 

“But, Pollyanna,” began Miss Polly, struggling blindly to her feet, “you must take this off! You—child, child! what ARE you doing?” she gasped, as she felt a soft something slipped about her shoulders.

 

Pollyanna only chuckled the more gleefully. With trembling fingers she was draping about her aunt's shoulders the fleecy folds of a beautiful lace shawl, yellowed from long years of packing away, and fragrant¹⁸ with lavender. Pollyanna had found the shawl the week before when Nancy had been regulating the attic¹⁹; and it had occurred to her to-day that there was no reason why her aunt, as well as Mrs. White of her Western home, should not be “dressed up.”

 

Her task completed, Pollyanna surveyed her work with eyes that approved, but that saw yet one touch wanting. Promptly²⁰, therefore, she pulled her aunt toward the sun parlor²¹ where she could see a belated red rose blooming on the trellis within reach of her hand.

 

“Pollyanna, what are you doing? Where are you taking me to?” recoiled²² Aunt Polly, vainly trying to hold herself back. “Pollyanna, I shall not—”

 

“It's just to the sun parlor—only a minute! I'll have you ready now quicker'n no time,” panted Pollyanna, reaching for the rose and thrusting it into the soft hair above Miss Polly's left ear. “There!” she exulted²³, untying²⁴ the knot of the handkerchief and flinging the bit of linen²⁵ far from her. “Oh, Aunt Polly, now I reckon you'll be glad I dressed you up!”

 

For one dazed moment Miss Polly looked at her bedecked self, and at her surroundings; then she gave a low cry and fled to her room. Pollyanna, following the direction of her aunt's last dismayed gaze, saw, through the open windows of the sun parlor, the horse and gig turning into the driveway. She recognized at once the man who held the reins²⁶. Delightedly she leaned forward.

 

“Dr. Chilton, Dr. Chilton! Did you want to see me? I'm up here.”

 

“Yes,” smiled the doctor, a little gravely. “Will you come down, please?”

 

In the bedroom Pollyanna found a flushed-faced, angry-eyed woman plucking at the pins that held a lace shawl in place.

 

“Pollyanna, how could you?” moaned the woman. “To think of your rigging me up like this, and then letting me—BE SEEN!”

 

Pollyanna stopped in dismay.

 

“But you looked lovely—perfectly²⁷ lovely, Aunt Polly; and—”

 

“'Lovely'!” scorned the woman, flinging the shawl to one side and attacking her hair with shaking fingers.

 

“Oh, Aunt Polly, please, please let the hair stay!”

 

“Stay? Like this? As if I would!” And Miss Polly pulled the locks so tightly back that the last curl lay stretched dead at the ends of her fingers.

 

“O dear! And you did look so pretty,” almost sobbed²⁸ Pollyanna, as she stumbled through the door.

 

Down-stairs Pollyanna found the doctor waiting in his gig.

 

“I've prescribed you for a patient, and he's sent me to get the prescription²⁹ filled,” announced the doctor. “Will you go?”

 

“You mean—an errand—to the drug store?” asked Pollyanna, a little uncertainly. “I used to go some—for the Ladies' Aiders.”

 

The doctor shook his head with a smile.

 

“Not exactly. It's Mr. John Pendleton. He would like to see you to-day, if you'll be so good as to come. It's stopped raining, so I drove down after you. Will you come? I'll call for you and bring you back before six o'clock.”

 

“I'd love to!” exclaimed Pollyanna. “Let me ask Aunt Polly.”

 

In a few moments she returned, hat in hand, but with rather a sober face.

 

“Didn't—your aunt want you to go?” asked the doctor, a little diffidently, as they drove away.

 

“Y-yes,” sighed Pollyanna. “She—she wanted me to go TOO much, I'm afraid.”

 

“Wanted you to go TOO MUCH!”

 

Pollyanna sighed again.

 

“Yes. I reckon she meant she didn't want me there. You see, she said: 'Yes, yes, run along, run along—do! I wish you'd gone before.'”

 

The doctor smiled—but with his lips only. His eyes were very grave. For some time he said nothing; then, a little hesitatingly, he asked:

 

“Wasn't it—your aunt I saw with you a few minutes ago—in the window of the sun parlor?”

 

Pollyanna drew a long breath.

 

“Yes; that's what's the whole trouble, I suppose. You see I'd dressed her up in a perfectly lovely lace shawl I found up-stairs, and I'd fixed³⁰ her hair and put on a rose, and she looked so pretty. Didn't YOU think she looked just lovely?”

 

For a moment the doctor did not answer. When he did speak his voice was so low Pollyanna could but just hear the words.

 

“Yes, Pollyanna, I—I thought she did look—just lovely.”

 

“Did you? I'm so glad! I'll tell her,” nodded the little girl, contentedly.

 

To her surprise the doctor gave a sudden exclamation³¹.

 

“Never! Pollyanna, I—I'm afraid I shall have to ask you not to tell her—that.”

 

“Why, Dr. Chilton! Why not? I should think you'd be glad—”

 

“But she might not be,” cut in the doctor.

 

Pollyanna considered this for a moment.

 

“That's so—maybe she wouldn't,” she sighed. “I remember now; 'twas 'cause she saw you that she ran. And she—she spoke afterwards about her being seen in that rig.”

 

“I thought as much,” declared the doctor, under his breath.

 

“Still, I don't see why,” maintained Pollyanna, “—when she looked so pretty!”

 

The doctor said nothing. He did not speak again, indeed, until they were almost to the great stone house in which John Pendleton lay with a broken leg.

 

 

1 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

2 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

3 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：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 throb   

v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动

参考例句：

• She felt her heart give a great throb.她感到自己的心怦地跳了一下。
• The drums seemed to throb in his ears.阵阵鼓声彷佛在他耳边震响。

5 triumphantly   

ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地

参考例句：

• The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
• Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。

6 remonstrated   

v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫

参考例句：

• They remonstrated with the official about the decision. 他们就这一决定向这位官员提出了抗议。
• We remonstrated against the ill-treatment of prisoners of war. 我们对虐待战俘之事提出抗议。 来自辞典例句

7 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

8 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

9 prattled   

v.（小孩般）天真无邪地说话( prattle的过去式和过去分词 )；发出连续而无意义的声音；闲扯；东拉西扯

参考例句：

• She prattled on about her children all evening. 她整个晚上没完没了地唠叨她的孩子们的事。
• The water prattled over the rocks. 水在石上淙淙地流过。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 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》

11 stifled   

（使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵

参考例句：

• The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
• The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。

12 contentedly   

adv.心满意足地

参考例句：

• My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe.父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。
• "This is brother John's writing,"said Sally,contentedly,as she opened the letter.

13 peek   

vi.偷看，窥视；n.偷偷的一看，一瞥

参考例句：

• Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
• Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛，别偷看。

14 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

15 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

16 softening   

变软，软化

参考例句：

• Her eyes, softening, caressed his face. 她的眼光变得很温柔了。它们不住地爱抚他的脸。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）
• He might think my brain was softening or something of the kind. 他也许会觉得我婆婆妈妈的，已经成了个软心肠的人了。

17 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。

18 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。

19 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

20 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

21 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

22 recoiled   

v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回

参考例句：

• She recoiled from his touch. 她躲开他的触摸。
• Howard recoiled a little at the sharpness in my voice. 听到我的尖声，霍华德往后缩了一下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 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。

24 untying   

untie的现在分词

参考例句：

• The tying of bow ties is an art; the untying is easy. 打领带是一种艺术，解领带则很容易。
• As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 33他们解驴驹的时候，主人问他们说，解驴驹作什么？

25 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

26 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

27 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

28 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

29 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

30 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。

31 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。