CHAPTER V SHOPPING AND SHOPLIFTERS

 Toy automobiles¹ and steam engines were soon forgotten, for Dorothy and Tavia were anxious to free themselves from the jostling throng² of eager shoppers, and from the risk of the deliberate elbowing of the little woman in black.

 

"Oh, dear!" sighed Dorothy, "I did intend to go right on with our list. And now we have to stop and wait. What can she mean by always keeping in our tracks? Perhaps she is weak and has not the strength to make her own way through the crowds."

 

"Then she should have stayed at home," replied the practical Tavia. "I see no reason why we should be inconvenienced by her infirmities."

 

"But she may have babies. Come, we will go to the jewelry³ counter. I must get a pretty comb for Mrs. Pangborn."

 

"Comb?" repeated Tavia indifferently. "I thought Mrs. Pangborn had a head full of combs."

 

"I know she wears them, which shows she is fond of them," replied Dorothy, "and I do think in her kind of lovely white hair pretty combs are so attractive. I want one with a band of enameled⁴ forget-me-nots."

 

With some remorse⁵ in her heart for the mother who had made such sacrifices to give her daughter "her own Christmas money," Tavila looked for the little neck pin for Mrs. Travers. It must be carefully selected, with a view to economy as well as with the purpose of obtaining the best possible value for the money.

 

It took some time to accomplish this, as the clerks were too busy to attend to customers, save as they might be able to note them by turns.

 

Finally Tavia had decided⁶ upon a pin. Dorothy was pleased with it—the enameled clover-leaf was simple yet effective.

 

"I do wish people would not crush so," complained Tavia, as some one crowded her against the glass showcase.

 

"Hush⁷!" whispered Dorothy, "It is not well to let people see ill nature. We will get along better if we just take things as they come."

 

Tavia felt the rebuke—she had spoken loud enough to attract attention, and people did stare. At the same time it was not comfortable to be carried with the tide and be unable to direct one's own movements.

 

"Is that the little woman in black?" she asked as a dark figure glided⁸ past.

 

"Looks like her," replied Dorothy, smiling, anxious to have Tavia recover her good humor. "Seems as if we cannot lose her."

 

"I think it was she who pushed me that time," Tavia explained, "and it made me angry."

 

"I did not see her then," said Dorothy, somewhat surprised.

 

"No, she was directly back of you, and had your purse been in that open bag I fancy she might have—made a mistake in judging to whom the bag belonged."

 

"Nonsense," protested Dorothy. "She would not do anything like that. She simply happened to be interested in the same line of goods we were seeking."

 

"Well, I never saw such greedy eyes," insisted Tavia. "If she could get our cash with them I am quite sure we might walk home, for all of her. A muff is a great thing in a crowd."

 

"Suppose we go to the rest room and look over the list," suggested Dorothy. "I feel we have not begun to shop yet, although we have been in this store almost an hour. It will straighten us out to start fresh."

 

Dorothy turned, and Tavia was directly back of her. Both noticed that the clerks seemed excited—one was talking over the desk telephone, while others looked excitedly into trays and boxes.

 

Presently it seemed that all eyes were directed toward Dorothy. She felt the implied charge instantly, and her face crimsoned⁹.

 

"What are they gawking at?" asked Tavia aloud, with her usual recklessness under excitement.

 

But before Dorothy could reply she was tapped lightly on the shoulder, and, turning, she beheld¹⁰ a young woman, tall, dark and most important-looking.

 

"You must step into the office," she said authoritatively¹¹, at the same time taking Dorothy's arm.

 

"Shoplifting!" exclaimed some one. Tavia clutched Dorothy's arm.

 

"Tell her she is mistaken!" exclaimed Tavia, holding Dorothy back.

 

"You had better come along quietly," the tall woman directed, urging the girl to accompany her. "There is no use or sense in making a scene."

 

Dorothy turned deathly pale.

 

"Arrested!" she heard people saying. Then she faced them and somehow walked with the woman detective toward the business office.

1 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 throng   

n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集

参考例句：

• A patient throng was waiting in silence.一大群耐心的人在静静地等着。
• The crowds thronged into the mall.人群涌进大厅。

3 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

4 enameled   

涂瓷釉于，给…上瓷漆，给…上彩饰( enamel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The grey walls were divided into artificial paneling by strips of white-enameled pine. 灰色的墙壁用漆白的松木条隔成镶板的模样。
• I want a pair of enameled leather shoes in size 38. 我要一双38号的亮漆皮鞋。

5 remorse   

n.痛恨，悔恨，自责

参考例句：

• She had no remorse about what she had said.她对所说的话不后悔。
• He has shown no remorse for his actions.他对自己的行为没有任何悔恨之意。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

8 glided   

v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔

参考例句：

• The President's motorcade glided by. 总统的车队一溜烟开了过去。
• They glided along the wall until they were out of sight. 他们沿着墙壁溜得无影无踪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 crimsoned   

变为深红色（crimson的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• His face crimsoned when he saw her. 他一看到她就满脸通红。
• Tu Hsueh-shih took this attitude of his nephew as a downright insult and crimsoned violently. 这在杜学诗看来，简直是对于他老叔的侮辱。他满脸通红了！ 来自子夜部分

10 beheld   

v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence. 他从未见过这样的财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment. 灵魂在逝去的瞬间的镜子中看到了自己的模样。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

11 authoritatively   

命令式地，有权威地，可信地

参考例句：

• "If somebody'll come here and sit with him," he snapped authoritatively. “来个人到这儿陪他坐着。”他用发号施令的口吻说。
• To decide or settle(a dispute, for example) conclusively and authoritatively. 判定结论性、权威性地决定或解决（纠纷等）