CHAPTER XIX BETWEEN THE LINES

 When Tavia had left her, Dorothy felt utterly¹ helpless in facing the problems that now confronted her.

 

"One thing is certain," Dorothy told herself. "Tavia must not go home. In her state of mind, and with her temper, there is no telling what she might do—leave home, or something else dreadful. If I could only see Squire² Travers first," she argued, "I am sure I could manage it some way."

 

"But I cannot possibly go to Dalton now," she decided³, "with Ned sick, and the play to-morrow night.

 

"And how can I persuade Tavia not to go? I suppose she has her bag packed already."

 

Dorothy seemed incapable⁴ of reasoning further. She threw herself down on her bed and gazed fixedly⁵ at the ceiling, as if expecting some inspiration to come from the dainty blue and gold papering.

 

How long she lay there she had no idea of computing—it was not now a question of time, although the night must be far advanced, but to the perplexed⁶ girl everything about her seemed to surge in one great sea of difficulties.

 

She jumped up suddenly.

 

"I wonder how Ned is?" she thought. "If only he is not seriously hurt. The doctor said if he slept, and no fever arose, he would do well. I wonder how I can find out. I might slip downstairs and listen."

 

She drew her heavy blue robe around her, put on her slippers⁷ and softly opened the door. There was no light in the upper hall, and a turn from the first flight of stairs hid the dim light below. Directly at this turn a push-button connected with an electric drop lamp, and this button Dorothy touched as she passed.

 

At the broad window-seat she hesitated for a moment, looked out at the clear, wintry night, and then slipped down the stairs so lightly that even the cushioned velvet⁸ carpet took no impress of her footfall.

 

At the last step she stopped—a terrible fear clutched her heart. The library door was open, but no sound came from the room.

 

She clung to the broad post and listened. Could Ned be worse? Then the chime of the hall clock startled her. It was just midnight! Dorothy had no idea it was so very late.

 

She would just go to the library door——

 

Involuntarily she turned toward the vestibule. A strange sensation of some one watching her from without possessed⁹ her, terrified her, and at the same instant a light tap sounded upon the plate-glass door.

 

Some one was watching her!

 

For the moment Dorothy could not move or utter a sound. Then the thought of her sick cousin brought her back to a realization¹⁰ of the emergency. She must answer the knock and not arouse any one.

 

Summoning all her self-control Dorothy moved toward the front door. Only the glass and a thin lace drapery separated her from without, as the storm door had been left open. Some one stood within the small entrance hall—the shadow was clearly outlined.

 

She drew aside the lace curtain.

 

There stood Tom Scott!

 

"Open the door," he whispered "I—don't want to detain you."

 

More surprised now than frightened, Dorothy shoved back the heavy bolt and gently opened the huge door.

 

"I had no idea of startling you," began Tom, without waiting for her to speak, "but I have been so anxious! I've been watching the house, and when I saw the light flash upstairs I felt as if something must have happened. The doctor said by midnight——"

 

"Oh!" exclaimed Dorothy, now realizing the cause of Tom's unexpected visit, "I was coming downstairs to see how he was. If you just wait I'll peek¹¹ in at the door and see. Won't you step inside?"

 

"Oh, no, indeed," Tom replied in an undertone. "I had no idea of disturbing any one. I thought just to look around the house and see if all was well. I am on my way home from the telegraph office. Aunt Margaret thought of an important message which she insisted had to go out to-night."

 

Dorothy turned toward the library. Scarcely had she rounded the alcove¹² when Tom noticed some one at the top of the stairs.

 

It was Tavia.

 

She stood for a moment looking at Tom, then she nodded her head in a friendly way and disappeared as quietly as she had come.

 

"Awkward," thought Tom, "but any one would know I am here to hear about Ned."

 

Dorothy was coming back now, and she was smiling.

 

"Sound asleep," she whispered.

 

"Good," breathed Tom. "Now I won't keep you another second. Awfully¹³ good of you to let me in."

 

"Not at all," stammered¹⁴ Dorothy. "I was just a little frightened first. I will know better than to light up at midnight again."

 

"The midnight alarm!" quoted Tom, making his way out. "Don't stand in the draft. It's cold enough. Good-night!"

 

Then he was gone.

 

Dorothy flew back to her room, agitated¹⁵, but comforted that Ned was resting. This knowledge seemed to assure her that he was not seriously injured, and now she took up the Tavia question.

 

"She must not go home," Dorothy repeated. "I will see if she is still up."

 

A glimmer¹⁶ of light stole under Tavia's door. Dorothy tapped lightly, but opened the door unbidden. She found her chum bent¹⁷ over pen and paper, but as Dorothy came in Tavia dropped the pen and looked up in surprise.

 

"Tavia," began Dorothy, "I came to coax¹⁸ you to stay—you must not go home to-morrow. I will telegraph your father. He was always so—kind to me. And when he hears all about it—about Ned and all—I am sure he will not be angry."

 

"I cannot," answered Tavia. "I must go."

 

"Oh, please, Tavia, do listen! If you go, what will you say? What will you do?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"Tavia!" pleaded Dorothy, a note of distress¹⁹ in her voice.

 

The two girls looked into each other's eyes. Dorothy's were brimful, but Tavia's were too "frozen" for tears.

 

"Tavia, dear," whispered Dorothy.

 

Tavia's arm stole about Dorothy's neck. She touched the flushed cheek with her dry lips. Then she straightened up in an attitude of defiance²⁰.

 

"I'll stay!" she exclaimed. "I don't care what they think of me."

 

1 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

2 squire   

n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅

参考例句：

• I told him the squire was the most liberal of men.我告诉他乡绅是世界上最宽宏大量的人。
• The squire was hard at work at Bristol.乡绅在布里斯托尔热衷于他的工作。

3 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。

4 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

5 fixedly   

adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地

参考例句：

• He stared fixedly at the woman in white. 他一直凝视着那穿白衣裳的女人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The great majority were silent and still, looking fixedly at the ground. 绝大部分的人都不闹不动，呆呆地望着地面。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

6 perplexed   

adj.不知所措的

参考例句：

• The farmer felt the cow,went away,returned,sorely perplexed,always afraid of being cheated.那农民摸摸那头牛，走了又回来，犹豫不决，总怕上当受骗。
• The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story.这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。

7 slippers   

n. 拖鞋

参考例句：

• a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
• He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋，倒在床上。

8 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

9 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

10 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

11 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。

12 alcove   

n.凹室

参考例句：

• The bookcase fits neatly into the alcove.书架正好放得进壁凹。
• In the alcoves on either side of the fire were bookshelves.火炉两边的凹室里是书架。

13 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

14 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

15 agitated   

adj.被鼓动的，不安的

参考例句：

• His answers were all mixed up,so agitated was he.他是那样心神不定，回答全乱了。
• She was agitated because her train was an hour late.她乘坐的火车晚点一个小时，她十分焦虑。

16 glimmer   

v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光

参考例句：

• I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她，感到了一线希望。
• A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。

17 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

18 coax   

v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取

参考例句：

• I had to coax the information out of him.我得用好话套出他掌握的情况。
• He tried to coax the secret from me.他试图哄骗我说出秘方。

19 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

20 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。