Matters went from bad to worse in the case of the irrepressible Cyrus. He continued to shower Cecily with notes, the spelling of which showed no improvement; he worried the life out of her by constantly threatening to fight Willy Fraser—although, as Felicity sarcastically10 pointed11 out, he never did it.
“But I’m always afraid he will,” said Cecily, “and it would be such a DISGRACE to have two boys fighting over me in school.”
“You must have encouraged Cyrus a little in the beginning or he’d never have been so persevering,” said Felicity unjustly.
“I never did!” cried outraged12 Cecily. “You know very well, Felicity King, that I hated Cyrus Brisk ever since the very first time I saw his big, fat, red face. So there!”
“Felicity is just jealous because Cyrus didn’t take a notion to her instead of you, Sis,” said Dan.
“Talk sense!” snapped Felicity.
“If I did you wouldn’t understand me, sweet little sister,” rejoined aggravating13 Dan.
Finally Cyrus crowned his iniquities14 by stealing the denied lock of Cecily’s hair. One sunny afternoon in school, Cecily and Kitty Marr asked and received permission to sit out on the side bench before the open window, where the cool breeze swept in from the green fields beyond. To sit on this bench was always considered a treat, and was only allowed as a reward of merit; but Cecily and Kitty had another reason for wishing to sit there. Kitty had read in a magazine that sun-baths were good for the hair; so both she and Cecily tossed their long braids over the window-sill and let them hang there in the broiling15 sun-shine. And while Cecily sat thus, diligently16 working a fraction sum on her slate17, that base Cyrus asked permission to go out, having previously18 borrowed a pair of scissors from one of the big girls who did fancy work at the noon recess19. Outside, Cyrus sneaked20 up close to the window and cut off a piece of Cecily’s hair.
This rape21 of the lock did not produce quite such terrible consequences as the more famous one in Pope’s poem, but Cecily’s soul was no less agitated22 than Belinda’s. She cried all the way home from school about it, and only checked her tears when Dan declared he’d fight Cyrus and make him give it up.
“Oh, no, You mustn’t.” said Cecily, struggling with her sobs23. “I won’t have you fighting on my account for anything. And besides, he’d likely lick you—he’s so big and rough. And the folks at home might find out all about it, and Uncle Roger would never give me any peace, and mother would be cross, for she’d never believe it wasn’t my fault. It wouldn’t be so bad if he’d only taken a little, but he cut a great big chunk24 right off the end of one of the braids. Just look at it. I’ll have to cut the other to make them fair—and they’ll look so awful stubby.”
But Cyrus’ acquirement of the chunk of hair was his last triumph. His downfall was near; and, although it involved Cecily in a most humiliating experience, over which she cried half the following night, in the end she confessed it was worth undergoing just to get rid of Cyrus.
Mr. Perkins was an exceedingly strict disciplinarian. No communication of any sort was permitted between his pupils during school hours. Anyone caught violating this rule was promptly25 punished by the infliction26 of one of the weird27 penances28 for which Mr. Perkins was famous, and which were generally far worse than ordinary whipping.
One day in school Cyrus sent a letter across to Cecily. Usually he left his effusions in her desk, or between the leaves of her books; but this time it was passed over to her under cover of the desk through the hands of two or three scholars. Just as Em Frewen held it over the aisle29 Mr. Perkins wheeled around from his station before the blackboard and caught her in the act.
“Bring that here, Emmeline,” he commanded.
Cyrus turned quite pale. Em carried the note to Mr. Perkins. He took it, held it up, and scrutinized30 the address.
“Did you write this to Cecily, Emmeline?” he asked.
“No, sir.”
“Who wrote it then?”
Em said quite shamelessly that she didn’t know—it had just been passed over from the next row.
“And I suppose you have no idea where it came from?” said Mr. Perkins, with his frightful31, sardonic32 grin. “Well, perhaps Cecily can tell us. You may take your seat, Emmeline, and you will remain at the foot of your spelling class for a week as punishment for passing the note. Cecily, come here.”
Indignant Em sat down and poor, innocent Cecily was haled forth33 to public ignominy. She went with a crimson34 face.
“I—I think so, sir,” she murmured faintly.
“Who was it?”
“Ah!” said Mr. Perkins politely. “Well, I suppose I could easily find out by opening it. But it is very impolite to open other people’s letters. I think I have a better plan. Since you refuse to tell me who wrote it, open it yourself, take this chalk, and copy the contents on the blackboard that we may all enjoy them. And sign the writer’s name at the bottom.”
“Hush!” Mr. Perkins checked her with a gentle motion of his hand. He was always most gentle when most inexorable. “You did not obey me when I first ordered you to tell me the writer. You cannot have the privilege of doing so now. Open the note, take the chalk, and do as I command you.”
Worms will turn, and even meek41, mild, obedient little souls like Cecily may be goaded42 to the point of wild, sheer rebellion.
“I—I won’t!” she cried passionately43.
Mr. Perkins, martinet44 though he was, would hardly, I think, have inflicted45 such a punishment on Cecily, who was a favourite of his, had he known the real nature of that luckless missive. But, as he afterwards admitted, he thought it was merely a note from some other girl, of such trifling46 sort as school-girls are wont47 to write; and moreover, he had already committed himself to the decree, which, like those of Mede and Persian, must not alter. To let Cecily off, after her mad defiance48, would be to establish a revolutionary precedent49.
“So you really think you won’t?” he queried50 smilingly. “Well, on second thoughts, you may take your choice. Either you will do as I have bidden you, or you will sit for three days with”—Mr. Perkins’ eye skimmed over the school-room to find a boy who was sitting alone—“with Cyrus Brisk.”
This choice of Mr. Perkins, who knew nothing of the little drama of emotions that went on under the routine of lessons and exercises in his domain51, was purely52 accidental, but we took it at the time as a stroke of diabolical53 genius. It left Cecily no choice. She would have done almost anything before she would have sat with Cyrus Brisk. With flashing eyes she tore open the letter, snatched up the chalk, and dashed at the blackboard.
In a few minutes the contents of that letter graced the expanse usually sacred to more prosaic54 compositions. I cannot reproduce it verbatim, for I had no after opportunity of refreshing55 my memory. But I remember that it was exceedingly sentimental56 and exceedingly ill-spelled—for Cecily mercilessly copied down poor Cyrus’ mistakes. He wrote her that he wore her hare over his hart—“and he stole it,” Cecily threw passionately over her shoulder at Mr. Perkins—that her eyes were so sweet and lovely that he couldn’t find words nice enuf to describ them, that he could never forget how butiful she had looked in prar meeting the evening before, and that some meels he couldn’t eat for thinking of her, with more to the same effect and he signed it “yours till deth us do part, Cyrus Brisk.”
As the writing proceeded we scholars exploded into smothered57 laughter, despite our awe58 of Mr. Perkins. Mr. Perkins himself could not keep a straight face. He turned abruptly59 away and looked out of the window, but we could see his shoulders shaking. When Cecily had finished and had thrown down the chalk with bitter vehemence60, he turned around with a very red face.
“That will do. You may sit down. Cyrus, since it seems you are the guilty person, take the eraser and wipe that off the board. Then go stand in the corner, facing the room, and hold your arms straight above your head until I tell you to take them down.”
Cyrus obeyed and Cecily fled to her seat and wept, nor did Mr. Perkins meddle61 with her more that day. She bore her burden of humiliation62 bitterly for several days, until she was suddenly comforted by a realization63 that Cyrus had ceased to persecute64 her. He wrote no more letters, he gazed no longer in rapt adoration65, he brought no more votive offerings of gum and pencils to her shrine66. At first we thought he had been cured by the unmerciful chaffing he had to undergo from his mates, but eventually his sister told Cecily the true reason. Cyrus had at last been driven to believe that Cecily’s aversion to him was real, and not merely the defence of maiden67 coyness. If she hated him so intensely that she would rather write that note on the blackboard than sit with him, what use was it to sigh like a furnace longer for her? Mr. Perkins had blighted68 love’s young dream for Cyrus with a killing69 frost. Thenceforth sweet Cecily kept the noiseless tenor70 of her way unvexed by the attentions of enamoured swains.
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1
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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3
fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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limpid
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| adj.清澈的，透明的 | |
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primrose
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| n.樱草，最佳部分， | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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boons
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| n.恩惠( boon的名词复数 )；福利；非常有用的东西；益处 | |
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enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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aggravating
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| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
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iniquities
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| n.邪恶( iniquity的名词复数 )；极不公正 | |
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broiling
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| adj.酷热的，炽热的，似烧的v.（用火）烤（焙、炙等）( broil的现在分词 )；使卷入争吵；使混乱；被烤（或炙） | |
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diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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slate
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| n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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21
rape
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| n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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chunk
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| n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量） | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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infliction
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| n.（强加于人身的）痛苦，刑罚 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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28
penances
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| n.（赎罪的）苦行，苦修( penance的名词复数 ) | |
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aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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30
scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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31
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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32
sardonic
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| adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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tormentor
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| n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter | |
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36
renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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40
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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41
meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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42
goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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43
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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44
martinet
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| n.要求严格服从纪律的人 | |
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45
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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47
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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48
defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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49
precedent
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| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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50
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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51
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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52
purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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53
diabolical
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| adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的 | |
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54
prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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55
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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56
sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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57
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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58
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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60
vehemence
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| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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61
meddle
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| v.干预，干涉，插手 | |
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62
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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63
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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64
persecute
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| vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰 | |
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65
adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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66
shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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67
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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68
blighted
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| adj.枯萎的，摧毁的 | |
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69
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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70
tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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