He appreciated the situation fully7; and every moment that he could spare from his work he devoted8 to her entertainment. She liked to be out of doors, and they strolled together in the summer twilight9 through the mazes10 of the old French quarter. They went again to the lake end, and stayed for hours on the water; returning so late that the streets through which they passed were silent and deserted11. On Sunday morning he arose at an unconscionable hour to take her to the French market, knowing that the sights and sounds there would interest her. And he did not join the intellectual coterie12 in the afternoon, as he usually did, but placed himself all day at the disposition13 and service of Athénaïse.
Notwithstanding all, his manner toward her was tactful, and evinced intelligence and a deep 92knowledge of her character, surprising upon so brief an acquaintance. For the time he was everything to her that she would have him; he replaced home and friends. Sometimes she wondered if he had ever loved a woman. She could not fancy him loving any one passionately14, rudely, offensively, as Cazeau loved her. Once she was so naïve as to ask him outright15 if he had ever been in love, and he assured her promptly16 that he had not. She thought it an admirable trait in his character, and esteemed17 him greatly therefor.
He found her crying one night, not openly or violently. She was leaning over the gallery rail, watching the toads18 that hopped19 about in the moonlight, down on the damp flagstones of the courtyard. There was an oppressively sweet odor rising from the cape20 jessamine. Pousette was down there, mumbling21 and quarreling with some one, and seeming to be having it all her own way,—as well she might, when her companion was only a black cat that had come in from a neighboring yard to keep her company.
Athénaïse did admit feeling heart-sick, body-sick, when he questioned her; she supposed it 93was nothing but homesick. A letter from Montéclin had stirred her all up. She longed for her mother, for Montéclin; she was sick for a sight of the cotton-fields, the scent22 of the ploughed earth, for the dim, mysterious charm of the woods, and the old tumble-down home on the Bon Dieu.
As Gouvernail listened to her, a wave of pity and tenderness swept through him. He took her hands and pressed them against him. He wondered what would happen if he were to put his arms around her.
He was hardly prepared for what happened, but he stood it courageously23. She twined her arms around his neck and wept outright on his shoulder; the hot tears scalding his cheek and neck, and her whole body shaken in his arms. The impulse was powerful to strain her to him; the temptation was fierce to seek her lips; but he did neither.
He understood a thousand times better than she herself understood it that he was acting24 as substitute for Montéclin. Bitter as the conviction was, he accepted it. He was patient; he could wait. He hoped some day to hold 94her with a lover’s arms. That she was married made no particle of difference to Gouvernail. He could not conceive or dream of it making a difference. When the time came that she wanted him,—as he hoped and believed it would come,—he felt he would have a right to her. So long as she did not want him, he had no right to her,—no more than her husband had. It was very hard to feel her warm breath and tears upon his cheek, and her struggling bosom25 pressed against him and her soft arms clinging to him and his whole body and soul aching for her, and yet to make no sign.
He tried to think what Montéclin would have said and done, and to act accordingly. He stroked her hair, and held her in a gentle embrace, until the tears dried and the sobs26 ended. Before releasing herself she kissed him against the neck; she had to love somebody in her own way! Even that he endured like a stoic27. But it was well he left her, to plunge28 into the thick of rapid, breathless, exacting29 work till nearly dawn.
Athénaïse was greatly soothed30, and slept well. The touch of friendly hands and caressing31 95arms had been very grateful. Henceforward she would not be lonely and unhappy, with Gouvernail there to comfort her.
点击收听单词发音
1 secrecy | |
n.秘密,保密,隐蔽 | |
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2 deferential | |
adj. 敬意的,恭敬的 | |
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3 lodgers | |
n.房客,租住者( lodger的名词复数 ) | |
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4 condescended | |
屈尊,俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 ); 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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5 landlady | |
n.女房东,女地主 | |
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6 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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7 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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8 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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9 twilight | |
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期 | |
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10 mazes | |
迷宫( maze的名词复数 ); 纷繁复杂的规则; 复杂难懂的细节; 迷宫图 | |
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11 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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12 coterie | |
n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体,小圈子 | |
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13 disposition | |
n.性情,性格;意向,倾向;排列,部署 | |
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14 passionately | |
ad.热烈地,激烈地 | |
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15 outright | |
adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的 | |
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16 promptly | |
adv.及时地,敏捷地 | |
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17 esteemed | |
adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 );敬重;认为;以为 | |
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18 toads | |
n.蟾蜍,癞蛤蟆( toad的名词复数 ) | |
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19 hopped | |
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花 | |
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20 cape | |
n.海角,岬;披肩,短披风 | |
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21 mumbling | |
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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22 scent | |
n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉 | |
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23 courageously | |
ad.勇敢地,无畏地 | |
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24 acting | |
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的 | |
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25 bosom | |
n.胸,胸部;胸怀;内心;adj.亲密的 | |
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26 sobs | |
啜泣(声),呜咽(声)( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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27 stoic | |
n.坚忍克己之人,禁欲主义者 | |
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28 plunge | |
v.跳入,(使)投入,(使)陷入;猛冲 | |
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29 exacting | |
adj.苛求的,要求严格的 | |
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30 soothed | |
v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 );抚慰;使舒服;减轻痛苦 | |
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31 caressing | |
爱抚的,表现爱情的,亲切的 | |
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