“We must help him! We must see if he is hurt!” Out from behind the bushes they flew, raced for the nearest gate, and ran panting to the scene of the accident.
The rays from the lamp near at hand lighted up the pavement, and showed the old gentleman already dragging himself to his feet, assisted by a lady whom Jill recognised in the flash of an eye as the much-admired occupant of Number 17. There she stood in her smart fur coat, a little red velvet3 toque perched on her dark locks, supporting the old gentleman by the arm, and so evidently overpowered by his weight that she was overjoyed to welcome further assistance.
No words were spoken, but quick as light Jack darted4 forward and pulled with all his force, while Jill placed both hands against the blue broadcloth back and vigorously pushed forward. As a result of these united efforts, the old gentleman was hoisted5 to an upright position, with a celerity which appeared to startle him almost as much as the preceding fall. He leant against the railings, puffed6 and panted, groaned7 and grumbled8, while the onlookers9 listened with sympathy and self-reproach.
“Injured for life—strained in every muscle—nervous shock—police—disgraceful—much obliged—advice at once—no time for delay.” The different phrases detached themselves from attacks of groanings and sighings, and, hearing the last words, Jack was blessed with a brilliant inspiration.
“There’s a doctor at the corner, sir. Would you like me to help you to the house?” he said in his politest manner.
It seemed as if, after all, good might arise out of evil if the accident were the means of providing his father with a new patient. There was not much wrong with the old fellow—anyone could see that—but he was fidgety and nervous about himself, which, of course, would make him the more valuable from a doctor’s point of view. Later on the boy would be obliged to confess his own responsibility in the accident. He would feel a sneak10 if he did not, but the present was the time for action, not confession11.
“Doctor at the corner, eh? Well, well, get me to him as quickly as possible. Shattered! Quite shattered! Must have a rest, and drive home! Bad day’s work! Never the same again!”
The old gentleman laid his hand on Jack’s shoulder and hobbled stiffly away, pausing just one moment to lift his hat and say courteously—
“My best thanks to you, madam, for your assistance.” Jill and the pretty lady were left standing12 in the middle of the pavement, staring curiously13 into each other’s faces.
The pretty lady was dark, and quite young, astonishingly young, like a big girl dressed in important clothes. Her eyes were very bright and happy-looking, and her lips looked as though they were made for laughter. Jill’s pert little face was left fully14 exposed by the cloth cap which was perched at the top of her curly locks; her expression was divided between triumph and consternation15.
“Do you think he is hurt, really hurt?” she asked eagerly. “He made a great fuss, but men generally do, and he walks nearly as well as before. He can’t have broken anything, can he?”
“Oh no!” cried the pretty lady. “I think you can be quite sure of that, but at such an age any shock of this kind may be serious. He is a very heavy old man.”
She paused, looking at the girl with an inquiring expression, as if waiting for something which had not yet been said, and to her own astonishment16 Jill found herself answering the unspoken question.
“It was our fault that he fell at all. We did it. We were in the Square hiding behind the bushes, and we had a parcel just the right size to hold something nice and pretty—it was cotton-wool really!—very neatly17 tied up. We dropped it out through the railings and waited till people came along, and then we twitched18 it away by the end of a long black thread.”
The pretty lady’s expression changed suddenly. Up till now she had been all interest and vivacity19, almost one might have imagined of approval, but at the last word she frowned and shook her head. Jill expected a vigorous remonstrance20, but the words, when they came, were not in the least what she had expected.
“Thread!” echoed the pretty lady shrilly21. “But how stupid! Elastic22 is far better. It jerks ever so much bet—” She stopped suddenly with a gasp23 of recollection, and continued in a stiff, mincing24 voice, “It is very unwise to play practical jokes. One can never tell what the consequence may be.”
Jill laughed gaily25, being much too sharp to be put off with so transparent26 a pretence27. She drew a step nearer to the pretty lady, and looked up in her face with twinkling eyes.
“Oh, it’s no use pretending! You weren’t shocked a bit! I believe”—she gave a little gasp at the audacity28 of the idea, but her courage did not fail—“I believe you have even—done it yourself. However did you manage to think of elastic? It’s a lovely idea!”
The pretty lady wrinkled her brows in a funny, apologetic fashion.
“It doesn’t follow because I did a thing that it is not foolish and rash. I am afraid I was known for my foolish tricks. I was one of a big family—such a lot of sisters that people used to call us ‘the houseful of girls,’ and I was the most mischievous29 of all. I don’t want to preach to you—it wouldn’t be fair, would it, when I have done far sillier things myself?—but next time you try the parcel trick, get it out of the way when old people come along. Don’t let them run the risk of a fall, like this poor old gentleman, or even have the trouble of stooping for nothing. Try to remember, won’t you? And,”—eyes and teeth flashed in an irresistible30 smile,—“try the elastic!”
Jill’s merry trill rang out again, and the pretty lady looked at her with smiling approval. The girl’s natural attractiveness was as conspicuous31 as ever, despite the disadvantageous circumstances, and it would have been a cold heart that did not warm towards her, as she stood with hands thrust deep into her pockets, fresh, wholesome32, and bonnie, like a bit of summer in the midst of the grey London gloom.
The pretty lady had heard high praise of the skill of the new doctor who had come to live in the Square, and also of the personal character of himself and his wife, but at this moment it is to be feared that she felt little interested in them as individuals, but regarded them solely33 as the parents of their daughter.
“It is getting rather dusk for you to be out alone. I will walk with you to the corner. You are one of the doctor’s daughters, aren’t you? I have watched you and your sisters from my windows, and envied you for being together. I do so miss my own sisters. I have five—think of that!—and only one married besides myself. You can think what a lively time of it we used to have!”
But Jill was too busy thinking of something else to have any thought to spare for the lively times of the past.
“Are you married?” she inquired breathlessly. “Truly and really? You look much too young. We thought you were engaged, and had an invalid34 mother in the house. I suppose he is the husband?”
“Yes, he is the husband, sure enough, and we keep no invalids35 nor skeletons of any sort in the cupboards, only such a lot of big, empty rooms, waiting for girls to fill them. I do love girls. I can’t be happy without girls. We have been away constantly the last few months, but now that we are settled at home I must call on your mother, and ask if she will spare you to come and have tea with me sometimes. Would you like to come?”
“Rather!” replied Jill in expressive36, schoolgirl fashion, and the pretty lady laughed again.
“That’s all right! We must arrange a day quite soon, and I must ask Cynthia Alliot to meet you. She is a lonely little soul who needs livening. There now, here we are at your door, and I am sure you are longing37 to see how the old gentleman is getting on. Good-bye! We shall meet soon again.”
She waved her hand, and hurried homewards, the red toque gleaming out brightly as she passed under the lamp-post, and Jill gazed after her with adoring eyes. Young girls often cherish a romantic affection for women older than themselves, and where could there be a more fitting object on which to lavish38 one’s devotion—so young, so pretty, so friendly, so—so understanding! She had not preached a bit, only just thought it would be better to leave old people alone; and then that suggestion of elastic! In itself it was sufficient to establish her as a miracle of good sense and ingenuity39!
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1
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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2
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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3
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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4
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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5
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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7
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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8
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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9
onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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10
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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11
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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12
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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14
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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18
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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19
vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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remonstrance
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| n抗议，抱怨 | |
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21
shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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22
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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23
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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24
mincing
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| adj.矫饰的；v.切碎；切碎 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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28
audacity
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| n.大胆，卤莽，无礼 | |
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mischievous
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| adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的 | |
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30
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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32
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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33
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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34
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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36
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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38
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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39
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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