“You have often spoken to me about your ‘Govies,’ as you call them. Was—was She one of the number?”
Betty murmured an assent2, guiltily conscious of the criticisms which had accompanied the references. Was he about to take her to task for all the scathing3 remarks she had made on the subject of his old love? But no—the grip tightened4 on her arm, and he said gently—
“God bless you, my dear, for all your kindness! May it be meted5 out to you a hundred times over in your hour of need. A Governesses’ Home—Alice Beveridge! And Terence Digby living in the lap of luxury! Well, well! Twenty years, my dear, since we last met—I was over forty, but she was a mere6 girl. A beautiful girl,—I never saw her equal, and the years have not touched her. I should have known her anywhere. She is marvellously unchanged!”
Betty gazed at him dumbly, and there came to her at that moment, for the first time in her life, a realisation of the deep, abiding7 love which sees beneath the surface, and knows neither change nor time. She had no inclination8 to laugh at the old man’s blindness; rather she felt towards him reverence9 and admiration10. Happy Miss Beveridge! To one loyal heart at least she would remain always young, always beautiful. Happy Terence Digby, who had kept his ideal untouched!
When Betty retraced11 her steps to the drawing-room a few minutes later, another surprise was in waiting, for behold12, Miss Beveridge sobbing13, with her hands over her face, while Mrs Trevor patted her tenderly on the shoulder. She looked across the room and shook her head at her young daughter.
“Go away, Betty dear, please! Leave us alone,” she said gently, and Betty tottered14 across the hall and collapsed15 in a heap on the nearest chair, positively16 faint with excitement. The first real romance with which she had come in contact,—and behold! The leading characters were General Digby and Miss Beveridge! Wonders would never cease!
The next afternoon the General appeared once more, and had a long tête-à-tête with Mrs Trevor.
“I am sorry to be such a trouble to you, madam, but you have no one to blame but yourself, for you have been so patient and forbearing with me during the last six months, that I feel as if there were no limits to your kindness. I went to that Governesses’ Home to-day—for that matter I passed it half a dozen times, but I could not screw up my courage to do any more. The look of the place daunted17 me, to begin with. To think of Alice Beveridge shut up there! Besides, I’m a soldier; my life has been spent among men; I haven’t the pluck to face a houseful of women. Be a good angel, and let us meet here once more! I was too much overcome yesterday to know what I was saying, but something must be done, and done quickly. I can’t go on living as I am, and think of her working for her living. Of course, you know what it all means. You are a woman, and women are quick enough at guessing these things. I never cared for another woman. I was a middle-aged18 man when we met, and it went very hard with me when she said Number 1 was not a boy, to forget at the sight of the next pretty face. I have tried to make the best of things, but it’s been lonely work. I went abroad immediately after she refused me, and heard no more about her. She was visiting a common friend when we met. I knew nothing of her family, so we simply passed out of each other’s lives. I always thought of her as happily married years ago; it never dawned upon me that there could have been any misunderstanding, but yesterday when we met there was something in her face, her manner— She seemed almost as much agitated19 as I was myself. I may be a conceited20 old idiot, but it seemed to me as if she had cared after all,—as if there had been some mistake! Women talk to each other more openly than we do. If she told you anything about it, I think you ought to let me know. I have waited a long time!”
There was a pathos21 in the sound of those last few words which went straight to Mrs Trevor’s heart, and she answered as frankly22 as he had spoken.
“Yes, indeed, it has been a hard time for you both. Miss Beveridge quite broke down after you left last night, and I gathered from what she said that at the time of your proposal she was taken by surprise, and felt nervous and uncertain of herself, as girls often do. It was only after you had sailed, and she was at home again, that she realised what a blank your absence made, and knew that she had loved you all the time. She hoped you might write, or see her on your return.”
“But she had not the courage to write herself, and acknowledge her mistake? Well, well! Women have their own code of honour, I suppose, but it would have been a gracious act. I remembered her always, but it did not seem to me the straight thing to force myself on a girl half my age, who had already refused me once, and so we have gone on misunderstanding all these years. Then I suppose trouble began? Her people were not rich, but she had a comfortable home, so far as I knew.”
“The parents died, and she was obliged to earn her own living. She has been teaching music in London for the last fifteen years.”
“I know! I know! Dragging about in all weathers, to earn a few shillings for hearing wretched brats24 strumming five-finger exercises. Beg pardon, ma’am—I should not have said that to you! You have children of your own.”
“But I do not in the least envy their music-mistress!” cried Mrs Trevor, smiling. “It is a hard, hard life, especially when it is a case of going back to an Institution instead of a home. It is young Mrs Vanburgh, Betty’s friend, to whom you are really indebted for this meeting. It was her idea to welcome lonely gentlewomen to her home, and Miss Beveridge happened to be her first visitor.”
“God bless her!” said the General reverently25. He sat in silence for some minutes, gazing dreamily before him, a puzzled look on the red face. At last—“Now there’s the question of the future to consider!” he said anxiously. “I’m getting old—sixty-four next birthday, precious near the allotted26 span of life, but she is twenty years younger—she may have a long life before her still. It would break my heart to let her go on working, but she’d be too proud to take money from me, unless— unless— Mrs Trevor, you are a sensible woman! I can trust you to give me a candid27 answer. Would you consider me a madman if I asked the girl a second time to marry me, old as I am, gouty as I am? Is it too late, or can you imagine it possible that she might still care to take me in hand?”
He looked across the room as he spoke1 with a pathetic eagerness in his glance, and Mrs Trevor’s answering smile was full of tenderness.
“Indeed I can! I should not think you a madman at all, General, for I am old enough to know that the heart does not age with the body, and that the happiness which comes late in life is sometimes the sweetest of all. You are a hale man still, in spite of your gout, and with a wife to care for you, you might renew your youth. I hope and believe that all will go well this time, but let me advise you not to be in too great a hurry. Twenty years is a long time, and you and Miss Beveridge have led such very different lives that you may find that there is little sympathy left between you. It is only a ‘may,’ but I do think you would do well to see more of each other before speaking of anything so serious as marriage. You shall have plenty of opportunity of seeing each other, I promise you that! I will invite Miss Beveridge to spend as much of her time with us as is possible, and you shall be left alone to renew your acquaintance, and learn to know each other afresh. That will be the wisest plan, will it not?”
“Um—um!” grunted28 the General vaguely29. He frowned and looked crestfallen31, for he retained enough of his youthful impetuosity to make anything like delay distinctly a trial. “Perhaps you are right, though I cannot believe that any number of years could change my feelings. Alice is—Alice! The one woman in the world I ever loved. That’s the beginning and the end of the matter, but perhaps for her sake I should not be hasty. Mustn’t frighten her again, poor girl! That’s arranged, then, ma’am—you let us meet in your house, and if we live, we’ll try to pay you back for your goodness, and I’ll wait—two or three weeks. You wouldn’t wish me to wait longer than two or three weeks?” He put up his hand and raked his grey locks into a fierce, upstanding crest30, while a curious embarrassment32 flashed across his face. “A married man? Terence Digby married! There’s only one thing I’m afraid of—Johnson! What will Johnson say to a woman in possession?”
Mrs Trevor laughed, but could give no reply, and presently the General took himself off, and left her to write an invitation for the next week-end to his old love, which was accepted in a grateful little note by return of post.
For three nights running did the General dine at Dr Trevor’s table, while Miss Beveridge sat beside him, with pathetic little bows of lace pinned in the front of her shabby black silk, which somehow looked shabbier than ever for the attempt at decoration. At the beginning of the meal she was just Miss Beveridge, stiff, silent, colourless; but as time passed by and she talked to the General, and the General talked to her, attending to her little wants as if they were of all things in the world the most important, fussing about a draught33 that might possibly distress34 her, and violently kicking his opposite neighbour in his endeavours to provide her with a footstool, gradually, gradually the Miss Beveridge of the music-lessons and the Governesses’ Home disappeared from sight, and there appeared in her place an absolutely different woman, with a sweet smiling face, out of which the lines seemed to have been miraculously35 smoothed away, while a delicate colour in her cheeks gave to the once grey face something of the fragile beauty of an old pastel.
For fifteen years she had fought a hand-to-hand battle with want; a lonely battle, with no one to care or to comfort, and now it was meat, and drink, and health, and sunshine, to find herself of a sudden the most precious object on earth to one faithful heart! Although the General had given a promise not to be too precipitate36 in his wooing, it was easy to prophesy37 how things would end; but before the “two or three weeks” had come to an end, another event happened of such supreme38 importance to the Trevor household as to put in the background every other subject, interesting and romantic though it might be.
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1
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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2
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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3
scathing
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| adj.（言词、文章）严厉的，尖刻的；不留情的adv.严厉地，尖刻地v.伤害，损害（尤指使之枯萎）( scathe的现在分词) | |
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4
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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5
meted
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| v.（对某人）施以，给予（处罚等）( mete的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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8
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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9
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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10
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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11
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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12
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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13
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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14
tottered
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| v.走得或动得不稳( totter的过去式和过去分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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15
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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17
daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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20
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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pathos
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| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
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22
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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23
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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24
brats
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| n.调皮捣蛋的孩子( brat的名词复数 ) | |
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25
reverently
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| adv.虔诚地 | |
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26
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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28
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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29
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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30
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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31
crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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32
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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33
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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34
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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35
miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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36
precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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37
prophesy
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| v.预言；预示 | |
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38
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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