CHAPTER VIII.

 The blue night of the lake was embroidered¹ with black tree forms. Silver drops sprinkled from the lifted oars². Somewhere in the gloom of the shore there was a dog, who from time to time raised his sad voice to the stars.

 

"But still, the life of the studios——" began the girl.

 

Hawker scoffed³. "There were six of us. Mainly we smoked. Sometimes we played hearts and at other times poker—on credit, you know—credit. And when we had the materials and got something to do, we worked. Did you ever see these beautiful red and green designs that surround the common tomato can?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Well," he said proudly, "I have made them. Whenever you come upon tomatoes, remember that they might once have been encompassed⁴ in my design. When first I came back from Paris I began to paint, but nobody wanted me to paint. Later, I got into green corn and asparagus——"

 

"Truly?"

 

"Yes, indeed. It is true."

 

"But still, the life of the studios——"

 

"There were six of us. Fate ordained⁵ that only one in the crowd could have money at one time. The other five lived off him and despised themselves. We despised ourselves five times as long as we had admiration⁶."

 

"And was this just because you had no money?"

 

"It was because we had no money in New York," said Hawker.

 

"Well, after a while something happened——"

 

"Oh, no, it didn't. Something impended⁷ always, but it never happened."

 

"In a case like that one's own people must be such a blessing⁸. The sympathy——"

 

"One's own people!" said Hawker.

 

"Yes," she said, "one's own people and more intimate friends. The appreciation⁹——"

 

"'The appreciation!'" said Hawker. "Yes, indeed!"

 

He seemed so ill-tempered that she became silent. The boat floated through the shadows of the trees and out to where the water was like a blue crystal. The dog on the shore thrashed about in the reeds and waded¹⁰ in the shallows, mourning his unhappy state in an occasional cry. Hawker stood up and sternly shouted. Thereafter silence was among the reeds. The moon slipped sharply through the little clouds.

 

The girl said, "I liked that last picture of yours."

 

"What?"

 

"At the last exhibition, you know, you had that one with the cows—and things—in the snow—and—and a haystack."

 

"Yes," he said, "of course. Did you like it, really? I thought it about my best. And you really remembered it? Oh," he cried, "Hollanden perhaps recalled it to you."

 

"Why, no," she said. "I remembered it, of course."

 

"Well, what made you remember it?" he demanded, as if he had cause to be indignant.

 

"Why—I just remembered it because—I liked it, and because—well, the people with me said—said it was about the best thing in the exhibit, and they talked about it a good deal. And then I remember that Hollie had spoken of you, and then I—I——"

 

"Never mind," he said. After a moment, he added, "The confounded picture was no good, anyhow!"

 

The girl started. "What makes you speak so of it? It was good. Of course, I don't know—I can't talk about pictures, but," she said in distress¹², "everybody said it was fine."

 

"It wasn't any good," he persisted, with dogged shakes of the head.

 

From off in the darkness they heard the sound of Hollanden's oars splashing in the water. Sometimes there was squealing¹³ by the Worcester girls, and at other times loud arguments on points of navigation.

 

"Oh," said the girl suddenly, "Mr. Oglethorpe is coming to-morrow!"

 

"Mr. Oglethorpe?" said Hawker. "Is he?"

 

"Yes." She gazed off at the water.

 

"He's an old friend of ours. He is always so good, and Roger and little Helen simply adore him. He was my brother's chum in college, and they were quite inseparable until Herbert's death. He always brings me violets. But I know you will like him."

 

"I shall expect to," said Hawker.

 

"I'm so glad he is coming. What time does that morning stage get here?"

 

"About eleven," said Hawker.

 

"He wrote that he would come then. I hope he won't disappoint us."

 

"Undoubtedly¹⁴ he will be here," said Hawker.

 

The wind swept from the ridge¹⁵ top, where some great bare pines stood in the moonlight. A loon¹⁶ called in its strange, unearthly note from the lakeshore. As Hawker turned the boat toward the dock, the flashing rays from the boat fell upon the head of the girl in the rear seat, and he rowed very slowly.

 

The girl was looking away somewhere with a mystic, shining glance. She leaned her chin in her hand. Hawker, facing her, merely paddled subconsciously¹⁷. He seemed greatly impressed and expectant.

 

At last she spoke¹¹ very slowly. "I wish I knew Mr. Oglethorpe was not going to disappoint us."

 

Hawker said, "Why, no, I imagine not."

 

"Well, he is a trifle uncertain in matters of time. The children—and all of us—shall be anxious. I know you will like him."

 

1 embroidered   

adj．绣花的

参考例句：

• She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。
• She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。

2 oars   

n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。
• The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

4 encompassed   

v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括

参考例句：

• The enemy encompassed the city. 敌人包围了城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I have encompassed him with every protection. 我已经把他保护得严严实实。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

5 ordained   

v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定

参考例句：

• He was ordained in 1984. 他在一九八四年被任命为牧师。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was ordained priest. 他被任命为牧师。 来自辞典例句

6 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

7 impended   

v.进行威胁，即将发生( impend的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I carried an umbrella because the rain impended. 我带了把伞，因为就要下雨了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We went indoors because rain impended. 我们进屋里去，因为就要下雨了。 来自辞典例句

8 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

9 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

10 waded   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
• He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。

11 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 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。

13 squealing   

v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Pigs were grunting and squealing in the yard. 猪在院子里哼哼地叫个不停。
• The pigs were squealing. 猪尖叫着。

14 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

15 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

16 loon   

n.狂人

参考例句：

• That guy's a real loon.那个人是个真正的疯子。
• Everyone thought he was a loon.每个人都骂他神经。

17 subconsciously   

ad.下意识地，潜意识地

参考例句：

• In choosing a partner we are subconsciously assessing their evolutionary fitness to be a mother of children or father provider and protector. 在选择伴侣的时候，我们会在潜意识里衡量对方将来是否会是称职的母亲或者父亲，是否会是合格的一家之主。
• Lao Yang thought as he subconsciously tightened his grasp on the rifle. 他下意识地攥紧枪把想。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译