CHAPTER 55

 But a day or two later Kitty made an unforeseen discovery.

 

She went to the convent as usual and set about her first work of seeing that the children were washed and dressed. Since the nuns¹ held firmly that the night air was harmful, the atmosphere in the dormitory was close and fetid. After the freshness of the morning it always made Kitty a little uncomfortable and she hastened to open such windows as would. But to-day she felt on a sudden desperately² sick and with her head swimming she stood at a window trying to compose herself. It had never been as bad as this before. Then nausea³ overwhelmed her and she vomited⁴. She gave a cry so that the children were frightened, and the older girl who was helping⁵ her ran up and, seeing Kitty white and trembling, stopped short with an exclamation⁶. Cholera⁷! The thought flashed through Kitty's mind and then a deathlike feeling came over her; she was seized with terror, she struggled for a moment against the night that seemed agonisingly to run through her veins⁸; she felt horribly ill; and then darkness.

 

When she opened her eyes she did not at first know where she was. She seemed to be lying on the floor and, moving her head slightly, she thought that there was a pillow under it. She could not remember. The Mother Superior was kneeling by her side, holding smelling salts to her nose, and Sister St. Joseph stood looking at her. Then it came back. Cholera! She saw the consternation⁹ on the nuns' faces. Sister St. Joseph looked huge and her outline was blurred¹⁰. Once more terror overwhelmed her.

 

"Oh, Mother, Mother," she sobbed¹¹. "Am I going to die? I don't want to die."

 

"Of course you're not going to die," said the Mother Superior.

 

She was quite composed and there was even amusement in her eyes.

 

"But it's cholera. Where's Walter? Has he been sent for? Oh, Mother, Mother."

 

She burst into a flood of tears. The Mother Superior gave her hand and Kitty seized it as though it were a hold upon the life she feared to lose.

 

"Come, come, my dear child, you mustn't be so silly. It's not cholera or anything of the kind."

 

"Where's Walter?"

 

"Your husband is much too busy to be troubled. In five minutes you'll be perfectly¹² well."

 

Kitty looked at her with staring, harassed¹³ eyes. Why did she take it so calmly? It was cruel.

 

"Keep perfectly quiet for a minute," said the Mother Superior. "There is nothing to alarm yourself about."

 

Kitty felt her heart beat madly. She had grown so used to the thought of cholera that it had ceased to seem possible that she could catch it. Oh, the fool she had been! She knew she was going to die. She was frightened. The girls brought in a long rattan¹⁴ chair and placed it by the window.

 

"Come, let us lift you," said the Mother Superior. "You will be more comfortable on the chaise longue. Do you think you can stand?"

 

She put her hands under Kitty's arms and Sister St. Joseph helped her to her feet. She sank exhausted¹⁵ into the chair.

 

"I had better shut the window," said Sister St. Joseph. "The early morning air cannot be good for her."

 

"No, no," said Kitty. "Please leave it open."

 

It gave her confidence to see the blue sky. She was shaken, but certainly she began to feel better. The two nuns looked at her for a moment in silence, and Sister St. Joseph said something to the Mother Superior which she could not understand. Then the Mother Superior sat on the side of the chair and took her hand.

 

"Listen, ma chère enfant . . ."

 

She asked her one or two questions. Kitty answered them without knowing what they meant. Her lips were trembling so that she could hardly frame the words.

 

"There is no doubt about it," said Sister St. Joseph. "I am not one to be deceived in such a matter."

 

She gave a little laugh in which Kitty seemed to discern a certain excitement and not a little affection. The Mother Superior, still holding Kitty's hand, smiled with soft tenderness.

 

"Sister St. Joseph has more experience of these things than I have, dear child, and she said at once what was the matter with you. She was evidently quite right."

 

"What do you mean?" asked Kitty anxiously.

 

"It is quite evident. Did the possibility of such a thing never occur to you? You are with child, my dear."

 

The start that Kitty gave shook her from head to foot, and she put her feet to the ground as though to spring up.

 

"Lie still, lie still," said the Mother Superior.

 

Kitty felt herself blush furiously and she put her hands to her breasts.

 

"It's impossible. It isn't true."

 

"Qu'est ce qu'elle dit?" asked Sister St. Joseph.

 

The Mother Superior translated. Sister St. Joseph's broad simple face, with its red cheeks, was beaming.

 

"No mistake is possible. I give you my word of honour."

 

"How long have you been married, my child?" asked the Mother Superior. "Why, when my sister-in-law had been married as long as you she had already two babies."

 

Kitty sank back into the chair. There was death in her heart.

 

"I'm so ashamed," she whispered.

 

"Because you are going to have a baby? Why, what can be more natural?"

 

"Quelle joie pour le docteur," said Sister St. Joseph.

 

"Yes, think what a happiness for your husband. He will be overwhelmed with joy. You have only to see him with babies, and the look on his face when he plays with them, to see how enchanted¹⁶ he will be to have one of his own."

 

For a little while Kitty was silent. The two nuns looked at her with tender interest and the Mother Superior stroked her hand.

 

"It was silly of me not to have suspected it before," said Kitty. "At all events I'm glad it's not cholera. I feel very much better. I will get back to my work."

 

"Not to-day, my dear child. You have had a shock, you had much better go home and rest yourself."

 

"No, no, I would much rather stay and work."

 

"I insist. What would our good doctor say if I let you be imprudent? Come to-morrow, if you like, or the day after, but to-day you must be quiet. I will send for a chair. Would you like me to let one of our young girls go with you?"

 

"Oh, no, I shall be all right alone."

1 nuns   

n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句

2 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

3 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。

4 vomited   

参考例句：

• Corbett leaned against the wall and promptly vomited. 科比特倚在墙边，马上呕吐了起来。
• She leant forward and vomited copiously on the floor. 她向前一俯，哇的一声吐了一地。 来自英汉文学

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

7 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

8 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 consternation   

n.大为吃惊，惊骇

参考例句：

• He was filled with consternation to hear that his friend was so ill.他听说朋友病得那么厉害，感到非常震惊。
• Sam stared at him in consternation.萨姆惊恐不安地注视着他。

10 blurred   

v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离

参考例句：

• She suffered from dizziness and blurred vision. 她饱受头晕目眩之苦。
• Their lazy, blurred voices fell pleasantly on his ears. 他们那种慢吞吞、含糊不清的声音在他听起来却很悦耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

12 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

13 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

14 rattan   

n.藤条，藤杖

参考例句：

• When they reached a long bridge fastened with rattan strips,everyone got out and walked.走到那顶藤条扎的长桥，大家都下车步行。
• Rattan furniture,include rattan chair,rattan table,and so on.藤器家具包括藤椅藤桌等等。

15 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

16 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。