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首页 » 经典英文小说 » The Little Minister » Chapter Sixteen. CONTINUED MISBEHAVIOUR OF THE EGYPTIAN WOMAN.
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Chapter Sixteen. CONTINUED MISBEHAVIOUR OF THE EGYPTIAN WOMAN.
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 By the following Monday it was known at many looms1 that something sat heavily on the Auld2 Licht minister’s mind. On the previous day he had preached his second sermon of warning to susceptible3 young men, and his first mention of the word “woman” had blown even the sleepy heads upright. Now he had salt fish for breakfast, and on clearing the table Jean noticed that his knife and fork were uncrossed. He was observed walking into a gooseberry bush by Susy Linn, who possessed4 the pioneer spring-bed of Thrums, and always knew when her man jumped into it by suddenly finding herself shot to the ceiling. Lunan, the tinsmith, and two women, who had the luck to be in the street at the time, saw him stopping at Dr. McQueen’s door, as if about to knock, and then turning smartly away. His hat blew off in the school wynd, where a wind wanders ever, looking for hats, and he chased it so passionately5 that Lang Tammas went into Allardyce’s smiddy to say—
 
“I dinna like it. Of course he couldna afford to lose his hat, but he should hae run after it mair reverently6.”
 
Gavin, indeed, was troubled. He had avoided speaking of the Egyptian to his mother. He had gone to McQueen’s house to ask the doctor to accompany him to the Kaims, but with the knocker in his hand he changed his mind, and now he was at the place of meeting alone. It was a day of thaw7, nothing to be heard from a distance but the swish of curling-stones through 144 water on Rashie-bog, where the match for the eldership was going on. Around him, Gavin saw only dejected firs with drops of water falling listlessly from them, clods of snow, and grass that rustled8 as if animals were crawling through it. All the roads were slack.
 
I suppose no young man to whom society has not become a cheap thing can be in Gavin’s position, awaiting the coming of an attractive girl, without giving thought to what he should say to her. When in the pulpit or visiting the sick, words came in a rush to the little minister, but he had to set his teeth to determine what to say to the Egyptian.
 
This was because he had not yet decided9 which of two women she was. Hardly had he started on one line of thought when she crossed his vision in a new light, and drew him after her.
 
Her “Need that make any difference?” sang in his ear like another divit, cast this time at religion itself, and now he spoke10 aloud, pointing his finger at a fir: “I said at the mud house that I believed you because I knew you. To my shame be it said that I spoke falsely. How dared you bewitch me? In your presence I flung away the precious hours in frivolity11; I even forgot the Sabbath. For this I have myself to blame. I am an unworthy preacher of the Word. I sinned far more than you who have been brought up godlessly from your cradle. Nevertheless, whoever you are, I call upon you, before we part never to meet again, to repent12 of your——”
 
And then it was no mocker of the Sabbath he was addressing, but a woman with a child’s face, and there were tears in her eyes. “Do you care?” she was saying, and again he answered, “Yes, I care.” This girl’s name was not Woman, but Babbie.
 
Now Gavin made an heroic attempt to look upon both these women at once. “Yes, I believe in you,” he said to them, “but henceforth you must send your money to 145 Nanny by another messenger. You are a gypsy and I am a minister; and that must part us. I refuse to see you again. I am not angry with you, but as a minister——”
 
It was not the disappearance13 of one of the women that clipped this argument short; it was Babbie singing—
 
“It fell on a day, on a bonny summer day,
 
When the corn grew green and yellow,
 
That there fell out a great dispute
 
Between Argyle and Airly.
 
“The Duke of Montrose has written to Argyle
 
To come in the morning early,
 
An’ lead in his men by the back o’ Dunkeld
 
To plunder14 the bonny house o’ Airly.”
 
“Where are you?” cried Gavin in bewilderment.
 
“I am watching you from my window so high,” answered the Egyptian; and then the minister, looking up, saw her peering at him from a fir.
 
“How did you get up there?” he asked in amazement15.
 
“On my broomstick,” Babbie replied, and sang on—
 
“The lady looked o’er her window sae high,
 
And oh! but she looked weary,
 
And there she espied16 the great Argyle
 
Come to plunder the bonny house o’ Airly.”
 
“What are you doing there?” Gavin said, wrathfully.
 
“This is my home,” she answered. “I told you I lived in a tree.”
 
“Come down at once,” ordered Gavin. To which the singer responded—
 
“‘Come down, come down, Lady Margaret,’ he says;
 
‘Come down and kiss me fairly
 
Or before the morning clear day light
 
I’ll no leave a standing18 stane in Airly.’”
 
“If you do not come down this instant,” Gavin said in a rage, “and give me what I was so foolish as to come for, I——”
 
146
The Egyptian broke in—
 
“‘I wouldna kiss thee, great Argyle,
 
I wouldna kiss thee fairly;
 
I wouldna kiss thee, great Argyle,
 
Gin you shouldna leave a standing stane in Airly.’”
 
“You have deceived Nanny,” Gavin cried, hotly, “and you have brought me here to deride19 me. I will have no more to do with you.”
 
He walked away quickly, but she called after him, “I am coming down. I have the money,” and next moment a snowball hit his hat.
 
“That is for being cross,” she explained, appearing so unexpectedly at his elbow that he was taken aback. “I had to come close up to you before I flung it, or it would have fallen over my shoulder. Why are you so nasty to-day? and, oh, do you know you were speaking to yourself?”
 
“You are mistaken,” said Gavin, severely20. “I was speaking to you.”
 
“You didn’t see me till I began to sing, did you?”
 
“Nevertheless I was speaking to you, or rather, I was saying to myself what——”
 
“What you had decided to say to me?” said the delighted gypsy. “Do you prepare your talk like sermons? I hope you have prepared something nice for me. If it is very nice I may give you this bunch of holly21.”
 
She was dressed as he had seen her previously22, but for a cluster of holly berries at her breast.
 
“I don’t know that you will think it nice,” the minister answered, slowly, “but my duty——”
 
“If it is about duty,” entreated23 Babbie, “don’t say it. Don’t, and I will give you the berries.”
 
She took the berries from her dress, smiling triumphantly24 the while like one who had discovered a cure for duty; and instead of pointing the finger of wrath17 at her, Gavin stood expectant.
 
147
“But no,” he said, remembering who he was, and pushing the gift from him, “I will not be bribed25. I must tell you——”
 
“Now,” said the Egyptian, sadly, “I see you are angry with me. Is it because I said I lived in a tree? Do forgive me for that dreadful lie.”
 
She had gone on her knees before he could stop her, and was gazing imploringly26 at him, with her hands clasped.
 
“You are mocking me again,” said Gavin, “but I am not angry with you. Only you must understand——”
 
She jumped up and put her fingers to her ears.
 
“You see I can hear nothing,” she said.
 
“Listen while I tell you——”
 
“I don’t hear a word. Why do you scold me when I have kept my promise? If I dared to take my fingers from my ears I would give you the money for Nanny. And, Mr. Dishart, I must be gone in five minutes.”
 
“In five minutes!” echoed Gavin, with such a dismal27 face that Babbie heard the words with her eyes, and dropped her hands.
 
“Why are you in such haste?” he asked, taking the five pounds mechanically, and forgetting all that he had meant to say.
 
“Because they require me at home,” she answered, with a sly glance at her fir. “And, remember, when I run away you must not follow me.”
 
“I won’t,” said Gavin, so promptly28 that she was piqued29.
 
“Why not?” she asked. “But of course you only came here for the money. Well, you have got it. Good-bye.”
 
“You know that was not what I meant,” said Gavin, stepping after her. “I have told you already that whatever other people say, I trust you. I believe in you, Babbie.”
 
“Was that what you were saying to the tree?” asked 148 the Egyptian, demurely31. Then, perhaps thinking it wisest not to press this point, she continued irrelevantly32, “It seems such a pity that you are a minister.”
 
“A pity to be a minister!” exclaimed Gavin, indignantly. “Why, why, you—why, Babbie, how have you been brought up?”
 
“In a curious way,” Babbie answered, shortly, “but I can’t tell you about that just now. Would you like to hear all about me?” Suddenly she seemed to have become confidential33.
 
“Do you really think me a gypsy?” she asked.
 
“I have tried not to ask myself that question.”
 
“Why?”
 
“Because it seems like doubting your word.”
 
“I don’t see how you can think of me at all without wondering who I am.”
 
“No, and so I try not to think of you at all.”
 
“Oh, I don’t know that you need do that.”
 
“I have not quite succeeded.”
 
The Egyptian’s pique30 had vanished, but she may have thought that the conversation was becoming dangerous, for she said abruptly—
 
“Well, I sometimes think about you.”
 
“Do you?” said Gavin, absurdly gratified. “What do you think about me?”
 
“I wonder,” answered the Egyptian, pleasantly, “which of us is the taller.”
 
Gavin’s fingers twitched34 with mortification35, and not only his fingers but his toes.
 
“Let us measure,” she said, sweetly, putting her back to his. “You are not stretching your neck, are you?”
 
But the minister broke away from her.
 
“There is one subject,” he said, with great dignity, “that I allow no one to speak of in my presence, and that is my—my height.”
 
His face was as white as his cravat36 when the surprised Egyptian next looked at him, and he was panting 149 like one who has run a mile. She was ashamed of herself, and said so.
 
“It is a topic I would rather not speak about,” Gavin answered, dejectedly, “especially to you.”
 
He meant that he would rather be a tall man in her company than in any other, and possibly she knew this, though all she answered was—
 
“You wanted to know if I am really a gypsy. Well, I am.”
 
“An ordinary gypsy?”
 
“Do you think me ordinary?”
 
“I wish I knew what to think of you.”
 
“Ah, well, that is my forbidden topic. But we have a good many ideas in common after all, have we not, though you are only a minis—I mean, though I am only a gypsy?”
 
There fell between them a silence that gave Babbie time to remember she must go.
 
“I have already stayed too long,” she said. “Give my love to Nanny, and say that I am coming to see her soon, perhaps on Monday. I don’t suppose you will be there on Monday, Mr. Dishart?”
 
“I—I cannot say.”
 
“No, you will be too busy. Are you to take the holly berries?”
 
“I had better not,” said Gavin, dolefully.
 
“Oh, if you don’t want them——”
 
“Give them to me,” he said, and as he took them his hand shook.
 
“I know why you are looking so troubled,” said the Egyptian, archly. “You think I am to ask you the colour of my eyes, and you have forgotten again.”
 
He would have answered, but she checked him.
 
“Make no pretence,” she said, severely; “I know you think they are blue.”
 
She came close to him until her face almost touched his.
 
150
“Look hard at them,” she said, solemnly, “and after this you may remember that they are black, black, black!”
 
At each repetition of the word she shook her head in his face. She was adorable. Gavin’s arms—but they met on nothing. She had run away.
 
When the little minister had gone, a man came from behind a tree and shook his fist in the direction taken by the gypsy. It was Rob Dow, black with passion.
 
“It’s the Egyptian!” he cried. “You limmer, wha are you that hae got haud o’ the minister?”
 
He pursued her, but she vanished as from Gavin in Windyghoul.
 
“A common Egyptian!” he muttered when he had to give up the search. “But take care, you little devil,” he called aloud; “take care; if I catch you playing pranks37 wi’ that man again I’ll wring38 your neck like a hen’s!”

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1 looms 802b73dd60a3cebff17088fed01c2705     
n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现,阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 );隐约出现,阴森地逼近
参考例句:
  • All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙,男的耕田,女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 auld Fuxzt     
adj.老的,旧的
参考例句:
  • Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?怎能忘记旧日朋友,心中能不怀念?
  • The party ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Sync.宴会以《友谊地久天长》的歌声而告终。
3 susceptible 4rrw7     
adj.过敏的,敏感的;易动感情的,易受感动的
参考例句:
  • Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
  • We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。
4 possessed xuyyQ     
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的
参考例句:
  • He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
  • He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。
5 passionately YmDzQ4     
ad.热烈地,激烈地
参考例句:
  • She could hate as passionately as she could love. 她能恨得咬牙切齿,也能爱得一往情深。
  • He was passionately addicted to pop music. 他酷爱流行音乐。
6 reverently FjPzwr     
adv.虔诚地
参考例句:
  • He gazed reverently at the handiwork. 他满怀敬意地凝视着这件手工艺品。
  • Pork gazed at it reverently and slowly delight spread over his face. 波克怀着愉快的心情看着这只表,脸上慢慢显出十分崇敬的神色。
7 thaw fUYz5     
v.(使)融化,(使)变得友善;n.融化,缓和
参考例句:
  • The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
  • The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。
8 rustled f68661cf4ba60e94dc1960741a892551     
v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He rustled his papers. 他把试卷弄得沙沙地响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Leaves rustled gently in the breeze. 树叶迎着微风沙沙作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
10 spoke XryyC     
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。
11 frivolity 7fNzi     
n.轻松的乐事,兴高采烈;轻浮的举止
参考例句:
  • It was just a piece of harmless frivolity. 这仅是无恶意的愚蠢行为。
  • Hedonism and frivolity will diffuse hell tnrough all our days. 享乐主义和轻薄浮佻会将地狱扩展到我们的整个日子之中。 来自辞典例句
12 repent 1CIyT     
v.悔悟,悔改,忏悔,后悔
参考例句:
  • He has nothing to repent of.他没有什么要懊悔的。
  • Remission of sins is promised to those who repent.悔罪者可得到赦免。
13 disappearance ouEx5     
n.消失,消散,失踪
参考例句:
  • He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
  • Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。
14 plunder q2IzO     
vt.劫掠财物,掠夺;n.劫掠物,赃物;劫掠
参考例句:
  • The thieves hid their plunder in the cave.贼把赃物藏在山洞里。
  • Trade should not serve as a means of economic plunder.贸易不应当成为经济掠夺的手段。
15 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
16 espied 980e3f8497fb7a6bd10007d67965f9f7     
v.看到( espy的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • One day a youth espied her as he was hunting.She saw him and recognized him as her own son, mow grown a young man. 一日,她被一个正在行猎的小伙子看见了,她认出来这个猎手原来是自己的儿子,现在已长成为一个翩翩的少年。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • In a little while he espied the two giants. 一会儿就看见了那两个巨人。 来自辞典例句
17 wrath nVNzv     
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒
参考例句:
  • His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
  • The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。
18 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
19 deride NmwzE     
v.嘲弄,愚弄
参考例句:
  • Some critics deride the group as self - appointed food police.一些批评人士嘲讽这个组织为“自封的食品警察”。
  • They deride his effort as childish.他们嘲笑他的努力,认为太孩子气。
20 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
21 holly hrdzTt     
n.[植]冬青属灌木
参考例句:
  • I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
  • People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。
22 previously bkzzzC     
adv.以前,先前(地)
参考例句:
  • The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
  • Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。
23 entreated 945bd967211682a0f50f01c1ca215de3     
恳求,乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • They entreated and threatened, but all this seemed of no avail. 他们时而恳求,时而威胁,但这一切看来都没有用。
  • 'One word,' the Doctor entreated. 'Will you tell me who denounced him?' “还有一个问题,”医生请求道,“你可否告诉我是谁告发他的?” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
24 triumphantly 9fhzuv     
ad.得意洋洋地;得胜地;成功地
参考例句:
  • The lion was roaring triumphantly. 狮子正在发出胜利的吼叫。
  • Robert was looking at me triumphantly. 罗伯特正得意扬扬地看着我。
25 bribed 1382e59252debbc5bd32a2d1f691bd0f     
v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 );向(某人)行贿,贿赂
参考例句:
  • They bribed him with costly presents. 他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He bribed himself onto the committee. 他暗通关节,钻营投机挤进了委员会。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
26 imploringly imploringly     
adv. 恳求地, 哀求地
参考例句:
  • He moved his lips and looked at her imploringly. 他嘴唇动着,哀求地看着她。
  • He broke in imploringly. 他用恳求的口吻插了话。
27 dismal wtwxa     
adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的
参考例句:
  • That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
  • My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。
28 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
29 piqued abe832d656a307cf9abb18f337accd25     
v.伤害…的自尊心( pique的过去式和过去分词 );激起(好奇心)
参考例句:
  • Their curiosity piqued, they stopped writing. 他们的好奇心被挑起,停下了手中的笔。 来自辞典例句
  • This phenomenon piqued Dr Morris' interest. 这一现象激起了莫里斯医生的兴趣。 来自辞典例句
30 pique i2Nz9     
v.伤害…的自尊心,使生气 n.不满,生气
参考例句:
  • She went off in a fit of pique.她一赌气就走了。
  • Tom finished the sentence with an air of pique.汤姆有些生气地说完这句话。
31 demurely demurely     
adv.装成端庄地,认真地
参考例句:
  • "On the forehead, like a good brother,'she answered demurely. "吻前额,像个好哥哥那样,"她故作正经地回答说。 来自飘(部分)
  • Punctuation is the way one bats one's eyes, lowers one's voice or blushes demurely. 标点就像人眨眨眼睛,低声细语,或伍犯作态。 来自名作英译部分
32 irrelevantly 364499529287275c4068bbe2e17e35de     
adv.不恰当地,不合适地;不相关地
参考例句:
  • To-morrow!\" Then she added irrelevantly: \"You ought to see the baby.\" 明天,”随即她又毫不相干地说:“你应当看看宝宝。” 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比
  • Suddenly and irrelevantly, she asked him for money. 她突然很不得体地向他要钱。 来自互联网
33 confidential MOKzA     
adj.秘(机)密的,表示信任的,担任机密工作的
参考例句:
  • He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
  • We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。
34 twitched bb3f705fc01629dc121d198d54fa0904     
vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Her lips twitched with amusement. 她忍俊不禁地颤动着嘴唇。
  • The child's mouth twitched as if she were about to cry. 这小孩的嘴抽动着,像是要哭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
35 mortification mwIyN     
n.耻辱,屈辱
参考例句:
  • To my mortification, my manuscript was rejected. 使我感到失面子的是:我的稿件被退了回来。
  • The chairman tried to disguise his mortification. 主席试图掩饰自己的窘迫。
36 cravat 7zTxF     
n.领巾,领结;v.使穿有领结的服装,使结领结
参考例句:
  • You're never fully dressed without a cravat.不打领结,就不算正装。
  • Mr. Kenge adjusting his cravat,then looked at us.肯吉先生整了整领带,然后又望着我们。
37 pranks cba7670310bdd53033e32d6c01506817     
n.玩笑,恶作剧( prank的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Frank's errancy consisted mostly of pranks. 法兰克错在老喜欢恶作剧。 来自辞典例句
  • He always leads in pranks and capers. 他老是带头胡闹和开玩笑。 来自辞典例句
38 wring 4oOys     
n.扭绞;v.拧,绞出,扭
参考例句:
  • My socks were so wet that I had to wring them.我的袜子很湿,我不得不拧干它们。
  • I'll wring your neck if you don't behave!你要是不规矩,我就拧断你的脖子。


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