It was a rather stirring afternoon for Wade, too. First there was a visit to the store in the carryall for the purchase of supplies. Mr. Prout, who combined the duties of merchant with those of postmaster and express agent, was filling out a requisition for postal8 supplies when Wade entered. Poking9 his pen behind his ear, he stepped out from behind the narrow screen of lock-boxes and greeted the visitor.
"Afternoon, sir. You found the house all right?"
"Sort of out of repairs, of course, seem' it ain't been lived in for most ten years, not since Mrs. Craig died. Was you considerin' purchasin', sir?"
"Er—no." Wade was writing rapidly on the brown paper. "The fact is, Mr. Prout, I own the Craig house now."
"You don't say?" exclaimed the store-keeper in genuine surprise. "You ain't—surely you ain't Ed Craig?"
"No, my name's Herrick. Ed was a good friend of mine. We were partners in a mining enterprise in Colorado. Ed died almost a year ago now; typhoid."
"I want to know! Well, well! So Ed Craig's gone, has he? I remember him when he was 'bout11 so high. Used to come down here an' I'd set him up on the counter right where you be now, Mr. Herring, and give him a stick of candy. I recollect12 he always wanted the kind with the pink stripes on it. An' he's dead, you say? We often wondered what had become of Ed. Folks thought it kind of queer he didn't come home the time his mother died."
"He was away and didn't learn of her illness until it was too late," said Wade. "He felt mighty13 badly about that, Mr. Prout, and I wish you'd let the people here know how it happened. Not that it matters much to Ed now, but he was the best friend I ever had, and I don't want folks who used to know him to think he deliberately14 stayed away that time."
"That's so, sir. An' I'm glad to hear the truth of it. Ed didn't seem to me when I knew him the sort of feller to do a thing like that. Folks'll be glad to know about it, Mr. Herring."
"Herrick, please. Now just look over that list and check off what you can let me have, will you? I'm going to stay awhile, and so I will have to get in a few provisions."
Mr. Prout ran his eye down the list dubiously16, checking now and then. When he laid it down and pushed it across the counter his tone was apologetic.
"Ain't a great deal there I can sell you, Mr. Herrick. I'm kind of out of some things. I guess I can get most of 'em for you, though, if you ain't got to have 'em right away."
Wade looked at the slip.
"You put up what you've got," he said, "and I'll send over to Tottingham Center for the rest."
"Don't believe you'll get 'em all there," commented Mr. Prout. "Things like bacon in jars an' canned mushrooms there ain't much call for around here."
But Wade was busy revising his list, and made no comment. Presently he went out and despatched the boy to the Center. When he returned to the store Mr. Prout was weighing out sugar.
"So you come into the Craig place, Mr. Herrick. I suppose you bought it."
"No, Ed left it to me in his will. Wanted me to come on here and have a look at it and see that it was all right. He was very fond of that place. So I came. And—well, it's a pleasant place, Mr. Prout, and it's a pretty country you have around here, and so I reckon I'll stay awhile and camp out in the cottage."
"Going to do your own cooking?" asked Mr. Prout.
"Have to, I reckon. It won't be the first time, though."
"Guess you wouldn't have any trouble findin' some one to come in an' do for you, if you wanted they should," said Mr. Prout. "There's my gal17, now. She's only fifteen, but she's capable an' can cook pretty tolerable well. Course you know your business best, Mr. Herrick, but—"
"Five o'clock."
"Then let me have a sheet of paper and a stamped envelope, if you please. I'll write down to Boston and have them send my trunk up."
He met but few persons on his way back to the cottage, but many a curious gaze followed him from behind curtained windows, and, since the ripples19 had not yet widened, he left many excited discussions in his wake. Back in the cottage he threw off coat and vest, lighted his pipe and set to work. First of all, up went the parlor20 windows and shades. But a dubious15 examination of that apartment was sufficient. If he should ever really live here the parlor could be made habitable, but for the present its demands were too many. He closed the windows again and abandoned the room to its musty solitude21. From the spare room upstairs he brought bed and bedding and placed it in the sitting room. It required some ingenuity22 to convert the latter apartment into a bedroom, but the difficulty was at last solved by relegating23 the sewing machine to the parlor and moving the couch. When the bed was made Wade went out to the kitchen and looked over the situation there. Closet and cup-board displayed more dishes and utensils24 than he would have known what to do with. He tried the pump and after a moment's vigorous work was rewarded with a rushing stream of ice-cold water that tasted pure and fresh. Then he looked for fuel. The lean-to shed, built behind the kitchen, was locked, and, after a fruitless search for the key, he pried25 off the hasp with a screw-driver. The shed held the accumulated rubbish of many years, but Wade didn't examine it. Fuel was what he wanted and he found plenty of it. There was a pile of old shingles26 and several feet of maple27 and hickory neatly28 stowed against the back wall. Near at hand was a chopping-block, the axe29 still leaning against it. There was a saw-horse, too, and a saw hung above it on a nail. But there was no wood cut in stove size, and so Wade swung the door wide open to let in light, and set to work with the saw and axe. It felt good to get his muscles into play again and he was soon whistling merrily. Fifteen minutes later he was building a fire in the kitchen stove. It was too early for supper, but the iron kettle looked very lonely without any steam curling from its impertinent spout30. After he had solved the secrets of the perplexing drafts, and ascertained31 by the simple expedient32 of placing a sooty finger in it that the water was really getting warm, he washed his hands at the sink and returned to the sitting-room33 to don vest and coat. He had done that and was ruminantly filling his pipe when something drew his gaze to one of the side windows. The pipe fell to the floor and the tobacco trailed across the carpet.
For a moment, for just the tiny space of time which it took his heart to charge madly up into his throat, turn over and race back again, the open casement34 framed the shoulders and face of a woman. There were greens and blues35 in the background, and sunlight everywhere, and a blue shadow fell athwart the sill. The picture glared with light and color, but for that brief fragment of time Wade's eyes, half-blinded by the dazzlement, looked into the woman's. His widened with wonder and dawning recognition; hers—but the vision passed. The frame was empty again.
Wade passed a hand over his eyes, blinked and asked himself startledly what it meant. Had he dreamed? He gazed dazedly36 from the fallen pipe to the empty window. The sunlight dazzled and hurt, and he closed his eyes for an instant. And in that instant another vision came.... It was twilight37 on Saddle Pass.... Two starlit eyes looked wonderingly down into his. The mouth beneath was like a crimson38 bud with parted petals39.... A slim, warm hand was in his and his heart danced on his lips.... The slender form lessened40 and softened41 in the tender darkness and became only a pale blur42 far down the track, and he was standing43 alone under the cold white stars, with a spray of lilac against his mouth.
He opened his eyes with a shiver. It was uncanny. All that had been five years ago, five years filled to the brim with work and struggle and final attainment44, all making for forgetfulness. The thing was utterly45 absurd and impossible! His senses had tricked him! The light had blinded his eyes and imagination had done the rest! And yet—
He strode to the window and looked out. The garden was empty and still. Only, under the window, at the edge of the path, lay a spray of purple lilac.
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收听单词发音
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1
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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2
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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3
upheaval
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| n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱 | |
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4
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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5
margins
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| 边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数 | |
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6
tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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7
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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8
postal
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| adj.邮政的，邮局的 | |
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9
poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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10
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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13
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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15
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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16
dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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17
gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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19
ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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22
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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23
relegating
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| v.使降级( relegate的现在分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类 | |
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24
utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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pried
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| v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的过去式和过去分词 )；撬开 | |
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26
shingles
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| n.带状疱疹；（布满海边的）小圆石( shingle的名词复数 )；屋顶板；木瓦（板）；墙面板 | |
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27
maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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28
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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29
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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30
spout
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| v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱 | |
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31
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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33
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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34
casement
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| n.竖铰链窗；窗扉 | |
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35
blues
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| n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐 | |
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36
dazedly
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| 头昏眼花地，眼花缭乱地，茫然地 | |
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37
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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38
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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39
petals
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| n.花瓣( petal的名词复数 ) | |
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40
lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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41
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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42
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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43
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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44
attainment
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| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
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45
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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