"They practise their hearts upon me, these poor children!" she would observe sentimentally6. "The little love letters! Ah, they are tout7 à fait gentilles! Wait a few years! They will be writing them to somebody more interesting than their teacher! Oh, yes! I know well!"
"For goodness' sake don't put such ideas into their heads!" said Miss Janet, who admired the open-air type of girl, and had no weakness for [224]romance. "I wish you wouldn't encourage them to write you those silly notes. It's a form of sentiment I've no patience with at all—a mere8 waste of time and paper!"
"What will you? We all have our own methods! As for me, I win their funny little hearts, then they will work at their lessons for love—yes, for sheer love. In but a few months they have made beaucoup de progrès! N'est-ce pas? Ah, it is my theory that we must love first, if we will learn."
Though Miss Janet might sniff11 at Madame's sentimental5 method of education, she nevertheless could not deny its admirable results. In French and music the school had lately made enormous strides. The elder girls had begun to read French story-books for amusement, and the juniors had learnt to play some French games, which they repeated with a pretty accent. Both violin and piano students played with a fire and spirit that had been conspicuous12 by their absence a year ago, under the tame instruction of Miss Parlane.
Madame did not confine herself entirely13 to her own subjects. She took an interest in all the activities of the school. It was she who arranged a ramble14 on the cliffs.
"They get so hot, playing toujours at the cricket," she said to Miss Kingsley. "Of what use is it to hit about a ball? Let them come with me for a promenade15 upon the hills and we shall get flowers to press for the musée. It is not well to do always the same thing."
[225]A ramble for the purpose of gathering16 wild-flowers was a suggestion that appealed to the Sixth. The museum was not too well furnished with specimens17. There was scope for any amount of further collecting.
Since the curious episode of the cut telephone wires during the Easter holidays, there had been no further happenings at the museum. Miss Kingsley inclined to Madame Bertier's view, that some spy, finding the window had been left open, had taken a ladder and forced an entrance that way. She had caused a screw to be placed in the window, and the door was kept carefully locked except when the room was in use.
To Lorraine the place felt haunted. She had a horror of being there alone, and never ventured to go there unless accompanied by two or three of her schoolfellows. She had an unreasonable18 idea that the little trap-door in the corner might suddenly open, and a sinister19 face peer down out of the darkness. The nervous impression was so strong that she held the monitresses' meetings in the class-room instead of in the museum. When the mid-term beano came round, she suggested that they should assemble in the summer-house.
It had been an old-established custom at the school that once in each term the seniors should hold a kind of bean-feast. They met to read aloud papers, and suck sweets. Their doings were kept a dead secret from the juniors, who naturally were exceedingly curious, and made every effort to overhear the proceedings20. On this occasion the seniors [226]took elaborate precautions against intrusion from the lower school. Two monitresses stood in the cloak-room and sternly chivvied the younger girls to hasten their steps homewards. They went unwillingly21 and suspiciously.
"Why are you in such a precious hurry to get rid of us to-day?" asked Mona Parker, pertly. "You're not generally so keen on us going off early."
"There's been too much loitering about the cloak-room lately," vouchsafed22 Dorothy.
"Bow-wow! How conscientious23 we are, all of a sudden! You've something up your sleeve, I think, Madam Dorothy!"
"Mona Parker, put on your boots at once, and don't cheek your betters!"
"But there is something going on, I'm sure!" piped up Josie Payne. "Nellie, be a sport and tell us!"
"Mind your own business, and don't butt24 in where you're not wanted! How long are you going to be in lacing those shoes?"
"There, there! Don't get ratty! I'm ready now!"
The dilatory25 juniors, by dint26 of much urging, were at last hustled27 off the scenes. The ringleaders among them departed in rebellious28 spirits, which fizzed over in the playground into a series of aggressive cock-a-doodle-doos, significant of their attitude of annoyance29.
The monitresses wisely took no notice. They were too glad to be rid of the younger element to [227]follow into the playground and do battle. Having cleared the premises30, they passed the signal "all serene31!" and repaired to the summer-house. It was a good place for a secret meeting, for it was at the bottom of the garden, facing the main path and a patch of lawn, so that it would be quite impossible for anybody to come from the house or the gymnasium without being seen. The accommodation was limited, but some of the girls sat on the floor, and some on the gravel32 in front. It had been a matter of considerable difficulty to procure33 sweets, and every likely shop in the town had been foraged34. The result, though not very great, was quite wonderful for war-time: there was actually some chocolate, some walnut35 toffee, two ounces of pear drops, and some gum lozenges. The contributions were pooled, and shared round impartially36.
The members were sucking blissfully while Lorraine went round and collected the literary portion of the entertainment.
"Only eight papers to-day! You slackers! Audrey, where's yours? Haven't had time to think of anything? How weak! Doreen, I expected the Fifth to do its duty. Thanks, Phœbe, I'm glad you've written something, and you too, Beryl."
"Please keep mine till the very last, and don't read it at all if there isn't much time!" implored37 Phœbe.
"You mustn't read mine first!" fluttered Dorothy.
"Nor mine!"
"Nor mine!"
[228]"Look here! Somebody has got to come first! I shall do it by lot; I'll write your names on slips of paper and shuffle38 them. Lend me a pencil, Patsie. There! I'll stir them round, and Audrey shall draw one."
Audrey picked out at random39 one of the little twisted scraps41 of paper, and the lot fell upon the protesting Dorothy. She rose apologetically.
"They're not much," she murmured. "Just a few 'Ruthless Rhymes', that's all.
Anna Maria
Fell into the fire,
Pa said: 'Let's open winder!'
In a river in the city
And never found.
Mother said it was a pity
His new boots went down with him.
They'd have fitted Brother Jim.
A bomb dropped on to the house and blew
Beds, tables and chairs to Timbuctoo.
'Dear, dear how annoying!' murmured Aunt May,
'We'd spring-cleaned the place only yesterday!'
It stuck in his throat and he gave up life's battle;
They couldn't get Johnnie to 'ope eyes and peep'
But they shook up the rattle and sold it off cheap."
The next on the list was Lorraine's own contribution.
[229]DIARY OF A GIRL IN THE YEAR a.d. 4000
To-day I used my new air wings, and flew up the Thames valley to see the remains45 of ancient London, recently excavated46. It is an extraordinary sight, and certainly seems to throw some light upon the manners and customs of that quaint47 old nation, the English of two thousand years ago. In the museum are some weird48 specimens of public conveyances49, notably50 a thing called a "tramcar" in which all sorts and conditions of people sat squeezed up side by side, and were whirled along the street, instead of the street moving as it does now, to convey passengers without any trouble. There were also machines called bicycles, consisting of two wheels and a saddle. The curator says they were much used in olden times, though how people balanced on them, goodness knows! Not half so convenient as our modern wings! Another interesting exhibit was a collection of clothing of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; coats, cloaks and dresses actually made of such rare materials as cloth, silk, cotton and velvet51. It makes one gasp52. How beautiful they must have looked—but oh! how insanitary! How different to our modern pulp53 clothing that is burnt (by law) every week. I am told some of the things used to be sent to a place called a laundry, and washed all together. No wonder germs were spread in those days! It is a marvel54 they did not all die off from infectious diseases. There were also some fine specimens of dishes upon which food used to be served, interesting as survivals of an old custom, but amazing to us, who live on concentrated tabloids55. The time those ancients wasted over meals must have been stupendous! Some old school books also made me smile. Oh, the poor children of those days! Fancy them sitting at desks and trying their eyes over that wretched small print. Now, when all the teaching is by cinema and gramophone, we realize what a purgatory56 education must have been in the past. I am very thankful to be living in a.d. 4000, with all our modern advantages. Think of having to go by sea to visit your friends in America, when to-day we simply get out the balloon and whisk over to pay a call. My new electric shoes have just [230]come, and I expect will be a tremendous aid to my dancing. I shall wear them at my birthday-party. By the by, I must send a wireless57 to Connie, to ask if she means to come to my party. She mentioned yesterday that she was flying to China, but perhaps she will be back in time. Dad has promised me a new best glass-sided diving boat for a present, so I hope to do a little ocean exploring this summer. I hear the scenery at the bottom of the Pacific is most beautiful—far finer than the Atlantic, which everybody knows now. Well, I must go and start my gramophone, or I shan't know my Japanese lesson for to-morrow. Professor Okuto is the limit if one slacks. Good-bye, dear little diary. I'll type some more in you another day.
"You've gone ahead rather far," commented Audrey. "It sounds blissful to fly, and use a diving boat, but I'd draw the line at learning Japanese."
"Oh, it will be one of the languages of the future, no doubt!" Lorraine assured her. "French will probably be quite old-fashioned, unless it's studied like Greek and Latin are nowadays."
"I expect the children of even a few hundred years hence will have awful times learning the history of this war," said Dorothy.
"Probably they'll know more about it than we shall ever do. There are generally secret facts that crop up again after everybody is dead. It'll be a gold-mine for historians."
"And for story-writers."
"Rather!"
[231]It proved to be Patsie, and her contribution was a collection of parodied59 proverbs. She called them:
Haste not pant not.
A mouse in the hand is worth two in the hole.
All is not mirth that titters.
Vivien, who was fond of rhymes, had cudgelled her brains for Limericks, and produced the following:
NELLIE APPLEBY
There was once a schoolgirl named Nell,
With her head in the air
And her frizzled-up hair,
PATSIE SULLIVAN
We know a young damsel named Pat,
When to dance she begins
And wonder whatever she's at!
[232]LORRAINE FORRESTER
There is a head girl named Lorraine
(Of which fact I admit she is vain),
She walks on her toes,
With an up-tilted nose,
AUDREY ROBERTS
There is a young slacker named Audrey,
Whose taste in cheap jewels is tawdry,
Necklace, brooches, and bangles
DOROTHY SKIPTON
I know a young person named Dolly,
She thinks she's a wit,
And can make quite a hit,
But she tells a few whoppers, my golly!
The girls giggled uneasily. There was a sting in each of the verses, and nobody likes to be made fun of. Somehow, Vivien always stuck in pins.
"We'll make one about you," began Patsie, with a rather red face.
"There was a young person named Vivvie,
Who liked all her schoolmates to chivvy——"
But at this point Claudia suddenly, and perhaps rather fortunately, interrupted.
"What's that queer noise?" she asked. "It sounds like a sort of suppressed giggling79!" There was dead silence for a moment.
[233]"I don't hear anything," said Lorraine.
"I do, though!"
"It's a kind of snorting!"
"I believe it's at the back of the summer-house."
Patsie dashed up and darted80 round, and, with a yell of vengeance81, flung herself upon three juniors crouched82 with their impudent83 noses pressed to a crack in the boards, through which they had been spectators as well as listeners during the proceedings. A fourth child was in the very act of descending84 from the garden wall.
"You young blighters! How dare you! You deserve to break your legs, swarming85 over a high wall like that! It would just have served you right if you had, and I shouldn't have been sorry for you. Not the least teeny tiny bit, though you limped about on crutches86 for the rest of your young lives! Come here at once!"
As a speedy method of collecting the offenders87, Patsie seized them by their pig-tails, and hauled them in a bunch to the front of the summer-house. Lorraine eyed them severely88.
"If this had been a Masonic meeting," she remarked, "you'd have been obliged to have your heads chopped off for eavesdropping89. Freemasons keep a sword-bearer on duty, so I'm told, to kill anybody who tries to intrude90. I'm not sure if we oughtn't to do something——"
She paused, as if searching for a suitable punishment.
"Cut off their pig-tails," suggested Patsie grimly.
[234]"No! no!" yelled the interlopers, in genuine alarm.
"I certainly shall if you ever try to come eavesdropping again. I give you three seconds to get back to the house. Now then—scoot!"
The juniors did not wait to be told twice, but with their precious pig-tails flying in the wind, raced up the garden at record speed, and disappeared into the gymnasium. Lorraine laughed as she watched their long legs careering away.
"I'm afraid they heard the cream of it!" she admitted. "It was rather clever of them, wasn't it? That little Mona is the limit! She leads all the others. I shall make a point of sitting upon her hard for the rest of the term."
"Solomon said in accents mild,
'Spare the rod and spoil the child;
Be they man, or be they maid,
quoted Patsie, choking over her last piece of chocolate.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
vivacious
|
|
| adj.活泼的，快活的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
revolved
|
|
| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
undoubtedly
|
|
| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
sentimental
|
|
| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
sentimentally
|
|
| adv.富情感地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
tout
|
|
| v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
mere
|
|
| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
eloquently
|
|
| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
sniff
|
|
| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
conspicuous
|
|
| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
ramble
|
|
| v.漫步，漫谈，漫游；n.漫步，闲谈，蔓延 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
promenade
|
|
| n./v.散步 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
specimens
|
|
| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
unreasonable
|
|
| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
sinister
|
|
| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
proceedings
|
|
| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
unwillingly
|
|
| adv.不情愿地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
vouchsafed
|
|
| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
conscientious
|
|
| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
butt
|
|
| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
dilatory
|
|
| adj.迟缓的，不慌不忙的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
dint
|
|
| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
hustled
|
|
| 催促（hustle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
rebellious
|
|
| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
annoyance
|
|
| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
premises
|
|
| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
serene
|
|
| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
gravel
|
|
| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
procure
|
|
| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
foraged
|
|
| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
walnut
|
|
| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
impartially
|
|
| adv.公平地，无私地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
implored
|
|
| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
shuffle
|
|
| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
random
|
|
| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
scrap
|
|
| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
scraps
|
|
| 油渣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
cinder
|
|
| n.余烬，矿渣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
jack
|
|
| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
rattle
|
|
| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
excavated
|
|
| v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
quaint
|
|
| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
weird
|
|
| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
conveyances
|
|
| n.传送( conveyance的名词复数 )；运送；表达；运输工具 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
notably
|
|
| adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
velvet
|
|
| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
gasp
|
|
| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
pulp
|
|
| n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
marvel
|
|
| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
tabloids
|
|
| n.小报，通俗小报（版面通常比大报小一半，文章短，图片多，经常报道名人佚事）( tabloid的名词复数 )；药片 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
purgatory
|
|
| n.炼狱；苦难；adj.净化的，清洗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
wireless
|
|
| adj.无线的；n.无线电 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
giggled
|
|
| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
parodied
|
|
| v.滑稽地模仿，拙劣地模仿( parody的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
maxims
|
|
| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
maxim
|
|
| n.格言，箴言 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
shrimps
|
|
| n.虾，小虾( shrimp的名词复数 )；矮小的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
lobsters
|
|
| 龙虾( lobster的名词复数 )； 龙虾肉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
cockroach
|
|
| n.蟑螂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
treacle
|
|
| n.糖蜜 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
moths
|
|
| n.蛾( moth的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
dreads
|
|
| n.恐惧，畏惧( dread的名词复数 )；令人恐惧的事物v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
sob
|
|
| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
promptly
|
|
| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
smacks
|
|
| 掌掴（声）( smack的名词复数 )； 海洛因； （打的）一拳； 打巴掌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
swell
|
|
| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
belle
|
|
| n.靓女 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
floppy
|
|
| adj.松软的，衰弱的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
shriek
|
|
| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
dignified
|
|
| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
flaunts
|
|
| v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的第三人称单数 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
77
gaudy
|
|
| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
folly
|
|
| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
giggling
|
|
| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
darted
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
vengeance
|
|
| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
83
impudent
|
|
| adj.鲁莽的，卑鄙的，厚颜无耻的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
84
descending
|
|
| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
85
swarming
|
|
| 密集( swarm的现在分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
86
crutches
|
|
| n.拐杖, 支柱 v.支撑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
87
offenders
|
|
| n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
88
severely
|
|
| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
89
eavesdropping
|
|
| n. 偷听 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
90
intrude
|
|
| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
91
whack
|
|
| v.敲击，重打，瓜分；n.重击，重打，尝试，一份 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |