"This is Mr. Craddock and Mr. Holt," she announced cheerfully. "You met them when you were here before."
Disturbed by the transition of a kiss into an introduction and suspecting some hidden significance, George was more confused when he found that the automobile3 which was to carry them to Jonquil's house belonged to one of the two young men. It seemed to put him at a disadvantage. On the way Jonquil chattered4 between the front and back seats, and when he tried to slip his arm around her under cover of the twilight5 she compelled him with a quick movement to take her hand instead.
"Is this street on the way to your house?" he whispered. "I don't recognize it."
"It's the new boulevard. Jerry just got this car to-day, and he wants to show it to me before he takes us home."
When, after twenty minutes, they were deposited at Jonquil's house, George felt that the first happiness of the meeting, the joy he had recognized so surely in her eyes back in the station, had been dissipated by the intrusion of the ride. Something that he had looked forward to had been rather casually6 lost, and he was brooding on this as he said good night stiffly to the two young men. Then his ill-humor faded as Jonquil drew him into a familiar embrace under the dim light of the front hall and told him in a dozen ways, of which the best was without words, how she had missed him. Her emotion reassured7 him, promised his anxious heart that everything would be all right.
They sat together on the sofa, overcome by each other's presence, beyond all except fragmentary endearments8. At the supper hour Jonquil's father and mother appeared and were glad to see George. They liked him, and had been interested in his engineering career when he had first come to Tennessee over a year before. They had been sorry when he had given it up and gone to New York to look for something more immediately profitable, but while they deplored9 the curtailment10 of his career they sympathized with him and were ready to recognize the engagement. During dinner they asked about his progress in New York.
"Everything's going fine," he told them with enthusiasm. "I've been promoted—better salary."
"They must like you," said Mrs. Cary, "that's certain—or they wouldn't let you off twice in three weeks to come down here."
"I told them they had to," explained George hastily; "I told them if they didn't I wouldn't work for them any more."
"But you ought to save your money," Mrs. Cary reproached him gently. "Not spend it all on this expensive trip."
Dinner was over—he and Jonquil were alone and she came back into his arms.
"So glad you're here," she sighed. "Wish you never were going away again, darling."
"Do you miss me?"
"Oh, so much, so much."
"Do you—do other men come to see you often? Like those two kids?"
"Why, of course they do. All the time. Why—I've told you in letters that they did, dearest."
This was true—when he had first come to the city there had been already a dozen boys around her, responding to her picturesque13 fragility with adolescent worship, and a few of them perceiving that her beautiful eyes were also sane14 and kind.
"Do you expect me never to go anywhere"—Jonquil demanded, leaning back against the sofa-pillows until she seemed to look at him from many miles away—"and just fold my hands and sit still—forever?"
"What do you mean?" he blurted15 out in a panic. "Do you mean you think I'll never have enough money to marry you?"
"Oh, don't jump at conclusions so, George."
"I'm not jumping at conclusions. That's what you said."
George decided16 suddenly that he was on dangerous grounds. He had not intended to let anything spoil this night. He tried to take her again in his arms, but she resisted unexpectedly, saying:
"It's hot. I'm going to get the electric fan."
When the fan was adjusted they sat down again, but he was in a supersensitive mood and involuntarily he plunged17 into the specific world he had intended to avoid.
"When will you marry me?"
"Are you ready for me to marry you?"
All at once his nerves gave way, and he sprang to his feet.
"Let's shut off that damned fan," he cried, "it drives me wild. It's like a clock ticking away all the time I'll be with you. I came here to be happy and forget everything about New York and time——"
He sank down on the sofa as suddenly as he had risen. Jonquil turned off the fan, and drawing his head down into her lap began stroking his hair.
"Let's sit like this," she said softly, "just sit quiet like this, and I'll put you to sleep. You're all tired and nervous, and your sweetheart'll take care of you."
"But I don't want to sit like this," he complained, jerking up suddenly, "I don't want to sit like this at all. I want you to kiss me. That's the only thing that makes me rest. And anyways I'm not nervous—it's you that's nervous. I'm not nervous at all."
To prove that he wasn't nervous he left the couch and plumped himself into a rocking-chair across the room.
"Just when I'm ready to marry you you write me the most nervous letters, as if you're going to back out, and I have to come rushing down here——"
"You don't have to come if you don't want to."
"But I do want to!" insisted George.
It seemed to him that he was being very cool and logical and that she was putting him deliberately18 in the wrong. With every word they were drawing farther and farther apart—and he was unable to stop himself or to keep worry and pain out of his voice.
But in a minute Jonquil began to cry sorrowfully and he came back to the sofa and put his arm around her. He was the comforter now, drawing her head close to his shoulder, murmuring old familiar things until she grew calmer and only trembled a little, spasmodically, in his arms. For over an hour they sat there, while the evening pianos thumped19 their last cadences20 into the street outside. George did not move, or think, or hope, lulled21 into numbness22 by the premonition of disaster. The clock would tick on, past eleven, past twelve, and then Mrs. Cary would call down gently over the banister—beyond that he saw only to-morrow and despair.
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收听单词发音
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1
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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2
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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3
automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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4
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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5
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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6
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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7
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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8
endearments
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| n.表示爱慕的话语，亲热的表示( endearment的名词复数 ) | |
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9
deplored
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| v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
curtailment
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| n.缩减，缩短 | |
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11
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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12
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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13
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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14
sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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15
blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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17
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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18
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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19
thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20
cadences
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| n.（声音的）抑扬顿挫( cadence的名词复数 )；节奏；韵律；调子 | |
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21
lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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22
numbness
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| n.无感觉，麻木，惊呆 | |
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