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CHAPTER XXVI. “IT IS AS I FEARED.”
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When Hattie Butler went down to her breakfast next morning she studied the features of little Jessie Albemarle as closely as she could while the girl was flitting to and fro, carrying coffee to the boarders and attending to her duties. And once, when she was close to her, she spoke1 to Jessie, and got a fair look into her bright, brown, or hazel eyes. She was almost startled when she did so, for she saw, sure she saw, there a resemblance, a very marked and strong resemblance, to the kind, loving eyes which had greeted her the evening before at the house of Mr. Legare, and which had closed so suddenly in that death-like swoon when the name of “Jessie Albemarle” was spoken.
 
While she was thinking of this, and what possibilities might yet be in store for the poor, ill-treated bound girl, Miss Scrimp opened her batteries on our heroine.
 
“Miss Hattie,” she said, “I’ve been thinking of changing my room down to this floor. There’s the little alcove2 off the parlor3, plenty large enough for a bed for me, and my room has such a good light from the east, you can almost feel day when it dawns, and it would save you such a long journey up stairs. I’ll only charge you a dollar a week more if you take it. What do you say about it?”
 
“Only this, Miss Scrimp, that I am very well contented4 where I am, and that I would much rather pay my extra dollar toward getting you the silk dress which Miss Kate spoke of yesterday, and which I[126] am sure you deserve for the great improvements you have made in your table.”
 
“That’s the talk,” cried Kate, from her seat. “I’ll pay my dollar Saturday night.”
 
“And I—and I!” echoed along the table.
 
Miss Scrimp was quite disarmed5 by the turn that Hattie Butler had given to her proposition. She had been all ready to sneer6 out that “the richer some folks grew the meaner they got,” but our heroine killed the thought before it could be spoken.
 
And so Hattie got off to her work at her usual hour without a change of rooms or a quarrel on the subject, though Miss Scrimp had set her mind on having one or the other.
 
The letter she had written in reply to Mr. W——, his own inclosed in the same envelope to show him that she would never keep such a missive for others to see, even by chance, as she explained in a few well-chosen words on the back of it, was in her pocket, and she had made up her mind to give it to him, unseen in his office, when she could make some excuse for going there.
 
She arrived at the bindery at her usual hour, and went at once to her table, hardly daring to look around, lest he should cast his inquiring gaze upon her.
 
She had left work unfinished there the night before, and with a feeling of relief that she had not seen him when coming in—for Mr. W—— had, with manly7 delicacy8, kept back—she went to work.
 
A step startled her soon after, and a flush was on her face as it came near her, but the good-natured voice of Mr. Jones, the foreman, reassured9 her, and she answered a question of his in regard to the title on some finished work promptly10 and pleasantly.
 
[127]
 
“The boss,” thus he always alluded11 to Mr. W——, “don’t look well this morning. He was here very early—stood at the door when I came to unlock it,” continued Mr. Jones. “I suppose, like most young single men nowadays, he keeps late hours, and they don’t agree with him. For my part, home is dear to me with what is in it, the blessed wife and baby; so my hours are regular, my sleep sound, and my appetite just what it ought to be.”
 
Having thus relieved his mind, Mr. Jones went on about his business, little thinking that Hattie Butler knew better than he why Mr. W—— did not look well that morning.
 
For anxiety and suspense12 are death to sleep.
 
And Hattie thought, sorrowfully, if suspense made him feel and look so ill, the keen arrow of hopeless disappointment might work even a greater change in his usually cheerful and happy face. Therefore she dreaded13 to hand to him the letter containing her decision, while she knew that the sooner it was in his hands the better it would be for both of them.
 
Several times she looked around to see if he was making his usual morning tour through the shop, but she did not see him. In fact it was almost noon when she saw him come out of his office and go around among the work people. And she saw at a glance that, as Mr. Jones had said, he looked pale and low-spirited.
 
Feeling sure that he would come to her table before long, Hattie took the letter addressed to him from her pocket, and laid it upon the corner of the table, where his eye would be sure to fall upon it the first thing when he approached.
 
And then, with more tremor14 than she liked, but[128] which she could not for her life restrain, she went on with her task.
 
It lacked but a little of the noon hour when she heard his well-known step close to her table. And she trembled when she replied to his kind salutation, “Good-morning, Miss Hattie.”
 
At that instant his eye caught sight of the letter, and his face flushed as he said, in a low tone: “Heaven bless you for this quick reply,” snatched it up, thrust it inside his vest over his beating heart, and went as fast as he could go to his office.
 
Hattie never was so glad to hear the signal to knock off work for dinner as she was then. For she could not keep her eyes on her work. She was thinking how he must feel when he read her letter, for she had known what love was, and what disappointment was, too, and she pitied him from the inmost depth of her woman’s heart.
 
And he? Locking himself in his private office, he quickly opened the letter on which he felt all his future life depended. With pallor on his face he read those words, written so kindly15, yet blasting the brightest hope he had ever cherished.
 
“It is even as I feared,” he murmured. “The flush in her face when I returned that sketch16 which she said had been sent to her by a dear friend, should have told me not to hope, had I not been too blind. The occupant of that wild mountain home—he who is pictured as kneeling there above that rushing river—is the happy man, and I—I have nothing on earth to hope for.”
 
He folded her letter in his own, pressed it to his lips, and placed it in an inner pocket over his heart. And he sat there, silent and still, while tears came in his blue eyes, and yet he made no[129] complaint. To him she was an angel, but, alas17! not his angel.
 
He appreciated her delicacy and her noble sense of honor in returning his letter, and he felt the full value of the friendship she offered.
 
“But,” he said, “how can I, loving her as I do, and must—how can I see her here day after day, and refrain from pushing a suit which, under the circumstances, would be almost an insult to her? I cannot do it. I will go away. Father has been anxious for me to establish a branch of our business in California, and I will do it. Perhaps absence, and the excitement and novelty of travel, will help me to bear my disappointment better, if it does not heal the wound inflicted18 so unwillingly19 by the noblest hand on earth.”
 
For two hours or more he remained there in his office, laying his plans and thinking what to do, and trying to so tone down his feelings as not to pain her when he went out, by a look of sorrow; and he had regained20 entire command of himself when there came a hasty knock on his office door.
 
He opened it to receive Frank and Lizzie Legare, who stood there smiling, and who entered his office when he as cheerfully saluted21 and asked them in.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 alcove EKMyU     
n.凹室
参考例句:
  • The bookcase fits neatly into the alcove.书架正好放得进壁凹。
  • In the alcoves on either side of the fire were bookshelves.火炉两边的凹室里是书架。
3 parlor v4MzU     
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅
参考例句:
  • She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
  • Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店?
4 contented Gvxzof     
adj.满意的,安心的,知足的
参考例句:
  • He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
  • The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。
5 disarmed f147d778a788fe8e4bf22a9bdb60a8ba     
v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 );使息怒
参考例句:
  • Most of the rebels were captured and disarmed. 大部分叛乱分子被俘获并解除了武装。
  • The swordsman disarmed his opponent and ran him through. 剑客缴了对手的械,并对其乱刺一气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 sneer YFdzu     
v.轻蔑;嘲笑;n.嘲笑,讥讽的言语
参考例句:
  • He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
  • You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻,但很多人喜欢这种音乐。
7 manly fBexr     
adj.有男子气概的;adv.男子般地,果断地
参考例句:
  • The boy walked with a confident manly stride.这男孩以自信的男人步伐行走。
  • He set himself manly tasks and expected others to follow his example.他给自己定下了男子汉的任务,并希望别人效之。
8 delicacy mxuxS     
n.精致,细微,微妙,精良;美味,佳肴
参考例句:
  • We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
  • He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。
9 reassured ff7466d942d18e727fb4d5473e62a235     
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)
参考例句:
  • The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 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。
11 alluded 69f7a8b0f2e374aaf5d0965af46948e7     
提及,暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • In your remarks you alluded to a certain sinister design. 在你的谈话中,你提到了某个阴谋。
  • She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles. 她还影射了对手过去的婚姻问题。
12 suspense 9rJw3     
n.(对可能发生的事)紧张感,担心,挂虑
参考例句:
  • The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
  • The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。
13 dreaded XuNzI3     
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
  • He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》
14 tremor Tghy5     
n.震动,颤动,战栗,兴奋,地震
参考例句:
  • There was a slight tremor in his voice.他的声音有点颤抖。
  • A slight earth tremor was felt in California.加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。
15 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
16 sketch UEyyG     
n.草图;梗概;素描;v.素描;概述
参考例句:
  • My sister often goes into the country to sketch. 我姐姐常到乡间去写生。
  • I will send you a slight sketch of the house.我将给你寄去房屋的草图。
17 alas Rx8z1     
int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)
参考例句:
  • Alas!The window is broken!哎呀!窗子破了!
  • Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而,真理很少带有浪漫色彩。
18 inflicted cd6137b3bb7ad543500a72a112c6680f     
把…强加给,使承受,遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
  • Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。
19 unwillingly wjjwC     
adv.不情愿地
参考例句:
  • He submitted unwillingly to his mother. 他不情愿地屈服于他母亲。
  • Even when I call, he receives unwillingly. 即使我登门拜访,他也是很不情愿地接待我。
20 regained 51ada49e953b830c8bd8fddd6bcd03aa     
复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 ); 赢回; 重回; 复至某地
参考例句:
  • The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
  • She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻,但很快恢复了镇静。
21 saluted 1a86aa8dabc06746471537634e1a215f     
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂
参考例句:
  • The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
  • He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》


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