CHAPTER XLI. HATTIE’S WELCOME.

“Sakes alive, here she is! We were just a-talkin’ about you, me and Biddy here, for Germany can’t talk no more’n a cat to us.”

 

That was the welcome Miss Scrimp gave to Hattie Butler as she opened the door on the morning of her arrival in New York.

 

“Good-morning, Miss Scrimp,” said the latter, in her ever quiet, lady-like way. “I have returned, you see.”

 

“Yes’m, and I’m glad of it. I missed you so much. The girls have all been wild over what the papers said about you savin’ so many lives on the steamer. Was it all so?”

 

“I suppose it was, Miss Scrimp.”

 

“Sakes alive! Have you been to breakfast?”

 

“Yes; I took breakfast on the boat. The captain insisted on it.”

 

“Well, it’s lucky, for the girls did eat so hearty¹ this morning there isn’t much left, and it’s all cold before this time. There comes Biddy—she’s heard your voice.”

 

“Oh, you born angel!” cried Biddy, running up to Hattie and giving her a real, warm Celtic hug. “I’ve got the new dress all made up—a real warrum one for winter wear, d’ye see. The mistress² has hers, but it’s silk, and I’d rather have mine twice over. Shall I get ye’s a real nice cup of coffee? I can make it quick.”

 

“No, thank you, Biddy. I’ll run up to my room a[197] little while, and then I am going up town on a visit. I shall not go to the bindery until to-morrow.”

 

“Why, you’re in mournin’! Sakes alive, I didn’t notice that till this minute. I was so glad to see you. Who’s dead, dear?” asked Miss Scrimp.

 

“My mother!” answered Hattie, choking down a sob³ as she started up stairs for her room.

 

“Her mother! Poor thing! I’ll be a mother to her now!” said Miss Scrimp, thinking of that thousand dollar check most likely.

 

Hattie found everything in her room as she had left it. She had long before had the lock put on herself, and it was one which no other key in the house fitted, or Miss Scrimp might have explored her apartment in her absence.

 

The young lady remained up stairs but a short time, and when she came out she took an up town street car, and started to see her kind friends, the Legares and Mrs. Emory, as well as dear Little Jessie Albemarle.

 

When she arrived there, such a welcome met her! Lizzie, Mrs. Emory, and Jessie covered her with kisses. Mr. Legare pressed her hand warmly, and poor Frank stammered⁴ and blushed⁵, and hardly knew what he said, though he tried to be very polite, and at the same time very ardent⁶ in his expressions of pleasure at seeing her once more.

 

And he hurried to inform her that Mr. W—— had gone to California.

 

“One rival out of the way!” he said to himself.

 

But his hopes went below zero when she calmly told him she knew he was going before she left town, and he had telegraphed to her when he was on the point of starting.

 

“They’re engaged. I know they are!” groaned[198] Frank to Lizzie, while Hattie was telling Mrs. Emory of the death of her mother.

 

“Who, you goose?” asked Lizzie. “What are you ready to blubber out a crying for?”

 

“Ned W—— would never have telegraphed to her all about his going off if they weren’t engaged!” almost sobbed⁷ Frank.

 

“Pooh! What is it to us, anyway?”

 

“To me, who is almost dying for her love—to me it’s everything. I tell you plain, sister, if Hattie Butler will not have me, I’ll go and enlist⁸ as a private soldier in the army, and get killed by Indians, or I’ll ship in a whaler, and fall overboard and break my neck!”

 

“Or swallow a whale like Jonah did,” said Lizzie, laughing. “Don’t be foolish, Frank. If she’ll only love you, it will all come right, and if she will not—why, you wouldn’t want to marry a girl without love!”

 

“No,” said Frank, with some hesitation⁹. Then he added: “If she loves him she can’t love me. I wish he was dead. Who is she in mourning for?”

 

“Her mother. I heard her tell Aunt Louisa so a few seconds ago.”

 

“Poor thing! I wish father would adopt her. No, I don’t either, for then she’d be my sister, and I want her for my wife.”

 

Hattie now had a hundred questions to answer about the storm, and the steamer, which she did cheerfully.

 

After dinner Frank had the glory of escorting¹⁰ her home in the family carriage alone—Lizzie pleading¹¹ a headache, just to give the poor boy a chance to make love to Hattie if he could.

 

But he never opened his mouth from the time he[199] left home till he set her down at the door of her boarding-house. He couldn’t have done it to save his life. He had caught the love-fever in dead earnest.

 

1 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

2 mistress   

n.（文学用语）使男子为之倾倒的女人，女主人

参考例句：

• Does his wife know he has a mistress?他的妻子知道他有一个情妇吗？
• Is your mistress at home?你家女主人在家吗？

3 sob   

n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣

参考例句：

• The child started to sob when he couldn't find his mother.孩子因找不到他妈妈哭了起来。
• The girl didn't answer,but continued to sob with her head on the table.那个女孩不回答，也不抬起头来。她只顾低声哭着。

4 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

5 Blushed   

n. 脸红，外观 vi. 泛红，羞愧

参考例句：

• She blushed at the mention of her lover's name. 她因说到她情人的名字而脸红。
• He blushed when the pretty girl gave him the eye. 那位漂亮的女孩向他抛媚眼时，他脸红了。

6 ardent   

adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的

参考例句：

• He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
• Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。

7 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

8 enlist   

vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍

参考例句：

• They come here to enlist men for the army.他们来这儿是为了召兵。
• The conference will make further efforts to enlist the support of the international community for their just struggle. 会议必将进一步动员国际社会，支持他们的正义斗争。

9 hesitation   

n.犹豫，踌躇

参考例句：

• After a long hesitation, he told the truth at last.踌躇了半天，他终于直说了。
• There was a certain hesitation in her manner.她的态度有些犹豫不决。

10 escorting   

n. 护送者, 护卫者, 护航舰 vt. 护卫, 护送，伴游

参考例句：

• You had your good angels escorting you. That's all I can say. 你们有你们的善良天使保佑。我只能这样说。
• A guest has just checked in, and the Bellboy is escorting the Guest to his room. 一个客人刚刚办理完入店手续，行李员陪同客人去房间。 来自酒店英语口语25天快训

11 pleading   

n.恳求

参考例句：

• She went down on her knees, pleading for mercy. 她双膝跪下，乞求谅解。
• His pleading melted her. 他的乞求软化了她。