CHAPTER VI

 It was late Monday afternoon that a card was brought to Aunt Jane—a thin, slim bit of card, with correct English lettering in plain type on it.

 

Aunt Jane read it and glanced up at Miss Murray who was on door duty for the afternoon.

 

"He's in the front room," said the nurse. "And there's a woman—came the same time but separate. I put her in the back room."

 

"Tell Miss Crosby and Miss Canfield to be ready to go on duty in Number 5 and Suite¹ A," said Aunt Jane.

 

She said the last words almost with a sniff². If Aunt Jane had had her way, there would have been no Suite A in the House of Mercy.

 

For Suite A was a big, sunny, southeast room, with a sitting-room³ on one side and a bath on the other—a royal bath, with overhead shower and side sprays and all the latest[Pg 28] words in plumbing⁴ and fitting, all the most luxurious⁵ and costly⁶ appointments of nickel and marble and tile.

 

Aunt Jane always went by Suite A with her head a little in the air and her nose a trifle raised. And woe⁷ to the man or woman who occupied Suite A. For a week or ten days he was left severely⁸ to the care of nurses and doctors. It was only after he had experienced to the full what a desolate⁹ place a hospital may be, that Aunt Jane condescended¹⁰ to look in and thaw¹¹ the atmosphere a little.

 

It was perhaps her feeling for Suite A that led her to attend to ward¹² patients and occupants of humble¹³ rooms before those of Suite A. "They'll be comfortable enough when they get to their suite," she had been known to say.

 

So it was the back room that she entered first—with the card in her hand.

 

A little woman at the side of the room got up quickly. "I came alone," she said. She fluttered a little and held out her hand nervously¹⁴ as if uncertain what might happen to her in a hospital.

 

[Pg 29]

 

Aunt Jane took it in her plump one and held it a minute. "Sit down."

 

The woman sat down and looked at her. "John wanted to come. But I told him to stay home," she said.

 

"Much better," replied Aunt Jane, nodding.

 

"I told him he'd better kind of make supper for the children. So if they should miss me!" The look was wistful.

 

Aunt Jane regarded it comfortably.

 

"All the happier, when you get back home." She had seated herself in a large chair and she rocked a little.

 

The woman's face relaxed.

 

She looked about her more happily. "It seems kind of like home, don't it? I didn't think a hospital would be like this—not just like this. I don't seem to mind being here," she said with a little note of surprise.

 

"You won't mind it," said Aunt Jane. "You'll like it. Everybody likes it. Maybe you won't want to go away."

 

The woman smiled faintly. "I guess I shall be ready to go—when the time comes," she added slowly.... "There's one thing I wanted to ask somebody about—it's about[Pg 30] paying— How much it will be, you know? I asked the doctor once—when he said I'd have to come, but he didn't tell me—not really."

 

"Dr. Carmon doesn't think so much about his pay." There was something almost like pride in Aunt Jane's voice. "You needn't be afraid he'll overcharge for it."

 

"It isn't that—only maybe we couldn't pay," said the woman. Her forehead held little wrinkled lines and her face smiled. "And it don't seem quite right to be done—if we can't pay for it."

 

Aunt Jane rocked a minute. Her eyes travelled to the door leading to the front room. The door was ajar and through the crack there was a glimpse of a light overcoat lying carelessly across the chair. It had a silk lining¹⁵.

 

Aunt Jane nodded toward it. "There's a man in there——"

 

"Yes, I know. I saw him. He got here the same time I did—in his motor-car."

 

"In his motor-car—that's it! Well—" Aunt Jane smiled. "He's going to pay Dr. Carmon—for your operation."

 

[Pg 31]

 

"Why—!" The little woman gasped¹⁶. "He don't have any reason to pay for me!"

 

"Well—" Aunt Jane rocked, turning it over and making it up as she went along: "Well— He's rich. He has a plenty— And he won't be comfortable without." She spoke¹⁷ with conviction.

 

"But he don't know me," said the woman. "Unless maybe he knows John!" she added thoughtfully.

 

"That's it," Aunt Jane responded. "Maybe he knows 'John.' Anyway he's going to pay." She touched a bell.

 

"Well—" The woman looked down at the hands in her lap, the fingers were working in and out. "I'm sure I don't know how to thank him!" she said. She looked up. Her eyes were full of tears. She brushed a quick hand across them. "I don't know how!" she said softly.

 

"You don't need to thank him," replied Aunt Jane. "He won't expect any thanks, I guess."

 

A nurse stood in the door. Aunt Jane's hand motioned to the woman. "This is Mrs.[Pg 32] Pelton. She's going to be in Room 5. Take good care of her."

 

The nurse held out her hand with a smile. And the little woman got up. "I've got a bag here somewhere—? That's it—yes. Thank you! I seem all kind of upset, somehow. I didn't know a hospital would be like this!"

 

Aunt Jane watched her with a smile as she went from the room. There was a gentle look in her eyes. Then she got up, with the card in her hand, and moved toward the front room. She had become serene¹⁸ and austere¹⁹.

 

A tall, thin man rose courteously²⁰. "I am Dr. Carmon's patient. I understand a room has been reserved for me?" He looked up.

 

"There's a room, yes," admitted Aunt Jane.

 

The man's face waited. There was astonishment²¹ and a little amusement under its polite gaze.

 

Aunt Jane rang the bell.

 

"Won't you sit down," she indicated a chair.

 

"Thank you. I prefer to keep standing—while I can." He said it smilingly.

 

[Pg 33]

 

If there was an undertone of appeal for sympathy in the words, Aunt Jane's face ignored it. She turned to the nurse who entered.

 

"Show Mr.—?" She consulted the card in her hand with elaborate care. "Mr.—? Medfield, yes, that's it—show Mr. Medfield to Suite A."

 

The man bowed and took his coat on his arm. The nurse led the way. And Aunt Jane watched them from the room, holding the little card in her hand.

 

A little later when she entered the name on the card in the hospital register, she added something after it in tiny hieroglyphics²² that made her smile as she closed the book and put it away on its shelf.

1 suite   

n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员

参考例句：

• She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
• That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

2 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

3 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

4 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 luxurious   

adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的

参考例句：

• This is a luxurious car complete with air conditioning and telephone.这是一辆附有空调设备和电话的豪华轿车。
• The rich man lives in luxurious surroundings.这位富人生活在奢侈的环境中。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 woe   

n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌

参考例句：

• Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
• A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

8 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

9 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

10 condescended   

屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲

参考例句：

• We had to wait almost an hour before he condescended to see us. 我们等了几乎一小时他才屈尊大驾来见我们。
• The king condescended to take advice from his servants. 国王屈驾向仆人征求意见。

11 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

12 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

13 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

14 nervously   

adv.神情激动地，不安地

参考例句：

• He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
• He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。

15 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

16 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 spoke   

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。

18 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

19 austere   

adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的

参考例句：

• His way of life is rather austere.他的生活方式相当简朴。
• The room was furnished in austere style.这间屋子的陈设都很简单朴素。

20 courteously   

adv.有礼貌地，亲切地

参考例句：

• He courteously opened the door for me.他谦恭有礼地为我开门。
• Presently he rose courteously and released her.过了一会，他就很客气地站起来，让她走开。

21 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

22 hieroglyphics   

n.pl.象形文字

参考例句：

• Hieroglyphics are carved into the walls of the temple. 寺庙的墙壁上刻着象形文字。
• His writing is so bad it just looks like hieroglyphics to me. 他写的糟透了，对我来说就像天书一样。