When the children met next it was at tea-time. There was a very nice and tempting1 tea prepared in Maggie's schoolroom, and Miss Grey presided, and took good care to attend to the wants of the hungry little traveler. Ralph looked a very different boy sitting at the tea-table munching2 bread-and-butter, and disposing of large plates of strawberries and cream, from what he did when Maggie met him at Ashburnham station. He was no longer in the least excited; he was neatly3 dressed, with his hair well brushed, and his hands extremely clean and gentlemanly. He was polite and attentive5 to Miss Grey, and thanked her in quite a sweet voice for the little attentions which she lavished6 upon him. Maggie was far too excited to feel hungry.[Pg 24] She could scarcely take her round blue eyes off Ralph, who, for his part, did not pay her the smallest attention. He was conversing7 in quite a proper and grown-up tone with the governess.
"Do you really like flat countries best?" he said. "Ah! I suppose, then, you must suffer from palpitation. Mother does very much—she finds sal volatile8 does her good; did you ever try that? When I next write to mother, I'll ask her to send me a little bottle, and when you feel an attack coming on, I'll measure some drops for you. If you take ten drops in a little water, and then lie down, you don't know how much better you'll get. Thank you, yes, I'll have another cup of tea. I like a good deal of cream, please, and four or five lumps of sugar; if the lumps are small, I don't mind having six. Well, what were we talking about? Oh, scenery! I like hilly scenery. I like to get on the top of a hill, and race down as fast as ever I can to the bottom. Sometimes I shout as I go—it's awfully9 nice shouting out loud as you're racing10 through the air.[Pg 25] Did you ever try that? Oh, I forgot; you couldn't if you suffer from palpitation."
"I like steep mountains, and flying over big precipices11," here burst from Maggie. "I hate flat countries, and I don't think much of running down little hills. Give me the mountains and the precipices, and you'll see how I'll scamper12."
Ralph raised his eyebrows13 a tiny bit, smiled at Maggie with a gentle pity in his face, and then, without vouchsafing14 any comment to her audacious observations, resumed his placid15 conversation with the governess.
"Mother and I have been a good deal in Switzerland, you know," he continued, "so of course we can really judge what scenery is like. I got tired of those great mountains after a bit. I'm very fond indeed of England, particularly since I have spent so much of my time with Jo. Do you know my little friend Jo, Miss Grey?"
"No, Mr. Ralph, I cannot say I do. Is he a nice little boy? Is he about your age?"
Ralph laughed, but in a very moderate[Pg 26] "I beg your pardon," he exclaimed. "I hope you were not hurt when I laughed. Mother says it's very rude to laugh at a grown-up lady, but it seemed so funny to hear you speak of Jo as a boy. She's a girl, quite the very nicest girl in the world; her real name is Joanna, but I call her Jo."
Here Maggie, who, after Ralph's ignoring of her last audacious observation, had been getting through her tea in a subdued16 manner, brightened up considerably17, shook back her shining curls, and said in a much more gentle voice than she had hitherto used:
"I should like to see her."
"You!" said Ralph. "She's not the least in your style. Well, I've done my tea. Have you done your tea, Miss Grey? And may I leave the table, please? I should like to have a run around the place before it gets dark."
"And may I come with you?" asked Maggie.
"Oh, yes, Mag! Come along."
Ralph held out his hand, which Maggie took with a great deal of gratitude18 in her heart, and the two children went out together into the sweet summer air.[Pg 27]
Ralph first of all inspected his pigeons, and then his rabbits. He grumbled19 a good deal over the arrangements made for the reception of his pets, and informed Maggie that the hutch for the rabbits was but small and close, and that the dove-cote must be altered immediately, and that he would take care to speak to his Uncle John about it in the morning.
Maggie agreed with every word Ralph said. She, too, pronounced the hutch small and dirty, and said the dove-cote must be altered, and while she echoed her cousin's sentiments, she felt herself quite big and important, and turned away from the rather smiling eyes of Jim, the stable-boy, who was in attendance on the pair.
"Ah!" said Ralph, "I wish you could see my horse. My horse is black, and rather bigger than this, and he has an eye of fire and such a beautiful glossy21, arched neck. I can tell you it is worth something to see Raven22. Yes,[Pg 28] Maggie, Snowball is rather a nice little pony, and very well suited for you, I should imagine."
"I don't like him much," said Maggie, who until this moment had adored her pet. "I like flashy, frisky23 horses. I like them fresh, don't you, Ralph?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" said Ralph rather pertly. "Now where shall we go?"
"Oh, Ralph, I should like to show you my garden. I dare say father will give you a little garden near mine if we ask him. I'm building a rockery. I don't work in my garden very often, 'cause it's rather tiresome24, but I like building my rockery, and when we go to the seaside, I shall gather lots of shells for it. Come, Ralph, this is the way."
"Never mind to-night," said Ralph. "Here is a nice seat on this little mossy bank. If you like to sit by me, Maggie, we can talk."
Maggie was only too pleased. Ralph stretched himself on the soft velvety25 grass, put his hands under his head, and gazed up at the sky; Maggie took care to imitate his position in all particulars. She also put her hands under[Pg 29] her head, and gazed through her shady hat up at the tall trees where the rooks were going to sleep.
That night the rather spoiled little princess of Tower Hill lay awake for some time. It was very unusual for Maggie to remain for an instant out of the land of dreams. The moment she laid her curly head on the pillow she entered that pleasant country, and, as a rule, she stayed there and enjoyed delightful26 times with other dream-children until the morning. On the present occasion, however, sleep did not visit her so quickly; she was disturbed by the events of the day. Ralph was a very new experience in her little life; she thought of all he had said to her, of how he had looked, of his extreme manliness27, his fearlessness, and his great politeness to Miss Grey. Maggie owned with a half-sigh that there was nothing at all particularly gracious in Ralph's manners to her.
"But I like him all the better for that," she thought. "He treats me as an equal; most likely half the time he forgets that I'm a girl,[Pg 30] and believes that I'm a boy like himself. I wish I were a boy! Wouldn't it be jolly to climb trees, and fish, and go out shooting with father! I'd be a great comfort to Ralph if I were a boy, but I'm not; that's the worst of it. How I do wish my pony was black, and was called Raven! I think I'll ask father to sell Snowball; he's rather a fat, stupid little horse. Ralph's horse has an eye of fire. How splendid he must be! I wonder if Jo has got a horse too, and if it is black, and if its eyes flash. Jo must be a splendid girl. How Ralph did look when he spoke28 of her! I wish I knew her! Ralph talks of her as if she were as good as a boy. I dare say she climbs trees, and fishes, and shoots. I should like Ralph to talk of me as he talks of Jo."
At this stage of Maggie's meditations29 her bright eyes closed very gently, and she remembered nothing more until the morning.
The sun shone brightly into her room when she awoke; she had been dreaming about Jo. She sprang up instantly, and began to dress herself. This feat30 she had never accomplished[Pg 31] before in her life. Two servants, as a rule, waited on the little princess when she made her toilet, but now, with a vivid dream of the manly4 Jo in her mind, and with some vague ideas that she would please Ralph if she were up very bright and early, she proceeded to tumble into her cold bath, and then, after an untidy fashion, to scramble31 into her clothes. At last her dressing32 was completed, she knelt down for a moment by her bedside to utter a very hasty little childish prayer, and then ran softly out of her bedroom. She certainly did not know how early it was, but as there was no one stirring in the house, and as she did not wish nurse to find her and to call her back, and perhaps pop her once more into bed, she went on tiptoe along the passages until she reached her Cousin Ralph's bedroom door. She opened the door and went in. The large window of Ralph's bedroom exactly faced his little white bed; the blind of the window was up to the top, and the full light of the morning sun shone directly on the little sleeper33's face. Oh, how delightful! thought Maggie. Ralph was still[Pg 32] sound, sound asleep; she was the good one now, for Ralph was decidedly lazy. She went softly to the bedside and gazed at her cousin. His arms were thrown up over his head; he was lying on his back, and breathing softly and easily. Ralph had a handsome little face, and it looked gentle and sweet in his slumbers34. The dauntless expression of his dark eyes, and the somewhat scornful and hard way in which he looked when he addressed himself to Maggie, were no longer perceptible. Maggie had a loving little heart, and it went out to her stranger cousin now.
"I hope some day he'll like me as well as he does Jo," she murmured, and then she bent35 down and printed the lightest of light kisses on his forehead.
"Bother those flies," muttered Ralph, raising his hand to brush the offending kiss away. This remark caused Maggie to burst into a peal36 of laughter, and of course her laugh aroused the young sleeper.
"Yes, I'm up," said Maggie, dancing softly up and down. "I'm up, and I'm dressed, and[Pg 33] I'm ready to go into the garden. Don't you think it's very good of me to get up so early? Don't you think I'm about as good as that Jo of yours?"
Ralph had recovered from his first surprise, and now he gazed tranquilly37 at his little cousin.
"What's the hour?" he asked.
Maggie said, "I don't know."
"Well, you'd better find out," responded Ralph; "it feels very early. My watch is on the dressing-table. Do you know the time by a watch yet? If you can read it, you may, and tell me the hour. How untidily you have dressed yourself!"
Maggie felt herself growing very red when Ralph asked her if she could tell the hour by a watch. The fact was, she could not; she had always been too lazy to learn. She went in a faltering38 way to the dressing-table, feeling quite sure in her little heart that Jo knew all about watches, and that if she revealed her ignorance to Ralph, he would despise her for the rest of her life. Just at this moment, however,[Pg 34] relief came, for the stable clock was heard to strike very distinctly. It struck four times.
"It's four o'clock," said Maggie.
"Yes, and what a muff you are!" answered Ralph. "Four o'clock! Why, it's the middle of the night. Good-night, Maggie. Please go away, and shut the door after you."
"Then you're not getting up?" questioned the little cousin wistfully.
"Getting up? No, thank you, not for many an hour to come. Good-night, Maggie. I don't want to be rude, but you really are a little worry coming in and waking me in this fashion."
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1
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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2
munching
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| v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的现在分词 ) | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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6
lavished
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| v.过分给予，滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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7
conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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8
volatile
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| adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质 | |
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9
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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11
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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scamper
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| v.奔跑，快跑 | |
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13
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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14
vouchsafing
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的现在分词 )；允诺 | |
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15
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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raven
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| n.渡鸟，乌鸦；adj.乌亮的 | |
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frisky
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| adj.活泼的，欢闹的；n.活泼，闹着玩；adv.活泼地，闹着玩地 | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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velvety
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| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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27
manliness
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| 刚毅 | |
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28
spoke
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| 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 | |
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meditations
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| 默想( meditation的名词复数 )； 默念； 沉思； 冥想 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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31
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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32
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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33
sleeper
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| n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺 | |
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34
slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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35
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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36
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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37
tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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