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CHAPTER III A VISITOR
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THE very next day Dr. Corliss shut himself up in his new study while Mrs. Corliss and Mary set to work to make the old house as fresh as new. They brushed up the dust and cobwebs and scrubbed and polished everything until it shone. They dragged many ugly old things off into the attic1, and pushed others back into the corners until there should be time to decide what had best be done with them. Meanwhile, John was helping2 to tidy up the little garden, snipping3 off dead leaves, cheering up the flowers, and punishing the greedy weeds.
 
The whistles of Crowfield factories shrieked4 noon before they all stopped to take breath. Then Mrs. Corliss gasped5 and said:—
 
“Oh, Mary! I forgot all about luncheon7! What are we going to feed your poor father with, I wonder, to say nothing of our hungry selves?”
 
Just at this moment John came running into the house with a very dirty face. “There’s some one coming down the street,” he called upstairs; “I think she’s coming in here.” He peeped out[18] of the parlor8 window discreetly9. “Yes, she’s opening the gate now.”
 
“Let Mary open the door when she rings,” warned his mother. “It will be the first time our doorbell rings for a visitor—quite an event, Mary! I am sure John’s face is dirty.”
 
“I’m not very tidy myself,” said Mary, taking off her apron10 and the dusting-cap which covered her curls, and rolling down her sleeves.
 
The latch11 of the little garden gate clicked while they were speaking, and looking out of the upstairs hall window Mary saw a girl of about her own age, thirteen or fourteen, coming up the path. She wore a pretty blue sailor suit and a broad hat, and her hair hung in two long flaxen braids down her back. Mary wore her own brown curls tied back with a ribbon. On her arm the visitor carried a large covered basket.
 
“It’s one of the neighbors, I suppose,” said Mrs. Corliss, attempting a hasty toilet. “Go to the door, Mary, as soon as she rings, and ask her to come in. Even if we are not settled yet, it is not too soon to be hospitable12.”
 
Mary listened eagerly for the bell. Their first caller in Crowfield looked like a very nice little person. Perhaps she was going to be Mary’s friend.
 
[19]But the bell did not ring. Instead, Mary presently heard a little click; and then a voice in the hall below called, apparently13 through the keyhole of the closed door,—“Not at home.”
 
There was a pause, and again,—“Not at home.” A third time the tired, monotonous14 voice declared untruthfully, “Not at home.” Then there was silence.
 
“John!” cried Mary, horrified15. For she thought her brother was playing some naughty trick. What did he mean by such treatment of their first caller? Mary ran down the stairs two steps at a time, and there she found John in the hall, staring with wide eyes at the front door.
 
“What made you—?” began Mary.
 
“I didn’t!” protested John. “It was—Something, I don’t know What, that spoke16. When she pushed the bell-button it didn’t ring, but it made that. And now I guess she’s gone off mad!”
 
“Oh, John!” Mary threw open the door and ran to the porch. Sure enough, the visitor was retreating slowly down the path. She turned, however, when she heard Mary open the door, and hesitated, looking rather reproachful. She was very pretty, with red cheeks and bright brown eyes.
 
[20]“Oh! I’m so sorry!” said Mary. “You didn’t ring, did you?”
 
“Yes, I did,” said the girl, looking puzzled. “But I thought no one was at home. Somebody said so.” Her eyes twinkled.
 
Mary liked the twinkle in her eyes.
 
“I don’t understand it!” said Mary, wrinkling her forehead in puzzlement. Then an idea flashed into her head, and she showed her teeth in a broad smile. “Oh, it must have been one of Aunt Nan’s patent jokes.”
 
The girl gave an answering smile. “You mean Miss Corliss?” she suggested. “I know she didn’t like callers. We never ventured to ring the bell in her day. But Mother thought you new neighbors might be different. And I saw you going by yesterday, so I thought I’d try—” She looked at Mary wistfully, with a little cock to her head. “My name is Katy Summers, and we are your nearest neighbors,” she added.
 
“Oh, do come in,” urged Mary, holding open the door hospitably17. “It is so nice to see you! I am Mary Corliss.”
 
Katy Summers beamed at her as she crossed the doorsill. And from that moment Mary hoped that they were going to be the best of friends.
 
[21]John appeared just then, much excited and forgetting his dirty face. “It must be a kind of graphophone,” he said, without introduction. “Let me punch that button.”
 
Twisting himself out into the porch, John pushed a dirty thumb against the bell-button of the Corliss home. Instantly sounded the same monotonous response,—“Not at home— Not at home— Not at home.”
 
“I say! Isn’t it great!” shouted John, cutting a caper18 delightedly. “Aunt Nan must have had that fixed19 so as to scare away callers. Wasn’t she cute?”
 
Mary blushed for her brother, and for the reputation of the house. “It wasn’t cute!” she said hastily. “We shall have to get that bell changed. We aren’t like that, really,” she explained to her visitor. “We love to see people. You were very good to come to this inhospitable old house.”
 
“I wanted to,” said Katy simply, “and Mother thought you’d perhaps all be busy this morning, getting settled. So she sent you over this hot luncheon.” And she held out to Mary the heavy basket.
 
“Oh, how kind of you!” cried Mary. “Let me tell Mother. She will be so pleased! It is so[22] nice to have our nearest neighbor call on us right away.”
 
“I can’t stop but a minute this time,” said Katy, “for my own luncheon is waiting on the table. But I’d like to see your mother. I’ll wait here in the hall.”
 
At the end of the hall facing the front door was an armchair with a back studded with brass20 nails. Katy sat down in this chair to wait for Mrs. Corliss. Mary ran up the stairs feeling very happy, because already she had found this new friend in the town where she was afraid she was going to be lonesome.
 
But hardly had she reached the top of the stairs when she heard a funny little cry from the hall below. It was Katy’s voice that called. “Oh!” it cried. “Help! Mary Corliss!”
 
“What is it?” called Mary, leaning over the banisters to see what the matter was.
 
And then she saw a queer thing. The chair in which Katy Summers sat was moving rapidly of its own accord straight toward the front door. Katy was too startled to move, and there she sat, grasping the arms of the chair, until it reached the doorsill. When it touched the sill, the chair stopped and gently tilted21 itself forward, making Katy slide out, whether she would or no.
 
[23]“Well, I never!” said Katy with a gasp6. “If that isn’t the impolitest chair I ever saw!”
 
“Oh, Katy!” cried Mary, flying down the stairs. “I am so sorry. We didn’t know it was that kind of chair. We hadn’t cleaned the hall yet, so we never suspected. It must be another of Aunt Nan’s jokes. She probably had this made so that peddlers or agents who got inside and insisted on waiting to see her would be discouraged. Please don’t blame us!”
 
Then down came Mrs. Corliss, with Katy’s basket in her hand. “What a reception to our first caller!” she said with a rueful smile. “And you came on such a kind errand, too! But you must try to forget, little neighbor, that this was ever an inhospitable house, and come to see us often. We are going to change many things.”
 
“Yes, indeed, I shall come again,” said Katy Summers. “I hope that Mary and I shall be in the same class at High School.”
 
“So do I,” said Mary. “I begin to-morrow. Will you call for me so that I can have some one to introduce me on my first day?”
 
“Yes,” said Katy, with a roguish look, “if you’ll let me wait for you in the garden.”
 
Mary turned red. “You needn’t be afraid,”[24] she said. “We won’t let those things happen any more, will we, Mother?”
 
“No,” said Mrs. Corliss. “We will have the carpenter attend to those ‘jokes’ at once.”
 
But until the carpenter came John had a beautiful time riding down the front hall on the inhospitable chair, and making the automatic butler cry, “Not at home.” John thought it a great pity to change these ingenious devices which made the front hall of Aunt Nan’s house so interesting. But he was in the minority, and that very afternoon the carpenter took away an electric device from the old armchair, which ended its days of wandering forever. And instead of the “bell” he put an old-fashioned knocker on the front door.
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 attic Hv4zZ     
n.顶楼,屋顶室
参考例句:
  • Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
  • What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理?
2 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
3 snipping 5fe0030e9f7f57e9e018d33196ee84b6     
n.碎片v.剪( snip的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The crew had been snipping it for souvenirs. 舰上人员把它剪下来当作纪念品。 来自辞典例句
  • The gardener is snipping off the dead leaves in the garden. 花匠在花园时剪枯叶。 来自互联网
4 shrieked dc12d0d25b0f5d980f524cd70c1de8fe     
v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
  • Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫,陆子潇尖声叫:“告诉什么? 来自汉英文学 - 围城
5 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
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》
6 gasp UfxzL     
n.喘息,气喘;v.喘息;气吁吁他说
参考例句:
  • She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
  • The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。
7 luncheon V8az4     
n.午宴,午餐,便宴
参考例句:
  • We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
  • I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。
8 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?
9 discreetly nuwz8C     
ad.(言行)审慎地,慎重地
参考例句:
  • He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇,一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
  • Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么,有意避开了。
10 apron Lvzzo     
n.围裙;工作裙
参考例句:
  • We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
  • She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。
11 latch g2wxS     
n.门闩,窗闩;弹簧锁
参考例句:
  • She laid her hand on the latch of the door.她把手放在门闩上。
  • The repairman installed an iron latch on the door.修理工在门上安了铁门闩。
12 hospitable CcHxA     
adj.好客的;宽容的;有利的,适宜的
参考例句:
  • The man is very hospitable.He keeps open house for his friends and fellow-workers.那人十分好客,无论是他的朋友还是同事,他都盛情接待。
  • The locals are hospitable and welcoming.当地人热情好客。
13 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
14 monotonous FwQyJ     
adj.单调的,一成不变的,使人厌倦的
参考例句:
  • She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
  • His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律,一个调调儿。
15 horrified 8rUzZU     
a.(表现出)恐惧的
参考例句:
  • The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
  • We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。
16 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。
17 hospitably 2cccc8bd2e0d8b1720a33145cbff3993     
亲切地,招待周到地,善于款待地
参考例句:
  • At Peking was the Great Khan, and they were hospitably entertained. 忽必烈汗在北京,他们受到了盛情款待。
  • She was received hospitably by her new family. 她的新家人热情地接待了她。
18 caper frTzz     
v.雀跃,欢蹦;n.雀跃,跳跃;续随子,刺山柑花蕾;嬉戏
参考例句:
  • The children cut a caper in the yard.孩子们在院子里兴高采烈地乱蹦乱跳。
  • The girl's caper cost her a twisted ankle.小姑娘又蹦又跳,结果扭伤了脚踝。
19 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
20 brass DWbzI     
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器
参考例句:
  • Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
21 tilted 3gtzE5     
v. 倾斜的
参考例句:
  • Suddenly the boat tilted to one side. 小船突然倾向一侧。
  • She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。


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