Polly was having a bad half-hour with herself, despite all the attractions up in Alexia's pretty room.
"It's no use," she cried, throwing down the little brush with which she was whisking off the dainty bureau-cover. The girls were "setting up" the various adornments that were plentifully1 strewn about, an occupation that Polly dearly loved, and that Alexia as dearly hated. "I must go home."
Alexia, down on her knees, with her head in the closet, grumbling2 over the shoe bag, whose contents were in a chronic3 state of overflow4, pulled it out suddenly.
"Why, Polly Pepper!" she exclaimed, in an injured tone. One eye was draped by a cobweb, gained by diving into the closet's extreme corner after a missing slipper5, gone for some weeks; and in other ways Alexia's face presented a very unprepossessing appearance. "You said you'd help me with my room this morning."
"Oh, yes, I know," said Polly hurriedly, and running over to Alexia; "but you'll let me off, won't you?—for I've something on my mind. Oh, dear me!"
Alexia hopped6 up to her feet, the slipper flying off at a tangent, and ran all around Polly Pepper, gazing at her anxiously.
"I don't see anything. Oh, what is it?" she cried.
"You see, the boys wanted to find Joel, and I—" began Polly, twisting her fingers.
"Bother the boys!" exclaimed Alexia, interrupting. "Is that all? They are everlastingly7 wanting to find Joel. Well"—with a sigh of relief—"we can go back to work again. Why, I must say, Polly, you scared me 'most to death. Oh, dear me! I wish I had let Norah sweep this old closet when she does the room. It's dirty as can be. If Aunt knew it—" The rest of it was lost, as Alexia was down on her knees again, her head back in the closet, with the hope of unearthing8 more slippers9 and shoes.
"Alexia, do come out," cried Polly, pulling her gown smartly; "I must speak to you."
"Can't," said Alexia, rummaging10 away. "There, I've gone and knocked down my blue silk waist! Do pick it up, Polly; it 'll get all dirt, and then won't Aunt scold!"
As if to make matters worse, a voice out in the hall was heard:
"Alexia?"
"Misery11 me!" cried Alexia, scuffling out backward from the closet, the blue silk waist on her head where it had fallen, and in her sudden exit nearly overthrowing12 Polly Pepper. "Here comes Aunt. Shut the door, Polly—shut it"—scrambling with both hands to get the waist off, while a hook caught in her light, fluffy13 hair. And Miss Rhys being too near the door for any such protection as Alexia suggested, in she walked.
"What in the world!" She lifted both hands. "Alexia Rhys, is it possible! I concluded not to go down-town, and came back, and to think of this—playing with your best silk waist!"
"I'm not playing," declared Alexia, in a sharp key, tossing back from her head as much of the waist as she could, "and it hurts awfully"—twitching angrily at the hook.
Polly sprang to her assistance.
"Wait a minute, and I'll get you out," she said.
"And I won't wait," cried Alexia loudly; "it's bad enough to be hooked to death with a horrid15 old ugly waist, without being scolded to pieces by your aunt."
"Oh, Alexia!" exclaimed Miss Rhys, "to call that beautiful waist an ugly thing!"
"And I'll pull every spear of hair out of my head, but I'll get the thing off. Ow!"—as she began to put her threat into execution.
"Do be still, Alexia," begged Polly, trying to push aside the nervous fingers.
"I won't be still," cried Alexia, casting up a pale eye full of wrath16 on the side next to Polly, and giving another twitch14. "I guess if you'd been hooked up by a horrible old thing, and your aunt came in and scolded you terribly, you wouldn't wait. Ow! Oh, dear me!"
I'm going home, Alexia."
"Oh, don't," cried Alexia, and she dropped her hands to her side in a flash, the blue silk waist dangling18 to her head by its hook. "I'll let you help whatever you want to, Polly," she mumbled19 meekly20.
So Polly set to work, Miss Rhys slipping out of the room. Although Alexia's nervous fingers were now not in the way, still, it wasn't easy to disentangle the hook from the thick, fluffy hair, wound in as it was.
"You've tangled21 it all up," said Polly, bending over it with flushed face, her fingers working busily, "and it's all in a snarl22. Dear me! do I hurt?"
"No, never mind," said Alexia; "'tisn't any matter. Don't go home, Polly."
She held her fast by the gown.
"No, of course not," said Polly; "at least not until I get this hook out of your hair. There—oh, dear me! I thought it was quite free. Well, anyway, now it is!" She held up the blue silk waist with a triumphant23 little flourish, over her own head. "It must be awful to have something fastened to you like that," she said, sympathetically, as she placed the waist on the bed with a sigh of relief.
"Well, I guess you'd think so," assented24 Alexia decidedly; "it's too perfectly25 awful for anything. It pulls like a big vulture with his talons26 holding your hair." She hopped to her feet and shook herself in delight, her long, light braids flying out gayly. "Well, I am glad that Aunt has gone"—looking around the room, and drawing a long breath.
Polly Pepper stood quite still over by the bed.
"Well—heigh-ho—come on," cried Alexia, dancing over to seize her arm; "let's have a spin." But Polly didn't move.
"No," said Polly, "I can't, Alexia."
"What in the world is the matter?" cried Alexia, dropping her arm to stare at her.
"I think your aunt—" began Polly.
"Oh, Aunt!" interrupted Alexia impatiently. "You're always talking about her, Polly Pepper, and she's everlastingly picking at me, so I have a perfectly dreadful time, between you two."
"Well, she is your aunt," said Polly, not offering to stir.
"I can't help it." Alexia, for the want of something better to do, ran over and twitched28 the table cover straight. "And I know she's my aunt, but she needn't pick at me all the time," she added defiantly29. She looked uncomfortable all the same, and ran about here and there trying to get things in their places, but knocking down more than were tidied up. "Why don't you say something?" she cried impatiently, whirling around.
"Because I've nothing to say," replied Polly, not moving.
"Oh, dear me!" Alexia sent her long arms out with a despairing gesture. "I suppose I've just got to go and tell Aunt I'm sorry." She drew a long breath. "But I hadn't been playing; I was tired to death over that dirty old closet and that tiresome30 shoe bag, and my hair all hooked up. Well, do come on." She ran over and held out her hand. "Come with me," she begged.
So Polly put her hand in Alexia's, and together they ran out into the hall, to the maiden31 aunt's room.
"It's perfectly dreadful to board," said Alexia, on the way. "I wouldn't care how little the house was, if Aunt and I could only have one," and she gave a great sigh.
Polly turned suddenly and gave her a big hug.
"Mamsie says you are to come over to our house just as often as possible.
So does Grandpapa," she cried hastily; "you know that, Alexia."
"Yes, I know," said Alexia, but she was highly gratified at every repetition of the invitation. "Well, oh, dear me!"—as they stood before Miss Rhys' door.
That lady sat in her bay window, her fingers busy with her embroidery32, and her mind completely filled with plans for another piece when that particular one should be completed.
"I'm sorry, Aunt," said Alexia, plunging33 up to the chair and keeping tight hold of Polly Pepper's hand.
"Oh!" said Miss Rhys, looking up. "Why, how your hair does look, Alexia!"
Up flew Alexia's other hand to her head.
"Well, it's been all hooked up," she said.
"And I'll brush it for you," said Polly, at her shoulder.
"That'll be fine," cried Alexia, with a comfortable wriggle34 of her long figure. "Oh, I'm sorry, Aunt."
"Very well," said Miss Rhys, turning back to her embroidery again. "And, Alexia, your room looks very badly. I'm astonished that you are so untidy, when I talk to you about it so much."
Polly along.
"Now, you see, Polly"—as the two girls were safe once more in the little room, this time with the door shut—"I only got some more pickings by going to Aunt."
"Hush," said Polly, "she will hear you.'
"How is she going to hear with the door shut, pray tell?" cried Alexia, with a giggle36. "Well, it's over with now. Let's fly at this horrid old room. Dear me!"—as she ran by the window—"do just see those dreadful boys."
At the word "boys" Polly ran too, and peeped over her shoulder.
"Oh, I must speak to Frick," and without more warning, she raced out of the room, and down the front stairs.
"Polly, Polly Pepper!" But Polly being out in the street and nearly up to the knot of boys, Alexia gave up calling and speedily ran after her, to hear her say:
"Oh, Frick, I'll go and try to find Joel for you."
Frick disentangled himself from the group.
"I found Joel myself," he said, "and he wouldn't come."
"Wouldn't come where?" demanded Alexia breathlessly, plunging up.
"Out on the pond." It was Larry Keep who answered.
"Oh, dear me!" exclaimed Alexia, "how tiresome of Joel!"
"Oh, no, no," protested Polly, shaking her head. "I know Joel couldn't go, or else he would. You know that, boys," she said, looking anxiously at them all.
"He's always been before," said Larry, in a dudgeon, "and I don't see what makes him act so now."
"Well, you haven't any right to abuse him, just because he doesn't want to go out with you on the pond," said Alexia warmly, veering38 round at the first word of blame of Joel from anybody else. "That's a great way to do, I must say."
"And, boys, you know Joel would have gone if he could, don't you?" said
"Ye—es," said Larry slowly, digging the toe of his tennis shoe into the ground, as no one else said anything.
"Oh, he would, he would," said Polly, clasping her hands tightly together, the color flying over her cheek. "Something must have happened to keep him back"—as the boys, having nothing more to say, moved off. "Alexia, now I must go home, for I'm afraid—" of what, she didn't say.
"I'll go, too," said Alexia, springing after her, wild to find out what the matter could be with Joel Pepper, to keep him from one of his favorite sports on the pond.
"There isn't anything the matter with him," shouted back Frick, over his shoulder, who had caught Polly's last words. "And he could have gone as easy as not; he was in Mr. King's writing-room with the door locked."
"Grandpapa's writing-room, with the door locked!" repeated Polly, turning around in a puzzled way. "Why—I don't see—oh!" Then she gave such a squeal40 that Alexia hopped across the road in astonishment41. "I know now. Dear, splendid, old Joel! Boys!" She was up by them again, and talking so fast that nobody understood for a moment or two what the whole thing was about.
"For pity's sake, Polly Pepper!" Alexia was shaking her arm, the boys crowding around Polly and hanging on every word.
"Don't you understand? Oh, how stupid I've been not to think of it before!—though I didn't know he was to begin this very morning," cried Polly, hurrying on, all in a glow. "Grandpapa has engaged Joel to do some work for him on his books"—Polly didn't think she ought to explain any further about the ten-dollar note—"and so Joel thought he couldn't stop till the hour was up, and——"
"Has he got to work an hour on 'em at a time?" interrupted Larry in amazement42, pushing his way nearer to Polly.
"Yes," said Polly, turning her rosy43 face on him, so glad that she was really making them see that Joel couldn't go with them when he was asked, "he must work a whole hour at a time on them, so you see he really had to stay back." But this part was lost on the whole group.
"Hi—hi!" they shouted, and Larry flung up his cap. "Well, if that's so, we'll go back and get him now; the hour must be up," and off they raced, flinging up a cloud of dust from their heels.
"Whew!" exclaimed Alexia. "Did you ever see such perfectly dreadful boys to kick up such a dust? Oh, dear me, Polly Pepper. Ker-choo!"
When she came out of her sneezing fit, Polly was saying again:
"Oh, how perfectly stupid I am, Alexia!"
But her eyes shone, for it was now all right for Joel with the boys.
点击收听单词发音
1 plentifully | |
adv. 许多地,丰饶地 | |
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2 grumbling | |
adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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3 chronic | |
adj.(疾病)长期未愈的,慢性的;极坏的 | |
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4 overflow | |
v.(使)外溢,(使)溢出;溢出,流出,漫出 | |
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5 slipper | |
n.拖鞋 | |
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6 hopped | |
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花 | |
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7 everlastingly | |
永久地,持久地 | |
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8 unearthing | |
发掘或挖出某物( unearth的现在分词 ); 搜寻到某事物,发现并披露 | |
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9 slippers | |
n. 拖鞋 | |
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10 rummaging | |
翻找,搜寻( rummage的现在分词 ); 海关检查 | |
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11 misery | |
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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12 overthrowing | |
v.打倒,推翻( overthrow的现在分词 );使终止 | |
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13 fluffy | |
adj.有绒毛的,空洞的 | |
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14 twitch | |
v.急拉,抽动,痉挛,抽搐;n.扯,阵痛,痉挛 | |
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15 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
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16 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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17 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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18 dangling | |
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口 | |
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19 mumbled | |
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20 meekly | |
adv.温顺地,逆来顺受地 | |
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21 tangled | |
adj. 纠缠的,紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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22 snarl | |
v.吼叫,怒骂,纠缠,混乱;n.混乱,缠结,咆哮 | |
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23 triumphant | |
adj.胜利的,成功的;狂欢的,喜悦的 | |
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24 assented | |
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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26 talons | |
n.(尤指猛禽的)爪( talon的名词复数 );(如爪般的)手指;爪状物;锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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27 tug | |
v.用力拖(或拉);苦干;n.拖;苦干;拖船 | |
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28 twitched | |
vt.& vi.(使)抽动,(使)颤动(twitch的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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29 defiantly | |
adv.挑战地,大胆对抗地 | |
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30 tiresome | |
adj.令人疲劳的,令人厌倦的 | |
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31 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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32 embroidery | |
n.绣花,刺绣;绣制品 | |
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33 plunging | |
adj.跳进的,突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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34 wriggle | |
v./n.蠕动,扭动;蜿蜒 | |
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35 helping | |
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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36 giggle | |
n.痴笑,咯咯地笑;v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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37 dismally | |
adv.阴暗地,沉闷地 | |
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38 veering | |
n.改变的;犹豫的;顺时针方向转向;特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.(尤指交通工具)改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 );(指谈话内容、人的行为或观点)突然改变;(指风) (在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向)逐渐转向;风向顺时针转 | |
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39 pucker | |
v.撅起,使起皱;n.(衣服上的)皱纹,褶子 | |
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40 squeal | |
v.发出长而尖的声音;n.长而尖的声音 | |
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41 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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42 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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43 rosy | |
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 | |
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