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首页 » 经典英文小说 » The wooing of Leola » CHAPTER XVI. WIDOW GRAY AND THE YOUNG CAVE-HUNTERS.
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CHAPTER XVI. WIDOW GRAY AND THE YOUNG CAVE-HUNTERS.
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The tender-hearted Mrs. Gray returned to her cottage after her repulse1 at Wheatlands in a very sad state of mind over Chester Olyphant’s strange disappearance2.
 
In the month that he had boarded with her she had grown to appreciate him very highly for his true manliness3 and noble character, and, on his part, her esteem4 had been returned by a frank, out-spoken regard.
 
Toward the last he had made her his confidant, telling her his true name and position, and explaining why he had wooed Leola under a mask for the sake of romance, wishing to be loved for himself alone.
 
“My life has been sad in many ways in spite of great wealth,” he said. “My parents died in my early childhood, and I was brought up by an uncle and aunt who are all now dead, so that I have really no near relatives, having been an only child. But now I shall arrange to marry Leola very soon, and my beautiful home on the Hudson, Bonnie View, will have a fitting mistress in my lovely bride. As for you, my dear friend, in return for all your kindness, I want you to come to us when we are married and make your home at Bonnie View as Leola’s companion.”
 
He was disappointed when she declined, gently but decidedly, to accept his offer, and when he pressed for a reason the good woman said, simply:
 
“I cannot leave the little cottage where I came a bride, for the sweetest memories of life cluster around this humble6 spot. Here my two sweet children, my boy and girl, were born, and here they and my husband passed away from me to the Better Land. Here they return in spirit to brood over my lonely life in love and sympathy, and if I went away perhaps they could not find me easily, or perhaps they would not be as well pleased as here, where we were all so happy together. When my earthly life is ended they will come to soothe7 my last hours and bear me company to my heavenly home, so I must wait for them here, where they watch over me daily, and I am happier so than anywhere else.”
 
Her words sounded strange to Chester Olyphant in the glow of his love and youth, loving the world and its gay companionship, but he read on her placid8 features a peace and resignation he could not understand, and ceased to urge her to change her home, only stipulating9 that he and Leola should at least have a long visit from her at Bonnie View, to which she cheerfully assented10.
 
So now, at his strange absence, her heart sank with dread11, for last night at her window the wind in the pine tree had sobbed12 like ghastly voices, and she remembered that it had sounded just so before each calamity13 that had darkened her life, vaguely14 foretelling15 sorrow.
 
“Something bad has surely happened to the poor young man, for he would never have gone away like this with no explanation,” she sighed, as she went, restlessly, about her household duties, with a heart as heavy as lead.
 
On the next afternoon she took her knitting out on the front porch watching, eagerly, up and down the road, for a sight of the absentee, but all in vain.
 
Suddenly she heard childish voices, and saw four little lads coming in at her front gate—little fair-haired, blue-eyed boys, “stairsteps,” she called them—their ages ranging from eight to twelve.
 
Widow Gray knew all these neighbor boys very well, and had often entertained them on her front door-step with apples and ginger-bread cookies, for they were adventurous16 little fellows, brothers and cousins, who often stole away from their homes to explore little caves roundabout, leaving their doting17 mammas in wild panics over their absence.
 
The good woman knew that another expedition was on foot, for each boy carried a new tallow candle in hand, and wore his[Pg 26] worst clothes, as if on purpose, while their pretty faces looked up at her, engagingly, as George, the youngest and boldest, acting18 as spokesman, asked:
 
“Mis’ Gray, please, ma’am, may we explore the cave that opens from the hill in your back lot?”
 
Smiling cheerily at them, she answered, kindly19:
 
“Bless your little hearts, there ain’t no cave there, children. My husband always told me ’twas the end of an underground passage from Wheatlands, where the Hermanns used to hide in Indian raids.”
 
“We’d like to see it, all the same, ma’am, please,” said the blue-eyed boy with the little pug nose, in that sweet coaxing20 voice that always won its way with every one.
 
At that she frankly21 gave consent, since she could see no possible danger in the adventure, but as she handed them out some currant buns for lunch she shook her head at them slyly, saying:
 
“I wonder if your mas know you are out on this raid?”
 
“Oh, they don’t care!” fibbed Willie, with a jaunty22 air, and then they all went around the house, disappearing presently in the hole under the hill, with their lighted candles, the four dearest and happiest little chaps in Christendom.
 
“Bless their little hearts,” she sighed, wiping the quick tears from her eyes as she thought of her own two darlings at rest in the little green mounds23 over in the Presbyterian graveyard24, under the grass and flowers, and as she knit and rocked the summer wind seemed like tender childish fingers playing with the locks of white hair on her wrinkled brow.
 
So time slipped away for an hour or so, as she sat there in the summer stillness, lulled25 by the hum of bees and the song of birds, and the low breeze sighing in the pine trees, and then she started up at the sound of excited voices coming around the house.
 
The four cave-hunters were returning helter-skelter, their faces pale, their eyes like saucers, all shouting at once:
 
“Oh, Mis’ Gray, we have found a dead man!”
 
“A dead man!”
 
“A dead man!”
 
“If you don’t believe us, come on, and we will show you!”
 
It was no boyish joke, she could see from their pale, earnest little faces, so she said:
 
“Oh, my, how dreadful! Some Indian bones, perhaps, my dears?”
 
The boys, who had got in a close group together, now began to talk in loud whispers, one saying. “Oh, tell her!” another, “Oh, don’t,” while the something unexplainable in their faces made her tremble with a strange dread.
 
She said as calmly as she could for the wild beating of her heart:
 
“Out with it, boys; tell me all you know at once!”
 
Thereupon Georgie shouted, glibly26:
 
“We went about five miles in the cave with our candles, an’ then we found”—
 
She held up a remonstrating27 hand, saying:
 
“Not five miles, oh, no; I have often heard that the underground road isn’t more than a mile.”
 
“Well, a mile, then,” continued George, unabashed, “an’ then we thought we heard an nawful grunt28, an’ we all jumped so that our candles most went out, an’ the skin creeped on our bones, ’cause we thought it might be an Indian ghost, you see, an’ we might get tommy-hawked, an’ our mammas wouldn’t never know where we was, ’cause we sneaked29 away,” he broke down, with a stifled30 whimper, and nudged the next boy to go on.
 
Alex took up the story, adding:
 
“The little boys was scared, but we wasn’t, an’ we marched right on, an’ d’reckly we come on a dead man—not Indian bones, no, but a white man with his head all bloody31, an’—an’—then we thought we better come back for you, ’cause you know him.”
 
With a groan32 she cried:
 
“You don’t mean my boarder—Mr. Chester!”
 
Perhaps the little fellows had already decided5 to break the news to her gently, for they nudged each other, and the oldest one said, sorrowfully:
 
“It looked like him, but maybe ’tain’t. Please come with us and see!”
 
“I will come,” she said, “but wait; you said he groaned33.”
 
“Before we got to him it sounded like groans34, but when we found him he was dead.”
 
“Dead as a door nail!” sobbed little Laurie, awesomely35, while the eyes of the smallest one brimmed over with tears.
 
It needed no more to make the excited woman follow their guidance back to the cave, as they persisted in calling it, taking with her some water and a bottle of wine.
 
She soon found that the little boys had told her the truth.
 
The body of Chester Olyphant lay seemingly lifeless on the ground, the brown curls matted with blood from a wound on the side of the head.
 
“Oh, who has done this awful murder?” she moaned, as she listened at his heart for a throb36 of life.
 
It seemed to her there was a faint, irregular beat, and she hastened to apply her restoratives, eliciting37 a low sound like a gasp38 or sigh.
 
“Oh, boys, we’ll have to carry him out to the air,” she exclaimed, and by their valiant39 efforts they got him out of the passage just as twilight40 darkened the world.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 repulse dBFz4     
n.击退,拒绝;vt.逐退,击退,拒绝
参考例句:
  • The armed forces were prepared to repulse any attacks.武装部队已作好击退任何进攻的准备。
  • After the second repulse,the enemy surrendered.在第二次击退之后,敌人投降了。
2 disappearance ouEx5     
n.消失,消散,失踪
参考例句:
  • He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
  • Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。
3 manliness 8212c0384b8e200519825a99755ad0bc     
刚毅
参考例句:
  • She was really fond of his strength, his wholesome looks, his manliness. 她真喜欢他的坚强,他那健康的容貌,他的男子气概。
  • His confidence, his manliness and bravery, turn his wit into wisdom. 他的自信、男子气概和勇敢将他的风趣变为智慧。
4 esteem imhyZ     
n.尊敬,尊重;vt.尊重,敬重;把…看作
参考例句:
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。
5 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
6 humble ddjzU     
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。
7 soothe qwKwF     
v.安慰;使平静;使减轻;缓和;奉承
参考例句:
  • I've managed to soothe him down a bit.我想方设法使他平静了一点。
  • This medicine should soothe your sore throat.这种药会减轻你的喉痛。
8 placid 7A1yV     
adj.安静的,平和的
参考例句:
  • He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
  • You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。
9 stipulating 58c3dca05f6ed665a9603096b93b9e85     
v.(尤指在协议或建议中)规定,约定,讲明(条件等)( stipulate的现在分词 );规定,明确要求
参考例句:
  • Shall we first sign a barter trade agreement stipulating the general terms and conditions? 我们先签一个易货贸易协议,规定一般性条款,行吗? 来自互联网
  • The other firm are stipulating for and early exchange of information regarding the contract. 作为协议条件,另一家公司坚持要求早日交换有关合同的信息。 来自互联网
10 assented 4cee1313bb256a1f69bcc83867e78727     
同意,赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The judge assented to allow the prisoner to speak. 法官同意允许犯人申辩。
  • "No," assented Tom, "they don't kill the women -- they're too noble. “对,”汤姆表示赞同地说,“他们不杀女人——真伟大!
11 dread Ekpz8     
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧
参考例句:
  • We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
  • Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。
12 sobbed 4a153e2bbe39eef90bf6a4beb2dba759     
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。
13 calamity nsizM     
n.灾害,祸患,不幸事件
参考例句:
  • Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
  • The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。
14 vaguely BfuzOy     
adv.含糊地,暖昧地
参考例句:
  • He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
  • He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面,对一切都视而不见。
15 foretelling b78754033064d0679282f59e56fa6732     
v.预言,预示( foretell的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Are you calling or foretelling? 你是否在召唤或者预言? 来自互联网
  • If the conclusion is right, there will be an important complement for the novel's foretelling ways. 这一结论如果成立,将是对《红楼梦》预示手法的一个重要补充。 来自互联网
16 adventurous LKryn     
adj.爱冒险的;惊心动魄的,惊险的,刺激的 
参考例句:
  • I was filled with envy at their adventurous lifestyle.我很羨慕他们敢于冒险的生活方式。
  • He was predestined to lead an adventurous life.他注定要过冒险的生活。
17 doting xuczEv     
adj.溺爱的,宠爱的
参考例句:
  • His doting parents bought him his first racing bike at 13.宠爱他的父母在他13岁时就给他买了第一辆竞速自行车。
  • The doting husband catered to his wife's every wish.这位宠爱妻子的丈夫总是高度满足太太的各项要求。
18 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
19 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
20 coaxing 444e70224820a50b0202cb5bb05f1c2e     
v.哄,用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 );巧言骗取;哄劝,劝诱;“锻炼”效应
参考例句:
  • No amount of coaxing will make me change my mind. 任你费尽口舌也不会说服我改变主意。
  • It took a lot of coaxing before he agreed. 劝说了很久他才同意。 来自辞典例句
21 frankly fsXzcf     
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说
参考例句:
  • To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说,我一点也不赞成这个主意。
  • Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说,我不反对改革。
22 jaunty x3kyn     
adj.愉快的,满足的;adv.心满意足地,洋洋得意地;n.心满意足;洋洋得意
参考例句:
  • She cocked her hat at a jaunty angle.她把帽子歪戴成俏皮的样子。
  • The happy boy walked with jaunty steps.这个快乐的孩子以轻快活泼的步子走着。
23 mounds dd943890a7780b264a2a6c1fa8d084a3     
土堆,土丘( mound的名词复数 ); 一大堆
参考例句:
  • We had mounds of tasteless rice. 我们有成堆成堆的淡而无味的米饭。
  • Ah! and there's the cemetery' - cemetery, he must have meant. 'You see the mounds? 啊,这就是同墓,”——我想他要说的一定是公墓,“看到那些土墩了吗?
24 graveyard 9rFztV     
n.坟场
参考例句:
  • All the town was drifting toward the graveyard.全镇的人都象流水似地向那坟场涌过去。
  • Living next to a graveyard would give me the creeps.居住在墓地旁边会使我毛骨悚然。
25 lulled c799460fe7029a292576ebc15da4e955     
vt.使镇静,使安静(lull的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • They lulled her into a false sense of security. 他们哄骗她,使她产生一种虚假的安全感。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The movement of the train lulled me to sleep. 火车轻微的震动催我进入梦乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
26 glibly glibly     
adv.流利地,流畅地;满口
参考例句:
  • He glibly professed his ignorance of the affair. 他口口声声表白不知道这件事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He put ashes on his head, apologized profusely, but then went glibly about his business. 他表示忏悔,满口道歉,但接着又故态复萌了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
27 remonstrating d6f86bf1c32a6bbc11620cd486ecf6b4     
v.抗议( remonstrate的现在分词 );告诫
参考例句:
  • There's little point in remonstrating with John.He won't listen to reason. 跟约翰抗辩没有什么意义,他不听劝。 来自互联网
  • We tried remonstrating with him over his treatment of the children. 我们曾试着在对待孩子上规谏他。 来自互联网
28 grunt eeazI     
v.嘟哝;作呼噜声;n.呼噜声,嘟哝
参考例句:
  • He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。
  • I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽,他只哼了一声。
29 sneaked fcb2f62c486b1c2ed19664da4b5204be     
v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状
参考例句:
  • I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
  • She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。
30 stifled 20d6c5b702a525920b7425fe94ea26a5     
(使)窒息, (使)窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 ); 镇压,遏制; 堵
参考例句:
  • The gas stifled them. 煤气使他们窒息。
  • The rebellion was stifled. 叛乱被镇压了。
31 bloody kWHza     
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染
参考例句:
  • He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
  • He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。
32 groan LfXxU     
vi./n.呻吟,抱怨;(发出)呻吟般的声音
参考例句:
  • The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
  • The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。
33 groaned 1a076da0ddbd778a674301b2b29dff71     
v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦
参考例句:
  • He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
  • The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
34 groans 41bd40c1aa6a00b4445e6420ff52b6ad     
n.呻吟,叹息( groan的名词复数 );呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 );发牢骚;抱怨;受苦
参考例句:
  • There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅,到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
35 awesomely 88c601591b157b300a887bdc19ce435b     
赫然
参考例句:
  • The land is flat, and the views are awesomely extensive. 这里地势平坦,其视野之开阔令人敬畏。 来自互联网
  • Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. 让简单事情变复杂是平庸;让复杂事情变简单,惊人地简单,是创造力。 来自互联网
36 throb aIrzV     
v.震颤,颤动;(急速强烈地)跳动,搏动
参考例句:
  • She felt her heart give a great throb.她感到自己的心怦地跳了一下。
  • The drums seemed to throb in his ears.阵阵鼓声彷佛在他耳边震响。
37 eliciting f08f75f51c1af2ad2f06093ec0cc0789     
n. 诱发, 引出 动词elicit的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • He succeeded in eliciting the information he needed from her. 他从她那里问出了他所需要的信息。
  • A criminal trial isn't a tribunal for eliciting the truth. 刑事审讯并非是一种要探明真相的审判。
38 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。
39 valiant YKczP     
adj.勇敢的,英勇的;n.勇士,勇敢的人
参考例句:
  • He had the fame of being very valiant.他的勇敢是出名的。
  • Despite valiant efforts by the finance minister,inflation rose to 36%.尽管财政部部长采取了一系列果决措施,通货膨胀率还是涨到了36%。
40 twilight gKizf     
n.暮光,黄昏;暮年,晚期,衰落时期
参考例句:
  • Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
  • Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。


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