The sound of Miss Painter's latch-key made her start. Shewas still a bundle of quivering fears to whom each comingmoment seemed a menace.
There was a slight interval1, and a sound of voices in thehall; then Miss Painter's vigorous hand was on the door.
Anna stood up as she came in. "You've found him?""I've found Sophy.""And Owen?--has she seen him? Is he here?""SHE'S here: in the hall. She wants to speak to you.""Here--NOW?" Anna found no voice for more.
"She drove back with me," Miss Painter continued in the toneof impartial2 narrative3. "The cabman was impertinent. I'vegot his number." She fumbled4 in a stout5 black reticule.
"Oh, I can't--" broke from Anna; but she collected herself,remembering that to betray her unwillingness6 to see the girlwas to risk revealing much more.
"She thought you might be too tired to see her: she wouldn'tcome in till I'd found out."Anna drew a quick breath. An instant's thought had told herthat Sophy Viner would hardly have taken such a step unlesssomething more important had happened. "Ask her to come,please," she said.
Miss Painter, from the threshold, turned back to announceher intention of going immediately to the police station toreport the cabman's delinquency; then she passed out, andSophy Viner entered.
The look in the girl's face showed that she had indeed comeunwillingly; yet she seemed animated7 by an eagerresoluteness that made Anna ashamed of her tremors8. For amoment they looked at each other in silence, as if thethoughts between them were packed too thick for speech; thenAnna said, in a voice from which she strove to take the edgeof hardness: "You know where Owen is, Miss Painter tellsme.""Yes; that was my reason for asking you to see me." Sophyspoke simply, without constraint9 or hesitation10.
"I thought he'd promised you--" Anna interposed.
"He did; but he broke his promise. That's what I thought Iought to tell you.""Thank you." Anna went on tentatively: "He left Givre thismorning without a word. I followed him because I wasafraid..."She broke off again and the girl took up her phrase. "Youwere afraid he'd guessed? He HAS...""What do you mean--guessed what?""That you know something he doesn't...something that madeyou glad to have me go.""Oh--" Anna moaned. If she had wanted more pain she had itnow. "He's told you this?" she faltered11.
"He hasn't told me, because I haven't seen him. I kept himoff--I made Mrs. Farlow get rid of him. But he's written mewhat he came to say; and that was it.""Oh, poor Owen!" broke from Anna. Through all theintricacies of her suffering she felt the separate pang12 ofhis.
"And I want to ask you," the girl continued, "to let me seehim; for of course," she added in the same strange voice ofenergy, "I wouldn't unless you consented.""To see him?" Anna tried to gather together her startledthoughts. "What use would it be? What could you tell him?""I want to tell him the truth," said Sophy Viner.
The two women looked at each other, and a burning blush roseto Anna's forehead. "I don't understand," she faltered.
Sophy waited a moment; then she lowered her voice to say: "Idon't want him to think worse of me than he need...""Worse?""Yes--to think such things as you're thinking now...I wanthim to know exactly what happened...then I want to bid himgood-bye."Anna tried to clear a way through her own wonder andconfusion. She felt herself obscurely moved.
"Wouldn't it be worse for him?""To hear the truth? It would be better, at any rate, for youand Mr. Darrow."At the sound of the name Anna lifted her head quickly. "I'veonly my step-son to consider!"The girl threw a startled look at her. "You don't mean--you're not going to give him up?"Anna felt her lips harden. "I don't think it's of any useto talk of that.""Oh, I know! It's my fault for not knowing how to say what Iwant you to hear. Your words are different; you know how tochoose them. Mine offend you...and the dread13 of it makes meblunder. That's why, the other day, I couldn't sayanything...couldn't make things clear to you. But nowMUST, even if you hate it!" She drew a step nearer, herslender figure swayed forward in a passion of entreaty14. "Dolisten to me! What you've said is dreadful. How can youspeak of him in that voice? Don't you see that I went awayso that he shouldn't have to lose you?"Anna looked at her coldly. "Are you speaking of Mr. Darrow?
I don't know why you think your going or staying can in anyway affect our relations.""You mean that you HAVE given him up--because of me? Oh,how could you? You can't really love him!--And yet," thegirl suddenly added, "you must, or you'd be more sorry forme!""I'm very sorry for you," Anna said, feeling as if the ironband about her heart pressed on it a little less inexorably.
"Then why won't you hear me? Why won't you try tounderstand? It's all so different from what you imagine!""I've never judged you.""I'm not thinking of myself. He loves you!""I thought you'd come to speak of Owen."Sophy Viner seemed not to hear her. "He's never loved anyone else. Even those few days...I knew it all thewhile...he never cared for me.""Please don't say any more!" Anna said.
"I know it must seem strange to you that I should say somuch. I shock you, I offend you: you think me a creaturewithout shame. So I am--but not in the sense you think! I'mnot ashamed of having loved him; no; and I'm not ashamed oftelling you so. It's that that justifies15 me--and himtoo...Oh, let me tell you how it happened! He was sorry forme: he saw I cared. I KNEW that was all he ever felt. Icould see he was thinking of some one else. I knew it wasonly for a week...He never said a word to mislead me...Iwanted to be happy just once--and I didn't dream of the harmI might be doing him!"Anna could not speak. She hardly knew, as yet, what thegirl's words conveyed to her, save the sense of their tragicfervour; but she was conscious of being in the presence ofan intenser passion than she had ever felt.
"I am sorry for you." She paused. "But why do you say thisto me?" After another interval she exclaimed: "You'd noright to let Owen love you.""No; that was wrong. At least what's happened since hasmade it so. If things had been different I think I couldhave made Owen happy. You were all so good to me--I wantedso to stay with you! I suppose you'll say that makes itworse: my daring to dream I had the right...But all thatdoesn't matter now. I won't see Owen unless you're willing.
I should have liked to tell him what I've tried to tell you;but you must know better; you feel things in a finer way.
Only you'll have to help him if I can't. He cares a greatdeal...it's going to hurt him..."Anna trembled. "Oh, I know! What can I do?""You can go straight back to Givre--now, at once! So thatOwen shall never know you've followed him." Sophy's claspedhands reached out urgently. "And you can send for Mr.
Darrow--bring him back. Owen must be convinced that he'smistaken, and nothing else will convince him. AfterwardI'll find a pretext--oh, I promise you! But first he mustsee for himself that nothing's changed for you."Anna stood motionless, subdued16 and dominated. The girl'sardour swept her like a wind.
"Oh, can't I move you? Some day you'll know!" Sophy pleaded,her eyes full of tears.
Anna saw them, and felt a fullness in her throat. Again theband about her heart seemed loosened. She wanted to find aword, but could not: all within her was too dark andviolent. She gave the girl a speechless look.
"I do believe you," she said suddenly; then she turned andwalked out of the room.
收听单词发音 |
1
interval
|
|
| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
impartial
|
|
| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
narrative
|
|
| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
fumbled
|
|
| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
unwillingness
|
|
| n. 不愿意，不情愿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
animated
|
|
| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
tremors
|
|
| 震颤( tremor的名词复数 )； 战栗； 震颤声； 大地的轻微震动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
constraint
|
|
| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
hesitation
|
|
| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
faltered
|
|
| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
pang
|
|
| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
dread
|
|
| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
entreaty
|
|
| n.恳求，哀求 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
justifies
|
|
| 证明…有理( justify的第三人称单数 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
subdued
|
|
| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |