When Arthur got out of the gates of the Quinta Carr, he hurried to the hotel, with the intention of reading the letters Mildred had given him, and, passing through the dining-room, seated himself upon the “stoep” which overlooked the garden in order to do so. At this time of year it was, generally speaking, a quiet place enough; but on this particular day scarcely had Arthur taken the letter from his pocket, and — having placed the ring that it contained upon his trembling finger, and repudiating1 the statement, marked “to be read first,” on account of its business-like appearance — glanced at the two first lines of Angela’s own letter, when the sound of hurrying feet and many chattering2 voices reminded him that he could expect no peace anywhere in the neighbourhood of the hotel. The second English mail was in, and all the crowd of passengers, who were at this time pouring out to the Cape3 to escape the English winter, had come, rejoicing, ashore4, to eat, drink, be merry, and buy parrots and wicker chairs while the vessel5 coaled.
He groaned6 and fled, in his hurry leaving the statement on the bench on which he was seated.
Some half-mile or so away, to the left of the town, where the sea had encroached a little upon the shore of the island, there was a nook of peculiar7 loveliness. Here the giant hand of Nature had cleft8 a ravine in the mountains that make Madeira, down which a crystal streamlet trickled9 to the patch of yellow sand that edged the sea. Its banks sloped like a natural terrace, and were clothed with masses of maidenhair ferns interwoven with feathery grasses, whilst up above among the rocks grew aloes and every sort of flowering shrub10.
Behind, clothed in forest, lay the mass of mountains, varied11 by the rich green of the vine-clad valleys, and in front heaved the endless ocean, broken only by one lonely rock that stood grimly out against the purpling glories of the evening sky. This spot Arthur had discovered in the course of his rambles12 with Mildred, and it was here that he bent13 his steps to be alone to read his letters. Scarcely had he reached the place, however, when he discovered, to his intense vexation, that he had left the enclosure in Angela’s letter upon the verandah at the hotel. But, luckily, it chanced that, within a few yards of the spot where he had seated himself, there was a native boy cutting walking-sticks from the scrub. He called to him in Portuguese14, of which he had learnt a little, and, writing something on a card, told him to take it to the manager of the hotel, and to bring back what he would give him. Delighted at the chance of earning sixpence, the boy started at a run, and at last he was able to begin to read his letter.
Had Arthur not been in quite such a hurry to leave the hotel, he might have seen something which would have interested him, namely, a very lovely woman — so lovely, indeed, that everybody turned their heads to look at her as she passed, accompanied by another woman clad in a stiff black gown, not at all lovely, and rather ancient, but, for all that, well-favoured and pleasant to look on, being duly convoyed to their room in the hotel by his friend the manager.
“Well, thank my stars, here we be at last,” said the elderly stout15 person, with a gasp16, as the door of the room closed upon the pair; “and it’s my opinion that here I shall stop till my dying day, for, as for getting on board one of those beastly ships again, I couldn’t do it, and that’s flat. Now look here, dearie, don’t you sit there and look frightened, but just set to and clean yourself up a bit. I’m off downstairs to see if I can find out about things; everybody’s sure to know everybody else’s business in a place like this, because, you see, the gossip can’t get out of a bit of an island, it must travel round and round till it ewaporates. I shall soon know if he is married or not, and if he is, why, what’s done can’t be undone17, and it’s no use crying over spilt milk, and we’ll be off home, though I doubt I sha’n’t live to get there, and if he isn’t why so much the better.”
“Oh! nurse, do stop talking, and go quickly; can’t you see that I am in an agony of suspense18? I must get it over one way or the other.”
“Hurry no man’s cattle, my dear, or I shall make a mess of it. Now, Miss Angela, just you keep cool, it ain’t no manner of use flying into a state. I’ll be back presently.”
But, as soon as she was gone, poor Angela flew into a considerable state; for, flinging herself upon her knees by the bed, she broke into hysterical19 prayers to her Maker20 that Arthur might not be taken from her. Poor girl! alternately racked by sick fears and wild hopes, hers was not a very enviable position during the apparently21 endless ten minutes that followed.
Meanwhile, Pigott had descended22 to the cool hall, round which were arranged rows of hammocks, and was looking out for some one with whom to enter into conversation. A Portuguese waiter approached her, but she majestically23 waved him away, under the impression that he could not speak English, though as a matter of fact his English was purer than her own.
Presently a pretty little woman, leading a baby by the hand, came up to her.
“Pray, do you want anything? I am the wife of the manager.”
“Yes, ma’am. I want a little information — at least, there’s another that does. Did you ever happen to hear of a Mr. Heigham?”
“Mr. Heigham? Indeed, yes; I know him well. He was here a few minutes since.”
“Then perhaps, ma’am, you can tell me if he is married to a Mrs. Carr that lives on this island?”
“Not that I know of,” she answered, with a little smile; “but there is a good deal of talk about them — people say that, though they are not married, they ought to be, you know.”
“That’s the best bit of news I have heard for many a day. As for the talk, I don’t pay no manner of heed24 to that. If he ain’t married to her, he won’t marry her now, I’ll go bail25. Thank you kindly26, ma’am.”
At that moment they were interrupted by the entrance of a little ragged27 boy into the hall, who timidly held out a card to the lady to whom Pigott was talking.
“Do you want to find Mr. Heigham?” she said. “Because if so, this boy will show you where he is. He has sent here for a paper that he left. I found it on the verandah just now, and wondered what it was. Perhaps you would take it to him if you go. I don’t like trusting this boy — as likely as not he will lose it.”
“That will just suit. Just you tell the boy to wait while I fetch my young lady, and we will go with him. Is this the paper? And in her writing, too! Well, I never! There, I’ll be back in no time.”
Pigott went upstairs far too rapidly for a person of her size and years, with the result that when she reached their room, where Angela was waiting half dead with suspense, she could only gasp.
“Well,” said Angela, “be quick and tell me.”
“Oh, Lord! them stairs!” gasped28 Pigott.
“For pity’s sake, tell me the worst!”
“Now, miss, do give a body time, and don’t be a fool — begging pardon for ——”
“Oh, Pigott, you are torturing me!”
“Well, miss, you muddle29 me so — but I am coming to it. I went down them dratted stairs, and there I see a wonderful nice-looking party with a baby.”
“For God’s sake tell me — is Arthur married?”
“Why, no, dearie — of course not. I was just a-going to say ——”
But whatever valuable remark Pigott was going to make was lost to the world for ever, for Angela flung her arms round her neck and began kissing her.
“Oh, oh! thank God — thank God! Oh, oh, oh!”
Whereupon Pigott, being a very sensible person, took her by the shoulders and tried to shake her, but it was no joke shaking a person of her height. Angela stood firm, and Pigott oscillated — that was the only visible result.
“Now, then, miss,” she said, giving up the shaking as a bad job, “no highstrikes, if you please. Just you put on your hat and come for a bit of a walk in this queer place with me. I haven’t brought you up by hand this two-and-twenty year or thereabouts, to see you go off in highstrikes, like a housemaid as has seen a ghost.”
Angela stopped, and did as she was bid.
收听单词发音 |
1
repudiating
|
|
| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的现在分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
chattering
|
|
| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
cape
|
|
| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
ashore
|
|
| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
groaned
|
|
| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
cleft
|
|
| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
trickled
|
|
| v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
shrub
|
|
| n.灌木，灌木丛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
varied
|
|
| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
rambles
|
|
| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
Portuguese
|
|
| n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
gasp
|
|
| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
undone
|
|
| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
suspense
|
|
| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
hysterical
|
|
| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
maker
|
|
| n.制造者，制造商 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
majestically
|
|
| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
heed
|
|
| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
bail
|
|
| v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
ragged
|
|
| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
gasped
|
|
| 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： |
|
|
|
|
29
muddle
|
|
| n.困惑，混浊状态；vt.使混乱，使糊涂，使惊呆；vi.胡乱应付，混乱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |