PART TWO DECEMBER 23RD III

III

Hilda said: “So there you are, David. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Don’t let’s stay in this

room, it’s so frightfully cold.”

David did not answer for a minute. He was standing¹ looking at a chair, a low chair with faded

satin upholstery. He said abruptly²:

“That’s her chair . . . the chair she always sat in . . . just the same—it’s just the same. Only

faded, of course.”

A little frown creased³ Hilda’s forehead. She said:

“I see. Do let’s come out of here, David. It’s frightfully cold.”

David took no notice. Looking round, he said:

“She sat in here mostly. I remember sitting on that stool there while she read to me. Jack⁴ the

Giant Killer⁵—that was it—Jack the Giant Killer. I must have been six years old then.”

Hilda put a firm hand through his arm.

“Come back to the drawing room, dear. There’s no heating in this room.”

He turned obediently, but she felt a little shiver go through him.

“Just the same,” he murmured. “Just the same. As though time had stood still.”

Hilda looked worried. She said in a cheerful determined⁶ voice:

“I wonder where the others are? It must be nearly teatime.”

David disengaged his arm and opened another door.

“There used to be a piano in here . . . Oh, yes, here it is! I wonder if it’s in tune⁷.”

He sat down and opened the lid, running his hands lightly over the keys.

“Yes, it’s evidently kept tuned⁸.”

He began to play. His touch was good, the melody flowed out from under his fingers.

Hilda asked: “What is that? I seem to know it, and I can’t quite remember.”

He said: “I haven’t played it for years. She used to play it. One of Mendelssohn’s Songs

Without Words.”

The sweet, over-sweet, melody filled the room. Hilda said:

“Play some Mozart, do.”

David shook his head. He began another Mendelssohn.

Then suddenly he brought his hands down upon the keys in a harsh discord⁹. He got up. He

was trembling all over. Hilda went to him.

She said: “David—David.”

He said: “It’s nothing—it’s nothing. . . .”

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

3 creased   

（使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的过去式和过去分词 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹； 皱皱巴巴

参考例句：

• You've creased my newspaper. 你把我的报纸弄皱了。
• The bullet merely creased his shoulder. 子弹只不过擦破了他肩部的皮肤。

4 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

8 tuned   

adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
• The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 discord   

n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐

参考例句：

• These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。
• The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。