章节正文
文章总共2页
York's wedding-day. I'm rather a tall chap, you see, and in the
crowd somebody touched me on the shoulder, and a plaintive voice
behind me said, `You're such a big man, and I am so little, will you
please help me to save my life? My mother was separated from me in
the crowd somewhere as we were trying to reach the Berkeley, and I
don't know what to do.' I was a trifle nonplussed, but I did the
best I could. She was a tiny thing, in a marvellous frock and a
flowery hat and a silver girdle and chatelaine. In another minute
she spied a second man, an officer, a full head taller than I am,
broad shoulders, splendidly put up altogether. Bless me! if she
didn't turn to him and say, `Oh, you're so nice and big, you're even
bigger than this other gentleman, and I need you both in this
dreadful crush. If you'll be good enough to stand on either side of
me, I shall be awfully obliged.' We exchanged amused glances of
embarrassment over her blonde head, but there was no resisting the
irresistible. She was a small person, but she had the soul of a
general, and we obeyed orders. We stood guard over her little
ladyship for nearly an hour, and I must say she entertained us
thoroughly, for she was as clever as she was pretty. Then I got her
a seat in one of the windows of my club, while the other man, armed
with a full description, went out to hunt up the mother; and, by
Jove! he found her, too. She would have her mother, and her mother
she had. They were awfully jolly people; they came to luncheon in
my chambers at the Albany afterwards, and we grew to be great
friends."
"I dare say she was an English girl masquerading," I remarked
facetiously. "What made you think her an American?"
"Oh, her general appearance and accent, I suppose."
"Probably she didn't say Barkley," observed Francesca cuttingly;
"she would have been sure to commit that sort of solecism."
"Why, don't you say Barkley in the States?"
"Certainly not; we never call them the States, and with us c-l-e-r-k
spells clerk, and B-e-r-k Berk."
"How very odd!" remarked Mr. Anstruther.
"No odder than you saying Bark, and not half as odd as your calling
it Albany," I interpolated, to help Francesca.
"Quite so," said Mr. Anstruther; "but how do you say Albany in
America?"
"Penelope and I always call it Allbany," responded Francesca
nonsensically, "but Salemina, who has been much in England, always
calls it Albany."
This anecdote was the signal for Miss Ardmore to remark (apropos of
her own discrimination and the American accent) that hearing a lady
ask for a certain med'cine in a chemist's shop, she noted the
intonation, and inquired of the chemist, when the fair stranger had
retired, if she were not an American. "And she was!" exclaimed the
Honourable Elizabeth triumphantly. "And what makes it the more
curious, she had been over here twenty years, and of course, spoke
English quite properly."
In avenging fancied insults, it is certainly more just to heap
punishment on the head of the real offender than upon his neighbour,
and it is a trifle difficult to decide why Francesca should chastise
Mr. Macdonald for the good-humoured sins of Mr. Anstruther and Miss
Ardmore; yet she does so, nevertheless.
The history of these chastisements she recounts in the nightly half-
hour which she spends with me when I am endeavouring to compose
myself for sleep. Francesca is fluent at all times, but once seated
on the foot of my bed she becomes eloquent!
"It all began with his saying--"
This is her perennialintroduction, and I respond as invariably,
"What began?"
"Oh, to-day's argument with Mr. Macdonald. It was a literary
quarrel this afternoon."
"'Fools rush in--'" I quoted.
"There is a good deal of nonsense in that old saw," she interrupted;
"at all events, the most foolish fools I have ever known stayed
still and didn't do anything. Rushing shows a certain movement of
the mind, even if it is in the wrong direction. However, Mr.
Macdonald is both opinionated and dogmatic, but his worst enemy
could never call him a fool."
crowd somebody touched me on the shoulder, and a plaintive voice
behind me said, `You're such a big man, and I am so little, will you
please help me to save my life? My mother was separated from me in
the crowd somewhere as we were trying to reach the Berkeley, and I
don't know what to do.' I was a trifle nonplussed, but I did the
best I could. She was a tiny thing, in a marvellous frock and a
flowery hat and a silver girdle and chatelaine. In another minute
she spied a second man, an officer, a full head taller than I am,
broad shoulders, splendidly put up altogether. Bless me! if she
didn't turn to him and say, `Oh, you're so nice and big, you're even
bigger than this other gentleman, and I need you both in this
dreadful crush. If you'll be good enough to stand on either side of
me, I shall be awfully obliged.' We exchanged amused glances of
embarrassment over her blonde head, but there was no resisting the
irresistible. She was a small person, but she had the soul of a
general, and we obeyed orders. We stood guard over her little
ladyship for nearly an hour, and I must say she entertained us
thoroughly, for she was as clever as she was pretty. Then I got her
a seat in one of the windows of my club, while the other man, armed
with a full description, went out to hunt up the mother; and, by
Jove! he found her, too. She would have her mother, and her mother
she had. They were awfully jolly people; they came to luncheon in
my chambers at the Albany afterwards, and we grew to be great
friends."
"I dare say she was an English girl masquerading," I remarked
facetiously. "What made you think her an American?"
"Oh, her general appearance and accent, I suppose."
"Probably she didn't say Barkley," observed Francesca cuttingly;
"she would have been sure to commit that sort of solecism."
"Why, don't you say Barkley in the States?"
"Certainly not; we never call them the States, and with us c-l-e-r-k
spells clerk, and B-e-r-k Berk."
"How very odd!" remarked Mr. Anstruther.
"No odder than you saying Bark, and not half as odd as your calling
it Albany," I interpolated, to help Francesca.
"Quite so," said Mr. Anstruther; "but how do you say Albany in
America?"
"Penelope and I always call it Allbany," responded Francesca
nonsensically, "but Salemina, who has been much in England, always
calls it Albany."
This anecdote was the signal for Miss Ardmore to remark (apropos of
her own discrimination and the American accent) that hearing a lady
ask for a certain med'cine in a chemist's shop, she noted the
intonation, and inquired of the chemist, when the fair stranger had
retired, if she were not an American. "And she was!" exclaimed the
Honourable Elizabeth triumphantly. "And what makes it the more
curious, she had been over here twenty years, and of course, spoke
English quite properly."
In avenging fancied insults, it is certainly more just to heap
punishment on the head of the real offender than upon his neighbour,
and it is a trifle difficult to decide why Francesca should chastise
Mr. Macdonald for the good-humoured sins of Mr. Anstruther and Miss
Ardmore; yet she does so, nevertheless.
The history of these chastisements she recounts in the nightly half-
hour which she spends with me when I am endeavouring to compose
myself for sleep. Francesca is fluent at all times, but once seated
on the foot of my bed she becomes eloquent!
"It all began with his saying--"
This is her perennialintroduction, and I respond as invariably,
"What began?"
"Oh, to-day's argument with Mr. Macdonald. It was a literary
quarrel this afternoon."
"'Fools rush in--'" I quoted.
"There is a good deal of nonsense in that old saw," she interrupted;
"at all events, the most foolish fools I have ever known stayed
still and didn't do anything. Rushing shows a certain movement of
the mind, even if it is in the wrong direction. However, Mr.
Macdonald is both opinionated and dogmatic, but his worst enemy
could never call him a fool."
- description [di´skripʃən]
n.描写 (初中英语单词) - commerce [´kɔmə:s] n.商业；社交；交流 (初中英语单词)
- liberal [´libərəl] a.大方的 n.开明的人 (初中英语单词)
- whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)
- grieve [gri:v] v.&n.(使)悲痛；哀悼 (初中英语单词)
- plainly [´pleinli] ad.平坦地；简单地 (初中英语单词)
- domestic [də´mestik] a.家庭的；本国的 (初中英语单词)
- temper [´tempə] n.韧度 v.锻炼；调和 (初中英语单词)
- incident [´insidənt] n.小事件；事变 (初中英语单词)
- reading [´ri:diŋ] n.(阅)读；朗读；读物 (初中英语单词)
- trifle [´traifəl] n.琐事，小事；少量 (初中英语单词)
- retreat [ri´tri:t] v.&n.退却；撤退；放弃 (初中英语单词)
- retire [ri´taiə] v.撤退；退职；退休 (初中英语单词)
- sleeping [´sli:piŋ] n.&a.睡着(的) (初中英语单词)
- whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
- rescue [´reskju:] vt.&n.救援；挽救 (初中英语单词)
- wedding [´wediŋ] n.婚礼，结婚 (初中英语单词)
- humanity [hju:´mæniti] n.人类；人性；仁慈 (初中英语单词)
- distress [di´stres] n.痛苦 vt.使苦恼 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- entertainment [,entə´teinmənt] n.招(款)待；联欢会 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- purple [´pə:pl] n.紫色 a.紫(红)的 (初中英语单词)
- laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)
- acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)
- knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)
- reverse [ri´və:s] v.颠倒；(使)反向 (初中英语单词)
- mental [´mentl] a.精神的；心理的 (初中英语单词)
- beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为….所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)
- international [,intə´næʃənəl] a.国际的，世界的 (初中英语单词)
- altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)
- luncheon [´lʌntʃ(ə)n] n.午餐，午宴 (初中英语单词)
- accent [´æksənt, æk´sent] n.重音；口音 vt.重读 (初中英语单词)
- commit [kə´mit] vt.犯(罪)；把…判处 (初中英语单词)
- chemist [´kemist] n.化学家；药剂师 (初中英语单词)
- introduction [,intrə´dʌkʃən] n.介绍；引言；引导 (初中英语单词)
- respond [ri´spɔnd] v.回答；响应；有反应 (初中英语单词)
- argument [´ɑ:gjumənt] n.辩论；争论；论证 (初中英语单词)
- movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)
- emergency [i´mə:dʒənsi] n.事变；紧急关头 (高中英语单词)
- warfare [´wɔ:feə] n.战争；斗争；竞争 (高中英语单词)
- hospitality [,hɔspi´tæliti] n.好客，殷勤 (高中英语单词)
- grocer [´grəusə] n.食品商，杂货商 (高中英语单词)
- overflow [´əuvəfləu] v.(使)泛滥 n.泛滥 (高中英语单词)
- rustic [´rʌstik] a.田野的；质朴的 (高中英语单词)
- toilet [´tɔilit] n.梳妆(台)；卫生间 (高中英语单词)
- anxiously [´æŋkʃəsli] ad.挂念地；渴望地 (高中英语单词)
- bucket [´bʌkit] n.水桶 (高中英语单词)
- ladder [´lædə] n.梯子；阶梯 (高中英语单词)
- comfortably [´kʌmfətəbli] ad.舒适地 (高中英语单词)
- bearing [´beəriŋ] n.举止；忍耐；关系 (高中英语单词)
- unique [ju:´ni:k] a.唯一的 n.独一无二 (高中英语单词)
- resident [´rezidənt] a.居住的 n.居民 (高中英语单词)
- girdle [´gə:dl] n.腰带 vt.用带束(缠) (高中英语单词)
- awfully [´ɔ:fuli] ad.令人畏惧地 (高中英语单词)
- albany [´ɔ:lbəni] n.奥尔巴尼 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
- nonsense [´nɔnsəns] n.胡说 int.胡说!废话 (高中英语单词)
- inclement [in´klemənt] a.冷酷无情的 (英语四级单词)
- currant [´kʌrənt] n.无核葡萄干 (英语四级单词)
- calamity [kə´læmiti] n.灾害，大灾难 (英语四级单词)
- gingerbread [´dʒindʒəbred] n.&a.(像)姜饼(的) (英语四级单词)
- indefinitely [in´defənitli] ad.模糊地；无限期地 (英语四级单词)
- sixpence [´sikspəns] n.六便士(硬币) (英语四级单词)
- speedily [´spi:dili] ad.迅速地 (英语四级单词)
- amidst [ə´midst] prep.=amid (英语四级单词)
- formally [´fɔ:məli] ad.形式地，正式地 (英语四级单词)
- sickening [´sikəniŋ, ´sikniŋ] a.引起疾病的 (英语四级单词)
- episode [´episəud] n.插曲；一段情节 (英语四级单词)
- trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
- anecdote [´ænikdəut] n.轶事；趣闻 (英语四级单词)
- triumphantly [trai´ʌmfəntli] ad.胜利地；洋洋得意地 (英语四级单词)
- offender [ə´fendə] n.冒犯者；罪犯 (英语四级单词)
- nightly [´naitli] a.&ad.每夜(的) (英语四级单词)
- oatmeal [´əutmi:l] n.燕麦片；燕麦粥 (英语六级单词)
- taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
- housetop [´haustɔp] n.屋顶 (英语六级单词)
- intrusion [in´tru:ʒən] n.侵入；打扰；强加 (英语六级单词)
- coolness [´ku:lnis] n.凉，凉爽；冷静 (英语六级单词)
- eccentric [ik´sentrik] a.古怪的；离心的 (英语六级单词)
- lunatic [´lu:nətik] a.精神错乱的 n.疯子 (英语六级单词)
- asylum [ə´sailəm] n.避难所，收容所 (英语六级单词)
- plaintive [´pleintiv] a.表示哀怨(悲痛) (英语六级单词)
- splendidly [´splendidli] ad.光彩夺目地；辉煌地 (英语六级单词)
- discrimination [di,skrimi´neiʃən] n.区别，歧视 (英语六级单词)
- perennial [pə´reniəl] a.长期的 n.多年生植物 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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