酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

Penelope's Irish Experiences-Part29_Kate Douglas Wiggin(1856-1923)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页


would be continuallyastray in it. The Button Boy, obeying the laws

of human nature, is lost in two minutes, but requires two hours in



which to find himself. Benella suspects that he prefers this

wandering to and fro to the more monotonous task of weeding, and it



is no uncommon thing for her to pursue the recalcitrant page through

the mazes and labyrinths for an hour at a time, and perhaps lose



herself in the end. Salemina and I were sitting this morning in the

Peacock Walk, where two trees clipped into the shape of long-tailed



birds mount guard over the box hedge, and put their beaks together

to form an arch. In the dim distance we could see Benella 'bagging'



the Button Boy, and, after putting the trowel and rake in his

reluctant hands, tying the free end of a ball of string to his leg,



and sending him to find and weed the pansy garden. We laughed until

the echoes rang, to see him depart, dragging his lengthening chain,



or his Ariadne thread, behind him, while Benella grimly held the

ball, determined that no excuses or apologies should interfere with



his work on this occasion.

Chapter XXVIII. Round towers and reflections.



'On Lough Neagh's banks, as the fisherman strays,

When the cool, calm eve's declining.



He sees the round towers of other days

Beneath the waters shining.'



Thomas Moore.

A Dublin car-driver told me one day that he had just taken a picnic-



party to the borders of a lake, where they had had tea in a tramcar

which had been placed there for such purposes. Francesca and I were



amused at the idea, but did not think of it again until we drove

through the La Touche estate, on one of the first days after our



arrival at Devorgilla. We left Salemina at Rosnaree House with Aunt

La Touche and the children, and proceeded to explore the grounds,



with the view of deciding on certain improvements to be made when

the property passes, so to speak, into our hands.



Truth to say, nature has done more for it than we could have done;

and if it is a trifle overgrown and rough and rank, it could hardly



be more beautiful. At the very furthest confines of the demesne

there is a brook,--large enough, indeed, to be called a river here,



where they have no Mississippi to dwarf all other streams and serve

as an impossible standard of comparison. Tall trees droop over the



calm water, and on its margins grow spearwort, opening its big

yellow cups to the sunshine, meadow rue, purple and yellow



loosestrife, bog bean, and sweet flag. Here and there float upon

the surface the round leaves and delicate white blossoms of the



frogbit, together with lilies, pondweeds, and water starworts.

"What an idyllic place to sit and read, or sew, or have tea!"



exclaimed Francesca.

"What a place for a tram tea-house!" I added. "Do you suppose we



could manage it as a surprise to Dr. La Touche, in return for all

his kindness?"



"It would cost a pretty penny, I fear," said Francesca prudently,

"though it isn't as if it were going out of the family. Now that



there is no longer any need for you to sell pictures, I suppose you

could dash off one in an hour or two that would buy a tram; and papa



cabled me yesterday, you know, to draw on him freely. I used to

think, whenever he said that, that he would marry again within the



week; but I did him injustice. A tram tea-house by the river,--

wouldn't it be unique? Do let us see what we can do about it



through some of our Dublin acquaintances."

The plan proved unexpectedly" target="_blank" title="ad.意外地；突然地">unexpectedly easy to carry out, and not ruinously



extravagant, either; for our friend the American consul knew the

principal director in a tram company, and a dilapidated and



discarded car was sent to us in a few days. There were certain

moments--once when we saw that it had not been painted for twenty



years, once when the freight bill was handed us, and again when we

contracted for the removal of our gift from the station to the



river-bank--when we regretted the fertility of imagination that had

led us to these lengths; but when we finally saw the car by the



water-side, there was no room left for regret. Benella said that,

with the assistance of the Button Boy, she could paint it easily






文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号