me a certain impatience which I might otherwise have missed in those last

words of hers. From Charley it brought out, I feel quite sure, the speech



which (in some form) she had been expecting from him as her confederate

in this unwelcome and inopportune interview with me, and which his less



highly schooled perceptions had not suggested to him until prompted by

her.



"I should have been very glad to include you in our launch party if I had

known you were coming here to-day," lied little Charley.



"Thank you so much!" I murmured; and I fancy that after this Hortense

hated me worse than ever. Well, why should I play her game? If anybody



had any claim upon me, was it she? I would get as much diversion as I

could from this encounter.



Hortense had looked at Charley when she spoke for my benefit, and it now

pleased me very much to look at him when I spoke for hers.



"I could almost give up the gardens for the sake of returning with you,"

I said to him.



This was most successful in producing a perceptible silence before

Hortense said, "Do come."



I wanted to say to her, "You are quite splendid--as splendid as you look,

through and through! You wouldn't have run away from any battle of



Chattanooga!" But what I did say was, "These flowers here will fade, but

may I not hope to see you again in Kings Port?"



She was looking at me with eyes half closed; half closed for the sake of

insolence--and better observation; when eyes like that take on



drowsiness, you will be wise to leave all your secrets behind you, locked

up in the bank, or else toss them right down on the open table. Well, I



tossed mine down, thereto precipitated by a warning from the stranger in

the launch:--



"We shall need all the tide we can get."

"I'm sure you'd be glad to know," I then said immediately (to Charley, of



course), "that Miss La Heu, whose dog you killed, is back at her work as

usual this morning."



"Thank you," returned Charley. "If there could be any chance for me to

replace--"



"Miss La Heu is her name?" inquired Hortense. "I did not catch it

yesterday. She works, you say?"



"At the Woman's Exchange. She bakes cakes for weddings--among her other

activities."



"So interesting!" said Hortense; and bowing to me, she allowed the

spellbound Charley to help her down into the launch.



Each step of the few that she had to take was upon unsteady footing, and

each was taken with slow security and grace, and with a mastery of her



skirts so complete that they seemed to do it of themselves, falling and

folding in the soft, delicate curves of discretion.



For the sake of not seeming too curious about this party, I turned from

watching it before the launch had begun to move, and it was immediately



hidden from me by the bank, so that I did not see it get away. As I

crossed an open space toward the gardens I found myself far behind the



other pilgrims, whose wandering bands I could half discern among winding

walks and bordering bushes. I was soon taken into somewhat reprimanding



charge by an admirable, if important, negro, who sighted me from a door

beneath the porch of the house, and advanced upon me speedily. From him I



learned at once the rule of the place, that strangers were not allowed to

"go loose," as he expressed it; and recognizing the perfect propriety of



this restriction, I was humble, and even went so far as to put myself

right with him by quite ample purchases of the beautiful flowers that he



had for sale; some of these would be excellent for the up-country bride,

who certainly ought to have repentance from me in some form for my



silence as we had come up the river: the scenery had caused me most

ungallantly to forget her.



My rule-breaking turned out all to my advantage. The admirable and

important negro was so pacified by my liberalamends that he not only



placed the flowers which I had bought in a bucket of water to wait in

• aboard [ə´bɔ:d] ad.&prep.在…上 (初中英语单词)


• hastily [´heistili] ad.急速地；草率地 (初中英语单词)


• dislike [dis´laik] vt.&n.不喜爱，厌恶 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


• gracious [´greiʃəs] a.和蔼可亲的；任慈的 (初中英语单词)


• horrible [´hɔrəbəl] a.可怕的；恐怖的 (初中英语单词)


• lumber [´lʌmbə] v.伐木 n.木材 (初中英语单词)


• extraordinary [ik´strɔ:dinəri] a.非常的；额外的 (初中英语单词)


• severe [si´viə] a.严厉的；苛刻的 (初中英语单词)


• costume [´kɔstju:m] n.服装(试样)；女装 (初中英语单词)


• thoroughly [´θʌrəli] ad.完全地，彻底地 (初中英语单词)


• acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)


• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)


• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)


• vision [´viʒən] n.视觉；想象力；幻影 (初中英语单词)


• abundance [ə´bʌndəns] n.丰富，充裕 (初中英语单词)


• spiritual [´spiritʃuəl] a.精神(上)的；神圣的 (初中英语单词)


• eternal [i´tə:nəl] a.永远的；永恒的 (初中英语单词)


• platform [´plætfɔ:m] n.(平)台；讲台；站台 (初中英语单词)


• pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)


• evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)


• whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)


• slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)


• lightly [´laitli] ad.轻微地，稍微 (初中英语单词)


• female [´fi:meil] a.女(性)的 n.女人 (初中英语单词)


• slightly [´slaitli] ad.轻微地；细长的 (初中英语单词)


• coldness [´kəuldnis] n.寒冷；冷淡 (初中英语单词)


• shield [ʃi:ld] n.盾牌；防御 v.保护 (初中英语单词)


• evident [´evidənt] a.明显的，明白的 (初中英语单词)


• delicious [di´liʃəs] a.美味的，可口的 (初中英语单词)


• perfume [´pə:fju:m, pə´fju:m] n.香味 vt.使发香 (初中英语单词)


• feeble [´fi:bəl] a.虚弱的，无力的 (初中英语单词)


• banker [´bæŋkə] n.银行家 (初中英语单词)


• accent [´æksənt, æk´sent] n.重音；口音 vt.重读 (初中英语单词)


• beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)


• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)


• interview [´intəvju:] n.&vt.接见；会见；交谈 (初中英语单词)


• observation [,ɔbzə´veiʃən] n.观测；注意；意义 (初中英语单词)


• security [si´kjuəriti] n.安全；证券；抵押品 (初中英语单词)


• delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)


• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)


• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)


• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)


• liberal [´libərəl] a.大方的 n.开明的人 (初中英语单词)


• conspicuous [kən´spikjuəs] a.显著的；出众的 (高中英语单词)


• litter [´litə] n.杂乱 v.乱丢 (高中英语单词)


• northeast [,nɔ:θ´i:st] n.东北 a.东北的 (高中英语单词)


• specimen [´spesimən] n.标本，样品；抽样 (高中英语单词)


• crowded [´kraudid] a.充(拥)满了的 (高中英语单词)


• brightness [´braitnis] n.光明；快乐 (高中英语单词)


• successive [sək´sesiv] a.相继的；接连的 (高中英语单词)


• solitude [´sɔlitju:d] n.孤独；寂寞；荒凉 (高中英语单词)


• breadth [bredθ] n.宽度，幅面，广度 (高中英语单词)


• motionless [´məuʃənləs] a.静止的；固定的 (高中英语单词)


• hanging [´hæŋiŋ] n.绞刑 a.悬挂着的 (高中英语单词)


• landscape [´lændskeip] n.风景；景色；风景画 (高中英语单词)


• sadness [´sædnis] n.悲哀；悲痛；凄惨 (高中英语单词)


• melancholy [´melənkəli] n.忧郁 a.忧郁的 (高中英语单词)


• perpetual [pə´petʃuəl] a.永恒的；终身的 (高中英语单词)


• onward [´ɔnwəd] ad.&a.向前(的) (高中英语单词)


• launch [lɔ:ntʃ] vt.发动 n.发射；汽艇 (高中英语单词)


• indifference [in´difrəns] n.冷淡；无足轻重 (高中英语单词)


• dealing [´di:liŋ] n.交易；来往 (高中英语单词)


• pronounced [prə´naunst] a.发出音的；显著的 (高中英语单词)


• pilgrim [´pilgrim] n.旅行者；香客 (高中英语单词)


• discern [di´sə:n] v.辩认出 (高中英语单词)


• admirable [´ædmərəbəl] a.极佳的，值得赞美的 (高中英语单词)


• restriction [ri´strikʃən] n.限制；限定；约束 (高中英语单词)


• scenery [´si:nəri] n.舞台布景 (高中英语单词)


• bucket [´bʌkit] n.水桶 (高中英语单词)


• excursion [ik´skə:ʃən] n.短途旅行，游览；离题 (英语四级单词)


• richly [´ritʃli] ad.富裕地；浓厚地 (英语四级单词)


• inconvenience [,inkən´vi:niəns] n.不方便；打扰 (英语四级单词)


• masculine [´mæ:skjulin] a.男性的 n.男子 (英语四级单词)


• swollen [´swəulən] swell的过去分词 (英语四级单词)


• charitable [´tʃæritəbəl] a.仁爱的；慈善的 (英语四级单词)


• far-off [´fɑ:rɔ:f] a.远方的，遥远的 (英语四级单词)


• bridge [bridʒ] n.桥(梁)；鼻梁；桥牌 (英语四级单词)


• gentleness [´dʒentlnis] n.温和，温柔 (英语四级单词)


• whence [wens] ad.从何处；从那里 (英语四级单词)


• railing [´reiliŋ] n.栏杆 (英语四级单词)


• deliberation [dilibə´reiʃ(ə)n] n.仔细考虑；商量 (英语四级单词)


• simultaneously [,siməl´teinjəsli] ad.同时，一起 (英语四级单词)


• impatience [im´peiʃəns] n.不耐烦，急躁 (英语四级单词)


• diversion [dai´və:ʃən] n.转移；消遣 (英语四级单词)


• warning [´wɔ:niŋ] n.警告；前兆 a.预告的 (英语四级单词)


• seeming [´si:miŋ] a.表面上的 n.外观 (英语四级单词)


• speedily [´spi:dili] ad.迅速地 (英语四级单词)


• fitting [´fitiŋ] a.适当的 n.试衣 (英语六级单词)


• unclean [ʌn´kli:n] a.不清洁的；讨厌的 (英语六级单词)


• discomfort [dis´kʌmfət] n.不适；不安；困难 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• dreamy [´dri:mi] a.心不在焉的；朦胧的 (英语六级单词)


• landing [´lændiŋ] n.登陆；降落；楼梯平台 (英语六级单词)


• consummate [kɔn´sʌmit] a.完美的 vt.完成；圆房 (英语六级单词)


• latent [´leitənt] a.潜在的，潜伏的 (英语六级单词)


• whichever [witʃ´evə] a.&pron.无论哪个(些) (英语六级单词)


• insolence [´insələns] n.傲慢；无礼 (英语六级单词)


• unwelcome [ʌn´welkəm] a.不受欢迎的 n.冷淡 (英语六级单词)


• perceptible [pə´septəbl] a.看得出的；可理解的 (英语六级单词)


• thereto [ðeə´tu:] ad.到那里；另外 (英语六级单词)


• footing [´futiŋ] n.立脚点；基础；地位 (英语六级单词)


• mastery [´mɑ:stəri] n.精通；控制；优势 (英语六级单词)


• propriety [prə´praiəti] n.正当；合适；礼貌 (英语六级单词)


• repentance [ri´pentəns] n.悔悟，悔改；忏悔 (英语六级单词)


• amends [ə´mendz] n.赔偿；赔罪 (英语六级单词)