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remembrance sheered off his morbid introspection. She made a
difference. How strange for him to realize that! He felt
grateful to her. He had been forced into outlawry; she had been
stolen from her people and carried into captivity. They had met
in the river fastness, he to instil hope into her despairing
life, she to be the means, perhaps, of keeping him from sinking
to the level of her captors. He became conscious of a strong
and beating desire to see her, talk with her.
These thoughts had run through his mind while on his way to
Mrs. Bland's house. He had let Euchre go on ahead because he
wanted more time to compose himself. Darkness had about set in
when he reached his destination. There was no light in the
house. Mrs. Bland was waiting for him on the porch.
She embraced him, and the sudden, violent, unfamiliar contact
sent such a shock through him that he all but forgot the deep
game he was playing. She, however, in her agitation did not
notice his shrinking. From her embrace and the tender,
incoherent words that flowed with it he gathered that Euchre
had acquainted her of his action with Black.
"He might have killed your" she whispered, more clearly; and if
Duane had ever heard love in a voice he heard it then. It
softened him. After all, she was a woman, weak, fated through
her nature, unfortunate in her experience of life, doomed to
unhappiness and tragedy. He met her advance so far that he
returned the embrace and kissed her. Emotion such as she showed
would have made any woman sweet, and she had a certain charm.
It was easy, even pleasant, to kiss her; but Duane resolved
that, whatever her abandonment might become, he would not go
further than the lie she made him act.
"Buck, you love me?" she whispered.
"Yes--yes," he burst out, eager to get it over, and even as he
spoke he caught the pale gleam of Jennie's face through the
window. He felt a shame he was glad she could not see. Did she
remember that she had promised not to misunderstand any action
of his? What did she think of him, seeing him out there in the
dusk with this bold woman in his arms? Somehow that dim sight
of Jennie's pale face, the big dark eyes, thrilled him,
inspired him to his hard task of the present.
"Listen, dear," he said to the woman, and he meant his words
for the girl. "I'm going to take you away from this outlaw den
if I have to kill Bland, Alloway, Rugg--anybody who stands in
my path. You were dragged here. You are good--I know it.
There's happiness for you somewhere--a home among good people
who will care for you. Just wait till--"
His voice trailed off and failed from excess of emotion. Kate
Bland closed her eyes and leaned her head on his breast. Duane
felt her heart beat against his, and conscience smote him a
keen blow. If she loved him so much! But memory and
understanding of her character hardened him again, and he gave
her such commiseration as was due her sex, and no more.
"Boy, that's good of you," she whispered, "but it's too late.
I'm done for. I can't leave Bland. All I ask is that you love
me a little and stop your gun-throwing."
The moon had risen over the eastern bulge of dark mountain, and
now the valley was flooded with mellow light, and shadows of
cottonwoods wavered against the silver.
Suddenly the clip-clop, clip-clop of hoofs caused Duane to
raise his head and listen. Horses were coming down the road
from the head of the valley. The hour was unusual for riders to
come in. Presently the narrow, moonlit lane was crossed at its
far end by black moving objects. Two horses Duane discerned.
"It's Bland!" whispered the woman, grasping Duane with shaking
hands. "You must run! No, he'd see you. That 'd be worse. It's
Bland! I know his horse's trot."
"But you said he wouldn't mind my calling here," protested
Duane. "Euchre's with me. It'll be all right."
"Maybe so," she replied, with visible effort at self-control.
Manifestly she had a great fear of Bland. "If I could only
think!"
Then she dragged Duane to the door, pushed him in.
"Euchre, come out with me! Duane, you stay with the girl! I'll
tell Bland you're in love with her. Jen, if you give us away
I'll wring your neck."
The swift action and fiercewhisper told Duane that Mrs. Bland
was herself again. Duane stepped close to Jennie, who stood
near the window. Neither spoke, but her hands were outstretched
to meet his own. They were small, trembling hands, cold as ice.
difference. How strange for him to realize that! He felt
grateful to her. He had been forced into outlawry; she had been
stolen from her people and carried into captivity. They had met
in the river fastness, he to instil hope into her despairing
life, she to be the means, perhaps, of keeping him from sinking
to the level of her captors. He became conscious of a strong
and beating desire to see her, talk with her.
These thoughts had run through his mind while on his way to
Mrs. Bland's house. He had let Euchre go on ahead because he
wanted more time to compose himself. Darkness had about set in
when he reached his destination. There was no light in the
house. Mrs. Bland was waiting for him on the porch.
She embraced him, and the sudden, violent, unfamiliar contact
sent such a shock through him that he all but forgot the deep
game he was playing. She, however, in her agitation did not
notice his shrinking. From her embrace and the tender,
incoherent words that flowed with it he gathered that Euchre
had acquainted her of his action with Black.
"He might have killed your" she whispered, more clearly; and if
Duane had ever heard love in a voice he heard it then. It
softened him. After all, she was a woman, weak, fated through
her nature, unfortunate in her experience of life, doomed to
unhappiness and tragedy. He met her advance so far that he
returned the embrace and kissed her. Emotion such as she showed
would have made any woman sweet, and she had a certain charm.
It was easy, even pleasant, to kiss her; but Duane resolved
that, whatever her abandonment might become, he would not go
further than the lie she made him act.
"Buck, you love me?" she whispered.
"Yes--yes," he burst out, eager to get it over, and even as he
spoke he caught the pale gleam of Jennie's face through the
window. He felt a shame he was glad she could not see. Did she
remember that she had promised not to misunderstand any action
of his? What did she think of him, seeing him out there in the
dusk with this bold woman in his arms? Somehow that dim sight
of Jennie's pale face, the big dark eyes, thrilled him,
inspired him to his hard task of the present.
"Listen, dear," he said to the woman, and he meant his words
for the girl. "I'm going to take you away from this outlaw den
if I have to kill Bland, Alloway, Rugg--anybody who stands in
my path. You were dragged here. You are good--I know it.
There's happiness for you somewhere--a home among good people
who will care for you. Just wait till--"
His voice trailed off and failed from excess of emotion. Kate
Bland closed her eyes and leaned her head on his breast. Duane
felt her heart beat against his, and conscience smote him a
keen blow. If she loved him so much! But memory and
understanding of her character hardened him again, and he gave
her such commiseration as was due her sex, and no more.
"Boy, that's good of you," she whispered, "but it's too late.
I'm done for. I can't leave Bland. All I ask is that you love
me a little and stop your gun-throwing."
The moon had risen over the eastern bulge of dark mountain, and
now the valley was flooded with mellow light, and shadows of
cottonwoods wavered against the silver.
Suddenly the clip-clop, clip-clop of hoofs caused Duane to
raise his head and listen. Horses were coming down the road
from the head of the valley. The hour was unusual for riders to
come in. Presently the narrow, moonlit lane was crossed at its
far end by black moving objects. Two horses Duane discerned.
"It's Bland!" whispered the woman, grasping Duane with shaking
hands. "You must run! No, he'd see you. That 'd be worse. It's
Bland! I know his horse's trot."
"But you said he wouldn't mind my calling here," protested
Duane. "Euchre's with me. It'll be all right."
"Maybe so," she replied, with visible effort at self-control.
Manifestly she had a great fear of Bland. "If I could only
think!"
Then she dragged Duane to the door, pushed him in.
"Euchre, come out with me! Duane, you stay with the girl! I'll
tell Bland you're in love with her. Jen, if you give us away
I'll wring your neck."
The swift action and fiercewhisper told Duane that Mrs. Bland
was herself again. Duane stepped close to Jennie, who stood
near the window. Neither spoke, but her hands were outstretched
to meet his own. They were small, trembling hands, cold as ice.
- passion [´pæʃən]
n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词) - offense [ə´fens] n.冒犯；触怒；犯法 (初中英语单词)
- restless [´restləs] a.没有休息的 (初中英语单词)
- eagerly [´i:gəli] ad.渴望地，急切地 (初中英语单词)
- contest [kən´test, ´kɔntest] v.争辩 n.争夺；竞赛 (初中英语单词)
- calmly [´kɑ:mli] ad.平静地；无风浪地 (初中英语单词)
- speaker [´spi:kə] n.演讲人；代言人 (初中英语单词)
- unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)
- unusual [ʌn´ju:ʒuəl] a.不平常的；异常的 (初中英语单词)
- mexican [´meksikən] n.&a.墨西哥人(语)的 (初中英语单词)
- strangely [´streindʒli] ad.奇怪地；陌生地 (初中英语单词)
- indian [´indiən] a.印度的 n.印度人 (初中英语单词)
- expert [´ekspə:t] n.&a.专家；内行 (初中英语单词)
- weapon [´wepən] n.武器；斗争手段 (初中英语单词)
- contrast [´kɔntrɑ:st] n.对比 v.使对比(照) (初中英语单词)
- sunset [´sʌnset] n.日落；晚霞 (初中英语单词)
- twilight [´twailait] n.黎明；黄昏 (初中英语单词)
- breeze [bri:z] n.微风；不费力的事 (初中英语单词)
- ignorant [´ignərənt] a.无知的，愚昧的 (初中英语单词)
- unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)
- savage [´sævidʒ] a.野蛮的 n.蛮人 (初中英语单词)
- conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)
- resist [ri´zist] v.抵抗；对抗；抵制 (初中英语单词)
- despair [di´speə] vi.&n.绝望 (初中英语单词)
- conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)
- compose [kəm´pəuz] v.组成；创作；作曲 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- violent [´vaiələnt] a.强暴的；猛烈的 (初中英语单词)
- embrace [im´breis] vt.&n.拥抱；采纳；信奉 (初中英语单词)
- tragedy [´trædʒidi] n.悲剧；惨案；灾难 (初中英语单词)
- emotion [i´məuʃən] n.感情；情绪；激动 (初中英语单词)
- whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
- excess [´ekses] n.超过 a.过分的 (初中英语单词)
- character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)
- valley [´væli] n.谷；河谷；流域 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- visible [´vizəbəl] a.可见的；明显的 (初中英语单词)
- fierce [fiəs] a.残忍的；强烈的 (初中英语单词)
- whisper [´wispə] v.耳语 n.低语；沙沙声 (初中英语单词)
- thoughtful [´θɔ:tfəl] a.深思的；体贴的 (高中英语单词)
- ragged [´rægid] a.衣服破烂的 (高中英语单词)
- handful [hændful] n.一把，少数，一小撮 (高中英语单词)
- sullen [´sʌlən] a.不高兴的 (高中英语单词)
- bucket [´bʌkit] n.水桶 (高中英语单词)
- formidable [´fɔ:midəbəl] a.可怕的；艰难的 (高中英语单词)
- serene [si´ri:n] n.&a.清澈的；宁静的 (高中英语单词)
- strife [straif] n.竞争；吵架；冲突 (高中英语单词)
- reckless [´rekləs] a.不注意的；鲁莽的 (高中英语单词)
- captivity [kæp´tiviti] n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 (高中英语单词)
- destination [,desti´neiʃən] n.目标地 (高中英语单词)
- agitation [,ædʒi´teiʃən] n.鼓动；摇动；焦虑 (高中英语单词)
- seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
- mellow [´meləu] a.芳醇的 v.(使)成熟 (高中英语单词)
- outlaw [´autlɔ:] n.歹徒 vt.将…放逐 (英语四级单词)
- marvelously [´mɑ:viləsli] ad.奇异地；奇迹般地 (英语四级单词)
- gambler [´gæmblə] n.赌徒 (英语六级单词)
- contemptuous [kən´temptjuəs] a.蔑视的；傲慢的 (英语六级单词)
- departed [di´pɑ:tid] a.已往的；已故的 (英语六级单词)
- sullenly [´sʌlənli] ad.不高兴地 (英语六级单词)
- tranquil [´træŋkwil] a.平静的，稳定的 (英语六级单词)
- beating [´bi:tiŋ] n.敲；搅打；失败 (英语六级单词)
- unfamiliar [ʌnfə´miljə] a.不熟悉的；生疏的 (英语六级单词)
- abandonment [ə´bændənmənt] n.抛弃；放纵 (英语六级单词)
- misunderstand [,misʌndə´stænd] vt.误会 (英语六级单词)
- moonlit [´mu:n,lit] a.月光普照的 (英语六级单词)
- calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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