登陆注册
4612000000044

第44章

"Captain Warren," asked Caroline, as they were seated at the breakfast table next morning, "what are your plans for to-day?"Captain Elisha put down his coffee cup and pulled his beard reflectively. Contrary to his usual desire since he came to the apartment to live, he was in no hurry to finish the meal. This breakfast and the dinner of the previous evening had been really pleasant. He had enjoyed them. His niece had not called him uncle again, it is true, and perhaps that was too much to be expected as yet, but she was cheerful and even familiar. They talked as they ate, and he had not been made to feel that he was the death's head at the feast. The change was marked and very welcome. The bright winter sunshine streaming through the window indicated that the conditions outside were also just what they should be.

"Well," he replied, with a smile, "I don't know, Caroline, as I've made any definite plans. Let's see, to-day's Sunday, ain't it?

Last letter I got from Abbie she sailed into me because, as she said, I seemed to have been 'most everywheres except to meetin'.

She figgers New York's a heathen place, anyhow, and she cal'lates I'm gettin' to be a backslider like the rest. I didn't know but Imight go to church."

Caroline nodded. "I wondered if you wouldn't like to go," she said. "I am going, and I thought perhaps you would go with me."Her uncle had again raised his cup to his lips. Now he set it down with a suddenness which caused the statuesque Edwards to bend forward in anticipation of a smash. The captain started to speak, thought better of it, and stared at his niece so intently that she colored and dropped her eyes.

"I know," she faltered, "that I haven't asked you before, but--but--" then, with the impulsiveness which was one of her characteristics, and to her guardian her great charm, she looked him full in the face and added, "but I hoped you would understand that--that _I_ understood a little better. I should like to have your company very much."Captain Elisha drew a long breath.

"Thank you, Caroline," he answered. "I appreciate your askin' me, I sartinly do. And I'd rather go with you than anybody else on earth. But I was cal'latin' to hunt up some little round-the-corner chapel, or Bethel, where I'd feel a little bit at home. Iguess likely your church is a pretty big one, ain't it?""We attend Saint Denis. It IS a large church, but we have always been connected with it. Stephen and I were christened there. But, of course, if you had rather go somewhere else--""No, no! I hadn't anywhere in particular to go. I'm a Congregationalist to home, but Abbie says I've spread my creed so wide that it ain't more'n an inch deep anywhere, and she shouldn't think 'twould keep me afloat. I tell her I'd rather navigate a broad and shallow channel, where everybody stands by to keep his neighbor off the shoals, than I would a narrow and crooked one with self-righteousness off both beams and perdition underneath.

"You see," he added, reflectively, "the way I look at it, it's a pretty uncertain cruise at the best. Course there's all sorts of charts, and every fleet is sartin it's got the only right one. But I don't know. We're afloat--that much we are sure of--but the port we left and the harbor we're bound for, they're always out of sight in the fog astern and ahead. I know lots of folks who claim to see the harbor, and see it plain; but they don't exactly agree as to what they see. As for me, I've come to the conclusion that we must steer as straight a course as we can, and when we meet a craft in distress, why, do our best to help her. The rest of it I guess we must leave to the Owner, to the One that launched us. I . . . Good land!" he exclaimed, coming out of his meditation with a start, "I'm preachin' a sermon ahead of time. And the Commodore's goin'

to sleep over it, I do believe."

The butler, who had been staring vacantly out of the window during the captain's soliloquy, straightened at the sound of his nickname, and asked hastily, "Yes, sir? What will you have, sir?" Captain Elisha laughed in huge enjoyment, and his niece joined him.

"Well," she said, "will you go with me?"

"I'd like to fust-rate--if you won't be too much ashamed of me.""Then it's settled, isn't it? The service begins at a quarter to eleven. We will leave here at half-past ten."The captain shaved with extra care that morning, donned spotless linen, including a "stand-up" collar--which he detested--brushed his frock-coat and his hair with great particularity, and gave Edwards his shoes to clean. He would have shined them himself, as he always did at home, but on a former occasion when he asked for the "blackin' kit," the butler's shocked and pained expression led to questions and consequent enlightenment.

He was ready by a quarter after ten, but when his niece knocked at his door she bore a message which surprised and troubled him.

"Mrs. Dunn called," she said, "to ask me to go to church with her.

I told her I had invited you to accompany me. Would you mind if she joined us?"Her guardian hesitated. "I guess," he answered, slowly, "it ain't so much a question of my mindin' her as she mindin' me. Does SHEwant me to go along?"

"She said she should be delighted."

"I want to know! Now, Caroline, don't you think I'd be sort of in the way? Don't you believe she'd manage to live down her disappointment if I didn't tag on? You mustn't feel that you've got to be bothered with me because you suggested my goin', you know.""If I had considered it a bother I should not have invited you. If you don't wish Mrs. Dunn's company, then you and I will go alone.""Oh, land sakes! I wouldn't have you do that for the world! All right, I'll be out in a jiffy."He gave his hair a final brush, straightened his tie, turned around once more before the mirror, and walked fearfully forth to meet the visitor. For him, the anticipated pleasure of the forenoon had been replaced by uneasy foreboding.

同类推荐
  • 送崔员外入秦因访故

    送崔员外入秦因访故

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 斯未信斋杂录

    斯未信斋杂录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 王旭高临证医案

    王旭高临证医案

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 唐梵文字

    唐梵文字

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 春酒堂诗话

    春酒堂诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 饥饿的年代(原创经典作品)

    饥饿的年代(原创经典作品)

    善读精品美文,拾取久违的感动;体悟百味人生,感受成长的快乐。阅读其间,时而在惊险悬疑的案件中悚然而惊,时而为体察入微的真情潸然泪下,时而又涌动着想针砭时弊的激情……掩卷而思,人性的美丑,世事的善恶,人生际遇的变幻无常不禁让人感慨万千。
  • 凤仪归来:毒医绝色

    凤仪归来:毒医绝色

    彼时,她唤名黎芙儿。是三百里奉陵容不下的豪族黎家貌美嫡长女是被他捧在手心里集万千宠爱于一身的宠妃,是天下无数女子皆艳羡之人!变故横生,一夜间她跌入万丈深渊,粉身碎骨!家世败落、奸人残害、众叛亲离!她抱着孩子跪地央求,他冷漠如冰、视若无睹。幼子惨死,她被推下万丈深渊。那一刻终醒悟,原来一切皆是他设的局,而她,只是一枚棋子罢了。此时,她换名郁堇离。离人如歌、堇色苍凉、此生终郁郁无欢。待凤仪归来时,她还是她却再也不是她。凤凰盘捏、浴火重生、报仇雪恨、手刃仇人,这是她唯一的目的!至于爱情?她笑了…
  • 凤吟九天:如意夫君哪里逃

    凤吟九天:如意夫君哪里逃

    她曾是集万千宠爱于一身的废材凤女,也是九霄云殿的准天后。婚期在即,她始终对万年前的心上人念念不忘,不想着好好备嫁,偏偏执着于逃婚。谁料,亲娘用捆仙绳将她绑回来,亲爹派人看着她,亲哥用傀儡术让她成了婚。奈何心有所属,成婚了也要逃去找命定之人,只是那个他究竟在哪里?是用心护她的?还是利用她的?历尽千殇,能否浮生相守?
  • 时空操控者

    时空操控者

    2297年,在人类经历了有史以来最大浩劫之后,拥有时空操控能力的异能者赛德和自己的同伴一起探险浩劫之后世界的故事。神秘的异能者,巨大的金字塔和狮身人面像,沉没的大陆,震惊的史前文明,奇怪的柱中男……这一切之中到底隐藏着一个什么样的秘密?本书剧情火爆,值得一看(异能+科幻+冒险)。
  • 万世师表

    万世师表

    《万世师表》于1934年先后在美英出版,反响热烈,詹姆斯也因此一跃成为畅销书作家。小说用充满回忆的笔触讲述了一位受人爱戴的老师的一生。奇普斯先生本名奇平,在作者虚构的一所公立寄宿男校——布鲁克菲尔德文法学校任教四十三年。在这期间,他遇到了一生的挚爱凯瑟琳,并在其帮助下努力克服自己刻板、严肃、害羞的缺点,终于成为了一个成熟、幽默、受学生爱戴的老师,成为了布鲁克菲尔德鼓舞人心的教育家。
  • 矫枉未必要过正

    矫枉未必要过正

    李建军博士是这几年来文学批评界崛起的新锐人物。文章出手快且言辞尖刻、锋芒毕露,很受一些激进派批评者的拥戴。作为同行,我对他非凡的勇气、敏锐的感悟以及知识的广博始终持钦羡的态度,但是对于他的批评动机和论证逻辑尤其是批评策略却有点大不以为然,特别是他的四篇有关贾平凹作品的评论文字,更是让人失望和痛心。大约从2000年开始,我们先后在不同的刊物上相继看到李建军先生关于“批判”贾平凹的四篇文章,分别是《消极写作的典型文本》、《私有形态的反文化写作》、《随意杜撰的反真实写作》、《草率拟古的反现代性写作》等。
  • 中阿含经

    中阿含经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 囧神来了

    囧神来了

    朱浩天拿着定魂珠,差点笑出声来。他非常肯定,这颗充满魔力的珠子,将会帮他成为一名王者:睥睨天下,有钱有势,坐拥香车美女无数……“喵~”忽然,一声凄厉的猫叫在耳边响起。朱浩天受到惊吓,手上随之一抖,竟将定魂珠抖落到地上……“啪!”朱浩天简直不敢相信,这颗要帮他成为王者的定魂珠,拿在手里还没捂热,就特么摔碎了……摔碎了…………这是一个“囧”态百出的爆笑故事,也是一个“天意弄我,我必弄天”的热血故事。请谨慎阅读,可能会上瘾哦~
  • 因为风就在那里

    因为风就在那里

    他像山一样冷峻,仿佛不懂得爱情。而她微笑的样子,却让人想起了爱情。风马旗飞扬,转经筒滚动,亚丁的客栈遗世而独立。她来寻找大山的秘密,他一样也在寻觅着一个真相。她于他,是不期而遇的惊喜,也是麻烦。他于她,是亟待探索的富矿,也是危险。然而越危险,却越想接近。
  • 台湾志略

    台湾志略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。