登陆注册
4617600000011

第11章

Placing the candle on the bureau, he forestalled Mrs. Mumpson by saying, "I'll freshen up the fire in the kitchen and lay out the ham, eggs, coffee, and other materials for supper. Then I must go out and unharness and do my night work. Make yourselves to home. You'll soon be able to find everything," and he hastened away.

It would not be their fault if they were not soon able to find everything.

Mrs. Mumpson's first act was to take the candle and survey the room in every nook and corner. She sighed when she found the closet and bureau drawers empty. Then she examined the quantity and texture of the bedding of the "couch on which she was to repose," as she would express herself. Jane followed her around on tiptoe, doing just what her mother did, but was silent.

At last they shivered in the fireless apartment, threw off their scanty wraps, and went down to the kitchen. Mrs. Mumpson instinctively looked around for a rocking chair, and as none was visible she hastened to the parlor, and, holding the candle aloft, surveyed this apartment. Jane followed in her wake as before, but at last ventured to suggest, "Mother, Mr. Holcroft'll be in soon and want his supper.""I suppose he'll want a great many things," replied Mrs. Mumpson with dignity, "but he can't expect a lady of my connections to fly around like a common servant. It is but natural, in coming to a new abode, that I should wish to know something of that abode. There should have been a hired girl here ready to receive and get supper for us. Since there is not one to receive us, bring that rocking chair, my dear, and I will direct you how to proceed."The child did as she was told, and her mother was soon rocking on the snuggest side of the kitchen stove, interspersing her rather bewildering orders with various reflections and surmises.

Sketching the child Jane is a sad task, and pity would lead us to soften every touch if this could be done in truthfulness. She was but twelve years of age, yet there was scarcely a trace of childhood left in her colorless face.

Stealthy and catlike in all her movements, she gave the impression that she could not do the commonest thing except in a sly, cowering manner. Her small greenish-gray eyes appeared to be growing nearer together with the lease of time, and their indirect, furtive glances suggested that they had hardly, if ever, seen looks of frank affection bent upon her. She had early learned, on the round of visits with her mother, that so far from being welcome she was scarcely tolerated, and she reminded one of a stray cat that comes to a dwelling and seeks to maintain existence there in a lurking, deprecatory manner. Her kindred recognized this feline trait, for they were accustomed to remark, "She's always snoopin' around."She could scarcely do otherwise, poor child! There had seemed no place for her at any of the firesides. She haunted halls and passage-ways, sat in dusky corners, and kept her meager little form out of sight as much as possible.

She was the last one helped at table when she was permitted to come at all, and so had early learned to watch, like a cat, and when people's backs were turned, to snatch something, carry it off, and devour it in secret. Detected in these little pilferings, to which she was almost driven, she was regarded as even a greater nuisance than her mother.

The latter was much too preoccupied to give her child attention. Ensconced in a rocking chair in the best room, and always in full tide of talk if there was anyone present, she rarely seemed to think where Jane was or what she was doing. The rounds of visitation gave the child no chance to go to school, so her developing mind had little other pabulum than what her mother supplied so freely. She was acquiring the same consuming curiosity, with the redeeming feature that she did not talk. Listening in unsuspected places, she heard much that was said about her mother and herself, and the pathetic part of this experience was that she had never known enough of kindness to be wounded. She was only made to feel more fully how precarious was her foothold in her transient abiding place, and therefore was rendered more furtive, sly, and distant in order to secure toleration by keeping out of everyone's way. In her prowlings, however, she managed to learn and understand all that was going on even better than her mother, who, becoming aware of this fact, was acquiring the habit of putting her through a whispered cross-questioning when they retired for the night. It would be hard to imagine a child beginning life under more unfavorable auspices and still harder to predict the outcome.

In the course of her close watchfulness she had observed how many of the domestic labors had been performed, and she would have helped more in the various households if she had been given a chance; but the housewives had not regarded her as sufficiently honest to be trusted in the pantries, and also found that, if there was a semblance of return for such hospitality as they extended, Mrs. Mumpson would remain indefinitely. Moreover, the homely, silent child made the women nervous, just as her mother irritated the men, and they did not want her around. Thus she had come to be but the specter of a child, knowing little of the good in the world and as much of the evil as she could understand.

She now displayed, however, more sense than her mother. The habit of close scrutiny had made it clear that Holcroft would not long endure genteel airs and inefficiency, and that something must be done to keep this shelter. She did her best to get supper, with the aid given from the rocking chair, and at last broke out sharply, "You must get up and help me. He'll turn us out of doors if we don't have supper ready when he comes in."Spurred by fear of such a dire possibility, Mrs. Mumpson was bustling around when Holcroft entered. "We'll soon be ready," she gushed, "we'll soon place our evening repast upon the table.""Very well," was the brief reply, as he passed up the stairs with the small hair trunk on his shoulder.

同类推荐
  • 诊余举隅录

    诊余举隅录

    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。
  • Memories and Portraits

    Memories and Portraits

    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。
  • 康平县乡土志

    康平县乡土志

    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。
  • 十诵律比丘尼戒本

    十诵律比丘尼戒本

    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。
  • 将赴黔州先寄本府中

    将赴黔州先寄本府中

    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
  • 重生暖婚:墨少,亲一下

    重生暖婚:墨少,亲一下

    [绝对宠文,女主虐渣啪啪打脸!]前世,茹清影一心爱慕着渣男,而辜负了那个对自己一往情深的男人,最终落得个闺蜜背叛,家破人亡的下场,那个男人也因她而死。一朝重生,茹清影脚踩渣男,虐白莲花闺蜜,保护家人,同时,也不忘对前世那个自己辜负的男人寄以深情。
  • 佛说出生菩提心经

    佛说出生菩提心经

    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。
  • 左爷:请接招

    左爷:请接招

    初见,撕衣。二见,强吻。三见,压身。穆念亭看着眼前冷静非常的男人,而他却无视她的冷眸,轻笑道,下次见面,会不会是床上?穆念亭咬唇,左爷,您可有一个温婉如玉的未婚妻呢!他不以为然,退了就是。殊不知,她口中的未婚妻就是她。自此,名声在外轰动江陵城的左爷走上一条视妻如命的道路。众人惊呼:左爷宠妻不要命,虐遍所有人,只为红颜一笑!
  • 没有任何借口

    没有任何借口

    “没有任何借口”体现的是一种负责、敬业的精神,一种服从、诚实的态度,一种完美的执行能力。我们需要的正是这种精神的人:他们想尽办法去完成任务,而不是去寻找任何借口,哪怕看似合理的借口。
  • 跟不上天才爱的脚步

    跟不上天才爱的脚步

    静静等,你给出的结果。掏心掏肺对你好,你还是离开的话,只证明,你压根配不上我。再不会为你伤神动容。沈星遥的故事,一场私人约会,一道证明题。带着诚挚真心,故事走向何处?跟不上天才爱的脚步,独自行吟,阳光晴好。看另类女孩如何在感情世界颠沛流离,一见钟情、日久生情,各种情感纠结后,沉淀出人性最本初的美。撕心裂肺、恩断义绝、哭过笑过的记忆化作倾盆大雨,成长的过程泡在泪海里,成长的收获雨水滋润万物生,感谢生活。
  • 一辈子只爱你一人

    一辈子只爱你一人

    或许人生的一见生情,也可以是永远的感情。
  • 召树屯:傣族民间叙事诗(中华大国学经典文库)

    召树屯:傣族民间叙事诗(中华大国学经典文库)

    《召树屯》是一部傣族民间叙事长诗,它源于傣族佛教典籍《贝叶经·召树屯》,是一部佛教世俗典籍故事。王子召树屯与天上的仙女喃婼娜相爱,喃婼娜为他留在了人间。父亲为了寻回女儿,发动了对召树屯部落的战争,召树屯率军出战,喃婼娜在家中受到奸人污蔑,险些丧命,无奈飞回天上。召树屯得胜归来,得知妻子离开,踏上了寻妻的道路,历尽千辛万苦,他来到天上,寻回爱妻,从此过上幸福的生活。
  • 单身狗的女神室友定制系统

    单身狗的女神室友定制系统

    单身狗,想选个女神做室友吗?可以选苍、苍、苍……苍个屁,没出息!西施、貂蝉、王昭君、杨贵妃难道比不上苍、苍、苍?真的?再加上赵飞燕、陈圆圆也没有问题!我想要嫦娥姐姐?可以……
  • 瑰冠

    瑰冠

    如无意外,克里斯汀·彭德拉根应该作为亚历山大帝国最无忧无虑的公主长大,成为一国王后,生下继承人。但是阴差阳错,她被卷入历史的洪流之中,成为这段充斥这斗争、谋算、利益纠葛却又饱含温情、大义、浪漫传说的故事的见证者。克里斯汀从被命运摆布到克服命运的道路中意识到:这不仅仅是自己的故事,每个人都是他自己故事的主人公。(偏群像剧,努力正剧,不存在作者定义内的玛丽苏。)
  • 许氏医案

    许氏医案

    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。