登陆注册
5229500000040

第40章 Chapter XIII. Kitty Keeps Her Birthday.(1)

They were all assembled as usual at the breakfast-table.

Preferring the request suggested to her by Mrs. Presty, Kitty had hastened the presentation of the birthday gifts, by getting into her mother's bed in the morning, and exacting her mother's promise before she would consent to get out again. By her own express wish, she was left in ignorance of what the presents would prove to be. "Hide them from me," said this young epicure in pleasurable sensations, "and make me want to see them until I can bear it no longer." The gifts had accordingly been collected in an embrasure of one of the windows; and the time had now arrived when Kitty could bear it no longer.

In the procession of the presents, Mrs. Linley led the way.

She had passed behind the screen which had thus far protected the hidden treasures from discovery, and appeared again with a vision of beauty in the shape of a doll. The dress of this wonderful creature exhibited the latest audacities of French fashion. Her head made a bow; her eyes went to sleep and woke again; she had a voice that said two words--more precious than two thousand in the mouth of a mere living creature. Kitty's arms opened and embraced her gift with a scream of ecstasy. That fervent pressure found its way to the right spring. The doll squeaked: "Mamma!"--and creaked--and cried again--and said: "Papa!" Kitty sat down on the floor; her legs would support her no longer. "I think I shall faint," she said quite seriously.

In the midst of the general laughter, Sydney silently placed a new toy (a pretty little imitation of a jeweler's casket) at Kitty's side, and drew back before the child could look at her.

Mrs. Presty was the only person present who noticed her pale face and the trembling of her hands as she made the effort which preserved her composure.

The doll's necklace, bracelets, and watch and chain, riveted Kitty's attention on the casket. Just as she thought of looking round for her dear Syd, her father produced a new outburst of delight by presenting a perambulator worthy of the doll. Her uncle followed with a parasol, devoted to the preservation of the doll's complexion when she went out for an airing. Then there came a pause. Where was the generous grandmother's gift? Nobody remembered it; Mrs. Presty herself discovered the inestimable sixpenny picture-book cast away and forgotten on a distant window-seat. "I have a great mind to keep this," she said to Kitty, "till you are old enough to value it properly." In the moment of her absence at the window, Linley's mother-in-law lost the chance of seeing him whisper to Sydney. "Meet me in the shrubbery in half an hour," he said. She stepped back from him, startled by the proposal. When Mrs. Presty was in the middle of the room again, Linley and the governess were no longer near each other.

Having by this time recovered herself, Kitty got on her legs.

"Now," the spoiled child declared, addressing the company present, "I'm going to play."

The doll was put into the perambulator, and was wheeled about the room, while Mrs. Linley moved the chairs out of the way, and Randal attended with the open parasol--under orders to "pretend that the sun was shining." Once more the sixpenny picture-book was neglected. Mrs. Presty picked it up from the floor, determined by this time to hold it in reserve until her ungrateful grandchild reached years of discretion. She put it in the bookcase between Byron's "Don Juan" and Butler's "Lives of the Saints." In the position which she now occupied, Linley was visible approaching Sydney again. "Your own interests are seriously concerned," he whispered, "in something that I have to tell you."

Incapable of hearing what passed between them, Mrs. Presty could see that a secret understanding united her son-in-law and the governess. She looked round cautiously at Mrs. Linley.

Kitty's humor had changed; she was now eager to see the doll's splendid clothes taken off and put on again. "Come and look at it," she said to Sydney; "I want you to enjoy my birthday as much as I do." Left by himself, Randal got rid of the parasol by putting it on a table near the door. Mrs. Presty beckoned to him to join her at the further end of the room.

"I want you to do me a favor," she began.

Glancing at Linley before she proceeded, Mrs. Presty took up a newspaper, and affected to be consulting Randal's opinion on a passage which had attracted her attention. "Your brother is looking our way," she whispered: "he mustn't suspect that there is a secret between us."

False pretenses of any kind invariably irritated Randal. "What do you want me to do?" he asked sharply.

The reply only increased his perplexity.

"Observe Miss Westerfield and your brother. Look at them now."

Randal obeyed.

"What is there to look at?" he inquired.

"Can't you see?"

"I see they are talking to each other."

"They are talking confidentially; talking so that Mrs. Linley can't hear them. Look again."

Randal fixed his eyes on Mrs. Presty, with an expression which showed his dislike of that lady a little too plainly. Before he could answer what she had just said to him, his lively little niece hit on a new idea. The sun was shining, the flowers were in their brightest beauty--and the doll had not yet been taken into the garden! Kitty at once led the way out; so completely preoccupied in steering the perambulator in a straight course that she forgot her uncle and the parasol. Only waiting to remind her husband and Sydney that they were wasting the beautiful summer morning indoors, Mrs. Linley followed her daughter--and innocently placed a fatal obstacle in Mrs. Presty's way by leaving the room. Having consulted each other by a look, Linley and the governess went out next. Left alone with Randal, Mrs.

Presty's anger, under the complete overthrow of her carefully-laid scheme, set restraint at defiance.

同类推荐
  • 黄庭内景五藏六府图

    黄庭内景五藏六府图

    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。
  • 辨疑志

    辨疑志

    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。
  • 安禄山事迹

    安禄山事迹

    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。
  • 五鉴

    五鉴

    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。
  • 庄子注

    庄子注

    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
  • 三国之一马平川

    三国之一马平川

    穿越为三国五虎上将马超,西凉孤烟,血染中原!且看三国新传奇,如何马踏飞燕,一马平川!
  • 帝姬赋

    帝姬赋

    推荐新文《帝妻》,此文乃《帝姬赋》的第二卷:帝姬赋第一卷谁家陌上少年郎结局:他绝世的面容在熹微的晨色中泛着微冷的光,在她耳边轻轻吐气,邪肆一笑:“从此这个世界上,再无帝姬!。”第二卷谋动天下,不久之后即将开始连载!最美丽的传说,最痴情的帝王!最刻骨的爱!最绝望的恨!最彻底的背叛!最悲伤的恋!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------你有没有爱过一个人?你有没有恨过一个人?你有没有被最爱的人伤害过?你有没有被最爱的人背叛过?她的温柔,原来是专为他配备的世上最冰冷的毒。虽不会穿肠烂肚,却教他万劫不复!南宁,轩辕帝国独一无二的帝姬,她的落梅山庄广罗天下奇才,掌控天下一半的经济命脉。南宫少卿,一个有着离奇身世的神秘少年,被南宁带回落梅山庄。几次三番,他对她舍命相救。可最终,她回报他的却是一剑穿心。她冰冷的剑锋刺穿他的胸膛:“从始至终,你都不过是一枚卑微的棋子!”那一刻,身体的痛疼抵不上心底的荒凉,他的心,死在了她冰冷的目光中。那一刻,他立下毒誓,只要我不死,从此,我便要你看着,你所在意的,是怎样一点一点毁灭在我这颗卑微的棋子手里的!被打落悬崖,却意外生还,带着对南宁刻骨的恨意,他投奔了敌国,他发誓,要将她所在意的一点一点摧毁,要让她痛不欲生。可是,当复仇的机会来临,他真的能下得去手么?而当年的真相,又真的是那样的么?他能为之舍命的女子,为什么会如此残忍的对待他?她,是真的无情无心,还是有着什么隐衷?绝望的爱,刻骨的恨,纷飞的战乱,在这片美丽的土地上上演,拿什么救赎,人心的罪恶,欲望的魔鬼?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------梅花树下,落英缤纷,是谁的倩影,如梅花般孤独绽放?落日湖畔,烟霞漫天,是谁家少年,独立凝眸,折一枝青柳,将过往的时光,珍藏!一年前,云中一役,轩辕国国王身受重创,病入膏肓,帝姬神秘失踪。
  • 我的世界一起源

    我的世界一起源

    你孤独吗?这是我玩Minecraft时候问过自己的问题。然而这个问题的答案我到现在也没有找到。我为Minecraft编写了一个背景故事,我不只是希望让史蒂夫可以有一个过去和未来,也是希望在这个故事里找到这个问题的答案。我孤独吗?
  • 凤在苍穹

    凤在苍穹

    她,医科大学高才生,杨氏太极第二十八代掌门人,全国武术冠军,才貌双全,绝世无双;她,知府千金,聪明伶俐,五岁吟诗,六岁作画,才艺超群,名冠扬州。一张传说中的藏宝图,一本子虚乌有的武功秘笈,一宗灭门惨案;一场冠今中外的武林盛会,一场权势的争夺。她魂附她,宝藏之迷,秘笈传说,灭门真相,江湖的血雨腥风,朝堂的风动暗涌,一路披荆斩棘,武林称雄,朝堂争锋。铅华散尽,落魄太子,少年将军,妖魅盟主,谁才是与她比翼双飞的良人?
  • 不空罥索毗卢遮那佛大灌顶光真言经

    不空罥索毗卢遮那佛大灌顶光真言经

    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。
  • 十里医香之携子妃嫁不可

    十里医香之携子妃嫁不可

    医界圣手一朝失手,被自己调制的毒香送回古代,变成了个废人。摇身一变,多了个便宜儿子。母子身陷泥沼,为保瘦弱儿子,她撸袖开怼,怼敌,怼极品,怼恶人!原主身份不简单,被人狸猫换太子,顶替身份,丢失记忆,被人算计生了娃!既然是这样就不怪她做恶人,手撕白莲花,脚踹禽兽,使浑身解数护娃!啥?竟然有人敢抢她娃,胆儿真肥!“王爷,光天化日强抢民娃,就不怕阳.痿了!”某王嘴角抽搐,“本王养大的儿子,你有何凭据。”“凭他们的长相!”某王:“哦,本王怎么看都像是你在抢本王的娃,乡里乡亲们说说他们像谁的娃。”众人:“像王爷!”某女愤!某王得逞笑道:“这样吧,本王看在他们喜欢你的份上不计较了,随本王回府,王府正缺个养娃的。”【1V1,宠文,强强。】
  • 绝世神王

    绝世神王

    叶轻侯,作为今世界最大地下军火商家族一员,祖父曾与斯大林和罗斯福共进晚宴!自己却在开着运输机走私军火途中,遭自己兄弟姐妹出卖,被美制爱国者导弹击落后,穿越到中土。穿越了!没关系!只要这个世界有人就好!有人就有江湖,有江湖就有纷争,有纷争,还能不用兵器么?以中土诸神的名义发誓:愿这个世界每人都有一把哥贩卖的灵兵,愿你憎恨的人早日下地狱,愿这个世界永远和平安乐!愿我能成为绝世神王!
  • 悲伤的迪尔德丽

    悲伤的迪尔德丽

    《悲伤的迪尔德丽》是约翰·米林顿·辛格和叶芝共同完成的著名爱情悲剧。它改编自爱尔兰神话中迪尔德丽和康纳尔王的传说。迪尔德丽出生时,便有预言说,她会出落为美人,有卷曲的黄色发辫和迷人的灰绿色眼睛,但国王和领主们会为她发动战争……迪尔德丽长大后,康纳尔王要娶她做王后,但她却有了情人纳西。于是,康纳尔王派兵杀死了纳西三兄弟。最后,迪尔德丽在他们的坟前自刎而亡。此剧是一部辛格生前未完成的三幕悲剧,后来由叶芝和辛格的遗孀莫莉·奥尔古德继续完成。
  • 小公主(语文新课标课外读物)

    小公主(语文新课标课外读物)

    现代中、小学生不能只局限于校园和课本,应该广开视野,广长见识,广泛了解博大的世界和社会,不断增加丰富的现代社会知识和世界信息,才有所精神准备,才能迅速地长大,将来才能够自由地翱翔于世界蓝天。否则,我们将永远是妈妈怀抱中的乖宝宝,将永远是温室里面的豆芽菜,那么,我们将怎样走向社会、走向世界呢?
  • 我的女人你惹不起

    我的女人你惹不起

    他是灭绝人性的不死族,他是唯一的无上至尊,他是有着深度洁癖的男人,在他面前装逼的人很多,什么兵王、杀手、系统者、穿越者、重生者、吞噬者、强者回归、强者下山、仙界归来、魔王转世、仙帝附身等,他们永远不知道下一刻会发生什么。新书《这个光头很危险》,求各种支持。