登陆注册
5245800000036

第36章 II(3)

He had never before seen her in the street, and was now struck with her ladylike bearing and the grave superiority of her perfectly simple attire. In a thoroughfare haunted by handsome women and striking toilettes, the refined grace of her mourning costume, and a certain stateliness that gave her the look of a young widow, was a contrast that evidently attracted others than himself. It was with an odd mingling of pride and jealousy that he watched the admiring yet respectful glances of the passers-by, some of whom turned to look again, and one or two to retrace their steps and follow her at a decorous distance. This caused him to quicken his own pace, with a new anxiety and a remorseful sense of wasted opportunity. What a booby he had been, not to have made more of his contiguity to this charming girl--to have been frightened at the naive decorum of her maidenly instincts! He reached her side, and raised his hat with a trepidation at her new-found graces--with a boldness that was defiant of her other admirers. She blushed slightly.

"I thought you'd overtake me before," she said naively. "I saw YOUever so long ago."

He stammered, with an equal simplicity, that he had not dared to.

She looked a little frightened again, and then said hurriedly: "Ionly thought that I would meet you on Montgomery Street, and we would walk home together. I don't like to go out alone, and mother cannot always go with me. Tappington never cared to take me out--Idon't know why. I think he didn't like the people staring and stop ping us. But they stare more--don't you think?--when one is alone.

So I thought if you were coming straight home we might come together--unless you have something else to do?"Herbert impulsively reiterated his joy at meeting her, and averred that no other engagement, either of business or pleasure, could or would stand in his way. Looking up, however, it was with some consternation that he saw they were already within a block of the house.

"Suppose we take a turn around the hill and come back by the old street down the steps?" he suggested earnestly.

The next moment he regretted it. The frightened look returned to her eyes; her face became melancholy and formal again.

"No!" she said quickly. "That would be taking a walk with you like these young girls and their young men on Saturdays. That's what Ellen does with the butcher's boy on Sundays. Tappington often used to meet them. Doing the 'Come, Philanders,' as he says you call it."It struck Herbert that the didactic Tappington's method of inculcating a horror of slang in his sister's breast was open to some objection; but they were already on the steps of their house, and he was too much mortified at the reception of his last unhappy suggestion to make the confidential disclosure he had intended, even if there had still been time.

"There's mother waiting for me," she said, after an awkward pause, pointing to the figure of Mrs. Brooks dimly outlined on the veranda. "I suppose she was beginning to be worried about my being out alone. She'll be so glad I met you." It didn't appear to Herbert, however, that Mrs. Brooks exhibited any extravagant joy over the occurrence, and she almost instantly retired with her daughter into the sitting-room, linking her arm in Cherry's, and, as it were, empanoplying her with her own invulnerable shawl.

Herbert went to his room more dissatisfied with himself than ever.

Two or three days elapsed without his seeing Cherry; even the well-known rustle of her skirt in the passage was missing. On the third evening he resolved to bear the formal terrors of the drawing-room again, and stumbled upon a decorous party consisting of Mrs.

Brooks, the deacon, and the pastor's wife--but not Cherry. It struck him on entering that the momentary awkwardness of the company and the formal beginning of a new topic indicated that HEhad been the subject of their previous conversation. In this idea he continued, through that vague spirit of opposition which attacks impulsive people in such circumstances, to generally disagree with them on all subjects, and to exaggerate what he chose to believe they thought objectionable in him. He did not remain long; but learned in that brief interval that Cherry had gone to visit a friend in Contra Costa, and would be absent a fortnight; and he was conscious that the information was conveyed to him with a peculiar significance.

The result of which was only to intensify his interest in the absent Cherry, and for a week to plunge him in a sea of conflicting doubts and resolutions. At one time he thought seriously of demanding an explanation from Mrs. Brooks, and of confiding to her--as he had intended to do to Cherry--his fears that his character had been misinterpreted, and his reasons for believing so. But here he was met by the difficulty of formulating what he wished to have explained, and some doubts as to whether his confidences were prudent. At another time he contemplated a serious imitation of Tappington's perfections, a renunciation of the world, and an entire change in his habits. He would go regularly to church--HERchurch, and take up Tappington's desolate Bible-class. But here the torturing doubt arose whether a young lady who betrayed a certain secular curiosity, and who had evidently depended upon her brother for a knowledge of the world, would entirely like it. At times he thought of giving up the room and abandoning for ever this doubly dangerous proximity; but here again he was deterred by the difficulty of giving a satisfactory reason to his employer, who had procured it as a favor. His passion--for such he began to fear it to be--led him once to the extravagance of asking a day's holiday from the bank, which he vaguely spent in the streets of Oakland in the hope of accidentally meeting the exiled Cherry.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 主持人即兴口语训练

    主持人即兴口语训练

    当今时代,主持人节目正从文本话语操作向即兴话语操作转型。本书提供了一套科学的训练体系和训练方法。全书分为即兴语流、即兴成篇、即兴修辞、即兴描述、即兴解说、即兴评述、即兴听悟、即兴语智、即兴播讲、即兴访谈、即兴主持、即兴幽默等12个单元,将即兴口语的技能要素科学分解,遵循分进合击、循序渐进的技能习得规律,精心设计了48个训练课目,训练目标明确,语用理念新颖,以例引路,以趣激练,配有训练提示和解题参考,与主持人的口语实践紧密联系,适宜在职主持人的业务培训,也适用于大专院校播音主持专业的教学。
  • 萌妻难获,总裁誓宠不休

    萌妻难获,总裁誓宠不休

    我可以从父亲那里继承财富和权利,我有一个睿智内敛的父亲,一个聪明可爱的弟弟,除了没有母亲,我也算是有一个完美的家庭,我本身聪明又勇敢,是个讨人喜欢的女孩儿,我一直以为自己是个天之骄子,其实我错了,我只是一个努力想要寻找温暖和依靠的可怜虫……
  • 替婚皇妃

    替婚皇妃

    听说过代父从军,听说过替人出嫁,可听说过随夫出嫁吗?听说过鸠占雀巢,听说过李代桃疆,可听说过替夫入洞房吗?及笄当日,新婚洞房之时,夫君带着她匆匆踏上了联姻的大红花轿红烛摇曳,满室桃红,夫君的新婚洞房,可她却被夫君亲手送上了另一个他的床从此,夫为后,妻为妃,乱世中男色红颜一样倾覆了这天下原本帝王身,为何化妆娇红颜?原本童养媳,何事成了别人妃?原本暴君命,奈何万般为佳人?分不清江山红颜孰重孰轻道不明相知相守为何那般艰难更不知半世红颜飘零究竟为谁?狼烟起,胭脂灭帝王权,万宗归江山霸业,宏图天下,到底是谁辜负这大好河山?红颜祸水,男色倾城,到底又是谁误了谁的终生?*************************************************精彩片段飘过:一身红妆的无双单手挑起云轻的下巴,魅惑的说:“轻儿,你喜欢为夫吗?”云轻两腮通红,水眸含羞,“夫君,轻儿自然是爱你的!”无双的龙眉一扬,雾眸半眯,咬住云轻小巧的耳垂,“那轻儿,今夜这洞房你是会替为夫上他床的,对吗?”……诺大的龙床之上,云轻任由无双的手四处游动,一柄匕首抵上他的胸:“皇上,让云轻再上这龙床可是要有代价的!”一身明黄龙袍,无双邪眯雾眸,洁白如玉的手指将云轻手中的匕首对准自己的心脏,身子缓缓压下,血溅了云轻一脸:“轻儿,只要你能杀了为夫,这天下为夫送你便是!”……残霞半壁血红天,云轻一身白衣迎风而立,水眸迷惘,身后一双粉嫩的小娃半厥粉唇,甜美霸气,冷冷的看着城楼下孤身奋杀的倾城男子。“无知的父王,以为杀过了铁卫就能带走娘亲吗?哼!”背手而立的小男娃儿一身帝王霸气,雾眸像极了那个邪戾的男子。“可怜的父王,杀过了铁卫还有我的阿龙阿虎呢!哼!”咬着糖葫芦的小女娃儿纯真可爱,足边一狮一莽静卧,伺机而动。……“******************************************************友情链接:潇湘冬儿09倾力巨作:11处特工皇妃若曦521的新文:狼美人********************************************************柳少白强文好文:烟雨一千年毅力青春校园文:《高中小少妇》子晗宝贝新文文:穿越之残雪无心风兮兮最新文文:【暴】了黑道教父
  • 创世纪:星际浩劫

    创世纪:星际浩劫

    公元2069年,千疮百孔的地球总算经受不住人类的摧残,以最狼狈的状态毁灭,走投无路的人类,最终决定将自己的基业建立在宇宙中,对于他们一无所知的世界,不知道最深处有着什么在等着他们,在无尽的宇宙中人类将何去何从,在真正的灾难来临之际,人类又将如何瓦解,这一切的一切,是否只是个梦……
  • 无量度人上品妙经旁通图

    无量度人上品妙经旁通图

    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。
  • 聪明人?傻瓜?

    聪明人?傻瓜?

    每一种能走、能呼吸,能理智处理信息的生物,都有自己不断更新的故事,故事里有着或积极或者消极,或理智或不理智的结论。我们能在生命中取得最惊人的进步,也经常灵感涌现,然而,我们也都是有缺点的凡人,被命运玩弄于股掌之间,缺乏激情,经常以满足一己私利为目的,直到我们一无所有。斯蒂芬·克拉克·布兰得利在17年时间里游历了35个国家,包括巴基斯坦、伊拉克、土耳其和西非。他就是这样一部活着历史。他是一个普通又不普通的人,他是传教士、教师、无家可归者、作家、政治家、环游世界的旅人,那个最聪明的傻瓜。
  • 冥界推销员

    冥界推销员

    我以为我只是一个墓地销售,把墓地卖给活人。但是后来我才知道,我是冥界代言人……我要把墓地卖给鬼……
  • 总裁的重生腹黑妻

    总裁的重生腹黑妻

    被深爱的男友背叛,被信任的继母继妹算计,这一世的萧祁雪活得既糊涂又窝囊。临死前得知的真相像压死骆驼的最后一根稻草,滔天的恨意却终究变成无能为力…一觉醒来,竟意外地发现自己重生了!上天垂怜,给了她重活一世的机会…这一世,她不会再那么平庸地活,那些侮辱过她的人,她要将他们全部踩在脚下!且看重生后的萧祁雪如何在商界翻手为云,覆手为雨。当然,还少不了身后,那霸道又温柔的守护…
  • 山洞深藏杀机

    山洞深藏杀机

    啊!山洞。这个意外发现、得而复失又重新找到的山洞,是侵略者精心设计、用许多人生命和眼泪凿成的,里面藏着的是中国人失去的、如今应该找回的、能够燃烧出火热、能够放射出光芒、能够融化和照亮冻土荒原的精灵……半夜响起枪声李来喜端着三八式大盖枪,一对虎虎势势的大眼睛睁得滴溜圆,在树林中蹚着厚厚的积雪,边走边向四处机警地搜寻着。白淑芸跟在他的背后,胸前挎着美国造汤母式冲锋枪,肩上背着一只山兔两只野鸡,也睁大眼睛边走边向周围察看。这里是小兴安岭山脉的东端,连绵起伏的山峦披着皑皑白雪,覆盖着茂密浩瀚的原始森林。
  • 棉花开了

    棉花开了

    小女子棉棉,再次获得生命后,携手家人,努力生活,打造美好家园,获取幸福的故事。不虐,甜文。