登陆注册
5287900000040

第40章 CHAPTER XI(4)

Clement was well acquainted with Byles Gridley, though he had never seen him, for Susan's letters had had a good deal to say about him of late. It was agreed between them that the story should be kept as quiet as possible, and that the young girl should not know the name of her deliverer,--it might save awkward complications. It was not likely that she would be disposed to talk of her adventure, which had ended so disastrously, and thus the whole story would soon die out.

The effect of the violent shock she had experienced was to change the whole nature of Myrtle for the time. Her mind was unsettled: she could hardly recall anything except the plunge over the fall. She was perfectly docile and plastic,--was ready to go anywhere Mr.

Gridley wanted her to go, without any sign of reluctance. And so it was agreed that he should carry her back in his covered wagon that very night. All possible arrangements were made to render her journey comfortable. The fast mare had to trot very gently, and the old master would stop and adjust the pillows from time to time, and administer the restoratives which the physician had got ready, all as naturally and easily as if he had been bred a nurse, vastly to his own surprise, and with not a little gain to his self-appreciation.

He was a serviceable kind of body on occasion, after all, was he not, hey, Mr. Byles Gridley? he said to himself.

At half past four o'clock on Sunday morning the shepherd brought the stray lamb into the paved yard at The Poplars, and roused the slumbering household to receive back the wanderer.

It was the Irishwoman, Kitty Fagan, huddled together in such amorphous guise, that she looked as if she had been fitted in a tempest of petticoats and a whirlwind of old shawls, who presented herself at the door.

But there was a very warm heart somewhere in that queer-looking bundle of clothes, and it was not one of those that can throb or break in silence. When she saw the long covered wagon, and the grave face of the old master, she thought it was all over with the poor girl she loved, and that this was the undertaker's wagon bringing back only what had once been Myrtle Hazard. She screamed aloud,--so wildly that Myrtle lifted her head from the pillow against which she had rested it, and started forward.

The Irishwoman looked at her for a moment to assure herself that it was the girl she loved, and not her ghost. Then it all came over her,--she had been stolen by thieves, who had carried her off by night, and been rescued by the brave old man who had brought her back. What crying and kisses and prayers and blessings were poured forth, in a confusion of which her bodily costume was a fitting type, those who know the vocabulary and the enthusiasm of her eloquent race may imagine better than we could describe it.

The welcome of the two other women was far less demonstrative. There were awful questions to be answered before the kind of reception she was to have could be settled. What they were, it is needless to suggest; but while Miss Silence was weeping, first with joy that her "responsibility" was removed, then with a fair share of pity and kindness, and other lukewarm emotions,--while Miss Badlam waited for an explanation before giving way to her feelings,--Mr. Gridley put the essential facts before them in a few words. She had gone down the river some miles in her boat, which was upset by a rush of the current, and she had come very near being drowned. She was got out, however, by a person living near by, and cared for by some kind women in a house near the river, where he had been fortunate enough to discover her. --Who cut her hair off? Perhaps those good people, --she had been out of her head. She was alive and unharmed, at any rate, wanting only a few days' rest. They might be very thankful to get her back, and leave her to tell the rest of her story when she had got her strength and memory, for she was not quite herself yet, and might not be for some days.

And so there she was at last laid in her own bed, listening again to the ripple of the waters beneath her, Miss Silence sitting on one side looking as sympathetic as her insufficient nature allowed her to look; the Irishwoman uncertain between delight at Myrtle's return and sorrow for her condition; and Miss Cynthia Badlaxn occupying herself about house-matters, not unwilling to avoid the necessity of displaying her conflicting emotions.

Before he left the house, Mr. Gridley repeated the statement is the most precise manner,--some miles down the river--upset and nearly drowned--rescued almost dead--brought to and cared for by kind women in the house where he, Byles Gridley, found her. These were the facts, and nothing more than this was to be told at present. They had better be made known at once, and the shortest and best way would be to have it announced by the minister at meeting that forenoon.

With their permission, he would himself write the note for Mr. Stoker to read, and tell the other ministers that they might announce it to their people.

The bells rang for meeting, but the little household at The Poplars did not add to the congregation that day. In the mean time Kitty Fagan had gone down with Mr. Byles Gridley's note, to carry it to the Rev. Mr. Stoker. But, on her way, she stopped at the house of one Mrs. Finnegan, a particular friend of hers; and the great event of the morning furnishing matter for large discourse, and various social allurements adding to the fascination of having a story to tell, Kitty Fagan forgot her note until meeting had begun and the minister had read the text of his sermon. "Bless my soul! and sure I 've forgot ahl about the letter!" she cried all at once, and away she tramped for the meeting-house. The sexton took the note, which was folded, and said he would hand it up to the pulpit after the sermon, --it would not do to interrupt the preacher.

同类推荐
  • 上清丹元玉真帝皇飞仙上经

    上清丹元玉真帝皇飞仙上经

    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。
  • 太上三元飞星冠禁金书玉箓图

    太上三元飞星冠禁金书玉箓图

    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。
  • 张太史明道杂志

    张太史明道杂志

    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。
  • 杂纂三续

    杂纂三续

    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。
  • 赞禅门诗

    赞禅门诗

    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
  • 注华严法界观科文

    注华严法界观科文

    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。
  • 妙趣人生

    妙趣人生

    《妙趣人生》是著名作家蔡澜的散文集。其中精选蔡澜回忆悲欢往事,品鉴生活细节,阐述生命哲理,抒发人生感慨的文章。作者妙笔生花,叙事、状物、写人、说理,皆明白如话,妙趣横生,而又余味无穷。蔡澜已在国内出版了近百本简体字版的著作,《妙趣人生》选文的角度比较独特,其中不少文章是首次结集出版。
  • 可惜不是我

    可惜不是我

    周墨原以为那些刻在课桌上的喜欢只能叫作暗恋。直到高禹夏的出现,他教会周墨如何去爱,他陪着周墨成长,他牵着周墨的手说着永远不分开……可是,当周墨再次转身的时候,一直陪着她的那个少年已不在她身边。为什么不是你,陪我到最后?
  • 礼仪的规范(现代人生成功方案丛书)

    礼仪的规范(现代人生成功方案丛书)

    本书主要讲述的是以下几方面的礼仪规范:服饰礼仪、介绍礼仪、日常工作礼仪、名片的礼仪握手的礼仪、商务接待与拜访礼仪、商务谈判礼仪、邀约礼仪、会议礼仪、商务招待礼仪、商务宴会礼仪、销售礼仪等等。
  • 战神图卷

    战神图卷

    传说,他们是神的传人!一个少年,无奈中走向求真的道路。艰难险阻,国破家亡,磨砺中成长为一方强者!真神降临,渐揭传说的真相!神的传人,龙的传人?有何关联?一切的起源,竟是如此!面对真相,该何去何从?“十日之役”、神秘组织、天外来客……起源Ⅰ:战神图卷!这只是一个开始……感谢阅文书评团提供书评支持!
  • 提升女人幸福力的10堂课

    提升女人幸福力的10堂课

    追寻幸福是一个永恒的话题,每个女人都希望自己能幸福,然而,幸福从来都不会从天而降,女人需要足够努力,足够聪明,才能具备足够强大的幸福力,才能保持幸福指数不断攀升。本书分别从生活、做人、做事、财富、成功、友情、爱情、亲情、婚姻、幸福等方面入手,给女性以全方位的指导。书中不乏真知灼见,大都是过来人的切身感受,有成功的经验,也有失败的教训。年轻女孩可以从中展望人生,尽早领悟生活的智慧和法则;成熟女人可以从中寻求共鸣,找到朋友与知音。希望在本书的陪伴下,所有女人都能拥有一个美满、幸福的人生。
  • 冷少的绝情妻

    冷少的绝情妻

    “小宝贝,我不是你爹地哟。”楚逸拍着莫宝宝的头,笑眯眯的好心解释着。“可是你要和我妈咪结婚啊?”五岁的莫宝宝歪着头,一脸迷茫。一丝邪笑,划过男人的嘴角,他要的是女人,不过可不是眼前的小不点儿!信任,背叛,是谁第三者插足?意外,失忆,邂逅另一场温柔。她是谁?他又是谁?谁是她腹中宝宝的爹地?谁是她最后的归宿?那个站在她身边,看起来英俊、温柔又专情的倪睿熙,是什么来头?“安琪儿,我的未婚妻。”他挽着他似曾相识的女人,笑得温和又典雅。阴谋,利用与被利用。在爱的世界里,究竟什么才是值得心灵停靠的港湾?这一场寂寞与渴望纠缠着的荒唐旅程,是如何开始,又如何结束?*在那微风沉醉的夜晚,谁与你相见,谁又会与你相爱?这是一个寻找爱与被爱的故事,人这短短的一生一世,究竟靠什么温暖心底?也许一开始的徘徊让人不知所措,可是终将守得云开见月明。就算错过了那么多,那么多,终将有一个人对你不离不弃,愿与你厮守终身。-----------------------我是美丽分割线------------------------1、每天一更,多更看情况,上午11点或晚上,喜欢的亲请多多收藏+票票+留言,你们的支持是夏夏努力的动力!2、不是会员的亲,也可以在页面的“会员注册”上注册成为会员,然后再点“收藏作品”把夏夏的文文收藏下来,以后就不会找的那么辛苦了!3、对文文有什么看法和意见,夏夏欢迎大家提意见。
  • 红楼之元春晋升记

    红楼之元春晋升记

    从王府到皇宫,从侧室到太后,重生后的元春走了一条不那么寻常的晋升之路……因为新君不是她亲生。
  • 快穿之病态

    快穿之病态

    他的记忆是不全的,所以在他的人生,那个人便是他的一切。生而因你,死又何惧。
  • 重生商海

    重生商海

    重生92年,正赶上华夏商业第一次腾飞的时候,作为时代的弄潮儿,不但自己的命运要重写,也要让身边的人改变命运,铸就一代传奇之路!