登陆注册
5383900000042

第42章

IN WHICH I HEAL A BICYCLE AND COME TO THE WHEEL OF PLEASUREMoving the bicycle a little away, so that my operations upon it might not arouse her, I had soon made all right again, and when Ilaid it once more where she had left it, she was still sleeping as sound as ever.She had only to sleep long enough, a sly thought suggested, to necessitate her ending her day's journey at the same inn as myself, some five miles on the road.One virtue at least the reader will allow to this history,--we are seldom far away from an inn in its pages.When I thought of that I sat stiller than ever, hardly daring to turn over the pages of Apuleius, which I had taken from my knapsack to beguile the time, and, I confess, to give my eyes some other occupation than the dangerous one of gazing upon her face, dangerous in more ways than one, but particularly dangerous at the moment, because, as everybody knows, a steady gaze on a sleeping face is apt to awake the sleeper.And she wasn't to be disturbed!

"No! she mustn't waken before seven at the latest," I said to myself, holding my breath and starting in terror at every noise.

Once a great noisy bee was within an ace of waking her, but Icaught him with inspired dexterity, and he buzzed around her head no more.

But despite the providential loneliness of the road, there were one or two terrors that could not be disposed of so summarily.

The worst of all was a heavy miller's cart which one could hardly crush to silence in one's handkerchief; but it went so slowly, and both man and horses were so sleepy, that they passed unheard and unnoticing.

A sprightly tramp promised greater difficulty, and nothing but some ferocious pantomime and a shilling persuaded him to forego a choice fantasia of cockney humour.

A poor tired Italian organ-grinder, tramping with an equally tired monkey along the dusty roads, had to be bought off in a similar manner,--though he only cost sixpence.He gave me a Southern smile and shrug of comprehension, as one acquainted with affairs of the heart,--which was a relief after the cockney tramp's impudent expression of, no doubt, a precisely similar sentiment.

And then at last, just as my watch pointed to 6.50 (how well Iremember the exact moment!) Rosalind awoke suddenly, as women and children do, sitting straight up on the instant, and putting up her hands to her tousled hair, with a half-startled "Where am I?" When her hair was once more "respectable," she gave her skirts a shake, bent sideways to pull up her stockings and tighten her garters, looked at her watch, and then with an exclamation at the lateness of the hour, went over, with an air of desperate determination, to her bicycle.

"Now for this horrid puncture!" were the first words I was to hear fall from her lips.

She sought for the wound in the india- rubber with growing bewilderment.

"Goodness!" was her next exclamation, "why, there's nothing wrong with it.Can I have been dreaming?""I hope your dreams have been pleasanter than that," I ventured at this moment to stammer, rising, a startling apparition, from my ambush behind a mound of brambles; and before she had time to take in the situation I added that I hoped she'd excuse my little pleasantry, and told her how I had noticed her and the wounded bicycle, et cetera, et cetera, as the reader can well imagine, without giving me the trouble of writing it all out.

She was sweetness itself on the instant.

"Excuse you!" she said, "I should think so.Who wouldn't?

You can't tell the load you've taken off my mind.I'm sure Imust have groaned in my sleep--for I confess I cried myself to sleep over it.""I thought so," I said with gravity, and eyes that didn't dare to smile outright till they had permission, which, however, was not long withheld them.

"How did you know?"

"Oh, intuition, of course--who wouldn't have cried themselves to sleep, and so tired too!""You're a nice sympathetic man, anyhow," she laughed; "what a pity you don't bicycle!""Yes," I said, "I would give a thousand pounds for a bicycle at this moment.""You ought to get a good one for that," she laughed,--"all bright parts nickel, I suppose; indeed, you should get a real silver frame and gold handle-bars for that, don't you think?

Well, it would be nice all the same to have your company a few miles, especially as it's growing dark," she added.

"Especially as it's growing dark," I repeated.

"You won't be going much farther to- night.Have you fixed on your inn?" I continued innocently.She had--but that was in a town too far to reach to-night, after her long sleep.

"You might have wakened me," she said.

"Yes, it was stupid of me not to have thought of it," Ianswered, offering no explanation of the dead bee which at the moment I espied a little away in the grass, and saying nothing of the merry tramp and the melancholy musician.

Then we talked inns, and thus she fell beautifully into the pit which I had digged for her; and it was presently arranged that she should ride on to the Wheel of Pleasure and order a dinner, which she was to do me the honour of sharing with me.

I was to follow on foot as speedily as might be, and it was with a high heart that I strode along the sunset lanes, hearing for some time the chiming of her bell in front of me, till she had wheeled it quite out of hearing, and it was lost in the distance.

I never did a better five miles in my life.

同类推荐
  • 清代琉球纪录续辑

    清代琉球纪录续辑

    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。
  • 宣验记

    宣验记

    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。
  • 优古堂诗话

    优古堂诗话

    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。
  • 般若波罗蜜多心经-利言

    般若波罗蜜多心经-利言

    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。
  • 禾谱

    禾谱

    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
  • 仙傲

    仙傲

    可爱小白版简介:洛绮梦悲剧地穿越到异世,遍地都是修仙者,可惜她一没灵根,二不受宠,乃是洛家之耻,阴差阳错得到上古神器,拐带妖王,巧遇个个妖孽男,是要携谁之手,同修仙道?与妖缠绵,与妖暧昧,大妖王,你若是不好好对待我,小心我跟别的妖孽男跑了!正剧版简介:魂穿至异世界玄武大陆,身为没有一丁点灵根的凡人洛绮梦,意外取得上古神器,误将邪魅妖王收服,阴差阳错走上修仙之路。随身药田内藏玄机,种灵草,养妖兽,自炼丹药,修炼不靠他人。画符、吟咒,身怀奇宝的她不能张扬行事,扮猪吃老虎,默默制造一个又一个的离奇失踪事件。受侮辱、被轻视。洛绮梦漠然冷笑,当站于巅峰之时,一切皆为蝼蚁,唯我独尊,傲视群仙。***成仙修炼是一条不归路,仁慈、不忍之心只能将自己推入死路,只有对敌人狠心,才能存活在这残酷的修仙界***片段一:玥烨凝视着身侧酣睡的洛绮梦,迟疑地低下头,想吻上那让他魂牵梦绕的绛唇,就在薄唇落下时,某人很不给面子的清醒过来。他抬起手掩住洛绮梦那双迷茫且睡意朦胧的眸子,淡淡地在她耳旁命令道:“睡觉,不许醒来。”然后低下头…片段二:洛绮梦戳了戳怀内亮着白肚皮悠闲晒太阳的小犬妖,粉唇一嘟质问道:“玥烨,是不是你昨天偷吻我?”“本王岂会做此等无耻之事。”玥烨冷哼一声,摆了摆狗爪,悠闲地在洛绮梦怀内蹭了蹭。洛绮梦鄙视地瞪了一眼睁眼说瞎话的玥烨,只听对方用异常平淡的口吻回道:“以你这种姿色,本王岂会放低身段偷吻,只不过先行品尝一下属于我的女人滋味,也就是你——洛绮梦。”【本文女主喜扮猪吃老虎,亦正亦邪,个性可爱,超萌可爱的小动物。文内美男多多,结局只有一位抱得美人归。】【不太会写简介,点进去看几章说不定会喜欢上本文,希望你们能顺手收藏我的文文(点击放入书架),不介意的话,顺便给些票吧,感谢了哦。】重磅推荐我最爱的朋友的好文:【《女一邪》】【《妖孽儿子狂狂狂》】【《娘子太嚣张》】【《嚣张女仆狂狂狂》】【《亡国公主要翻身》】★★★☆☆推荐《幻城联盟》玄幻好文☆☆★★★《仙傲》妖孽柒柒《兽仙》颜小票《傲世天狂》墨堇琳《狂血狼颜》曲殇《莲开九霄》剑泣血《唯魔独尊》慕璎珞《邪冰傲天》墨邪尘《妖娆女巫》紫箫泠君《异世女血皇》漫殇强力推荐好友极品好文文:【】《霸妻》【】《魅莲》【】《紫辰》【】《火魄》【】《瞳变》【】《夜倾尘》
  • 庶门闺秀

    庶门闺秀

    生生斩断双腿,被爱人赐毒洒一杯,却意外重生!一朝为后,风华正盛时她却被打断双腿,幽禁冷宫。前世爱人赐下的一杯毒酒,意外使她重生府中。内有嫡母长姐伪善,外有前世渣男纠缠,她如何愿意再继续纯真良善,重蹈覆辙?青稚的外表下是早已古井无波的心,柔驯的眼眉后藏匿着锋利的爪牙。何为天命?何为定数?她统统不信!既已重生,她便誓要让这天下都明白,有她司蔻在,定能扭转这所谓乾坤!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 现代崇拜心理学

    现代崇拜心理学

    崇拜心理是人生的精神支柱,犹如心灵中燃烧的熊熊圣火,它使人感到有所寄托,有所期望,有所追求。科学、正确、适度的崇拜心理能够引导人们走好人生之路,并产生正确的行动方向和行为后果,带来美好的人生。
  • 妖龙古帝

    妖龙古帝

    妖龙古帝苏寒,曾经执掌圣域,镇压一世,为银河星系之巅!却因融合各大修为层次,走火入魔,形神俱灭。手下叛变,挚爱沉睡,好友被追杀!重活一世,定当卷土重来,逆转乾坤,杀尽一切叛变之人!【妖龙古帝】书友群1群:663538422。【妖龙古帝】订阅群:854293507。
  • 江湖少年之空山寺录

    江湖少年之空山寺录

    空山新雨后,天气晚来秋。明月松间照,清泉石上流。默儿,你可喜欢这雾谷里的一切?阿镜,只要有你,何处我都欢喜。空山寺的初见,杏花林里的十年相伴,五年的生死相依,任江湖流言满天,我只想和你在一起。――镜空(净空)不羡富贵荣华,不惧祸福生死,不恋权势涛天,只是怕你离开我。――林初默
  • 古龙文集:绝不低头

    古龙文集:绝不低头

    《绝不低头》,是古龙唯一一部现代都市武侠作品,“江湖名篇”之一。古龙说:“每个人都会变的。唯一永恒不变的,只有时间,因为时间最无情。在这无情的时间推移中,每个人都会不知不觉地慢慢改变。”所以,波波变了,黑豹变了,罗烈也变了,三个人的命运却依旧交织在一起。好在总有一些东西无论如何都不会改变,只要想认真活下去,勇气、侠义、爱与宽容,都是不可或缺的精神源泉。
  • 做最得力的员工

    做最得力的员工

    得力员工是近来人力资源管理中流行的一个概念。很多公司的老总和人力资源总监都认同这一概念,他们都认为得力员工很重要。然而,究竟什么样的员工才是得力员工?对于这个每个人都有不同的理解。有的人认为,只有为企业创造价值的员工是企业的得力员工,但在不同的时间,是很难衡量员工的价值。如技术人员开发出来的产品,在未产生效益时,你很难看出他比销售精英更重要,并且对他们加于奖励,结果大家会觉得不公平。
  • 刑警手记之异案现场

    刑警手记之异案现场

    风雨如书年度重磅巨献刑警手记系列最特别的一部公安厅异案特搜小组探案全程披露从未公开过的涉鬼案件魔瞳追凶、轮回杀戮、黄泉……特搜小组踏入最不可思议的死亡之地。刑警陈和,因为身负特殊能力而被召进公安厅特案小组,专事侦破一系列现实常理不能解释的诡异案件,从而解除到一个完全不同的离奇世界。魔眼、轮回、黄泉路……这些只有在幻想小说里才出现的场景,成为他日常工作的一部分,而那些诡异的罪案背后,又有着怎样的,不为现实所知的黑暗?
  • 剑道仙缘录

    剑道仙缘录

    大道至简,以力证之。莫青衫一本变异的小说在魔法斗气的世界叱咤风云……
  • 乱君心之妾本惊华

    乱君心之妾本惊华

    她,玥七穿越到了架空战国,成了四王爷的侧妃。而她穿越过来的那天,正值原主产子之日。他,萧战,战国的四王。战功赫赫的他,因身世原因,不得皇帝喜欢,她为了能带着儿子离开,不得不与他结为同盟。她以为他对她有情。却想不到,他,为了大业,让她坠崖……