登陆注册
5390100000065

第65章 "I Tried Not to Be"(3)

Sara looked down and flushed a little,because she thought her pet fancy might not be easy for strangers--even nice ones--to understand at first.

"I--TRIED not to be anything else,"she answered in a low voice--"even when I was coldest and hungriest--I tried not to be."

"Now it will not be necessary to try,"said Miss Minchin,acidly,as Ram Dass salaamed her out of the room.

She returned home and,going to her sitting room,sent at once for Miss Amelia.She sat closeted with her all the rest of the afternoon,and it must be admitted that poor Miss Amelia passed through more than one bad quarter of an hour.She shed a good many tears,and mopped her eyes a good deal.One of her unfortunate remarks almost caused her sister to snap her head entirely off,but it resulted in an unusual manner.

"I'm not as clever as you,sister,"she said,"and I am always afraid to say things to you for fear of making you angry.

Perhaps if I were not so timid it would be better for the school and for both of us.I must say I've often thought it would have been better if you had been less severe on Sara Crewe,and had seen that she was decently dressed and more comfortable.

I KNOW she was worked too hard for a child of her age,and I know she was only half fed--"

"How dare you say such a thing!"exclaimed Miss Minchin.

"I don't know how I dare,"Miss Amelia answered,with a kind of reckless courage;"but now I've begun I may as well finish,whatever happens to me.The child was a clever child and a good child--and she would have paid you for any kindness you had shown her.

But you didn't show her any.The fact was,she was too clever for you,and you always disliked her for that reason.She used to see through us both--"

"Amelia!"gasped her infuriated elder,looking as if she would box her ears and knock her cap off,as she had often done to Becky.

But Miss Amelia's disappointment had made her hysterical enough not to care what occurred next.

"She did!She did!"she cried."She saw through us both.

She saw that you were a hard-hearted,worldly woman,and that I was a weak fool,and that we were both of us vulgar and mean enough to grovel on our knees for her money,and behave ill to her because it was taken from her--though she behaved herself like a little princess even when she was a beggar.She did--she did--like a little princess!"And her hysterics got the better of the poor woman,and she began to laugh and cry both at once,and rock herself backward and forward.

"And now you've lost her,"she cried wildly;"and some other school will get her and her money;and if she were like any other child she'd tell how she's been treated,and all our pupils would be taken away and we should be ruined.And it serves us right;but it serves you right more than it does me,for you are a hard woman,Maria Minchin,you're a hard,selfish,worldly woman!"

And she was in danger of making so much noise with her hysterical chokes and gurgles that her sister was obliged to go to her and apply salts and sal volatile to quiet her,instead of pouring forth her indignation at her audacity.

And from that time forward,it may be mentioned,the elder Miss Minchin actually began to stand a little in awe of a sister who,while she looked so foolish,was evidently not quite so foolish as she looked,and might,consequently,break out and speak truths people did not want to hear.

That evening,when the pupils were gathered together before the fire in the schoolroom,as was their custom before going to bed,Ermengarde came in with a letter in her hand and a queer expression on her round face.It was queer because,while it was an expression of delighted excitement,it was combined with such amazement as seemed to belong to a kind of shock just received.

"What IS the matter?"cried two or three voices at once.

"Is it anything to do with the row that has been going on?"

同类推荐
  • 全闽诗话

    全闽诗话

    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。
  • 佛说杂藏经

    佛说杂藏经

    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。
  • 老子为道

    老子为道

    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。
  • 梼杌闲评

    梼杌闲评

    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。
  • 安南奏议

    安南奏议

    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
  • 婚姻救赎(已出版)

    婚姻救赎(已出版)

    婚前,叶可凡是优雅脱俗感情至上的完美主义者,婚后,丈夫林东对她从当初的百般宠溺呵护有加到怀孕生子时以工作应酬为理由沉溺于声色犬马场所...面对他带来的感情伤害,她渐渐变得敏感多疑爆躁易怒,歇斯底里几近偏执...不仅如此,婆媳矛盾、孩子问题、第四种感情的犹疑……更是让他们的婚姻千疮百孔岌岌可危。争吵、冷战、纠缠、愤怒,直至发展到两人动不动就恶语相向、大打出手......疲惫绝望后的叶可凡向林东提出离婚,却又因不忍让儿子受到伤害而迟疑。进退两难之际,另一个男人欧皓然出现……怎样的际遇和心路历程,让叶可凡最终把握住自己婚姻和生活的走向,赢得真正幸福的生活。《婚姻救赎》实体书已出版上市,当当网、卓越网,各大中城市新华书店均有售。
  • 雾满西楼

    雾满西楼

    魔界之主花兮觉得管理一方很心累,便偷偷溜到人界。听到讨论围剿魔教,花兮觉得亲切,决定去“魔教”助他们一臂之力。路上遇见了刚刚化为人形的少年燕绥之,还结识了迟九、于秋,四人行热闹是热闹。渐渐的花兮察觉自己喜欢上了燕绥,可是,在她的眼里,燕绥只是一个凡人,最终决定,等他死后,去抢他的魂,让他随她回去魔界。却不知燕绥之早已谋划许久,就差她主动送上门!
  • 全能戒指

    全能戒指

    都市平凡青年,在一次偶尔的游戏中,获取了一枚神奇的戒指。摇身一变,成为了纵横都市的奇人般存在。你说赌石?那个我会,采矿技能能轻松感知原石之内的所有奥秘。你说你得了绝症?没问题,我不但能炼制出,治愈绝症的丹药,还能利用阵法,为你逆天改命……
  • 风雅毛泽东

    风雅毛泽东

    本书《风雅毛泽东》全书分为指点江山、激扬文字、人文情怀、风雨人生四大部分。作者撷取若干鲜为人知的历史片段和细节,生动记述了一代伟人的工作、生活,从不同角度反映了毛泽东的领袖魅力和风采。书稿中诸多篇章为毛泽东研究领域增添了新的内涵。
  • 警花迷情

    警花迷情

    她,国际刑警,卧底警花;他,国际拳王,花花公子。拳击比赛裁判漂尸河上,百万美金赌注压在他的下一场比赛上。她奉命调查赌博集团黑幕,却不可自拔地陷入情欲漩涡。在这场禁忌之恋中,到底谁在欺骗谁?她能否在卧底身份暴露前证明她爱人的清白,带着他全身而退?一场惊心动魄、充满悬念的冒险,带你领略浪漫爱情、尔虞我诈,体验过山车一般的刺激旅程。
  • 弗洛伊德文集11:图腾与禁忌

    弗洛伊德文集11:图腾与禁忌

    本卷是弗洛伊德有关人类学、社会学、文化学、宗教学、历史学和哲学等方面的代表性著作,共包含两部作品。《图腾与禁忌》1913年出版,通过蒙昧人与强迫神经症患者的比较,推断了图腾崇拜的本原意义。《摩西与一神教》1939年出版,是弗洛伊德生前完成的最后一部著作,它深入浅出地剖析了一神教的本质和起源。这些论著基本上属于弗洛伊德心理哲学的范畴。
  • 性格演员

    性格演员

    《性格演员》是“中国当代故事文学读本”系列丛书之一。丛书共分六个板块:悬念推理系列、幽默讽刺系列、惊悚恐怖系列、言情伦理系列、古今传奇系列、社会写真系列。并按系列逐年推出若干部作品集。本书为“言情伦理系列”。《性格演员》共分,至真·纯情、诺言·痴情、沉默·隐睛、禁忌·苦情等四个板块。其中包括《镶在身体里的定情物》、《三张失物招领启事》、《血泊中的泪水》、《一个女儿几个娘》、《遗嘱背后的故事》等文章。
  • 益寿全书

    益寿全书

    本书收集了古今中外、各地区、各民族益寿的经验和方法、集益寿资料、验方、益寿经验之大全。该书从人体基本知识、人的生理、病理、疾病的发生到人体的衰老及寿命都作了详细的阐述。
  • 雾隐忍者传

    雾隐忍者传

    开局一个破土豆,技能装备全靠捡!一个大学刚毕业的年轻人,在和朋友沙滩上庆祝毕业聚餐时,醒来发现自己来到一个陌生的忍者世界。误打误撞在雾隐村结识了辉夜君麻吕,两人逃出水之国后,辗转来到茶之国,又和土蜘蛛萤邂逅,一起结伴到火之国木叶村。自此在尔虞我诈的忍者世界里展开属于自己的传奇故事。(本文属于个人传记类,并非发展忍村种田文。)
  • Hospital Sketches

    Hospital Sketches

    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。