登陆注册
5415000000003

第3章

She steered her uncle into the dining-room and placed him on a chair beside the fire.In all his movements he attempted restraints and dignity because he knew that he was drunk but hoped that his niece, in spite of her long experience of him, would not perceive it.At the same time he knew that she did perceive it and would perhaps scold him about it.This made him a little indignant because, after all, he had only taken the tiniest drop--one drop at Drymouth, another at Liskane station, and another at "The Hearty Cow" at Clinton St.Mary, just before his start on his cold lonely walk to St.Dreot's.He hoped that he would prevent her criticism by his easy pleasant talk, so on he chattered.

She sat down near him and continuing to sew smiled at him, wondered what there was for dinner and the kind of mood that her father would be in when he found his dear brother here.

Maggie Cardinal, at the time, was nineteen years of age.She was neither handsome nor distinguished, plain indeed, although her mild, good-natured eyes had in their light a quality of vitality and interest that gave her personality; her figure was thick and square--she would be probably stout one day.She moved like a man.Behind the mildness of her eyes there was much character and resolve in her carriage, in the strong neck, the firm breasts, the mouth resolute and determined.She had now the fine expectation of her youth, her health, her optimism, her ignorance of the world.When these things left her she would perhaps be a yet plainer woman.In her dress she was not clever.Her clothes were ugly with the coarse drab grey of their material and the unskilful workmanship that had created them.

And yet there would be some souls who would see in her health, her youth, the kind sympathy of her eyes and mouth, the high nobility of her forehead from which her hair was brushed back, an attraction that might hold them more deeply than an obvious beauty.

Uncle Mathew although he was a silly man was one of these perceptive souls, and had he not been compelled by his circumstances to think continually about himself, would have loved his niece very dearly.

As it was, he thought her a fine girl when he thought of her at all, and wished her more success in life than her "poor old uncle" had had.He looked at her now across the fireplace with satisfaction.

She was something sure and pleasant in a world that swayed and was uncertain.He was drunk enough to feel happy so long as he was not scolded.He dreaded the moment when his brother Charles would appear, and he strove to arrange in his mind the wise and unanswerable word with which he would defend himself, but his thoughts slipped just as the firelight slipped and the floors with the old threadbare carpet.

Then suddenly the hall door opened with a jangle, there were steps in the hall, and Old Timmie Carthewe the sexton appeared in the dining-room.He had a goat's face and a body like a hairpin.

"Rector's not been to service," he said."There's Miss Dunnett and Mrs.Giles and the two Miss Backshaws.I'm feared he's forgotten."Maggie started up.Instantly to her mind came the memory of that fancied sound from her father's room.She listened now, her head raised, and the two men, their eyes bleared but their noses sniffing as though they were dogs, listened also.There were certain sounds, clocks ticking, the bough scraping on the wall, a cart's echo on the frozen road, the maid singing far in the depths of the house.Maggie nodded her head.

"I'll go and see," she said.

She went into the hall and stood again listening.Then she called, "Father! Father!" but there was no answer.She had never in all her life been frightened by anything and she was not frightened now;nevertheless, as she went up the stairs, she looked behind her to see whether any one followed her.

She called again "Father!" then went to his door, pushed it open, and looked in.The room was cold with a faint scent of tallow candle and damp.

In the twilight she saw her father's body lying like a shadow stretched right across the floor, with the grey dirty fingers of one hand clenched.

After that events followed swiftly.Maggie herself had no time nor opportunity for any personal emotion save a dumb kind of wonder that she did not feel more.But she saw all "through a glass darkly."There had been first that moment when the sexton and Uncle Mathew, still like dogs sniffing, had peered with their eyes through her father's door.Then there had been the summoning of Dr.Bubbage from the village, his self-importance, his continual "I warned him.Iwarned him.He can't say I didn't warn him," and then (very dim and far away) "Thank you, Miss Cardinal.I think I will have a glass if you don't mind." There had been cook crying in the kitchen (her red roses intended for Sunday must now be postponed) and the maid sniffing in the hall.There had been Uncle Mathew, muddled and confused, but clinging to his one idea that "the best thing you can do, my dear, is to send for your Aunt Anne." There had been the telegram dispatched to Aunt Anne, and then after that the house had seemed quite filled with people--ladies who had--wished to know whether they could help her in any way and even the village butcher who was there for no reason but stood in the hall rubbing his hands on his thighs and sniffing.All these persons Maggie surveyed through a mist.She was calm and collected and empty of all personality; Maggie Cardinal, the real Maggie Cardinal, was away on a visit somewhere and would not be back for a time or two.

同类推荐
  • 淡新档案选录行政编初集

    淡新档案选录行政编初集

    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。
  • 石璞质禅师语录

    石璞质禅师语录

    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。
  • 道德真经注疏

    道德真经注疏

    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。
  • 了庵清欲禅师语录

    了庵清欲禅师语录

    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。
  • Ayala'  s Angel

    Ayala' s Angel

    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
  • 九司赋

    九司赋

    [玄幻武侠写实派高武]小轩子腿疾好后,替妹妹雪心然去岐山寻药来治她的双目失明,而后在途中遇到一个已经忘记他的故人,与她同赴岐山……由此,是一段故事的开端。崖底青蟒,河中怪鱼,雾中妖獍……无相鬼,猫妖,迷幻之境,牵出一段段往事,奇怪的四羽紫纹,自动愈合的伤口,白发青年冰冷的目光,刺骨幽寒下的故都,首入岐山便将这一切支离破碎的故事一一牵起,蒙在古物上的迷雾逐渐散去……
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 三世缘之与尔成书

    三世缘之与尔成书

    第一世:你救了我,我以报恩的名义在您身边待着。第二世:我遇见你,便再也无法将目光从您身边移开。第三世:你找到我,说再也不会放开我。我想,您那么好,世界上再没有哪一个人能够与之相比。如果您讨厌我,那么一定是我哪做得不够好。我不会放手,我会为了站在你的身边而努力。小白第一世:我捡到你,你说你要保护我,我笑了,你竟痴痴得望着我。第二世:你看着我,目光太过于强烈,让我无法忽视。第三世:我来找你了,你站在桃树下静静地望着我,这一世,换我来保护你,好不好。我想,世上的人有千千万万,对我好到这种程度的恐怕就你一人了吧!你个小傻瓜,等着我,我来了。白夜霆
  • Ramsey Milholland

    Ramsey Milholland

    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。
  • 超凡药尊

    超凡药尊

    圣仙三重界最强药尊,遭人联手谋杀,带着乾坤天眼夺舍而生!我为药炉,可炼天地!我有一眼,可定乾坤!变态?流氓?本药尊千年大道,岂会看得上尔等贱人?
  • 高血压症的居家疗养和药物治疗

    高血压症的居家疗养和药物治疗

    本书包括以下话题:什么是高血压;血压的各阶段表现;测量血压;血压的变化;左臂和右臂血压的差别;血压的各种症状;血压的成因;高血压和健康问题;体重和血压;胆固醇与高血压;脉率与血压;家庭疗养:(a)健康体重;(b)锻炼身体(c)合理膳食(d)健康饮水(e)有效摄入矿物质(f)对症的草药(g)注意事项(h)其他;血压与药物;真实案例。
  • 男人不狠地位不稳

    男人不狠地位不稳

    男人要狠,要对自己狠,要有十足的自信,去相信在自己的脚下,一切不可能都会成为可能。男人要狠,要对自己的梦想狠,梦想与现实总有落差,当生活的残酷逼迫你去做自己不喜欢的事,这又算得了什么?
  • 农门凰女

    农门凰女

    【新书《农门猎女》求收藏!感谢支持!】他是村里最年轻的秀才,娶她进门,疼她、宠她、教她做一个无所畏惧的悍妻,对付纠缠不清的极品亲戚。
  • 火魔传奇

    火魔传奇

    在天元大陆中有很多魔头,他们对火魔有很大的意见,因此他们全都围攻火魔,火魔与他们进行了非常激烈的战斗,最后,火魔被一个老者所救,他为了感谢老者的救命之恩,他给老者一块金子,老者没有收金子,火魔告别了老者,他来到了一个村子,他看到很多农户在种地,他看到那些弄明种地很辛苦,因此,他用功法帮助他们,农民们非常感激他。
  • 药凰医仙

    药凰医仙

    她,21世纪成为金牌杀手,一场大爆炸使她重回真身,穿越至云府废材小姐身上!他,嗜血妖娆,不苟言笑,是这无妄国跺一跺脚都要震三震的至尊王者。为得真龙之血,她诱他、撩他、坑惨了他!某男:撩完就想跑?!于是,他诱捕她、挖坑捉她、三十六计擒拿她!她蹙眉凝视,重重咬牙:“太子殿下莫不是有病?得治!”他用手扶住坐在他大腿上的她那胡乱扭动的水蛇腰:“嗯,所以本王觉得吃了丫头你最能治病,要不要现在就试试?”她美眸骤怒:“你到底想怎样?!”他邪肆一笑,眉宇中尽显诱惑:“当然是想你负责躺好,我负责扑倒啊~”