现代灰姑娘 英文版 A Modern Cinderella
露意莎.梅.奥尔科特 Louisa May Alcott
DEBBY'S DEBUT. Page 5
"Please get up," she said; for Mr. Joe, feelingvery humble and very earnest, had gone downupon his knees, and sat there entirely regardlessof his personal apearance.
He obeyed; and Debby stood looking up athim with her kindest aspect, as she said, moretenderly than she had ever spoken to him before,--
"Thank you for the affection you offer me, butI cannot accept it, for I have nothing to give youin return but the friendliest regard, the most sinceregood-will. I know you will forgive me, and dofor your own sake the good things you would havedone for mine, that I may add to my esteem a realrespect for one who has been very kind to me."
"I'll try,--indeed, I will, Miss Dora, thoughit will be powerful hard without yourself for ahelp and a reward."
Poor Joe choked a little, but called up anunexpected manliness, and added, stoutly,--
"Don't think I shall be offended at your speakingso or saying 'No' to me,--not a bit; it's allright, and I'm much obliged to you. I might haveknown you couldn't care for such a fellow as I am,and don't blame you, for nobody in the worldis good enough for you. I'll go away at once,I'll try to keep my promise, and I hope you'll bevery happy all your life."
but, as she saw FrankEvan coming up the path, a sudden panic fellupon.
He shook Debby's bands heartily, and hurrieddown the steps, but at the bottom paused andlooked back. Debby stood upon the thresholdwith sunshine dancing on her winsome face, andkind words trembling on her lips; for the momentit seemed impossible to part, and, with animpetuous gesture, he cried to her,--
strengthenedhis whole countenance.
"Oh, Dora, let me stay and try to win you!for everything is possible to love, and I neverknew how dear you were to me till now!"
There were sudden tears in the young man'seyes, the flush of a genuine emotion on his cheek,the tremor of an ardent longing in his voice, and,for the first time, a very true affection strengthenedhis whole countenance. Debby's heart was full ofpenitence; she had given so much pain to more thanone that she longed to atone for it--longed to dosome very friendly thing, and soothe some troublesuch as she herself had known. She looked intothe eager face uplifted to her own and thoughtof Will, then stooped and touched her lover'sforehead with the lips that softly whispered, "No."
If she had cared for him, she never wouldhave done it; poor Joe knew that, and murmuringan incoherent "Thank you!" he rushed away,feeling very much as he remembered to have feltwhen his baby sister died and he wept his griefaway upon his mother's neck. He began hispreparations for departure at once, in a burst ofvirtuous energy quite refreshing to behold, thinkingwithin himself, as he flung his cigar-case into thegrate, kicked a billiard-ball into a corner, andsuppressed his favorite allusion to the Devil,--
"This is a new sort of thing to me, but I canbear it, and upon my life I think I feel the betterfor it already."
And so he did; for though he was no Augustineto turn in an hour from worldly hopes and climbto sainthood through long years of inward strife,yet in aftertimes no one knew how many falsesteps had been saved, how many small sins repentedof, through the power of the memory thatfar away a generous woman waited to respect him,and in his secret soul he owned that one of the bestmoments of his life was that in which little DebbyWilder whispered "No," and kissed him.
As he passed from sight, the girl leaned herhead upon her hand, thinking sorrowfully to herself,--
"What right had I to censure him, when myown actions are so far from true? I have done awicked thing, and as an honest girl I should undoit, if I can. I have broken through the rules of afalse propriety for Clara's sake; can I not do asmuch for Frank's? I will. I'll find him, if Isearch the house,--and tell him all, though I neverdare to look him in the face again, and Aunt Pensends me home to-morrow."
Full of zeal and courage, Debby caught up herhat and ran down the steps, but, as she saw FrankEvan coming up the path, a sudden panic fellupon her, and she could only stand mutely waitinghis approach.
It is asserted that Love is blind; and on thestrength of that popular delusion novel heroes andheroines go blundering through three volumes ofdespair with the plain truth directly under theirabsurd noses: but in real life this theory is notsupported; for to a living man the countenance of aloving woman is more eloquent than any language,more trustworthy than a world of proverbs, morebeautiful than the sweetest love-lay ever sung.
Frank looked at Debby, and "all her heartstood up in her eyes," as she stretched her handsto him, though her lips only whispered verylow,--
"Forgive me, and let me say the 'Yes' Ishould have said so long ago."
Had she required any assurance of her lover'struth, or any reward for her own, she would havefound it in the change that dawned so swiftly inhis face, smoothing the lines upon his forehead,lighting the gloom of his eye, stirring his firm lipswith a sudden tremor, and making his touch as softas it was strong. For a moment both stood verystill, while Debby's tears streamed down likesummer rain; then Frank drew her into the greenshadow of the grove, and its peace soothed herlike a mother's voice, till she looked up smilingwith a shy delight her glance had never knownbefore. The slant sunbeams dropped a benedictionon their heads, the robins peeped, and thecedars whispered, but no rumor of what furtherpassed ever went beyond the precincts of thewood; for such hours are sacred, and Natureguards the first blossoms of a human love astenderly as she nurses May-flowers underneaththe leaves.
Mrs. Carroll had retired to her bed with anervous headache, leaving Debby to the watchand ward of friendly Mrs. Earle, who performedher office finely by letting her charge entirely alone.In her dreams Aunt Pen was just imbibing a copiousdraught of champagne at the wedding-breakfast ofher niece, "Mrs. Joseph Leavenworth,"when she was roused by the bride elect, whopassed through the room with a lamp and a shawlin her hand.
"What time is it, and where are you going,dear?" she asked, dozily wondering if the carriagefor the wedding-tour was at the door so soon.
"It's only nine, and I am going for a sail, AuntPen."
As Debby spoke, the light flashed full into herface, and a sudden thought into Mrs. Carroll'smind. She rose up from her pillow, looking asstately in her night-cap as Maria Theresa is saidto have done in like unassuming head-gear.
"Something has happened, Dora! What haveyou done? What have you said? I insist uponknowing immediately," she demanded, with somewhatstartling brevity.
"I have said 'No' to Mr. Leavenworth and 'Yes' toMr. Evan; and I should like to go home to-morrow,if you please," was the equally concise reply.
Mrs. Carroll fell flat in her bed, and laythere stiff and rigid as Morlena Kenwigs. Debbygently drew the curtains, and stole away leavingAunt Pen's wrath to effervesce before morning.
The moon was hanging luminous and large onthe horizon's edge, sending shafts of light beforeher till the melancholy ocean seemed to smile, andalong that shining pathway happy Debby and herlover floated into that new world where all thingsseem divine.