登陆注册
15453300000015

第15章 VI.(2)

"No, nothing has happened," said Gregory, with a sort of violence; which was heightened by a sense of the rings and tendrils of loose hair springing from the mass that defined her pretty head. "Don't you know that you oughtn't to say 'No'm' and 'Yes'm?"' he demanded, bitterly, and then he expected to see the water come into her eyes, or the fire into her cheeks.

Clementina merely looked interested. "Did I say that? I meant to say Yes, ma'am and No, ma'am; but I keep forgetting."

"You oughtn't to say anything!" Gregory answered savagely, "Just say Yes, and No, and let your voice do the rest."

"Oh!" said the girl, with the gentlest abeyance, as if charmed with the novelty of the idea. "I should be afraid it wasn't polite."

Gregory took an even brutal tone. It seemed to him as if he were forced to hurt her feelings. But his words, in spite of his tone, were not brutal; they might have even been thought flattering. "The politeness is in the manner, and you don't need anything but your manner."

"Do you think so, truly?" asked the girl joyously. "I should like to try it once!"

He frowned again. "I've no business to criticise your way of speaking."

"Oh yes'm--yes, ma'am; sir, I mean; I mean, Oh, yes, indeed! The'a!

It does sound just as well, don't it?" Clementina laughed in triumph at the outcome of her efforts, so that a reluctant visional smile came upon Gregory's face, too. I'm very mach obliged to you, Mr. Gregory--I shall always want to do it, if it's the right way."

"It's the right way," said Gregory coldly.

"And don't they," she urged, "don't they really say Sir and Ma'am, whe'e --whe'e you came from?"

He said gloomily, "Not ladies and gentlemen. Servants do. Waiters--like me." He inflicted this stab to his pride with savage fortitude and he bore with self-scorn the pursuit of her innocent curiosity.

"But I thought--I thought you was a college student."

"Were," Gregory corrected her, involuntarily, and she said, "Were, I mean."

"I'm a student at college, and here I'm a servant! It's all right!" he said with a suppressed gritting of the teeth; and he added, "My Master was the servant of the meanest, and I must-- I beg your pardon for meddling with your manner of speaking"--"Oh, I'm very much obliged to you; indeed I am. And I shall not care if you tell me of anything that's out of the way in my talking," said Clementina, generously.

"Thank you; I think I won't wait any longer for Mr. Fane."

"Why, I'm su'a he'll be back very soon, now. I'll try not to disturb you any moa."

Gregory turned from taking some steps towards the door, and said, "I wish you would tell Mr. Fane something."

"For you? Why, suttainly!"

"No. For you. Tell him that it's all right about his calling you Boss."

The indignant color came into Clementina's face. "He had no business to call me that."

"No; and he doesn't think he had, now. He's truly sorry for it."

"I'll see," said Clementina.

She had not seen by the time Fane got back. She received his apologies for being gone so long coldly, and went away to Mrs. Atwell, whom she told what had passed between Gregory and herself.

"Is he truly so proud?" she asked.

"He's a very good young man," said Mrs. Atwell, "but I guess he's proud.

He can't help it, but you can see he fights against it. If I was you, Clem, I wouldn't say anything to the guls about it."

"Oh, no'm--I mean, no, indeed. I shouldn't think of it. But don't you think that was funny, his bringing in Christ, that way?"

"Well, he's going to be a minister, you know."

"Is he really?" Clementina was a while silent. At last she said, "Don't you think Mr. Gregory has a good many freckles?"

"Well, them red-complected kind is liable to freckle," said Mrs. Atwell, judicially.

After rather a long pause for both of them, Clementina asked, "Do you think it would be nice for me to ask Mr. Gregory about things, when I wasn't suttain?"

"Like what?"

"Oh-wo'ds, and pronunciation; and books to read."

"Why, I presume he'd love to have you. He's always correctin' the guls;

I see him take up a book one day, that one of 'em was readin', and when she as't him about it, he said it was rubbage. I guess you couldn't have a betta guide."

"Well, that was what I was thinking. I guess I sha'n't do it, though.

I sh'd neva have the courage." Clementina laughed and then fell rather seriously silent again.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 愿无忧

    愿无忧

    她是第一集团神秘总裁。却不想被自己的老爹卖了。片段一:“什么?”刚刚回国却得知自己被“买”掉的消息“说你是我亲爹吗?”忧儿啊!不是我们要卖你只是我们公司破产了。”“破个头啊,世界第四集团的公司会破产,骗谁呢,死老头,快从国外回来!”“死丫头,我可是你老爹,你怎么可以叫我老头儿。”“我还不知道有哪个亲爹会把自己女儿买了。”~~~~就这样她被卖了初遇:“你们。。。”忍着流鼻血和兴奋得要跳起来的冲动。“滚!”“有病啊。。。我又不是故意的。。。”“出去!”心动:“你...你们...你们,不是对我不感兴趣吗?”“你们都...别..别过来”“小忧儿!”“啊!救命!”
  • 龙嘘气成云

    龙嘘气成云

    风落梅花岁岁寒,雪覆枯藤处处暖。竹笋破土仍有力,直刺云霄上九天。武侠的世界除了杀戮与成长,更多的是用文字也难以描述的精神意志和武侠情怀。
  • 鸿蒙之转世重修

    鸿蒙之转世重修

    国明在异世界历练,在回到洪荒宇宙修炼,在回到超时空空间成为强者......国明帮助轩辕龙登上王位,让轩辕龙一步步成为洪泽宇宙的主宰......国明成为鸿蒙之孤独星……
  • 邪帝娇宠,惊世王妃太凶猛

    邪帝娇宠,惊世王妃太凶猛

    她是豪门盛宠的娇女,一朝穿越成弃儿。皇室贵族倾心守护?世家嫡子痴心爱慕?少年天子宠爱入骨?“对不起,本姑娘通通没有兴趣!”“那你的兴趣是什么?”“收了你!”某人斜靠在墙角,笑的颠倒众生。一朝穿越,玩转古代,女扮男装,傲视天下,混朝堂,入江湖,收灵宠,建国都,穿越在手,美男我有!拼书画,斗智谋,虐渣男,踩渣女,成就大陆神话,走向人生巅峰!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 明的诡故事

    明的诡故事

    没一个细微的事件背后都有一个秘密,楼上的脚步,莫名的球状物落地声,洋娃娃,,,
  • 缘尽世间:爱在时空的尽头

    缘尽世间:爱在时空的尽头

    从天而降的缘结,将她和他紧紧地绑在了一起,从此永不分离。但,这只是开始。萧若云带着使命来到这片异世大陆,帮原身报仇血恨,却因为身世特殊,降妖魔,驱万兽,炼百丹,成为老百姓口中的小菩萨,江湖上的老大,可她却不曾想过,自己如此豪迈的性格,被一只大饿狼给盯上了。从此,她是他最挚爱的妻,唯一的妻子。过着连皇帝都羡慕的生活,可意外却悄然而至……
  • 身为女人

    身为女人

    本书讲述女人在各个特殊生理时期的特殊护理的方法与养护,以及日常生活当中的保养和护理方法。
  • 毒妃快到怀里来

    毒妃快到怀里来

    天才俏美毒医一朝穿越,竟成左丞相府嫡小姐。奈何原主貌比无盐,卑微可欺,软弱无能,被庶妹害死。卷土重来,她已不是昔日的那个她。原本她是要在这个世界大展拳脚时,一道圣旨下来,打乱她的计划,将她赐婚与冷面战神王。某脸痴女:咦?为毛这萧王有点眼熟捏?某次他要化身为狼,某女杏眸圆睁,急忙躲闪,“亲!我好歹也救过你的是不是?”某王慢慢地解开腰带,邪魅一笑,“那岂不是要本王一身相许?准了!”某女“……”殿下,你的高冷全掉地儿了。
  • 武侯八阵兵法辑略

    武侯八阵兵法辑略

    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。
  • 无节操主神

    无节操主神

    “想明白生命的意义吗?想真正的……活着吗?”“主神???郑吒??恐怖片啊?要命啊,鬼才想去啊!我不想死啊”某宅男小白大喊道,小白只想好好活下去,在主神空间里低调发展,却不想刚打了两把酱油就进入了火影的世界。对此,某小白只能大声吐槽道“主神,你的节操呢”。