登陆注册
15471800000017

第17章

The hour passed quickly away in lively talk, and when it was ended, the lonesome and neglected Wilson was richer by two friends than he had been when it began. He invited the twins to look in at his lodgings presently, after disposing of an intervening engagement, and they accepted with pleasure.

Toward the middle of the evening, they found themselves on the road to his house. Pudd'nhead was at home waiting for them and putting in his time puzzling over a thing which had come under his notice that morning. The matter was this: He happened to be up very early-- at dawn, in fact; and he crossed the hall, which divided his cottage through the center, and entered a room to get something there.

The window of the room had no curtains, for that side of the house had long been unoccupied, and through this window he caught sight of something which surprised and interested him. It was a young woman-- a young woman where properly no young woman belonged; for she was in Judge Driscoll's house, and in the bedroom over the judge's private study or sitting room. This was young Tom Driscoll's bedroom.

He and the judge, the judge's widowed sister Mrs. Pratt, and three Negro servants were the only people who belonged in the house. Who, then, might this young lady be? The two houses were separated by an ordinary yard, with a low fence running back through its middle from the street in front to the lane in the rear. The distance was not great, and Wilson was able to see the girl very well, the window shades of the room she was in being up, and the window also.

The girl had on a neat and trim summer dress, patterned in broad stripes of pink and white, and her bonnet was equipped with a pink veil.

She was practicing steps, gaits and attitudes, apparently; she was doing the thing gracefully, and was very much absorbed in her work.

Who could she be, and how came she to be in young Tom Driscoll's room?

Wilson had quickly chosen a position from which he could watch the girl without running much risk of being seen by her, and he remained there hoping she would raise her veil and betray her face. But she disappointed him. After a matter of twenty minutes she disappeared and although he stayed at his post half an hour longer, she came no more.

Toward noon he dropped in at the judge's and talked with Mrs. Pratt about the great event of the day, the levee of the distinguished foreigners at Aunt Patsy Cooper's. He asked after her nephew Tom, and she said he was on his way home and that she was expecting him to arrive a little before night, and added that she and the judge were gratified to gather from his letters that he was conducting himself very nicely and creditably--at which Wilson winked to himself privately.

Wilson did not ask if there was a newcomer in the house, but he asked questions that would have brought light-throwing answers as to that matter if Mrs. Pratt had had any light to throw; so he went away satisfied that he knew of things that were going on in her house of which she herself was not aware.

He was now awaiting for the twins, and still puzzling over the problem of who that girl might be, and how she happened to be in that young fellow's room at daybreak in the morning.

同类推荐
  • Alonzo Fitz and Other Stories

    Alonzo Fitz and Other Stories

    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。
  • 睽车志

    睽车志

    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。
  • 菩萨本行经

    菩萨本行经

    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。
  • Rosmersholm

    Rosmersholm

    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。
  • 灵鬼志

    灵鬼志

    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。
热门推荐
  • EXO.Destiny

    EXO.Destiny

    为EXO写的同人小说,啦啦啦来了来了来了来了看
  • 中俄伊犁交涉始末

    中俄伊犁交涉始末

    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。
  • 那些年的灵异事件

    那些年的灵异事件

    世上总是有着科学无法解释的事物,于是人们称其为“灵异”。其实,任何事物的发生都会有它的道理,只是我们并没有知晓它的科学面。依照我们常理的思维逻辑,去分析这些未知的事物时,我们经常会把自己对新奇事物惊异附加到这件事物上,使得这种未知变得更加神秘莫测。
  • 良辰美景,此间少年

    良辰美景,此间少年

    一个小小的粉丝,竟也肖想与心中的偶像在一起,没有想到,她一步步逼近竟让这个离自己远在天边的人落入了自己的怀里。他,年少成名,是少见的天才明星,却一不小心被一个名不见经传的小小粉丝给收了心。爱情里,最美好的,不过是我需要你时,你正好就在这里
  • 小神探智破疑案(青少年挖掘大脑智商潜能训练集)

    小神探智破疑案(青少年挖掘大脑智商潜能训练集)

    潜能是人类原本存在但尚未被开发与利用的能力,是潜在的能量。根据能量守恒定律,能量既不会消灭,也不会创生,它只会从一种形式转化为其他形式,或者从一个物体转移到另一个物体,而转化和转移过程中,能的总量保持不变。
  • 魔鬼之恋

    魔鬼之恋

    她与好朋友去购买婚纱,在茫茫人海中走丢,被人抓到妓院,500万,她被拍卖出去,他占有了她,她的命运将会如何?
  • 一世情深:嚣张萌妻不好惹

    一世情深:嚣张萌妻不好惹

    传言夜家大小姐心狠手辣,蛇蝎心肠,为了权势无所不用其极!传言夜家大小姐是夜家真正的掌权人,得夜大小姐就可得天下!传言,夜家大小姐……传言都只是传言,真相是什么,谁会关心!“想要报仇,我帮你,想要虐渣男我来动手,想要壮大你夜家势力我给你撑腰,只要你乖乖待在我身边……”他将她困在怀中,一如既往地玩世不恭。“想要让我听话,那就看你有没有这个能力,我想要得到的,不需要别人插手!”她笑的邪魅,却是撩拨着他所有的心弦……
  • 网游之大神杠杠的

    网游之大神杠杠的

    23世纪,网游世界开启,本是孤儿又贫苦的乔凌凌没钱买游戏仓玩游戏,这游戏是她渴望许久的,却没能玩。谁知道在开启游戏的同时,她掉游戏里了?怎么回事?而下次登陆游戏竟只要喊声‘登陆游戏’就行?她还是幸运玩家,幸运属性百分百?这怎么回事?(ps:不定更新,写书只是我的业余爱好)
  • 冰风灭世之灭世冰帝

    冰风灭世之灭世冰帝

    一个宁静乡村的小伙因机缘巧合获得了一本绝世法诀,从此走上了修仙的道路。形形色色的敌人,倾城绝色的美女,都陆续出现在男主身边。。鸿蒙宇宙,苍茫大地。谁主沉浮,唯我灭世冰帝,冰风凌。
  • 史前忠犬一箩筐

    史前忠犬一箩筐

    老天爷歧视我的智商?穿越注定熬不过一个年头?莫名其妙被发配到了史前时代,原想着熬过几日自己就可以继续穿越之旅了,怎料想这一次上天铁了心的让她留了下来!温柔细腻的族长、彪悍狂热的勇士、软萌可爱的正太……谁说史前都是野人,这里明明是忠犬集中营!!