【英文原著类】DAPHNE, AN AUTUMN PASTORAL(达夫尼一个秋天的田园诗).pdf

DAPHNE, AN AUTUMN PASTORAL
DAPHNE, AN AUTUMN
PASTORAL
by Margaret Sherwood
1
DAPHNE, AN AUTUMN PASTORAL
CHAPTER I
"Her Excellency,--will she have the politeness," said Daphne slowly,
reading from a tiny Italian-English phrase-book, "the politeness to"--She
stopped helpless. Old o gazed at her with questioning eyes.
The girl turned the pages swiftly and chose another phrase.
"I go," she announced, "I go to make a walk."
Light flashed into o's face.
"Si, si, Signorina; yes, yes," he assented with voice and shoulders and
a flourish of the spoon he was polishing. "Capisco; I understand."
Daphne consulted her dictionary.
"Down there," she said gravely, pointing toward the top of the great
hiII on whose side the villa stood.
"Certainly," answered o with a bow, too much pleased by
understanding when there was no reason for it to be captious in regard to
the girl's speech. "The Signorina non ha paura, not 'fraid?"
"I'm not afraid of anything," was the answer in English. The Italian
version of it was a shaking of the head. Then both dictionary and phrase-
book were consulted.
"To return," she stated finally, "to return to eat at six hours." Then she
looked expectantly about.
"Assunta?" she said inquiringly, with a slight shrug of her shoulders,
for other means of expression had failed.
"Capisco, capisco," shouted o in his excitement, trailing on the
marble floor the chamois skin with which he had been polishing the silver,
and speaking in what seemed to his listener one word of a thousand
syllables.
"The-Signorina-goes-to-walk-upon-the-hills-above-the-villa-becaus e-
it-is-a-most-beautiful-day.-She-returns-to-dine-at-six-and-wish es-
Assunta-to-have-dinner-prepared.-Perhaps-the-Signorina-would- tell-
what-she-would-like-for-her-dinner?-A-roast-chicken,-yes?- A-salad,-
yes?"
Daphne looked dubiously at him, though he had stated the case with
2
DAPHNE, AN AUTUMN PASTORAL
entire accuracy, and had suggested for her solitar