友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
飞读中文网 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

the peterkin papers-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




〃What if father really has asked everybody?〃 Elizabeth Eliza said to herself;  pressing her head again with her hand。

There were the cow and the pig。 But if they all took tea or coffee; or both; the  cups could not go round。

Agamemnon returned in the midst of her agony。

 MRS。 PETERKIN'S TEA…PARTY。 He had not been able to count the guests; they moved about so; they talked so;  and it would not look well to appear to count。

〃What shall we do?〃 exclaimed Elizabeth Eliza。

〃We are not a family for an emergency;〃 said Agamemnon。

〃What do you suppose they did in Philadelphia at the Exhibition; when there were  more people than cups and saucers?〃 asked Elizabeth Eliza。 〃Could not you go and  inquire? I know the lady from Philadelphia is talking about the Exhibition; and  telling how she stayed at home to receive friends。 And they must have had  trouble there! Could not you go in and ask; just as if you wanted to know?〃

Agamemnon looked into the room; but there were too many talking with the lady  from Philadelphia。

〃If we could only look into some book;〃 he said;…〃the encyclopaedia or the  dictionary; they are such a help sometimes!〃

At this moment he thought of his 〃Great Triumphs of Great Men;〃 that he was  reading just now。 He had not reached the lives of the Stephensons; or any of the  men of modern times。 He might skip over to them;…he knew they were men for  emergencies。

He ran up to his room; and met Solomon John coming down with chairs。

〃That is a good thought;〃 said Agamemnon。 〃I will bring down more upstairs  chairs。〃

〃No;〃 said Solomon John; 〃here are all that can come down; the rest of the  bedroom chairs match bureaus; and they never will do!〃

Agamemnon kept on to his own room; to consult his books。 If only he could invent  something on the spur of the moment;…a set of bedroom furniture; that in an  emergency could be turned into parlor chairs! It seemed an idea; and he sat  himself down to his table and pencils; when he was interrupted by the little  boys; who came to tell him that Elizabeth Eliza wanted him。

The little boys had been busy thinking。 They proposed that the tea…table; with  all the things on; should be pushed into the front room; where the company were;  and those could take cups who could find cups。

But Elizabeth Eliza feared it would not be safe to push so large a table; it  might upset; and break what china they had。

Agamemnon came down to find her pouring out tea; in the back room。 She called to  him:…  〃Agamemnon; you must bring Mary Osborne to help; and perhaps one of the Gibbons  boys would carry round some of the cups。〃

And so she began to pour out and to send round the sandwiches; and the tea; and  the coffee。 Let things go as far as they would!

The little boys took the sugar and cream。

〃As soon as they have done drinking bring back the cups and saucers to be  washed;〃 she said to the Gibbons boys and the little boys。

This was an idea of Mary Osborne's。

But what was their surprise; that the more they poured out; the more cups they  seemed to have! Elizabeth Eliza took the coffee; and Mary Osborne the tea。

Amanda brought fresh cups from the kitchen。

〃I can't understand it;〃 Elizabeth Eliza said to Amanda。 〃Do they come back to  you; round through the piazza? Surely there are more cups than there were!〃

Her surprise was greater when some of them proved to be coffee…cups that matched  the set! And they never had had coffee…cups。

Solomon John came in at this moment; breathless with triumph。

〃Solomon John!〃 Elizabeth Eliza exclaimed; 〃I cannot understand the cups!〃

〃It is my doing;〃 said Solomon John; with an elevated air。 〃I went to the lady  from Philadelphia; in the midst of her talk。 'What do you do in Philadelphia;  when you haven't enough cups?' 'Borrow of my neighbors;' she answered; as quick  as she could。〃

〃She must have guessed;〃 interrupted Elizabeth Eliza。

〃That may be;〃 said Solomon John。 〃But I whispered to Ann Maria Bromwick;…she  was standing by;…and she took me straight over into their closet; and old Mr。

Bromwick bought this set just where we bought ours。 And they had a coffee…set;  too〃…  〃You mean where our father and mother bought them。 We were not born;〃 said  Elizabeth Eliza。

〃It is all the same;〃 said Solomon John。 〃They match exactly。〃

So they did; and more and more came in。

Elizabeth Eliza exclaimed:

〃And Agamemnon says we are not a family for emergencies!〃

〃Ann Maria was very good about it;〃 said Solomon John; 〃and quick; too。 And old  Mrs。 Bromwick has kept all her set of two dozen coffee and tea cups!〃

Elizabeth Eliza was ready to faint with delight and relief。 She told the Gibbons  boys; by mistake; instead of Agamemnon; and the little boys。 She almost let fall  the cups and saucers she took in her hand。

〃No trouble now!〃

She thought of the cow; and she thought of the pig; and she poured on。

No trouble; except about the chairs。 She looked into the room; all seemed to be  sitting down; even her mother。 No; her father was standing; talking to Mr。

Jeffers。 But he was drinking coffee; and the Gibbons boys were handing things  around。

The daughters of the lady from Philadelphia were sitting on shawls on the edge  of the window that opened upon the piazza。 It was a soft; warm evening; and some  of the young people were on the piazza。 Everybody was talking and laughing;  except those who were listening。

Mr。 Peterkin broke away; to bring back his cup and another for more coffee。

 〃It's a great success; Elizabeth Eliza;〃 he whispered。 〃The coffee is  admirable; and plenty of cups。 We asked none too many。 I should not mind having  a tea…party every week。〃

Elizabeth Eliza sighed with relief as she filled his cup。 It was going off well。

There were cups enough; but she was not sure she could live over another such  hour of anxiety; and what was to be done after tea?

 THE PETERKINS TOO LATE FOR THE EXHIBITION。 Dramatis Person?。 …Amanda (friend of Elizabeth Eliza); Amanda's mother;  girls of the graduating class; Mrs。 Peterkin; Elizabeth Eliza。 AMANDA 'coming in with a few graduates '。

 MOTHER; the exhibition is over; and I have brought the whole class home to the  collation。

MOTHER。… The whole class! I But I only expected a few。

AMANDA。… The rest are coming。 I brought Julie; and Clara; and Sophie with me。 'A  voice is heard。 ' Here are the rest。

MOTHER。… Why; no。 It is Mrs。 Peterkin and Elizabeth Eliza!

AMANDA。… Too late for the exhibition。 Such a shame! But in time for the  collation。

MOTHER 'to herself '。… If the ice…cream will go round。

AMANDA。… But what made you so late? Did you miss the train? This is Elizabeth  Eliza; girls…you have heard me speak of her。 What a pity you were too late!

MRS。 PETERKIN。… We tried to come; we did our best。

MOTHER。… Did you miss the train? Didn't you get my postal…card?

MRS。 PETERKIN。… We had nothing to do with the train。

AMANDA。… You don't mean you walked?

MRS。 PETERKIN。… O no; indeed!

ELIZABETH ELIZA。… We came in a horse and carryall。

JULIA。… I always wondered how anybody could come in a horse!

AMANDA。… You are too foolish; Julia。 They came in the carryall part。 But didn't 
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!