Little Women - Chapter 6

The big house did prove a Palace Beautiful, though it took some time for all to get in, and Beth found it very hard to pass the lions. Old Mr. Laurence was the biggest one, but after he had called, said something funny or kind to each one of the girls, and talked over old times with their mother, nobody felt much afraid of him, except timid Beth. The other lion was the fact that they were poor and Laurie rich, for this made them shy of accepting favors which they could not return. But, after a while, they found that he considered them the benefactors ¹, and could not do enough to show how grateful he was for Mrs. March's motherly welcome, their cheerful society, and the comfort he took in that humble ² home of theirs. So they soon forgot their pride and interchanged kindnesses without stopping to think which was the greater., ,All sorts of pleasant things happened about that time, for the new friendship flourished like grass in spring. Every one liked Laurie, and he privately ³ informed his tutor that "the Marches were regularly splendid girls." With the delightful ⁴ enthusiasm of youth, they took the solitary ⁵ boy into their midst and made much of him, and he found something very charming in the innocent companionship of these simple-hearted girls. Never having known mother or sisters, he was quick to feel the influences they brought about him, and their busy, lively ways made him ashamed of the indolent life he led. He was tired of books, and found people so interesting now that Mr. Brooke was obliged to make very unsatisfactory reports, for Laurie was always playing truant ⁶ and running over to the Marches'., ,"Never mind, let him take a holiday, and make it up afterward ⁷," said the old gentleman. "The good lady next door says he is studying too hard and needs young society, amusement, and exercise. I suspect she is right, and that I've been coddling the fellow as if I'd been his grandmother. Let him do what he likes, as long as he is happy. He can't get into mischief ⁸ in that little nunnery over there, and Mrs. March is doing more for him than we can.", , ,But Beth, though yearning ¹⁷ for the grand piano, could not pluck up courage to go to the ' Mansion ¹⁸ of Bliss ¹⁹', as Meg called it. She went once with Jo, but the old gentleman, not being aware of her infirmity, stared at her so hard from under his heavy eyebrows ²⁰, and said "Hey!" so loud, that he frightened her so much her 'feet chattered ²¹ on the floor', she never told her mother, and she ran away, declaring she would never go there any more, not even for the dear piano. No persuasions ²² or enticements could overcome her fear, till, the fact coming to Mr. Laurence's ear in some mysterious way, he set about mending matters. During one of the brief calls he made, he artfully led the conversation to music, and talked away about great singers whom he had seen, fine organs he had heard, and told such charming anecdotes ²³ that Beth found it impossible to stay in her distant corner, but crept nearer and nearer, as if fascinated. At the back of his chair she stopped and stood listening, with her great eyes wide open and her cheeks red with excitement of this unusual performance. Taking no more notice of her than if she had been a fly, Mr. Laurence talked on about Laurie's lessons and teachers. And presently, as if the idea had just occurred to him, he said to Mrs. March . . ., ,"The boy neglects his music now, and I'm glad of it, for he was getting too fond of it. But the piano suffers for want of use. Wouldn't some of your girls like to run over, and practice on it now and then, just to keep it in tune ²⁴, you know, ma'am?", ,We showed high respect to benefactors. 我们对捐助者表达了崇高的敬意。 来自辞典例句,In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜 。