Little Women - Chapter 46

While Laurie and Amy were taking conjugal ¹ strolls over velvet ² carpets, as they set their house in order, and planned a blissful future, Mr. Bhaer and Jo were enjoying promenades ⁵ of a different sort, along muddy roads and sodden ⁶ fields., ,"I always do take a walk toward evening, and I don't know why I should give it up, just because I happen to meet the Professor on his way out," said Jo to herself, after two or three encounters, for though there were two paths to Meg's whichever one she took she was sure to meet him, either going or returning. He was always walking rapidly, and never seemed to see her until quite close, when he would look as if his short-sighted eyes had failed to recognize the approaching lady till that moment. Then, if she was going to Meg's he always had something for the babies. If her face was turned homeward, he had merely strolled down to see the river, and was just returning, unless they were tired of his frequent calls., ,Under the circumstances, what could Jo do but greet him civilly, and invite him in? If she was tired of his visits, she concealed ⁷ her weariness with perfect skill, and took care that there should be coffee for supper, "as Friedrich - I mean Mr. Bhaer - doesn't like tea.", , ,Jo couldn't even lose her heart in a decorous manner, but sternly tried to quench ⁹ her feelings, and failing to do so, led a somewhat agitated ¹⁰ life. She was mortally afraid of being laughed at for surrendering, after her many and vehement ¹¹ declarations of independence. Laurie was her especial dread ¹², but thanks to the new manager, he behaved with praiseworthy propriety ¹⁴, never called Mr. Bhaer 'a capital old fellow' in public, never alluded ¹⁵, in the remotest manner, to Jo's improved appearance, or expressed the least surprise at seeing the Professor's hat on the Marches' table nearly every evening. But he exulted ¹⁶ in private and longed for the time to come when he could give Jo a piece of plate, with a bear and a ragged ¹⁷ staff on it as an appropriate coat of arms., ,For a fortnight, the Professor came and went with lover-like regularity ¹⁸. Then he stayed away for three whole days, and made no sign, a proceeding ¹⁹ which caused everybody to look sober, and Jo to become pensive ²¹, at first, and then - alas ²² for romance - very cross., ,Conjugal fate is something delicate.缘分 ，其实是一种微妙的东西 。,This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒
。