《布里克斯》华文教育丛书2.pdf

英文名著 3000 本






BLIX




by Frank Norris

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英文名著 3000 本


Chapter I

IT had just struck nine from the cuckoo clock that hung
over the mantelpiece in the dining-room, when Victorine
brought in the halved watermelon and set it in front of Mr.
Bessemer's she went down to the front door for
the damp, twisted roll of the Sunday morning's paper, and
came back and rang the breakfastbell for the second time.
As the family still hesitated to appear, she went to the bay
window at the end of the room, and stood there for a
mment looking out. The view was wonderful. The
Bessemers lived upon the Washington Street hill, almost
at its very summit, in a flat in the third story of the
building. The contractor had been clever enough to
reverse the position of kitchen and dining-room,so that the
latter room was at the rear of the house. From its
window one mand a sweep of San Francisco
Bay and the Contra Costa shore, from Mount Diablo,

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英文名著 3000 本
along past Oakland,Berkeley, Sausalito, and Mount
Tamalpais, out to the Golden Gate,the Presidio, the ocean,
and even--on very clear days--to the Farrallone islands.
For some time Victorine stood looking down at the great
expanse of land and sea, then faced about with an
impatient exclamation. On Sundays all the week-day
regime of the family was deranged, and breakfast was a
movable feast, to be had any time after seven or before
half-past nine. As Victorine was pouring the ice-
water,Mr. Bessemer himself came in, and addressed
himself at once to his meal, without so much as a thought
of waiting for the others. He was a little round man. He
wore a skull-cap to keep his bald spot warm, and read his
paper through a reading-glass. The expression of his
face, wrinkled and bearded, the eyes shadowed by
enormous gray eyebrows, was that of an amiable gorilla.
Bessemer was one of those men who seem entirely
disassociated from