White Woman - Bookworm. Oxford English-Chinese Bilingual Readers (Level 6 suitable for senior high school and first-year university)

Author: (English) Collins
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The next morning, I was greeted by bright sunshine and the azure sea outside the window. The future suddenly seemed full of light. I went downstairs to the breakfast room and saw a young lady with a graceful figure gazing out the window. When she turned to walk toward me, I was surprised to find her very ugly. She had a mustache on her upper lip and large, thick lips. Although her face was masculine, a friendly smile gave her some femininity. She greeted me with a pleasant voice, sounding well-mannered. She told me her name was Marian Harcum, the step-sister of Miss Fairley. "My mother has been married twice," she said to me in a calm and friendly tone. "The first time to Mr. Harcum, my father, and the second time to Mr. Fairley, the father of Miss Fairley. My father is penniless, while the father of Miss Fairley is wealthy. I have nothing, but she is very rich. I am dark and ugly, and she is fair and beautiful." She said all this with great enthusiasm. "We sisters are very close, sir, so you must please both of us, or please neither of us." She also told me that Miss Fairley had a headache in the morning and that Mrs. Vesty was taking care of her, and that Mrs. Vesty had once been Miss Fairley's governess. "There are only the two of us for breakfast today, Mr. Hatteritt," she said. "As for Mr. Fairley, your employer, you will have to wait a while to see him. He is Miss Fairley's uncle, a bachelor who became her guardian after her parents' death. He suffers from a strange nervous disease and never leaves his room." During breakfast, she told me about the quiet and regular life of her and her sister. "Do you think you can adapt to such a life?" she asked. "Would you feel restless, hoping for something new to happen?" The word "new" reminded me of the encounter with the white-clad woman, whom she had mentioned, Mrs. Fairley. When I told Miss Harcum about my strange experience, she showed great interest in it, especially in the detail about her mother. "Don't you know the name of that woman?" "No. I only know she came from Hampshire." "Well, this morning," Miss Harcum said, "I will go through my mother's letters. I think I will find some clues to solve this mystery. Lunch is at two o'clock, Mr. Hatteritt, and I will introduce you to my sister then." P17-19