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儿童英语读物 The Mystery at Peacock Hall CHAPTER 9 The Eye of the Peacock

时间:2017-09-07 02:13来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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The cry of the peacock awakened1 Benny early Friday morning.

“It’s the last day!” he cried, leaping out of bed.

“I know,” Henry said. He threw back his quilt and jumped up. “We have a lot to do.”

A knock sounded at their door.

“Come in,” Benny called, already dressed.

Violet and Jessie stood in the doorway2.

“Ready to search?” Jessie asked, but she knew the answer. If there was anything the Aldens enjoyed, it was a challenge.

“Got to eat first,” Benny said sensibly. “We can’t hunt for the secret on an empty stomach.” He sounded so serious, the others laughed as they went downstairs.

Althea fixed3 them pancakes with link sausages. “You just missed your grandfather,” she said. “He had an early breakfast, then left to go to the bank.”

“Is he going to borrow the tax money?” Henry asked.

“He’s going to try,” Althea said. “My cousin Celia certainly married a nice man. I’m so glad you all are here. No matter what happens.”

“You’ll have many more days in this house,” Jessie said. If we find the secret of Peacock Hall in time,she thought.

Althea wouldn’t hear of them cleaning up, so the children ran upstairs.

An hour later, they had searched every square inch of the bedrooms they and Grandfather were using.

“I don’t suppose this is the treasure,” Benny said, producing a bent4 gold cuff5 link.

Henry studied the object in better light. “It’s not even real gold.”

“The only room left up here is Cousin Althea’s,” Jessie said. “We’d better ask permission first.”

She and Violet went downstairs to the kitchen.

Althea listened to their request. “Certainly you may look in my bedroom. But I think I would have found the secret if it were in my own room! I’ve lived in this house for more than fifty years!”

“She has a point,” Violet said to Jessie as they went back upstairs. “Althea must know this place better than anyone. Why hasn’t she found the treasure?”

“Maybe because she doesn’t know what she’s looking for,” Jessie brought up. “That’s been our main problem.”

The children felt shy in Althea’s bedroom. They looked quickly.

But, as in the other rooms, their search proved fruitless.

Hot, dirty, and tired, they went downstairs.

Althea took one glance at their grimy faces and poured them glasses of lemonade.

“You are a sight,” she pronounced. “Benny even has cobwebs in his hair. Go outside. It’s a gorgeous day, but it may not last. Spring can be fickle6 around here.”

“We really can’t afford to waste time,” Henry said earnestly. “It’s lunchtime now. Only five more hours until . . .” He hated to finish the sentence.

Althea waved an unconcerned hand. “You children shouldn’t take on my worries. You are guests in my house, even if it is the last day as my house.”

“Let’s all go outside,” Jessie suggested, “and eat lunch by the fish pond.”

“Wonderful!” Althea agreed.

As they made a lunch of tuna salad sandwiches, bananas, and peanut-butter cookies, everyone’s spirits lifted. By the time Henry had spread an old blanket on the grass near the fish pond, they were all laughing at Benny.

“Benny, you know you can’t turn a cartwheel!” Violet giggled7, watching her little brother tumble in the grass.

“Wait!” he cried. “I’ll get it this time!”

But he sprawled8 on the lawn, collapsed9 in giggles10.

As Althea passed the sandwiches around, a shiny blue car pulled into the driveway.

Marlene Sanders got out, carrying a briefcase11. She smiled when she saw Althea Randolph sitting on the blanket.

“Lovely day, isn’t it?” she said to the older woman. “What glorious weather for your last picnic at Peacock Hall!”

“Can I help you, Ms. Sanders?” Althea inquired formally.

“Yes, you can sign these papers.” Marlene Sanders put her briefcase on the edge of the goldfish pond and opened the brass12 clasp. She took out some long typewritten pages.

“What papers?” Althea asked.

“For the sale of your property.” Uncapping a pen, Marlene handed it to Althea.

Althea pushed the papers and pen away. “You don’t take no for an answer, do you?”

Marlene sighed. “It would be so much easier this way, Mrs. Randolph. You’d make a lot of money and could find a nice place in Charlottesville.”

“I’d rather live in the peacock pen than let your company turn this place into a golf course!” Althea said angrily. “Please go. It is still my property!”

“But only till five o’clock!” Marlene said, stuffing the papers back into her leather briefcase. Her high heels clipped smartly along the walk as she marched to her car.

“That woman doesn’t give up,” Althea murmured, watching the car leave. “I’m sorry she spoiled our picnic.”

“It’s okay,” Jessie told her. “We don’t give up, either! We still have almost five hours to look for the treasure.”

As they ate, dark clouds rolled in. The air turned chilly13.

“That awful woman brought bad weather with her,” Althea joked.

After helping14 carry the picnic things back indoors, the children resumed their search on the first floor.

“Let’s start in the living room,” Henry suggested. “It’s the biggest room. It’ll take us the longest.”

“Can we build a fire?” Violet suggested, shivering. Even though she was wearing a sweater, the room was cold.

Henry nodded. “Benny, let’s get some wood.”

Tate’s woodpile was by the garage, but the boys saw no sign of the gardener. Henry wondered if the old man had gone to town to find a place to live.

“Is this enough?” Benny asked him. He could barely carry the large stack.

“Great. Now let’s hurry back inside.”

The girls had already pulled back the fireplace grate. Henry knelt and began stacking logs.

Benny, who couldn’t see where he was going, tripped over a chair leg. His pile of wood went flying.

“Oh, no!” he cried as a stick hit the right side of the fireplace mantel. “Did it hurt anything?”

Violet peered at the corner of the wood paneling. “There’s a scratch in the paint, that’s all —” But as she spoke15, a piece of carved molding fell to the floor. “Uh-oh!”

Henry picked up the molding with its circular carvings16. “I bet we can glue this back —” He stopped, staring in amazement17.

The corner of the fireplace slowly creaked open, revealing dark, dusty space inside.

Violet gasped18.

“A secret room!” Benny exclaimed, hopping19 up and down. “We found a secret room! I bet the treasure is in there! Where’s my flashlight?”

Jessie had it. She shone the beam inside the space. “It’s completely empty!” she cried, disappointed.

“How can it be empty?” Violet demanded. “Did someone find the treasure before us?”

At that moment, the peacock called outside.

“Oh, be quiet,” Benny told the bird. If the peacock knew the secret of Peacock Hall, he wasn’t much help.

Henry still gazed at the fireplace. What did that panel remind him of? Something he’d seen . . . and then it hit him.

“This is like the fireplace at Monticello!” he declared.

   “The little elevators!” Benny said, remembering the dumbwaiters.

Jessie was caught up in the excitement. “Then there’s a matching panel on the other side! Let’s look!”

“Do we have to hit it with a stick of wood to get it to open?” Benny wondered.

Henry smiled. “I doubt it. That would be a pretty awkward way to get into those secret rooms.”

Violet was studying the ovals carved into the molding. “Benny you were right! The peacock did have the answer!”

“What do you mean?” Benny asked.

“This mantel has ‘eyes’ like the peacock’s tail,” she replied. “I bet there’s a hidden catch in one of these circles.” Gently she pushed the molding.

A door popped open.

Holding her breath, Jessie shone the flashlight inside the cavity. “I’m afraid to look!”

Benny wasn’t. He leaned in and pulled out a white china vase with flowers and birds painted all over.

“Ohhh,” Violet gasped. “I bet it’s worth a lot of money.”

Henry saluted20 his little brother. “Benny Alden, I do believe you’ve found the Randolph treasure. And with time to spare! It’s only two o’clock!”

“The peacock helped, too. We just couldn’t figure out what he was saying.” Benny frowned at the vase. “Is this really the treasure? It’s just an old —”

At that moment, a figure rushed through the doorway.

“I’ll take that, thank you!” Roscoe Janney snatched the vase from Benny.

“Hey!” Benny cried. “That belongs to the house!”

“Which will be mine by the end of the day.” Roscoe held the vase high out of reach. “And everything in it will be mine, including this vase.”

Violet felt a rush of anger. “Cousin Althea doesn’t want to sell the house to you!”

“It’s either that or be evicted,” Roscoe said, shrugging. “I know Aunt Althea. She’ll never allow the sheriff to cart her by the road.”

“We found that vase,” Henry told the young man evenly. “You don’t have any claim on it.”

“I’ve been coming to this house ever since I was Benny’s age,” Roscoe admitted. “I never found the secret of Peacock Hall. But you kids did in less than a week! In fact, you messed up my search the other night.”

“That was you at the window!” Violet accused.

“I’d been sneaking21 in here whenever I wanted. I didn’t know which bedrooms you were in, and I tried to break into the wrong one.” He grinned. “A little mistake.”

Suddenly a voice snarled22 behind him. “Well, don’t make any more mistakes, Roscoe Janney!”

Roscoe whirled in surprise.

The priceless vase slipped out of his hands.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 awakened de71059d0b3cd8a1de21151c9166f9f0     
v.(使)醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 );(使)觉醒;弄醒;(使)意识到
参考例句:
  • She awakened to the sound of birds singing. 她醒来听到鸟的叫声。
  • The public has been awakened to the full horror of the situation. 公众完全意识到了这一状况的可怕程度。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
3 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
4 bent QQ8yD     
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的
参考例句:
  • He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
  • We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。
5 cuff 4YUzL     
n.袖口;手铐;护腕;vt.用手铐铐;上袖口
参考例句:
  • She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
  • Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗?
6 fickle Lg9zn     
adj.(爱情或友谊上)易变的,不坚定的
参考例句:
  • Fluctuating prices usually base on a fickle public's demand.物价的波动往往是由于群众需求的不稳定而引起的。
  • The weather is so fickle in summer.夏日的天气如此多变。
7 giggled 72ecd6e6dbf913b285d28ec3ba1edb12     
v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
  • The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 sprawled 6cc8223777584147c0ae6b08b9304472     
v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词);蔓延;杂乱无序地拓展;四肢伸展坐着(或躺着)
参考例句:
  • He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
  • He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。
9 collapsed cwWzSG     
adj.倒塌的
参考例句:
  • Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
  • The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。
10 giggles 0aa08b5c91758a166d13e7cd3f455951     
n.咯咯的笑( giggle的名词复数 );傻笑;玩笑;the giggles 止不住的格格笑v.咯咯地笑( giggle的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Her nervous giggles annoyed me. 她神经质的傻笑把我惹火了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I had to rush to the loo to avoid an attack of hysterical giggles. 我不得不冲向卫生间,以免遭到别人的疯狂嘲笑。 来自辞典例句
11 briefcase lxdz6A     
n.手提箱,公事皮包
参考例句:
  • He packed a briefcase with what might be required.他把所有可能需要的东西都装进公文包。
  • He requested the old man to look after the briefcase.他请求那位老人照看这个公事包。
12 brass DWbzI     
n.黄铜;黄铜器,铜管乐器
参考例句:
  • Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
13 chilly pOfzl     
adj.凉快的,寒冷的
参考例句:
  • I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
  • I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后,寒气逼人。
14 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
15 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
16 carvings 3ccde9120da2aaa238c9785046cb8f86     
n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 );雕刻术;雕刻品;雕刻物
参考例句:
  • The desk was ornamented with many carvings. 这桌子装饰有很多雕刻物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Shell carvings are a specialty of the town. 贝雕是该城的特产。 来自《简明英汉词典》
17 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
18 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
19 hopping hopping     
n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式
参考例句:
  • The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
  • I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。
20 saluted 1a86aa8dabc06746471537634e1a215f     
v.欢迎,致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 );赞扬,赞颂
参考例句:
  • The sergeant stood to attention and saluted. 中士立正敬礼。
  • He saluted his friends with a wave of the hand. 他挥手向他的朋友致意。 来自《简明英汉词典》
21 sneaking iibzMu     
a.秘密的,不公开的
参考例句:
  • She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
  • She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走,躲开采访者。
22 snarled ti3zMA     
v.(指狗)吠,嗥叫, (人)咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 );咆哮着说,厉声地说
参考例句:
  • The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
  • As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时,它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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