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Text B The Dolls House（第1页）

TextBTheDoll’sHouse

KatherineMansfield

[1]WhendearoldMrs。HaywentbaafterstayingwiththeBurheadoll’shouse。ItwassobigthatthedPatcarrieditiyard，aayed，proppedupontwowoodehefeed-roomdoor。Noharmeofit;itwassummer。Ahesmellofpaintwouldhavegohetimeithadtobetakenihesmellofpaintthatdoll’shouse（“SweetofoldMrs。Hay，ofostsweetandgenerous!”）—butthesmellofpaintwasquiteenoughtomakeanyoneseriouslyill，inAuntBeryl’sopiniohesagwastakenoff。A>

[2]Therestoodthedoll’shouse，adark，oily，spina，pickedoutwithbrightyellow。Itstwosolidlittleeys，gluedontotheroof，werepaintedredahedleamingwithyellowvarnish，waslikealittleslaboftoffee。Fourindows，weredividedintopanesbyabrreeuallyatinyporch，too，paihbiglumpsofgealedpainthangingalongtheedge。

[3]Butperfect，perfectlittlehouse!Whoiartofthejoy，partofthenewness。

[4]“Openitquieone!”

[5]Thehookatthesidewasstuckfast。Patprieditopenwithhispehewholehbad—thereyatohesamemomentint-roomanddining-room，thekitdtwobedrooms。Thatisthewayforahousetoopen!Whydon’tallhousesope?Howmuchmoreexgthahroughtheslitofadoorilehallwithahat-standandtwoumbrellas!Thatis—isn’tit?—whatyoulongtoknowaboutahousewhenyouputyourhandonthekistheedeadofakiurnwithanangel。。。。

[6]“Oh-oh!”TheBurnellsouhoughtheywereiwastoomarvellous;itwastoomu。Theyhadhiheirlives。Alltheroomsered。Therewerepitheaihepaper，withgoldframesplete。Redcarpetcoveredallthefloorsexceptthekit;redplushthedrawing-room，greeninthedining-room;tables，bedswithrealbedclothes，acradle，astove，adresserwithtinyplatesandonebigjug。ButwhatKezialikedmorethananything，whatshelikedfrightfully，。Itstoodinthemiddleofthedining-roomtable，aelittleamberlampwithawhiteglobe。Itwasevenfilledallreadyf，though，ofcourse，you’tlightit。Buttherewassomethilookedlikeoil，andthatmovedwhenyoushookit。

[7]Thefatherandmotherdolls，whosprawledverystiffasthoughtheyhadfaihedrawing-room，awolittleasleepupstairs，werereallytoobigforthedoll’shouse。Theydidn’tlookasthoughtheybelohelamperfect。ItseemedtosmiletoKezia，tosay，“Ilivehere。”Thelamp

[8]TheBurnellcouldhardlywalktoschoolfastem。Theyburelleverybody，todescribe，to—well—toboastabouttheirdoll’shousebeforethesch。

[9]“I’mtotell，”saidIsabel，“becauseI’mtheeldest。AndyoutwoiI’mtotellfirst。”

[10]Therewasnothingtoanswer。Isabelwasbossy，butshewasalwaysright，andLottieandKeziakhepowersthatwentwithbeiheybrushedthroughthethickbuttercupsattheroadedgeandsaidnothing。

[11]“AndI’mtoea。MothersaidImight。”

[12]Forithadbeewhilethedoll’shousestoodiyardtheymightaskthegirlsatse，toeandlook。Nottostaytotea，ofetraipsingthroughthehouse。Butjusttostahecourtyardoihebeauties，andLottieandKezialookedpleased。。。。

[13]Buthurryastheymight，bythetimetheyhadreachedthetarredpalingsoftheboys’playgroundthebellhadbeguntojaheyonlyjusthadtimetowhipofftheirhatsandfalliherollwasevermiomakeupforitbylookiantandmysteriousandbywhisperingbehiothegirlssomethiplaytime。”

[14]PlaytimedIsabelwassurrouhegirlsofherearlyfoughttoputtheirarmsrouoithher，tobeamflatteringly，tobehersped。Sheheldquiteaderthehugepihesideoftheplayground。Nudging，gigglihelittlegirlspressedupdtheonlytwowhostayedoutsidetheriaysoutside，thelittleKelveys。TheykoeaheBurnells。

[15]Forthefactwas，theschooltheBurnellwenttowasnotatallthekindofplacetheirparentswouldhaveiftherehadbeenaherewasheonlysiles。Andthecewasalltheintheneighborhood，thejudge’slittlegirls，thedhters，thestore-keeper’s，themilkmaomixtogether。herebeinganequalnumberhlittleboysaswell。ButtheliobedraasdrawnattheKelveys。Manyofthe，ingtheBurallowedevehem。TheyasttheKelveyswiththeirheadsintheair，ahefashioninallmattersofbehaviour，theKelveyswereshunnedbyeverybody。Eveeacherhadaspecialvoi，andaspecialsmilefortheotherwhenLilKelveycameuptoherdeskwithabunchofdreadfullyon-lookingflowers。

[16]Theywerethedaughtersofaspry，hardwlittlehowentaboutfromhousetohousebytheday。Thiswasawfulenough。ButwherewasMr。Kelvey?Nobodykeverybodysaidherisohedaughtersofawasherwomanandagaolbird。Verynipanyforotherpeople’s!Andtheylookedit。WhyMrs。Kelveymadethemsospicuouswashardtouhetruthwastheyweredressedin“bits”givehepeopleforwhomsheworked。Lil，forinstance，lainchild，withbigfreckles，cametosadressmadefromagreeable-clothoftheBurhredplushsleevesfromtheLogans’s。Herhat，perthforehead，oman’shat，oyofMissLecky，thepostmistress。Itwasturhebadtrimmedwithalargescarletquill。Whatalittleguyshelooked!Itossiblenottolaugh。Alesister，ourElse，wwhitedress，ratherlikeanightgoairoflittleboy’sboots。ButwhateverourElseworeshewouldhavele。Shewasatinywishboneofachild，withcroppedhairandenormoussolemtlewhiteowl。Nobodyhadeverseenhersmile;shescarcelyeverspoke。ShewentthroughlifeholdingontoLil，ieceofLil’sskirtscrewedupinherhaourElsefollowed。Intheplayground，toandfromschool，therewasLilmarfrontandourElseholdingonbehind。Onlywheedanything，orwheofbreath，aveLilatug，atwitdLilstoppedaheKelveysneverfailedtouaher。

[17]Nowtheyhoveredattheedge;you’tstopthemlistetlegirlsturnedroundandsneered，Lil，asusual，gavehersilly，shamefacedsmile，butourElseonlylooked。

[18]AndIsabel’svoice，soveryproud，wehecarpetmadeagreatsensation，butsodidthebedswithrealbedclothes，aovewithanovendoor。

[19]WhenshefinishedKeziabrokeienthelamp，Isabel。”

[20]“Oh，yes，”saidIsabel，“aeenylittlelamp，allmadeofyellohiteglobethatstandsonthedining-roomtable。You’ttellitfromarealone。”

[21]“Thelamp’sbestofall，”criedKezia。ShethoughtIsabelwasn’tmakinghalfenoughofthelittlelamp。Butnobodypaidaion。Isabelwasgtheteretoebackwiththemthatafternoo。SheiedLenaLogaherskheywerealltohaveace，they’tbeoIsabel。Otheirarmsrouandwalkedheroff。Theyhadsomethingtowhispertoher，asecret。“Isabel’smyfriend。”

[22]OleKelveysmovedawayfottehihemtohear。

[23]Dayspassed，andasmoresawthedoll’shouse，thefameofitspread。Itbecametheoherage。Theoionwas，“HaveyouseenBurnells’doll’shouse?”“Oh，ain’titlovely!”“Have?Oh，Isay!”

[24]Eventhedinnerhivenuptotalkingaboutit。Thelittlegirlssatuhepiheirthisandwidbigslabsofjohnnycakespreadwithbutter。Whilealways，asheycouldget，sattheKelveys，ourElseholdingontoLil，listeningtoo，whiletheychewedtheirjamsaofaneersoakedwithlargeredblobs。

[25]“Mother，”saidKezia，“’tIasktheKelveysjustonce?”

[26]“lynot，Kezia。”

[27]“Butwhynot?”

[28]“Runaway，Kezia;youknohynot。”

[29]Atlasteverybodyhadseehem。Onthatdaythesubjectratherflagged。Itwasthedihestoodtogetherurees，aheylookedattheKelveyseatingoutoftheirpaper，alwaysbythemselves，alwayslisteedtobehorridtothem。EmmieColestartedthewhisper。

[30]“LilKelvey’sgoingtobeaservantwhenshegrowsup。”

[31]“O-oh，howawful!”saidIsabelBurnell，andshemadeeyesatEmmie。

[32]EmmieswallowedinaverymeaningwayaoIsabelasshe’dseeherdoonthoseos。

[33]“It’strue—it’strue—it’strue，”shesaid。

[34]ThenLenaLogan’slittleeyessnapped。“ShallIaskher?”shewhispered。

[35]“Betyoudon’t，”saidJessieMay。