【荆棘鸟】第二章 10

Then down came the cane 1, anywhere it could land on Meggie's body as she flung up her arms to shield her face and cringed, still retching, into the corner. When Sister Agatha's arm was so tired it did not want to lift the cane, she pointed 2 toward the door.
  "Go home, you revolting little Philistine," she said, turned on her heel and went through into Sister Declan's classroom. Meggie's frantic 3 gaze found Stu; he nodded his head as if to tell her she must do as she was told, his soft blue-green eyes full of pity and understanding. Wiping her mouth with her handkerchief, she stumbled through the door and out into the playground. There were still two hours to go before school was dismissed; she plodded 5 down the street without interest, knowing there was no chance the boys would catch up with her, and too frightened to find somewhere to wait for them. She had to go home on her own, confess to Mum on her own.
  Fee nearly fell over her as she staggered out of the back door with a full basket of wet washing. Meggie was sitting on the top step of the back veranda 6, her head down, the ends of her bright curls sticky and the front of her dress stained. Putting down the crushing weight of the basket, Fee sighed, pushed a strand 7 of wayward hair out of her eyes. "Well, what happened?" she demanded tiredly.
  "I was sick all over Sister Agatha."
  "Oh, Lord!" Fee said, her hands on her hips 8.
  "I got caned 9, too," Meggie whispered, the tears standing 4 unshed in her eyes.
  "A nice kettle of fish, I must say." Fee heaved her basket up, swaying until she got it balanced. "Well, Meggie, I don't know what to do with you. We'll have to wait and see what Daddy says." And she walked off across the backyard toward the flapping half-full clotheslines. Rubbing her hands wearily around her face, Meggie stared after her mother for a moment, then got up and started down the path to the forge. Frank had just finished shoeing Mr. Robertson's bay mare 10, and was backing it into a stall when Meggie appeared in the doorway 11. He turned and saw her, and memories of his own terrible misery 12 at school came flooding back to him. She was so little, so baby-plump and innocent and sweet, but the light in the eyes had been brutally 13 quenched 14 and an expression lurked 15 there which made him want to murder Sister Agatha. 
 

教室里的每个孩子都毛骨悚然地倒吸了一口气，接着，藤条没头没脑地抽打在梅吉的身上。她举起胳膊护着脸，继续干呕着，退缩到墙角里。阿加莎嬷嬷的胳臂累得再也举不起藤条了，这时，她朝门口一指。
    “滚回家去，你这个反叛的、没家教的小缺德鬼！”她说着，掉转脚跟，走出教室，进了德克兰嬷嬷的教室。
    梅吉发狂似地看着斯图尔特：他点点头，像是告诉她，她必须照办不误。他那对温柔而翠绿的眼睛里满含着理解和同情。她用手绢擦了擦嘴，蹒跚地走出了教室的门，到了操场上。离学校放学还有两个小时，她拖着沉重的步子索然无趣地在街上踽踽而行，她明白哥哥们是不可能赶上她的，过度的惊吓使她找不到一个地方停下来等候他们。她不得不独自回家，独自去向妈妈共认一切了。
    当菲提着满满一篮子湿衣服摇摇晃晃地从后门走出来的时候，差点儿撞倒在梅吉的身上。梅吉正坐在后廊最高的一级台阶上，她低着头，闪亮的卷发梢粘糊糊的，衣服前襟也脏了。菲放下了沉重的衣篮，叹着气，将一束散乱的头发从她眼前撩开。
    “哎呀，怎么啦？”她疲倦地问道。
    “我吐了阿加莎嬷嬷一身。”
    “啊，天啊！”菲双手叉着腰，说道。
    “我也挨了藤条。”梅吉小声说着，热泪盈眶。
    “这可真乱套了。”菲提起篮子，摇晃了一下才保持住平衡。“唉，梅吉，我不知道该把你怎么办才好。我们得等你爸，看他怎么说吧。”她穿过后院向已经挂满了一半的、被风吹动着的晾衣绳走去。
    梅吉疲倦地用手擦了擦脸，朝她妈妈的身后出神地望了一会儿，然后站起身来，顺着小路向铁匠铺走去。
    弗兰克刚刚给罗伯逊先生的栗色马钉完掌，当梅吉出现在门口时，他正在将马关回厩中。他转过身来，看见了她。他自己上学时的那些可怕的痛苦记忆像潮水似地向他涌来；她是如此幼小，如此可爱、天真烂漫，可是她眼睛里的光芒却被无情地熄灭了，那眼中隐含着的某种表情使他恨不得去把阿加莎嬷嬷干掉。