A Service of Love 6

Halfan hour later Delia arrived, her right hand tied up in a shapeless bundle ofwraps and bandages.

"How is this?" asked Joe after the usual greetings.Delia laughed, but not very joyously.

Clementina," she explained, "insisted upon a Welshrabbit after her lesson. She is such a queer girl. Welsh rabbits at 5 in theafternoon. The General was there. You should have seen him run for the chafingdish, Joe, just as if there wasn't a servant in the house. I know Clementinaisn't in good health; she is so nervous. In serving the rabbit she spilled agreat lot of it, boiling hot, over my hand and wrist. It hurt awfully, Joe. Andthe dear girl was so sorry! But Gen. Pinkney!--Joe, that old man nearly wentdistracted. He rushed downstairs and sent somebody--they said the furnace manor somebody in the basement--out to a drug store for some oil and things tobind it up with. It doesn't hurt so much now."

"What's this?" asked Joe, taking the hand tenderly andpulling at some white strands beneath the bandages.

"It's something soft," said Delia, "that had oil onit. Oh, Joe, did you sell another sketch?" She had seen the money on thetable.

"Did I?" said Joe; "just ask the man from Peoria.He got his depot to-day, and he isn't sure but he thinks he wants anotherparkscape and a view on the Hudson. What time this afternoon did you burn yourhand, Dele?"

　　半个钟头以后，德丽雅来了，她的右手用绷带包成一团，简直不像样了。

　　"这是怎么搞的？"乔照例地招呼了之后，问道。德丽雅笑了，可是笑得并不十分快活。

　　"克蕾门蒂娜，"她解释说，"上了课之后一定要吃奶酪面包。她真是个古怪姑娘，下午五点钟还要吃奶酪面包。将军也在场，你该看看他奔去拿烘锅的样子，乔，好像家里没有佣人似的，我知道克蕾门蒂娜身体不好；神经多么过敏。她浇奶酪的时候泼翻了许多，滚烫的，溅在手腕上。痛得要命，乔。那可爱的姑娘难过极了！还有品克奈将军！——乔，那老头儿差点要发狂了。

他冲下楼去叫人——他们说是烧炉子的或是地下室里的什么人——到药房里去买一些油和别的东西来，替我包扎。现在倒不十分痛了。"

　　"这是什么？"乔轻轻地握住那只手，扯扯绷带下面的几根白线，问道。

　　"那是涂了油的软纱。"德丽雅说，"喔，乔，你又卖掉了一幅素描吗？"她看到了桌子上的钱。

　　"可不是吗？"乔说，"只消问问那个从庇奥利亚来的人。他今天把他要的车站图取去了，他没有确定，可能还要一幅公园的景致和一幅哈得逊河的风景。你今天下午什么时候烫痛手的，德丽？"

　　⑩庇奥利亚：伊利诺州中部的城市。