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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Hidden Painting CHAPTER 5 Follow the Leader

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The Aldens could hardly wait until it was time to go to the museum. They ate breakfast and lunch as slowly as they could so the time would pass. They played three games of badminton. Finally, they all piled into Aunt Jane’s car and drove into town.

When they got to the museum, Mr. Mason looked startled1 to see Aunt Jane. Violet2 and Jessie exchanged a glance when they saw Mr. Mason’s surprised face. “Well, Mrs. Bean,” he said, “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I just thought I’d drive the Aldens into town,” she said.

“Mr. Mason,” Henry asked, “have you had time to look at Violet’s drawing of the necklace yet?”

“Well now, young man,” Carl Mason began. “A very strange thing happened. The drawing is gone.”

“Gone!” Violet and Jessie said at the same time.

Mr. Mason cleared his throat. “The cleaning man was here last night, and I guess in his effort to straighten up my desk he just threw out some things he shouldn’t have. I’m really very sorry.”

All the Aldens secretly thought he didn’t look sorry.

“My sister took a lot of time to make that drawing,” Benny said. “I’ll bet3 she feels really bad that you threw out her picture. It was very good, too.”

Violet raised her chin and looked at Mr. Mason. “It’s all right, Benny. I can make another one when I get home.”

“Well, my dear, you just do that,” Mr. Mason said.

Aunt Jane took Benny by the hand and said, “Mr. Mason, I wonder if I could see the necklace, please.”

Carl Mason looked very unhappy. “Of course, Mrs. Bean. Just come right this way.”

They all walked into the room that held the display case. Aunt Jane looked at the necklace and said softly4, “It is lovely.”

Suddenly, Jessie said, “Look! I didn’t notice this yesterday.” She pointed5 to a small card on the lower part of the case. She read out loud, “Donated by Mrs. Lorraine Newton.”

“What does that word donated mean?” Benny asked.

“It means that the necklace was given as a gift to the museum by Mrs. Newton,” Henry said.

“Who is she?” Benny asked.

“Mrs. Lorraine Newton is a very important person in Elmford,” Mr. Mason said. “She is a very wealthy and well-known woman here.”

“And the necklace is hers?” Violet asked.

“Well, it was hers, until she very generously gave it to the museum. That was many years ago,” Mr. Mason said. “Really, that’s all I can tell you.”

Aunt Jane said, “I’m sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Mason. I guess it’s time we left.” She guided the children out of the museum.

In the car driving home, Aunt Jane said, “I know what you are all thinking. You want to visit Mrs. Newton, but I don’t think you can do that. The necklace must have been hers. You can’t just go and ask her a lot of questions.”

“Not a lot,” Henry said. “Just a few.”

“I don’t know,” Aunt Jane said.

“We can’t go home without talking to Mrs. Newton,” Jessie said. “We just can’t.”

“I doubt that she’ll even see you,” Aunt Jane said.

“Can’t we try?” Jessie asked.

Aunt Jane laughed. “Well, I do admit you are the most determined6 children I’ve ever known. You get it from your grandfather. All right, but don’t bother the poor woman longer than a few minutes.”

Aunt Jane looked at Henry who was sitting next to her. The other children were in the backseat. “Henry, you keep looking at the side mirror. Is there something bothering you?”

Henry didn’t take his eyes off the mirror. “Aunt Jane, someone is following us.”

Jessie, Benny, and Violet immediately turned around and looked out of the back window. Benny was now kneeling7 on the seat.

“Henry, what an imagination you have,” Aunt Jane said. “Why would anyone want to follow us?”

“I think it’s Mr. Mason,” Jessie said, staring out of the window.

“Oh, Jessie,” Aunt Jane said, laughing. “You’ve been playing detective too many times. Mr. Mason would have no reason to follow us.”

“Aunt Jane,” Henry said, “just to test him, make a right turn at the corner.”

Aunt Jane turned the car, and the car behind turned right, too.

“See,” Benny said, “he turned, too. He is following us.”

Aunt Jane laughed. “Well, maybe the man wanted to go right because he lives near here. I’m going back to the main road and I’m going to take you all to Kenniston Park. It’s wonderful there. We’ll rent a boat and go rowing, and we’ll eat there, too. Maybe it will take your minds off the necklace. I hope it will.”

But the children all kept looking at the car behind them. When they left Elmford and were riding toward8 Kenniston, the car behind them disappeared.

“See,” Aunt Jane said cheerfully9. “It’s gone.”

“Yes,” Henry agreed. “But it only turned off when we left Elmford.”

When they got to Kenniston Park, they went to the lake, where Aunt Jane rented the largest rowboat. The Aldens sat two by two opposite each other, and Aunt Jane sat in the back. Violet and Jessie rowed together and then Benny and Henry. Aunt Jane trailed her hand in the cool water and watched the Aldens pulling on the oars10. All of them loved every minute and they were all able to forget about the necklace.

Then they walked to a food stand in the park and bought hot dogs and bags of potato chips and sodas11. They sat on the grass by the lake while they ate.

“Mrs. McGregor wouldn’t approve of us eating this kind of dinner,” Violet said, smiling.

“Well,” Aunt Jane said, “I don’t like eating junk food either, but it can’t hurt once in a while.”

They finished their food and sat quietly watching the sky darken, and lights come on in the park. Music came from somewhere in the distance. Benny fell asleep with his head in Jessie’s lap. When it was time to leave, Henry carried him to the car. The Aldens all agreed it had been a wonderful night. But every now and then, Jessie and Violet and Henry each thought of the sparkling12 sapphire13 necklace in the display case in the now dark museum.
 


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1 startled 651a5bec8a61bb5867cc270c8ec3c20b     
adj.受惊吓的v.使惊跳,使大吃一惊( startle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • A crowd of 2000 was startled near the end of the concert. 2000名观众在音乐会将近结束时大吃一惊。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Startled by the sudden whistle of the train, the horse broke away. 火车突然鸣笛,那匹马受惊脱逃。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 violet 8h3wm     
adj.紫色的;n.紫罗兰
参考例句:
  • She likes to wear violet dresses.他喜欢穿紫色的衣服。
  • Violet is the color of wisdom,peace and strength.紫色是智慧的,和平的和力量的颜色。
3 bet ddZy8     
v.打赌,以(与)...打赌;n.赌注,赌金;打赌
参考例句:
  • I bet you can't do this puzzle.我敢说,你解决不了这个难题。
  • I offered to bet with him.我提出与他打赌。
4 softly HiIzR4     
adv.柔和地,静静地,温柔地
参考例句:
  • He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻,她听不见。
  • She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。
5 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
6 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
7 kneeling b2a79277bc2c4f62f16f98b71ffe2532     
v.跪( kneel的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Better die standing than live kneeling. 宁愿站着死,不愿跪着生。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He pulled her down so that they were kneeling face to face. 他拉她跪下来,他们脸对着脸。 来自英汉文学
8 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
9 cheerfully jUhyR     
adv.高兴地,愉快地
参考例句:
  • The train rolled cheerfully into the station.火车欢呼着驶进车站。
  • He takes our advice quite cheerfully.他欣然接受我们的劝告。
10 oars c589a112a1b341db7277ea65b5ec7bf7     
n.桨,橹( oar的名词复数 );划手v.划(行)( oar的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • He pulled as hard as he could on the oars. 他拼命地划桨。
  • The sailors are bending to the oars. 水手们在拼命地划桨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 sodas c10ddd4eedc33e2ce63fa8dfafd61880     
n.苏打( soda的名词复数 );碱;苏打水;汽水
参考例句:
  • There are plenty of sodas in the refrigerator. 冰箱里有很多碳酸饮料。 来自辞典例句
  • Two whisky and sodas, please. 请来两杯威士忌苏打。 来自辞典例句
12 sparkling xvYwy     
adj.发火花的,闪亮的;灿烂的,活泼的;闪闪发光的,闪烁的;起泡沫的v.闪光,闪耀(sparkle的现在分词)
参考例句:
  • the calm and sparkling waters of the lake 平静的波光粼粼的湖水
  • Other sparkling wines are often considered the poor relations of champagne. 其他起泡的葡萄酒通常被认为较香槟酒为次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 sapphire ETFzw     
n.青玉,蓝宝石;adj.天蓝色的
参考例句:
  • Now let us consider crystals such as diamond or sapphire.现在让我们考虑象钻石和蓝宝石这样的晶体。
  • He left a sapphire ring to her.他留给她一枚蓝宝石戒指。
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