温迪的礼物（二）.docVIP

PAGE  PAGE 5 温迪的礼物（二） 　　 Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach ina state of near panic. I was in no mood to evengreet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on theporch and felt like demanding she keep her childat home. Look, if you don t mind, I saidcrossly when Wendy caught up with me, I drather be alone today. 　　 She seemed unusually pale and out ofbreath. Why? she asked. 　　 I turned to her and shouted, Because mymother died! and thought, my God, why was Isaying this to a litter child? 　　 Oh, she said quietly, then this is a badday. 　　 Yes, I said, and yesterday and the daybefore and--oh, go away! 　　 Did it hurt? she inquired. 　　 Did what hurt? I was exasperated withher, with myself. 　　 When she died? 　　 Of course it hurt!!!! I snapped,misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strodeoff. 　　 A month or so after that, when I next wentto the beach, she wasn t there. Feeling guilty,ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her, Iwent up to the cottage after my walk and knockedat the door. A drawn looking young woman withhoney-colored hair opened the door. 　　 Hello, I said. I m Robert Peterson. Imissed your little girl today and wondered whereshe was. 　　 Oh yes, Mr. Peterson, please come in.Wendy spoke of you so much. I m afraid Iallowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance,please, accept my apologies. 　　 Not at all. Shes a delightful child, I said,suddenly realizing that I meant it. Where isshe? 　　 Wendy died last week, Mr. Peterson. Shehad leukemia. Maybe she didn t tell you. 　　 Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. Mybreath caught. 　　 She loved this beach; so when she askedto come, we couldn t say no. she seemedso much better here and had a lot of what shecalled happy days. But the last few weeks, shedeclined rapidly... Her voice faltered. She leftsomething for you. If only I can find it. Couldyou wait a moment while I look? 　　 I nodded stupidly, my mind racing forsomething, anything, to say to this lovely youngwoman. She handed me a smeared e