The Review was held on some high ground a little way out of the city, and her conductor suggested that they should put up the horse at the inn, and walk to the field — a plan which pleased her well, for it was more easy to take preliminary observations on foot without being seen herself than when sitting elevated in a vehicle.
They were just in time to secure a good place near the front, and in a few minutes after their arrival the reviewing officer came on the ground. Margery’s eye had rapidly run over the troop in which Jim was enrolled6, and she discerned him in one of the ranks, looking remarkably7 new and bright, both as to uniform and countenance8. Indeed, if she had not worked herself into such a desperate state of mind she would have felt proud of him then and there. His shapely upright figure was quite noteworthy in the row of rotund yeomen on his right and left; while his charger Tony expressed by his bearing, even more than Jim, that he knew nothing about lime-carts whatever, and everything about trumpets9 and glory. How Jim could have scrubbed Tony to such shining blackness she could not tell, for the horse in his natural state was ingrained with lime-dust, that burnt the colour out of his coat as it did out of Jim’s hair. Now he pranced10 martially11, and was a war-horse every inch of him.
Having discovered Jim her next search was for Mrs. Peach, and, by dint12 of some oblique13 glancing Margery indignantly discovered the widow in the most forward place of all, her head and bright face conspicuously14 advanced; and, what was more shocking, she had abandoned her mourning for a violet drawn15-bonnet16 and a gay spencer, together with a parasol luxuriously17 fringed in a way Margery had never before seen. ‘Where did she get the money?’ said Margery, under her breath. ‘And to forget that poor sailor so soon!’
These general reflections were precipitately18 postponed19 by her discovering that Jim and the widow were perfectly20 alive to each other’s whereabouts, and in the interchange of telegraphic signs of affection, which on the latter’s part took the form of a playful fluttering of her handkerchief or waving of her parasol. Richard Vine had placed Margery in front of him, to protect her from the crowd, as he said, he himself surveying the scene over her bonnet. Margery would have been even more surprised than she was if she had known that Jim was not only aware of Mrs. Peach’s presence, but also of her own, the treacherous21 Mr. Vine having drawn out his flame-coloured handkerchief and waved it to Jim over the young woman’s head as soon as they had taken up their position.
‘My partner makes a tidy soldier, eh — Miss Tucker?’ said the senior lime-burner. ‘It is my belief as a Christian22 that he’s got a party here that he’s making signs to — that handsome figure o’ fun straight over-right him.’
‘Perhaps so,’ she said.
‘And it’s growing warm between ’em if I don’t mistake,’ continued the merciless Vine.
Margery was silent, biting her lip; and the troops being now set in motion, all signalling ceased for the present between soldier Hayward and his pretended sweetheart.
‘Have you a piece of paper that I could make a memorandum23 on, Mr. Vine?’ asked Margery.
Vine took out his pocket-book and tore a leaf from it, which he handed her with a pencil.
‘Don’t move from here — I’ll return in a minute,’ she continued, with the innocence24 of a woman who means mischief25. And, withdrawing herself to the back, where the grass was clear, she pencilled down the words
‘JIM’S MARRIED.’
Armed with this document she crept into the throng26 behind the unsuspecting Mrs. Peach, slipped the paper into her pocket on the top of her handkerchief; and withdrew unobserved, rejoining Mr. Vine with a bearing of nonchalance27.
By-and-by the troops were in different order, Jim taking a left-hand position almost close to Mrs. Peach. He bent28 down and said a few words to her. From her manner of nodding assent29 it was surely some arrangement about a meeting by-and-by when Jim’s drill was over, and Margery was more certain of the fact when, the Review having ended, and the people having strolled off to another part of the field where sports were to take place, Mrs. Peach tripped away in the direction of the city.
‘I’ll just say a word to my partner afore he goes off the ground, if you’ll spare me a minute,’ said the old lime-burner. ‘Please stay here till I’m back again.’ He edged along the front till he reached Jim.
‘How is she?’ said the latter.
‘In a trimming sweat,’ said Mr. Vine. ‘And my counsel to ‘ee is to carry this larry no further. ’Twill do no good. She’s as ready to make friends with ‘ee as any wife can be; and more showing off can only do harm.’
‘But I must finish off with a spurt,’ said Jim. ‘And this is how I am going to do it. I have arranged with Mrs. Peach that, as soon as we soldiers have entered the town and been dismissed, I’ll meet her there. It is really to say good-bye, but she don’t know that; and I wanted it to look like a lopement to Margery’s eyes. When I’m clear of Mrs. Peach I’ll come back here and make it up with Margery on the spot. But don’t say I’m coming, or she may be inclined to throw off again. Just hint to her that I may be meaning to be off to London with the widow.’
The old man still insisted that this was going too far.
‘No, no, it isn’t,’ said Jim. ‘I know how to manage her. ’Twill just mellow30 her heart nicely by the time I come back. I must bring her down real tender, or ’twill all fail.’
His senior reluctantly gave in and returned to Margery. A short time afterwards the Yeomanry hand struck up, and Jim with the regiment31 followed towards Exonbury.
‘Yes, yes; they are going to meet,’ said Margery to herself, perceiving that Mrs. Peach had so timed her departure as to be in the town at Jim’s dismounting.
‘Now we will go and see the games,’ said Mr. Vine; ‘they are really worth seeing. There’s greasy32 poles, and jumping in sacks, and other trials of the intellect, that nobody ought to miss who wants to be abreast33 of his generation.’
Margery felt so indignant at the apparent assignation, which seemed about to take place despite her anonymous34 writing, that she helplessly assented35 to go anywhere, dropping behind Vine, that he might not see her mood.
Jim followed out his programme with literal exactness. No sooner was the troop dismissed in the city than he sent Tony to stable and joined Mrs. Peach, who stood on the edge of the pavement expecting him. But this acquaintance was to end: he meant to part from her for ever and in the quickest time, though civilly; for it was important to be with Margery as soon as possible. He had nearly completed the manoeuvre36 to his satisfaction when, in drawing her handkerchief from her pocket to wipe the tears from her eyes, Mrs. Peach’s hand grasped the paper, which she read at once.
‘What! is that true?’ she said, holding it out to Jim.
Jim started and admitted that it was, beginning an elaborate explanation and apologies. But Mrs. Peach was thoroughly37 roused, and then overcome. ‘He’s married, he’s married!’ she said, and swooned, or feigned38 to swoon, so that Jim was obliged to support her.
‘He’s married, he’s married!’ said a boy hard by who watched the scene with interest.
‘He’s married, he’s married!’ said a hilarious39 group of other boys near, with smiles several inches broad, and shining teeth; and so the exclamation40 echoed down the street.
Jim cursed his ill-luck; the loss of time that this dilemma41 entailed42 grew serious; for Mrs. Peach was now in such a hysterical43 state that he could not leave her with any good grace or feeling. It was necessary to take her to a refreshment44 room, lavish45 restoratives upon her, and altogether to waste nearly half an hour. When she had kept him as long as she chose, she forgave him; and thus at last he got away, his heart swelling46 with tenderness towards Margery. He at once hurried up the street to effect the reconciliation47 with her.
‘How shall I do it?’ he said to himself. ‘Why, I’ll step round to her side, fish for her hand, draw it through my arm as if I wasn’t aware of it. Then she’ll look in my face, I shall look in hers, and we shall march off the field triumphant48, and the thing will be done without takings or tears.’
He entered the field and went straight as an arrow to the place appointed for the meeting. It was at the back of a refreshment tent outside the mass of spectators, and divided from their view by the tent itself. He turned the corner of the canvas, and there beheld49 Vine at the indicated spot. But Margery was not with him.
Vine’s hat was thrust back into his poll. His face was pale, and his manner bewildered. ‘Hullo? what’s the matter?’ said Jim. ‘Where’s my Margery?’
‘You’ve carried this footy game too far, my man!’ exclaimed Vine, with the air of a friend who has ‘always told you so.’ ‘You ought to have dropped it several days ago, when she would have come to ‘ee like a cooing dove. Now this is the end o’t!’
‘Hey! what, my Margery? Has anything happened, for God’s sake?’
‘She’s gone.’
‘Where to?’
‘That’s more than earthly man can tell! I never see such a thing! ’Twas a stroke o’ the black art — as if she were sperrited away. When we got to the games I said — mind, you told me to! — I said, “Jim Hayward thinks o’ going off to London with that widow woman”— mind you told me to! She showed no wonderment, though a’ seemed very low. Then she said to me, “I don’t like standing50 here in this slummocky crowd. I shall feel more at home among the gentlepeople.” And then she went to where the carriages were drawn up, and near her there was a grand coach, a-blazing with lions and unicorns51, and hauled by two coal-black horses. I hardly thought much of it then, and by degrees lost sight of her behind it. Presently the other carriages moved off, and I thought still to see her standing there. But no, she had vanished; and then I saw the grand coach rolling away, and glimpsed Margery in it, beside a fine dark gentleman with black mustachios, and a very pale prince-like face. As soon as the horses got into the hard road they rattled52 on like hell-and-skimmer, and went out of sight in the dust, and — that’s all. If you’d come back a little sooner you’d ha’ caught her.’
Jim had turned whiter than his pipeclay. ‘O, this is too bad — too bad!’ he cried in anguish53, striking his brow. ‘That paper and that fainting woman kept me so long. Who could have done it? But ’tis my fault. I’ve stung her too much. I shouldn’t have carried it so far.’
‘You shouldn’t — just what I said,’ replied his senior.
‘She thinks I’ve gone off with that cust widow; and to spite me she’s gone off with the man! Do you know who that stranger wi’ the lions and unicorns is? Why, ’tis that foreigner who calls himself a Baron54, and took Mount Lodge55 for six months last year to make mischief — a villain56! O, my Margery — that it should come to this! She’s lost, she’s ruined! — Which way did they go?’
Jim turned to follow in the direction indicated, when, behold57, there stood at his back her father, Dairyman Tucker.
‘Now look here, young man,’ said Dairyman Tucker. ‘I’ve just heard all that wailing58 — and straightway will ask ‘ee to stop it sharp. ’Tis like your brazen60 impudence61 to teave and wail59 when you be another woman’s husband; yes, faith, I see’d her a-fainting in yer arms when you wanted to get away from her, and honest folk a-standing round who knew you’d married her, and said so. I heard it, though you didn’t see me. “He’s married!” says they. Some sly register-office business, no doubt; but sly doings will out. As for Margery — who’s to be called higher titles in these parts hencefor’ard — I’m her father, and I say it’s all right what she’s done. Don’t I know private news, hey? Haven’t I just learnt that secret weddings of high people can happen at expected deathbeds by special licence, as well as low people at registrars’ offices? And can’t husbands come back and claim their own when they choose? Begone, young man, and leave noblemen’s wives alone; and I thank God I shall be rid of a numskull!’
Swift words of explanation rose to Jim’s lips, but they paused there and died. At that last moment he could not, as Margery’s husband, announce Margery’s shame and his own, and transform her father’s triumph to wretchedness at a blow.
‘I— I— must leave here,’ he stammered62. Going from the place in an opposite course to that of the fugitives63, he doubled when out of sight, and in an incredibly short space had entered the town. Here he made inquiries64 for the emblazoned carriage, and gained from one or two persons a general idea of its route. They thought it had taken the highway to London. Saddling poor Tony before he had half eaten his corn, Jim galloped65 along the same road.
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1
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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enrolled
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| adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起 | |
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7
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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trumpets
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| 喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花 | |
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pranced
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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martially
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| adv.好战地；勇敢地 | |
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dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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oblique
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| adj.斜的，倾斜的，无诚意的，不坦率的 | |
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conspicuously
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| ad.明显地，惹人注目地 | |
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15
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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16
bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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18
precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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19
postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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memorandum
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| n.备忘录，便笺 | |
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24
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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26
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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nonchalance
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| n.冷淡，漠不关心 | |
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28
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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32
greasy
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| adj. 多脂的，油脂的 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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anonymous
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| adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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hilarious
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| adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed | |
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40
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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41
dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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42
entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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43
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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44
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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45
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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46
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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47
reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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48
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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49
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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50
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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51
unicorns
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| n.（传说中身体似马的）独角兽( unicorn的名词复数 )；一角鲸；独角兽标记 | |
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52
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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53
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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54
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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55
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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56
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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57
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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58
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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59
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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60
brazen
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| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
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impudence
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| n.厚颜无耻；冒失；无礼 | |
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62
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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64
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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65
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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