Elaine sitting with Courtenay at an elaborately appointed luncheon12 table, gay with high goblets13 of Bohemian glassware, was mistress of three discoveries. First, to her disappointment, that if you frequent the more expensive hotels of Europe you must be prepared to find, in whatever country you may chance to be staying, a depressing international likeness14 between them all. Secondly15, to her relief, that one is not expected to be sentimentally16 amorous17 during a modern honeymoon18. Thirdly, rather to her dismay, that Courtenay Youghal did not necessarily expect her to be markedly affectionate in private. Someone had described him, after their marriage, as one of Nature’s bachelors, and she began to see how aptly the description fitted him.
“Will those Germans on our left never stop talking?” she asked, as an undying flow of Teutonic small talk rattled19 and jangled across the intervening stretch of carpet. “Not one of those three women has ceased talking for an instant since we’ve been sitting here.”
“They will presently, if only for a moment,” said Courtenay; “when the dish you have ordered comes in there will be a deathly silence at the next table. No German can see a plat brought in for someone else without being possessed20 with a great fear that it represents a more toothsome morsel21 or a better money’s worth than what he has ordered for himself.”
The exuberant22 Teutonic chatter23 was balanced on the other side of the room by an even more penetrating24 conversation unflaggingly maintained by a party of Americans, who were sitting in judgment25 on the cuisine26 of the country they were passing through, and finding few extenuating27 circumstances.
“What Mr. Lonkins wants is a real DEEP cherry pie,” announced a lady in a tone of dramatic and honest conviction.
“Why, yes, that is so,” corroborated28 a gentleman who was apparently29 the Mr. Lonkins in question; “a real DEEP cherry pie.”
“We had the same trouble way back in Paris,” proclaimed another lady; “little Jerome and the girls don’t want to eat any more creme renversee. I’d give anything if they could get some real cherry pie.”
“Real DEEP cherry pie,” assented30 Mr. Lonkins.
“Way down in Ohio we used to have peach pie that was real good,” said Mrs. Lonkins, turning on a tap of reminiscence that presently flowed to a cascade31. The subject of pies seemed to lend itself to indefinite expansion.
“Do those people think of nothing but their food?” asked Elaine, as the virtues32 of roasted mutton suddenly came to the fore33 and received emphatic34 recognition, even the absent and youthful Jerome being quoted in its favour.
“On the contrary,” said Courtenay, “they are a widely-travelled set, and the man has had a notably35 interesting career. It is a form of home-sickness with them to discuss and lament36 the cookery and foods that they’ve never had the leisure to stay at home and digest. The Wandering Jew probably babbled37 unremittingly about some breakfast dish that took so long to prepare that he had never time to eat it.”
A waiter deposited a dish of Wiener Nierenbraten in front of Elaine. At the same moment a magic hush38 fell upon the three German ladies at the adjoining table, and the flicker39 of a great fear passed across their eyes. Then they burst forth40 again into tumultuous chatter. Courtenay had proved a reliable prophet.
Almost at the same moment as the luncheon-dish appeared on the scene, two ladies arrived at a neighbouring table, and bowed with dignified41 cordiality to Elaine and Courtenay. They were two of the more worldly and travelled of Elaine’s extensive stock of aunts, and they happened to be making a short stay at the same hotel as the young couple. They were far too correct and rationally minded to intrude42 themselves on their niece, but it was significant of Elaine’s altered view as to the sanctity of honeymoon life that she secretly rather welcomed the presence of her two relatives in the hotel, and had found time and occasion to give them more of her society than she would have considered necessary or desirable a few weeks ago. The younger of the two she rather liked, in a restrained fashion, as one likes an unpretentious watering-place or a restaurant that does not try to give one a musical education in addition to one’s dinner. One felt instinctively43 about her that she would never wear rather more valuable diamonds than any other woman in the room, and would never be the only person to be saved in a steamboat disaster or hotel fire. As a child she might have been perfectly44 well able to recite “On Linden when the sun was low,” but one felt certain that nothing ever induced her to do so. The elder aunt, Mrs. Goldbrook, did not share her sister’s character as a human rest-cure; most people found her rather disturbing, chiefly, perhaps, from her habit of asking unimportant questions with enormous solemnity. Her manner of enquiring45 after a trifling46 ailment47 gave one the impression that she was more concerned with the fortunes of the malady48 than with oneself, and when one got rid of a cold one felt that she almost expected to be given its postal49 address. Probably her manner was merely the defensive50 outwork of an innate51 shyness, but she was not a woman who commanded confidences.
“A telephone call for Courtenay,” commented the younger of the two women as Youghal hurriedly flashed through the room; “the telephone system seems to enter very largely into that young man’s life.”
“The telephone has robbed matrimony of most of its sting,” said the elder; “so much more discreet than pen and ink communications which get read by the wrong people.”
Elaine’s aunts were conscientiously52 worldly; they were the natural outcome of a stock that had been conscientiously straight-laced for many generations.
Elaine had progressed to the pancake stage before Courtenay returned.
“Sorry to be away so long,” he said, “but I’ve arranged something rather nice for to-night. There’s rather a jolly masquerade ball on. I’ve ‘phoned about getting a costume for you and it’s alright. It will suit you beautifully, and I’ve got my harlequin dress with me. Madame Kelnicort, excellent soul, is going to chaperone you, and she’ll take you back any time you like; I’m quite unreliable when I get into fancy dress. I shall probably keep going till some unearthly hour of the morning.”
A masquerade ball in a strange city hardly represented Elaine’s idea of enjoyment53. Carefully to disguise one’s identity in a neighbourhood where one was entirely54 unknown seemed to her rather meaningless. With Courtenay, of course, it was different; he seemed to have friends and acquaintances everywhere. However, the matter had progressed to a point which would have made a refusal to go seem rather ungracious. Elaine finished her pancake and began to take a polite interest in her costume.
“What is your character?” asked Madame Kelnicort that evening, as they uncloaked, preparatory to entering the already crowded ball-room.
“I believe I’m supposed to represent Marjolaine de Montfort, whoever she may have been,” said Elaine. “Courtenay declares he only wanted to marry me because I’m his ideal of her.”
“But what a mistake to go as a character you know nothing about. To enjoy a masquerade ball you ought to throw away your own self and be the character you represent. Now Courtenay has been Harlequin since half-way through dinner; I could see it dancing in his eyes. At about six o’clock tomorrow morning he will fall asleep and wake up a member of the British House of Parliament on his honeymoon, but to-night he is unrestrainedly Harlequin.”
Elaine stood in the ball-room surrounded by a laughing jostling throng55 of pierrots, jockeys, Dresden-china shepherdesses, Roumanian peasant-girls and all the lively make-believe creatures that form the ingredients of a fancy-dress ball. As she stood watching them she experienced a growing feeling of annoyance56, chiefly with herself. She was assisting, as the French say, at one of the gayest scenes of Europe’s gayest capital, and she was conscious of being absolutely unaffected by the gaiety around her. The costumes were certainly interesting to look at, and the music good to listen to, and to that extent she was amused, but the ABANDON of the scene made no appeal to her. It was like watching a game of which you did not know the rules, and in the issue of which you were not interested. Elaine began to wonder what was the earliest moment at which she could drag Madame Kelnicort away from the revel57 without being guilty of sheer cruelty. Then Courtenay wriggled58 out of the crush and came towards her, a joyous59 laughing Courtenay, looking younger and handsomer than she had ever seen him. She could scarcely recognise in him to-night the rising young debater who made embarrassing onslaughts on the Government’s foreign policy before a crowded House of Commons. He claimed her for the dance that was just starting, and steered60 her dexterously61 into the heart of the waltzing crowd.
“You look more like Marjolaine than I should have thought a mortal woman of these days could look,” he declared, “only Marjolaine did smile sometimes. You have rather the air of wondering if you’d left out enough tea for the servants’ breakfast. Don’t mind my teasing; I love you to look like that, and besides, it makes a splendid foil to my Harlequin — my selfishness coming to the fore again, you see. But you really are to go home the moment you’re bored; the excellent Kelnicort gets heaps of dances throughout the winter, so don’t mind sacrificing her.”
A little later in the evening Elaine found herself standing62 out a dance with a grave young gentleman from the Russian Embassy.
“Monsieur Courtenay enjoys himself, doesn’t he?” he observed, as the youthful-looking harlequin flashed past them, looking like some restless gorgeous-hued dragonfly; “why is it that the good God has given your countrymen the boon63 of eternal youth? Some of your countrywomen, too, but all of the men.”
Elaine could think of many of her countrymen who were not and never could have been youthful, but as far as Courtenay was concerned she recognised the fitness of the remark. And the recognition carried with it a sense of depression. Would he always remain youthful and keen on gaiety and revelling64 while she grew staid and retiring? She had thrust the lively intractable Comus out of her mind, as by his perverseness65 he had thrust himself out of her heart, and she had chosen the brilliant young man of affairs as her husband. He had honestly let her see the selfish side of his character while he was courting her, but she had been prepared to make due sacrifices to the selfishness of a public man who had his career to consider above all other things. Would she also have to make sacrifices to the harlequin spirit which was now revealing itself as an undercurrent in his nature? When one has inured66 oneself to the idea of a particular form of victimisation it is disconcerting to be confronted with another. Many a man who would patiently undergo martyrdom for religion’s sake would be furiously unwilling68 to be a martyr67 to neuralgia.
“I think that is why you English love animals so much,” pursued the young diplomat69; “you are such splendid animals yourselves. You are lively because you want to be lively, not because people are looking on at you. Monsieur Courtenay is certainly an animal. I mean it as a high compliment.”
“Am I an animal?” asked Elaine.
“I was going to say you are an angel,” said the Russian, in some embarrassment70, “but I do not think that would do; angels and animals would never get on together. To get on with animals you must have a sense of humour, and I don’t suppose angels have any sense of humour; you see it would be no use to them as they never hear any jokes.”
“Perhaps,” said Elaine, with a tinge71 of bitterness in her voice, “perhaps I am a vegetable.”
“I think you most remind me of a picture,” said the Russian.
It was not the first time Elaine had heard the simile72.
“I know,” she said, “the Narrow Gallery at the Louvre; attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.”
Evidently the impression she made on people was solely73 one of externals.
Was that how Courtenay regarded her? Was that to be her function and place in life, a painted background, a decorative74 setting to other people’s triumphs and tragedies? Somehow to-night she had the feeling that a general might have who brought imposing75 forces into the field and could do nothing with them. She possessed youth and good looks, considerable wealth, and had just made what would be thought by most people a very satisfactory marriage. And already she seemed to be standing aside as an onlooker76 where she had expected herself to be taking a leading part.
“Does this sort of thing appeal to you?” she asked the young Russian, nodding towards the gay scrimmage of masqueraders and rather prepared to hear an amused negative.”
“But yes, of course,” he answered; “costume balls, fancy fairs, cafe chantant, casino, anything that is not real life appeals to us Russians. Real life with us is the sort of thing that Maxim77 Gorki deals in. It interests us immensely, but we like to get away from it sometimes.”
Madame Kelnicort came up with another prospective78 partner, and Elaine delivered her ukase: one more dance and then back to the hotel. Without any special regret she made her retreat from the revel which Courtenay was enjoying under the impression that it was life and the young Russian under the firm conviction that it was not.
Elaine breakfasted at her aunts’ table the next morning at much her usual hour. Courtenay was sleeping the sleep of a happy tired animal. He had given instructions to be called at eleven o’clock, from which time onward79 the Neue Freie Presse, the Zeit, and his toilet would occupy his attention till he appeared at the luncheon table. There were not many people breakfasting when Elaine arrived on the scene, but the room seemed to be fuller than it really was by reason of a penetrating voice that was engaged in recounting how far the standard of Viennese breakfast fare fell below the expectations and desires of little Jerome and the girls.
“If ever little Jerome becomes President of the United States,” said Elaine, “I shall be able to contribute quite an informing article on his gastronomic80 likes and dislikes to the papers.”
The aunts were discreetly81 inquisitive82 as to the previous evening’s entertainment.
“If Elaine would flirt83 mildly with somebody it would be such a good thing,” said Mrs. Goldbrook; “it would remind Courtenay that he’s not the only attractive young man in the world.”
Elaine, however, did not gratify their hopes; she referred to the ball with the detachment she would have shown in describing a drawing-room show of cottage industries. It was not difficult to discern in her description of the affair the confession84 that she had been slightly bored. From Courtenay, later in the day, the aunts received a much livelier impression of the festivities, from which it was abundantly clear that he at any rate had managed to amuse himself. Neither did it appear that his good opinion of his own attractions had suffered any serious shock. He was distinctly in a very good temper.
“The secret of enjoying a honeymoon,” said Mrs. Goldbrook afterwards to her sister, “is not to attempt too much.”
“You mean —?”
“Courtenay is content to try and keep one person amused and happy, and he thoroughly85 succeeds.”
“I certainly don’t think Elaine is going to be very happy,” said her sister, “but at least Courtenay saved her from making the greatest mistake she could have made — marrying that young Bassington.”
“He has also,” said Mrs. Goldbrook, “helped her to make the next biggest mistake of her life — marrying Courtenay Youghal.
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1
costlier
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| adj.昂贵的( costly的比较级 )；代价高的；引起困难的；造成损失的 | |
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basked
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的过去式和过去分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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exorbitant
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| adj.过分的；过度的 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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fiscal
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| adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的 | |
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sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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12
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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goblets
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| n.高脚酒杯( goblet的名词复数 ) | |
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likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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sentimentally
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| adv.富情感地 | |
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amorous
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| adj.多情的；有关爱情的 | |
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honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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exuberant
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| adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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24
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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cuisine
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| n.烹调，烹饪法 | |
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extenuating
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| adj.使减轻的，情有可原的v.（用偏袒的辩解或借口）减轻( extenuate的现在分词 )；低估，藐视 | |
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28
corroborated
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| v.证实，支持（某种说法、信仰、理论等）( corroborate的过去式 ) | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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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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31
cascade
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| n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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notably
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| adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地 | |
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lament
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| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
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babbled
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| v.喋喋不休( babble的过去式和过去分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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38
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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42
intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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43
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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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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45
enquiring
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| a.爱打听的，显得好奇的 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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47
ailment
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| n.疾病，小病 | |
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48
malady
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| n.病，疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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49
postal
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| adj.邮政的，邮局的 | |
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50
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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51
innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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52
conscientiously
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| adv.凭良心地；认真地，负责尽职地；老老实实 | |
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53
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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54
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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55
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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56
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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57
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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58
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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59
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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60
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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62
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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boon
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| n.恩赐，恩物，恩惠 | |
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64
revelling
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| v.作乐( revel的现在分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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65
perverseness
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| n. 乖张, 倔强, 顽固 | |
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66
inured
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| adj.坚强的，习惯的 | |
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67
martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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68
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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69
diplomat
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| n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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71
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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72
simile
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| n.直喻，明喻 | |
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73
solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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74
decorative
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| adj.装饰的，可作装饰的 | |
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75
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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onlooker
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| n.旁观者，观众 | |
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maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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78
prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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79
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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80
gastronomic
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| adj.美食（烹饪）法的，烹任学的 | |
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81
discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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82
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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83
flirt
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| v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者 | |
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84
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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85
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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