They pushed him aside in a way that showed the determined2 excursionist, and the youth placed his bag on the rack and arranged more neatly3 his rug and selection of cheap weekly journals. The others, choosing seats, said he could now put his head out again, and in this way frighten off other passengers. Twice, before the train started, he found himself afflicted4 by a short, sharp cough when girls went by in couples, and as they looked around he lifted his cap, glancing over his shoulder to see whether the humour was recognised and appreciated by fellow-travellers.
He asked numerous questions of the harried5 porters, shouted “Move yourself!” to folk who ran up at the last moment, gave a loud p. 68whistle to the guard and waved his arm. The staff on the platform showed indications of relief as the train took him away; he begged them to cheer up, promising6 to be back in London in ten days’ time.
“When I go off for my holiday in the country,” he remarked, going back into his corner and placing one heel on the cushion opposite, “I always reckon to begin enjoying myself from the very start. Lose no time, is my motto. Anybody object to smoking?”
A middle-aged7 man answered that he did not exactly object, but he thought people who wanted to smoke might as well travel in a smoking-carriage. Had no desire to make any unpleasantness, but that was his view.
“My dear old University chum,” cried the youth, striking a match, “I can see what’s the matter with you. You’ve had a row with the missus. She’s been giving you a bit of her mind this morning. She’s been offering a few ’ome truths, and some of ’em still rankle8. Now what you’ve got to do is to imitate me.”
“Heaven forbid!”
“You’ve got to throw off dull care and be merry and bright. Give us a yarn9.”
“You give us,” retorted the middle-aged man, testily10, “a little peace and quietness.”
“Then let’s have a riddle11.”
“I’ll riddle you,” threatened the man, “if p. 69you can’t leave off badgering. Talk to one of the others. I’m tired of you.”
“He loves me, he loves me not.” Counting the ends of the window strap12 and throwing them away when the last gave a negative reply. “All my old friends seem to be deserting me since I come into a bit of money. Does any one want to borrow a five-pound note? Don’t all speak at once!”
The compartment seemed disinclined to talk; willing, indeed, to allow him to monopolise the conversation. He increased his efforts, and presently an anecdote13 told concerning a lady of his acquaintance goaded14 one into making the statement that the joke had appeared in print over and over again.
“Very well,” said the young blade, “then let somebody else have a go.” Somebody else did now accept the invitation, and ere the train was free of the last streets of town conversation became general, and he had to raise his voice in order to preserve for himself the lead.
“You can’t tell me nothing I don’t know about London,” he shouted. “I’ve lived there for the last three years, and I reckon I’m more of a Londoner than any one who was born there. Look ’ere; we can soon put it to the test. How many comic songs of the present day have any of you got in your repertoire15? What about you, uncle?”
p. 70“My young friend,” protested the middle-aged man, “I have met, in my time, a good many bounders of all shapes and sorts and sizes, but you are the limit. Why don’t you behave yourself quietly when you’re in the presence of your betters?”
“I always do,” he replied. “Now then, if any one can give an imitation of George Robey, let him do it; if not, I’ll have a try to do the best I can. It’ll shorten the journey for you.”
They admitted his effort was not so bad, and two or three of his own age began to regard him enviously16. Having regained17 command, he took care not to lose it again, and by the time the train stopped at its first junction18 he had secured an attentive19 audience; even the middle-aged man, on the train re-starting, asked how far he was going. The lad, with a glance out of the window, said he was not yet near his destination, but promised to give full warning when the time came near for them to endure the wrench20 of saying good-bye.
He conquered the middle-aged man, but appeared not satisfied with his victory, and, exercising the power of a tyrant21, gave him a nick-name and invented a description of the domestic environments, insisting, in spite of the man’s assertion that he was a bachelor, on offering a lively account of the masterful behaviour of the man’s wife, her p. 71authority over him, his servile and penitent22 behaviour.
“A confounded young cad!” declared the other, heatedly, “that’s what you are. Most offensive specimen23 I ever encountered. Perfect curse to society.”
“Isn’t he a daisy?” asked the youth of the others. “Isn’t he a arum lily? Isn’t he a china ornament24?”
“Leave him alone!” urged one of the others.
“Right you are,” he said, amiably25. “I’ll give you a turn now.”
The compartment was becoming restive26 under his sniping, when some one caught the name of a station as the train flew past, and the lad, saying, “I didn’t know we were so near,” rose and took his bag from the rack. Letting the window down and resting his chin there, he inhaled27 the country air, and announced, with a change of tone, identification of certain houses and meadows. That was the place where he once knocked up thirty-eight, after making a duck’s-egg in the first innings; here was the very finest wood for nutting in the whole neighbourhood; over there, if you only went late enough and not too late, you could pick more blackberries than you cared to carry away. He begged them all to rise to catch sight of the spire28 of a church; they had to jump up again to see the thatched roof of a farm where lived, p. 72he declared, three of the best cousins in the whole world. He packed his cap in the bag, put on a bowler29, and threw away the end of his cigarette.
“Hope I haven’t been talking too much,” he said, apologetically, “and I trust no offence has been taken where none was intended. Just look at that clump30 of trees over there, and notice the colours they’ve got; aren’t they simply wonderful? What were you going to say, sir?”
The middle-aged man hazarded the opinion that Nature knew something.
“Makes you realise,” admitted the youth soberly, “when you get down into the country, that some one else besides man has had to do with the making of the world. If you gentlemen don’t mind coming over here, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of where my mother and my sister live. There!” he cried exultantly31. “You just saw it, didn’t you, between the trees. Smoke coming out of the chimney. That means—” He pressed his hand against his under-lip. “That means they’re preparing. You’ve no idea what a lot they think of me. If they’re at the station, you’ll have a chance of seeing them. Goodbye all. Hope you’ll enjoy yourselves as much as I’m going to.”
He stepped out before the train ceased to move, and looked up and down the platform p. 73with eagerness and some anxiety. An elderly woman in black and a short girl waved excitedly to him from the inside of the doorway32 of the booking-office; he ran across, and, dropping the bag, kissed them affectionately.
“You dear, dear blessing33!” cried the mother.
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1
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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harried
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| v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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rankle
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| v.（怨恨，失望等）难以释怀 | |
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yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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13
anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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14
goaded
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| v.刺激( goad的过去式和过去分词 )；激励；（用尖棒）驱赶；驱使（或怂恿、刺激）某人 | |
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15
repertoire
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| n.(准备好演出的)节目，保留剧目；(计算机的)指令表，指令系统， <美>(某个人的)全部技能；清单，指令表 | |
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enviously
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| adv.满怀嫉妒地 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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penitent
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| adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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25
amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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26
restive
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| adj.不安宁的，不安静的 | |
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27
inhaled
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| v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
spire
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| n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点 | |
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29
bowler
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| n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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31
exultantly
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| adv.狂欢地，欢欣鼓舞地 | |
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32
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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