“’Ullo, Tommy!”
“‘Thomas,’ if you please,” he said, bending to kiss the child; “and don’t let me catch you again swinging on this gate. You’ll have the whole row of palings down, that’s what you’ll be doing. Big, clumsy girl like you.”
The youngster, gratified by this compliment, took his hand, and led him to the front door, where she cried “Mother!” with a strong accent on the second syllable8; on gaining a reply of “Now begin your nonsense p. 99again,” she announced the arrival. The boy hung his cap behind the door, and threw himself into an easy chair.
“No,” he answered, with an exhausted9 air, “I can’t play games with you this evening. Yes, yes, I know I used to; but them times are all past and gone. You’re too young to understand, my girl, and it’s as well you are, but life’s a serious matter. Tell me, how’ve you been getting on at school to-day?”
“Teacher give me a rap over the knuckles10.”
“I don’t like that.”
“I didn’t like it, neither.”
“What I mean is,” he went on, “that a little girl like you ought to do her best to learn all she can whilst she’s got the opportunities. If you don’t, why, later on, when it’s too late, you’ll be sorry. In the meantime, you want to do all you can to pick up everything at school, and not give your teachers opportunity for being cross with you in any shape or form whatsoever11. You hear what I’m telling you. What’s mother singing for?”
“Put this top somewhere,” suggested the child, “whilst I turn my face to the wall—I won’t look, truth and honour—and then you tell me when I’m getting warm and when I’m getting cold.”
“Let’s hear you spell it!”
p. 100The little person, found guilty of spelling top with two p’s, not only had to accept a severe reprimand, but was called upon to spell pot, and pop, and one or two other words; when she had gone through the examination the boy agreed to conceal12 the article, and she set about with great enthusiasm on the task of finding it, but the game was so frequently interfered13 with by his admonitions concerning present behaviour, by warnings regarding future conduct, that she did not hide her satisfaction when the mother brought in his tea. The child was allowed to stand by and receive the top of the egg.
“Yes,” admitted the mother, in answer to his challenge, “I am in rather good spirits. Would you like a second cup, Tommy, or another slice of bread and butter? You’ve only to say the word.”
“These are not times,” he decided14, “for a man to make a hog15 of himself. You must arrange for the money to last as long as it possibly can, mother. Watch every penny. Don’t let there be nothing in the shape of waste.”
“I managed, my dear,” she retorted, with spirit, “when your father was in work, and earning 35s. a week, and I’ve somehow managed during the last six weeks on your money alone. It’s took a bit of doing,” she sighed, “but I’ve done it.”
“Set down and rest for a moment,” p. 101recommended the boy. “Expect you’re like me—you’ve had a hard day of it.”
The little girl was expelled from the room for the reason that her mother, in sitting, found the concealed16 wooden top. The two were left to converse17 together; the boy found a crumpled18 cigarette in his pocket, and his mother, hunting for matches, sang the first lines of a song that belonged to her early youth.
“I’ve got no objection,” he said, speaking with deliberation, between the puffs19, “to you being light-’earted, but I hope you realise, mother, that I’m having to stint20 myself pretty considerably21 in order that you should make both ends meet.”
“You’re a good lad,” she agreed, “as lads go nowadays!”
“I deny myself several luxuries, such as the first ’ouse at the local Empire, something extra for lunch, a new necktie for Sundays. This fag that I’m smoking at the present moment was given to me. I bring ’ome every penny I earn, and if I ’appen by any chance to make a bit extra, why, I bring that ’ome as well. I don’t begrudge22 it in the least; shouldn’t like you to think that of me, mother; all I want you to do is to recognise it. And if you care to mention the fact to neighbours, or friends, or even to relatives, why, there’s no objection on my part.”
“I’ve never made no secret of it, my p. 102dear,” she declared, reassuringly23. “Your Aunt Mary was in only this afternoon, and you know what an inquisitive24 one she is. She brings a small pot of jam, and always expects about a ton of information in exchange. Wanted to know how I managed, and whether we was running into debt, and how long it was likely to last, and I don’t know what all. I didn’t tell her everything, but I did mention that if it hadn’t been for you I don’t know where we should have found ourselves.”
“And what did she say?”
“Said I ought to be proud of you. Said she wished she had a son like you.” He nodded approvingly, and continued to listen. “Said that, considering you only left school seven months ago—”
“Eight months.”
“—you might reckon yourself a credit to the family.”
“Anything else?”
“That’s all she said about you.”
He stretched himself, enjoying luxuriously25 the end of his cigarette.
“But,” going on with relish26, “I was able to take her down a peg27 before she went. Never said nothing about it until just as she was going, and then I told her, what I’m now going to tell you, my dear, and that is this: your father’s been taken back by his old firm, and he started earning good p. 103money this very day. Wherever are you off to in such a hurry?”
The boy snatched his cap from the wooden peg. He strode out by the front door, and walked away towards Dalston Junction28, frowning.
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1
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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2
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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3
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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4
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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5
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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7
reticent
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| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
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8
syllable
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| n.音节；vt.分音节 | |
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9
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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10
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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11
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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12
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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13
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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14
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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15
hog
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| n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占 | |
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16
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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17
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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18
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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19
puffs
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| n.吸( puff的名词复数 )；（烟斗或香烟的）一吸；一缕（烟、蒸汽等）；（呼吸或风的）呼v.使喷出( puff的第三人称单数 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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20
stint
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| v.节省，限制，停止；n.舍不得化，节约，限制；连续不断的一段时间从事某件事 | |
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21
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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22
begrudge
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| vt.吝啬，羡慕 | |
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23
reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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24
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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25
luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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26
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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27
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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28
junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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