The return from the cemetery6 was accomplished7 toward noon of a July day whose heavily overcast8 sky seemed only to act as a blanket over the city, compressing its heated and humid atmosphere until the least exertion9 was to be indulged in only at the cost of saturated10 clothing.
The four were crowded in common misery11 within a shabby, stuffy12, undertaker's growler.
Thursby occupied the back seat with his eldest14 daughter, notwithstanding the fact that, since apprising15 her of her mother's death, the morning of her return, he had addressed no word to her directly. He sat now with fat and mottled hands resting on his knees, his waistcoat unbuttoned, exposing soiled linen16, his dull and heavy gaze steadfastly17 directed through the window.
Opposite him, on the forward seat, Edna wept silently and incessantly18 into a black-bordered handkerchief.
Butch, beside her, looked serious and depressed19 in a suit of black clothing borrowed for the occasion.
Nobody spoke20 from the time they re-entered the carriage, after the burial, until they left it. Joan huddled21 herself into her corner, putting all possible space between herself and her father. A sense of lassitude was heavy upon her. She meditated22 vaguely23 on the strangeness of life, its inscrutable riddle24, the enigma25 of its brief and feverish26 transit27 from black oblivion through light to black oblivion. But the problem only wearied her. She dropped it from time to time and tried to think of other things; as a rule this resulted in her speculations28 centering about Butch.
The boy mystified her, awed29 her a little with a suggestion of spirit and strength, character and intelligence, conveyed by a forceful yet unassuming manner. It was a new manner, strangely developed in the year that spaced her knowledge of him, only to be explained by his sudden determination to go seriously to work and make something of himself; and the motive for that remained inexplicable31, and would ever as far as concerned Joan. For the personal reticence32 that had always sealed his cynical33 mouth was more than ever characteristic of the boy today; and the sympathy which once had existed between himself and Joan was become a thing of yesterday and as if it had never been. His attitude toward her was touched with just a colour of contempt, almost too faint to be resented; she shrank from it, feeling that he saw through her shallowness, that he knew her, not as Marbridge knew her, perhaps, or as Billy Salute34, but thoroughly35 and intimately, and far better than she would ever know herself.
She knew now—through Edna—that within the last twelve-month Butch had learned his trade of chauffeur36 and pursued it with such diligence that, aside from being the main support of the family which she had deserted37, he was half-owner of his taxicab and in a way to acquire an interest in a small garage....
When the carriage stopped, the father was the first to alight. With no word or look for either of his daughters, and only a semi-articulate growl13 for Butch, to the effect that they'd see one another again at dinner, he pulled his rusty38 derby well forward over his haggard, haunted eyes, thrust his hands deep into trouser-pockets, and slouched ponderously39 away in the direction of his news-stand. Before he turned the avenue corner, Joan, looking after him while she waited for Butch to settle with the driver, saw Thursby produce his packet of dope and, moistening a thumb, begin to con30 it as he plodded40 on.
So, pursuing his passion to the end, he passed forever from her life, yet never altogether from her memory; in which, as time matured the girl, his inscrutable personality assumed the character of a symbol of aborted41 destiny. What he had been, whence he had sprung, what he might have become, she never learned....
Then, preceded by Edna, followed by Butch, she climbed for the last time those weary stairs.
Arrived in the flat, Butch shut himself into his room to change to working clothes. He could not afford to waste an afternoon, he said. Joan and Edna sat down in the dark and dismal42 dining-room, conferring in hushed voices until he rejoined them. He came forth43 presently, the inevitable44 cigarette drooping45 from his thin, hard lips, and sat down, his spare, wiry body looking uncommonly46 well set-up and capable in the chauffeur's livery.
After a little hesitation47, Joan mustered49 up courage to say her say, if with something nearly approaching appeal in the way that she addressed this taciturn and self-sufficient man who had replaced her loaferish brother.
"I've been telling Edna," she said, "that I'm going to take care of her from now on."
"That so?" Butch exhaled50 twin jets of smoke from his nostrils51. "How?" he enquired52 without prejudice.
"Well ... she's coming to live with me—"
"Where?"
"I don't know. I'm leaving where you found me. By the way, how did you know where to look for me, Butch?"
"Seen you one day when you was livin' in the Astoria Inn. There's a dairy lunch on the ground floor where I gen'ly eat. After that I kept an eye on you."
"Oh!" said Joan thoughtfully, wondering how much that eye had seen of the brief but lurid53 existence she had led before coming partially54 to her senses and moving to share Hattie Morrison's lodgings55. "Well, I'll find a good place, and Edna can stay with me and act as my maid until she's old enough to find something to do for herself."
"On the stage, eh?"
"I guess so. I'm getting on, you know. Chances are I could give her a boost."
Butch shook his head: "Nothin' doin'."
"Why?"
He was unmoved by the flash of hostility56 in Joan's manner.
"I guess," he said after a deliberate pause, "we don't have to go into that. Anyway, I got other plans for Edna. She's goin' to the country, up-State, to spend the summer on a farm—family of a fellow I know. After that, if she's strong enough, she can come back and keep house for me, if she wants to, or go to work any way she chooses—that's not my business. Only—understand me—she isn't going to go into the chorus until she's old enough to know what she's doin', and strong enough to stand the racket. That's settled."
Rising, he jerked the stub of his cigarette through the air-shaft window, and slowly drew on his gauntlets.
"You do what packin' you wanta, kid," he advised Edna, "before three o'clock thisaft'noon. I'll be back for you then. Your train leaves at four. You'll travel along with the mother of this friend of mine—Mrs. Simmons, her name is."
As he had said, the matter was settled. Joan conceded the point without bickering57, with indeed a feeling of mean relief. Moreover, she was afraid of Butch....
The flat in Fiftieth Street had gained associations insufferably hateful. She returned to it only long enough to pack up and move out. Incidentally she found, read, and destroyed without answering, a note from Fowey suggesting an assignation. Her paradoxical dislike for the man had deepened into detestation. She both hoped and intended never to see him again.
She moved before nightfall, leaving no address, and established herself in an inexpensive but reputable boarding establishment, little frequented by the class of theatrical58 people with which she was acquainted, and where a repetition of her escapade was impossible. On the third day following she began rehearsing privately59 with Gloucester, and threw into the work all she could muster48 of strength, patience, and intelligence, leaving herself, at the end of each day's work, too exhausted60 in mind and body to indulge in any of the pleasures to which her tastes inclined.
Fowey, unable to trace her and seeing nothing of the girl in those restaurants and places of amusement she had been wont61 to frequent, in time gave up the chase; and before the first presentation of "Mrs. Mixer" the newspapers supplied Joan with the news of his clandestine62 marriage and subsequent flight to Europe with a widow whose fortune doubtless promised compensation for the fact that she had a son nearly as old as her latest husband.
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1
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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unity
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| n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调 | |
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cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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7
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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9
exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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14
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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15
apprising
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| v.告知，通知( apprise的现在分词 )；评价 | |
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16
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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17
steadfastly
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| adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝 | |
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incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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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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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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23
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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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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enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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28
speculations
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| n.投机买卖( speculation的名词复数 )；思考；投机活动；推断 | |
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29
awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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31
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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32
reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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33
cynical
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| adj.(对人性或动机)怀疑的，不信世道向善的 | |
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34
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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35
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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37
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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38
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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ponderously
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40
plodded
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| v.沉重缓慢地走（路）( plod的过去式和过去分词 )；努力从事；沉闷地苦干；缓慢进行（尤指艰难枯燥的工作） | |
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41
aborted
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| adj.流产的，失败的v.（使）流产( abort的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）（某事物）中止；（因故障等而）（使）（飞机、宇宙飞船、导弹等）中断飞行；（使）（飞行任务等）中途失败 | |
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42
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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43
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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44
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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45
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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46
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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47
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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48
muster
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| v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册 | |
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49
mustered
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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50
exhaled
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| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
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51
nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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52
enquired
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| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
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53
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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54
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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55
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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56
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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57
bickering
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| v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁 | |
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58
theatrical
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| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
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59
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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60
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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61
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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62
clandestine
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| adj.秘密的，暗中从事的 | |
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