"Makes you sweat to think of it," he said to a mate in the yard.
"By then you've had half-a-dozen and got to keep em, you'll sweat less," retorted his friend, who had been married several years.
Mr. Trupp looked after Ruth.
Great man as he was now, he still attended faithfully those humble5 families who had supported him when first he had established himself in Old Town thirty years before, young, unknown, his presence fiercely resented by the older practitioners6.
When Ruth's time came, Ernie sat in the kitchen, shaken to the soul, and listening to the feet in the room above.
It was a dirty night, howling, dark and slashed7 with rain. Outside in the little dim street that ran below the Kneb on which loomed8 the shadowy bulk of the parish-church, solid against the cloud-drift, stood the doctor's car.
Once Ernie went to the rain-sluiced window and saw Alf with his collar turned up crouching9 behind the wheel.
Ernie went out into the flapping night.
"Ere, Alf!" he said hoarsely10. "We can't go on like this. Tain't in nature. After all, we're brothers."
The two had not spoken since the one had possessed12 the woman the other had desired.
Alf now showed himself curiously13 complacent14.
"I am a Christian15 all right," he confided16 to his brother; and added with the na?ve self-satisfaction of the megalomaniac, as he shook hands: "I wish there was more like me, I do reelly."
"Come in, then," said Ern, who was not listening. "I can't abear to see you out here such a night as this and all."
Alf came in.
The two brothers sat over the fire in the kitchen, Alf uplifted, his gaitered legs crossed. He looked about him brightly with that curious proprietory air of his.
"You've a decent little crib here, Ern, I see," he said.
"None so bad," Ernie answered briefly17.
"Done it up nice too," the other continued. "Did your landlord do that now?"
"No; me and Ruth atween us."
"Ah, he'll raise your rent against you."
"Like em," said Ern. "They're all the same."
Somebody moved overhead.
Ern, stirred to his deeps, rose and stood, leaning his forehead on the mantel-piece, his ears aloft.
"This is a bad job, Ern," said Alf—"a shockin bad job."
"It's killin me," Ern answered with the delicious egoism of the male at such moments.
There was a lengthy18 silence. Then Alf spoke11 again—casually this time.
"She never said nothin to you about no letter, did she?"
"It's burned," replied Ernie curtly19.
Alf glanced at his brother sharply. Then, satisfied that the other was in fact telling the truth, he resumed his study of the fire.
"Not as there was anythink in it there shouldn't have been," he said complacently20. "You can ask anyone." He was silent for a time. Then he continued confidentially22, leaning forward a little—"When you see her tell her I'm safe. May be that'll ease her a bit."
Ernie came to himself and glowered23.
"What ye mean?" he asked.
Alf cocked his chin, knowing and mysteriously.
"Ah," he said. "You just tell her what I tell you—Alf won't let on; Alf's safe. Just that. You'll see."
There was a stir and a movement in the room above: then the howl of a woman in travail24.
Ern was panting. Silence succeeded the storm. Then a tiny miaowing from the room above came down to them.
Alf started to his feet.
"What's that?" he cried.
"My child," answered Ernie deeply, lifting a blind face to the ceiling.
Alf was afraid of many things; but most of all he feared children, and was brutal25 to them consequently, less from cruelty, as the unimaginative conceived, than in self-defence. And the younger the child the more he feared it. The presence in the house of this tiny creature, emerging suddenly into the world from the darkness of the Beyond with its mute and mysterious message, terrified him.
"Here! I'm off!" he said. "This ain't the place for me," and he left the house precipitately26.
Mrs. Trupp of course went to visit the young mother. Ruth in bed, nursing her babe, met her with a smile that was radiant yet wistful.
"It's that different to last time," she said, and nodded at little Alice playing with her beads27 at the foot of the bed. "See, she'd no one—only her mother ... and you ... and Mr. Trupp. They were all against her—poor lamb!—as if it was fault of her'n." She gasped28, choking back a sob29.—"This'n's got em all on her side."
"That's all over now, Ruth," said Mrs. Trupp gently.
"I pray so, with all my heart I do," answered Ruth. "You never knaw. Seems to me some things are never over—not in this world anyways."
She blinked back tears, drew her hand across her eyes, and flashed up bravely.
"Silly, ain't it?" she laughed. "Only times it all come back so—what we went through, she and me. And not through any fault of mine—only foolishness like."
Ruth was one of those women who are a standing30 vindication31 of our civilisation32 and a challenge to all who indict33 it. She was up and about in an incredibly short time, the firmer in body and soul for her adventure.
One morning Alf came round quietly to see her. She was at the wash-tub, busy and bare-armed; and met him with eyes that were neither fearful nor defiant34.
"I'm not a-goin to hurt you, Ruth," he began caressingly35, with a characteristic lift of his chin. "I only come to say it's all right. You got nothink against me now and I'll forget all I know about you. A bargain's a bargain. And now you've done your bit I'll do mine."
The announcement, so generous in its intention, did not seem to make the expected impression.
"I am a gentleman," continued Alf, leaning against the door-post. "Always ave been. It's in me blood, see? Can't help meself like even if I was to wish to." He started off on a favourite theme of his. "Lord Ravensrood—him that made that speech on the Territorials36 the other night in the House of Lords, he's my second cousin. I daresay if enough was to die I'd be Lord Ravensrood meself. Often whiles I remember that. I'm not like the rest of them. I got blue blood running through me veins37, as Reverend Spink says. You can tell that by the look of me. I'm not the one to take advantage."
Ruth, up to her elbows in soap-suds, lifted her face.
"I'm not afraid o you, Alf," she said quite simply. "Now I got my Ern."
The announcement annoyed Alf. He rolled his head resentfully.
"No one as does right has anythink to fear from me," he said harshly. "It's only wrong-doers I'm a terror to. Don't you believe what they tell you. So long as you keep yourself accordin and don't interfere38 with nobody, nobody won't interfere with you, my gurl."
Ruth mocked him daintily.
"I'm not your girl," she said, soaping her beautifully moulded arms. "I'm Ern's girl, and proud of it." Her lovely eyes engaged his, teasing and tempting39. "That's our room above—his and mine. It's cosy40."
"Ah," said Alf, smouldering. "I'd like to see it."
"You can't do that," answered Ruth gravely. "Besides, there's nothing to see only the double-bed Mrs. Trupp gave us and the curtains to close it at night and that, so that no one shan't peep at what they should'nt."
The touch of southern blood, wild and adventurous41, which revealed itself in her swarthy colouring and black hair, stung her on to darings demure42 as they were provocative43. Alf, sour of eye, changed the subject.
"Yes, it's a nice little bit of a crib," he said, glancing round. "What might be your rent?"
"More'n it ought to be," answered Ruth.
"That's a pity," said Alf. "What's Ern's money now?"
"I shan't tell you."
Alf thrust his huge head forward with an evil grin.
"I'll tell you," he said. "It's twenty-four, and that's the limit. Pigott won't raise him no more. I know Pigott." He gloated over his victim. "Yes, old Ern makes in the week what I'd make in a day if I was to do nothink only loll against the wall with me mouth open to catch the interest on me money that'd roll into it. And I'm makin all the time: for God's give me brains and I'm usin em. I'm not a-going to drive for somebody else all my life. I'm the comin man in this town—you ask my bankers. There's plenty doin you don't know nothin of, and more to come. And I'm at the back of it!—I'm the man what makes things move—that's what I am!" He swelled44 like a little bull-frog. "I'm a gentleman—that's Alf." He shot his face forward and wagged a finger at her. "And that's just the difference between Ern and me. I'm in the position to live on me own money and never do a hand's turn for it: while Ern has to sweat for his handful of coppers45. And then it ain't enough to keep his wife from the wash-tub. I'd like to see my wife at that!—Now then!" He folded his arms and struck an attitude.
Ruth soused and wrung46 and rinsed47 quite unmoved.
"That aren't the only difference, Alf," she said soothingly48. "See, Ern's got me. That makes up to him a lot, he says. He says he don't care nothing so long as he's got me to issalf, he says.... Strawberries and cream and plenty of em, he calls me when he's got the curtains draw'd up there, and me a-settin on his knee."
Alf retreated, burning and baffled. She came to the door drying her arms, and pursued her victim with eyes in which the lightning played with laughter; as fastidious and dainty in her cruelty as a cat sporting with a mouse.
A little way down the street he paused and turned. Then he came back a pace or two stealthily. His face was mottled and he was tilting49 his chin, mysterious and confidential21.
"Never hear e'er a word from the Captain?" he asked, in a hushed voice.
Ruth flashed a terrible white and her bosom50 surged.
"I do times," continued the tormentor51, and bustled52 on his way with a malignant53 chuckle54.
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1
rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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prosaic
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| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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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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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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6
practitioners
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| n.习艺者，实习者( practitioner的名词复数 )；从业者（尤指医师） | |
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7
slashed
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| v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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8
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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9
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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11
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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12
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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15
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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18
lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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21
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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23
glowered
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| v.怒视( glower的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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travail
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| n.阵痛；努力 | |
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brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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27
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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28
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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29
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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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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vindication
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| n.洗冤，证实 | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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indict
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| v.起诉，控告，指控 | |
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defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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caressingly
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| 爱抚地，亲切地 | |
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territorials
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| n.（常大写）地方自卫队士兵( territorial的名词复数 ) | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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38
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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39
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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40
cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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41
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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42
demure
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| adj.严肃的；端庄的 | |
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provocative
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| adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的 | |
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44
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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45
coppers
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| 铜( copper的名词复数 )； 铜币 | |
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46
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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47
rinsed
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| v.漂洗( rinse的过去式和过去分词 )；冲洗；用清水漂洗掉（肥皂泡等）；（用清水）冲掉 | |
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48
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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49
tilting
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| 倾斜，倾卸 | |
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50
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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51
tormentor
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| n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter | |
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52
bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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53
malignant
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| adj.恶性的，致命的；恶意的，恶毒的 | |
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54
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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