The trap-door through which men had peered aghast into the fires of hell, closed suddenly as it had opened. Only the clang of the stokers working in the darkness under the earth could still be heard day and night at their infernal busyness by any who paused and laid ear to the ground.
England and the world breathed again.
"Touch and go," said Mr. Trupp, who felt like a man coming to the surface after a deep plunge1.
"Dress rehearsal," said the Colonel.
"It'll never be so near again!" Mr. Pigott announced pontifically2 to his wife. "Never!"
"Thank you," replied that lady. "May we take it from you?"
When it was over the Colonel found that the walls of Jericho had fallen: the Liberal Citadel3 had been stormed. Mr. Geddes took the chair at a meeting at St. Andrew's Hall to discuss the programme of the League.
"It looks as if you were right after all," the tall minister said to the Colonel gravely.
"Pray heaven I'm not," the other answered in like tones.
The second significant incident of this time, which occurred during a lull4 before the final flare-up of the long-drawn Agadir crisis, had less happy results from the point of view of the old soldier.
In August, suddenly and without warning, the railway-men came out. The Colonel had been up to London for the night on the business of the League, and next morning had walked into Victoria Street Station to find it in possession of the soldiers: men in khaki in full marching order, rifle, bayonet, and bandolier; sentries5 everywhere; and on the platform a union official in a blue badge urging the guard to come out.
The guard, a heavy-shouldered middle-aged6 fellow, was stubbornly lumping along the platform on flat feet, swinging his lantern.
"I've got a heart," he kept on reiterating7. "I've got a wife and children to think of."
"So've I," replied the official, dogging him. "It's because I am thinking of them that I'm out."
"Silly 'aound!" said a bystander
"No, he ain't then!" retorted a second.
"Yes, he is!" chipped in a third. "Makin trouble for isself and everybody else all round. Calls isself the workers' friend!—Hadgitator, I call him!"
All the way down to Beachbourne in the train the Colonel marked pickets8 guarding bridges; a cavalry9 patrol with lances flashing from the green covert10 of a country lane; a battery on the march; armies on the move.
Joe Burt's right, he reflected, it's war.
"I never thought to see the like of that in England," said a fellow-traveller, eyes glued to the window.
"Makes you think," the Colonel admitted.
Arrived home he found there was a call for special constables11. That evening he went to the police station to sign on, and found many of the leading citizens of Beachbourne there on like errand. Bobby Chislehurst, his open young face clouded for once, and disturbed, was pressing the point of view of the railway-men on Stanley Bessemere, who was listening with the amused indifference13 of the man who knows.
"I'm afraid there is no doubt about it," the politician was saying, shaking the sagacious head of the embryo14 statesmen. "They're taking advantage of the international situation to try to better themselves."
"But they say it's the Government and the directors who are taking advantage of it to try and put them off—as they've been doing for years!" cried Bobby, finely indignant.
"I believe I know what I am talking about," replied the other, unmoved from the rock of his superiority. "I don't mind telling you that the European situation is still most precarious15. The men know that, and they're trying to squeeze the Government. I should like to think it wasn't so."
Then the Archdeacon's voice loudly uplifted overwhelmed all others.
"O, for an hour of the Kaiser!—He'd deal with em. The one man left in Europe—now my poor Emperah's gone. Lloyd George ... Bowing the knee to Baal ... Traitors16 to their country ... Want a lesson ... What can you expect?" He mouthed away grandiloquently17 in detached sentences to the air in general; and nobody paid any attention to him.
Near by, Mr. Pigott, red and ruffled18, was asking what the Army had to do with it?—who wanted the soldiers?—why not leave it to the civilians19?—with a provocative20 glance at the Colonel.
Then there was a noise of marching in the street, and a body of working-men drew up outside the door.
"Who are those fellows?" asked the Archdeacon loudly.
"Workers from the East-end, old cock," shouted one of them as offensively through the door. "Come to sign on as Specials! And just as good a right here as you have...."
The leader of the men in the street broke away from them and shouldered into the yard, battle in his eye.
It was Joe Burt, who, as the Colonel had once remarked, was sometimes a wise statesman, and sometimes a foaming21 demagogue. To-day he was the latter at his worst.
"What did I tell yo?" he said to the Colonel roughly. "Bringin oop the Army against us. Royal Engineers driving trains and all! It's a disgrace."
The Colonel reasoned with him.
"But, my dear fellow, you can't have one section of the community holding up the country."
"Can't have it!" surly and savage22. "Yo've had five hundred dud plutocrats in the House of Lords holding up the people for years past. Did ye shout then? If they use direct action in their own interests why make a rout23 when 500,000 railway men come out for a living wage?—And then you coom to the workers and ask them to strengthen the Army the Government'll use against them!—A wonder yo've the face!" He turned away, shaking.
Just then happily there was a diversion. The yard-door, which a policeman had shut, burst open; and a baggy24 old gentleman lumbered25 through it with the scared look of a bear lost in a busy thoroughfare and much the motions of one.
Holding on to his coat-tails like a keeper came Ruth. She was panting, and a little dishevelled; in her arms was her baby, and her hat was a-wry.
"He would come!" she said, almost in tears. "There was no stoppin him. So I had just to come along too."
Joe, aware that he had gone too far, and glad of the interruption, stepped up to Ruth and took the baby from her arms. The distressed26 woman gave him a look of gratitude27 and began to pat and preen28 her hair.
At this moment Ernie burst into the yard. He was more alert than usual, and threw a swift, almost hostile, glance about him. Then he saw Ruth busy tidying herself, and relaxed.
"Caught him playing truant29, didn't you, in Saffrons Croft?" he said. "The park-keeper tell me."
Ruth was recovering rapidly.
"Yes," she laughed. "I told him it was nothing to do with him—strikes and riots and bloodshed!—Such an idea!"
A baby began to wail30; and Ernie turned to see Joe with little Ned in his arms.
"Hallo! Joe!" he chaffed. "My baby, I think."
He took his own child amid laughter, Joe surrendering it reluctantly.
Just then Edward Caspar appeared in the door of the office. He looked at them over his spectacles and said quietly, as if to himself.
"It's Law as well. We must never forget that."
The Colonel turned to Ernie.
"What's he mean?" he asked low.—"Law as well."
Ernie, dandling the baby, drew away into a corner where he would be out of earshot of the Archdeacon.
"It's a line of poetry, sir," he explained in hushed voice—
"O, Love that art remorseless Law,
So beautiful, so terrible."
"Go on!" said the Colonel, keenly. "Go on!—I like that."
But Ernie only wagged a sheepish head.
"That's all," he said reluctantly. "It never got beyond them two lines." He added with a shy twinkle—"That's dad, that is."
A chocolate-bodied car stopped in the street opposite.
Out of it stepped Mr. Trupp.
In it the Colonel saw a lean woman with eyes the blue of steel, fierce black brows, and snow-white hair.
She was peering hungrily out.
"It's mother come after dad," Ernie explained. "In Mr. Trupp's car. That's my brother driving."
The old surgeon, crossing the yard, now met the run-agate emerging from the office and took him kindly31 by the arm.
"No, no, Mr. Caspar," he scolded soothingly32. "They don't want old fellows like you and me to do the bludgeon business. Our sons'll do all that's necessary in that line."
He packed the elderly truant away in the car.
Mr. Caspar sat beside his wife, his hands folded on the handle of his umbrella, looking as determined33 as he knew how.
Mrs. Caspar tucked a rug about his knees.
Ernie, who had followed his father out to the car, and exchanged a word with his brother sitting stiff as an idol34, behind his wheel, now returned to the yard, grinning.
"Well!" said Joe.
Ernie rolled his head.
"Asked Alf if he was goin to sign on?" he grinned.
"Is he?" asked the Colonel ingenuously35.
Ernie laughed harshly.
"Not Alf!" he said. "He's a true Christian36, Alf is, when there's scrapping37 on the tape..."
At the club a few days later, when the trouble had blown over, the Colonel asked Mr. Trupp if Ernie was ill.
"He seemed so slack," he said, with a genuine concern.
"So he is," growled38 the old surgeon. "He wants the Lash—that's all."
"Different from his brother," mused12 the Colonel—"that chauffeur39 feller of yours. He's keen enough from what I can see."
Mr. Trupp puffed40 at his cigar.
"Alf's ambitious," he said. "That's his spur. Starting in a big way on his own now. Sussex is going to blossom out into Caspar's Garages, he tells me. I'm going to put money in the company. Some men draw money. Alf's one."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
plunge
|
|
| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
pontifically
|
|
| adj.教皇的；大祭司的；傲慢的；武断的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
citadel
|
|
| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
lull
|
|
| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
sentries
|
|
| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
middle-aged
|
|
| adj.中年的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
reiterating
|
|
| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
pickets
|
|
| 罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
cavalry
|
|
| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
covert
|
|
| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
constables
|
|
| n.警察( constable的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
mused
|
|
| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
indifference
|
|
| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
embryo
|
|
| n.胚胎，萌芽的事物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
precarious
|
|
| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
traitors
|
|
| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
grandiloquently
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
ruffled
|
|
| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
civilians
|
|
| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
provocative
|
|
| adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
foaming
|
|
| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
savage
|
|
| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
rout
|
|
| n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
baggy
|
|
| adj.膨胀如袋的，宽松下垂的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
lumbered
|
|
| 砍伐（lumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
distressed
|
|
| 痛苦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
gratitude
|
|
| adj.感激，感谢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
preen
|
|
| v.（人）打扮修饰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
truant
|
|
| n.懒惰鬼，旷课者；adj.偷懒的，旷课的，游荡的；v.偷懒，旷课 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
wail
|
|
| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
soothingly
|
|
| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
idol
|
|
| n.偶像，红人，宠儿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
ingenuously
|
|
| adv.率直地，正直地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
Christian
|
|
| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
scrapping
|
|
| 刮，切除坯体余泥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
growled
|
|
| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
chauffeur
|
|
| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
puffed
|
|
| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |