“What do you mean?”
“I mean that after that flow of soul, I am in a mood to whoop1 it up, paint the town magenta2, get up on a box in Hyde Park and holler, but not to suffragettes. And I want your company. Can’t you feel that way?”
“Perhaps,” admitted Julia, laughing. “What a boy you still are.”
“Not so much of a boy as you think, but enough. But I don’t know your tastes in crime. Give me a hint, and we’ll do it.”
“I’m afraid I haven’t any.”
“You are as truthful4 as a woman can be, so investigate your possibilities and own up. Admit that under my demoralizing influence you are suffering some from reaction.”
“I believe I am.” Julia laughed again, with youth in her voice.
“I surmised5 as much, if only on general principles. I am subject to violent reactions myself. You’ve been good too long. If you don’t take a mild fling or two, your nervous system will dictate6 that you rise in the night and blow up the Prime Minister. Suppose we walk, as it isn’t raining. That, for London, is almost variety enough. Now, if you made up your mind to go on the wildest spree you could think of, what would it be? A French ball, with a hump and a limp; or a day on the Thames, if it happened to be summer, all alone with one man in a punt?”
“Let me think.” Julia had quite fallen in with his mood. “I think I’d go on a sort of platonic7 honeymoon8 with the most companionable man I knew—you, for instance—to some foreign town, one I’d never visited, and where we could hear the best music. There would be a certain excitement in avoiding English people lest they misinterpret what was eminently9 proper, if quite irregular.”
“I could never have conceived of such a hilarious10 program. But if that is your best, it would be better than nothing. As it is winter, I suppose we would shiver over our respective radiators11 when not at the opera.”
“Oh, there are always the museums and art galleries?—”
“More and more intoxicating12. My idea of complete happiness is to wear out my old shoes and the back of my neck in art galleries?—”
“As it is winter, think of the exercise.”
“I prefer using a pair of dumb-bells at an open window. Do you happen to know of any musical European town where we could get food fit to eat?”
“Oh, there is always some good restaurant, and of course we could dine together?—”
“And breakfast, and lunch, or I don’t go. Of course you’ll send me to a different hotel. Shall you take a sitting-room13?—”
“Oh, that wouldn’t do at all. Besides, it wouldn’t be necessary. We’ll be out all the time. There are always the theatres at night, when we don’t go to the opera.”
“As I don’t understand a word of any language except my own and Spanish, I can slumber14 peacefully while you improve your mind and feel wicked. I don’t see where I come in on this game.”
“Joking aside, Ishbel and Dark are going to Munich next week, and we might go along. My mind is a bit relaxed since the arrival of your upsetting self. It might be well to humor it.”
“Ah!” Tay had frowned, but his brow cleared suddenly. After all, he might see more of the real Julia with a chaperon, than if she were tormented15 by recurring16 alarms. “Very well. Munich, by all means. Anything to cut you loose from Suffrage3. Promise right here that you will chuck it until we return.”
“I shall try to forget it—if only that I may return to it with a mind completely refreshed.”
“Exactly. But I haven’t yet had an object lesson in your switching-off trick, so I’ll strike a bargain with you right here: if you mention Suffrage, I shall make love to you. If you don’t, I won’t.”
“I promise,” said Julia, hastily. “I really should like to feel quite young and frivolous17 for a bit. And love is as deadly serious as Suffrage.”
“So you will find when I get ready to make love to you.”
“Can you get away—I thought you were so busy?”
“I’ll get away, all right. Just as well to jar their calm deliberation by flaunting18 my scornful indifference19. Here we are. We’ll meet to-morrow night.”
And they parted gayly at the gates of Clement’s Inn.
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收听单词发音
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1
whoop
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| n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息 | |
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2
magenta
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| n..紫红色（的染料）；adj.紫红色的 | |
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3
suffrage
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| n.投票，选举权，参政权 | |
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4
truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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5
surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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6
dictate
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| v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令 | |
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7
platonic
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| adj.精神的；柏拉图（哲学）的 | |
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8
honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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10
hilarious
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| adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed | |
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11
radiators
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| n.（暖气设备的）散热器( radiator的名词复数 )；汽车引擎的冷却器，散热器 | |
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12
intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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13
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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14
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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15
tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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16
recurring
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| adj.往复的，再次发生的 | |
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17
frivolous
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| adj.轻薄的；轻率的 | |
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18
flaunting
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| adj.招摇的，扬扬得意的，夸耀的v.炫耀，夸耀( flaunt的现在分词 )；有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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19
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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