At the dance she had kept rather apart. Dazed, after a shock, and needing self-collection, was the line sketched2. Her account of things could not, of course, be blurted3 out anyhow. It had to grow out of circumstances. It, of course, must be given. She had not yet given it. But haste must be avoided. For its particular type, as long a time as possible must be allowed to elapse before she spoke4 of what had happened. It must almost seem as though she were going to say nothing; sudden, perfect, and very impressive silence on her part. To accustom5 their minds to her silence would make speech all the more imposing6, when it came. At a café after the dance her account of the thing flowered grudgingly7, drawn8 forth9 by the ambient heat of the discussion.
They were as yet at the stage of exclamations10, no malveillant theory yet having been definitely formed about Kreisler.
“He came there on purpose to create a disturbance11. Whatever for, I wonder!”
“I expect it was the case of Fr?ulein Fogs over again.” (Kreisler had, on a former occasion, paid his court to a lady of this name, with resounding12 unsuccess.)
“If I’d have known what was going on, I’d have dealt with him!” said one of the men.
“Didn’t you say he told a pack of lies, Renée??”
Fr?ulein Lipmann had been sitting, her eyes fixed13 on a tram drawn up near by, watching the people evacuating14 the central platform, and others restocking it. The discussion and exclamations of her friends did not, it would appear, interest her. It would have been, no doubt, scandalously unnatural15 if Kreisler had not been execrated16. But anything they could say was negligible and inadequate17 to cope with the “Gemeine alte Sau.” The tameness of their reflections on and indignation against Kreisler when compared with the terrific corroding18 of this epithet19 (known only to her) made her sulky and impatient.
Applied20 to in this way directly about the lies, she[161] turned to the others and said, as it were interposing herself regally at last in their discussion:
“Ecoutez—listen,” she began, leaning towards the greater number of them, seeming to say, “It’s really simple enough, as simple as it is disagreeable: I am going to settle the question for you. Let us then discuss it no more.” It would seem a great effort to do this, too, her lips a little white with fatigue21, her eyes heavy with disgust at it all: fighting these things, she was coming to their assistance.
“Listen: we none of us know anything about that man”; this was an unfortunate beginning for Bertha, as thoughts, if not eyes, would spring in her direction no doubt, and Fr?ulein Lipmann even paused as though about to qualify this: “we none of us, I think, want to know anything about him. Therefore why this idiot—the last sort of beer-drinking brute22—treated us to his bestial23 and—and—wretched foolery?”
Fr?ulein Lipmann shrugged24 her shoulders with blank, contemptuous indifference25. “I assure you it doesn’t interest me the least little bit in the world to know why such brutes26 behave like that at certain times. I don’t see any mystery. It seems odd to you that Herr Kreisler should be an offensive brute?” She eyed them a moment. “To me NOT!”
“We do him too much honour by discussing him, that’s certain,” said one of them. This was in the spirit of Fr?ulein Lipmann’s words, but was not accepted by her just then as she had something further to say.
“When one is attacked, one does not spend one’s time in considering why one is attacked, but in defending oneself. I am just fresh from the souillures de ce brute. If you knew the words he had addressed to me.”
Ekhart was getting very red, his eyes were shining, and he was moving rhythmically27 in his chair something like a steadily28 rising sea.
“Where does he live, Fr?ulein Lipmann?” he asked.
[162]
“Nein, Ekhart. One could not allow anybody to embroil29 themselves with that useless brute.” The “Nein, Ekhart” had been drawled fondly at once, as though that contingency30 had been weighed, and could be brushed aside lightly in advance. It implied as well an “of course” for his red and dutiful face. “I myself, if I meet him anywhere, shall deal with him better than you could. This is one of the occasions for a woman?”
So Bertha’s story had come uncomfortably and difficultly to flower. She wished she had not waited so long. But it was impossible now, the matter put in the light that Fr?ulein Lipmann’s intervention31 had caused, to delay any longer. She was, there was no doubt about it, vaguely32 responsible for Kreisler. It was obviously her duty to explain him. And now Fr?ulein Lipmann had just put an embargo33 on explanations. There were to be no more explanations. In Kreisleriana her apport was very important: much more definite than the indignation or hypothesis of any of the rest. She had been nearer to him, anyway. She had waited too long, until the sea had risen too high, or rather in a direction extremely unfavourable for launching her contribution. It must be in some way, too, a defence of Kreisler. This would be a very delicate matter to handle.
Yet could she sit on there, say nothing, and let the others in the course of time drop the subject? They had not turned to her in any way for further information or as to one peculiarly susceptible35 of furnishing interesting data. Maintaining this silence was a solution. But it would be even bolder than her first plan. This would be a still more vigorous, more insolent36 development of her plan of confessing—in her way. But it rather daunted37 her. They might easily mistake, if they pleased, her silence for the silence of acknowledged, very eccentric, guilt38. The subject was drawing perilously39 near the point where it would be dropped. Fr?ulein Lipmann was summing up, and doing the final offices of the law over the condemned40 and already unspeakable Kreisler.[163] No time was to be lost. The breaking in now involved inevitable41 conflict of a sort with Fr?ulein Lipmann. She was going to “say a word for Kreisler” after Fr?ulein Lipmann’s words. (How much better it would have been before!)
So at this point, looking up from the table, Bertha (listened to with uncomfortable unanimity42 and promptness) began. She was smiling with an affectedly43 hesitating, timid face, smiling in a flat strained way, the neighbourhood of her eyes suffused44 slightly with blood, her lips purring the words a little:
“Renée, I feel that I ought to say something—” Her smile was that made with a screwing up of the eyes and slow flowering of the lips, noticed on some people’s faces when some snobbery45 they cannot help has to be allowed egress46 from their mouth.
Renée Lipmann turned towards her composedly. This interruption would require argument; consciousness of the peculiar34 nature of Bertha’s qualifications was not displayed.
“I had not meant to say anything—about what happened to me, that is. I, as a matter of fact, have something particularly to complain of. But I had nothing to say about it. Only, since you are all discussing it, I thought you might not quite understand if I didn’t—I don’t think, Renée, that Herr Kreisler was quite in his right mind this evening. He doesn’t strike me as méchant. I don’t think he was really in any way accountable for his actions. I don’t, of course, know any more about him than you do. This evening was the first time I’ve ever exchanged more than a dozen words with him in my life.”
This was said in the sing-song of quick parentheses47, eyebrows48 lifted, and with little gestures of the hand.
“He caught hold of me—like this.” She made a quick snatching gesture at Fr?ulein Lipmann, who did not like this attempt at intimidation49 or velvety50 defiance51. “He was kissing me when you came up,” turning to one or two of the others. This was said with dramatic suddenness and “determination,” as[164] it were: the “kissing” said with a sort of deliberate sententious brutality52, and luscious53 disparting of the lips.
“We couldn’t make out whatever was happening?” one of them began.
“When you came up I felt quite dazed. I didn’t feel that it was a man kissing me. He was mad. I’m sure he was. It was like being mauled by a brute.” She shuddered54, with rather rolling eyes. “He was a brute to-night—not a man at all. He didn’t know what he was doing.”
They were all silent, answerless at this unexpected view of the case. It only differed from theirs in supposing that he was not always a brute. She had spoken quickly and drew up short. Their silence became conscious and septic. They appeared as though they had not expected her to stop speaking, and were like people surprised naked, with no time to cover themselves.
“I think he’s in great difficulties—money or something. But all I know for certain is that he was really in need of somebody?”
“But what makes you think, Bertha?” one of the girls said, hesitating.
“I let him in at Renée’s. He looked strange to me: didn’t you notice? I noticed him first there.”
Anastasya Vasek was still with them. She had not joined in the talk about Kreisler. She listened to it with attention, like a person newly arrived in some community, participating for the first time at one of their discussions on a local and stock subject. Kreisler would, from her expression, have seemed to be some topic peculiar to this gathering55 of people—they engaged in a characteristic occupation. Bertha she watched as one would watch a very eloquent56 chief airing his views at a clan-meeting.
“I felt he was really in need of some hand to help him. He seemed just like a child. He was ill, too. He can’t have eaten anything for some time. I am sure he hasn’t. He was walking slower and slower—that’s[165] how it was we were so far behind. It was my fault, too—what happened. At least?”
The hungry touch was an invention of the moment. “You make him quite a romantic character. I’m afraid he has been working on your feelings, my dear girl. I didn’t see any signs of an empty stomach myself,” said Fr?ulein van Bencke.
“He refreshed himself extensively at the dance, in any case. You can put your mind at rest as to his present emptiness,” Renée Lipmann said.
Things languished57. The Lipmann had taken her stand on boredom58. She was committed to the theory of the unworthiness of this discussion. The others not feeling quite safe, Bertha’s speeches raised no more comment. It was all as though she had been putting in her little bit of abuse of the common enemy. Bertha might have interrupted with a “Yes. He outraged59 me too!”—and this have been met with a dreary60, acquiescing61 silence!
She was exculpating62 herself, then (heavily), at his expense. The air of ungenerosity this had was displeasing63 to her.
The certain lowering of the vitality64 of the party when she came on the scene with her story offended her. There should have been noise. It was not quite the lifelessness of scepticism. But there was an uncomfortable family likeness65 to the manner of people listening to discourses66 they do not believe. She persevered67. She met with the same objectionable flaccid and indifferent opposition68. Her intervention had killed the topic, and they seemed waiting till she had ended her war-dance on its corpse69.
The red-headed member of the party had met Tarr by chance. Hearing he had not seen Bertha since the night of the ball, she had said with roguish pleasantness: “He’d better look after her better; why hadn’t he come to the ball?” Tarr did not understand.
“Bertha had had an adventure. All of them, for that matter, had had an adventure, but especially Bertha. Oh, Bertha would tell him all about it.”[166] But, on Tarr insisting, Bertha’s story, in substance, had been told.
So with Bertha, the fact was still there. Retrospectively, her friends insisted upon passing by the two remarkably70 unanimous-looking forms on the boulevard in stony71 silence. She shouted to them and kissed Kreisler loudly. But they refused to take any notice. She sulked. They had been guilty of catching72 her. She kept to herself day after day. She would make a change in her life. She might go to Germany; she might go to another quartier. To go on with her life just as though nothing had happened, that was out of the question. Demonstration73 of some sort must follow, and change compatible with grief.
Her burly little clock struck four. Hurrying on reform-clothes, she went out to buy lunch. The dairy lay nearly next door to Lejeune’s restaurant. Crossing the road towards it, she caught sight of Kreisler’s steadily marching figure approaching. First she side-stepped and half turned. But the shop would be reached before they met, so she went on, merely quickening her pace. Her eye, covertly74 fixed on him, calculating distances and speeds, saw him hesitate—evidently having just caught sight of her—and then turn down a side street nearly beside the dairy she was making for. Unwise pique75 beset76 her at this.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
deserted
|
|
| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
sketched
|
|
| v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
blurted
|
|
| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
accustom
|
|
| vt.使适应，使习惯 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
imposing
|
|
| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
grudgingly
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
exclamations
|
|
| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
disturbance
|
|
| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
resounding
|
|
| adj. 响亮的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
evacuating
|
|
| 撤离，疏散( evacuate的现在分词 )； 排空（胃肠），排泄（粪便）； （从危险的地方）撤出，搬出，撤空 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
unnatural
|
|
| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
execrated
|
|
| v.憎恶( execrate的过去式和过去分词 )；厌恶；诅咒；咒骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
inadequate
|
|
| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
corroding
|
|
| 使腐蚀，侵蚀( corrode的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
epithet
|
|
| n.（用于褒贬人物等的）表述形容词，修饰语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
applied
|
|
| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
fatigue
|
|
| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
brute
|
|
| n.野兽，兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
bestial
|
|
| adj.残忍的；野蛮的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
indifference
|
|
| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
brutes
|
|
| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
rhythmically
|
|
| adv.有节奏地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
embroil
|
|
| vt.拖累；牵连；使复杂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
contingency
|
|
| n.意外事件，可能性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
intervention
|
|
| n.介入，干涉，干预 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
vaguely
|
|
| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
embargo
|
|
| n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
peculiar
|
|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
susceptible
|
|
| adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
insolent
|
|
| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
daunted
|
|
| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
guilt
|
|
| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
perilously
|
|
| adv.充满危险地，危机四伏地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
condemned
|
|
| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
inevitable
|
|
| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
unanimity
|
|
| n.全体一致，一致同意 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
affectedly
|
|
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
suffused
|
|
| v.（指颜色、水气等）弥漫于，布满( suffuse的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
snobbery
|
|
| n. 充绅士气派, 俗不可耐的性格 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
egress
|
|
| n.出去；出口 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
parentheses
|
|
| n.圆括号，插入语，插曲（ parenthesis的名词复数 ） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
eyebrows
|
|
| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
intimidation
|
|
| n.恐吓，威胁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
velvety
|
|
| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
defiance
|
|
| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
brutality
|
|
| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
luscious
|
|
| adj.美味的；芬芳的；肉感的，引与性欲的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
shuddered
|
|
| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
eloquent
|
|
| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
languished
|
|
| 长期受苦( languish的过去式和过去分词 )； 受折磨； 变得（越来越）衰弱； 因渴望而变得憔悴或闷闷不乐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
boredom
|
|
| n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
outraged
|
|
| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
dreary
|
|
| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
acquiescing
|
|
| v.默认，默许( acquiesce的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
exculpating
|
|
| v.开脱，使无罪( exculpate的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
63
displeasing
|
|
| 不愉快的，令人发火的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
vitality
|
|
| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
likeness
|
|
| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
discourses
|
|
| 论文( discourse的名词复数 )； 演说； 讲道； 话语 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
persevered
|
|
| v.坚忍，坚持( persevere的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
opposition
|
|
| n.反对，敌对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
corpse
|
|
| n.尸体，死尸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
remarkably
|
|
| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
stony
|
|
| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
catching
|
|
| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
demonstration
|
|
| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
covertly
|
|
| adv.偷偷摸摸地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
pique
|
|
| v.伤害…的自尊心，使生气 n.不满，生气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
beset
|
|
| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |