She had married, raising herself somewhat, in her middle twenties, a clerk of works, popular not only with architects, but with contractors8. Mr. Arb had been clerk of works to some of the very biggest erections of the century. His vocation9 carried him here and there—wherever a large building was being put up; it might be a provincial10 town hall, or a block of offices in London, or a huge hydro on some rural country-side, or an explosives factory in the middle of pasture land. And Mr. Arb's jobs might last any length of time, from six months to three or four years. Consequently he had had no fixed11 residence. As there were no children his wife would always go about with him, and they would live in furnished rooms. This arrangement was cheaper than keeping a permanent home in London, and much more cheerful and stimulating12. For Mr. Arb it had the advantages (with the disadvantages) of living with a wife whose sole genuine interest, hobby, and solicitude13 was her husband; all Mrs. Arb's other social relations were bound to be transitory and lukewarm.[Pg 27] When Mr. Arb died he left a sum of money surprisingly large in view of the fact that clerks of works do not receive high salaries. Architects, hearing of the nice comfortable fortune, were more surprised than contractors. A clerk of works has great power. A clerk of works may be human.
Mrs. Arb found herself with an income but no home, no habit of home life, and no masculine guidance or protection. She was heart-stricken, and—what was worse—she was thoroughly14 disorganized. Her immense vitality had no outlet15. Time helped her, but she lived in suspense16, undecided what to do and not quite confident in her own unaided wisdom. An incredible letter from a solicitor17 announcing that she had inherited the confectioner's business and premises18 and some money in Riceyman Steps shook and roused her. These pleasant and promising19 things had belonged to her grandmother's much younger half-sister, whom she had once helped by prolonged personal service in a great emergency. The two had not met for many years, owing to Mrs. Arb's nomadic20 existence; but they had come together at the funeral of Mr. Arb, and had quarrelled magnificently, because of Mrs. Arb's expressed opinion that the old lady's clothes showed insufficient21 respect for the angelic dead. The next event was the solicitor's letter; the old lady had made a death-bed repentance22 for the funeral costume. Mrs. Arb abandoned the furnished rooms in Fulham, where she had been desiccating for two years, and flew to Clerkenwell in an eager mood of adventure. She did not like Clerkenwell, nor the look of the business, and she was beginning to be disappointed, but at worst she was far happier and more alive than she had ever been since Mr. Arb's death.
She had, nevertheless, a cancer—not a physical one: the secret abiding23 terror lest despite all her outward assurance she might be incapable24 of managing her possessions. The more she inherited, the more she feared. She had a vision of the business going wrong, of her investments going wrong, and of herself in poverty and solitude25. This[Pg 28] dread26 was absurd, but not less real for that. It grew. She tried to counter it by the practice of severe economy.
The demeanour of Mr. Earlforward, and his gift, had suddenly lightened her horizon. But the moment he departed she began saying to herself that she was utterly27 silly to indulge in such thoughts as she had been thinking, that men were not "like that," that men knew what they were about and what they wanted—and she looked gloomily in the fancy mirror provided by a firm of cocoa manufacturers and adorned28 with their name at the top and their address at the bottom.
She put pieces of gauze over the confectionery in the window and over the two bony remnants of ham, placed the chair seat downwards29 on the counter, and tilted30 the little table against the counter; then extinguished the oil-lamp, which alone lit the shop, and went into the back room, lighted by another similar oil-lamp. In this room, which was a parlour-kitchen, and whose principal table had just been scrubbed, Elsie, a helot withdrawn31 from the world and dedicated32 to secret toil33, was untying34 her sack apron35 preparatory to the great freedom of the night.
"Oh, Elsie—you did say your name was Elsie, didn't you?"
"Yes'm."
Elsie was dashed; she paused on the knot of the apron-string.
"It is? So it is. Well, not quite."
"I had an engagement, 'm."
"Couldn't you put it off for this once? You see, I'm very anxious to get straight after all this mess I've been in. I'm one that can't stand a mess. I'll give you your supper—I'll give you a slice of ham—and sixpence extra."
"I'm sure it's very kind of you, 'm, but——"
"Well, 'm, I always like to oblige." Elsie yielded, not[Pg 29] grudgingly40 nor with the air of conferring a favour, but rather with a mild and pure kindliness41. She added, coaxing42 in her turn: "But I must just run out half a minute, if you'll let me."
"Oh, of course. But don't be long, will you? Look, here's your half-day and the extra sixpence. Take it now. And while you're out I'll be cutting the ham for you. It's a pity I've turned out the shop lamp, but I dare say I can see if I leave this door open." She gave the girl some silver.
"I'm sure it's very kind of you, 'm."
Mrs. Arb cut an exceedingly thin slice of ham quite happily. She had two reasons for keeping Elsie; she wanted to talk to somebody, and she felt that, whether she talked or not, she could not bear to be alone in the place till bed-time. Her good spirits returned.
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1
enigma
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| n.谜，谜一样的人或事 | |
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pervading
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的现在分词 ) | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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disillusion
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| vt.使不再抱幻想，使理想破灭 | |
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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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7
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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8
contractors
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| n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 ) | |
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9
vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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stimulating
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| adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的 | |
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13
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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15
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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solicitor
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| n.初级律师，事务律师 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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nomadic
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| adj.流浪的；游牧的 | |
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21
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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abiding
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| adj.永久的，持久的，不变的 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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downwards
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| adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地） | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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untying
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| untie的现在分词 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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38
coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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39
coaxed
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱 | |
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40
grudgingly
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41
kindliness
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| n.厚道，亲切，友好的行为 | |
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42
coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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