“In poneys?”
“Done.”
And Lord Milford, a young noble, entered in his book the bet which he had just made with Mr Latour, a grey headed member of the Jockey Club.
It was the eve of the Derby of 1837. In a vast and golden saloon, that in its decorations would have become, and in its splendour would not have disgraced, Versailles in the days of the grand monarch3, were assembled many whose hearts beat at the thought of the morrow, and whose brains still laboured to control its fortunes to their advantage.
“They say that Caravan looks puffy,” lisped in a low voice a young man, lounging on the edge of a buhl table that had once belonged to a Mortemart, and dangling4 a rich cane5 with affected6 indifference7 in order to conceal8 his anxiety from all, except the person whom he addressed.
“They are taking seven to two against him freely over the way,” was the reply. “I believe it’s all right.”
“Do you know I dreamed last night something about Mango,” continued the gentleman with the cane, and with a look of uneasy superstition9.
His companion shook his head.
“Well,” continued the gentleman with the cane, “I have no opinion of him. I gave Charles Egremont the odds against Mango this morning; he goes with us, you know. By the bye, who is our fourth?”
“I thought of Milford,” was the reply in an under tone. “What say you?”
“Milford is going with St James and Punch Hughes.”
“Well, let us come into supper, and we shall see some fellow we like.”
So saying, the companions, taking their course through more than one chamber10, entered an apartment of less dimensions than the principal saloon, but not less sumptuous11 in its general appearance. The gleaming lustres poured a flood of soft yet brilliant light over a plateau glittering with gold plate, and fragrant13 with exotics embedded14 in vases of rare porcelain15. The seats on each side of the table were occupied by persons consuming, with a heedless air, delicacies16 for which they had no appetite; while the conversation in general consisted of flying phrases referring to the impending17 event of the great day that had already dawned.
“Come from Lady St Julian’s, Fitz?” said a youth of very tender years, and whose fair visage was as downy and as blooming as the peach from which with a languid air he withdrew his lips to make this inquiry18 of the gentleman with the cane.
“Yes; why were not you there?”
“I never go anywhere,” replied the melancholy19 Cupid, “everything bores me so.”
“Well, will you go to Epsom with us to-morrow, Alfred?” said Lord Fitzheron. “I take Berners and Charles Egremont, and with you our party will be perfect.”
“It will give you a fillip, Alfred,” said Mr Berners; “do you all the good in the world.”
“Nothing can do me good,” said Alfred, throwing away his almost untasted peach, “I should be quite content if anything could do me harm. Waiter, bring me a tumbler of Badminton.”
“And bring me one too,” sighed out Lord Eugene De Vere, who was a year older than Alfred Mountchesney, his companion and brother in listlessness. Both had exhausted22 life in their teens, and all that remained for them was to mourn, amid the ruins of their reminiscences, over the extinction23 of excitement.
“Well, Eugene, suppose you come with us.” said Lord Fitzheron.
“I think I shall go down to Hampton Court and play tennis,” said Lord Eugene. “As it is the Derby, nobody will be there.”
“And I will go with you, Eugene,” said Alfred Mountchesney, “and we will dine together afterwards at the Toy. Anything is better than dining in this infernal London.”
“Well, for my part,” said Mr Berners. “I do not like your suburban24 dinners. You always get something you can’t eat, and cursed bad wine.”
“I rather like bad wine,” said Mr Mountchesney; “one gets so bored with good wine.”
“Do you want the odds against Hybiscus, Berners?” said a guardsman looking up from his book, which he had been very intently studying.
“All I want is some supper, and as you are not using your place—”
“You shall have it. Oh! here’s Milford, he will give them me.”
And at this moment entered the room the young nobleman whom we have before mentioned, accompanied by an individual who was approaching perhaps the termination of his fifth lustre12 but whose general air rather betokened25 even a less experienced time of life. Tall, with a well-proportioned figure and a graceful26 carriage, his countenance27 touched with a sensibility that at once engages the affections. Charles Egremont was not only admired by that sex, whose approval generally secures men enemies among their fellows, but was at the same time the favourite of his own.
“Ah, Egremont! come and sit here,” exclaimed more than one banqueter.
“I saw you waltzing with the little Bertie, old fellow,” said Lord Fitzheron, “and therefore did not stay to speak to you, as I thought we should meet here. I am to call for you, mind.”
“How shall we all feel this time to-morrow?” said Egremont, smiling.
“The happiest fellow at this moment must be Cockie Graves,” said Lord Milford. “He can have no suspense28. I have been looking over his book, and I defy him, whatever happens, not to lose.”
“Poor Cockie.” said Mr Berners; “he has asked me to dine with him at the Clarendon on Saturday.”
“Cockie is a very good Cockie,” said Lord Milford, “and Caravan is a very good horse; and if any gentleman sportsman present wishes to give seven to two, I will take him to any amount.”
“My book is made up,” said Egremont; “and I stand or fall by Caravan.”
“And I.”
“And I.”
“And I.”
“Well, mark my words,” said a fourth, rather solemnly, “Rat-trap wins.”
“You used to be all for Phosphorus, Egremont,” said Lord Eugene de Vere.
“Yes; but fortunately I have got out of that scrape. I owe Phip Dormer a good turn for that. I was the third man who knew he had gone lame30.”
“And what are the odds against him now.”
“He won’t run,” said Mr Berners, “John Day told me he had refused to ride him.”
“I believe Cockie Graves might win something if Phosphorus came in first,” said Lord Milford, laughing.
“How close it is to-night!” said Egremont. “Waiter, give me some Seltzer water; and open another window; open them all.”
At this moment an influx32 of guests intimated that the assembly at Lady St Julian’s was broken up. Many at the table rose and yielded their places, clustering round the chimney-piece, or forming in various groups, and discussing the great question. Several of those who had recently entered were votaries33 of Rat-trap, the favourite, and quite prepared, from all the information that had reached them, to back their opinions valiantly34. The conversation had now become general and animated35, or rather there was a medley36 of voices in which little was distinguished37 except the names of horses and the amount of odds. In the midst of all this, waiters glided38 about handing incomprehensible mixtures bearing aristocratic names; mystical combinations of French wines and German waters, flavoured with slices of Portugal fruits, and cooled with lumps of American ice, compositions which immortalized the creative genius of some high patrician39 name.
“By Jove! that’s a flash,” exclaimed Lord Milford, as a blaze of lightning seemed to suffuse40 the chamber, and the beaming lustres turned white and ghastly in the glare.
The thunder rolled over the building. There was a dead silence. Was it going to rain? Was it going to pour? Was the storm confined to the metropolis41? Would it reach Epsom? A deluge42, and the course would be a quagmire43, and strength might baffle speed.
Another flash, another explosion, the hissing44 noise of rain. Lord Milford moved aside, and jealous of the eye of another, read a letter from Chifney, and in a few minutes afterwards offered to take the odds against Pocket Hercules. Mr Latour walked to the window, surveyed the heavens, sighed that there was not time to send his tiger from the door to Epsom, and get information whether the storm had reached the Surrey hills, for to-night’s operations. It was too late. So he took a rusk and a glass of lemonade, and retired45 to rest with a cool head and a cooler heart.
The storm raged, the incessant46 flash played as it were round the burnished47 cornice of the chamber, and threw a lurid48 hue49 on the scenes of Watteau and Boucher that sparkled in the medallions over the lofty doors. The thunderbolts seemed to descend50 in clattering51 confusion upon the roof. Sometimes there was a moment of dead silence, broken only by the pattering of the rain in the street without, or the pattering of the dice52 in a chamber at hand. Then horses were backed, bets made, and there were loud and frequent calls for brimming goblets53 from hurrying waiters, distracted by the lightning and deafened54 by the peal55. It seemed a scene and a supper where the marble guest of Juan might have been expected, and had he arrived, he would have found probably hearts as bold and spirits as reckless as he encountered in Andalusia.
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1
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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2
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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3
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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4
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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5
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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6
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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7
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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10
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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11
sumptuous
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| adj.豪华的，奢侈的，华丽的 | |
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12
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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13
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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14
embedded
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| a.扎牢的 | |
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15
porcelain
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| n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的 | |
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16
delicacies
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| n.棘手( delicacy的名词复数 )；精致；精美的食物；周到 | |
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17
impending
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| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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18
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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19
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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20
blase
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| adj.厌烦于享乐的 | |
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21
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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22
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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23
extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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24
suburban
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| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
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25
betokened
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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27
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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28
suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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29
borough
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| n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇 | |
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30
lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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31
nominal
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| adj.名义上的；(金额、租金)微不足道的 | |
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32
influx
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| n.流入，注入 | |
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33
votaries
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| n.信徒( votary的名词复数 )；追随者；（天主教）修士；修女 | |
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34
valiantly
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| adv.勇敢地，英勇地；雄赳赳 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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36
medley
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| n.混合 | |
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37
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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38
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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39
patrician
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| adj.贵族的，显贵的；n.贵族；有教养的人；罗马帝国的地方官 | |
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40
suffuse
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| v.(色彩等)弥漫，染遍 | |
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41
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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42
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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43
quagmire
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| n.沼地 | |
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44
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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45
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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46
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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47
burnished
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| adj.抛光的，光亮的v.擦亮（金属等），磨光( burnish的过去式和过去分词 )；被擦亮，磨光 | |
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48
lurid
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| adj.可怕的；血红的；苍白的 | |
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49
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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50
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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51
clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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52
dice
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| n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险 | |
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53
goblets
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| n.高脚酒杯( goblet的名词复数 ) | |
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54
deafened
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| 使聋( deafen的过去式和过去分词 )； 使隔音 | |
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55
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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