“Welcome to our village, Miss Halliday,” said Psmith, advancing.
Eve regarded him with frank astonishment4.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Lord Emsworth was kind enough to suggest that, as we were such old friends, I should come down in the car and meet you.”
“Are we old friends?”
[p. 145]“Surely. Have you forgotten all those happy days in London?”
“There was only one.”
“Are you staying at the castle?”
“Yes. And what is more, I am the life and soul of the party. Have you anything in the shape of luggage?”
“I nearly always take luggage when I am going to stay a month or so in the country. It’s at the back somewhere.”
“I will look after it. You will find the car outside. If you care to go and sit in it, I will join you in a moment. And, lest the time hangs heavy on your hands, take this. Butter-scotch. Delicious, and, so I understand, wholesome6. I bought it specially7 for you.”
A few minutes later, having arranged for the trunk to be taken to the castle, Psmith emerged from the station and found Eve drinking in the beauties of the town of Market Blandings.
“What a delightful8 old place,” she said as they drove off. “I almost wish I lived here.”
“During the brief period of my stay at the castle,” said Psmith, “the same thought has occurred to me. It is the sort of place where one feels that one could gladly settle down into a peaceful retirement9 and grow a honey-coloured beard.” He looked at her with solemn admiration10. “Women are wonderful,” he said.
“And why, Mr. Bones, are women wonderful?” asked Eve.
“I was thinking at the moment of your appearance. You have just stepped off the train after a four-hour journey, and you are as fresh and blooming as—if I may coin a simile—a rose. How do you do it?[p. 146] When I arrived I was deep in alluvial11 deposits, and have only just managed to scrape them off.”
“When did you arrive?”
“On the evening of the day on which I met you.”
“But it’s so extraordinary. That you should be here, I mean. I was wondering if I should ever see you again.” Eve coloured a little, and went on rather hurriedly. “I mean, it seems so strange that we should always be meeting like this.”
“Fate, probably,” said Psmith. “I hope it isn’t going to spoil your visit?”
“Oh, no.”
“I could have done with a trifle more emphasis on the last word,” said Psmith gently. “Forgive me for criticising your methods of voice production, but surely you can see how much better it would have sounded spoken thus: ‘Oh, no!’”
Eve laughed.
“Very well, then,” she said. “Oh, no!”
“Much better,” said Psmith. “Much better.”
He began to see that it was going to be difficult to introduce a eulogy14 of the Hon. Freddie Threepwood into this conversation.
“I’m very glad you’re here,” said Eve, resuming the talk after a slight pause. “Because, as a matter of fact, I’m feeling just the least bit nervous.”
“Nervous? Why?”
“This is my first visit to a place of this size.” The car had turned in at the big stone gates, and they were bowling15 smoothly16 up the winding17 drive. Through an avenue of trees to the right the great bulk of the castle had just appeared, grey and imposing18 against the sky. The afternoon sun glittered on the lake beyond it. “Is everything very stately?”
[p. 147]“Not at all. We are very homely19 folk, we of Blandings Castle. We go about, simple and unaffected, dropping gracious words all over the place. Lord Emsworth didn’t overawe you, did he?”
“Oh, he’s a dear. And, of course, I know Freddie quite well.”
Psmith nodded. If she knew Freddie quite well, there was naturally no need to talk about him. He did not talk about him, therefore.
“Have you known Lord Emsworth long?” asked Eve.
“I met him for the first time the day I met you.”
“Good gracious!” Eve stared. “And he invited you to the castle?”
Psmith smoothed his waistcoat.
“Strange, I agree. One can only account for it, can one not, by supposing that I radiate some extraordinary attraction. Have you noticed it?”
“No!”
“No?” said Psmith, surprised. “Ah, well,” he went on tolerantly, “no doubt it will flash upon you quite unexpectedly sooner or later. Like a thunderbolt or something.”
“Not at all,” said Psmith. “Conceited? No, no. Success has not spoiled me.”
“Have you had any success?”
“None whatever.” The car stopped. “We get down here,” said Psmith, opening the door.
“Here? Why?”
“Because, if we go up to the house, you will infallibly be pounced21 on and set to work by one Baxter—a delightful fellow, but a whale for toil22. I propose to conduct you on a tour round the grounds, and then we will go for a row on the lake. You will enjoy that.”
“You seem to have mapped out my future for me.”
[p. 148]“I have,” said Psmith with emphasis, and in the monocled eye that met hers Eve detected so beaming a glance of esteem23 and admiration that she retreated warily24 into herself and endeavoured to be frigid25.
“I’m afraid I haven’t time to wander about the grounds,” she said aloofly26. “I must be going and seeing Mr. Baxter.”
“Baxter,” said Psmith, “is not one of the natural beauties of the place. Time enough to see him when you are compelled to . . . We are now in the southern pleasaunce or the west home-park or something. Note the refined way the deer are cropping the grass. All the ground on which we are now standing27 is of historic interest. Oliver Cromwell went through here in 1550. The record has since been lowered.”
“I haven’t time . . .”
“Leaving the pleasaunce on our left, we proceed to the northern messuage. The dandelions were imported from Egypt by the ninth Earl.”
“Well, anyhow,” said Eve mutinously28, “I won’t come on the lake.”
“You will enjoy the lake,” said Psmith. “The newts are of the famous old Blandings strain. They were introduced, together with the water-beetles, in the reign29 of Queen Elizabeth. Lord Emsworth, of course, holds manorial30 rights over the mosquito-swatting.”
Eve was a girl of high and haughty31 spirit, and as such strongly resented being appropriated and having her movements directed by one who, in spite of his specious32 claims, was almost a stranger. But somehow she found her companion’s placid33 assumption of authority hard to resist. Almost meekly34 she accompanied him through meadow and shrubbery, over velvet35 lawns and past gleaming flower-beds, and her indignation evaporated as her eyes absorbed the beauty[p. 149] of it all. She gave a little sigh. If Market Blandings had seemed a place in which one might dwell happily, Blandings Castle was a paradise.
“Before us now,” said Psmith, “lies the celebrated36 Yew37 Alley38, so called from the yews39 which hem13 it in. Speaking in my capacity of guide to the estate, I may say that when we have turned this next corner you will see a most remarkable40 sight.”
And they did. Before them, as they passed in under the boughs41 of an aged12 tree lay a green vista42, faintly dappled with stray shafts43 of sunshine. In the middle of this vista the Hon. Frederick Threepwood was embracing a young woman in the dress of a housemaid.
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1
squandering
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| v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的现在分词 ) | |
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2
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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3
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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5
crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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6
wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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7
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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8
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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9
retirement
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| n.退休，退职 | |
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10
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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11
alluvial
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| adj.冲积的；淤积的 | |
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12
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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13
hem
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| n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制 | |
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14
eulogy
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| n.颂词；颂扬 | |
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15
bowling
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| n.保龄球运动 | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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17
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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18
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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19
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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20
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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21
pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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22
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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23
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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24
warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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25
frigid
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| adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的 | |
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26
aloofly
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| 冷淡的； 疏远的； 远离的 | |
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27
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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28
mutinously
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| adv.反抗地，叛变地 | |
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29
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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30
manorial
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| adj.庄园的 | |
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31
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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32
specious
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| adj.似是而非的；adv.似是而非地 | |
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33
placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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35
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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36
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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37
yew
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| n.紫杉属树木 | |
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38
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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39
yews
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| n.紫杉( yew的名词复数 ) | |
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40
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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41
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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42
vista
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| n.远景，深景，展望，回想 | |
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43
shafts
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| n.轴( shaft的名词复数 )；（箭、高尔夫球棒等的）杆；通风井；一阵（疼痛、害怕等） | |
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