On second thoughts, that statement is too sweeping9. There was one other modern building in the High Street—Jno. Banks, Hairdresser, to wit, and Eve was just coming abreast10 of Mr. Banks’s emporium now.
In any ordinary surroundings these premises11 would have been a tolerably attractive sight, but in Market Blandings they were almost an eyesore; and Eve, finding herself at the door, was jarred out of her reverie as if she had heard a false note in a solemn anthem12. She was on the point of hurrying past, when the door opened and a short, solid figure came out. And at the sight of this short, solid figure Eve stopped abruptly13.
It was with the object of getting his grizzled locks clipped in preparation for the County Ball that Joseph Keeble had come to Mr. Banks’s shop as soon as he had finished lunch. As he emerged now into the High Street he was wondering why he had permitted Mr. Banks to[p. 222] finish off the job with a heliotrope14-scented hair-wash. It seemed to Mr. Keeble that the air was heavy with heliotrope, and it came to him suddenly that heliotrope was a scent15 which he always found particularly objectionable.
Ordinarily Joseph Keeble was accustomed to show an iron front to hairdressers who tried to inflict16 lotions17 upon him; and the reason his vigilance had relaxed under the ministrations of Jno. Banks was that the second post, which arrived at the castle at the luncheon18 hour, had brought him a plaintive19 letter from his stepdaughter Phyllis—the second he had had from her since the one which had caused him to tackle his masterful wife in the smoking-room. Immediately after the conclusion of his business deal with the Hon. Freddie, he had written to Phyllis in a vein20 of optimism rendered glowing by Freddie’s promises, assuring her that at any moment he would be in a position to send her the three thousand pounds which she required to clinch22 the purchase of that dream-farm in Lincolnshire. To this she had replied with thanks. And after that there had been a lapse23 of days and still he had not made good. Phyllis was becoming worried, and said so in six closely-written pages.
Mr. Keeble, as he sat in the barber’s chair going over this letter in his mind, had groaned24 in spirit, while Jno. Banks with gleaming eyes did practically what he liked with the heliotrope bottle. Not for the first time since the formation of their partnership25, Joseph Keeble was tormented26 with doubts as to his wisdom in entrusting27 a commission so delicate as the purloining28 of his wife’s diamond necklace to one of his nephew Freddie’s known feebleness of intellect. Here, he told himself unhappily, was a job of work which would have tested the combined abilities of a syndicate consisting of Charles Peace and the James Brothers,[p. 223] and he had put it in the hands of a young man who in all his life had only once shown genuine inspiration and initiative—on the occasion when he had parted his hair in the middle at a time when all the other members of the Bachelors’ Club were brushing it straight back. The more Mr. Keeble thought of Freddie’s chances, the slimmer they appeared. By the time Jno. Banks had released him from the spotted29 apron30 he was thoroughly31 pessimistic, and as he passed out of the door, “so perfumed that the winds were love-sick with him,” his estimate of his colleague’s abilities was reduced to a point where he began to doubt whether the stealing of a mere32 milk-can was not beyond his scope. So deeply immersed was he in these gloomy thoughts that Eve had to call his name twice before he came out of them.
“Miss Halliday?” he said apologetically. “I beg your pardon. I was thinking.”
Eve, though they had hardly exchanged a word since her arrival at the castle, had taken a liking33 to Mr. Keeble; and she felt in consequence none of the embarrassment34 which might have handicapped her in the discussion of an extremely delicate matter with another man. By nature direct and straightforward35, she came to the point at once.
“Can you spare me a moment or two, Mr. Keeble?” she said. She glanced at the clock on the church tower and saw that she had ample time before her own appointment. “I want to talk to you about Phyllis.” Mr. Keeble jerked his head back in astonishment36, and the world became noisome37 with heliotrope. It was as if the Voice of Conscience had suddenly addressed him.
“Your stepdaughter Phyllis.”
[p. 224]“Do you know her?”
“She was my best friend at school. I had tea with her just before I came to the castle.”
“Extraordinary!” said Mr. Keeble.
A customer in quest of a shave thrust himself between them and went into the shop. They moved away a few paces.
“Of course if you say it is none of my business . . .”
“My dear young lady . . .”
“Well, it is my business, because she’s my friend,” said Eve firmly. “Mr. Keeble, Phyllis told me she had written to you about buying that farm. Why don’t you help her?”
The afternoon was warm, but not warm enough to account for the moistness of Mr. Keeble’s brow. He drew out a large handkerchief and mopped his forehead. A hunted look was in his eyes. The hand which was not occupied with the handkerchief had sought his pocket and was busy rattling39 keys.
“I want to help her. I would do anything in the world to help her.”
“Then why don’t you?”
“Yes, Phyllis told me something about that. I can see that it is a difficult position for you. But, Mr. Keeble, surely, surely if you can manage to give Freddie Threepwood two thousand pounds to start a bookmaker’s business . . .”
Her words were cut short by a strangled cry from her companion. Sheer panic was in his eyes now, and in his heart an overwhelming regret that he had ever been fool enough to dabble42 in crime in the company of a mere animated43 talking-machine like his nephew Freddie. This girl knew! And if she knew, how many others knew? The young imbecile had probably babbled44 his[p. 225] hideous45 secret into the ears of every human being in the place who would listen to him.
“Yes. Just now.”
“Goosh!” muttered Mr. Keeble brokenly.
Eve stared at him in surprise. She could not understand this emotion. The handkerchief, after a busy session, was lowered now, and he was looking at her imploringly47.
“Of course not. I said I had only heard of it just now.”
“You wouldn’t tell anyone?”
“Why should I?”
Mr. Keeble’s breath, which had seemed to him for a moment gone for ever, began to return timidly. Relief for a space held him dumb. What nonsense, he reflected, these newspapers and people talked about the modern girl. It was this very broad-mindedness of hers, to which they objected so absurdly, that made her a creature of such charm. She might behave in certain ways in a fashion that would have shocked her grandmother, but how comforting it was to find her calm and unmoved in the contemplation of another’s crime. His heart warmed to Eve.
“You’re wonderful!” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“Of course,” argued Mr. Keeble, “it isn’t really stealing.”
“What!”
“I shall buy my wife another necklace.”
“You will—what?”
“So everything will be all right. Constance will be perfectly50 happy, and Phyllis will have her money, and . . .”
“Don’t you know?” he broke off.
“Know? Know what?”
Mr. Keeble perceived that he had wronged Freddie. The young ass21 had been a fool even to mention the money to this girl, but he had at least, it seemed, stopped short of disclosing the entire plot. An oyster-like reserve came upon him.
“Nothing, nothing,” he said hastily. “Forget what I was going to say. Well, I must be going, I must be going.”
Eve clutched wildly at his retreating sleeve. Unintelligible52 though his words had been, one sentence had come home to her, the one about Phyllis having her money. It was no time for half-measures. She grabbed him.
“Mr. Keeble,” she cried urgently. “I don’t know what you mean, but you were just going to say something which sounded . . . Mr. Keeble, do trust me. I’m Phyllis’s best friend, and if you’ve thought out any way of helping53 her I wish you would tell me . . . You must tell me. I might be able to help . . .”
Mr. Keeble, as she began her broken speech, had been endeavouring with deprecatory tugs54 to disengage his coat from her grasp. But now he ceased to struggle. Those doubts of Freddie’s efficiency, which had troubled him in Jno. Banks’s chair, still lingered. His opinion that Freddie was but a broken reed had not changed. Indeed, it had grown. He looked at Eve. He looked at her searchingly. Into her pleading eyes he directed a stare that sought to probe her soul, and saw there honesty, sympathy, and—better still—intelligence. He might have stood and gazed into Freddie’s fishy55 eyes for weeks without discovering a tithe56 of such[p. 227] intelligence. His mind was made up. This girl was an ally. A girl of dash and vigour57. A girl worth a thousand Freddies—not, however, reflected Mr. Keeble, that that was saying much. He hesitated no longer.
“It’s like this,” said Mr. Keeble.
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1
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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vex
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| vt.使烦恼，使苦恼 | |
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lichened
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| adj.长满地衣的，长青苔的 | |
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bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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8
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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9
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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anthem
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| n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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14
heliotrope
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| n.天芥菜；淡紫色 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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16
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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17
lotions
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| n.洗液，洗剂，护肤液( lotion的名词复数 ) | |
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18
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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19
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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20
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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21
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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22
clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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23
lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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24
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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entrusting
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的现在分词 ) | |
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28
purloining
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| v.偷窃( purloin的现在分词 ) | |
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29
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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31
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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32
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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noisome
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| adj.有害的，可厌的 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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39
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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40
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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41
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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42
dabble
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| v.涉足，浅赏 | |
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43
animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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44
babbled
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| v.喋喋不休( babble的过去式和过去分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密 | |
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45
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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46
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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imploringly
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| adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
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48
croaked
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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49
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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51
smite
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| v.重击；彻底击败；n.打；尝试；一点儿 | |
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52
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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53
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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54
tugs
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| n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 ) | |
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55
fishy
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| adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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56
tithe
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| n.十分之一税；v.课什一税，缴什一税 | |
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57
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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