Another impression was equally vivid. One Saturday morning, feeling lonely, his wanderings about the city brought him to the Gare St. Lazare. It was early for breakfast, but he entered the H?tel Terminus and took a table near the window. As he wheeled about to give his order, a man passing rapidly along the aisle4 collided with his head, and looking up to receive the expected apology, he was met instead by a slap on the shoulder and a hearty5, "What the deuce are you doing here, old chap?" It was Rowden, who seized him and told him to come along. So, mildly protesting, he was ushered6 into a private dining-room where Clifford, rather red, jumped up from the table and welcomed him with a startled air which was softened7 by the unaffected glee of Rowden and the extreme courtesy of Elliott. The latter presented him to three bewitching girls who welcomed him so charmingly and seconded Rowden in his demand that Hastings should make one of the party, that he consented at once. While Elliott briefly8 outlined the projected excursion to La Roche, Hastings delightedly ate his omelet, and returned the smiles of encouragement from Cécile and Colette and Jacqueline. Meantime Clifford in a bland9 whisper was telling Rowden what an ass1 he was. Poor Rowden looked miserable until Elliott, divining how affairs were turning, frowned on Clifford and found a moment to let Rowden know that they were all going to make the best of it.
"You shut up," he observed to Clifford, "it's fate, and that settles it."
"It's Rowden, and that settles it," murmured Clifford, concealing10 a grin. For after all he was not Hastings' wet nurse. So it came about that the train which left the Gare St. Lazare at 9.15 a.m. stopped a moment in its career towards Havre and deposited at the red-roofed station of La Roche a merry party, armed with sunshades, trout11-rods, and one cane12, carried by the non-combatant, Hastings. Then, when they had established their camp in a grove13 of sycamores which bordered the little river Ept, Clifford, the acknowledged master of all that pertained14 to sportsmanship, took command.
"You, Rowden," he said, "divide your flies with Elliott and keep an eye on him or else he'll be trying to put on a float and sinker. Prevent him by force from grubbing about for worms."
Elliott protested, but was forced to smile in the general laugh.
"You make me ill," he asserted; "do you think this is my first trout?"
"I shall be delighted to see your first trout," said Clifford, and dodging15 a fly hook, hurled16 with intent to hit, proceeded to sort and equip three slender rods destined17 to bring joy and fish to Cécile, Colette, and Jacqueline. With perfect gravity he ornamented18 each line with four split shot, a small hook, and a brilliant quill19 float.
Jacqueline and Colette hastened to sustain her, and Hastings pleasantly offered to act in the capacity of general baiter and taker-off of fish. But Cécile, doubtless fascinated by the gaudy21 flies in Clifford's book, decided22 to accept lessons from him in the true art, and presently disappeared up the Ept with Clifford in tow.
Elliott looked doubtfully at Colette.
"I prefer gudgeons," said that damsel with decision, "and you and Monsieur Rowden may go away when you please; may they not, Jacqueline?"
"Certainly," responded Jacqueline.
Elliott, undecided, examined his rod and reel.
"You've got your reel on wrong side up," observed Rowden.
Elliott wavered, and stole a glance at Colette.
"I—I—have almost decided to—er—not to flip23 the flies about just now," he began. "There's the pole that Cécile left—"
"Don't call it a pole," corrected Rowden.
"Rod, then," continued Elliott, and started off in the wake of the two girls, but was promptly24 collared by Rowden.
"No, you don't! Fancy a man fishing with a float and sinker when he has a fly rod in his hand! You come along!"
Where the placid25 little Ept flows down between its thickets26 to the Seine, a grassy27 bank shadows the haunt of the gudgeon, and on this bank sat Colette and Jacqueline and chattered28 and laughed and watched the swerving29 of the scarlet30 quills31, while Hastings, his hat over his eyes, his head on a bank of moss32, listened to their soft voices and gallantly33 unhooked the small and indignant gudgeon when a flash of a rod and a half-suppressed scream announced a catch. The sunlight filtered through the leafy thickets awaking to song the forest birds. Magpies34 in spotless black and white flirted35 past, alighting near by with a hop36 and bound and twitch37 of the tail. Blue and white jays with rosy38 breasts shrieked39 through the trees, and a low-sailing hawk40 wheeled among the fields of ripening41 wheat, putting to flight flocks of twittering hedge birds.
Across the Seine a gull42 dropped on the water like a plume43. The air was pure and still. Scarcely a leaf moved. Sounds from a distant farm came faintly, the shrill44 cock-crow and dull baying. Now and then a steam-tug with big raking smoke-pipe, bearing the name "Guêpe 27," ploughed up the river dragging its interminable train of barges45, or a sailboat dropped down with the current toward sleepy Rouen.
A faint fresh odour of earth and water hung in the air, and through the sunlight, orange-tipped butterflies danced above the marsh46 grass, soft velvety47 butterflies flapped through the mossy woods.
Hastings was thinking of Valentine. It was two o'clock when Elliott strolled back, and frankly48 admitting that he had eluded49 Rowden, sat down beside Colette and prepared to doze50 with satisfaction.
"They still live," murmured Elliott, and went fast asleep.
Rowden returned shortly after, and casting a scornful glance at the slumbering52 one, displayed three crimson-flecked trout.
"And that," smiled Hastings lazily, "that is the holy end to which the faithful plod,—the slaughter53 of these small fish with a bit of silk and feather."
Rowden disdained54 to answer him. Colette caught another gudgeon and awoke Elliott, who protested and gazed about for the lunch baskets, as Clifford and Cécile came up demanding instant refreshment55. Cécile's skirts were soaked, and her gloves torn, but she was happy, and Clifford, dragging out a two-pound trout, stood still to receive the applause of the company.
"Where the deuce did you get that?" demanded Elliott.
Cécile, wet and enthusiastic, recounted the battle, and then Clifford eulogized her powers with the fly, and, in proof, produced from his creel a defunct56 chub, which, he observed, just missed being a trout.
They were all very happy at luncheon57, and Hastings was voted "charming." He enjoyed it immensely,—only it seemed to him at moments that flirtation58 went further in France than in Millbrook, Connecticut, and he thought that Cécile might be a little less enthusiastic about Clifford, that perhaps it would be quite as well if Jacqueline sat further away from Rowden, and that possibly Colette could have, for a moment at least, taken her eyes from Elliott's face. Still he enjoyed it—except when his thoughts drifted to Valentine, and then he felt that he was very far away from her. La Roche is at least an hour and a half from Paris. It is also true that he felt a happiness, a quick heart-beat when, at eight o'clock that night the train which bore them from La Roche rolled into the Gare St. Lazare and he was once more in the city of Valentine.
"Good-night," they said, pressing around him. "You must come with us next time!"
He promised, and watched them, two by two, drift into the darkening city, and stood so long that, when again he raised his eyes, the vast Boulevard was twinkling with gas-jets through which the electric lights stared like moons.
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1
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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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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aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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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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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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pertained
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| 关于( pertain的过去式和过去分词 )； 有关； 存在； 适用 | |
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dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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ornamented
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| adj.花式字体的v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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quill
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| n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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gaudy
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| adj.华而不实的；俗丽的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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flip
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| vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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swerving
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 ) | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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quills
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| n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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magpies
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| 喜鹊（magpie的复数形式） | |
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flirted
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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ripening
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成 | |
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42
gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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plume
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| n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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barges
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| 驳船( barge的名词复数 ) | |
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46
marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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velvety
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| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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49
eluded
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| v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到 | |
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50
doze
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| v.打瞌睡；n.打盹，假寐 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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52
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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53
slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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54
disdained
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| 鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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55
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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56
defunct
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| adj.死亡的；已倒闭的 | |
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57
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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flirtation
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| n.调情，调戏，挑逗 | |
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