Three new fellows followed the knock into the room. They were noisily greeted by Stout1 and Harrington. In the confusion it was some time before Rex was introduced.
Tom Cheever was a tall youth, continually feeling of his upper lip as if to see if his mustache had arrived; Dan Tilford had a narrow face, pallid2 from much cigarette smoking, and an eye that never seemed fixed3 on any object he gazed at; Harry4 Atkins was a handsome fellow of eighteen, who seemed of quieter temperament5 than the others.
Stout gave an order to the boy who had shown the last callers up, and the lad presently appeared staggering under a big bowl of what Stout declared was the "rummest punch" New York could brew6.
"Help yourselves, fellows!" he cried. "Remember that the last night of vacation only comes once a year."
The room was already filled with cigarette smoke. Two or three of these cigarettes had been offered to Rex, but he had declined with a vacillating "Not now, thank you."
When the punch was passed around he took the glass that was handed to him, but only pretended to drink. He did not care for liquor; he knew that it would give him a headache. He was having a terribly stupid time as it was. It was not worth while to aggravate7 it by the addition of physical suffering.
He was appalled8 at the swiftness with which the others tossed off the drink. It seemed scarcely five minutes before Stout was calling out:
"Fill 'em up again, men! Here's to the coming year. May none of us be plucked and ponies9 be plentiful10."
He took up glass after glass and refilled it. Rex saw what was coming and tried to be prepared for it.
"Why, Pell!" exclaimed the hospitable11 host," you haven't drunk a drop. What does this mean?"
"I don't drink, thank you," stammered12 Rex, conscious that he ought to look the other straight in the eye as he made this response, but dropping his handkerchief so that he might have an excuse to stoop down and pick it up instead.
"Oh, yes you do, when you are among gentlemen like us, Reggie." Harrington came forward hastily to say this.
The others held their glasses half way to their lips and watched for the outcome with interest.
If Rex were the hero of this tale it would doubtless be my pleasant duty to record the fact that he lifted the glass from the table, poured the contents into the bowl, and said that he could not go back on his principles.
But Rex unfortunately is not of the stuff of which heroes are made. He felt that he would rather endure a headache than the jeers13 of those five fellows.
"Of course," he said feebly, and drank off the glassful at one draft.
"And now for another," said Stout, promptly14 filling it up again.
Rex had never signed the pledge, but he knew that his mother did not want him to touch liquor. And it had been no deprivation15 for him to refrain, as he did not like it. What he had just drunk burnt his throat like fire. It seemed as if he could not possibly swallow any more.
His misery16 showed itself in his face. Atkins, who was standing17 just opposite on the other side of the table on which the punch bowl had been placed, saw it.
"I say, Pell," he called out softly, "come here a minute."
He stepped over to the open window, which looked out on an airshaft. Wondering what he wanted, Rex followed him.
The others were busy with the punch.
"You don't want that, I know," whispered Atkins. "I don't want any more either. Look here."
As he spoke18, he dexterously19 emptied his glass out of the window. Rex was quick to follow his example.
"Those fellows don't know when they've had enough," he said, "and somebody ought to keep a level head on his shoulders to look out for them."
Rex's heart sank within him. And it was for this that he had spent the money he had been saving for his mother's birthday gift! for this he had deceived this mother! for this told those falsehoods to Roy!
"Are you fellows ready for another round?" called out Stout, looking over at them. "Slip up to the captain's office and get a settler."
His voice already began to sound thick.
"We must go and pretend to join them," Atkins whispered.
So glasses were filled for the third time, and on this occasion Atkins retired20 with Rex to the other side of the room, and watching his opportunity, poured his punch into the water pitcher21. Rex, in trying to do likewise, let slip the glass, and it fell with a crash into the basin.
A roar of laughter greeted the incident.
"Good for you, Pell," cried Tom Cheever. "Trying to infuse a little life into the party. That's right, my boy, that's right."
The fellow came over toward Rex, walking a little unsteadily, and with such a leer in his eye that Rex shrank back against the wall.
At that moment Harrington came up and put his arm around Rex's neck.
"I always said that Reggie Pell was a gentleman," he mumbled22. "Now you can see it for yourselves."
"And his clothes fit him," added Dan Tilford, as a special mark of approval.
"Oh, they imagine they're having no end of sport," whispered Atkins. "Look at Harrington. He's half seas over, too."
He was so far over, indeed, that he was very ill for a time. It was a fearful scene.
"Here, Pell," Atkins called to him from the bed where he had gone to look after Cheever. "See what you can do for your friend."
And Rex went over to Harrington and tried to pilot him to a seat. Then he held the other's head and shut his eyes, while he wondered if there was ever such a donkey on the face of the earth as he, Reginald Pell, to do all that he had done for this.
If it hadn't been close on to midnight he would have gone home there and then. But now Harrington was well nigh helpless, and Rex knew nothing about New York. Where was he going to sleep that night? Harrington was in no condition to have questions put to him now.
A fixed look came over Rex's face.
"I must go now," he said, looking around for his hat and valise.
"What, you're not going off and leave Harrington, are you?" asked Atkins.
"I can't do anything more for him and I must get out of this place. Perhaps I'll call in the morning to see how he is. Good night. I'm much obliged to you."
"Well, I suppose you are better off out of here, but aren't you going to hire a room in the hotel?"
"No, I want to get as far away from the place as possible."
Rex noticed that Stout was looking around at him. He shut the door quickly and hurried off. He breathed a great sigh of relief when he reached the open air.
He turned down a side street to collect his thoughts before deciding what to do. He wandered till he reached the middle of the block, then, finding his valise heavy, he set it down on the sidewalk to rest a minute.
It was after midnight and very quiet. Suddenly he felt something hit him in the face, and then for a minute or two all was a blank to him.
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2
pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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3
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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4
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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6
brew
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| v.酿造，调制 | |
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aggravate
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| vt.加重(剧)，使恶化；激怒，使恼火 | |
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8
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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9
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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12
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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13
jeers
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| n.操纵帆桁下部（使其上下的）索具；嘲讽( jeer的名词复数 )v.嘲笑( jeer的第三人称单数 ) | |
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14
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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15
deprivation
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| n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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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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18
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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19
dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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20
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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21
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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22
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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