Tony returned to the Hotel du Lac, modestly, by the back way. He assured himself that his aunt and sister were well by means of an open window in the rear of the dining-room. The window was shaded by a clump1 of camellias, and he studied at his ease the back of Mrs. Eustace’s head and Nannie’s vivacious2 profile as she talked in fluent and execrable German to the two Alpinists who were, at the moment, the only other guests. Brotherly affection—and a humorous desire to create a sensation—prompted him to walk in and surprise them. But saner3 second thoughts prevailed; he decided4 to postpone5 the reunion until he should have changed from the picturesque6 costume of Tony, to the soberer garb7 of Jerry Junior.
He skirted the dining-room by a wide detour8, and entered the court-yard at the side. Gustavo, who for the last hour and a half had been alertly watchful9 of four entrances at once, pounced10 upon him and drew him to a corner.
“Signore,” in a conspiratorial11 whisper, “zay are come, ze aunt and ze sister.”
“I know—the Signorina Costantina told me so.”
Gustavo blinked.
“But, signore, she does not know it.”
“Yes, she does—she saw ’em herself.”
“I mean, signore, she does not know zat you are ze brover?”
“Oh, no, she doesn’t know that.”
“But she tell me zat she is acquaint wif ze brover for six years.” He shook his head hopelessly.
“That’s all right.” Tony patted his shoulder reassuringly13. “When she knew me I used to have yellow hair, but I thought it made me look too girlish, so I had it dyed black. She didn’t recognize me.”
Gustavo accepted the explanation with a side glance at the hair.
“Now, pay attention.” Tony’s tone was slow and distinct.
“I am going upstairs to change my clothes. Then I will slip out the back way with a suit case, and go down the road and meet the omnibus as it comes back from the boat landing. You keep my aunt and sister in the court-yard talking to the parrot or something until the omnibus arrives. Then when I get out, you come forward with your politest bow and ask me if I want a room. I’ll attend to the rest—do you understand?”
Gustavo nodded with glistening14 eyes. He had always felt stirring within him powers for diplomacy15, for finesse16, and he rose to the occasion magnificently.
Tony turned away and went bounding upstairs two steps at a time, chuckling17 as he went. He, too, was developing an undreamed of appetite for intrigue18, and his capacity in that direction was expanding to meet it. He had covered the first flight, when Gustavo suddenly remembered the letter and bounded after.
“Signore! I beg of you to wait one moment. Here is a letter from ze signorina; it is come while you are away.”
Tony read the address with a start of surprise.
“Then she knows!” There was regret, disillusionment, in his tone.
It was Gustavo’s turn to furnish enlightenment.
“But no, signore, she do not comprehend. She sink Meestair Jayreem Ailyar is ze brover who is not arrive. She leave it for him when he come.”
“Ah!” Tony ripped it open and read it through with a chuckle19. He read it a second time and his face grew grave. He thrust it into his pocket and strode away without a word for Gustavo. Gustavo looked after him reproachfully. As a head waiter, he naturally did not expect to read the letters of guests; but as a fellow conspirator12, he felt that he was entitled to at least a general knowledge of all matters bearing on the conspiracy20. He turned back down stairs with a disappointed droop21 to his shoulders.
Tony closed his door and walked to the window where he stood staring at the roof of Villa22 Rosa. He drew the letter from his pocket and read it for the third time slowly, thoughtfully, very, very soberly. The reason was clear; she was tired of Tony and was looking ahead for fresh worlds to conquer. Jerry Junior was to come next.
He understood why she had been so complaisant23 today. She wished the curtain to go down on the comedy note. Tomorrow, the nameless young American, the “Abraham Lincoln” of the register, would call—by the gate—would be received graciously, introduced in his proper person to the guests; the story of the donkey-man would be recounted and laughed over, and he would be politely asked when he was planning to resume his travels. This would be the end of the episode. To Constance, it had been merely an amusing farce25 about which she could boast when she returned to America. In her vivacious style it would make a story, just as her first meeting with Jerry Junior had made a story. But as for the play itself, for him, she cared nothing. Tony the man had made no impression. He must pass on and give place to Jerry Junior.
A flush crept over Tony’s face and his mouth took a straighter line as he continued to gaze down on the roof of Villa Rosa. His reflections were presently interrupted by a knock. He turned and threw the door open with a fling.
“Well?” he inquired.
Gustavo took a step backward.
“Scusi, signore, but zay are eating ze dessart and in five—ten minutes ze omnibus will arrive.”
“The omnibus?” Tony stared. “Oh!” he laughed shortly. “I was just joking, Gustavo.”
Gustavo bowed and turned down the corridor; there was a look on Tony’s face that did not encourage confidences. He had not gone half a dozen steps, however, when the door opened again and Tony called him back.
“I am going away tomorrow morning—by the first boat this time—and you mustn’t let my aunt and sister know. I will write two letters and you are to take them down to the steward26 of the boat that leaves tonight. Ask him to put on Austrian stamps and mail them at Riva, so they’ll get back here tomorrow. Do you understand?”
Gustavo nodded and backed away. His disappointment this time was too keen for words. He saw stretching before him a future like the past, monotonously27 bereft28 of plots and masquerades.
Tony, having hit on a plan, sat down and put it into instant execution. Opening his Baedeker, he turned to Riva and picked out the first hotel that was mentioned. Then he wrote two letters, both short and to the point; he indulged in none of Constance’s vacillations, and yet in their way his letters also were masterpieces of illusion. The first was addressed to Miss Constance Wilder at Villa Rosa. It ran:
“Hotel Sole d’Oro,
“Riva, Austria.
“Dear Miss Wilder: Nothing would give me greater pleasure than spending a few days in Valedolmo, but unfortunately I am pressed for time, and am engaged to start Thursday morning with some friends on a trip through the Dolomites.
“Trusting that I may have the pleasure of making your acquaintance at some future date,
“Yours truly,
“Jerymn Hilliard, Jr.”
The second letter was addressed to his sister, but he trusted to luck that Constance would see it. It ran:
“Hotel Sole d’Oro,
“Riva, Austria.
“Dear Nan: Who in thunder is Constance Wilder? She wants us to stop and make a visit in Valedolmo. I wouldn’t step into that infernal town, not if the king himself invited me—it’s the deadest hole on the face of the earth. You can stay if you like and I’ll go on through the Dolomites alone. There’s an American family stopping here who are also planning the trip—a stunning29 girl; I know you’d like her.
“Of course the travelling will be pretty rough. Perhaps you and Aunt Kate would rather visit your friends and meet me later in Munich. If you decide to take the trip, you will have to come on down to Riva as soon as you get this letter, as we’re planning to pull out Thursday morning.
“Sorry to hurry you, but you know my vacation doesn’t last forever.
“Love to Aunt Kate and yourself,
“Yours ever,
“Jerry.”
He turned the letters over to Gustavo with a five-franc note, leaving Gustavo to decide with his own conscience whether the money was intended for himself or the steward of the Regina Margarita. This accomplished30, he slipped out unobtrusively and took the road toward Villa Rosa.
He strode along with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the path until he nearly bumped his nose against the villa gate-post. Then he stopped and thought. He had no mind to be ushered31 to the terrace where he would have to dissemble some excuse for his visit before Miss Hazel and Mr. Wilder. His business tonight was with Constance, and Constance alone. He turned and skirted the villa wall, determined32 on reconnoitering first. There was a place in the wall—he knew well—where the stones were missing, and a view was obtainable of the terrace and parapet.
He reached the place to find Lieutenant33 Carlo di Ferara already there. Now the Lieutenant’s purpose was exactly as innocent as Tony’s own; he merely wished to assure himself that Captain Coroloni was not before him. It was considered a joke at the tenth cavalry34 mess to detail one or the other of the officers to call on the Americans at the same time that Lieutenant di Ferara called. He was not spying on the family, merely on his meddling35 brother officers.
Tony of course could know nothing of this, and as his eyes fell upon the lieutenant, there was apparent in their depths a large measure of contempt. A lieutenant in the Royal Italian Cavalry can afford to be generous in many things, but he cannot afford to swallow contempt from a donkey-driver. The signorina was not present this time; there was no reason why he should not punish the fellow. He dropped his hand on Tony’s shoulder—on his collar to be exact—and whirled him about. The action was accompanied by some vigorous colloquial36 Italian—the gist24 of it being that Tony was to mind his own business and mend his manners. The lieutenant had a muscular arm, and Tony turned. But Tony had not played quarterback four years for nothing; he tackled low, and the next moment the lieutenant was rolling down the bank of a dried stream that stretched at their feet. No one likes to roll down a dusty stony37 bank, much less an officer in immaculate uniform on the eve of paying a formal call upon ladies. He picked himself up and looked at Tony; he was quite beyond speech.
Tony looked back and smiled. He swept off his hat with a deferential38 bow. “Scusi,” he murmured, and jumped over the wall into the grounds of Villa Rosa.
The lieutenant gasped39. If anything could have been more insultingly inadequate40 to the situation than that one word scusi, it did not at the moment occur to him. Jeering41, blasphemy42, vituperation, he might have excused, but this! The shock jostled him back to a thinking state.
Here was no ordinary donkey-driver. The hand that had rested for a moment on his arm was the hand of a gentleman. The man’s face was vaguely43, elusively44 familiar; if the lieutenant had not seen him before, he had at least seen his picture. The man had pretended he could not talk Italian, but—scusi—it came out very pat when it was needed.
An idea suddenly assailed45 Lieutenant di Ferara. He scrambled46 up the bank and skirted the wall, almost on a run, until he reached the place where his horse was tied. Two minutes later he was off at a gallop47, headed for the house of the prefect of police of Valedolmo.
该作者的其它作品
《DADDY-LONG-LEGS 长腿叔叔》
该作者的其它作品
《DADDY-LONG-LEGS 长腿叔叔》
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1
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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vivacious
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| adj.活泼的，快活的 | |
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saner
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| adj.心智健全的( sane的比较级 )；神志正常的；明智的；稳健的 | |
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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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postpone
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| v.延期，推迟 | |
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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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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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9
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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10
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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11
conspiratorial
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| adj.阴谋的，阴谋者的 | |
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conspirator
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| n.阴谋者，谋叛者 | |
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reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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15
diplomacy
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| n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕 | |
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finesse
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| n.精密技巧，灵巧，手腕 | |
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17
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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intrigue
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| vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋 | |
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19
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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21
droop
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| v.低垂，下垂；凋萎，萎靡 | |
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villa
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| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
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complaisant
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| adj.顺从的，讨好的 | |
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gist
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| n.要旨；梗概 | |
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farce
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| n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹 | |
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26
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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monotonously
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| adv.单调地，无变化地 | |
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bereft
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| adj.被剥夺的 | |
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stunning
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| adj.极好的；使人晕倒的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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31
ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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33
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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34
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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35
meddling
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
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colloquial
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| adj.口语的，会话的 | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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38
deferential
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| adj. 敬意的，恭敬的 | |
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39
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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40
inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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41
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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42
blasphemy
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| n.亵渎，渎神 | |
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43
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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44
elusively
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| adv.巧妙逃避地，易忘记地 | |
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45
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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46
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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47
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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