The “office” in Wormwood Court is an old-fashioned, narrow-fronted, dingy14 house. It stands apart, and keeps its own secrets, having an uninhabited warehouse15 on one side, and a shabby timber-yard at the other. In front is a flagged court-yard, with dingy grass sprouting16 here and there, and lines of slimy moss17, grimed with soot18.
The gate is, I believe, never opened — I don’t know that its hinges would work now. If you have private business with the firm on a wet day, you must jump out of your cab in the street, and run up through the side door, through the rain, over the puddled flags, and by the famous log of mahogany which the Messrs. Goldshed and Levi and their predecessors19 have sold, in bill transactions, nearly six thousand distinct times, without ever losing sight of it.
In the street this day there stood a cab, at that door. Mr. Jos. Larkin, the Gylingden attorney, was in consultation20 with the firm. They were sitting in “the office,” the front room which you enter at your right from the hall. A high, old-fashioned chimney-piece cuts off the far angle of the room, obliquely21. It is wainscoted in wood, in tiny square panels, except over the fireplace, where one great panel runs across, and up to the ceiling, with somebody’s coat of arms carved in relief upon it. This woodwork has been painted white, long ago, but the tint22 has degenerated23 to a cream or buff colour, and a good washing would do it no harm. Mr. Levi and others have pencilled little sums in addition, subtraction24, and multiplication25 on it. You can see the original oak where the hat-rack was removed, near the window, as also in those places where gentlemen have cut their names or initials.
The window is covered with dust and dirt, beaten by the rain into all sorts of patterns. A chastened light enters through this screen, and you can’t see from without who is in the room.
People wonder why Messrs. Goldshed and Levi, with so well-appointed an office in Scroop Street, will keep this private office in so beggarly a state; without a carpet, only a strip of nearly-obliterated oil-cloth on its dirty floor. Along the centre of the room extends a great old, battered28, oblong mahogany quadrangle, full of drawers, with dingy brass29 handles, and having midway a sort of archway, like a bridge under a railway embankment, covered with oil-cloth of an undistinguishable pattern, blotched with old stains of red ink and black, and dribblings of sealing-wax, curling up here and there dustily, where office-knives, in fiddling30 fingers, have scarred its skin. On top of this are two clumsy desks. Behind one sits the junior partner, on a high wooden stool, and behind the other, the senior, on a battered office chair, with one of its haircloth angles protruding31, like the corner of a cocked hat, in front, dividing the short, thick legs of Mr. Goldshed, whose heels were planted on the rungs, bending his clumsy knees, and reminding one of the attitude in which an indifferent rider tries to keep his seat on a restive32 horse.
Goldshed is the senior in every sense. He is bald, he is fat, he is short. He has gems33 on his stumpy fingers, and golden chains, in loops and curves, cross the old black velvet34 waistcoat, which is always wrinkled upward by the habit he has of thrusting his broad, short hands into his trousers pockets.
At the other side, leaning back in his chair, and offering, he flatters himself, a distinguished35 contrast to the vulgar person opposite, sat Mr. Jos. Larkin, of the Lodge36, Gylingden. His tall, bald head was thrown a little back; one arm, in its glossy37 black sleeve, hung over the back of his chair, with his large red knuckles38 near the floor. His pink eyes wore their meek39 and dove-like expression; his mouth a little open, in repose40; an air of resignation and beatitude, which, together with his well-known elegance41, his long, lavender tinted42 trousers, and ribbed silk waistcoat of the same favourite hue43, presented a very perfect picture, in this vulgar Jewish setting, of a perfect Christian44 gentleman.
“If everything favours, Mr. Goldshed, Mr. Dingwell may be in town tomorrow evening. He sends for me immediately on his arrival, to my quarters, you understand, and I will send him on to you, and you to Mrs. Sarah Rumble45’s lodgings46.”
“Mish Rumble,” drawled Goldshed; “not married —a girl, Mish.”
“Yes, Mrs. Rumble,” continued Larkin, gently, “there’s no harm in saying Mrs.; many ladies in a position of responsibility, prefer that style to Miss, for obvious reasons.”
Here Goldshed, who was smiling lazily, winked47 at his junior, who returned that signal in safety, for Mr. Larkin, whose countenance48 was raised toward the ceiling, had closed his eyes. The chaste26 attorney’s discretion49 amused them, for Miss Sarah Rumble was an industrious50, careworn51 girl of two-and-fifty, taciturn, and with a brown pug face, and tresses somewhat silvery.
“We are told by the apostle,” continued Mr. Larkin, musingly52, “not only to avoid evil, but the appearance of evil. I forgot, however, our religions differ.”
“Yes — ay — our religions differ, he says; they differ, Levi, don’t they?”
“Yes, they do,” drawled that theologian.
“Yes, they do; we see our way to that,” concluded Goldshed.
Larkin sighed.
There was a short silence here. Mr. Larkin opened his pink eyelids53, and showing his small, light blue eyes, while he maintained his easy and gentlemanlike attitude.
The senior member of the firm looked down on his desk, thoughtfully, and picked at an old drop of sealing wax with his office knife, and whistled a few slow bars, and Mr. Levi, looking down also, scribbled54 the cipher55 of the firm thirteen times, with flourishes, on a piece of paper.
Mr. Goldshed worked his short thick knees and his heels a little uneasily; the office chair was growing a little bit frisky56, it seemed.
“Nishe shailing, Mr. Larkin, and oh, dear! a great lot of delicashy! What do you think?” said Mr. Goldshed, lifting up the office knife, with the edge toward the attorney, and letting it fall back two or three times, between his finger and thumb, dubiously57. “The parties being swells58, makesh it more delicate — ticklish60 — ticklish; do you shinsherely think it’s all quite straight?”
“Of course, it’s straight. I should hope, Mr. Goldshed, I have never advised any course that was not so,” said Mr. Larkin, loftily.
“I don’t mean religious — law blesh you — I mean safe,” said Mr. Goldshed, soothingly61.
A light pink flush touched the bald forehead of the attorney.
“Whatever is right, sir, is safe; and that, I think, can hardly be wrong — I hope not — by which all parties are benefited,” said the attorney.
“All parties be diddled — except our shelves. I’m thinking of my shelf — and Mr. Levi, here — and, of courshe, of you. Very much of you,” he added, courteously62.
Mr. Larkin acknowledged his care by a faint meek bow.
“They’re swells,” repeated Mr. Goldshed.
“He saysh they’re swelsh,” repeated Mr. Levi, whose grave look had something of the air of a bully63 in it, fixing his dark prominent eyes on Mr. Larkin, and turning his cheek that way a little, also. “There’s a danger in handling a swell59 — in them matters specially64.”
“Suppose theresh a contempt?” said Mr. Goldshed, whose chair grew restive, and required management as he spoke65.
“He saysh a contempt,” repeated Mr. Levi, “or shomething worse,” and he heightened the emphasis with an oath.
“I’ll guarantee you for twopence, Mr. Levi; and pray consider me, and do not swear,” urged Mr. Larkin.
“If you guarantee us, with a penalty,” began Mr. Levi, who chose to take him literally66.
“I said that, of course, Mr. Levi, by way of illustration, only; no one, of course, dreams of guaranteeing another without a proper consideration. I should have hoped you could not have misunderstood me. I don’t understand guarantees, it is a business I have never touched. I’m content, I hope, with the emoluments67 of my profession, and what my landed property gives me. I only mean this — that there is no risk. What do we know of Mr. Dingwell, that is not perfectly68 above board — perfectly? I challenge the world upon that. If anything should happen to fall through, we, surely, are not to blame. At the same time if you — looking at it with your experience — apprehend69 any risk, of course, I couldn’t think of allowing you to go on. I can arrange, this evening, and not very far from this house, either.”
As Mr. Larkin concluded, he made a feint of rising.
“Ba-ah!” exclaimed Levi. “You don’t think we want to back out of thish transhaction, Mr. Larkin? no-o-oh! That’s not the trick of thish offishe — is it, gov’nor? He saysh no.”
“No,” echoed Goldshed.
“No, never — noways! you hear him?” reiterated70 Mr. Levi. “In for a penny, in for a pound — in for a shilling, in for a thousand. Ba-ah! — No, never.”
“No, noways — never!” reverberated71 Goldshed, in deep, metallic72 tones. “But, Levi, there, must look an inch or two before his noshe — and sho must I— and sho, my very good friend, Mr. Larkin, must you— a bit before your noshe. I don’t see no great danger. We all know, the Honourable73 Arthur Verney is dead. We are sure of that— and all the rest is not worth the odd ha’pensh in that book,” and he touched the mighty74 ledger75 lying by him, in which millions were entered. “The rest is Dingwell’s affair.”
“Just so, Mr. Goldshed,” acquiesced76 Mr. Larkin. “We go together in that view.”
“Dingwell be blowed! — what need we care for Dingwell?” tolled77 out Mr. Goldshed, with his ringing bass78.
“Ba-ah! — drat him!” echoed the junior.
“Yes — a — quite as you say — but where’s the good of imprecation? With that exception, I quite go with you. It’s Dingwell’s affair — not ours. We, of course, go straight — and I certainly have no reason to suspect Dingwell of anything crooked79 or unworthy.”
“Oh, no — ba-ah! —nothing!” said Levi.
“Nor I,” added Goldshed.
“It’sh delicate — it izh delicate — but very promishing,” said Mr. Goldshed, who was moistening a cigar in his great lips. “Very — and no-thing crooked about it.”
“No-thing crooked —no!” repeated Mr. Levi, shaking his glossy curls slowly. “But very delicate.”
“Then, gentlemen, it’s understood — I’m at liberty to assume — that Mr. Dingwell finds one or other of you here whenever he calls after dark, and you’ll arrange at once about the little payments.”
To which the firm having promptly80 assented81, Mr. Larkin took his leave, and, being a client of consideration, was accompanied to the shabby doorstep by Mr. Levi, who, standing82 at the hall-door, with his hands in his pockets, nodded slily to him across the flagged court-yard, into the cab window, in a way which Mr. Jos. Larkin of the Lodge thought by many degrees too familiar.
“Well —there’s a cove13!” said Mr. Levi, laughing lazily, and showing his long rows of ivory fangs83, as he pointed27 over his shoulder, with the point of his thumb, towards the street.
“Rum un!” said Mr. Goldshed, laughing likewise, as he held his lighted cigar between his fingers.
And they laughed together tranquilly84 for a little, till, with a sudden access of gravity, Mr. Goldshed observed, with a little wag of his head —
“He’s da-a-am clever!”
“Ay — yes — da-a-am clever!” echoed Levi.
“Not as much green as you’d put your finger on — I tell you — no muff — devilish good lay, as you shall see,” continued Goldshed.
“Devilish good — no, no muff — nothing green,” repeated Mr. Levi, lighting85 his cigar. “Good head for speculation86 — might be a bit too clever, I’m thinking,” and he winked gently at his governor.
“Believe you, my son, if we’d let him — but we won’t — will we?” drawled Mr. Goldshed, jocosely87.
“Not if I knows it,” said Mr. Levi, sitting on the table, with his feet on the stool, and smoking towards the wall.
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收听单词发音
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1
stockbrokers
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| n.股票经纪人( stockbroker的名词复数 ) | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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contraband
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| n.违禁品，走私品 | |
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savagely
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| adv. 野蛮地，残酷地 | |
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hideously
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| adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地 | |
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mangled
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| vt.乱砍（mangle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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eviscerated
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| v.切除…的内脏( eviscerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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fishy
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| adj. 值得怀疑的 | |
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speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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covet
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| vt.垂涎；贪图(尤指属于他人的东西) | |
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cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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warehouse
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| n.仓库；vt.存入仓库 | |
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sprouting
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| v.发芽( sprout的现在分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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soot
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| n.煤烟，烟尘；vt.熏以煤烟 | |
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predecessors
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| n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身 | |
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consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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obliquely
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| adv.斜； 倾斜； 间接； 不光明正大 | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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degenerated
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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subtraction
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| n.减法，减去 | |
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multiplication
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| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
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chaste
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| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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fiddling
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| 微小的 | |
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protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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restive
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| adj.不安宁的，不安静的 | |
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gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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tinted
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| adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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careworn
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| adj.疲倦的，饱经忧患的 | |
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musingly
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| adv.沉思地，冥想地 | |
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eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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scribbled
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| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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cipher
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| n.零；无影响力的人；密码 | |
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frisky
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| adj.活泼的，欢闹的；n.活泼，闹着玩；adv.活泼地，闹着玩地 | |
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dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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ticklish
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| adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理 | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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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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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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emoluments
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| n.报酬，薪水( emolument的名词复数 ) | |
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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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apprehend
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| vt.理解，领悟，逮捕，拘捕，忧虑 | |
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reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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reverberated
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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metallic
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| adj.金属的；金属制的；含金属的；产金属的；像金属的 | |
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honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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ledger
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| n.总帐，分类帐；帐簿 | |
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76
acquiesced
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| v.默认，默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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77
tolled
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| 鸣钟（toll的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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80
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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81
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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82
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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83
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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84
tranquilly
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| adv. 宁静地 | |
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85
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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jocosely
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| adv.说玩笑地，诙谐地 | |
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