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Chapter LXXXV Breakfast in Berkeley Square
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Lord Nidderdale was greatly disgusted with his own part of the performance when he left the House of Commons, and was, we may say, disgusted with his own position generally, when he considered all its circumstances. That had been at the commencement of the evening, and Melmotte had not then been tipsy; but he had behaved with unsurpassable arrogance2 and vulgarity, and had made the young lord drink the cup of his own disgrace to the very dregs. Everybody now knew it as a positive fact that the charges made against the man were to become matter of investigation3 before the chief magistrate4 for the City, everybody knew that he had committed forgery5 upon forgery, everybody knew that he could not pay for the property which he had pretended to buy, and that actually he was a ruined man; — and yet he had seized Nidderdale by the hand, and called the young lord ‘his dear boy’ before the whole House.

And then he had made himself conspicuous6 as this man’s advocate. If he had not himself spoken openly of his coming marriage with the girl, he had allowed other men to speak to him about it. He had quarrelled with one man for saying that Melmotte was a rogue8, and had confidentially9 told his most intimate friends that in spite of a little vulgarity of manner, Melmotte at bottom was a very good fellow. How was he now to back out of his intimacy10 with the Melmottes generally? He was engaged to marry the girl, and there was nothing of which he could accuse her. He acknowledged to himself that she deserved well at his hands. Though at this moment he hated the father most bitterly, as those odious11 words, and the tone in which they had been pronounced, rang in his ears, nevertheless he had some kindly12 feeling for the girl. Of course he could not marry her now. That was manifestly out of the question. She herself, as well as all others, had known that she was to be married for her money, and now that bubble had been burst. But he felt that he owed it to her, as to a comrade who had on the whole been loyal to him, to have some personal explanation with herself. He arranged in his own mind the sort of speech that he would make to her. ‘Of course you know it can’t be. It was all arranged because you were to have a lot of money, and now it turns out that you haven’t got any. And I haven’t got any, and we should have nothing to live upon. It’s out of the question. But, upon my word, I’m very sorry, for I like you very much, and I really think we should have got on uncommon13 well together.’ That was the kind of speech that he suggested to himself, but he did not know how to find for himself the opportunity of making it. He thought that he must put it all into a letter. But then that would be tantamount to a written confession14 that he had made her an offer of marriage, and he feared that Melmotte — or Madame Melmotte on his behalf, if the great man himself were absent, in prison — might make an ungenerous use of such an admission.

Between seven and eight he went into the Beargarden, and there he saw Dolly Longestaffe and others. Everybody was talking about Melmotte, the prevailing15 belief being that he was at this moment in custody16. Dolly was full of his own griefs; but consoled amidst them by a sense of his own importance. ‘I wonder whether it’s true,’ he was saying to Lord Grasslough. ‘He has an appointment to meet me and my governor at twelve o’clock to-morrow, and to pay us what he owes us. He swore yesterday that he would have the money to-morrow. But he can’t keep his appointment, you know, if he’s in prison.’

‘You won’t see the money, Dolly, you may swear to that,’ said Grasslough.

‘I don’t suppose I shall. By George, what an ass1 my governor has been. He had no more right than you have to give up the property. Here’s Nidderdale. He could tell us where he is; but I’m afraid to speak to him since he cut up so rough the other night.’

In a moment the conversation was stopped; but when Lord Grasslough asked Nidderdale in a whisper whether he knew anything about Melmotte, the latter answered out loud, ‘Yes I left him in the House half an hour ago.’

‘People are saying that he has been arrested.’

‘I heard that also; but he certainly had not been arrested when I left the House.’ Then he went up and put his hand on Dolly Longestaffe’s shoulder, and spoke7 to him. ‘I suppose you were about right the other night and I was about wrong; but you could understand what it was that I meant. I’m afraid this is a bad look out for both of us.’

‘Yes; — I understand. It’s deuced bad for me,’ said Dolly. ‘I think you’re very well out of it. But I’m glad there’s not to be a quarrel. Suppose we have a rubber of whist.’

Later on in the night news was brought to the club that Melmotte had tried to make a speech in the House, that he had been very drunk, and that he had tumbled over, upsetting Beauchamp Beauclerk in his fall. ‘By George, I should like to have seen that!’ said Dolly.

‘I am very glad I was not there,’ said Nidderdale. It was three o’clock before they left the card table, at which time Melmotte was lying dead upon the floor in Mr Longestaffe’s house.

On the following morning, at ten o’clock, Lord Nidderdale sat at breakfast with his father in the old lord’s house in Berkeley Square. From thence the house which Melmotte had hired was not above a few hundred yards distant. At this time the young lord was living with his father, and the two had now met by appointment in order that something might be settled between them as to the proposed marriage. The Marquis was not a very pleasant companion when the affairs in which he was interested did not go exactly as he would have them. He could be very cross and say most disagreeable words — so that the ladies of the family, and others connected with him, for the most part, found it impossible to live with him. But his eldest17 son had endured him; — partly perhaps because, being the eldest, he had been treated with a nearer approach to courtesy, but chiefly by means of his own extreme good humour. What did a few hard words matter? If his father was ungracious to him, of course he knew what all that meant. As long as his father would make fair allowance for his own peccadilloes18 — he also would make allowances for his father’s roughness. All this was based on his grand theory of live and let live. He expected his father to be a little cross on this occasion, and he acknowledged to himself that there was cause for it.

He was a little late himself, and he found his father already buttering his toast. ‘I don’t believe you’d get out of bed a moment sooner than you liked if you could save the whole property by it.’

‘You show me how I can make a guinea by it, sir, and see if I don’t earn the money.’ Then he sat down and poured himself out a cup of tea, and looked at the kidneys and looked at the fish.

‘I suppose you were drinking last night,’ said the old lord.

‘Not particular.’ The old man turned round and gnashed his teeth at him. ‘The fact is, sir, I don’t drink. Everybody knows that.’

‘I know when you’re in the country you can’t live without champagne19. Well; — what have you got to say about all this?’

‘What have you got to say?’

‘You’ve made a pretty kettle of fish of it.’

‘I’ve been guided by you in everything. Come, now; you ought to own that. I suppose the whole thing is over?’

‘I don’t see why it should be over. I’m told she has got her own money.’ Then Nidderdale described to his father Melmotte’s behaviour in the House on the preceding evening. ‘What the devil does that matter?’ said the old man. ‘You’re not going to marry the man himself.’

‘I shouldn’t wonder if he’s in gaol20 now.’

‘And what does that matter? She’s not in gaol. And if the money is hers, she can’t lose it because he goes to prison. Beggars mustn’t be choosers. How do you mean to live if you don’t marry this girl?’

‘I shall scrape on, I suppose. I must look for somebody else.’ The Marquis showed very plainly by his demeanour that he did not give his son much credit either for diligence or for ingenuity21 in making such a search. ‘At any rate, sir, I can’t marry the daughter of a man who is to be put upon his trial for forgery.’

‘I can’t see what that has to do with you.’

‘I couldn’t do it, sir. I’d do anything else to oblige you, but I couldn’t do that. And, moreover, I don’t believe in the money.’

‘Then you may just go to the devil,’ said the old Marquis turning himself round in his chair, and lighting22 a cigar as he took up the newspaper. Nidderdale went on with his breakfast with perfect equanimity23, and when he had finished lighted his cigar. ‘They tell me,’ said the old man, ‘that one of those Goldsheiner girls will have a lot of money.’

‘A Jewess,’ suggested Nidderdale.

‘What difference does that make?’

‘Oh no; — not in the least if the money’s really there. Have you heard any sum named, sir?’

The old man only grunted24. ‘There are two sisters and two brothers. I don’t suppose the girls would have a hundred thousand each.’

‘They say the widow of that brewer25 who died the other day has about twenty thousand a year.’

‘It’s only for her life, sir.’

‘She could insure her life. D—— me, sir, we must do something. If you turn up your nose at one woman after another how do you mean to live?’

‘I don’t think that a woman of forty with only a life interest would be a good speculation26. Of course I’ll think of it if you press it.’ The old man growled27 again. ‘You see, sir, I’ve been so much in earnest about this girl that I haven’t thought of inquiring about any one else. There always is some one up with a lot of money. It’s a pity there shouldn’t be a regular statement published with the amount of money, and what is expected in return. It’d save a deal of trouble.’

‘If you can’t talk more seriously than that you’d better go away,’ said the old Marquis.

At that moment a footman came into the room and told Lord Nidderdale that a man particularly wished to see him in the hall. He was not always anxious to see those who called on him, and he asked the servant whether he knew who the man was. ‘I believe, my lord, he’s one of the domestics from Mr Melmotte’s in Bruton Street,’ said the footman, who was no doubt fully28 acquainted with all the circumstances of Lord Nidderdale’s engagement. The son, who was still smoking, looked at his father as though in doubt. ‘You’d better go and see,’ said the Marquis. But Nidderdale before he went asked a question as to what he had better do if Melmotte had sent for him. ‘Go and see Melmotte. Why should you be afraid to see him? Tell him you are ready to marry the girl if you can see the money down, but that you won’t stir a step till it has been actually paid over.’

‘He knows that already,’ said Nidderdale as he left the room.

In the hall he found a man whom he recognized as Melmotte’s butler, a ponderous29, elderly, heavy man who now had a letter in his hand. But the lord could tell by the man’s face and manner that he himself had some story to tell. ‘Is there anything the matter?’

‘Yes, my lord — yes. Oh, dear — oh, dear! I think you’ll be sorry to hear it. There was none who came there he seemed to take to so much as your lordship.’

‘They’ve taken him to prison!’ exclaimed Nidderdale. But the man shook his head. ‘What is it then? He can’t be dead.’ Then the man nodded his head, and, putting his hand up to his face, burst into tears. ‘Mr Melmotte dead! He was in the House of Commons last night. I saw him myself. How did he die?’ But the fat, ponderous man was so affected30 by the tragedy he had witnessed, that he could not as yet give any account of the scene of his master’s death, but simply handed the note which he had in his hand to Lord Nidderdale. It was from Marie, and had been written within half an hour of the time at which news had been brought to her of what had occurred. The note was as follows:

DEAR LORD NIDDERDALE,

The man will tell you what has happened. I feel as though I was mad. I do not know who to send to. Will you come to me, only for a few minutes?

MARIE.

He read it standing31 up in the hall, and then again asked the man as to the manner of his master’s death. And now the Marquis, gathering32 from a word or two that he heard and from his son’s delay that something special had occurred, hobbled out into the hall. ‘Mr Melmotte is — dead,’ said his son. The old man dropped his stick, and fell back against the wall. ‘This man says that he is dead, and here is a letter from Marie asking me to go there. How was it that he — died?’

‘It was — poison,’ said the butler solemnly. ‘There has been a doctor already, and there isn’t no doubt of that. He took it all by himself last night. He came home, perhaps a little fresh, and he had in brandy and soda33 and cigars; — and sat himself down all to himself. Then in the morning, when the young woman went in — there he was — poisoned! I see him lay on the ground, and I helped to lift him up, and there was that smell of prussic acid that I knew what he had been and done just the same as when the doctor came and told us.’

Before the man could be allowed to go back, there was a consultation34 between the father and son as to a compliance35 with the request which Marie had made in her first misery36. The Marquis thought that his son had better not go to Bruton Street. ‘What’s the use? What good can you do? She’ll only be falling into your arms, and that’s what you’ve got to avoid — at any rate, till you know how things are.’

But Nidderdale’s better feelings would not allow him to submit to this advice. He had been engaged to marry the girl, and she in her abject37 misery had turned to him as the friend she knew best. At any rate for the time the heartlessness of his usual life deserted38 him, and he felt willing to devote himself to the girl not for what he could get — but because she had so nearly been so near to him. ‘I couldn’t refuse her,’ he said over and over again. ‘I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Oh, no; — I shall certainly go.’

‘You’ll get into a mess if you do.’

‘Then I must get into a mess. I shall certainly go. I will go at once. It is very disagreeable, but I cannot possibly refuse. It would be abominable39.’ Then going back to the hall, he sent a message by the butler to Marie, saying that he would be with her in less than half an hour.

‘Don’t you go and make a fool of yourself,’ his father said to him when he was alone. ‘This is just one of those times when a man may ruin himself by being softhearted.’ Nidderdale simply shook his head as he took his hat and gloves to go across to Bruton Street.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 ass qvyzK     
n.驴;傻瓜,蠢笨的人
参考例句:
  • He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
  • An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。
2 arrogance pNpyD     
n.傲慢,自大
参考例句:
  • His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
  • Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。
3 investigation MRKzq     
n.调查,调查研究
参考例句:
  • In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
  • He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
4 magistrate e8vzN     
n.地方行政官,地方法官,治安官
参考例句:
  • The magistrate committed him to prison for a month.法官判处他一个月监禁。
  • John was fined 1000 dollars by the magistrate.约翰被地方法官罚款1000美元。
5 forgery TgtzU     
n.伪造的文件等,赝品,伪造(行为)
参考例句:
  • The painting was a forgery.这张画是赝品。
  • He was sent to prison for forgery.他因伪造罪而被关进监狱。
6 conspicuous spszE     
adj.明眼的,惹人注目的;炫耀的,摆阔气的
参考例句:
  • It is conspicuous that smoking is harmful to health.很明显,抽烟对健康有害。
  • Its colouring makes it highly conspicuous.它的色彩使它非常惹人注目。
7 spoke XryyC     
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
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
8 rogue qCfzo     
n.流氓;v.游手好闲
参考例句:
  • The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
  • They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。
9 confidentially 0vDzuc     
ad.秘密地,悄悄地
参考例句:
  • She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。
  • Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。
10 intimacy z4Vxx     
n.熟悉,亲密,密切关系,亲昵的言行
参考例句:
  • His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated.他声称自己与总统关系密切,这有点言过其实。
  • I wish there were a rule book for intimacy.我希望能有个关于亲密的规则。
11 odious l0zy2     
adj.可憎的,讨厌的
参考例句:
  • The judge described the crime as odious.法官称这一罪行令人发指。
  • His character could best be described as odious.他的人格用可憎来形容最贴切。
12 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
13 uncommon AlPwO     
adj.罕见的,非凡的,不平常的
参考例句:
  • Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
  • Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。
14 confession 8Ygye     
n.自白,供认,承认
参考例句:
  • Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
  • The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。
15 prevailing E1ozF     
adj.盛行的;占优势的;主要的
参考例句:
  • She wears a fashionable hair style prevailing in the city.她的发型是这个城市流行的款式。
  • This reflects attitudes and values prevailing in society.这反映了社会上盛行的态度和价值观。
16 custody Qntzd     
n.监护,照看,羁押,拘留
参考例句:
  • He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
  • He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后,他立即被押了起来。
17 eldest bqkx6     
adj.最年长的,最年老的
参考例句:
  • The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
  • The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。
18 peccadilloes da905316baeee9661008e8f9438364e9     
n.轻罪,小过失( peccadillo的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage. 他的小过失最终毁灭了他的婚姻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • People are prepared to be tolerant of extra-marital peccadilloes by public figures. 人们可以容忍公众人物婚外的不检点行为。 来自辞典例句
19 champagne iwBzh3     
n.香槟酒;微黄色
参考例句:
  • There were two glasses of champagne on the tray.托盘里有两杯香槟酒。
  • They sat there swilling champagne.他们坐在那里大喝香槟酒。
20 gaol Qh8xK     
n.(jail)监狱;(不加冠词)监禁;vt.使…坐牢
参考例句:
  • He was released from the gaol.他被释放出狱。
  • The man spent several years in gaol for robbery.这男人因犯抢劫罪而坐了几年牢。
21 ingenuity 77TxM     
n.别出心裁;善于发明创造
参考例句:
  • The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
  • I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。
22 lighting CpszPL     
n.照明,光线的明暗,舞台灯光
参考例句:
  • The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
  • The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。
23 equanimity Z7Vyz     
n.沉着,镇定
参考例句:
  • She went again,and in so doing temporarily recovered her equanimity.她又去看了戏,而且这样一来又暂时恢复了她的平静。
  • The defeat was taken with equanimity by the leadership.领导层坦然地接受了失败。
24 grunted f18a3a8ced1d857427f2252db2abbeaf     
(猪等)作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 ); (指人)发出类似的哼声; 咕哝着说
参考例句:
  • She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声,继续看书,不屑抬起头来看一眼。
  • She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。
25 brewer brewer     
n. 啤酒制造者
参考例句:
  • Brewer is a very interesting man. 布鲁尔是一个很有趣的人。
  • I decided to quit my job to become a brewer. 我决定辞职,做一名酿酒人。
26 speculation 9vGwe     
n.思索,沉思;猜测;投机
参考例句:
  • Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
  • There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。
27 growled 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3     
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说
参考例句:
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
28 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
29 ponderous pOCxR     
adj.沉重的,笨重的,(文章)冗长的
参考例句:
  • His steps were heavy and ponderous.他的步伐沉重缓慢。
  • It was easy to underestimate him because of his occasionally ponderous manner.由于他偶尔现出的沉闷的姿态,很容易使人小看了他。
30 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
31 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
32 gathering ChmxZ     
n.集会,聚会,聚集
参考例句:
  • He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
  • He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。
33 soda cr3ye     
n.苏打水;汽水
参考例句:
  • She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
  • I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。
34 consultation VZAyq     
n.咨询;商量;商议;会议
参考例句:
  • The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
  • The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。
35 compliance ZXyzX     
n.顺从;服从;附和;屈从
参考例句:
  • I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
  • She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。
36 misery G10yi     
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦
参考例句:
  • Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
  • He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
37 abject joVyh     
adj.极可怜的,卑屈的
参考例句:
  • This policy has turned out to be an abject failure.这一政策最后以惨败而告终。
  • He had been obliged to offer an abject apology to Mr.Alleyne for his impertinence.他不得不低声下气,为他的无礼举动向艾莱恩先生请罪。
38 deserted GukzoL     
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的
参考例句:
  • The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
  • The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。
39 abominable PN5zs     
adj.可厌的,令人憎恶的
参考例句:
  • Their cruel treatment of prisoners was abominable.他们虐待犯人的做法令人厌恶。
  • The sanitary conditions in this restaurant are abominable.这家饭馆的卫生状况糟透了。


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