About the end of April such people of observation as passed down Lombard Street, discovered that the great red-brick house was preparing for new tenants8. Mr. Clayton, the decorator, had hung his professional board from the central first-floor window. Sashes were being repainted white, the front door an ?sthetic green. Paper-hangers were at work in the chief rooms, and whitewash9 brushes splashed and flapped in the kitchen quarters. Questioned by interested fellow-tradesmen as to the name and nature of the incoming tenant, Mr. Clayton blinked and confessed his ignorance. He was working under Mr. Porteus Carmagee’s orders. Mr. Clayton had even heard that the house had changed hands, and that the lawyer had bought it from the late owner, but whether it was let, Mr. Clayton could not tell. Even Mr. Beasely, the local house-agent, was no wiser in the matter. Speculation10 remained possible, while the more pushing of the local tradesmen were ready at any moment to tout11 for the new-comers’ “esteemed patronage12.”
One afternoon early in May a large furniture van, man?uvring to and fro in Lombard Street and absorbing the whole road, compelled a stylish13 carriage and pair to come to a sharp halt. The carriage was Dr. Parker Steel’s, and it contained his wife, a complacent14 study in pink, with a pert little white hat perched on a most elaborate yet seemingly simple coiffure. The footway opposite the Murchison’s old house was littered with straw, and stray odds15 and ends of furniture, while two men in green baize aprons17 were struggling up the steps with a Chesterfield sofa. Through one of the open windows of the dining-room, Betty Steel’s sharp eyes caught sight of Miss Carmagee, rigged up in a white apron16 and unpacking18 china with the help of one of her maids.
The furniture van had made port, and Parker Steel’s carriage rolled on into St. Antonia’s Square. Mrs. Betty’s eyes had clouded a little under her Paris hat, for unpleasant thoughts are invariably suggested by the faces of people who do not love us. The ego19 in self-conscious mortals is sensitive as a piece of smoked-glass. The passing of the faintest shadow is registered upon its surface, and its lustre20 may be dimmed by a chance breath.
This house in Lombard Street had never lost for Betty Steel its suggestion of passive hostility21. Its associations always stirred the energies of an unforgotten hate, and though triumphant22, she often found herself frowning when she passed the place. Moreover, Miss Carmagee had been the other woman’s friend, and in life there can be no neutrality when rivals fight for survival in the business of success.
Betty Steel had come from the orchards23 that were white about Roxton Priory, yet the glimpse of the stir and movement in that red-brick house had blown the May-bloom from her thoughts. Did Kate Murchison ever wish herself back in Lombard Street? What had become of her and her children? Betty Steel woke from a moment’s reverie as the carriage drew up before her own home.
The elderly parlor-maid, five feet of starch24, to say nothing of the cap, opened the front door to Mrs. Betty. There was an inquisitive25 lift about the woman’s eyelids26, and Betty Steel, an expert in the deciphering of faces, expected news of some sort or another.
“Any one in the drawing-room, Symons?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Well?”
“Dr. Steel is in the study. He wished me to say that he would see you the moment you came home.”
Nearly twenty-four hours had passed since Betty Steel had seen her husband. The physician had been called up in the night, and had breakfasted away. She herself had lunched with Lady Gillingham, so that their paths had run uncrossed since yesterday.
“Has any one called?”
“No, ma’am.”
“You may bring up tea.”
The Venetian blinds were down in the consulting room, an initial coincidence, for Parker Steel was a believer in light. He was sitting at the bureau by the window, but glanced over his shoulder as his wife entered.
“Is that you, dear?”
“Yes; what is it?”
She was playing with her silk scarf, and looking with rather a puzzled air at her husband.
“I’ve just sent off a wire to town.”
“A wire?”
“Yes, to Turner, for a first-class locum. The man will be here early to-morrow. Shut the door, dear—shut the door.”
There was an irritable27 harshness of voice and a jerkiness of manner that betrayed unusual lack of self-control. Her husband’s back was half turned to her, and he was scribbling28 on a sheet of paper that he had before him, but she could see the frown upon his forehead and the nervous working of his lips.
“What is the matter, Parker?”
“Oh, nothing serious, only one of your prophecies come home to roost.”
“My prophecies?”
“Yes, about overwork. I was a fool not to knock off earlier. Some inflammatory trouble in my eyes.”
“Eyes?”
She echoed the word, showing for the first time some stirrings of alarm.
“What is it?”
“Strain, nothing more. It came on quite suddenly. I shall have to have a month’s absolute rest.”
He leaned back, and put a hand up to his forehead.
“Let me look.”
Betty went to him, and leaned her hands upon the side rail of his chair.
“You won’t make much of them. See, I’m just writing out a few hints and directions.
“They look inflamed29, Parker.”
He shrugged30 impatiently.
“Don’t bother about the eyes. See, I want you to give these notes to Turner’s locum when he comes. The list is complete, with a cross against the more important people. The work’s lighter31 again; he can manage it alone.”
“Yes,” but she still looked troubled.
“I shall get away by the 10.15 to-morrow morning.”
“Where are you going?”
“Oh—to Torquay. I’ve wired to a hotel. Ramsden is doing eye-work down there, you know. He will soon put me right.”
Betty stood with her hands resting on the back of his chair. His assurances had not wholly satisfied her. She had a vague feeling that he was keeping something back.
“Parker.”
“Yes, dear.”
He appeared busy dashing down professional hieroglyphics32 on the paper before him.
“You are not keeping anything from me?”
“Anything from you!”
“Yes. It is nothing dangerous?”
“My dear girl, I ought to know!”
She sighed, looked at the darkened window, and then stooping suddenly, kissed him softly on the cheek.
“Parker—”
He had reddened and drawn33 aside, with an irritable knitting of the brows.
“Leave me alone, dear, for a while. I want to put the practice in order.”
Repulsed34, she removed her hands from the chair.
“I was only anxious—”
“Don’t worry; there’s no cause. You will stay here and look after things for me?”
“Yes. I can have Madge to stay.”
“And, Betty—”
“Yes.”
“Don’t say much about the eyes. It doesn’t do for a professional man to get a reputation for feebleness in his physical equipment.”
“I shall not say anything.”
“Thanks. You see, I’m rather busy.”
She turned, looked round the room vaguely35, her face cold and empty of any marked expression. Then she went slowly to the door, opened it, and passed out into the hall. The house seemed peculiarly dim and lonely as she climbed the stairs to her own room.
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1
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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unpaid
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| adj.未付款的，无报酬的 | |
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progeny
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| n.后代，子孙；结果 | |
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effacement
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| n.抹消，抹杀 | |
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tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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7
puddle
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| n.(雨)水坑，泥潭 | |
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tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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9
whitewash
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| v.粉刷，掩饰；n.石灰水，粉刷，掩饰 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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tout
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| v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱 | |
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12
patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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13
stylish
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| adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的 | |
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complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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15
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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16
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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aprons
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| 围裙( apron的名词复数 )； 停机坪，台口（舞台幕前的部份） | |
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18
unpacking
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| n.取出货物，拆包[箱]v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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19
ego
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| n.自我，自己，自尊 | |
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lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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21
hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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22
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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23
orchards
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| （通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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starch
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| n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆 | |
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inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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26
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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27
irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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28
scribbling
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| n.乱涂[写]胡[乱]写的文章[作品]v.潦草的书写( scribble的现在分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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29
inflamed
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| adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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31
lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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32
hieroglyphics
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| n.pl.象形文字 | |
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33
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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34
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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35
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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