For years they had met in Orchid1 Lodge2 and up and down Eden Row, nodding to each other with the contemptuous tolerance3 of boys whose parents are friends. It was the shared memory of the adventure in the woodland that brought them together.
Two days after his return from the farm he stole out into Eden Row as night was falling. In the park, across the river, the bell for closing time was ringing. On tennis courts, between slumbering4 chestnuts5, men in flannels6 were putting on their coats and gathering7 their shoes and rackets, while slim wraiths8 of girls waited for them. They swept together and drifted away through the daffodil-tinted dusk. Clear laughter floated across the river and the whisper of reluctantly departing footsteps. Park keepers, like angels in Eden, marched along shadowy paths, herding9 the lovers and driving them before them, shouting in melancholy10 tones, “All out. All out.” They seemed to be proclaiming that nothing could last.
“Hulloa!”
Teddy turned to find the sturdy figure in the midshipman’s suit leaning against the railings beside him.
“Must be rather jolly to be like that.”
“Like what?”
“Oh, don’t be a sausage.” Ruddy smiled imperturbably11. “To be like them—old enough to put your arm round a girl without making people laugh.”
“Yes.”
Ruddy sank his voice. “Wonder where they all come from. Suppose they look quite proper by daylight, as though they’d never speak to a chap.”
The crowd was pouring out from the gates and melting away by twos and twos. Each couple seemed to walk in its own separate world, walled in by memories of tender things done and said. As they passed beneath lamps, the girls drew a little apart from their companions; but as they entered long intervals13 of twilit gloom their propriety14 relaxed.
Turning away from the river, the boys followed the crowd at random15. Once Ruddy hurried forward to peer into a girl’s face as she passed beneath a lamp. She had flaxen hair which broke in waves about her shoulders.
Teddy flushed. He had wanted to do it himself, but something had restrained him. Secretly he admired Ruddy’s boldness. “Don’t do that,” he whispered.
“She looked pretty from the back,” Ruddy explained. “Wanted to see by her face whether her boy had been kissing her. You are a funny chap.”
They got tired of wandering. On the edge of a low garden wall, with their backs against the railing, they seated themselves. It was in a road of small villas16, dotted with golden windows and shadowy with the foam17 of foliage18.
Ruddy pulled out a cigarette. “I liked her most awfully19. Us’ally I don’t like girls.”
“Desire?” Teddy’s heart bounded at being able to speak her name so frankly20.
“Desire. Yes. I’ve got an idea that she’s a sort of relation. Ma won’t tell a thing about her. I can’t ask Hal—he’s too cut up. When I speak to Harriet, she says ‘Hush.’ There’s a mystingry.”
For a week Ruddy opened his heart wider and wider, till he had all but confessed that he was in love with Desire. Then one day, with the depressed21 air of a conspirator22, he inveigled23 Teddy into the shrubbery of Orchid Lodge.
“Want to ask you something. You think I’m in love with that kid, Desire, don’t you? Well, I’m not.”
“I’m glad you’re not, because—you oughtn’t to be. Why you oughtn’t to be, I can’t tell you.”
“But I never was.”
“Oh, weren’t you?” Teddy shrugged24 his shoulders.
Up went Ruddy’s fists. His face grew red and his eyes became suspiciously wet. “You’re the only one who knows it. You’ve got to say I wasn’t. If you don’t, I’ll fight you.”
“But you’ve just said that I’m the only one who knows it. You silly chump, you’ve owned that you were in love.”
Ruddy stood hesitant; his fists fell “Don’t know what God’ll do to me. I’ve been in love with my——” He gulped25. “I’m her uncle.”
For a fortnight he posed as a figure of guilt26 and hinted darkly at suicide. But the world at fifteen is too adventurous27 a place for even a boy who has been in love with his niece to remain long tragic28. It was on this dark secret of his unclehood, that his momentous29 friendship with Teddy was founded. Mrs. Sheerug approved of it; she did all that she could to encourage it. She sent him to Mr. Quickly’s school in Eden Row which Teddy attended. From that moment the boys’ great days began.
It was Ruddy who invented one of their most exciting games, Enemies or Friends. This consisted in picking out some inoffensive boy from among their school-fellows and overwhelming him with flatteries. He was made the recipient30 of presents and invited to tea on half-holidays, till his suspicions of evil intentions were quite laid to rest. Then one afternoon, when school was over, he was lured31 into Orchid Lodge to look at the pigeons. Once within the garden walls, Orchid Lodge became a brigand’s castle, the boy a captive, and Ruddy and Teddy his captors. The boy was locked up in the tool-shed for an hour and made to promise by the most fearful threats not to divulge32 to his mother what had delayed him. Intended victims of this game knew quite well what fate was in store for them; a rumor33 of the brigands34’ perfidy35 had leaked out. The chief sport in its playing lay in the Machiavellian36 methods employed to persuade the latest favorite that, whatever had happened to his predecessors37, he was the great exception, beloved only for himself.
Opportunity for revenge arrived when Teddy’s first attempt at authorship was published. Mr. Quickly, the Quaker headmaster, brought out a magazine each Christmas to which his students were invited to contribute. Teddy’s contribution was entitled The Angel’s Sin. Perhaps it was inspired by remorse38 for his misdoings. Dearie nearly cried her eyes out when she read it, she was so impressed by its piety39. But it moved his school-fellows to ridicule—especially the much-wronged boys who had spent an hour in the tool-shed. They recited it in chorus between classes; they followed him home reciting it; they stood outside the windows of his house and bawled40 it at him through the railings. “Heaven was silent, for one had sinned. Before the throne of God a prostrate41 figure lay. But the throne was wrapped in clouds. A voice rang out,” etc.
“They have no souls,” his mother whispered comfortingly.
The Angel’s Sin cost the brigands many bruises42 and their mothers much repairing of torn clothing. Teddy’s mother declared that it was all worth it—she had spent her life in paying the price for having genius in her family; Mrs. Sheerug was doubtful Ruddy was loyal in his public defense43 of Teddy, but secretly disapproving44. “Stupid ass12! Why did you do it? Why didn’t you write about pirates? Might have known we’d get ragged45.”
Teddy shook his head. He was quite as much puzzled as Ruddy. “Don’t know. It just came to me. I had to do it.”
The Christmas holidays brought a joyous46 week. Teddy had a cold and was kept in bed. The light was too bad for painting, so his father came and sat with him.
“You’re younger than you were, chappie—more like what I used to be at your age. That young ruffian’s doing you good. What d’you play at?”
When penny dreadfuls were mentioned, Jimmie Boy closed one eye and squinted47 at his son humorously. “That’s not much of a diet—not much in keeping with The Ange’s Sin and a boy who’s going to be a genius. Tell you what I’ll do; let’s have Ruddy in and I’ll reform you.”
Then began a magic chain of nights and days. As soon as the breakfast-tray had been carried down, Jimmie Boy would commence his reading. It was Margaret of Valois that he chose as being the nearest thing in literature to a penny dreadful. Teddy, lying cosily48 between sheets, would listen to the booming voice, which rumbled49 like a gale50 about the pale walls of the bedroom. Seated in a great armchair, with his pipe going like a furnace and his knees spread apart before the fire, his rebel father acted out with his free hand all the glorious love scenes and stabbings. Ruddy, stretched like a dog upon the floor, his elbows digging into the carpet, gazed up at Jimmie Boy adoringly. For a week they kept company with kings and queens, listening to the clash of swords and witnessing the intrigue51 of stolen kisses. They wandered down moonlit streets of Paris, were present at the massacre52 of St. Batholomew’s Eve, and saw the Duchess of Guise53, having rescued Coconnas from the blades of the Huguenots, hide him, dripping with blood, in her secret closet.
When Margaret of Valois was ended, Hereward the Wake followed, and then Rienzi.
“And that’s literature,” Jimmie Boy told them. “How about your penny dreadfuls now?”
In the afternoons Dearie would join them. “You three boys,” she called them. She always made a pretense54 that she was intruding55, till she had been entreated56 in flowery romance language to enter. Then, sitting on the bed like a tall white queen, her hand clasped in Teddy’s, she would watch dreamily, with those violet eyes of hers, the shaggy head of Jimmie Boy tossing in a melody of words.
It was this week, with its delving57 into ancient stories, that taught him what his parents’ love really meant—it was a rampart thrown up by the soul against calamity58. They had been poor and harassed59 and disappointed. There had been times when they had spoken crossly. But in their hearts they still stood hand-in-hand, always guarding a royal place in which they could be happy.
“I say,” whispered Ruddy, “your people—they’re toppers. Let’s go slow on the penny dreadfuls.”
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收听单词发音
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1
orchid
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| n.兰花，淡紫色 | |
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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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3
tolerance
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| n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差 | |
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4
slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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chestnuts
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| n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马 | |
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flannels
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| 法兰绒男裤； 法兰绒( flannel的名词复数 ) | |
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7
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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8
wraiths
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| n.幽灵( wraith的名词复数 )；（传说中人在将死或死后不久的）显形阴魂 | |
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herding
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| 中畜群 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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imperturbably
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| adv.泰然地，镇静地，平静地 | |
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12
ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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13
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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14
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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15
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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16
villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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17
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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18
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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19
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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20
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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22
conspirator
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| n.阴谋者，谋叛者 | |
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23
inveigled
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| v.诱骗，引诱( inveigle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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25
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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26
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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27
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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28
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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29
momentous
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| adj.重要的，重大的 | |
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30
recipient
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| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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31
lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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32
divulge
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| v.泄漏(秘密等)；宣布，公布 | |
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33
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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34
brigands
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| n.土匪，强盗( brigand的名词复数 ) | |
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35
perfidy
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| n.背信弃义，不忠贞 | |
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machiavellian
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| adj.权谋的，狡诈的 | |
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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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38
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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39
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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40
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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41
prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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42
bruises
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| n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 ) | |
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43
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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44
disapproving
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| adj.不满的，反对的v.不赞成( disapprove的现在分词 ) | |
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45
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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46
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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47
squinted
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| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
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48
cosily
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| adv.舒适地，惬意地 | |
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49
rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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50
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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51
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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52
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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53
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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54
pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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55
intruding
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| v.侵入，侵扰，打扰( intrude的现在分词)；把…强加于 | |
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56
entreated
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
delving
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| v.深入探究，钻研( delve的现在分词 ) | |
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58
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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59
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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