A sharp rat-a-tat. Its meaning was unmistakable. He went leaping down the stairs, three at a time. He reached the hall just as Jane was appearing from the basement Forestalling2 her at the front-door, he grabbed the pinkish-brown envelope from the telegraph-boy. Ripping it open, he read:
“Sorry delay. Been Lucerne. Just returned Paris. Received all yours. Meet me to-morrow Cherbourg on board ‘Wilhelm der Grosse.’ Please start immediately.”
She had forgotten to put her address. He pulled out his watch. Five minutes past eight! He had no time to consult railway-guides—no time even to pack. All he knew was that the boat-train left Charing-Cross for Dover in less than an hour; he could just catch it Returning to his bedroom, he gathered together what cash he could find In three minutes he was in the hall again.
“Tell mother when she comes back that I’m off to Paris. Tell her I’ll write.”
Jane gaped3 at him. As he hurried down the steps, she began to ask questions. He shook his head, “No time.”
Throwing dignity to the winds, he set off at a run. As he passed Orchid4 Lodge5, Mr. Sheerug was coming out. He cannoned6 into him and left him gasping7. At the top of Eden Row he saw a taxi and hailed it. He knew now that he was safe to catch his train.
On the drive to the station he unfolded her telegram and re-read it Irresponsible as ever, yet lovable! What risks she took! He might have been out; as it was he could barely make the connections that would get him to Cherbourg in time. No address to which he could reply! He couldn’t let her know that he was coming. Doubtless she took that for granted. No information concerning her plans! She had always told him that wise women kept men guessing. No hint as to why she had sent for him! Twenty-four hours of conjecturing8 would keep him humble9 and increase his ardor10. Then the motive11 of all this vagueness dawned on him. She was putting him to the test If he came in spite of the irresponsibility of her message, it would be proof to her that he loved her. If ever a girl needed a man’s love, Desire was that girl.
During the tedious night journey fears began to arise. Why was she going to Cherbourg? He read her words again, “Meet me to-morrow Cherbourg on board Wilhelm der Grosse” What would she be doing on board an Atlantic liner if she wasn’t sailing? She shouldn’t sail if he could prevent her. If she reached New York, she would go on the stage and commit herself irrevocably to Fluffyism.
He steamed into the Gare du Nord at a quarter to seven and learnt, on making inquiries13, that the trains for Cherbourg left from the St Lazare. He jumped into an autotaxi—no leisurely14 fiacre this time—and raced through the gleaming early morning. He found at the St Lazare that the first express that he could catch, departed in three-quarters of an hour. There was another which left later, but it ran to meet the steamer and was reserved exclusively for transatlantic voyagers. The second train would be the one by which she would travel. He debated whether he should try to intercept15 her on the platform. Too risky16.
He might miss her. He preferred to take the chance which she herself had chosen. There would be less than an hour between his arrival in Cherbourg and the time when the steamship17 sailed.
Having snatched some breakfast, he found a florist’s and purchased an extravagant18 sheaf of roses.
As soon as Paris was left behind, he was consumed with impotent impatience19. It seemed to him that the engine pulled up at every poky little town in Normandy. He got it on his mind that every railroad official was conspiring20 to make him late. He had one moment of exquisite21 torture. They had been at a standstill in a station for an interminable time. He got out and, in his scarcely intelligible22 French, asked the meaning of the delay. The man whom he had questioned pointed23; at that moment the non-stop boat-express from Paris overtook them and thundered by. At it passed, he glanced anxiously at the carriage-windows, hoping against hope that he might catch sight of her.
The last exasperation24 came when they broke down at Rayeux and wasted nearly an hour. He arrived at his destination at the exact moment at which the Wilhelm der Grosse was scheduled to sail.
Picking up the flowers he had purchased for her, he dashed out of the station and shouldered his way to where some fiacres were standing25. Thrusting a twenty-franc note into the nearest cocker’s hand, he startled the man into energy.
What a drive! Of the streets through which they galloped26 he saw nothing. He was only conscious of people escaping to the pavement and of threats shouted through the sunshine.
When they arrived at the quay27, the horse was in a lather28. Far off, at the mouth of the harbor in a blue-gold haze29, the liner lay black, her smoke-stacks smudging the sky. Snuggled against her were the two tugs30 which had taken out the passengers. An official-looking person in a peaked cap was standing near to where they had halted.
Did he understand English? Certainly. To the question that followed he answered imperturbably31: “Too late, monsieur. It is impossible.”
He gazed round wildly. He must get to her. He must at least let Desire know that he had made the journey.
Above the wall of the quay a head in a yachting-cap appeared. He ran towards it. Stone steps led down to the water’s edge. Against the lowest step a power-boat lay rocking gently with the engine still running. No time to ask permission or to make explanations! He sprang down the steps, flung his roses into the boat, turned on the power and was away.
Shouting behind him grew fainter. Now he heard only the panting of the engine and the swirl32 of waves. The liner stood up taller. He steered33 for it straight as an arrow. If he could only get there! The tugs were casting loose. Now they were returning. He wasn’t a quarter of a mile away. He cleared the harbor. The steamer was swinging her nose round. He could see her screws churning. His only chance of stopping her was to cut across her bows.
From crowded decks faces were staring down. Some were laughing; some were pale at his foolhardiness. An officer with a thick German accent was cursing him. He could only hear the accent; he couldn’t make out what the man was saying. What did he care? He had forced them to wait for him. From all that blur34 of faces he was trying to pick out one face.
Making a megaphone of his hands, he shouted. His words were lost in the pounding of the engines and the lapping of the waves. Then he saw a face which he recognized—Fluffy12’s. She was saying something to the officer; she was explaining the situation. Leaning across the rail, laughing, she shook her head. The news of the reason for his extraordinary behavior was passing from mouth to mouth along the decks. The laugh was taken up. The whole ship seemed to hold its sides and jeer35 at him.
The liner gathered way. The last thing he saw distinctly was Fluffy, still laughing and shaking her golden head. She was keeping Desire from him; he knew that she had lied.
The boat rose and fell in the churned-up wake. Like a man whose soul has suddenly died, he sat very silent.
Slowly he came to himself. Evening was falling. He felt old. It was all true, then—the lesson that her mother had taught him in his childhood! There were women in the world whom love could not conquer.
He flung the roses he had bought for her into the sea. Turning the head of the boat, he reentered the harbor.
The End
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收听单词发音
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1
smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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2
forestalling
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| v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的现在分词 ) | |
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3
gaped
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| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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4
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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6
cannoned
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| vi.与…猛撞（cannon的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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7
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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8
conjecturing
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| v. & n. 推测，臆测 | |
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9
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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10
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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11
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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12
fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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13
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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14
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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15
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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16
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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17
steamship
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| n.汽船，轮船 | |
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18
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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19
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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20
conspiring
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| 密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致 | |
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21
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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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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26
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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27
quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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28
lather
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| n.(肥皂水的)泡沫，激动 | |
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29
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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30
tugs
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| n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 ) | |
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31
imperturbably
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| adv.泰然地，镇静地，平静地 | |
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32
swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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33
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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34
blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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jeer
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| vi.嘲弄，揶揄；vt.奚落；n.嘲笑，讥评 | |
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