The morning after the excursion to Epping Forest he had written a long letter to Fanny: a business-like letter, explanatory of his prospects1 in life.
He had exhibited in this year's Academy; he had exhibited in the New gallery—more, he had sold the Academy picture for forty pounds. He had a hundred a year of his own, which, as he sagaciously pointed2 out, was "something." If Fanny would only wait a year, give him something to hope for, something to live for, something to work for. Three[Pg 246] pages of business-like statements ending with a fourth page of raving3 declarations of love. The letter of a lunatic, as all love-letters more or less are.
He had posted this and waited for a reply, but none had come. He little knew that his letter and a bill for potatoes were behind a plate on the kitchen dresser at "The Laurels," stuffed there by Susannah in a fit of abstraction, also the outcome of the troubles of love.
On top of this all sorts of minor4 worries fell upon him. Mark Moses and Sonenshine, stimulated5 by the two pounds ten paid on account, were bombarding him with requests for more. A colour-man was also active and troublesome, and a bootmaker lived on the stairs.
Belinda, vice-president of the institution during Mrs Tugwell's sojourn6 at Margate, was "cutting up shines," cooking disgracefully, not cleaning boots, giving "lip" when remonstrated7 with, and otherwise revelling8 in her little brief authority. A man who had all but commissioned a portrait of a bull-dog sent word to say that the sittings couldn't take place as the dog was dead.
[Pg 247]
Then a cat had slipped into his bedroom and kittened on his best suit of clothes; and Fernandez, the picture dealer9 to whom he had taken the John the Baptist on the top of a four-wheeler, had offered him five pounds ten for it; and, worst of all, driven by necessity, he had not haggled10, but had taken the five pounds ten, thus for ever ruining himself with Fernandez, who had been quite prepared to pay fifteen.
The Captain, who had suddenly come in for a windfall of eighty pounds, was going on like a millionaire—haunting the studio half-tipsy, profuse11 with offers of assistance and drinks, and, to cap all, the weather was torrid. The only consolation12 was Verneede, who would listen for hours to the praises of Miss Lambert, nodding his head like a Chinese mandarin13 and smoking Leavesley's cigarettes.
"I don't know what to do," said the unhappy young man, during one of these conferences, "I don't know what to do. It's so unlike her."
"Write again."
"Not I—at least, how can I? If she won't answer that letter there's no use in writing any more."
"Call."
[Pg 248]
"I'm not going to creep round like a dog that has been beaten."
"True."
"She may be ill, for all I know. How do I know that she is not ill?"
"Illness, my dear Leavesley, is one of those things——"
"I know—but the question is, how am I to find out?"
"Could you not apply to their family physician? I should go to him, frankly——"
"But I don't know who their doctor is—do talk sense. See here! could you call and ask—ask did she get home all right, and that sort of thing?"
"Most certainly, with pleasure, if it would relieve your feelings. Anything—anything I can do, my dear Leavesley, in an emergency like this you can count on me to do."
"You needn't mention my name."
"I shall carefully abstain14."
"Unless she asks, you know."
"Certainly, unless she asks."
"Armbruster came in this morning, he's going to America. He's got on to a big firm for book illustrating15; he wanted me to go with[Pg 249] him and try my luck—offered to pay the expenses. You might hint, perhaps, if the subject turns up, that you think I am going to America."
"Certainly."
"When can you go?"
"Any time."
"You might go now, for I'm awfully16 anxious to hear if she is all right. What's the time? Two—yes—if you go now you will get there about four."
"Highgate?"
"Yes—'The Laurels,' John's Road. Have you any money?"
"Unfortunately I am rather unprovided with the necessary——"
"Wait."
Leavesley went to a little jug17 on the mantel and turned the contents of it into his hand.
"Here's five shillings; will that be enough?"
"Ample."
"Now go, like a good fellow, and do come back here straight."
"As an arrow."
"Don't say anything about my letter."
"Not a word, not a word."
[Pg 250]
Mr Verneede departed, and the painter went on with his painting, feeling very much as Noah must have felt when the dove flew out of the Ark.
Mr Verneede first made straight for his lodgings18. He inhabited a top-floor back in Maple19 Street, a little street leading out of the King's Road.
Here he blacked his boots, put bear's grease on his hair, and assumed a frock-coat a shade more respectable than the one he usually wore. Then, with his coat tightly buttoned, his best hat on his head, and his umbrella under his arm, he made off on his errand revolving20 in his wonderful mind the forthcoming interview. To assist thought, he turned into the four-ale bar of the "Spotted21 Dog." Here stood a woman with a baby in her arms, a regular customer, who was explaining domestic troubles to the sympathetic barmaid. Seeing Verneede seated with his ale before him, she included him in her audience. Half an hour later the old gentleman, having given much advice on the rearing of babies and management of husbands, emerged from the "Spotted Dog" slightly flushed and entirely22 happy.
[Pg 251]
It seemed so much pleasanter and cooler to enter a public house than an omnibus, that the "King's Arms," where the omnibuses stood, swallowed him easily. Here an anarchistical house-painter, who was destructing the British Empire, included him in his remarks; and it was, somehow, nearly five o'clock before he left the "King's Arms" more flushed and most entirely happy, and took an omnibus for Hammersmith.
At nine o'clock he was wandering about Hammersmith asking people to direct him to "The Hollies23" in James' Road; at eleven he was criticising the London County Council in a bar-room somewhere in Shepherd's Bush, but it might have been in Paris or Berlin, Vienna or Madrid, for all he knew or cared.
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1
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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2
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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3
raving
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| adj.说胡话的；疯狂的，怒吼的；非常漂亮的；令人醉心[痴心]的v.胡言乱语(rave的现在分词)n.胡话；疯话adv.胡言乱语地；疯狂地 | |
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4
minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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5
stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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7
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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8
revelling
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| v.作乐( revel的现在分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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9
dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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10
haggled
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| v.讨价还价( haggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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profuse
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| adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的 | |
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12
consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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13
Mandarin
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| n.中国官话，国语，满清官吏；adj.华丽辞藻的 | |
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14
abstain
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| v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免 | |
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15
illustrating
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| 给…加插图( illustrate的现在分词 )； 说明； 表明； （用示例、图画等）说明 | |
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16
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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17
jug
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| n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂 | |
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18
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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19
maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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20
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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21
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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22
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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23
hollies
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| n.冬青（常绿灌木，叶尖而硬，有光泽，冬季结红色浆果）( holly的名词复数 )；（用作圣诞节饰物的）冬青树枝 | |
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