Ordham acquired a certain adroitness8 in changing the current of his mother’s thought by introducing the subject of her poverty. This was real enough. Her father grew stingier day by day, and her mother, once the essence of worldliness (she, too, had been a beauty), now compromising with heaven through the expensive medium of royal charities, gave her smaller checks every year. How she lived at all heaven only knew. To be sure she had friends, and, thank God! was invited for Homburg or the Riviera every season, and never got round to the same country houses two years in succession. But all that meant clothes, clothes! Heavens, how things did cost! Sometimes she had wished that the boys were girls, but think what they would have cost in clothes. And girls made slaves of their mothers. As to the boys, they were better off without her and could be kept in the country the year round. Their health was wonderful. If they had ever had even the measles9 or whooping-cough, she had not heard of it. Mortimer (the family solicitor) paid their bills.
If Lady Bridgminster had a preference for any of her children, for any mortal, indeed, save herself, it was for her oldest son, whom she understood in some things so well, and in others not at all. He was interesting, he never bored her. The other five were fine orthodox straightforward10 English boys, who were only happy when out of doors or satisfying their mighty11 appetites. She was a little uncomfortable about her second son, Stanley, now twenty-two, and, no doubt, expecting to be entertained in town occasionally. But until her brilliant eldest12 brought gold to the coffers Stanley must content himself where he was, and there was plenty of room for him, during his holidays, in the dower house. She ran down to see him occasionally, as well as to Kent, and the boys were immensely flattered; Stanley, in particular, when she honoured Sandhurst, showing her off to his companions with a pride not without its pathos13. She would willingly have showered money on them, poor souls, and had the youngest up for the pantomimes; but what could she do?
Ordham went one day to visit his brothers. He was fond of them in the abstract, although after the first half hour he was at a loss for subjects of conversation and wearied of theirs. They were somewhat in awe14 of their magnificent brother, whom they regarded as the head of the family, Bridgminster being more or less of a myth to them. Ordham upon this occasion felt pride as ever in their fine manly15 appearance, but when the youngest frankly16 demanded tips was mortified17 not to be able to respond generously, and wished that he had not come. To them he stood in the shoes of their indulgent father; moreover, Ordham was one of those unfortunate persons who, while possessing the very special gift of wearing new clothes for the first time as if they had been in his wardrobe for at least two months, yet impressed the beholder18 as a young man of unlimited19 income, and on the Continent sent the prices up in every shop he entered. He left the house in Kent so deeply vexed20 at being obliged to give his brothers silver instead of gold that he was in a frame of mind to call on Rosamond Hayle; but in London he found a note from his mother informing him that she had run down to Brighton for the night with that paragon21, and he dismissed all things disagreeable from his mind and spent the evening with the Cuttings.
He had lunched or dined or driven with them every day for a fortnight, always entering the cool exquisite22 house with a sensation of gratitude23, especially now that he spent his mornings in the Foreign Office, for the weather continued hot. And this house, with shades drawn24 and great bunches of flowers in priceless bowls, always struck him afresh as the most perfect setting possible for the young chatelaine, always drifting about in a pale diaphanous25 gown; she wore a new one every time he saw her. Mrs. Cutting invariably wore black,—jet, lace, or net,—and he sometimes wondered if she deliberately26 were making a foil of herself; she was still young enough to take pleasure in colours. This question did not give him pause, however, his mental processes being now wholly engaged with the riddle27 of his sentiments toward Mabel Cutting. Was he on the edge of love, at last? He had gone so far as to resolve to marry her if she would have him, for wed28 he must, and never could he hope to find another girl with so much to recommend her. But he was still reluctant to give up his liberty; could he but fall a victim to the grand passion, hesitation29 would be consumed, and he should count himself the happiest of mortals—that is, if she would accept him. He forced his mind to dwell upon her and angrily reproached himself for being as cold as a fish. That she interested and intrigued30 him beyond any girl he had ever met was indisputable, and he increasingly longed for talks alone with her, that he might explore the tempting31 by-paths of that mind and character. But Mrs. Cutting was a stickler32 for the proprieties33 and did not believe in exposing young people to the criticism of servants. Occasionally Mabel enlivened and talked rapidly and pleasantly about a new play or a bit of news in the artist or social world, but soon relapsed into her usual dreamy silence and left the burden of the conversation to her mother. Once she deliberately picked up a book and read for an hour; and upon another occasion, when the weather was more than commonly warm, she took a little gold box from her pocket and powdered her nose. This Ordham found quite adorable, and was even fascinated by the independence that prompted her to turn from the conversation that did not interest her to the literature that did.
Mrs. Cutting was ever bright and entertaining, being a passed mistress of the art of small talk, but there were times when Ordham hated the sound of her voice, and was not sure whether his impatience34 were due to his desire to talk with the daughter, or to the possible fact that Margarethe Styr had spoilt him for the conversation of other women. Although grateful that she was not close enough to divert him from his purpose, he felt the sudden deprivation35 of her society; the more as her letters were brief and unsatisfactory. She was on her Gastspiel and the weather was very warm; but she promised him long letters upon her return to Munich—that is, unless he delightfully36 returned, as he had promised. This he now knew he should not do until he was safely married; but he was not the man to give his beloved friend a hint of the matrimonial state of his mind or the fluid condition of his affections. Styr pictured him dutifully dancing attendance upon his mother, who, for reasons, was detained in London.
Once he gently insinuated37 to Miss Cutting that he should like to read with her during the long afternoons, or at least discuss with her the books that occupied her morning hours. But to these hints she was impervious38, and, by way of compensating39 him, Mrs. Cutting proposed a game of tennis every morning before his duties commenced. To this bait Ordham rose like a famished40 trout41, and it somewhat surprised him that Mabel accepted the suggestion no less eagerly than himself. The three drove out to a court in Chelsea every morning at half-past eight, and he played for an hour or two with a radiant vision in a short skirt, a red jersey42, and tumbling yellow hair. Mabel did not play a particularly good game, but her interest was youthful and eager, and her admiration43 of his so outspoken44, when her manners, like her toilette, were in déshabillé, that he wondered if there were no end to the charms of this remarkable45 girl.
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1
inflict
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| vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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3
bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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4
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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7
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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adroitness
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9
measles
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| n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子 | |
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10
straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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pathos
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| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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15
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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17
mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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18
beholder
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| n.观看者，旁观者 | |
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unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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20
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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21
paragon
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| n.模范，典型 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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24
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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diaphanous
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| adj.(布)精致的，半透明的 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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28
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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30
intrigued
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| adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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stickler
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| n.坚持细节之人 | |
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proprieties
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| n.礼仪，礼节；礼貌( propriety的名词复数 )；规矩；正当；合适 | |
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34
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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35
deprivation
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| n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困 | |
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delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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insinuated
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| v.暗示( insinuate的过去式和过去分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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38
impervious
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| adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的 | |
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39
compensating
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| 补偿，补助，修正 | |
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40
famished
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| adj.饥饿的 | |
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41
trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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42
jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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43
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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44
outspoken
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| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
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45
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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