Chapter 15

　　Gowing explains his conduct. Lupin takes us for a drive, which wedon't enjoy. Lupin introduces us to Mr. Murray Posh.

　　February 8. - It does seem hard I cannot get good sausages forbreakfast. They are either full of bread or spice, or are as red as beef.

　　Still anxious about the 20 pounds I invested last week by Lupin's advice.

　　However, Cummings has done the same.

　　February 9. -Exactly a fortnight has passed, and I have neither seennor heard from Gowing respecting his extraordinary conduct in asking usround to his house, and then being out. In the evening Carrie wasengaged marking a half-dozen new collars I had purchased. I'll backCarrie's marking against anybody's. While I was drying them at the fire,and Carrie was rebuking¹ me for scorching² them, Cummings came in.

　　He seemed quite well again, and chaffed us about marking the collars.

　　I asked him if he had heard from Gowing, and he replied that he had not.

　　I said I should not have believed that Gowing could have acted in such anungentlemanly manner. Cummings said: "You are mild in yourdescription of him; I think he has acted like a cad."The words were scarcely out of his mouth when the door opened, andGowing, putting in his head, said: "May I come in?" I said:

　　"Certainly." Carrie said very pointedly³: "Well, you ARE a stranger."Gowing said: "Yes, I've been on and off to Croydon during the lastfortnight." I could see Cummings was boiling over, and eventually hetackled Gowing very strongly respecting his conduct last Saturday week.

　　Gowing appeared surprised, and said: "Why, I posted a letter to you in themorning announcing that the party was 'off, very much off.'" I said: "Inever got it." Gowing, turning to Carrie, said: "I suppose letterssometimes MISCARRY, don't they, MRS. Carrie?" Cummings sharplysaid: "This is not a time for joking. I had no notice of the party beingput off." Gowing replied: "I told Pooter in my note to tell you, as I wasin a hurry. However, I'll inquire at the post-office, and we must meet again at my place." I added that I hoped he would be present at the nextmeeting. Carrie roared at this, and even Cummings could not helplaughing.

　　February 10, Sunday. - Contrary to my wishes, Carrie allowed Lupinto persuade her to take her for a drive in the afternoon in his trap. I quitedisapprove of driving on a Sunday, but I did not like to trust Carrie alonewith Lupin, so I offered to go too. Lupin said: "Now, that is nice of you,Guv., but you won't mind sitting on the back-seat of the cart?"Lupin proceeded to put on a bright-blue coat that seemed miles toolarge for him. Carrie said it wanted taking in considerably⁴ at the back.

　　Lupin said: "Haven't you seen a box-coat before? You can't drive inanything else."He may wear what he likes in the future, for I shall never drive withhim again. His conduct was shocking. When we passed HighgateArchway, he tried to pass everything and everybody. He shouted torespectable people who were walking quietly in the road to get out of theway; he flicked⁵ at the horse of an old man who was riding, causing it torear; and, as I had to ride backwards⁶, I was compelled to face a gang ofroughs in a donkey-cart, whom Lupin had chaffed, and who turned andfollowed us for nearly a mile, bellowing⁷, indulging in coarse jokes andlaughter, to say nothing of occasionally pelting⁸ us with orange-peel.

　　Lupin's excuse - that the Prince of Wales would have to put up with thesame sort of thing if he drove to the Derby - was of little consolation⁹ toeither Carrie or myself. Frank Mutlar called in the evening, and Lupinwent out with him.

　　February 11. - Feeling a little concerned about Lupin, I mustered¹⁰ upcourage to speak to Mr. Perkupp about him. Mr. Perkupp has alwaysbeen most kind to me, so I told him everything, including yesterday'sadventure. Mr. Perkupp kindly¹¹ replied: "There is no necessity for youto be anxious, Mr. Pooter. It would be impossible for a son of such goodparents to turn out erroneously. Remember he is young, and will soon getolder. I wish we could find room for him in this firm." The advice ofthis good man takes loads off my mind. In the evening Lupin came in.

　　After our little supper, he said: "My dear parents, I have some news, which I fear will affect you considerably." I felt a qualm come over me,and said nothing. Lupin then said: "It may distress¹² you - in fact, I'msure it will - but this afternoon I have given up my pony¹³ and trap for ever."It may seem absurd, but I was so pleased, I immediately opened a bottle ofport. Gowing dropped in just in time, bringing with him a large sheet,with a print of a tailless donkey, which he fastened against the wall. Hethen produced several separate tails, and we spent the remainder of theevening trying blindfolded¹⁴ to pin a tail on in the proper place. My sidespositively ached with laughter when I went to bed.

　　February 12. - In the evening I spoke¹⁵ to Lupin about his engagementwith Daisy Mutlar. I asked if he had heard from her. He replied: "No;she promised that old windbag¹⁶ of a father of hers that she would notcommunicate with me. I see Frank Mutlar, of course; in fact, he said hemight call again this evening." Frank called, but said he could not stop,as he had a friend waiting outside for him, named Murray Posh, adding hewas quite a swell¹⁷. Carrie asked Frank to bring him in.

　　He was brought in, Gowing entering at the same time. Mr. MurrayPosh was a tall, fat young man, and was evidently of a very nervousdisposition, as he subsequently confessed he would never go in a hansomcab, nor would he enter a four-wheeler until the driver had first got on thebox with his reins¹⁸ in his hands.

　　On being introduced, Gowing, with his usual want of tact¹⁹, said: "Anyrelation to 'Posh's three-shilling hats'?" Mr. Posh replied: "Yes; butplease understand I don't try on hats myself. I take no ACTIVE part inthe business." I replied: "I wish I had a business like it." Mr. Poshseemed pleased, and gave a long but most interesting history of theextraordinary difficulties in the manufacture of cheap hats.

　　Murray Posh evidently knew Daisy Mutlar very intimately from theway he was talking of her; and Frank said to Lupin once, laughingly: "Ifyou don't look out, Posh will cut you out!" When they had all gone, Ireferred to this flippant conversation; and Lupin said, sarcastically²⁰: "Aman who is jealous has no respect for himself. A man who would bejealous of an elephant like Murray Posh could only have a contempt forhimself. I know Daisy. She WOULD wait ten years for me, as I said before; in fact, if necessary, SHE WOULD WAIT TWENTY YEARS FORME."

1 rebuking   

责难或指责( rebuke的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Rebuking people who disagree with them. 指责和自己意见不同的人。
• We could hear the director rebuking Jim for being late from work again. 我们听得见主任在斥辞责吉姆上班又迟到了。

2 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

3 pointedly   

adv.尖地，明显地

参考例句：

• She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠，又刻意地看了看手表。
• The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

5 flicked   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。
• I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。

6 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

7 bellowing   

v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的现在分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫

参考例句：

• We could hear he was bellowing commands to his troops. 我们听见他正向他的兵士大声发布命令。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He disguised these feelings under an enormous bellowing and hurraying. 他用大声吼叫和喝采掩饰着这些感情。 来自辞典例句

8 pelting   

微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的

参考例句：

• The rain came pelting down. 倾盆大雨劈头盖脸地浇了下来。
• Hailstones of abuse were pelting him. 阵阵辱骂冰雹般地向他袭来。

9 consolation   

n.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
• This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

10 mustered   

v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发

参考例句：

• We mustered what support we could for the plan. 我们极尽所能为这项计划寻求支持。
• The troops mustered on the square. 部队已在广场上集合。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

12 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

13 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

14 blindfolded   

v.（尤指用布）挡住（某人）的视线( blindfold的过去式 )；蒙住（某人）的眼睛；使不理解；蒙骗

参考例句：

• The hostages were tied up and blindfolded. 人质被捆绑起来并蒙上了眼睛。
• They were each blindfolded with big red handkerchiefs. 他们每个人的眼睛都被一块红色大手巾蒙住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

16 windbag   

n.风囊，饶舌之人，好说话的人

参考例句：

• Everyone knows he's a real windbag.大家都知道他是个很罗嗦的人。
• Did you ever see such a windbag?你有见过这样饶舌的人?

17 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

18 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

19 tact   

n.机敏，圆滑，得体

参考例句：

• She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
• Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。

20 sarcastically   

adv.挖苦地，讽刺地

参考例句：

• 'What a surprise!' Caroline murmured sarcastically.“太神奇了!”卡罗琳轻声挖苦道。
• Pierce mocked her and bowed sarcastically. 皮尔斯嘲笑她，讽刺地鞠了一躬。