Chapter 17

　　Marriage of Daisy Mutlar and Murray Posh. The dream of my liferealised. Mr. Perkupp takes Lupin into the office.

　　March 20. -To-day being the day on which Daisy Mutlar and Mr.

　　Murray Posh are to be married, Lupin has gone with a friend to spend theday at Gravesend. Lupin has been much cut-up over the affair, althoughhe declares that he is glad it is off. I wish he would not go to so manymusic-halls, but one dare not say anything to him about it. At the presentmoment he irritates¹ me by singing all over the house some nonsense about"What's the matter with Gladstone? He's all right! What's the matterwith Lupin? He's all right!" I don't think either of them is. In theevening Gowing called, and the chief topic of conversation was Daisy'smarriage to Murray Posh. I said: "I was glad the matter was at an end,as Daisy would only have made a fool of Lupin." Gowing, with his usualgood taste, said: "Oh, Master Lupin can make a fool of himself withoutany assistance." Carrie very properly resented² this, and Gowing hadsufficient sense to say he was sorry.

　　March 21. - To-day I shall conclude my diary, for it is one of thehappiest days of my life. My great dream of the last few weeks - in fact,of many years - has been realised. This morning came a letter from Mr.

　　Perkupp, asking me to take Lupin down to the office with me. I went toLupin's room; poor fellow, he seemed very pale, and said he had a badheadache. He had come back yesterday from Gravesend, where he spentpart of the day in a small boat on the water, having been mad enough toneglect to take his overcoat with him. I showed him Mr. Perkupp's letter,and he got up as quickly as possible. I begged of him not to put on hisfast-coloured clothes and ties, but to dress in something black or quiet-looking.

　　Carrie was all of a tremble when she read the letter, and all she couldkeep on saying was: "Oh, I DO hope it will be all right." For myself, Icould scarcely eat any breakfast. Lupin came down dressed quietly, and looking a perfect gentleman, except that his face was rather yellow.

　　Carrie, by way of encouragement said: "You do look nice, Lupin." Lupinreplied: "Yes, it's a good make- up, isn't it? A regular-downrightrespectable-funereal-first- class-City-firm-junior-clerk." He laughedrather ironically.

　　In the hall I heard a great noise, and also Lupin shouting to Sarah tofetch down his old hat. I went into the passage, and found Lupin in afury, kicking and smashing³ a new tall hat. I said: "Lupin, my boy, whatare you doing? How wicked of you! Some poor fellow would be gladto have it." Lupin replied: "I would not insult any poor fellow bygiving it to him."When he had gone outside, I picked up the battered⁴ hat, and saw inside"Posh's Patent." Poor Lupin! I can forgive him. It seemed hoursbefore we reached the office. Mr. Perkupp sent for Lupin, who was withhim nearly an hour. He returned, as I thought, crestfallen⁵ in appearance.

　　I said: "Well, Lupin, how about Mr. Perkupp?" Lupin commenced⁶ hissong: "What's the matter with Perkupp? He's all right!" I feltinstinctively my boy was engaged. I went to Mr. Perkupp, but I couldnot speak. He said: "Well, Mr. Pooter, what is it?" I must have looked afool, for all I could say was: "Mr. Perkupp, you are a good man." Helooked at me for a moment, and said: "No, Mr. Pooter, YOU are thegood man; and we'll see if we cannot get your son to follow such anexcellent example." I said: "Mr. Perkupp, may I go home? I cannotwork any more to-day."My good master shook my hand warmly as he nodded his head. Itwas as much as I could do to prevent myself from crying in the 'bus; infact, I should have done so, had my thoughts not been interrupted byLupin, who was having a quarrel with a fat man in the 'bus, whom heaccused of taking up too much room.

　　In the evening Carrie sent round for dear old friend Cummings and hiswife, and also to Gowing. We all sat round the fire, and in a bottle of"Jackson Freres," which Sarah fetched from the grocer's, drank Lupin'shealth. I lay awake for hours, thinking of the future. My boy in thesame office as myself - we can go down together by the 'bus, come home together, and who knows but in the course of time he may take greatinterest in our little home. That he may help me to put a nail in here or anail in there, or help his dear mother to hang a picture. In the summer hemay help us in our little garden with the flowers, and assist us to paint thestands and pots. (By-the-by, I must get in some more enamel⁷ paint.)All this I thought over and over again, and a thousand happy thoughtsbeside. I heard the clock strike four, and soon after fell asleep, only todream of three happy people - Lupin, dear Carrie, and myself.

1 irritates   

使发怒( irritate的第三人称单数 )； 使急躁； 使感到不适； 使疼痛

参考例句：

• The way she puts on that accent really irritates me. 她故意操那种口音的样子实在令我恼火。
• This excess fungal yeast irritates the scalp, causing overproduction of skin cells. 这过量的真菌酵母刺激皮肤产生了过多的皮肤细胞。

2 resented   

对…感到愤怒( resent的过去式和过去分词 )； 关系( regard的过去式和过去分词 )； 再差遣； 再发

参考例句：

• She resented the insinuation that she was too old for the job. 她憎恶暗示她太老不适合这项工作的话。
• I deeply resented her criticism. 我对她的批评感到非常气愤。

3 smashing   

adj.极好的；粉碎的；惨重的；活泼的adv.极好地v.打碎；捣毁；重击；撞毁（车辆）

参考例句：

• We had a smashing time. 我们过得非常愉快。
• While you are on the phone, the baby pulls the table-cloth off the table. smashing half your best crockery and cutting himself in the process. 你接电话时小孩把桌布扯了下来，把你最好的陶器打碎了一半，同时他还把自己磕破了。 来自《用法词典》

4 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

5 crestfallen   

adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的

参考例句：

• He gathered himself up and sneaked off,crushed and crestfallen.他爬起来，偷偷地溜了，一副垂头丧气、被斗败的样子。
• The youth looked exceedingly crestfallen.那青年看上去垂头丧气极了。

6 commenced   

开始( commence的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The little girl commenced to cry when she saw the snake. 这小女孩一看到蛇就开始哭了起来。
• She commenced her life as an actress in the 1930s. 从30年代她就开始舞台生涯。

7 enamel   

n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质

参考例句：

• I chipped the enamel on my front tooth when I fell over.我跌倒时门牙的珐琅质碰碎了。
• He collected coloured enamel bowls from Yugoslavia.他藏有来自南斯拉夫的彩色搪瓷碗。