CHAPTER XXII MASTER AND MAN

 When Mr. Gibb entered he found Mr. Hooper in a state of agitation¹; there was nothing very amazing in that, as he had found him in that condition on previous occasions; but it seemed to Mr. Gibb that, in his agitation then, there was a quality which was new. Mr. Hooper assailed² him the moment he was past the door.

 

"Now, Mr. Gibb, you have been and gone and done it."

 

"Done what, sir?"

 

"I think it's extremely possible that you've laid yourself open to an indictment⁴ for conspiracy⁵."

 

"Have I, sir?"

 

"You brought Miss Lindsay here?"

 

"Excuse me, sir, but if you'll remember you told me to ask her to come."

 

"You put me up to it."

 

"I merely happened to mention that she was looking for something to do, and so she is."

 

"No she isn't."

 

"Isn't she, sir?"

 

"No, she's found it! And that's where I'm in a position to prove conspiracy. Mr. Gibb, do you mean to tell me that Miss Lindsay has been pawning⁷ her things?"

 

"I hope you won't let it go any further, sir."

 

"Do you think I'm---- What do you think I am?"

 

"I haven't thought, sir; only it happened to come to my knowledge, and it seemed to me to be a sad thing for her to have to do."

 

"All I can say is that she hasn't pawned⁸ all her things."

 

"No, sir, but she soon would have done."

 

"Have you any idea of how much that dress cost which she had on? to say nothing of the hat!"

 

"Not exactly, sir, I haven't; but my sister told me that some of her things must have cost a good bit of money."

 

"That dress cost every penny of five-and-twenty or thirty pounds, and I dare say the hat cost another tenner; and she's been walking about in those kind of things her whole life long, I'm sure of it."

 

"I told you, sir, she was a lady born and bred."

 

"Mr. Gibb, you see advertisements for a lady, as barmaid; when I think of that I don't want to think of Miss Lindsay as a lady; she's on a different plane; she's of heaven, not of earth."

 

"I told you, sir, she was high as the heavens above me."

 

"So she is; you were right there; although the construction of your sentence is faulty, Mr. Gibb. She's a divinity among women; a poem among girls; the ideal which a man sets up for himself of what a woman may be when God chooses."

 

"Is she, sir?"

 

"Look at her! how she walks, how she moves, how she bears herself! And what a voice! had Orpheus had it he'd have needed no warbling string to aid him to draw 'iron tears down Pluto's cheek!' Then what beauty's in her face; but there's in it what not one beautiful woman in a thousand has, there's a soul! Mr. Gibb, I've only seen Miss Lindsay about twenty minutes, but I regard her as 'a perfect woman, nobly planned'; and I may add 'she was a phantom⁹ of delight, when first she gleamed upon my sight,' therefore I say you were guilty of conspiracy in luring¹¹ me on to ask her to come here; because what has the result been?"

 

"What has it, sir?"

 

"The result has been that I've made an idiot of myself; a complete and perfect ass³."

 

"Have you, sir?"

 

"I don't like your tone, Mr. Gibb, it exacerbates¹². It is in itself enough to prove your guilt¹⁰. Had you not been engaged in a conspiracy you would have been surprised beyond measure at the wholly unforeseen result. But, as it is, I put it to you, Mr. Gibb; are you surprised?"

 

"Well, sir, in a way I can't say I am, not exactly."

 

"There you are! there you are! Do you know, Mr. Gibb, that I've given Miss Lindsay to understand that I've retained her services as a member of my staff?"

 

"She told me you'd engaged her, sir."

 

"Oh, she did, did she? What did she tell you I'd engaged her as?"

 

"As jobbing secretary, sir."

 

"And pray what is a jobbing secretary?"

 

"That's what I was wondering."

 

"She asked me what a jobbing secretary was; and I explained as clearly as I could under the circumstances, and considering that I don't know myself. When you reflect on the fact that I have engaged her to be something which I never heard of before you will have grasped the initial difficulty of my position; which is complicated by the further fact that she is, what she certainly is, a divinity among women. If she'd come, say, about twelve and leave before one; or if she'd spend a few hours daily in intellectual conversation with me in here; or if she'd come out with me to enjoy the air, say on the top of an omnibus; or even if she'd go out with you, for a little pedestrian exercise, from two to six; the situation might be lightened. But she'll do none of these things; she's as good as said so. She told me, with a delicious seriousness which took all idea of resistance clean out of me, that she meant to do a man's work for a man's wage. Now, Mr. Gibb, in this office I don't see how it's going to be done."

 

"I'm sure I don't."

 

"I don't do a man's work."

 

"No, sir, you don't."

 

"You do still less."

 

On this point Mr. Gibb was discreetly¹³ silent; he seemed to be turning something over in his mind, of which he presently gave Mr. Hooper the benefit.

 

"I think, sir, I've got an idea of something you might give Miss Lindsay to do."

 

"Let's have it; you know, Mr. Gibb, any pearls of wisdom which you may drop are always welcome."

 

"You remember, sir, when I first came you gave me some papers which you said I might copy when I'd nothing else to do."

 

"I have some dim recollection of something of the kind. Well, have they been copied?"

 

"No, sir, they haven't."

 

"How long have you had them?"

 

"Oh, rather more than two years."

 

"Then it's time they were copied. What papers are they?"

 

"I never could make out, and I don't think you could either; they're counsels' opinions, or judges' rulings, or something like that. I know when I asked you what they were you told me not to ask any questions; so I knew you didn't know."

 

"Mr. Gibb, you have a way of your own of arriving at conclusions. I think I recall those papers; they were here when I came into possession; they'd been stuffed up the chimney to keep out the draught¹⁴ or something."

 

"I was thinking, sir, if you could think of nothing else, that you might get Miss Lindsay to copy them."

 

"There's--there's something in the idea. Could we pass them off as genuine?"

 

"As how, sir?"

 

"Are they of an appearance, and character, which would enable us to induce Miss Lindsay to believe that they really are papers of importance?"

 

"I should think so, sir; I know it took me ever so long before I found them out."

 

"Ah; then it might take her a week. By that time we may have hit upon something else. Where are those papers?"

 

"They're in my desk."

 

"Then get them out of your desk. Have them cleaned, tidied, made presentable; Miss Lindsay shall commence on them as soon as she arrives. And I tell you something else I'll do. Miss Lindsay tells me she can work a typewriter."

 

"Can she?"

 

"I'll get her one. I think I should prefer to have good, clear typewritten copies of those papers, Mr. Gibb; they'll be so much more accessible for reference. I--I suppose a typewriter can be hired."

 

"Oh yes, sir; I believe from about half-a-crown a week."

 

"That doesn't seem to be a prohibitive figure; I'll hire one; I'll go out this afternoon to see about it. You see, Mr. Gibb, how one thing leads to another. I propose to increase my staff; the mere⁶ proposition adds materially to my own labours. I know no more about typewriters than I do about sewing-machines; of which I know nothing; so I foresee that my afternoon will be fully¹⁵ occupied. By the way, Mr. Gibb, a further point; you have found an idea which has been of assistance in one direction, perhaps you might find a second which would be of some service to me in another."

 

"What is it, sir?"

 

"As you put it to me, I take it that you will allow it to go no further; but, between ourselves, I have undertaken to pay Miss Lindsay, as jobbing secretary, since she proposes to do a man's work for a man's wage, an honorarium¹⁶ of two guineas a week."

 

"So she told me, sir."

 

"So she told you, did she? Oh! Then I suppose she expects to get it."

 

"I expect she does, sir."

 

"Then in that case I think that, perhaps, I had better make it perfectly¹⁷ clear to you how, precisely¹⁸, the land lies." From a drawer which he unlocked in his writing-table Mr. Hooper took three sovereigns and some silver; he displayed the coins to the best advantage on the table. "This choice, but small, collection of bullion¹⁹ has to last me, Mr. Gibb, to quarter day. There are still three clear weeks. I have to pay you thirty shillings; being three weeks' wages at ten shillings a week; out of the balance I have to pay Miss Lindsay six guineas, and keep myself; besides having to meet certain small liabilities which must be met. I should be glad, Mr. Gibb, if you would give me some idea of how it is to be done."

 

"I think, sir, if I were you, I should let me explain to Miss Lindsay."

 

"Explain what, Mr. Gibb?"

 

"What kind of gentleman you are."

 

"And pray, in your opinion, what kind of gentleman am I?"

 

"Well, considering how you've gone and done it with Miss Lindsay I shouldn't think you'd want much explaining, sir."

 

"That's true, Mr. Gibb, most true. Still, I'm curious to hear what you'd tell her."

 

"I wouldn't give you away, sir."

 

"Wouldn't you? Oh! What would you do?"

 

"I should simply tell her, sir, that you'd been thinking things over, and that you'd come to the conclusion that two guineas a week was too much to pay her at the start; and that you thought--should I say fifteen shillings ought to be enough at the beginning, sir?"

 

"Fifteen shillings! And I promised her two guineas!"

 

"Yes, sir, you promised her."

 

"What kind of a person do you suppose she'd think I am?"

 

"I don't see how it matters, sir."

 

"You don't see how it matters!"

 

"Well, sir, you can't pay her two guineas a week, no matter what she thinks of you; and you might manage to pay her fifteen shillings--somehow. I expect you'd find she'd sooner have fifteen shillings in cash than two guineas in promises."

 

"Mr. Gibb, you appear to have a high opinion of me."

 

"I have, sir; I couldn't have a higher."

 

"Couldn't you? you young scoundrel! Pray when did I make a promise to you which I didn't keep, to the letter?"

 

"When I came, sir, you gave me six shillings a week, now you give me ten; but there's a difference between ten shillings and two guineas."

 

"Yes, Mr. Gibb, and there's a difference between you and Miss Lindsay."

 

"Don't I know it, sir? There's all the difference in the world."

 

"As you say, there's all the difference in the world. Miss Lindsay is a divinity among women."

 

"That's exactly my opinion, sir; and has been from the first."

 

"It has been your opinion, has it, Mr. Gibb? Then allow me to inform you that when I enter into an undertaking²⁰ with--with a divinity among women, to do a certain thing, I do that thing. I have undertaken to pay Miss Lindsay two guineas a week; I will pay her two guineas a week. The money shall be found; I will find it. Be so good, Mr. Gibb, as to look up those papers you spoke²¹ about, and see that they are in a presentable condition, so that Miss Lindsay can begin on them directly she arrives."

 

1 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

2 assailed   

v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对

参考例句：

• He was assailed with fierce blows to the head. 他的头遭到猛烈殴打。
• He has been assailed by bad breaks all these years. 这些年来他接二连三地倒霉。 来自《用法词典》

3 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

4 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

5 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

6 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

7 pawning   

v.典当，抵押( pawn的现在分词 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch. 他正在考虑抵押他的手表。 来自辞典例句
• My clothes were excellent, and I had jewellery; but I never even thought of pawning them. 我的衣服是很讲究的，我有珠宝；但是我从没想到要把它们当掉。 来自辞典例句

8 pawned   

v.典当，抵押( pawn的过去式和过去分词 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• He pawned his gold watch to pay the rent. 他抵当了金表用以交租。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 phantom   

n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的

参考例句：

• I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她，好像她是一个幽灵。
• He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。

10 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

11 luring   

吸引，引诱（lure的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Cheese is very good for luring a mouse into a trap. 奶酪是引诱老鼠上钩的极好的东西。
• Her training warned her of peril and of the wrong, subtle, mysterious, luring. 她的教养警告她：有危险，要出错儿，这是微妙、神秘而又诱人的。

12 exacerbates   

n.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的名词复数 )v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Stripping the land in these ways allows faster surface runoff and exacerbates flooding. 这些做法终将使土地裸露、地表径流加快，从而加重了洪水的威胁。 来自辞典例句
• This policy exacerbates the gap between rich and poor. 这项政策加剧了贫富差距。 来自互联网

13 discreetly   

ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地

参考例句：

• He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇，一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
• Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么，有意避开了。

14 draught   

n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计

参考例句：

• He emptied his glass at one draught.他将杯中物一饮而尽。
• It's a pity the room has no north window and you don't get a draught.可惜这房间没北窗，没有过堂风。

15 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

16 honorarium   

n.酬金，谢礼

参考例句：

• Travel and hotel costs as well as an honorarium will be provided.我们提供旅费和住宿费以及酬金。
• A group of residents agreed to conduct the survey for a small honorarium.一部分居民同意去进行这样的一个调查，在支付一小点酬金的情况下。

17 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

18 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

19 bullion   

n.金条，银条

参考例句：

• In the London bullion market yesterday,the price of gold was steady.昨天伦敦金银市场黄金价格稳定。
• Police have launched a man-hunt for the bullion robbers.警方已大举搜捕抢劫金条的罪犯。

20 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

21 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。