Some forty years previously19 he had been a college friend of Edermont's, and in due course had taken orders, but either from lack of brains, or of eloquence20, or perhaps from his Quilpish looks, he had failed to gain as much as a curacy. In lieu thereof he had earned a bare subsistence by making notes in the British Museum for various employers, and it was while thus engaged that Edermont had chanced upon him again; out of sheer pity the owner of the Red House had taken the unlucky Joad to Kent, and there permitted him to potter about library and garden--a vegetable existence which completely satisfied the unambitious brain of the creature. He was devoted21 to the god who had given him this ease.
But the odd part of the arrangement was that Edermont would not permit his hanger-on to remain in the house at night. Punctually at nine Mr. Joad betook himself to the small cottage fronting the gates, and there ate and slept until nine the next morning, when he presented himself again in the library, to read, and dust, and arrange, and catalogue the many books. For twenty years this contract had been faithfully carried out by the pair of college friends. From nine to nine daylight Joad haunted the house; from nine to nine darkness he remained in his tumbledown cottage.
Being now on duty, he admitted Dora and her lover, and after closing the gates, stood staring at them; with a book hugged to his breast, and a cunning look in his eyes. His swollen22 and red nose suggested snuff; his trembling hands and bloodshot eyes, drink; so that on the whole he was by no means a pleasant spectacle to behold23. Dora threw a look of disgust on this disreputable, dirty Silenus, whom she particularly disliked, and addressed him sharply, according to custom.
"Where is Mr. Edermont?" said she, stepping back from his immediate24 neighbourhood; "I have brought Dr. Scott to see him."
"Julian is still in his bedroom," replied this Silenus in a voice of surprising beauty and volume; "but he does not wish to see anyone, least of all a doctor."
"Oh, never mind that, Mr. Joad," said Allen good-humouredly. "I come as a friend to inquire after the health of Mr. Edermont."
"I quite understand," grunted25 the other; "you will make medical suggestions in the guise26 of friendly remarks. So like your father, that is."
"My father, Mr. Joad? Did you know him?" asked Scott, considerably27 astonished.
"Yes; I do not think," added Joad, with a spice of maliciousness28, "that you had that advantage."
"He died when I was five years old," replied Allen sadly, "so I remember him very slightly. But it is strange that I should have known you all these months without becoming aware of the fact that you were acquainted with my father."
"All this is beside the point," broke in Dora severely30. "I want you to see Mr. Edermont. Afterwards you can talk to Mr. Joad."
"I shall be glad to do so. There are many things I wish to know about my father."
"Then, why ask me, Dr. Scott, when Julian is at hand?"
"In that case," said Joad, with great deliberation, "I should ask Lady Burville."
The young man was so startled by this speech that for the moment he could say nothing. By the time he had recovered his tongue Joad was already halfway33 across the lawn. Scott would have followed him, but that Dora laid a detaining hand upon his arm.
"Later on, Allen," she said firmly; "in the meantime, see my guardian."
"But, Dora, Lady Burville's name again hints----"
"It hints at all manner of strange things, Allen. I know that as well as you do. I tell you what, my dear: the coming of this woman is about to cause a change in our lives."
"Dora! On what grounds do you base such a supposition?"
"On the grounds that you know," she returned distinctly. "I can give you no others. But I have a belief, a premonition--call it what you will--that Lady Burville's coming is the herald34 of change. If you would know more, ask Mr. Edermont who she is, and why he fainted at the sight of her."
By this time they were standing35 on the steps of the porch, whence the wings of mellow36 red brick spread to right and left, facing the sunlit lawn. Square-framed windows extended along this front above and below, and an upper one of these over the porch was wide open. As Allen and Dora stood by the steps, a wild white face peered out and saw them in the sunlight. Had they looked up they would have seen Mr. Edermont, and have refrained from further conversation. But Fate so willed it that they talked on, unconscious of a listener. It was Allen who reopened the subject of his new patient, who had been referred to both by Edermont and Joad in so mysterious a way.
"After all," said Allen meditatively37, "I do not see why you should have a premonition of change. That Lady Burville should know Mr. Edermont is nothing to you."
"Quite so; but that Lady Burville should know something about your late father is something to you. Did she mention anything about it this morning?"
"Not a word," he replied; "it was strange that she should not have done so."
"Not stranger than that you should have been called in to attend her."
"I don't think so," said Dora deliberately39; "at least, not in the face of Mr. Joad's remark."
Dr. Scott looked puzzled.
"What do you make out of this Lady Burville?" he asked.
"Do not talk any more of that woman," cried Mr. Edermont with a tremor41 in his tones. "Come upstairs, Allen; I have something for your private ear."
And then they heard the window hastily closed, as though Mr. Edermont were determined42 that the forthcoming conversation should be as private as possible.
"Go up at once, Allen," whispered Dora, pushing him towards the door. "You speak to my guardian, and I shall question Mr. Joad about Lady Burville. Mind, you must tell me all that Mr. Edermont says to you."
"There may not be anything to tell," said Allen doubtfully.
Dora looked at him seriously.
"I am sure that what is told will change your life and mine," she said.
"Dora! you know something?"
"Allen, I know nothing; I am going simply by my premonition."
"I am not superstitious43," said Scott, and entered the house.
He was not superstitious, as he stated; yet at that moment he might well have been so, for in the mere44 act of ascending45 the stairs he was entering on a dark and tortuous46 path, at the end of which loomed47 the shadow of death.
When his gray tweeds vanished up the stairs, Dora turned her eyes in the direction of Mr. Joad. He was seated in a straw chair under a cedar-tree, and looked a blot48 on the loveliness of the view. All else was blue sky and stretches of emerald green, golden sunshine, and multicoloured flowers; this untidy, disreputable creature, a huddled49 up mass of dingy50 black, seemed out of place. But, for all that, Dora was glad he was within speaking distance, and alone. So to speak, he was the key to the problem which was then perplexing her--the problem of her premonition.
That a healthy, breezy young woman should possess so morbid51 a fancy seems unreasonable52; and Dora took this view of the matter herself. She was troubled rarely by forebodings, by premonitions, or vague fears; nevertheless, there was a superstitious side to her character. Hitherto, in her tranquil53 and physically54 healthy existence, there had been no chance for the development of this particular side; but now, from various causes, it betrayed itself in a feeling of depression. Mr. Edermont's fainting and mention of Lady Burville; that lady's fainting and anxiety concerning the recluse55; and finally, Mr. Joad's assertion that Lady Burville had known Allen's father--all these facts hinted that something was about to happen. Dora did not know what the something could possibly be, but she felt vaguely56 that it would affect the lives of herself and her lover. Therefore she was anxious to know the worst at once, and accordingly, going out to meet her troubles, she walked forward to the Silenus on the lawn.
Joad saw her coming, and looked up with what was meant to be a fascinating smile. This disreputable old creature had the passions of youth in spite of his age, and in his senile way he greatly admired the ward31 of his patron. His admiration57 took the annoying form of constantly forestalling58 her wishes. If Dora wanted a book, a paper, a chair, a bunch of flowers, Joad was always at hand to supply her wants. At first she accepted these attentions carelessly enough, deeming them little but the kindly59 pertinacities of an amiable60 old man; but of late she had found Joad and his attentions rather troublesome. Moreover, his obsequious61 demeanour, his leers, his oily courtesies, made her feel uneasy. Nevertheless, she did not dream that the old creature was in love with her beauty. So absurd an idea never entered her head. But Joad was in love, for all that, and cherished ardently62 his hopeless passion.
"Dear Miss Carew," cried the old man, ignoring the question, and rising to his feet, "pray be seated in this chair. The sun is hot, but here you will be out of the glare."
"Never mind about the glare and the chair," said Dora, making an unconscious rhyme; "I asked you a question. Who is Lady Burville?"
"Lady Burville?" repeated Joad, seeing he could no longer escape answering; "let me see. Mr. Pride said something about her. Oh yes: she is the wife of Sir John Burville, the celebrated64 African millionaire, and I believe she is the guest of Sir Harry65 Hernwood at the Hall."
"Go on," said Dora, seeing that he paused; "what else do you know?"
"Nothing. What I repeated was only Pride's gossip. I am ignorant of the lady's history. And if you come to that, Miss Dora," added Joad with a grotesque66 smile, "why should I not be ignorant?"
"But you hinted that Lady Burville knew Allen's father," persisted Dora, annoyed by his evasion67 of her question.
"Did I?" said Joad, suddenly conveying a vacant expression into his eyes. "I do not remember, Miss Dora. If I did, I was not thinking of what I was saying."
"Why should I, Miss Dora? If I knew anything about this lady I would tell you willingly; but it so happens that I know nothing."
"You spoke as though you knew a good deal, retorted Dora angrily.
It was little wonder that he asked the question, for Edermont had opened his window again, and was hanging out of it crying and gesticulating like some terrible Punch.
Joad shuffled71 towards the house as quickly as his old legs could take him. He was followed by the astonished Dora, and they were about to step into the entrance-hall, when Allen Scott came flying down the stairs. He was wild-eyed, breathless, and as gray in hue as the clothes he wore.
"Don't stop me, for God's sake!" said the doctor hoarsely73, and avoiding her outstretched hand, he fled hastily down the garden-path. A click of the gate, which had not been locked by Joad, and he vanished from their sight.
Dora stared at Joad; he looked back at her with a malicious29 grin at the flight of her lover, and overhead, at the open window, they heard the hysterical74 sobbing75 of Julian Edermont.
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1
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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factotum
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| n.杂役；听差 | |
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parasite
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| n.寄生虫；寄生菌；食客 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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verging
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| 接近，逼近（verge的现在分词形式） | |
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bland
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| adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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pendulous
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| adj.下垂的；摆动的 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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redeemed
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| adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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12
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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sparsely
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| adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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adornment
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| n.装饰；装饰品 | |
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18
vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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19
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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21
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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22
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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23
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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25
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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26
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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27
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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maliciousness
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| [法] 恶意 | |
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malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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31
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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32
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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34
herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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35
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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36
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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37
meditatively
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| adv.冥想地 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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40
spoke
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| 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 | |
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41
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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42
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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43
superstitious
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| adj.迷信的 | |
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44
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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45
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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tortuous
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| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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47
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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48
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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49
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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50
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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51
morbid
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| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
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52
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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53
tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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54
physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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55
recluse
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| n.隐居者 | |
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56
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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57
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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58
forestalling
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| v.先发制人，预先阻止( forestall的现在分词 ) | |
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59
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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obsequious
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| adj.谄媚的，奉承的，顺从的 | |
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62
ardently
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| adv.热心地，热烈地 | |
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63
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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64
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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65
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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66
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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67
evasion
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| n.逃避，偷漏(税) | |
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68
wilfully
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| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
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69
random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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70
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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71
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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72
recoiling
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| v.畏缩( recoil的现在分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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73
hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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74
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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75
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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