It was a dry night, but very cloudy. Points of faint illumination, mysteriously travelling across the heavens and revealing the otherwise invisible cushioned surface of the clouds, alone showed that searchlights were at their work of watching over the heedless town. Entertainments had drawn8 in the people from the streets; motor-buses were half empty; implacable parcels-vans, with thin, exhausted9 boys scarcely descried10 on their rear perches11, forced the more fragile traffic to yield place to them. Footfarers were few, except on the north side of Coventry Street, where officers, soldiers, civilians12, police and courtesans marched eternally to and fro, peering at one another in the thick gloom that, except in the immediate13 region of a lamp, put all girls, the young and the ageing, the pretty and the ugly, the good-natured and the grasping, on a sinister14 enticing15 equality. And they were all, men and women and vehicles, phantoms16 flitting and murmuring and hooting17 in the darkness. And the violet glow-worms that hung in front of theatres and cinemas seemed to mark the entrances to unimaginable fastnesses, and the side streets seemed to lead to the precipitous edges of the universe where nothing was.
G.J. recognised Christine just beyond the knot of loiterers at the Piccadilly Tube. The improbable had happened. She was walking at what was for her a rather quick pace, purposeful and preoccupied18. For an instant the recognition was not mutual19; he liked the uninviting stare that she gave him as he stopped.
"It is thou?" she exclaimed, and her dimly-seen face softened20 suddenly into a delighted, adoring smile.
He was moved by the passion which she still had for him. He felt vaguely21 and yet acutely an undischarged obligation in regard to her. It was the first time he had met her in such circumstances. A constraint22 fell between them. In five minutes she would have been in her Promenade engaged upon her highly technical business, displaying her attractions while appearing to protect herself within a virginal timidity (for this was her natural method). In any case, even had he not set forth23 on purpose to find her, he could scarcely have accompanied her to the doors of the theatre and there left her to the night's routine. They both hesitated, and then, without a word, he turned aside and she followed close, acquiescent24 by training and by instinct. Knowing his sure instinct for what was proper, she knew at once that hazard had saved her from the night's routine, and she was full of quiet triumph. He, of course, though absolutely loyal to her, had for dignity's sake to practise the duplicity of pretending to make up his mind what he should do.
They went through the Tube station and were soon in one of the withdrawn25 streets between Coventry Street and Pall26 Mall East. The episode had somehow the air of an adventure. He looked at her; the hat was possibly rather large, but, in truth, she was the image of refinement27, delicacy, virtue28, virtuous29 surrender. He thought it was marvellous that there should exist such a woman as she. And he thought how marvellous was the protective vastness of the town, beneath whose shield he was free—free to live different lives simultaneously30, to make his own laws, to maintain indefinitely exciting and delicious secrecies31. Not half a mile off were Concepcion and Queen, and his amour was as safe from them as if he had hidden it in the depths of some hareemed Asiatic city.
Christine said politely:
"But I detain thee?"
"As for that," he replied, "what does that matter, after all?"
"Thou knowest," she said in a new tone, "I am all that is most worried. In this London they are never willing to leave you in peace."
"What is it, my poor child?" he asked benevolently32.
"They talk of closing the Promenade," she answered.
"Never!" he murmured easily, reassuringly33.
He remembered the night years earlier when, as a protest against some restrictive action of a County Council, the theatre of varieties whose Promenade rivalled throughout the whole world even the Promenade of the Folies-Bergère, shut its doors and darkened its blazing facade34, and the entire West End seemed to go into a kind of shocked mourning. But the next night the theatre had reopened as usual and the Promenade had been packed. Close the Promenades35! Absurd! Not the full bench of archbishops and bishops could close the Promenades! The thing was inconceivable, especially in war-time, when human nature was so human.
"But it is quite serious!" she cried. "Everyone speaks of it.... What idiots! What frightful36 lack of imagination! And how unjust! What do they suppose we are going to do, we other women? Do they intend to put respectable women like me on to the pavement? It is a fantastic idea! Fantastic!... And the night-clubs closing too!"
"There is always the other place."
"The Ottoman? Do not speak to me of the Ottoman. Moreover, that also will be suppressed. They are all mad." She gave a great sigh. "Oh! What a fool I was to leave Paris! After all, in Paris, they know what it is, life! However, I weary thee. Let us say no more about it."
She controlled her agitation37. The subject was excessively delicate, and that she should have expressed herself so violently on it showed the powerful reality of the emotion it had aroused in her. Unquestionably the decency38 of her livelihood39 was at stake. She had convinced him of the peril40. But what could he say? He could not say, "Do not despair. You are indispensable; therefore you will not be dispensed41 with. These crises have often arisen before, and they always end in the same manner. And are there not the big hotels, the chic42 cinemas, certain restaurants? Not to mention the clientèle which you must have made for yourself?" Such remarks were impossible. But not more impossible than the very basis of his relations with her. He was aware again of the weight of an undischarged obligation to her. His behaviour towards her had always been perfection, and yet was she not his creditor43? He had a conscience, and it was illogical and extremely inconvenient44.
At that moment a young man flew along the silent, shadowed street, and as he passed them shouted somewhat hysterically45 the one word:
"Zepps!"
Christine clutched his arm. They stood still.
"Do not be frightened," said G.J. with perfect tranquillity46.
"But I hear guns," she protested.
He, too, heard the distant sounds of guns, and it occurred to him that the sounds had begun earlier, while they were talking.
"I expect it's only anti-aircraft practice," he replied. "I seem to remember seeing a warning in the paper about there being practice one of these nights."
Christine, increasing the pressure on his arm and apparently47 trying to drag him away, complained:
"They ought to give warning of raids. That is elementary. This country is so bizarre."
"Oh!" said G.J., full of wisdom and standing48 his ground. "That would never do. Warnings would make panics, and they wouldn't help in the least. We are just as safe here as anywhere. Even supposing there is an air-raid, the chance of any particular spot being hit must be several million to one against. And I don't think for a moment there is an air-raid."
"Why?"
"Well, I don't," G.J. answered with calm superiority. The fact was that he did not know why he thought there was not an air-raid. To assume that there was not an air-raid, in the absence of proof positive of the existence of an air-raid, was with him constitutional: a state of mind precisely49 as illogical, biased50 and credulous51 as the alarmist mood which he disdained52 in others. Also he was lacking in candour, for after a few seconds the suspicion crept into his mind that there might indeed be an air-raid—and he would not utter it.
"In any case," said Christine, "they always give warning in Paris."
He thought:
"I'd better get this woman home," and said aloud: "Come along."
"But is it safe?" she asked anxiously.
He saw that she was the primeval woman, exactly like Concepcion and Queen. First she wanted to run, and then when he was ready to run she asked: "Is it safe?" And he felt very indulgent and comfortably masculine. He admitted that it would be absurd to expect the conduct of a frightened Christine to be governed by the operations of reason. He was not annoyed, because personally he simply did not care a whit53 whether they moved or not. While they were hesitating a group of people came round the corner. These people were talking loudly, and as they approached G.J. discerned that one of them was pointing to the sky.
"There she is! There she is!" shouted an eager voice. Seeing more human society in G.J. and Christine, the group stopped near them.
G.J. gazed in the indicated direction, and lo! there was a point of light in the sky.
And then guns suddenly began to sound much nearer.
"What did I tell you?" said another voice. "I told you they'd cleared the corner at the bottom of St. James's Street for a gun. Now they've got her going. Good for us they're shooting southwards."
Christine was shaking on G.J.'s arm.
"It's all right! It's all right!" he murmured compassionately54, and she tightened55 her clutch on him in thanks.
He looked hard at the point of light, which might have been anything. The changing forms of thin clouds continually baffled the vision.
"By god!" shouted the first voice. "She's hit. See her stagger? She's hit. She'll blaze up in a moment. One down last week. Another this. Look at her now. She's afire."
The group gave a weak cheer.
Then the clouds cleared for an instant and revealed a crescent. G.J. said:
"That's the moon, you idiots. It's not a Zeppelin."
Even as he spoke56 he wondered, and regretted, that he should be calling them idiots. They were complete strangers to him. The group vanished, crestfallen57, round another corner. G.J. laughed to Christine. Then the noise of guns was multiplied. That he was with Christine in the midst of an authentic58 air-raid could no longer be doubted. He was conscious of the wine he had drunk at the club. He had the sensation of human beings, men like himself, who ate and drank and laced their boots, being actually at that moment up there in the sky with intent to kill him and Christine. It was a marvellous sensation, terrible but exquisite59. And he had the sensation of other human beings beyond the sea, giving deliberate orders in German for murder, murdering for their lives; and they, too, were like himself, and ate and drank and either laced their boots or had them laced daily. And the staggering apprehension60 of the miraculous61 lunacy of war swept through his soul.
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1
eastwards
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| adj.向东方（的），朝东（的）；n.向东的方向 | |
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promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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chaste
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| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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perches
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| 栖息处( perch的名词复数 )； 栖枝； 高处； 鲈鱼 | |
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12
civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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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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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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enticing
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| adj.迷人的；诱人的 | |
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phantoms
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| n.鬼怪，幽灵( phantom的名词复数 ) | |
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17
hooting
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的现在分词 )； 倒好儿； 倒彩 | |
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18
preoccupied
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| adj.全神贯注的，入神的；被抢先占有的；心事重重的v.占据（某人）思想，使对…全神贯注，使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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19
mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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20
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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21
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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23
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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acquiescent
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| adj.默许的，默认的 | |
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25
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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27
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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28
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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29
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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30
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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31
secrecies
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| 保密（secrecy的复数形式） | |
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32
benevolently
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| adv.仁慈地，行善地 | |
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33
reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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facade
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| n.(建筑物的)正面，临街正面；外表 | |
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35
promenades
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| n.人行道( promenade的名词复数 )；散步场所；闲逛v.兜风( promenade的第三人称单数 ) | |
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36
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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37
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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38
decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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39
livelihood
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| n.生计，谋生之道 | |
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40
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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41
dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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42
chic
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| n./adj.别致(的)，时髦(的)，讲究的 | |
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43
creditor
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| n.债仅人，债主，贷方 | |
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44
inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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45
hysterically
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| ad. 歇斯底里地 | |
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46
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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47
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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48
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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49
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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50
biased
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| a.有偏见的 | |
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51
credulous
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| adj.轻信的，易信的 | |
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52
disdained
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| 鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
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53
whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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54
compassionately
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| adv.表示怜悯地，有同情心地 | |
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55
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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56
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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57
crestfallen
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| adj. 挫败的，失望的，沮丧的 | |
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58
authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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59
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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60
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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61
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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