"Oh! George!" said Lois querulously. "Are you going to play tennis? I wish I could! I'm so glad you came in; we'd no idea you were in the house, had we, Laurencine? Laurencine's giving me a tea-gown. Which of them do you prefer? It's no good me having one you don't like."
He had been unjust to her, then.
"It's really her birthday present," said Laurencine, "only a bit late. Oh! Dear! Darling, do sit down, you're standing8 too long."
Both Laurencine and the young woman in black regarded Lois with soft compassion9, and she sat down. Laurencine too was a mother. But she had retained her girlhood. She was a splendid, powerful, erect10 creature, handsome, with a frank, benevolent11, sane12 face, at the height of her physical perfection. George had a great fondness for her. Years earlier he had wondered how it was that he had not fallen in love with her instead of with Lois. But he knew the reason now. She lacked force of individuality. She was an adorer by instinct. She adored Lois; Lois could do no wrong. More strange, she adored her husband. Ingenuous13 simpleton! Yet wise! Another thing was that her mind was too pure. Instead of understanding, it rejected. It was a mind absolutely impregnable to certain phenomena14. And this girl still enjoyed musical comedies and their successors in vogue15, the revues!
"The Germans have taken Namur," George announced.
The news impressed. Even the young woman in black permitted herself by a facial gesture to show that she was interested in the war as well as in tea-gowns, and apart from its effect on tea-gowns.
"Oh! Dear!" murmured Laurencine.
"Is it serious?" Lois demanded.
"You bet it is!" George replied.
"But what's Sir John French doing, then? I say, Laurencine, I think I shall have that pale blue one, after all, if you don't mind." The black young woman went across to the piano and brought the pale blue one. "George, don't you think so?"
"Well, I can't judge if I don't see it on, can I?" he said, yielding superciliously18 to their mood. Women were incurable19. Namur had fallen, but the room was full of finery, and the finery claimed attention. And if Paris had fallen, it would have been the same. So he told himself. Nevertheless the spectacle of the heaped finery and its absorbed priestess was very agreeable. Lois rose. Laurencine and the priestess helped her to remove the white gown she wore, and to put on the blue one. The presence of the male somewhat disturbed the priestess, but the male had signified a wish and the wish was flattering and had to be fulfilled. George, cynically20, enjoyed her constraint21. He might at least have looked out of the window, but he would not.
"Yes, that's fine," he decided22 carelessly, when the operation was done. He did not care a pin which tea-gown Lois had.
"I knew you'd like it better," said Lois eagerly. The other two, in words or by demeanour, applauded his august choice.
The affair was over. The priestess began to collect her scattered23 stock into a light trunk. Behind her back, Lois took hold of Laurencine and kissed her fondly. Laurencine smiled, and persuaded Lois into a chair.
"You will of course keep that on, madam?" the priestess suggested.
"Oh yes, darling, you must rest, really!" said Laurencine earnestly.
"Thank you, madam."
In three minutes the priestess, bearing easily the trunk by a strap24, had gone, bowing. Lois's old tea-gown, flung across the head of the sofa, alone remained to brighten the furniture.
The drawing-room door opened again immediately, and a military officer entered. Laurencine sprang up with a little girlish scream and ran to him.
"Oh! Dearest! Have you got them already? You never told me you would have! How lovely you look!"
Blushing with pleasure and pride, she kissed him. It was Everard Lucas. Laurencine had come to Elm Park Road that afternoon with the first news that Everard, through a major known to his late mother, had been offered a com mission in a Territorial25 line regiment26. George, who saw Lucas but seldom, had not the slightest idea of this enormous family event, and he was astounded27; he had not been so taken back by anything perhaps for years. Lucas was rounder and his face somewhat coarser than in the past; but the uniform had created a new Lucas. It was beautifully made and he wore it well; it suited him; he had the fine military air of a regular; he showed no awkwardness, only a simple vanity.
"Don't you feel as if you must kiss him, Lois darling?" said Laurencine.
"Oh! I certainly must!" Lois cried, forgetting her woes28 in the new tea-gown and in the sudden ecstasy29 produced by the advent30 of an officer into the family.
"The children must see you before you go," said Lois.
"Madam, they shall see their uncle," Lucas answered. At any rate his agreeable voice had not coarsened. He turned to George: "What d'you think of it, George?"
"My boy, I'm proud of you," said George. In his tennis-flannels he felt like one who has arrived at an evening party in morning-dress. And indeed he was proud of Lucas. Something profound and ingenuous in him rose into his eyes and caused them to shine.
Lucas related his adventures with the tailor and other purveyors, and explained that he had to 'join his regiment' the next day, but would be able to remain in London for the present. George questioned him about his business affairs.
"No difficulty about that whatever!" said Lucas lightly. "The old firm will carry on as usual; Enwright and Orgreave will have to manage it between them; and of course they wouldn't dream of trying to cut off the spondulicks. Not that I should let that stop me if they did."
"Yes, it's all very well for you to talk like that!" said Lois, with a swift change of tone. "You've got partners to do your work for you, and you've got money.... Have you written to mother, Laurencine?"
"Of course, darling!" Laurencine answered eagerly, agreeing with her sister's differentiation34 between George and Everard. "No, not yet. But I'm going to to-night. Everard, we ought to be off."
" I've got a taxi outside," said Lucas.
"A taxi?" she repeated in a disappointed tone. And then, as an afterthought: "Well, I have to call at Debenham's."
The fact was that Laurencine wanted to be seen walking with her military officer in some well-frequented thoroughfare. They lived at Hampstead.
Lois rang the bell.
"Ask nurse to bring the children down, please—at once," she told the parlourmaid.
"So this is the new tea-gown, if I mistake not!" observed Lucas in the pause. " Très chic35 ! I suppose Laurencine's told you all about the chauffeur36 being run off with against his will by a passionate37 virgin38. I couldn't start the car this morning myself."
"You never could start a car by yourself, my boy," said George. "What's this about the passionate virgin?"
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1
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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monogram
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| n.字母组合 | |
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sardonic
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| adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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stylishly
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| adv.时髦地，新式地 | |
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fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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8
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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9
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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ingenuous
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| adj.纯朴的，单纯的；天真的；坦率的 | |
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phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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Vogue
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| n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的 | |
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16
deferentially
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| adv.表示敬意地，谦恭地 | |
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17
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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18
superciliously
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| adv.高傲地；傲慢地 | |
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19
incurable
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| adj.不能医治的，不能矫正的，无救的；n.不治的病人，无救的人 | |
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20
cynically
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| adv.爱嘲笑地，冷笑地 | |
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21
constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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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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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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24
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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territorial
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| adj.领土的，领地的 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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woes
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| 困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉 | |
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29
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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30
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 | |
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31
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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32
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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33
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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34
differentiation
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| n.区别，区分 | |
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35
chic
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| n./adj.别致(的)，时髦(的)，讲究的 | |
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36
chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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37
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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38
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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