Without giving himself time to dissipate his courage in reflection, he walked to the landing, and called down the stairs, “Hello, Auntie!”
Why should his tone have been self-conscious, forced? He was engaged in no crime. He had told his father where he was going, and his father had not contradicted his remark that even if both of them happened to be out together, the shop would take no harm under the sole care of Stifford for an hour in the quiet of Saturday afternoon.
“What did ye leave th’ front door open for?” his father demanded curtly9, and every room in the house heard the question.
“Was it open! All Trafalgar Road could have walked in and made themselves at home.”
Edwin stood leaning with his arms on the rail of the landing. Presently the visitors appeared at the foot of the stairs, and Darius climbed carefully, having first shaken the balustrade to make sure that it was genuine, stout11, and well-founded. Mrs Hamps followed, the fripperies of her elegant bonnet12 trembling, and her black gown rustling13. Edwin smiled at her, and she returned his smile with usurious interest. There was now a mist of grey in her fine hair.
“Oh, Edwin!” she began, breathing relief on the top stair. “What a beautiful house! Beautiful! Quite perfect! The latest of everything! Do you know what I’ve been thinking while your dear father has been showing me all this. So that’s the bathroom! Bless us! Hot! Cold! Waste! That cupboard under the lavatory14 is very handy, but what a snare15 for a careless servant! Maggie will have to look at it every day, or it’ll be used for anything and everything. You tell her what her auntie says... I was thinking—if but your mother could have seen it all!”
Father and son said nothing. Auntie Hamps sighed. She was the only person who ever referred to the late Mrs Clayhanger.
The procession moved on from room to room, Darius fingering and grunting16, Mrs Hamps discovering in each detail the fine flower of utter perfection, and Edwin strolling loosely in the wake of her curls, her mantle17, and her abundant black petticoats. He could detect the odour of her kid gloves; it was a peculiar18 odour that never escaped him, and it reminded him inevitably19 of his mother’s funeral.
He was glad that they had not arrived during the visit of Janet Orgreave.
“I’m sure you’re very grateful to your father, aren’t you, Edwin?” she majestically21 assumed, when she had admired passionately22 the window, the door, the pattern of the hearth-tiles, and the spaciousness23.
Edwin could not speak. Inquiries24 of this nature from Mrs Hamps paralysed the tongues of the children. They left nothing to be said. A sheepish grin, preceded by an inward mute curse, was all that Edwin could accomplish. How in heaven’s name could the woman talk in that strain? His attitude towards his auntie was assuredly hardening with years.
“What’s all this?” questioned his father suddenly, pointing to upright boards that had been fastened to the walls on either side of the mantelpiece, to a height of about three feet.
Then Edwin perceived the clumsiness of his tactics in remaining upstairs. He ought to have gone downstairs to meet his father and auntie, and left them to go up alone. His father was in an inquisitive25 mood.
“It’s for shelves,” he said.
“Shelves?”
“For my books. It’s Mr Orgreave’s idea. He says it’ll cost less.”
“Cost less! Mr Orgreave’s got too many ideas—that’s what’s the matter with him. He’ll idea me into the bankruptcy26 court if he keeps on.”
Edwin would have liked to protest against the savagery27 of the tone, to inquire firmly why, since shelves were necessary for books and he had books, there need be such a display of ill-temper about a few feet of deal plank28. The words were ready, the sentences framed in his mind. But he was silent. The door was locked on these words, but it was not Edwin who had turned the key; it was some force within him, over which he had no control.
Two.
“Now, now, father!” intervened Mrs Hamps. “You know you’ve said over and over again how glad you are he’s so fond of books, and never goes out. There isn’t a better boy in Bursley. That I will say, and to his face.” She smiled like an angel at both of them.
“You say! You say!” Darius remarked curtly, trying to control himself. A few years ago he would never have used such violent demeanour in her presence.
“And how much easier these shelves will be to keep clean than a bookcase! No polishing. Just a rub, and a wipe with a damp cloth now and then. And no dirt underneath29. They will do away with four corners, anyhow. That’s what I think of—eh, poor Maggie! Keeping all this clean. There’ll be work for two women night and day, early and late, and even then—But it’s a great blessing30 to have water on every floor, that it is! And people aren’t so particular nowadays as they used to be, I fancy. I fancy that more and more.” Mrs Hamps sighed, cheerfully bearing up.
Without a pause she stepped quickly across to Edwin. He wondered what she was at. She merely straightened down the collar of his coat, which, unknown to him, had treacherously31 allowed itself to remain turned up behind. It had probably been thus misbehaving itself since before dinner, when he had washed.
“Now, I do like my nephew to be tidy,” said Mrs Hamps affectionately. “I’m very jealous for my nephew.” She caressed32 the shoulders of the coat, and Edwin had to stand still and submit. “Let me see, it’s your birthday next month, isn’t it?”
“Yes, auntie.”
“Well, I know he hasn’t got a lot of money. And I know his father hasn’t any money to spare just now—what with all these expenses—the house—”
“I saw you the day before yesterday. My nephew didn’t see me, but his auntie saw him. Oh, never mind where. And I said to myself; ‘I should like my only nephew to have a suit a little better than that when he goes up and down on his father’s business. What a change it would be if his old auntie gave him a new suit for a birthday present this year!’”
“Oh, auntie.”
She spoke34 in a lower voice. “You come and see me to-morrow, and I shall have a little piece of paper in an envelope waiting for you. And you must choose something really good. You’ve got excellent taste, we all know that. And this will be a new start for you. A new year, and a new start, and we shall see how neat and spruce you’ll keep yourself in future, eh?”
Three.
It was insufferable. But it was fine. Who could deny that Auntie Clara was not an extraordinary, an original, and a generous woman? What a masterly reproof35 to both father and son! Perhaps not delicately administered. Yet Auntie Clara had lavished36 all the delicacy37 of her nature on the administering!
To Edwin, it seemed like an act of God in his favour. It seemed to set a divine seal on his resolutions. It was the most astonishing and apposite piece of luck that had ever happened to him. When he had lamely thanked the benefactor38, he slipped away as soon as he could. Already he could feel the crinkling of the five-pound note in his hand. Five pounds! He had never had a suit that cost more than fifty shillings. He slipped away. A great resolve was upon him. Shillitoe closed at four o’clock on Saturday afternoons. There was just time. He hurried down Trafalgar Road in a dream. And when he had climbed Duck Bank he turned to the left, and without stopping he burst into Shillitoe’s. Not from eagerness to enter Shillitoe’s, but because if he had hesitated he might never have entered at all: he might have slunk away to the old undistinguished tailor in Saint Luke’s Square. Shillitoe was the stylish39 tailor. Shillitoe made no display of goods, scorning such paltry40 devices. Shillitoe had wire blinds across the lower part of his window, and on the blinds, in gold, “Gentlemen’s tailor and outfitter. Breeches-maker.” Above the blind could be seen a few green cardboard boxes. Shillitoe made breeches for men who hunted. Shillitoe’s lowest price for a suit was notoriously four guineas. Shillitoe’s was the resort of the fashionable youth of the town and district. It was a terrific adventure for Edwin to enter Shillitoe’s. His nervousness was painful. He seemed to have a vague idea that Shillitoe might sneer41 at him. However, he went in. The shop was empty. He closed the door, as he might have closed the door of a dentist’s. He said to himself; “Well, I’m here!” He wondered what his father would say on hearing that he had been to Shillitoe’s. And what would Clara have said, had she been at home? Then Shillitoe in person came forward from the cutting-out room and Shillitoe’s tone and demeanour reassured42 him.
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1
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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2
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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intimidated
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| v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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crudity
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| n.粗糙，生硬；adj.粗略的 | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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9
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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lamely
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| 一瘸一拐地，不完全地 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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13
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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14
lavatory
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| n.盥洗室，厕所 | |
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15
snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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grunting
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| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
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mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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18
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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20
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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21
majestically
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| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
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22
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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23
spaciousness
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| n.宽敞 | |
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24
inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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25
inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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26
bankruptcy
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| n.破产；无偿付能力 | |
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27
savagery
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| n.野性 | |
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28
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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29
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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30
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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31
treacherously
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| 背信弃义地； 背叛地； 靠不住地； 危险地 | |
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32
caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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34
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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35
reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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36
lavished
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| v.过分给予，滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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38
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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39
stylish
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| adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的 | |
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40
paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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41
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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42
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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