“Give him a ha’porth o’ hokey,” said a derisive9 voice. “He hasn’t got a tooth in his head, but it wants no chewing, hokey does na’.” There was a general guffaw10 from the little rabble11 about the barrow.
“Aye! Give us some o’ that!” said the piping, silly voice of the old man. “But I mun’ get to that there platform, I’m telling ye. I’m telling all of ye.” He made a senile plunge12 against the body of the policeman, as against a moveless barricade13, and then his hat was awry14 and it fell off, and somebody lifted it into the air with a neat kick so that it dropped on the barrow. All laughed. The old man laughed.
“Now, old sodger,” said the hot policeman curtly15. “None o’ this! None o’ this! I advise ye civilly to be quiet; that’s what I advise ye. You can’t go on th’ platform without a ticket.”
“Nay!” piped the old man. “Don’t I tell ye I lost it down th’ Sytch!”
“And where’s yer rosette?”
“Never had any rosette,” the old man replied. “I’m th’ oldest Sunday-schoo’ teacher i’ th’ Five Towns. Aye! Fifty years and more since I was Super at Turnhill Primitive16 Sunday schoo’, and all Turnhill knows on it. And I’ve got to get on that there platform. I’m th’ oldest Sunday schoo’ teacher i’ th’ Five Towns. And I was Super—”
Two ribald youngsters intoned ‘Super, Super,’ and another person unceremoniously jammed the felt hat on the old man’s head.
“It’s nowt to me if ye was forty Supers,” said the policeman, with menacing disdain17. “I’ve got my orders, and I’m not here to be knocked about. Where did ye have yer last drink?”
“No wine, no beer, nor spirituous liquors have I tasted for sixty-one years come Martinmas,” whimpered the old man. And he gave another lurch18 against the policeman. “My name’s Shushions!” And he repeated in a frantic19 treble, “My name’s Shushions!”
“Go and bury thysen, owd gaffer!” a Herculean young collier advised him.
“Why,” murmured Hilda, with a sharp frown, “that must be poor old Mr Shushions from Turnhill, and they’re guying him! You must stop it. Something must be done at once.”
She jumped down feverishly20, and Edwin had to do likewise. He wondered how he should conduct himself so as to emerge creditably from the situation. He felt himself, and had always felt himself, to be the last man in the world capable of figuring with authority in a public altercation21. He loathed22 public altercations23. The name of Shushions meant nothing to him; he had forgotten it, if indeed he had ever wittingly heard it. And he did not at first recognise the old man. Descended24 from the barrel, he was merely an item in the loose-packed crowd. As, in the wake of Hilda, he pushed with false eagerness between stubborn shoulders, he heard the bands striking up again.
Two.
Approaching, he saw that the old man was very old. And then memory stirred. He began to surmise26 that he had met the wizened27 face before, that he knew something about it. And the face brought up a picture of the shop door and of his father standing28 beside it, a long time ago. He recalled his last day at school. Yes, of course! This was the old man named Shushions, some sort of an acquaintance of his father’s. This was the old man who had wept a surprising tear at sight of him, Edwin. The incident was so far off that it might have been recorded in history books. He had never seen Mr Shushions since. And the old man was changed, nearly out of recognition. The old man had lived too long; he had survived his dignity; he was now nothing but a bundle of capricious and obstinate29 instincts set in motion by ancient souvenirs remembered at hazard. The front of his face seemed to have given way in general collapse30. The lips were in a hollow; the cheeks were concave; the eyes had receded31; and there were pits in the forehead. The pale silvery straggling hairs might have been counted. The wrinkled skin was of a curious brown yellow, and the veins32, instead of being blue, were outlined in Indian red. The impression given was that the flesh would be unpleasant and uncanny to the touch. The body was bent33, and the neck eternally cricked backward in the effort of the eyes to look up. Moreover the old man was in a state of neglect. His beard alone proved that. His clothes were dirty and had the air of concealing34 dirt. And he was dressed with striking oddness. He wore boots that were not a pair. His collar was only fastened by one button, behind; the ends oscillated like wings; he had forgotten to fasten them in front; he had forgotten to put on a necktie; he had forgotten the use of buttons on all his garments. He had grown down into a child again, but Providence35 had not provided him with a nurse.
Worse than these merely material phenomena36, was the mumbling37 toothless gibber of his shrill38 protesting; the glassy look of idiocy39 from his fatigued40 eyes; and the inane41 smile and impotent frown that alternated on his features. He was a horrible and offensive old man. He was Time’s obscene victim. Edwin was revolted by the spectacle of the younger men baiting him. He was astonished that they were so short-sighted as not to be able to see the image of themselves in the old man, so imprudent as not to think of their own future, so utterly42 brutalised. He wanted, by the simple force of desire, to seclude43 and shelter the old man, to protect the old man not only from the insults of stupid and crass44 bullies45, but from the old man himself, from his own fatuous46 senility. He wanted to restore to him, by a benevolent47 system of pretences48, the dignity and the self-respect which he had innocently lost, and so to keep him decent to the eye, if not to the ear, until death came to repair its omission49. And it was for his own sake, for the sake of his own image, as much as for the sake of the old man, that he wanted to do this.
Three.
All that flashed through his mind and heart in a second.
“I know this old gentleman, at least I know him by sight,” Hilda was saying to the policeman. “He’s very well known in Turnhill as an old Sunday school teacher, and I’m sure he ought to be on that platform.”
Before her eye, and her precise and haughty50 voice, which had no trace of the local accent, the young policeman was secretly abashed51, and the louts fell back sheepishly.
“Yes, he’s a friend of my father’s,—Mr Clayhanger, printer,” said Edwin, behind her.
The old man stood blinking in the glare.
The policeman, ignoring Hilda, glanced at Edwin, and touched his cap.
“His friends hadn’t ought to let him out like this, sir. Just look at him.” He sneered52, and added: “I’m on point duty. If you ask me, I should say his friends ought to take him home.” He said this with a peculiar53 mysterious emphasis, and looked furtively54 at the louts for moral support in sarcasm55. They encouraged him with grins.
“He must be got on to the platform, somehow,” said Hilda, and glanced at Edwin as if counting absolutely on Edwin. “That’s what he’s come for. I’m sure it means everything to him.”
“Aye!” the old man droned. “I was Super when we had to teach ’em their alphabet and give ’em a crust to start with. Many’s the man walking about in these towns i’ purple and fine raiment as I taught his letters to, and his spellings, aye, and his multiplication56 table,—in them days!”
“That’s all very well, miss,” said the policeman, “but who’s going to get him to the platform? He’ll be dropping in a sunstroke afore ye can say knife.”
“Can’t we?” She gazed at Edwin appealingly.
At the same moment two rosettes bustled58 up authoritatively59. One of them was the burly Albert Benbow. For the first time Edwin was conscious of genuine pleasure at the sight of his brother-in-law. Albert was a born rosette.
“What’s all this? What’s this? What is it?” he asked sharply. “Hello! What? Mr Shushions!” He bent down and looked close at the old man. “Where you been, old gentleman?” He spoke60 loud in his ear. “Everybody’s been asking for you. Service is well-nigh over, but ye must come up.”
The old man did not appear to grasp the significance of Albert’s patronage61. Albert turned to Edwin and winked62, not only for Edwin’s benefit but for that of the policeman, who smiled in a manner that infuriated Edwin.
“Queer old stick!” Albert murmured. “No doing anything with him. He’s quarrelled with everybody at Turnhill. That’s why he wanted to come to us. And of course we weren’t going to refuse the oldest Sunday school teacher in th’ Five Towns. He’s a catch... Come along, old gentleman!”
Mr Shushions did not stir.
“Now, Mr Shushions,” Hilda persuaded him in a voice exquisitely64 mild, and with a lovely gesture she bent over him. “Let these gentlemen take you up to the platform. That’s what you’ve come for, you know.”
The transformation65 in her amazed Edwin, who could see the tears in her eyes. The tableau66 of the little, silly old man looking up, and Hilda looking down at him, with her lips parted in a heavenly invitation, and one gloved hand caressing67 his greenish-black shoulder and the other mechanically holding the parasol aloft,—this tableau was imprinted68 for ever on Edwin’s mind. It was a vision blended in an instant and in an instant dissolved, but for Edwin it remained one of the epochal things of his experience.
Hilda gave Edwin her parasol and quickly fastened Mr Shushions’s collar, and the old man consented to be led off between the two rosettes. The bands were playing the Austrian hymn69.
“Like to come up with your young lady friend?” Albert whispered to Edwin importantly as he went.
“Oh no, thanks.” Edwin hurriedly smiled.
“Now, old gentleman,” he could hear Albert adjuring70 Mr Shushions, and he could see him broadly winking71 to the other rosettes and embracing the yielding crowd in his wink63.
Thus was the doddering old fool who had given his youth to Sunday schools when Sunday schools were not patronised by princes, archbishops, and lord mayors, when Sunday schools were the scorn of the intelligent, and had sometimes to be held in public-houses for lack of better accommodation,—thus was he taken off for a show and a museum curiosity by indulgent and shallow Samaritans who had not even the wit to guess that he had sown what they were reaping. And Darius Clayhanger stood oblivious72 at a high window of the sacred Bank. And Edwin, who, all unconscious, owed the very fact of his existence to the doting73 imbecile, regarded him chiefly as a figure in a tableau, as the chance instrument of a woman’s beautiful revelation. Mr Shushions’s sole crime against society was that he had forgotten to die.
Four.
Hilda Lessways would not return to the barrels. She was taciturn, and the only remark which she made bore upon the advisability of discovering Janet and Mr Orgreave. They threaded themselves out of the moving crowd and away from the hokey-pokey stall and the barrels into the tranquillity74 of the market-place, where the shadow of the gold angel at the top of the Town Hall spire75 was a mere25 squat76 shapeless stain on the irregular paving-stones. The sound of the Festival came diminished from the Square.
“You’re very fond of poetry, aren’t you?” Edwin asked her, thinking, among many other things, of her observation upon the verse of Isaac Watts77.
“Of course,” she replied disagreeably. “I can’t imagine anybody wanting to read anything else.” She seemed to be ashamed of her kindness to Mr Shushions, and to wish to efface78 any impression of amiability79 that she might have made on Edwin. But she could not have done so.
“Well,” he said to himself, “there’s no getting over it. You’re the biggest caution I’ve ever come across!” His condition was one of various agitation80.
Then, just as they were passing the upper end of the Cock Yard, which was an archway, Mr Orgreave and Janet appeared in the archway.
“We’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“And so have we.”
“What have you been doing?”
“What have you been doing?”
Father and daughter were gay. They had not seen much, but they were gay. Hilda Lessways and Edwin were not gay, and Hilda would characteristically make no effort to seem that which she was not. Edwin, therefore, was driven by his own diffidence into a nervous light loquacity81. He began the tale of Mr Shushions, and Hilda punctuated82 it with stabs of phrases.
Mr Orgreave laughed. Janet listened with eager sympathy.
“Poor old thing! What a shame!” said Janet.
But to Edwin, with the vision of Hilda’s mercifulness in his mind, even the sympathy of Janet for Mr Shushions had a quality of uncomprehending, facile condescension83 which slightly jarred on him.
The steam-car loitered into view, discharged two passengers, and began to manoeuvre84 for the return journey.
“Oh! Do let’s go home by car, father!” cried Janet. “It’s too hot for anything!”
Edwin took leave of them at the car steps. Janet was the smiling incarnation of loving-kindness. Hilda shook hands grudgingly85. Through the windows of the car he saw her sternly staring at the advertisements of the interior. He went down the Cock Yard into Wedgwood Street, whence he could hear the bands again and see the pennons. He thought, “This is a funny way of spending a morning!” and wondered what he should do with himself till dinner-time. It was not yet a quarter past twelve. Still, the hours had passed with extraordinary speed. He stood aimless at the corner of the pavement, and people who, having had their fill of the sun and the spectacle in the Square, were strolling slowly away, saw a fair young man, in a stylish86 suit, evidently belonging to the aloof87 classes, gazing at nothing whatever, with his hands elegantly in his pockets.
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1
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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negligent
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| adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的 | |
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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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aristocrats
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| n.贵族( aristocrat的名词复数 ) | |
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vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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7
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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derisive
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| adj.嘲弄的 | |
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guffaw
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| n.哄笑；突然的大笑 | |
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rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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12
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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barricade
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| n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住 | |
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awry
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| adj.扭曲的，错的 | |
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15
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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16
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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18
lurch
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| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
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19
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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20
feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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altercation
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| n.争吵，争论 | |
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loathed
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| v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 )；极不喜欢 | |
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altercations
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| n.争辩，争吵( altercation的名词复数 ) | |
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24
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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wizened
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| adj.凋谢的；枯槁的 | |
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28
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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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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30
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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31
receded
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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32
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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33
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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34
concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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35
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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36
phenomena
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| n.现象 | |
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mumbling
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 ) | |
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38
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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idiocy
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| n.愚蠢 | |
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fatigued
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| adj. 疲乏的 | |
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inane
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| adj.空虚的，愚蠢的，空洞的 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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43
seclude
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| vi.使隔离，使孤立，使隐退 | |
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crass
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| adj.愚钝的，粗糙的；彻底的 | |
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bullies
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| n.欺凌弱小者, 开球 vt.恐吓, 威胁, 欺负 | |
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fatuous
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| adj.愚昧的；昏庸的 | |
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benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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pretences
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| n.假装( pretence的名词复数 )；作假；自命；自称 | |
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omission
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| n.省略，删节；遗漏或省略的事物，冗长 | |
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50
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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51
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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52
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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54
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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55
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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56
multiplication
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| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
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57
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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bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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59
authoritatively
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| 命令式地，有权威地，可信地 | |
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60
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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61
patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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62
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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63
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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64
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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65
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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66
tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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imprinted
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| v.盖印（imprint的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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hymn
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌 | |
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70
adjuring
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| v.（以起誓或诅咒等形式）命令要求( adjure的现在分词 )；祈求；恳求 | |
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71
winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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72
oblivious
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| adj.易忘的，遗忘的，忘却的，健忘的 | |
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doting
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| adj.溺爱的，宠爱的 | |
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tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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75
spire
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| n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点 | |
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76
squat
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| v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的 | |
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77
watts
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| （电力计量单位）瓦，瓦特( watt的名词复数 ) | |
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78
efface
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| v.擦掉，抹去 | |
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amiability
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| n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的 | |
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80
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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81
loquacity
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| n.多话，饶舌 | |
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82
punctuated
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| v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的过去式和过去分词 )；不时打断某事物 | |
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83
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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84
manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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85
grudgingly
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86
stylish
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| adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的 | |
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87
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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