"Just come here, Miss Share," he began, and then, seeing that Millicent was not at her desk, he appeared to decide that he might as well speak with Lilian where she was.
He had been away from the office most of the day, and even during his presences had seemingly taken no part in its conduct. Much work had been received, some of it urgent, and Lilian, typing at her best speed, had the air of stopping with reluctance1 to listen to whatever the useless and wandering man might have to say. He merely said:
"We shall close to-night, like last night."
"Oh, but, Mr. Grig," Lilian protested--and there was no sign of a tear this time--"we can't possibly keep on closing. We had one complaint this morning about being closed last night. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you."
"Now listen to me," Mr. Grig protested in his turn, petulantly3. "Nothing worries me more than the idea that people are keeping things from me in order that I shan't be worried. My sister was always doing that; she was incurable4, but I'm not going to have it from anyone else. If you hide things, why are you silly enough to let out afterwards that you were hiding them and why you were hiding them? That's what I can't understand."
"Sorry, Mr. Grig," Lilian apologized briefly5 and with sham6 humility7, humouring the male in such a manner that he must know he was being humoured.
His petulancy charmed her. It gave him youth, and gave her age and wisdom. He had good excuse for it--Miss Grig had been moved into a nursing home preparatory to an operation, and Gertie was stated to be very ill in his house--and she enjoyed excusing him. It was implicit8 in every tone of his voice that they were now definitely not on terms of employer and employee.
"That's all right! That's all right!" he said, mollified by her discreet9 smile. "But close at six. I'm off."
"I really don't think we ought to close," she insisted, with firmness in her voice followed by persuasion10 in her features, and she brushed back her hair with a gesture of girlishness that could not be ineffective. He hesitated, frowning. She went on: "If it gets about that we're closing night after night, we're bound to lose a lot of customers. I can perfectly11 well stay here."
"Yes! And be no use at all to-morrow!"
"I should be here to-morrow just the same. If other girls can do it, why can't I?" (A touch of harshness in the question.) "Oh, Milly!" she exclaimed, neglecting to call Milly Miss Merrislate, according to the custom by which in talking to the principals everybody referred to everybody else as "Miss." "Oh, Milly!"--Millicent appeared behind Mr. Grig at the door and he nervously12 made way for her--"here's Mr. Grig wants to close again to-night! I'm sure we really oughtn't to. I've told Mr. Grig I'll stay--and be here to-morrow too. Don't you agree we mustn't close?"
Millicent was flattered by the frank appeal as an equal from one whom she was already with annoyance13 beginning to regard as a superior. From timidity in Mr. Grig's presence she looked down her too straight nose, but she nodded affirmatively her narrow head, and as soon as she had recovered from the disturbing novelty of deliberately14 opposing the policy of an employer she said to Lilian:
"I'll stay with you if you like. There's plenty to do, goodness knows!"
"You are a dear!" Lilian exclaimed, just as if they had been alone together in the room.
"Oh, well, have it as you like!" Mr. Grig rasped, and left, defeated.
"Of course not! He's very pleased, really. But he has to save his face."
Milly gave Lilian a scarcely conscious glance of admiration16, as a woman better versed17 than herself in the mysteries of men, and also as a woman of unsuspected courage. And she behaved like an angel through the whole industrious18 night--so much so that Lilian was nearly ready to admit to an uncharitable premature19 misjudgment of the girl.
"And now what are you going to do about keeping open?" inquired Mr. Grig, with bland21, grim triumph the next afternoon to the exhausted22 Lilian and the exhausted Millicent. "I thought I'd let you have your own way last night. But you can't see any further than your noses, either of you. You're both dead."
"I can easily stay up another night," said Lilian desperately23, but Millicent said nothing.
"No doubt!" Mr. Grig sneered24. "You look as if you could! And supposing you do, what about to-morrow night? The whole office is upset, and, of course, people must go and choose just this time to choke us with work!"
"No!" Mr. Grig unexpectedly agreed. "Miss Merrislate, you know most about the large room. You'd better pick two of 'em out of there, and tell 'em they must stay and do the best they can by themselves. But that won't carry us through. I certainly shan't sit up, and I won't have you two sitting up every second night in turn. There's only one thing to do. I must engage two new typists at once--that's clear. We may as well face the situation. Where do we get 'em from?"
But neither Lilian nor Milly knew just how Miss Grig was in the habit of finding recruits to the staff. Each of them had been taken on through private connexions. Gertie Jackson would probably have known how to proceed, but Gertie was down with influenza26.
"I'll tell you what I shall do," said Mr. Grig at last. "I'll get an advertisement into to-morrow's Daily Chronicle. That ought to do the trick. This affair's got to be handled quickly. When the applicants27 come you'd better deal with 'em, Miss Share--in my room. I shan't be here to-morrow."
He spoke28 scornfully, and would not listen to offers of help in the matter of the advertisement. He would see to it himself, and wanted no assistance, indeed objected to assistance as being merely troublesome. The next day was the day of Miss Grig's operation, and the apprehension30 of it maddened this affectionate and cantankerous31 brother. Millicent left the small room to bestow32 upon two chosen members of the rabble33 in the large room the inexpressible glory of missing a night's sleep.
On the following morning, when Lilian, refreshed, arrived zealously35 at the office half an hour earlier than usual, she found three aspirants36 waiting to apply for the vacant posts. The advertisement had been drawn37 up and printed; the newspaper had been distributed and read, and the applicants, pitifully eager, had already begun to arrive from the ends of London. Sitting in Miss Grig's chair, Lilian nervously interviewed and examined them. One of the three gave her age as thirty-nine, and produced yellowed testimonials. By ten o'clock twenty-three suitors had come, and Lilian, frightened by her responsibilities, had impulsively38 engaged a couple, who took off hats and jackets and began to work at once. She had asked Millicent to approve of the final choice, but Millicent, intensely jealous and no longer comparable to even the lowest rank of angel, curtly39 declined.
"You're in charge," Millicent said acidly. "Don't you try to push it on to me, Miss Lilian Share."
Aspirants continued to arrive. Lilian had the clever idea of sticking a notice on the outer door: "All situations filled. No typists required." But aspirants continued to enter, and all of them averred40 positively41 that they had not seen the notice on the door. Lilian told a junior to paste four sheets of typing paper together, and she inscribed42 the notice on the big sheet in enormous characters. But aspirants continued to enter, and all of them averred positively that they had not seen the notice on the door. It was dreadful, it was appalling43, because Lilian was saying to herself: "I may be like them one day." Millicent, on the other hand, disdained44 the entire procession, and seized the agreeable rôle of dismissing applicants as fast as they came.
In the evening Mr. Grig appeared. The operation had been a success. Gertie Jackson was, if anything, a little worse; but the doctor anticipated an improvement. Mr. Grig showed not the least interest in his business. Lilian took the night duty alone.
Thenceforward the office settled gradually into its new grooves45, and, though there was much less efficiency than under Miss Grig, there was little friction46. Everybody except Millicent regarded Lilian as the grand vizier, and Millicent's demeanour towards Lilian was by turns fantastically polite and fantastically indifferent.
A fortnight passed. The two patients were going on well, and it was stated that there was a possibility of them being sent together to Felixstowe for convalescence47. Mr. Grig's attendance grew more regular, but he did little except keep the books and make out the bills; in which matter he displayed a facility that amazed Lilian, who really was not a bit arithmetical.
One day, entering the large room after hours, Lilian saw Millicent typing on a machine not her own. As she passed she read the words: "My darling Gertie. I simply can't tell you how glad I was to get your lovely letter." And it flashed across her that Millicent would relate all the office doings to Gertie, who would relate them to Miss Grig. She had a spasm48 of fear, divining that Millicent would misrepresent her. In what phrases had Millicent told that Lilian had sat in Miss Grig's chair and interviewed applicants for situations! Was it not strange that Gertie had not written to her, Lilian, nor she even thought of writing to Gertie? Too late now for her to write to Gertie! A few days later Mr. Grig said to Lilian in the small room:'
"You're very crowded here, aren't you?"
The two new-comers had been put into the small room, being of a superior sort and not fitted to join the rabble.
"Oh, no!" said Lilian. "We're quite comfortable, thank you."
"You don't seem to be very comfortable. It occurs to me it would be better in every way if you brought your machine into my room."
"I should prefer to stay where I am," Lilian answered, not smiling. What a letter Millicent would have written in order to describe Lilian's promotion49 to the principals' room!
"Oh! As you like!" he muttered huffily, instead of recognizing by his tone that Lilian was right. But the next moment he repeated, very softly and kindly51: "As you like! It's for you to decide." He had not once shown the least appreciation52 of, or gratitude53 for, Lilian's zeal34. On the contrary, he had been in the main querulous and censorious. But she did not mind. She was richly rewarded by a single benevolent54 inflection of that stirring voice. She seemed to have forgotten that she was born for pleasure, luxury, empire. Work fully29 satisfied her, but it was work for him. The mere2 suggestion that she should sit in his room filled her with deep joy.
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1
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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petulantly
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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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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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implicit
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| a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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versed
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| adj. 精通，熟练 | |
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industrious
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| adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的 | |
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premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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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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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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influenza
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| n.流行性感冒，流感 | |
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applicants
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| 申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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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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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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cantankerous
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| adj.爱争吵的，脾气不好的 | |
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bestow
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| v.把…赠与，把…授予；花费 | |
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rabble
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| n.乌合之众，暴民；下等人 | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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zealously
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| adv.热心地；热情地；积极地；狂热地 | |
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36
aspirants
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| n.有志向或渴望获得…的人( aspirant的名词复数 )v.渴望的，有抱负的，追求名誉或地位的( aspirant的第三人称单数 )；有志向或渴望获得…的人 | |
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37
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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40
averred
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| v.断言( aver的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；证明…属实；作为事实提出 | |
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41
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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42
inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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43
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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44
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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45
grooves
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| n.沟( groove的名词复数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏 | |
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46
friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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47
convalescence
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| n.病后康复期 | |
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48
spasm
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| n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作 | |
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49
promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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50
obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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51
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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52
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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53
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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54
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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