As they walked up Charing1 Cross Road, he pointed2 out the Crabtree, and referred to the fact that at one time he had frequented it regularly. She stopped to look at its white-and-gold frontage. In enamel3 letters on the windows were the words: "Table d'hôte, 6 to 9, 1/6."
"Is it a good place?" she asked.
"The best in London—of that kind."
"Then let us dine there; I have often wanted to try a vegetarian4 restaurant."
Richard protested that she would not like it.
"How do you know? If you have been so often, why shouldn't I go once?" She smiled at him, and turned to cross the street; he hung back.
"But I only went for economy."
"Then we will only go for economy to-day."
He dangled5 before her the attractions of the French restaurant in Soho, but to no purpose. He was loth to visit the Crabtree. Most probably Miss Roberts would be on duty within, and he felt an inscrutable unwillingness6 to be seen by her with Adeline.... At last they entered. Looking through the glass doors which lead to the large, low-ceiled dining-room on the first floor, Richard saw that it was nearly empty, and that the cash-desk, where Miss Roberts was accustomed to sit, was for the moment unoccupied. He led the way in rather hurriedly, and selected places in a far corner. Although it was scarcely beginning to be dusk, the table electric lights were turned on, and their red shades made glimmering7 islands of radiance about the room.
Richard kept a furtive8 watch on the cash-desk; presently he saw Miss Roberts take her seat behind it, and shifted his glance to another quarter. He was preoccupied9, and answered at random10 Adeline's amused queries11 as to the food. Between the soup and the entrée they were kept waiting; and Adeline, Richard being taciturn, moved her chair in order to look round the room. Her roving eyes stopped at the cash-desk, left it, and returned to it. Then a scornful smile, albeit12 scarcely perceptible, appeared on her face; but she said nothing. Richard saw her glance curiously13 at the cash-desk several times, and he knew, too, that Miss Roberts had discovered them. In vain he assured himself that Miss Roberts was not concerned in his affairs; he could not dismiss a sensation of uneasiness and discomfort14. Once he fancied that the eyes of the two girls met, and that both turned away suddenly.
When the dinner was over, and they were drinking the coffee for which the Crabtree is famous, Adeline said abruptly,—
"I know someone here."
"The girl at the pay-desk,—Roberts, her name is."
"Where have you met her?" he inquired.
Adeline laughed inimically. He was startled, almost shocked, by the harsh mien17 which transformed her face.
"You remember one night, just before uncle died," she began, bending towards him, and talking very quietly. "Someone called while you and I were in the sitting-room18, to inquire how he was. That was Laura Roberts. She used to know uncle—she lives in our street. He made love to her—she didn't care for him, but he had money and she encouraged him. I don't know how far it went—I believe I stopped it. Oh! men are the strangest creatures. Fancy, she's not older than me, and uncle was over fifty!"
"Older than you, surely!" Richard put in.
"Well, not much. She knew I couldn't bear her, and she called that night simply to annoy me."
"What makes you think that?"
"Think! I know it.... But you must have heard of the affair. Didn't they talk about it at your office?"
"I believe it was mentioned once," he said hastily.
She leaned back in her chair, with the same hard smile. Richard felt sure that Miss Roberts had guessed they were talking about herself, and that her eyes were fixed19 on them, but he dared not look up for confirmation20; Adeline gazed boldly around her. They were antagonistic21, these two women, and Richard, do what he would, could not repress a certain sympathy with Miss Roberts. If she had encouraged Mr. Aked's advances, what of that? It was no mortal sin, and he could not appreciate the reason of Adeline's strenuous22 contempt for her. He saw a little gulf23 widening between himself and Adeline.
"What tremendously red hair that girl has!" she said, later on.
"Yes, but doesn't it look fine!"
"Ye-es," Adeline agreed condescendingly.
When he paid the bill, on the way out, Miss Roberts greeted him with an inclination24 of the head. He met her eye steadily25, and tried not to blush. As she checked the bill with a tapping pencil, he could not help remarking her face. Amiability26, candour, honesty, were clearly written on its attractive plainness. He did not believe that she had been guilty of running after Mr. Aked for the sake of his money. The tales told by Jenkins were doubtless ingeniously exaggerated; and as for Adeline, Adeline was mistaken.
"Good evening," Miss Roberts said simply, as they went out. He raised his hat.
"You know her, then!" Adeline exclaimed in the street.
"Well," he answered, "I've been going there, off and on, for a year or two, and one gets acquainted with the girls." His tone was rather petulant27. With a quick, winning smile, she changed the subject, and he suspected her of being artful.
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1
charing
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| n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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enamel
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| n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质 | |
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vegetarian
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| n.素食者；adj.素食的 | |
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dangled
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| 悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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unwillingness
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| n. 不愿意，不情愿 | |
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glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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8
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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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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random
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| adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动 | |
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queries
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| n.问题( query的名词复数 )；疑问；询问；问号v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的第三人称单数 )；询问 | |
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albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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fictitious
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| adj.虚构的，假设的；空头的 | |
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nonchalance
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| n.冷淡，漠不关心 | |
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mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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antagonistic
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| adj.敌对的 | |
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strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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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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petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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