Lady Harman wore the touch of crimson in her hair as her husband had desired, and the table was decorated simply with a big silver bowl of crimson roses. A slight shade of apprehension4 in Sir Isaac's face changed to approval at the sight of her obedience5. After all perhaps she was beginning to see the commonsense6 of her position.
Charterson struck her as looking larger, but then whenever she saw him he struck her as looking larger. He enveloped7 her hand in a large amiable8 paw for a minute and asked after the children with gusto. The large teeth beneath his discursive9 moustache gave him the effect of a perennial10 smile to which his asymmetrical11 ears added a touch of waggery. He always betrayed a fatherly feeling towards her as became a man who was married to a handsome wife old enough to be her mother. Even when he asked about the children he did it with something of the amused knowingness of assured seniority, as if indeed he knew all sorts of things about the children that she couldn't as yet even begin to imagine. And though he confined his serious conversation to the two other men, he would ever and again show himself mindful of her and throw her some friendly enquiry, some quizzically puzzling remark. Blenker as usual treated her as if she were an only very indistinctly visible presence to whom an effusive12 yet inattentive politeness was due. He was clearly nervous almost to the pitch of jumpiness. He knew he was to be spoken to about the sugar business directly he saw Charterson, and he hated being spoken to about the sugar business. He had his code of honour. Of course one had to make concessions14 to one's proprietors15, but he could not help feeling that if only they would consent to see his really quite obvious gentlemanliness more clearly it would be better for the paper, better for the party, better for them, far better for himself. He wasn't altogether a fool about that sugar; he knew how things lay. They ought to trust him more. His nervousness betrayed itself in many little ways. He crumbled16 his bread constantly until, thanks to Snagsby's assiduous replacement17, he had made quite a pile of crumbs18, he dropped his glasses in the soup—a fine occasion for Snagsby's sang-froid—and he forgot not to use a fish knife with the fish as Lady Grove19 directs and tried when he discovered his error to replace it furtively20 on the table cloth. Moreover he kept on patting the glasses on his nose—after Snagsby had whisked his soup plate away, rescued, wiped and returned them to him—until that feature glowed modestly at such excesses of attention, and the soup and sauces and things bothered his fine blond moustache unusually. So that Mr. Blenker what with the glasses, the napkin, the food and the things seemed as restless as a young sparrow. Lady Harman did her duties as hostess in the quiet key of her sombre dress, and until the conversation drew her out into unexpected questionings she answered rather than talked, and she did not look at her husband once throughout the meal.
At first the talk was very largely Charterson. He had no intention of coming to business with Blenker until Lady Harman had given place to the port and the man's nerves were steadier. He spoke13 of this and that in the large discursive way men use in clubs, and it was past the fish before the conversation settled down upon the topic of business organization and Sir Isaac, a little warmed by champagne21, came out of the uneasily apprehensive22 taciturnity into which he had fallen in the presence of his wife. Horatio Blenker was keenly interested in the idealization of commercial syndication, he had been greatly stirred by a book of Mr. Gerald Stanley Lee's called Inspired Millionaires which set out to show just what magnificent airs rich men might give themselves, and he had done his best to catch its tone and to find Inspired Millionaires in Sir Isaac and Charterson and to bring it to their notice and to the notice of the readers of the Old Country Gazette. He felt that if only Sir Isaac and Charterson would see getting rich as a Great Creative Act it would raise their tone and his tone and the tone of the Old Country Gazette tremendously. It wouldn't of course materially alter the methods or policy of the paper but it would make them all feel nobler, and Blenker was of that finer clay that does honestly want to feel nobler. He hated pessimism23 and all that criticism and self-examination that makes weak men pessimistic, he wanted to help weak men and be helped himself, he was all for that school of optimism that would have each dunghill was a well-upholstered throne, and his nervous, starry24 contributions to the talk were like patches of water ranunculuses trying to flower in the overflow25 of a sewer26.
Because you know it is idle to pretend that the talk of Charterson and Sir Isaac wasn't a heavy flow of base ideas; they hadn't even the wit to sham27 very much about their social significance. They cared no more for the growth, the stamina28, the spirit of the people whose lives they dominated than a rat cares for the stability of the house it gnaws29. They wanted a broken-spirited people. They were in such relations wilfully30 and offensively stupid, and I do not see why we people who read and write books should pay this stupidity merely because it is prevalent even the mild tribute of an ironical31 civility. Charterson talked of the gathering32 trouble that might lead to a strike of the transport workers in London docks, and what he had to say, he said,—he repeated it several times—was, "Let them strike. We're ready. The sooner they strike the better. Devonport's a Man and this time we'll beat 'em...."
He expanded generally on strikes. "It's a question practically whether we are to manage our own businesses or whether we're to have them managed for us. Managed I say!..."
"They know nothing of course of the details of organization," said Blenker, shining with intelligence and looking quickly first to the right and then to the left. "Nothing."
Sir Isaac broke out into confirmatory matter. There was an idea in his head that this talk might open his wife's eyes to some sense of the magnitude of his commercial life, to the wonder of its scale and quality. He compared notes with Charterson upon a speeding-up system for delivery vans invented by an American specialist and it made Blenker flush with admiration34 and turn as if for sympathy to Lady Harman to realize how a modification35 in a tailboard might mean a yearly saving in wages of many thousand pounds. "The sort of thing they don't understand," he said. And then Sir Isaac told of some of his own little devices. He had recently taken to having the returns of percentage increase and decrease from his various districts printed on postcards and circulated monthly among the district managers, postcards endorsed36 with such stimulating37 comments in red type as "Well done Cardiff!" or "What ails33 Portsmouth?"—the results had been amazingly good; "neck and neck work," he said, "everywhere"—and thence they passed to the question of confidential38 reports and surprise inspectors39. Thereby40 they came to the rights and wrongs of the waitress strike.
And then it was that Lady Harman began to take a share in the conversation.
She interjected a question. "Yes," she said suddenly and her interruption was so unexpected that all three men turned their eyes to her. "But how much do the girls get a week?"
"I thought," she said to some confused explanations by Blenker and Charterson, "that gratuities41 were forbidden."
Blenker further explained that most of the girls of the class Sir Isaac was careful to employ lived at home. Their income was "supplementary42."
"But what happens to the others who don't live at home, Mr. Blenker?" she asked.
"Very small minority," said Mr. Blenker reassuring43 himself about his glasses.
"But what do they do?"
Charterson couldn't imagine whether she was going on in this way out of sheer ignorance or not.
"Sometimes their fines make big unexpected holes in their week's pay," she said.
Sir Isaac made some indistinct remark about "utter nonsense."
"It seems to me to be driving them straight upon the streets."
The phrase was Susan's. Its full significance wasn't at that time very clear to Lady Harman and it was only when she had uttered it that she realized from Horatio Blenker's convulsive start just what a blow she had delivered at that table. His glasses came off again. He caught them and thrust them back, he seemed to be holding his nose on, holding his face on, preserving those carefully arranged features of himself from hideous44 revelations; his free hand made weak movements with his dinner napkin. He seemed to be holding it in reserve against the ultimate failure of his face. Charterson surveyed her through an immense pause open-mouthed; then he turned his large now frozen amiability45 upon his host. "These are Awful questions," he gasped46, "rather beyond Us don't you think?" and then magnificently; "Harman, things are looking pretty Queer in the Far East again. I'm told there are chances—of revolution—even in Pekin...."
Lady Harman became aware of Snagsby's arm and his steady well-trained breathing beside her as, tenderly almost but with a regretful disapproval47, he removed her plate....
8
If Lady Harman had failed to remark at the time the deep impression her words had made upon her hearers, she would have learnt it later from the extraordinary wrath48 in which Sir Isaac, as soon as his guests had departed, visited her. He was so angry he broke the seal of silence he had set upon his lips. He came raging into the pink bedroom through the paper-covered door as if they were back upon their old intimate footing. He brought a flavour of cigars and manly3 refreshment49 with him, his shirt front was a little splashed and crumpled50 and his white face was variegated51 with flushed patches.
"What ever d'you mean," he cried, "by making a fool of me in front of those fellers?... What's my business got to do with you?"
Lady Harman was too unready for a reply.
"I ask you what's my business got to do with you? It's my affair, my side. You got no more right to go shoving your spoke into that than—anything. See? What do you know of the rights and wrongs of business? How can you tell what's right and what isn't right? And the things you came out with—the things you came out with! Why Charterson—after you'd gone Charterson said, she doesn't know, she can't know what she's talking about! A decent woman! a lady! talking of driving girls on the street. You ought to be ashamed of yourself! You aren't fit to show your face.... It's these damned papers and pamphlets, all this blear-eyed stuff, these decadent52 novels and things putting narsty thoughts, narsty dirty thoughts into decent women's heads. It ought to be rammed53 back down their throats, it ought to be put a stop to!"
Sir Isaac suddenly gave way to woe54. "What have I done?" he cried, "what have I done? Here's everything going so well! We might be the happiest of couples! We're rich, we got everything we want.... And then you go harbouring these ideas, fooling about with rotten people, taking up with Socialism——Yes, I tell you—Socialism!"
He became white and grim. He emphasized his next words with a shaken finger.
"It's got to end, my lady. It's going to end sooner than you expect. That's all!..."
He paused at the papered door. He had a popular craving56 for a vivid curtain and this he felt was just a little too mild.
"It's going to end," he repeated and then with great violence, with almost alcoholic57 violence, with the round eyes and shouting voice and shaken fist and blaspheming violence of a sordid58, thrifty59 peasant enraged60, "it's going to end a Damned Sight sooner than you expect."
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1
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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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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manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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commonsense
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| adj.有常识的；明白事理的；注重实际的 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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discursive
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| adj.离题的，无层次的 | |
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perennial
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| adj.终年的；长久的 | |
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asymmetrical
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| adj.不均匀的，不对称的 | |
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effusive
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| adj.热情洋溢的；感情(过多)流露的 | |
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13
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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14
concessions
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| n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权 | |
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proprietors
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| n.所有人，业主( proprietor的名词复数 ) | |
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16
crumbled
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| （把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏 | |
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17
replacement
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| n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品 | |
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18
crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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21
champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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pessimism
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| n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者 | |
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24
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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25
overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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sewer
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| n.排水沟，下水道 | |
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27
sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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28
stamina
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| n.体力；精力；耐力 | |
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29
gnaws
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| 咬( gnaw的第三人称单数 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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30
wilfully
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| adv.任性固执地；蓄意地 | |
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31
ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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32
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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33
ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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34
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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35
modification
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| n.修改，改进，缓和，减轻 | |
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36
endorsed
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| vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品 | |
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37
stimulating
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| adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的 | |
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38
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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39
inspectors
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| n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官 | |
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40
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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41
gratuities
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| n.报酬( gratuity的名词复数 )；小账；小费；养老金 | |
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42
supplementary
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| adj.补充的，附加的 | |
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43
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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44
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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45
amiability
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| n.和蔼可亲的，亲切的，友善的 | |
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46
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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47
disapproval
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| n.反对，不赞成 | |
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48
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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49
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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50
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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51
variegated
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| adj.斑驳的，杂色的 | |
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52
decadent
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| adj.颓废的，衰落的，堕落的 | |
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53
rammed
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| v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输 | |
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54
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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55
pathos
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| n.哀婉，悲怆 | |
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56
craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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57
alcoholic
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| adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者 | |
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58
sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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59
thrifty
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| adj.节俭的；兴旺的；健壮的 | |
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60
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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