The line of action which Psmith had called Stout1 Denial is anexcellent line to adopt, especially if you really are innocent, but itdoes not lead to anything in the shape of a bright and snappy dialoguebetween accuser and accused. Both Mike and the headmaster wereoppressed by a feeling that the situation was difficult. Theatmosphere was heavy, and conversation showed a tendency to flag. Theheadmaster had opened brightly enough, with a summary of the evidencewhich Mr. Downing had laid before him, but after that a massivesilence had been the order of the day. There is nothing in this worldquite so stolid2 and uncommunicative as a boy who has made up his mindto be stolid and uncommunicative; and the headmaster, as he sat andlooked at Mike, who sat and looked past him at the bookshelves, feltawkward. It was a scene which needed either a dramatic interruption ora neat exit speech. As it happened, what it got was the dramaticinterruption.
The headmaster was just saying, "I do not think you fully3 realise,Jackson, the extent to which appearances--" --which was practicallygoing back to the beginning and starting again--when there was a knockat the door. A voice without said, "Mr. Downing to see you, sir," andthe chief witness for the prosecution4 burst in.
"I would not have interrupted you," said Mr. Downing, "but----""Not at all, Mr. Downing. Is there anything I can----?""I have discovered--I have been informed--In short, it was notJackson, who committed the--who painted my dog."Mike and the headmaster both looked at the speaker. Mike with afeeling of relief--for Stout Denial, unsupported by any weightyevidence, is a wearing game to play--the headmaster with astonishment5.
"Not Jackson?" said the headmaster.
"No. It was a boy in the same house. Smith."Psmith! Mike was more than surprised. He could not believe it. Thereis nothing which affords so clear an index to a boy's character as thetype of rag which he considers humorous. Between what is a rag andwhat is merely a rotten trick there is a very definite line drawn6.
Masters, as a rule, do not realise this, but boys nearly always do.
Mike could not imagine Psmith doing a rotten thing like covering ahousemaster's dog with red paint, any more than he could imagine doingit himself. They had both been amused at the sight of Sammy after theoperation, but anybody, except possibly the owner of the dog, wouldhave thought it funny at first. After the first surprise, theirfeeling had been that it was a scuggish thing to have done and beastlyrough luck on the poor brute7. It was a kid's trick. As for Psmithhaving done it, Mike simply did not believe it.
"Smith!" said the headmaster. "What makes you think that?""Simply this," said Mr. Downing, with calm triumph, "that the boyhimself came to me a few moments ago and confessed."Mike was conscious of a feeling of acute depression. It did not makehim in the least degree jubilant, or even thankful, to know that hehimself was cleared of the charge. All he could think of was thatPsmith was done for. This was bound to mean the sack. If Psmith hadpainted Sammy, it meant that Psmith had broken out of his house atnight: and it was not likely that the rules about nocturnal wanderingwere less strict at Sedleigh than at any other school in the kingdom.
Mike felt, if possible, worse than he had felt when Wyatt had beencaught on a similar occasion. It seemed as if Fate had a specialgrudge against his best friends. He did not make friends very quicklyor easily, though he had always had scores of acquaintances--and withWyatt and Psmith he had found himself at home from the first moment hehad met them.
He sat there, with a curious feeling of having swallowed a heavyweight, hardly listening to what Mr. Downing was saying. Mr. Downingwas talking rapidly to the headmaster, who was nodding from time totime.
Mike took advantage of a pause to get up. "May I go, sir?" he said.
"Certainly, Jackson, certainly," said the Head. "Oh, and er--, if youare going back to your house, tell Smith that I should like to seehim.""Yes, sir."He had reached the door, when again there was a knock.
"Come in," said the headmaster.
It was Adair.
"Yes, Adair?"Adair was breathing rather heavily, as if he had been running.
"It was about Sammy--Sampson, sir," he said, looking at Mr. Downing.
"Ah, we know--. Well, Adair, what did you wish to say.""It wasn't Jackson who did it, sir.""No, no, Adair. So Mr. Downing----""It was Dunster, sir."Terrific sensation! The headmaster gave a sort of strangled yelp8 ofastonishment. Mr. Downing leaped in his chair. Mike's eyes opened totheir fullest extent.
"Adair!"There was almost a wail9 in the headmaster's voice. The situation hadsuddenly become too much for him. His brain was swimming. That Mike,despite the evidence against him, should be innocent, was curious,perhaps, but not particularly startling. But that Adair should informhim, two minutes after Mr. Downing's announcement of Psmith'sconfession, that Psmith, too, was guiltless, and that the realcriminal was Dunster--it was this that made him feel that somebody, inthe words of an American author, had played a mean trick on him, andsubstituted for his brain a side-order of cauliflower. Why Dunster, ofall people? Dunster, who, he remembered dizzily, had left the schoolat Christmas. And why, if Dunster had really painted the dog, hadPsmith asserted that he himself was the culprit? Why--why anything? Heconcentrated his mind on Adair as the only person who could save himfrom impending10 brain-fever.
"Adair!""Yes, sir?""What--_what_ do you mean?""It _was_ Dunster, sir. I got a letter from him only five minutesago, in which he said that he had painted Sammy--Sampson, the dog,sir, for a rag--for a joke, and that, as he didn't want any one hereto get into a row--be punished for it, I'd better tell Mr. Downing atonce. I tried to find Mr. Downing, but he wasn't in the house. Then Imet Smith outside the house, and he told me that Mr. Downing had goneover to see you, sir.""Smith told you?" said Mr. Downing.
"Yes, sir.""Did you say anything to him about your having received this letterfrom Dunster?""I gave him the letter to read, sir.""And what was his attitude when he had read it?""He laughed, sir.""_Laughed!_" Mr. Downing's voice was thunderous.
"Yes, sir. He rolled about."Mr. Downing snorted.
"But Adair," said the headmaster, "I do not understand how this thingcould have been done by Dunster. He has left the school.""He was down here for the Old Sedleighans' match, sir. He stopped thenight in the village.""And that was the night the--it happened?""Yes, sir.""I see. Well, I am glad to find that the blame cannot be attached toany boy in the school. I am sorry that it is even an Old Boy. It was afoolish, discreditable thing to have done, but it is not as bad as ifany boy still at the school had broken out of his house at night to doit.""The sergeant," said Mr. Downing, "told me that the boy he saw wasattempting to enter Mr. Outwood's house.""Another freak of Dunster's, I suppose," said the headmaster. "I shallwrite to him.""If it was really Dunster who painted my dog," said Mr. Downing, "Icannot understand the part played by Smith in this affair. If he didnot do it, what possible motive11 could he have had for coming to me ofhis own accord and deliberately12 confessing?""To be sure," said the headmaster, pressing a bell. "It is certainly athing that calls for explanation. Barlow," he said, as the butlerappeared, "kindly13 go across to Mr. Outwood's house and inform Smiththat I should like to see him.""If you please, sir, Mr. Smith is waiting in the hall.""In the hall!""Yes, sir. He arrived soon after Mr. Adair, sir, saying that he wouldwait, as you would probably wish to see him shortly.""H'm. Ask him to step up, Barlow.""Yes, sir."There followed one of the tensest "stage waits" of Mike's experience.
It was not long, but, while it lasted, the silence was quite solid.
Nobody seemed to have anything to say, and there was not even a clockin the room to break the stillness with its ticking. A very faintdrip-drip of rain could be heard outside the window.
Presently there was a sound of footsteps on the stairs. The door wasopened.
"Mr. Smith, sir."The old Etonian entered as would the guest of the evening who is a fewmoments late for dinner. He was cheerful, but slightly deprecating. Hegave the impression of one who, though sure of his welcome, feels thatsome slight apology is expected from him. He advanced into the roomwith a gentle half-smile which suggested good-will to all men.
"It is still raining," he observed. "You wished to see me, sir?""Sit down, Smith.""Thank you, sir."He dropped into a deep arm-chair (which both Adair and Mike hadavoided in favour of less luxurious14 seats) with the confidentialcosiness of a fashionable physician calling on a patient, between whomand himself time has broken down the barriers of restraint andformality.
Mr. Downing burst out, like a reservoir that has broken its banks.
"Smith."Psmith turned his gaze politely in the housemaster's direction.
"Smith, you came to me a quarter of an hour ago and told me that itwas you who had painted my dog Sampson.""Yes, sir.""It was absolutely untrue?""I am afraid so, sir.""But, Smith--" began the headmaster.
Psmith bent15 forward encouragingly.
"----This is a most extraordinary affair. Have you no explanation tooffer? What induced you to do such a thing?"Psmith sighed softly.
"The craze for notoriety, sir," he replied sadly. "The curse of thepresent age.""What!" cried the headmaster.
"It is remarkable," proceeded Psmith placidly16, with the impersonaltouch of one lecturing on generalities, "how frequently, when a murderhas been committed, one finds men confessing that they have done itwhen it is out of the question that they should have committed it. Itis one of the most interesting problems with which anthropologists areconfronted. Human nature----"The headmaster interrupted.
"Smith," he said, "I should like to see you alone for a moment. Mr.
Downing might I trouble--? Adair, Jackson."He made a motion towards the door.
When he and Psmith were alone, there was silence. Psmith leaned backcomfortably in his chair. The headmaster tapped nervously17 with hisfoot on the floor.
"Er--Smith.""Sir?"The headmaster seemed to have some difficulty in proceeding18. He pausedagain. Then he went on.
"Er--Smith, I do not for a moment wish to pain you, but haveyou--er, do you remember ever having had, as a child, let us say,any--er--severe illness? Any--er--_mental_ illness?""No, sir.""There is no--forgive me if I am touching19 on a sad subject--thereis no--none of your near relatives have ever suffered in the wayI--er--have described?""There isn't a lunatic on the list, sir," said Psmith cheerfully.
"Of course, Smith, of course," said the headmaster hurriedly, "I didnot mean to suggest--quite so, quite so.... You think, then, that youconfessed to an act which you had not committed purely20 from somesudden impulse which you cannot explain?""Strictly21 between ourselves, sir----"Privately, the headmaster found Psmith's man-to-man attitude somewhatdisconcerting, but he said nothing.
"Well, Smith?""I should not like it to go any further, sir.""I will certainly respect any confidence----""I don't want anybody to know, sir. This is strictly betweenourselves.""I think you are sometimes apt to forget, Smith, the proper relationsexisting between boy and--Well, never mind that for the present. Wecan return to it later. For the moment, let me hear what you wish tosay. I shall, of course, tell nobody, if you do not wish it.""Well, it was like this, sir," said Psmith. "Jackson happened to tellme that you and Mr. Downing seemed to think he had painted Mr.
Downing's dog, and there seemed some danger of his being expelled, soI thought it wouldn't be an unsound scheme if I were to go and say Ihad done it. That was the whole thing. Of course, Dunster writingcreated a certain amount of confusion."There was a pause.
"It was a very wrong thing to do, Smith," said the headmaster, atlast, "but.... You are a curious boy, Smith. Good-night."He held out his hand.
"Good-night, sir," said Psmith.
"Not a bad old sort," said Psmith meditatively22 to himself, as hewalked downstairs. "By no means a bad old sort. I must drop in fromtime to time and cultivate him."* * * * *Mike and Adair were waiting for him outside the front door.
"Well?" said Mike.
"You _are_ the limit," said Adair. "What's he done?""Nothing. We had a very pleasant chat, and then I tore myself away.""Do you mean to say he's not going to do a thing?""Not a thing.""Well, you're a marvel," said Adair.
Psmith thanked him courteously23. They walked on towards the houses.
"By the way, Adair," said Mike, as the latter started to turn in atDowning's, "I'll write to Strachan to-night about that match.""What's that?" asked Psmith.
"Jackson's going to try and get Wrykyn to give us a game," saidAdair. "They've got a vacant date. I hope the dickens they'll do it.""Oh, I should think they're certain to," said Mike. "Good-night.""And give Comrade Downing, when you see him," said Psmith, "my verybest love. It is men like him who make this Merrie England of ourswhat it is."* * * * *"I say, Psmith," said Mike suddenly, "what really made you tellDowning you'd done it?""The craving24 for----""Oh, chuck it. You aren't talking to the Old Man now. I believe it wassimply to get me out of a jolly tight corner."Psmith's expression was one of pain.
"My dear Comrade Jackson," said he, "you wrong me. You make me writhe25.
I'm surprised at you. I never thought to hear those words from MichaelJackson.""Well, I believe you did, all the same," said Mike obstinately26. "Andit was jolly good of you, too."Psmith moaned.
收听单词发音 |
2
stolid
|
|
| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
prosecution
|
|
| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
brute
|
|
| n.野兽，兽性 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
yelp
|
|
| vi.狗吠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
wail
|
|
| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
impending
|
|
| a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
motive
|
|
| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
deliberately
|
|
| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
kindly
|
|
| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
luxurious
|
|
| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
placidly
|
|
| adv.平稳地，平静地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
nervously
|
|
| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
proceeding
|
|
| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
touching
|
|
| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
purely
|
|
| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
strictly
|
|
| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
meditatively
|
|
| adv.冥想地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
courteously
|
|
| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
craving
|
|
| n.渴望,热望 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
writhe
|
|
| vt.挣扎，痛苦地扭曲；vi.扭曲，翻腾，受苦；n.翻腾，苦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
obstinately
|
|
| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |