CHAPTER IV

 Three hours later, his face somewhat pale, but his eyes calm as a child's, Roger opened the door of his wife's bedroom with the morning paper under his arm. At the sound of his footsteps she started awake.

 

"What time is it?" she demanded.

 

He looked at his watch.

 

"Twelve o'clock."

 

Suddenly she began to cry.

 

"Roger," she said brokenly, "I'm sorry I was so bad last night."

 

He nodded coolly.

 

"Everything's all right now," he answered. Then, after a pause: "I've got the account—the biggest one."

 

She turned toward him quickly.

 

"You have?" Then, after a minute's silence: "Can I get a new dress?"

 

"Dress?" He laughed shortly. "You can get a dozen. This account alone will bring us in forty thousand a year. It's one of the biggest in the West."

 

She looked at him, startled.

 

"Forty thousand a year!"

 

"Yes."

 

"Gosh"—and then faintly—"I didn't know it'd really be anything like that." Again she thought a minute. "We can have a house like George Tompkins'."

 

"I don't want an interior-decoration shop."

 

"Forty thousand a year!" she repeated again, and then added softly: "Oh, Roger——"

 

"Yes?"

 

"I'm not going out with George Tompkins."

 

"I wouldn't let you, even if you wanted to," he said shortly.

 

She made a show of indignation.

 

"Why, I've had a date with him for this Thursday for weeks."

 

"It isn't Thursday."

 

"It is."

 

"It's Friday."

 

"Why, Roger, you must be crazy! Don't you think I know what day it is?"

 

"It isn't Thursday," he said stubbornly. "Look!" And he held out the morning paper.

 

"Friday!" she exclaimed. "Why, this is a mistake! This must be last week's paper. To-day's Thursday."

 

She closed her eyes and thought for a moment.

 

"Yesterday was Wednesday," she said decisively. "The laundress came yesterday. I guess I know."

 

"Well," he said smugly, "look at the paper. There isn't any question about it."

 

With a bewildered look on her face she got out of bed and began searching for her clothes. Roger went into the bathroom to shave. A minute later he heard the springs creak again. Gretchen was getting back into bed.

 

"What's the matter?" he inquired, putting his head around the corner of the bathroom.

 

"I'm scared," she said in a trembling voice. "I think my nerves are giving away. I can't find any of my shoes."

 

"Your shoes? Why, the closet's full of them."

 

"I know, but I can't see one." Her face was pale with fear. "Oh, Roger!"

 

Roger came to her bedside and put his arm around her.

 

"Oh, Roger," she cried, "what's the matter with me? First that newspaper, and now all my shoes. Take care of me, Roger."

 

"I'll get the doctor," he said.

 

He walked remorselessly to the telephone and took up the receiver.

 

"Phone seems to be out of order," he remarked after a minute; "I'll send Bebé."

 

The doctor arrived in ten minutes.

 

"I think I'm on the verge¹ of a collapse," Gretchen told him in a strained voice.

 

Doctor Gregory sat down on the edge of the bed and took her wrist in his hand.

 

"It seems to be in the air this morning."

 

"I got up," said Gretchen in an awed² voice, "and I found that I'd lost a whole day. I had an engagement to go riding with George Tompkins——"

 

"What?" exclaimed the doctor in surprise. Then he laughed.

 

"George Tompkins won't go riding with any one for many days to come."

 

"Has he gone away?" asked Gretchen curiously³.

 

"He's going West."

 

"Why?" demanded Roger. "Is he running away with somebody's wife?"

 

"No," said Doctor Gregory. "He 's had a nervous breakdown⁴."

 

"What?" they exclaimed in unison⁵.

 

"He just collapsed⁶ like an opera-hat in his cold shower."

 

"But he was always talking about his—his balanced life," gasped⁷ Gretchen. "He had it on his mind."

 

"I know," said the doctor. "He's been babbling⁸ about it all morning. I think it's driven him a little mad. He worked pretty hard at it, you know."

 

"At what?" demanded Roger in bewilderment.

 

"At keeping his life balanced." He turned to Gretchen. "Now all I'll prescribe for this lady here is a good rest. If she'll just stay around the house for a few days and take forty winks⁹ of sleep she'll be as fit as ever. She's been under some strain."

 

"Doctor," exclaimed Roger hoarsely¹⁰, "don't you think I'd better have a rest or something? I've been working pretty hard lately."

 

"You!" Doctor Gregory laughed, slapped him violently on the back. "My boy, I never saw you looking better in your life."

 

Roger turned away quickly to conceal¹¹ his smile—winked forty times, or almost forty times, at the autographed picture of Mr. George Tompkins, which hung slightly askew¹² on the bedroom wall.

1 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

2 awed   

adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The audience was awed into silence by her stunning performance. 观众席上鸦雀无声，人们对他出色的表演感到惊叹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was awed by the huge gorilla. 那只大猩猩使我惊惧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

4 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

5 unison   

n.步调一致，行动一致

参考例句：

• The governments acted in unison to combat terrorism.这些国家的政府一致行动对付恐怖主义。
• My feelings are in unison with yours.我的感情与你的感情是一致的。

6 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

7 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 babbling   

n.胡说，婴儿发出的咿哑声adj.胡说的v.喋喋不休( babble的现在分词 )；作潺潺声（如流水）；含糊不清地说话；泄漏秘密

参考例句：

• I could hear the sound of a babbling brook. 我听得见小溪潺潺的流水声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Infamy was babbling around her in the public market-place. 在公共市场上，她周围泛滥着对她丑行的种种议论。 来自英汉文学 - 红字

9 winks   

v.使眼色( wink的第三人称单数 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• I'll feel much better when I've had forty winks. 我打个盹就会感到好得多。
• The planes were little silver winks way out to the west. 飞机在西边老远的地方，看上去只是些很小的银色光点。 来自辞典例句

10 hoarsely   

adv.嘶哑地

参考例句：

• "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
• Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

11 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

12 askew   

adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的

参考例句：

• His glasses had been knocked askew by the blow.他的眼镜一下子被打歪了。
• Her hat was slightly askew.她的帽子戴得有点斜。