ONCE in the little office, Crane did not immediately speak. He drew up two chairs, put a log on the fire, turned up the lamp, and in short made it evident that he intended to do that cruel deed sometimes perpetrated by parents, guardians1 and schoolmasters in interviews of this sort—he was going to leave it to the culprit to make a beginning.
Reed, fidgeting in a nearby chair, did not at once yield to this compulsion, but finally the calm with which Crane was balancing a pen on a pencil broke down his resolution and he said crossly:
"I understood you had something to say to me, Mr. Crane."
Crane threw aside pencil and pen. "I thought it might be the other way," he answered. "But, yes, if you like. I have something to say to you. I have decided2 to break my lease and leave this house to-morrow."
"You don't mean to go without paying the second instalment of the rent?"
"Why not? The Revellys have broken, or rather have never fulfilled their part of the contract. I took the house on the written understanding that servants were to be supplied, and you are my witness, Mr. Reed, that to-night I have no one left but a cook."
"Oh, come, Mr. Crane! We only agreed to provide the servants. We could not guarantee that you would not dismiss them. You must own they showed no inclination3 to leave the house."
"No, I'll not deny that," returned Burton grimly.
"No sane4 man," continued Reed eagerly, "would allow the payment of his rent to depend on whether or not you chose to keep a staff of servants in many ways above the average. You'll not deny, I think, sir, that the cooking has been above the average?"
Crane had reached a state of mind in which it was impossible for him to discuss even the culinary powers of Jane-Ellen, particularly with Reed, and so he slightly shifted the ground.
"Let us," he said, "run over the reasons for which I dismissed them: The housemaid, for calling one of my guests an old harridan5; the boy, for habitually6 smoking my cigarettes, for attempting to strike Mr. Tucker, and finally, for stealing a valuable miniature belonging to the house; the butler, for again introducing this same larcenous7 boy into the house disguised as a lame8 old man. The question is not whether I should have kept them, but whether I should not stay on here and have them all arrested."
Reed's face changed. "Oh! I hope you won't do that, Mr. Crane," he said.
Burton saw his advantage. "I should not care," he answered, "to go through life feeling I had been responsible for turning a dangerous gang loose upon the countryside."
"They are not that, sir. I pledge my word they are not that."
"There is a good deal of evidence against that pledge."
"You doubt my word, sir?"
"I feel there is much more to be explained than you seem willing to admit. For instance, how comes it that you are a—I will not say welcome—but at least assured visitor in my kitchen?"
Reed felt himself coloring. "I do not feel called upon," he replied, "to explain my conduct to any one."
"In that case," said Crane, getting to his feet, "this interview might as well end. I shall leave to-morrow, and if you and your friends, the Revellys, feel yourselves aggrieved9, we can only take the matter into court. If the record of these servants is as excellent as you seem to think, they can have nothing to fear. If it isn't, the whole matter will be cleared up."
This was the crisis of the conversation, for as Crane moved to the door, Reed stopped him.
"Wait a moment, Mr. Crane," he said. "There are circumstances in this connection that you do not know."
"Yes, I guessed that much."
"If you will sit down, I should like to tell you the whole story."
Crane yielded and sat down, without giving Reed the satisfaction of knowing that his nervousness at the expected revelation was as extreme as Reed's.
"The Revellys, Mr. Crane, are among the most respected of our Southern gentry10. They fought for the original liberties of this country, and in the war of secession—"
Crane nodded. "I know my history, Mr. Reed."
"But, sir, their distinguished11 position and high abilities have not saved them from financial reverses. The grandfather lost everything in the war; and the present owner, Henry Patrick Revelly, has not been completely successful. Last winter a breakdown12 in his health compelled him to leave the country at short notice. His four children—"
"Four children, Mr. Reed? Two girls and two boys?"
"Four grown children, Mr. Crane. The eldest13 is twenty-six, the youngest seventeen. They were left with a roof over their heads and a sum of money—a small sum—to provide for them during the absence of their parents. Not a satisfactory arrangement, sir, but made in haste and distress14. Mrs. Revelly's devotion to her husband is such that in her alarm for him, she did not perhaps sufficiently15 consider her children. At the moment when, left alone, their difficulties began to press upon them, your offer, your generous offer, for the house was made. There was no time to submit it to their parents, nor, to be candid16 with you, would there have been the slightest chance of Mr. Revelly's accepting it. He has never been able to tolerate the mere17 suggestion of renting Revelly Hall. But the four young people felt differently. It was natural, it was in my opinion commendable18, that they decided to move out of their home for the sake of realizing a large sum—the largest sum probably that had come into the family purse for many years. But an obstacle soon appeared. You had insisted that servants should be provided. This was impossible. They tried earnestly. Miss Claudia told me herself that she went everywhere within a radius19 of twenty miles, except to the jails. At last it became a question of refusing your offer, or of—of—I believe you have already guessed the alternative."
"This is not a time for the exercise of my creative faculties20, Mr. Reed. What was their decision?"
Reed's discomfort21 increased. "I wish you could have been present as I was, Mr. Crane, on that occasion. We were sitting round the fire in the sitting-room22, depressed23 that Miss Claudia's mission had not succeeded, when suddenly she said, with a determination quite at variance24 with her gentle appearance, 'Well, I've found a cook for him—and a mighty25 good one, too.' 'Where did you find her?' I asked in astonishment26, for only a moment before she had been confessing absolute failure. 'I found her,' she answered, 'where charity begins.' I own that even then I did not get the idea, but her brother Paul, who always understands her, saw at once what was in her mind. 'Yes,' she went on, 'I've found an excellent cook, a good butler, a rather inefficient27 housemaid, and a dangerous extra boy,' and she looked from one to the other of her family as she spoke28. Her meaning was clear. They themselves were to take the places of the servants they could not find. As Paul pointed29 out, the plan had the advantage of saving them the trouble of finding board and lodgings30, elsewhere. Miss Lily was opposed from the start. Her nature, exceedingly refined and retiring, revolted, but no one in the Revelly family can bear up against the combined wills of Paul and Miss Claudia. How the plan was carried out you know."
There was a short silence. It was now some days since Crane had suspected the identity of his servants, an hour since Jane-Ellen had turned at the name of Claudia and made him sure. Nevertheless the certainty that Reed's confession31 brought was very grateful to him; so grateful that he feared his expression would betray him, and he assumed a look of stern blankness.
Seeing this, Reed thought it necessary to plead the culprits' cause.
"After all, Mr. Crane, was there not courage and self-sacrifice needed? You see this explains everything. The miniature of their grandmother was taken upstairs for fear its likeness32 to Miss Claudia might betray them. Miss Lily, who as I said never approved of the plan, was constitutionally unable to be calm under the accusation33 of stealing a hat, made, as I understand, rather roughly by Mrs. Falkener. I should be very sorry if your opinion of the Revelly family—"
"I can't see what my opinion has to do with the situation," said Crane. Every moment now that kept him from Claudia was to him an intolerable bore. He drew his check-book toward him. "However, your story has convinced me of this—my only course is to pay my rent in full."
Reed began to feel the pride of the successful diplomat34. "And one other thing, Mr. Crane. You see the necessity of not mentioning this. It would make a great deal of talk in the country. A young lady's name—"
Burton rose quickly. It was not agreeable to him to have Reed pleading with him for the preservation35 of Claudia's reputation.
"Here's your check," he said.
Reed pressed on. "And another thing will now be equally clear to you, I am sure. Miss Revelly cannot possibly spend the night here alone."
"That," replied Crane, "is a question for Miss Revelly herself to decide. My motors are at her disposal to take her anywhere she may choose to go." And he opened the door as if he expected that Reed would now take his departure.
But Reed did not move. "I cannot go away and leave Miss Revelly here alone with you," he said.
"Of the two alternatives," said Crane, "you might find it more difficult to stay in my house without my consent. But I'll leave it this way—do you think Miss Revelly would regard your presence as a protection?"
"I don't understand you, sir."
"Your last visit to my kitchen did not, I believe, inspire her with confidence. Shall we leave the decision to her?"
Reed went out in silence. He had had no reconciliation36 with Jane-Ellen since that fatal kiss in the kitchen, and he knew she would not now side with him. He decided to go away and find her brothers.
Lefferts, meanwhile, left alone, had stretched himself on a sofa, and was smoking, with his eyes fixed37 on the ceiling.
"My dear fellow," cried Crane with some compunction, "were you waiting to see me?"
"I was waiting for my motor," answered the poet. "You know that, imagining this to be an ordinary dinner-party, I ordered it back at a quarter before eleven."
"Where's Tucker?" asked Burton.
At this moment a step was heard on the stairs and Tucker, dressed in a neat gray suit, adapted to traveling, wearing a cap and goggles38 and carrying his bag, descended39 the stairs.
On seeing his host he approached and held out his hand. "Good-by, Burton," he said, "I hope the time will come when you will forgive me for having tried too hard to serve you. For myself, I entirely40 forgive your hasty rudeness. I hope we part friends."
Crane hesitated, and then shook hands with his lawyer. "There's no use in pretending, Tucker," he said, "that I feel exactly friendly to you, and, if you'll forgive my saying so, I can't believe that you feel so to me. You and I have got on each other's nerves lately; and that's the truth. How much that means, only time can show. Sometimes it is very important, sometimes very trivial; but while such a state exists, I agree with you that two people are better apart. Good-by."
Here, Jane-Ellen, who had just finished putting the dining-room in order, came out into the hall followed by Willoughby. As she saw Tucker, she had one of her evil inspirations.
Springing forward, she exclaimed: "Oh, wasn't it a pity, sir, you had to do your own packing! Let me put your bag in the motor for you."
Tucker was again caught by one of his moments of indecision. He did not want Jane-Ellen to carry his luggage, but he did not consider it dignified41 to wrestle42 with her for the possession of it, so that in the twinkling of an eye she had seized it and carried it down the steps.
But he was not utterly43 without resource. He had been holding a two-dollar bill in his hand, more from recollections of other visits than because he now expected to find any one left to fee. This, as Jane-Ellen came up the steps, he thrust into her hand, saying clearly:
"Thank you, my girl, there's for your trouble."
Jane-Ellen just glanced at it, and then crumpling44 it into a ball she threw it across the hall. Willoughby, who like many other sheltered creatures retained his playfulness late in life, bounded after it, caught it up in his paws, threw it about, and finally set on it with his sharp little teeth and bit it to pieces. But neither Tucker nor the cook waited to see the end. He got into the car and rolled away, and she went back to the kitchen.
Crane glanced at Lefferts, to whom plainly his duty as host pointed, and then he hurried down the kitchen stairs, closing the door carefully behind him.
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收听单词发音
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1
guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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3
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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sane
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| adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的 | |
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5
harridan
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| n.恶妇；丑老大婆 | |
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habitually
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| ad.习惯地，通常地 | |
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larcenous
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| adj.盗窃的 | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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9
aggrieved
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| adj.愤愤不平的，受委屈的；悲痛的；（在合法权利方面）受侵害的v.令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式)；令委屈，令苦恼，侵害( aggrieve的过去式和过去分词) | |
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10
gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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12
breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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15
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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16
candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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17
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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18
commendable
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| adj.值得称赞的 | |
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19
radius
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| n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限 | |
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20
faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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21
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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22
sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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23
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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24
variance
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| n.矛盾，不同 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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inefficient
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| adj.效率低的，无效的 | |
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28
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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29
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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30
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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31
confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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32
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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33
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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34
diplomat
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| n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人 | |
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35
preservation
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| n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持 | |
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36
reconciliation
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| n.和解，和谐，一致 | |
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37
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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38
goggles
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| n.护目镜 | |
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39
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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40
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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41
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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42
wrestle
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| vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付 | |
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43
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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44
crumpling
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| 压皱，弄皱( crumple的现在分词 )； 变皱 | |
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