Anna, the next day, woke to a humiliated1 memory of the previous evening.
Darrow had been right in saying that their sacrifice wouldbenefit no one; yet she seemed dimly to discern that therewere obligations not to be tested by that standard. Sheowed it, at any rate, as much to his pride as to hers toabstain from the repetition of such scenes; and she hadlearned that it was beyond her power to do so while theywere together. Yet when he had given her the chance to freeherself, everything had vanished from her mind but the blindfear of losing him; and she saw that he and she were asprofoundly and inextricably bound together as two trees withinterwoven roots.
For a long time she brooded on her plight2, vaguely3 consciousthat the only escape from it must come from some externalchance. And slowly the occasion shaped itself in her mind.
It was Sophy Viner only who could save her--Sophy Viner onlywho could give her back her lost serenity5. She would seekthe girl out and tell her that she had given Darrow up; andthat step once taken there would be no retracing6 it, and shewould perforce have to go forward alone.
Any pretext7 for action was a kind of anodyne8, and shedespatched her maid to the Farlows' with a note asking ifMiss Viner would receive her. There was a long delay beforethe maid returned, and when at last she appeared it was witha slip of paper on which an address was written, and averbal message to the effect that Miss Viner had left somedays previously9, and was staying with her sister in a hotelnear the Place de l'Etoile. The maid added that Mrs.
Farlow, on the plea that Miss Viner's plans were uncertain,had at first made some difficulty about giving thisinformation; and Anna guessed that the girl had left herfriends' roof, and instructed them to withhold10 her address,with the object of avoiding Owen. "She's kept faith withherself and I haven't," Anna mused11; and the thought was afresh incentive12 to action.
Darrow had announced his intention of coming soon afterluncheon, and the morning was already so far advanced thatAnna, still mistrustful of her strength, decided13 to driveimmediately to the address Mrs. Farlow had given. On theway there she tried to recall what she had heard of SophyViner's sister, but beyond the girl's enthusiastic report ofthe absent Laura's loveliness she could remember onlycertain vague allusions14 of Mrs. Farlow's to her artisticendowments and matrimonial vicissitudes15. Darrow hadmentioned her but once, and in the briefest terms, as havingapparently very little concern for Sophy's welfare, andbeing, at any rate, too geographically16 remote to give herany practical support; and Anna wondered what chance hadbrought her to her sister's side at this conjunction. Mrs.
Farlow had spoken of her as a celebrity18 (in what line Annafailed to recall); but Mrs. Farlow's celebrities19 werelegion, and the name on the slip of paper--Mrs. McTarvie-Birch--did not seem to have any definite association withfame.
While Anna waited in the dingy20 vestibule of the HotelChicago she had so distinct a vision of what she meant tosay to Sophy Viner that the girl seemed already to be beforeher; and her heart dropped from all the height of itscourage when the porter, after a long delay, returned withthe announcement that Miss Viner was no longer in the hotel.
Anna, doubtful if she understood, asked if he merely meantthat the young lady was out at the moment; but he repliedthat she had gone away the day before. Beyond this he hadno information to impart, and after a moment's hesitationAnna sent him back to enquire21 if Mrs. McTarvie-Birch wouldreceive her. She reflected that Sophy had probably pledgedher sister to the same secrecy22 as Mrs. Farlow, and that apersonal appeal to Mrs. Birch might lead to less negativeresults.
There was another long interval23 of suspense24 before theporter reappeared with an affirmative answer; and a thirdwhile an exiguous25 and hesitating lift bore her up past asuccession of shabby landings.
When the last was reached, and her guide had directed herdown a winding26 passage that smelt27 of sea-going luggage, shefound herself before a door through which a strong odour oftobacco reached her simultaneously28 with the sounds of asuppressed altercation29. Her knock was followed by asilence, and after a minute or two the door was opened by ahandsome young man whose ruffled30 hair and general air ofcreased disorder31 led her to conclude that he had just risenfrom a long-limbed sprawl32 on a sofa strewn with tumbledcushions. This sofa, and a grand piano bearing a basket offaded roses, a biscuit-tin and a devastated33 breakfast tray,almost filled the narrow sitting-room34, in the remainingcorner of which another man, short, swarthy and humble35, satexamining the lining36 of his hat.
Anna paused in doubt; but on her naming Mrs. Birch the youngman politely invited her to enter, at the same time castingan impatient glance at the mute spectator in the background.
The latter, raising his eyes, which were round and bulging,fixed them, not on the young man but on Anna, whom, for amoment, he scrutinized37 as searchingly as the interior of hishat. Under his gaze she had the sense of being minutelycatalogued and valued; and the impression, when he finallyrose and moved toward the door, of having been accepted as abetter38 guarantee than he had had any reason to hope for. Onthe threshold his glance crossed that of the young man in anexchange of intelligence as full as it was rapid; and thisbrief scene left Anna so oddly enlightened that she felt nosurprise when her companion, pushing an arm-chair forward,sociably asked her if she wouldn't have a cigarette. Herpolite refusal provoked the remark that he would, if she'dno objection; and while he groped for matches in his loosepockets, and behind the photographs and letters crowding thenarrow mantel-shelf, she ventured another enquiry for Mrs.
Birch.
"Just a minute," he smiled; "I think the masseur's withher." He spoke17 in a smooth denationalized English, which,like the look in his long-lashed eyes and the promptness ofhis charming smile, suggested a long training in all thearts of expediency39. Having finally discovered a match-boxon the floor beside the sofa, he lit his cigarette anddropped back among the cushions; and on Anna's remarkingthat she was sorry to disturb Mrs. Birch he replied thatthat was all right, and that she always kept everybodywaiting.
After this, through the haze40 of his perpetually renewedcigarettes, they continued to chat for some time ofindifferent topics; but when at last Anna again suggestedthe possibility of her seeing Mrs. Birch he rose from hiscorner with a slight shrug41, and murmuring: "She's perfectlyhopeless," lounged off through an inner door.
Anna was still wondering when and in what conjunction ofcircumstances the much-married Laura had acquired a partnerso conspicuous43 for his personal charms, when the young manreturned to announce: "She says it's all right, if you don'tmind seeing her in bed."He drew aside to let Anna pass, and she found herself in adim untidy scented44 room, with a pink curtain pinned acrossits single window, and a lady with a great deal of fair hairand uncovered neck smiling at her from a pink bed on whichan immense powder-puff trailed.
"You don't mind, do you? He costs such a frightful45 lot thatI can't afford to send him off," Mrs. Birch explained,extending a thickly-ringed hand to Anna, and leaving her indoubt as to whether the person alluded46 to were hermasseur or her husband. Before a reply was possible therewas a convulsive stir beneath the pink expanse, andsomething that resembled another powder-puff hurled47 itselfat Anna with a volley of sounds like the popping ofLilliputian champagne48 corks49. Mrs. Birch, flinging herselfforward, gasped50 out: "If you'd just give him acaramel...there, in that box on the dressing-table...it'sthe only earthly thing to stop him..." and when Anna hadproffered this sop4 to her assailant, and he had withdrawnwith it beneath the bedspread, his mistress sank back with alaugh.
"Isn't he a beauty? The Prince gave him to me down at Nicethe other day--but he's perfectly42 awful," she confessed,beaming intimately on her visitor. In the roseate penumbraof the bed-curtains she presented to Anna's startled gaze anodd chromo-like resemblance to Sophy Viner, or a suggestion,rather, of what Sophy Viner might, with the years and inspite of the powder-puff, become. Larger, blonder, heavier-featured, she yet had glances and movements thatdisturbingly suggested what was freshest and most engagingin the girl; and as she stretched her bare plump arm acrossthe bed she seemed to be pulling back the veil from dingydistances of family history.
"Do sit down, if there's a place to sit on," she cordiallyadvised; adding, as Anna took the edge of a chair hung withmiscellaneous raiment: "My singing takes so much time that Idon't get a chance to walk the fat off--that's the worst ofbeing an artist."Anna murmured an assent51. "I hope it hasn't inconveniencedyou to see me; I told Mr. Birch--""Mr. WHO?" the recumbent beauty asked; and then: "Oh,JIMMY!" she faintly laughed, as if more for her ownenlightenment than Anna's.
The latter continued eagerly: "I understand from Mrs. Farlowthat your sister was with you, and I ventured to come upbecause I wanted to ask you when I should have a chance offinding her."Mrs. McTarvie-Birch threw back her head with a long stare.
"Do you mean to say the idiot at the door didn't tell you?
Sophy went away last night.""Last night?" Anna echoed. A sudden terror had possessedher. Could it be that the girl had tricked them all andgone with Owen? The idea was incredible, yet it took suchhold of her that she could hardly steady her lips to say:
"The porter did tell me, but I thought perhaps he wasmistaken. Mrs. Farlow seemed to think that I should findher here.""It was all so sudden that I don't suppose she had time tolet the Farlows know. She didn't get Mrs. Murrett's wiretill yesterday, and she just pitched her things into a trunkand rushed----""Mrs. Murrett?""Why, yes. Sophy's gone to India with Mrs. Murrett; they'reto meet at Brindisi," Sophy's sister said with a calm smile.
Anna sat motionless, gazing at the disordered room, the pinkbed, the trivial face among the pillows.
Mrs. McTarvie-Birch pursued: "They had a fearful kick-uplast spring--I daresay you knew about it--but I told Sophyshe'd better lump it, as long as the old woman was willingto...As an artist, of course, it's perfectly impossible forme to have her with me...""Of course," Anna mechanically assented52.
Through the confused pain of her thoughts she was hardlyaware that Mrs. Birch's explanations were still continuing.
"Naturally I didn't altogether approve of her going back tothat beast of a woman. I said all I could...I told her shewas a fool to chuck up such a place as yours. But Sophy'srestless--always was--and she's taken it into her head she'drather travel..."Anna rose from her seat, groping for some formula of leave-taking. The pushing back of her chair roused the whitedog's smouldering animosity, and he drowned his mistress'sfurther confidences in another outburst of hysterics.
Through the tumult53 Anna signed an inaudible farewell, andMrs. Birch, having momentarily succeeded in suppressing herpet under a pillow, called out: "Do come again! I'd love tosing to you."Anna murmured a word of thanks and turned to the door. Asshe opened it she heard her hostess crying after her:
"Jimmy! Do you hear me? Jimmy BRANCE!" and then, therebeing no response from the person summoned: "DO tell himhe must go and call the lift for you!"
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1
humiliated
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| 感到羞愧的 | |
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plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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sop
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| n.湿透的东西，懦夫；v.浸，泡，浸湿 | |
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serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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retracing
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| v.折回( retrace的现在分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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pretext
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| n.借口，托词 | |
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anodyne
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| n.解除痛苦的东西，止痛剂 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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incentive
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| n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机 | |
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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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allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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geographically
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| adv.地理学上，在地理上，地理方面 | |
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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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celebrity
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| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
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celebrities
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| n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉 | |
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dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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enquire
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| v.打听，询问；调查，查问 | |
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secrecy
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| n.秘密，保密，隐蔽 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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suspense
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| n.（对可能发生的事）紧张感，担心，挂虑 | |
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exiguous
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| adj.不足的，太少的 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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altercation
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| n.争吵，争论 | |
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ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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sprawl
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| vi.躺卧，扩张，蔓延；vt.使蔓延；n.躺卧，蔓延 | |
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33
devastated
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| v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的 | |
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sitting-room
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| n.（BrE）客厅，起居室 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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scrutinized
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| v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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abetter
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| n.教唆者，怂恿者 | |
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expediency
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| n.适宜；方便；合算；利己 | |
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haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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scented
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| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
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frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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corks
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| n.脐梅衣；软木( cork的名词复数 )；软木塞 | |
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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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51
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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