It was doubtless owing to Mrs. Fairford's foresight1 that such possibilities of tension were curtailed2, after dinner, by her carrying off Ralph and his betrothed3 to the theatre.
Mr. Dagonet, it was understood, always went to bed after an hour's whist with his daughter; and the silent Mr. Fairford gave his evenings to bridge at his club. The party, therefore, consisted only of Undine and Ralph, with Mrs. Fairford and her attendant friend. Undine vaguely4 wondered why the grave and grey-haired Mr. Bowen formed so invariable a part of that lady's train; but she concluded that it was the York custom for married ladies to have gentlemen "'round" (as girls had in Apex5), and that Mr. Bowen was the sole survivor6 of Laura Fairford's earlier triumphs.
She had, however, little time to give to such conjectures7, for the performance they were attending--the debut8 of a fashionable London actress--had attracted a large audience in which Undine immediately recognized a number of familiar faces. Her engagement had been announced only the day before, and she had the delicious sense of being "in all the papers," and of focussing countless9 glances of interest and curiosity as she swept through the theatre in Mrs. Fairford's wake. Their stalls were near the stage, and progress thither10 was slow enough to permit of prolonged enjoyment11 of this sensation. Before passing to her place she paused for Ralph to remove her cloak, and as he lifted it from her shoulders she heard a lady say behind her: "There she is--the one in white, with the lovely back--" and a man answer: "Gad12! Where did he find anything as good as that?"
Anonymous13 approval was sweet enough; but she was to taste a moment more exquisite14 when, in the proscenium box across the house, she saw Clare Van Degen seated beside the prim15 figure of Miss Harriet Ray. "They're here to see me with him--they hate it, but they couldn't keep away!" She turned and lifted a smile of possessorship to Ralph. Mrs. Fairford seemed also struck by the presence Of the two ladies, and Undine heard her whisper to Mr. Bowen: "Do you see Clare over there--and Harriet with her? Harriet WOULD COME--I call it Spartan16! And so like Clare to ask her!"
Her companion laughed. "It's one of the deepest instincts in human nature. The murdered are as much given as the murderer to haunting the scene of the crime."
Doubtless guessing Ralph's desire to have Undine to himself, Mrs. Fairford had sent the girl in first; and Undine, as she seated herself, was aware that the occupant of the next stall half turned to her, as with a vague gesture of recognition. But just then the curtain rose, and she became absorbed in the development of the drama, especially as it tended to display the remarkable17 toilets which succeeded each other on the person of its leading lady. Undine, seated at Ralph Marvell's side, and feeling the thrill of his proximity18 as a subtler element in the general interest she was exciting, was at last repaid for the disappointment of her evening at the opera. It was characteristic of her that she remembered her failures as keenly as her triumphs, and that the passionate19 desire to obliterate20, to "get even" with them, was always among the latent incentives21 of her conduct. Now at last she was having what she wanted--she was in conscious possession of the "real thing"; and through her other, diffused22, sensations Ralph's adoration23 gave her such a last refinement24 of pleasure as might have come to some warrior25 Queen borne in triumph by captive princes, and reading in the eyes of one the passion he dared not speak. When the curtain fell this vague enjoyment was heightened by various acts of recognition. All the people she wanted to "go with," as they said in Apex, seemed to be about her in the stalls and boxes; and her eyes continued to revert26 with special satisfaction to the incongruous group formed by Mrs. Peter Van Degen and Miss Ray. The sight made it irresistible27 to whisper to Ralph: "You ought to go round and talk to your cousin. Have you told her we're engaged?"
"Clare? of course. She's going to call on you tomorrow."
"Oh, she needn't put herself out--she's never been yet," said Undine loftily.
He made no rejoinder, but presently asked: "Who's that you're waving to?"
"Mr. Popple. He's coming round to see us. You know he wants to paint me." Undine fluttered and beamed as the brilliant Popple made his way across the stalls to the seat which her neighbour had momentarily left.
"First-rate chap next to you--whoever he is--to give me this chance," the artist declared. "Ha, Ralph, my boy, how did you pull it off? That's what we're all of us wondering." He leaned over to give Marvell's hand the ironic28 grasp of celibacy29. "Well, you've left us lamenting30: he has, you know. Miss Spragg. But I've got one pull over the others--I can paint you! He can't forbid that, can he? Not before marriage, anyhow!"
Undine divided her shining glances between the two. "I guess he isn't going to treat me any different afterward," she proclaimed with joyous31 defiance32.
"Ah, well, there's no telling, you know. Hadn't we better begin at once? Seriously, I want awfully33 to get you into the spring show."
"Oh, really? That would be too lovely!"
"YOU would be, certainly--the way I mean to do you. But I see Ralph getting glum34. Cheer up, my dear fellow; I daresay you'll be invited to some of the sittings--that's for Miss Spragg to say.--Ah, here comes your neighbour back, confound him--You'll let me know when we can begin?"
As Popple moved away Undine turned eagerly to Marvell. "Do you suppose there's time? I'd love to have him to do me!"
Ralph smiled. "My poor child--he WOULD 'do' you, with a vengeance35. Infernal cheek, his asking you to sit--"
She stared. "But why? He's painted your cousin, and all the smart women."
"Oh, if a 'smart' portrait's all you want!"
"I want what the others want," she answered, frowning and pouting36 a little. She was already beginning to resent in Ralph the slightest sign of resistance to her pleasure; and her resentment37 took the form--a familiar one in Apex courtships--of turning on him, in the next entr'acte, a deliberately38 averted39 shoulder. The result of this was to bring her, for the first time, in more direct relation to her other neighbour. As she turned he turned too, showing her, above a shining shirt-front fastened with a large imitation pearl, a ruddy plump snub face without an angle in it, which yet looked sharper than a razor. Undine's eyes met his with a startled look, and for a long moment they remained suspended on each other's stare.
Undine at length shrank back with an unrecognizing face; but her movement made her opera-glass slip to the floor, and her neighbour bent40 down and picked it up.
"Well--don't you know me yet?" he said with a slight smile, as he restored the glass to her.
She had grown white to the lips, and when she tried to speak the effort produced only a faint click in her throat. She felt that the change in her appearance must be visible, and the dread41 of letting Marvell see it made her continue to turn her ravaged42 face to her other neighbour. The round black eyes set prominently in the latter's round glossy43 countenance44 had expressed at first only an impersonal45 and slightly ironic interest; but a look of surprise grew in them as Undine's silence continued.
"What's the matter? Don't you want me to speak to you?"
She became aware that Marvell, as if unconscious of her slight show of displeasure, had left his seat, and was making his way toward the aisle46; and this assertion of independence, which a moment before she would so deeply have resented, now gave her a feeling of intense relief.
"No--don't speak to me, please. I'll tell you another time--I'll write." Her neighbour continued to gaze at her, forming his lips into a noiseless whistle under his small dark moustache.
"Well, I--That's about the stiffest," he murmured; and as she made no answer he added: "Afraid I'll ask to be introduced to your friend?"
She made a faint movement of entreaty47. "I can't explain. I promise to see you; but I ASK you not to talk to me now."
He unfolded his programme, and went on speaking in a low tone while he affected48 to study it. "Anything to oblige, of course. That's always been my motto. But is it a bargain--fair and square? You'll see me?"
She receded49 farther from him. "I promise. I--I WANT to," she faltered50.
"All right, then. Call me up in the morning at the Driscoll Building. Seven-o-nine--got it?"
She nodded, and he added in a still lower tone: "I suppose I can congratulate you, anyhow?" and then, without waiting for her reply, turned to study Mrs. Van Degen's box through his opera-glass. Clare, as if aware of the scrutiny51 fixed52 on her from below leaned back and threw a question over her shoulder to Ralph Marvell, who had just seated himself behind her.
"Who's the funny man with the red face talking to Miss Spragg?"
Ralph bent forward. "The man next to her? Never saw him before. But I think you're mistaken: she's not speaking to him."
"She WAS--Wasn't she, Harriet?"
Miss Ray pinched her lips together without speaking, and Mrs. Van Degen paused for the fraction of a second. "Perhaps he's an Apex friend," she then suggested.
"Very likely. Only I think she'd have introduced him if he had been."
His cousin faintly shrugged53. "Shall you encourage that?"
Peter Van Degen, who had strayed into his wife's box for a moment, caught the colloquy54, and lifted his opera-glass.
"The fellow next to Miss Spragg? (By George, Ralph, she's ripping to-night!) Wait a minute--I know his face. Saw him in old Harmon Driscoll's office the day of the Eubaw Mine meeting. This chap's his secretary, or something. Driscoll called him in to give some facts to the directors, and he seemed a mighty55 wide-awake customer."
Clare Van Degen turned gaily56 to her cousin. "If he has anything to do with the Driscolls you'd better cultivate him! That's the kind of acquaintance the Dagonets have always needed. I married to set them an example!"
Ralph rose with a laugh. "You're right. I'll hurry back and make his acquaintance." He held out his hand to his cousin, avoiding her disappointed eyes.
Undine, on entering her bedroom late that evening, was startled by the presence of a muffled57 figure which revealed itself, through the dimness, as the ungirded midnight outline of Mrs. Spragg.
"MOTHER? What on earth--?" the girl exclaimed, as Mrs. Spragg pressed the electric button and flooded the room with light. The idea of a mother's sitting up for her daughter was so foreign to Apex customs that it roused only mistrust and irritation58 in the object of the demonstration59.
Mrs. Spragg came forward deprecatingly to lift the cloak from her daughter's shoulders.
"I just HAD to, Undie--I told father I HAD to. I wanted to hear all about it."
Undine shrugged away from her. "Mercy! At this hour? You'll be as white as a sheet to-morrow, sitting up all night like this."
She moved toward the toilet-table, and began to demolish60 with feverish61 hands the structure which Mrs. Heeny, a few hours earlier, had so lovingly raised. But the rose caught in a mesh62 of hair, and Mrs. Spragg, venturing timidly to release it, had a full view of her daughter's face in the glass.
"Why, Undie, YOU'RE as white as a sheet now! You look fairly sick. What's the matter, daughter?"
The girl broke away from her.
"Oh, can't you leave me alone, mother? There--do I look white NOW?" she cried, the blood flaming into her pale cheeks; and as Mrs. Spragg shrank back, she added more mildly, in the tone of a parent rebuking63 a persistent64 child: "It's enough to MAKE anybody sick to be stared at that way!"
Mrs. Spragg overflowed65 with compunction. "I'm so sorry, Undie. I guess it was just seeing you in this glare of light."
"Yes--the light's awful; do turn some off," ordered Undine, for whom, ordinarily, no radiance was too strong; and Mrs. Spragg, grateful to have commands laid upon her, hastened to obey.
Undine, after this, submitted in brooding silence to having her dress unlaced, and her slippers66 and dressing-gown brought to her. Mrs. Spragg visibly yearned67 to say more, but she restrained the impulse lest it should provoke her dismissal.
"Won't you take just a sup of milk before you go to bed?" she suggested at length, as Undine sank into an armchair.
"I've got some for you right here in the parlour."
Without looking up the girl answered: "No. I don't want anything. Do go to bed."
Her mother seemed to be struggling between the life-long instinct of obedience68 and a swift unformulated fear. "I'm going, Undie." She wavered. "Didn't they receive you right, daughter?" she asked with sudden resolution.
"What nonsense! How should they receive me? Everybody was lovely to me." Undine rose to her feet and went on with her undressing, tossing her clothes on the floor and shaking her hair over her bare shoulders.
Mrs. Spragg stooped to gather up the scattered69 garments as they fell, folding them with a wistful caressing70 touch, and laying them on the lounge, without daring to raise her eyes to her daughter. It was not till she heard Undine throw herself on the bed that she went toward her and drew the coverlet up with deprecating hands.
"Oh, do put the light out--I'm dead tired," the girl grumbled71, pressing her face into the pillow.
Mrs. Spragg turned away obediently; then, gathering72 all her scattered impulses into a passionate act of courage, she moved back to the bedside.
"Undie--you didn't see anybody--I mean at the theatre? ANYBODY YOU DIDN'T WANT TO SEE?"
Undine, at the question, raised her head and started right against the tossed pillows, her white exasperated73 face close to her mother's twitching74 features. The two women examined each other a moment, fear and anger in their crossed glances; then Undine answered: "No, nobody. Good-night."
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foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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curtailed
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| v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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apex
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| n.顶点，最高点 | |
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survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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debut
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| n.首次演出，初次露面 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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gad
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| n.闲逛；v.闲逛 | |
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anonymous
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| adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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prim
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| adj.拘泥形式的，一本正经的；n.循规蹈矩，整洁；adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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spartan
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| adj.简朴的，刻苦的；n.斯巴达；斯巴达式的人 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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obliterate
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| v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去 | |
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incentives
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| 激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机 | |
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diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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revert
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| v.恢复，复归，回到 | |
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irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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ironic
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| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
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celibacy
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| n.独身(主义) | |
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lamenting
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| adj.悲伤的，悲哀的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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glum
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| adj.闷闷不乐的，阴郁的 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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pouting
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| v.撅（嘴）( pout的现在分词 ) | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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averted
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| 防止，避免( avert的过去式和过去分词 )； 转移 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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ravaged
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| 毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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impersonal
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| adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的 | |
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aisle
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| n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道 | |
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entreaty
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| n.恳求，哀求 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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receded
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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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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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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colloquy
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| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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demolish
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| v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等) | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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mesh
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| n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络 | |
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rebuking
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的现在分词 ) | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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69
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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71
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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72
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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73
exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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