It is a good and soothfast saw;
Half-roasted never will be raw;
No dough1 is dried once more to meal
No crock new-shapen by the wheel;
You can’t turn curds2 to milk again,
Nor Now, by wishing, back to Then;
And having tasted stolen honey,
You can’t buy innocence3 for money.
JERMYN was not particularly pleased that some chance had apparently4 hindered Harold Transome from making other canvassing6 visits immediately after leaving Mr Lyon, and so had sent him back to the office earlier than he had been expected to come. The inconvenient7 chance he guessed at once to be represented by Felix Holt, whom he knew very well by Trebian report to be a young man with so little of the ordinary Christian8 motives9 as to making an appearance and getting on in the world, that he presented no handle to any judicious10 and respectable person who might be willing to make use of him.
Harold Transome, on his side, was a good deal annoyed at being worried by Felix into an inquiry11 about electioneering details. The real dignity and honesty there was in him made him shrink from this necessity of satisfying a man with a troublesome tongue; it was as if he were to show indignation at the discovery of one barrel with a false bottom, when he had invested his money in a manufactory where a larger or smaller number of such barrels had always been made. A practical man must seek a good end by the only possible means; that is to say, if he is to get into parliament he must not be too particular. It was not disgraceful to be neither a Quixote nor a theorist, aiming to correct the moral rules of the world; but whatever actually was, or might prove to be, disgraceful, Harold held in detestation. In this mood he pushed on unceremoniously to the inner office without waiting to ask questions; and when he perceived that Jermyn was not alone, he said, with haughty12 quickness —
‘A question about the electioneering at Sproxton. Can you give your attention to it at once? Here is Mr Holt, who has come to me about the business.’
‘A— yes — a — certainly,’ said Jermyn, who, as usual, was the more cool and deliberate because he was vexed13. He was standing14, and, as he turned round, his broad figure concealed15 the person who was seated writing at the bureau. ‘Mr Holt — a — will doubtless — a — make a point of saving a busy man’s time. You can speak at once. This gentleman’ — here Jermyn made a slight backward movement of his head — ‘is one of ourselves; he is a true-blue.’
‘I have simply to complain,’ said Felix, ‘that one of your agents has been sent on a bribing16 expedition to Sproxton — with what purpose you, sir, may know better than I do. Mr Transome, it appears, was ignorant of the affair, and does not approve it.’
Jermyn, looking gravely and steadily17 at Felix while he was speaking, at the same time drew forth18 a small sheaf of papers from his side-pocket, and then, as he turned his eyes slowly on Harold, felt in his waistcoat-pocket for his pencil-case.
‘I don’t approve it at all,’ said Harold, who hated Jermyn’s calculated slowness and conceit19 in his own impenetrability. ‘Be good enough to put a stop to it, will you?’
‘Mr Holt, I know, is an excellent Liberal,’ said Jermyn, just inclining his head to Harold, and then alternately looking at Felix and docketing his bills; ‘but he is perhaps too inexperienced to be aware that no canvass5 — a — can be conducted without the action of able men, who must — a — be trusted, and not interfered20 with. And as to any possibility of promising21 to put a stop — a — to any procedure — a — that depends. If he had ever held the coachman’s ribbons in his hands, as I have in my younger days — a — he would know that stopping is not always easy.’
‘I know very little about holding ribbons,’ said Felix; ‘but I saw clearly enough at once that more mischief22 had been done than could be well mended. Though I believe, if it were heartily23 tried, the treating might be reduced, and something might be done to hinder the men from turning out in a body to make a noise, which might end in worse.’
‘They might be hindered from making a noise on our side,’ said Jermyn, smiling. ‘That is perfectly24 true. But if they made a noise on the other — would your purpose be answered better, sir?’
Harold was moving about in an irritated manner while Felix and Jermyn were speaking. He preferred leaving the talk to the attorney, of whose talk he himself liked to keep as clear as possible.
‘I can only say,’ answered Felix, ‘that if you make use of those heavy fellows when the drink is in them, I shouldn’t like your responsibility. You might as well drive bulls to roar on our side as bribe25 a set of colliers and navvies to shout and groan26.’
‘A lawyer may well envy your command of language, Mr Holt,’ said Jermyn, pocketing his bills again, and shutting up his pencil; ‘but he would not be satisfied with the accuracy — a — of your terms. You must permit me to check your use of the word “bribery27”. The essence of bribery is, that it should be legally proved; there is not such a thing — a — in rerum natura — a — as unproved bribery. There has been no such thing as bribery at Sproxton, I’ll answer for it. The presence of a body of stalwart fellows on — a — the Liberal side will tend to preserve order; for we know that the benefit clubs from the Pitchley district will show for Debarry. Indeed, the gentleman who has conducted the canvass at Sproxton is experienced in parliamentary affairs, and would not exceed — a — the necessary measures that a rational judgment28 would dictate29!’
‘What! you mean the man who calls himself Johnson?’ said Felix, in a tone of disgust.
Before Jermyn chose to answer, Harold broke in, saying, quickly and peremptorily30, ‘The long and short of it is this, Mr Holt: I shall desire and insist that whatever can be done by way of remedy shall be done. Will that satisfy you? You see now some of a candidate’s difficulties?’ said Harold, breaking into his most agreeable smile. ‘I hope you will have some pity for me.’
‘I suppose I must be content,’ said Felix, not thoroughly31 propitiated32. ‘I bid you good-morning, gentlemen.’
When he was gone out, and had closed the door behind him, Harold, turning round and flashing, in spite of himself, an angry look at Jermyn, said —
‘And who is Johnson? an alias33, I suppose. It seems you are fond of the name.’
Jermyn turned perceptibly paler, but disagreeables of this sort between himself and Harold had been too much in his anticipations34 of late for him to be taken by surprise. He turned quietly round and just touched the shoulder of the person seated at the bureau, who now rose.
‘On the contrary,’ Jermyn answered, ‘the Johnson in question is this gentleman, whom I have the pleasure of introducing to you as one of my most active helpmates in electioneering business — Mr Johnson, of Bedford Row, London. I am comparatively a novice35 — a — in these matters. But he was engaged with James Putty in two hardly-contested elections, and there could scarcely be a better initiation36. Putty is one of the first men of the country as an agent — a — on the Liberal side — a — eh, Johnson? I think Makepiece is — a — not altogether a match for him, not quite of the same calibre — a — haud consimili ingenio — a — in tactics — a — and in experience?’
‘Makepiece is a wonderful man, and so is Putty,’ said the glib37 Johnson, too vain not to be pleased with an opportunity of speaking, even when the situation was rather awkward. ‘Makepiece for scheming, but Putty for management. Putty knows men, sir,’ he went on, turning to Harold; ‘it’s a thousand pities that you have not had his talents employed in your service. He’s beyond any man for saving a candidate’s money — does half the work with his tongue. He’ll talk of anything, from the Areopagus, and that sort of thing, down to the joke about “Where are you going, Paddy?” — you know what I mean, sir! “Back again, says Paddy” — an excellent electioneering joke. Putty understands these things. He has said to me, “Johnson, bear in mind there are two ways of speaking an audience will always like: one is, to tell them what they don’t understand; and the other is, to tell them what they’re used to.” I shall never be the man to deny that I owe a great deal to Putty. I always say it was a most providential thing in the Mugham election last year that Putty was not on the Tory side. He managed the women; and if you’ll believe me, sir, one fourth of the men would never have voted if their wives hadn’t driven them to it for the good of their families. And as for speaking — it’s currently reported in our London circles that Putty writes regularly for the Times. He has that kind of language; and I needn’t tell you, Mr Transome, that it’s the apex38, which, I take it, means the tiptop — and nobody can get higher than that, I think. I’ve belonged to a political debating society myself; I’ve heard a little language in my time; but when Mr Jermyn first spoke39 to me about having the honour to assist in your canvass of North Loamshire’ — here Johnson played with his watch-seals and balanced himself a moment on his toes — ‘the very first thing I said was, “And there’s Garstin has got Putty! No Whig could stand against a Whig,” I said, “who had Putty on his side: I hope Mr Transome goes in for something of a deeper colour.” I don’t say that, as a general rule, opinions go for much in a return, Mr Transome; it depends on who are in the field before you, and on the skill of your agents. But as a Radical40, and a moneyed Radical, you are in a fine position, sir; and with care and judgment — with care and judgment —’
It had been impossible to interrupt Johnson before, without the most impolite rudeness. Jermyn was not sorry that he should talk, even if he made a fool of himself; for in that solid shape, exhibiting the average amount of human foibles, he seemed less of the alias which Harold had insinuated41 him to be, and had all the additional plausibility42 of a lie with a circumstance.
Harold had thrown himself with contemptuous resignation into a chair, had drawn43 off one of his buff gloves, and was looking at his hand. But when Johnson gave his iteration with a slightly slackened pace, Harold looked up at him and broke in —
‘Well, then, Mr Johnson, I shall be glad if you will use your care and judgment in putting an end as well as you can to this Sproxton affair; else it may turn out an ugly business.’
‘Excuse me, sir, I must beg you to look at the matter a little more closely. You will see that it is impossible to take a single step backward at Sproxton. It was a matter of necessity to get the Sproxton men; else I know to a certainty the other side would have laid hold of them first, and now I’ve undermined Garstin’s people. They’ll use their authority, and give a little shabby treating, but I’ve taken all the wind out of their sails. But if, by your orders, I or Mr Jermyn here were to break promise with the honest fellows, and offend Chubb the publican, what would come of it? Chubb would leave no stone unturned against you, sir; he would egg on his customers against you; the colliers and navvies would be at the nomination44 and at the election all the same, or rather not all the same, for they would be there against us; and instead of hustling45 people good-humouredly by way of a joke, and counterbalancing Debarry’s cheers, they’d help to kick the cheering and the voting out of our men, and instead of being, let us say, half-a-dozen ahead of Garstin, you’d be half-a-dozen behind him, that’s all. I speak plain English to you, Mr Transome, though I’ve the highest respect for you as a gentleman of first-rate talents and position. But, sir, to judge of these things a man must know the English voter and the English publican; and it would be a poor tale indeed’ — here Mr Johnson’s mouth took an expression at once bitter and pathetic — ‘that a gentleman like you, to say nothing of the good of the country, should have gone to the expense and trouble of a canvass for nothing but to find himself out of parliament at the end of it. I’ve seen it again and again; it looks bad in the cleverest man to have to sing small.’
Mr Johnson’s argument was not the less stringent46 because his idioms were vulgar. It requires a conviction and resolution amounting to heroism47 not to wince48 at phrases that class our foreshadowed endurance among those common and ignominious49 troubles which the world is more likely to sneer50 at than to pity. Harold remained a few moments in angry silence looking at the floor, with one hand on his knee, and the other on his hat, as if he were preparing to start up.
‘As to undoing51 anything that’s been done down there,’ said Johnson, throwing in this observation as something into the bargain, ‘I must wash my hands of it, sir. I couldn’t work knowingly against your interest. And that young man who is just gone out, — you don’t believe that he need be listened to, I hope? Chubb, the publican, hates him. Chubb would guess he was at the bottom of your having the treating stopped, and he’d set half-a-dozen of the colliers to duck him in the canal, or break his head by mistake. I’m an experienced man, sir. I hope I’ve put it clear enough.’
‘Certainly, the exposition befits the subject,’ said Harold, scornfully, his dislike of the man Johnson’s personality being stimulated52 by causes which Jermyn more than conjectured53. ‘It’s a damned, unpleasant, ravelled business that you and Mr Jermyn have knit up between you. I’ve no more to say.’
‘Then, sir, if you’ve no more commands, I don’t wish to intrude54. I shall wish you good-morning, sir,’ said Johnson, passing out quickly.
Harold knew that he was indulging his temper, and he would probably have restrained it as a foolish move if he had thought there was great danger in it. But he was beginning to drop much of his caution and self-mastery where Jermyn was concerned, under the growing conviction that the attorney had very strong reasons for being afraid of him; reasons which would only be reinforced by any action hostile to the Transome interest. As for a sneak55 like this Johnson, a gendeman had to pay him, not to please him. Harold had smiles at command in the right place, but he was not going to smile when it was neither necessary nor agreeable. He was one of those good-humoured, yet energetic men, who have the gift of anger, hatred56, and scom upon occasion, though they are too healthy and selfcontented for such feelings to get generated in them without external occasion. And in relation to Jermyn the gift was coming into fine exercise.
‘A— pardon me, Mr Harold,’ said Jermyn, speaking as soon as Johnson went out, ‘but I am sorry — a — you should behave disobligingly to a man who has it in his power to do much service — who, in fact, holds many threads in his hands. I admit that — a — nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit, as we say — a —’
‘Speak for yourself,’ said Harold. ‘I don’t talk in tags of Latin, which might be learned by a schoolmaster’s footboy. I find the King’s English express my meaning better.’
‘In the King’s English, then,’ said Jermyn who could be idiomatic57 enough when he was stung, ‘a candidate should keep his kicks till he’s a member.’
‘O, I suppose Johnson will bear a kick if you bid him. You’re his principal, I believe.’
‘Certainly, thus far — a — he is my London agent. But he is a man of substance, and —’
‘I shall know what he is if it’s necessary, I daresay. But I must jump into the carriage again. I’ve no time to lose; I must go to Hawkins at the factory. Will you go?’
When Harold was gone, Jermyn’s handsome face gathered blackness. He hardly ever wore his worst expression in the presence of others, and but seldom when he was alone, for he was not given to believe that any game would ultimately go against him. His luck had been good. New conditions might always turn up to give him new chances; and if affairs threatened to come to an extremity58 between Harold and himself, he trusted to finding some sure resource.
‘He means to see to the bottom of everything if he can, that’s quite plain,’ said Jermyn to himself. ‘I believe he has been getting another opinion; he has some new light about those annuities59 on the estate that are held in Johnson’s name. He has inherited a deuced faculty60 for business — there’s no denying that. But I shall beg leave to tell him that I’ve propped61 up the family. I don’t know where they would have been without me; and if it comes to balancing, I know into which scale the gratitude62 ought to go. Not that he’s likely to feel any — but he can feel something else; and if he makes signs of setting the dogs on me, I shall make him feel it. The people named Transome owe me a good deal more than I owe them.’
In this way Mr Jermyn inwardly appealed against an unjust construction which he foresaw that his old acquaintance the Law might put on certain items in his history.
I have known persons who have been suspected of undervaluing gratitude, and excluding it from the list of virtues64; but on closer observation it has been seen that, if they have never felt grateful, it has been for want of an opportunity; and that, far from despising gratitude, they regard it as the virtue63 most of all incumbent65 — on others towards them.
收听单词发音 |
1
dough
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| n.生面团；钱，现款 | |
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2
curds
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| n.凝乳( curd的名词复数 ) | |
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3
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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4
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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5
canvass
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| v.招徕顾客，兜售；游说；详细检查，讨论 | |
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canvassing
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| v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的现在分词 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查 | |
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7
inconvenient
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| adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的 | |
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8
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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9
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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10
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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11
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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12
haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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13
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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14
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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15
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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16
bribing
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| 贿赂 | |
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17
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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18
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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19
conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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20
interfered
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| v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 )；调停；妨碍；干涉 | |
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21
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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22
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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23
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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24
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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25
bribe
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| n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通 | |
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26
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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27
bribery
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| n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿 | |
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28
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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29
dictate
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| v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令 | |
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30
peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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31
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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32
propitiated
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| v.劝解，抚慰，使息怒( propitiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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alias
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| n.化名；别名；adv.又名 | |
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anticipations
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| 预期( anticipation的名词复数 )； 预测； （信托财产收益的）预支； 预期的事物 | |
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novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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initiation
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| n.开始 | |
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glib
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| adj.圆滑的，油嘴滑舌的 | |
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apex
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| n.顶点，最高点 | |
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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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radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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insinuated
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| v.暗示( insinuate的过去式和过去分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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plausibility
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| n. 似有道理, 能言善辩 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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nomination
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| n.提名，任命，提名权 | |
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hustling
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| 催促（hustle的现在分词形式） | |
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stringent
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| adj.严厉的；令人信服的；银根紧的 | |
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heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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48
wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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ignominious
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| adj.可鄙的，不光彩的，耻辱的 | |
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sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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51
undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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53
conjectured
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| 推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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55
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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56
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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57
idiomatic
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| adj.成语的，符合语言习惯的 | |
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58
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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59
annuities
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| n.养老金；年金( annuity的名词复数 )；（每年的）养老金；年金保险；年金保险投资 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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61
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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63
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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64
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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incumbent
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| adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的 | |
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