Of Jenny and her Friends. Showing how a Man may go to see Life and meet Death there. Of the Felicity of Life and the Happiness of Corinthian Kate. The Woman and the Cholera1
Love and let love, and so will I,
But, sweet, for me no more with you,
Not while I live, not though I die.
Good-night, good-bye!
I AM entirely2 the man about town, and sickness is no word for my sentiments. It began with an idle word in a bar-room. It ended goodness knows where. That the world should hold French, German, and Italian ladies of the Ancient Profession is no great marvel3; but it is to one who has lived in India something shocking to meet again Englishwomen in the same sisterhood. When an opulent papa sends his son and heir round the world to enlarge his mind, does he reflect, I wonder, on the places into which the innocent strolls under the guidance of equally inexperienced friends? I am disposed to think that he does not. In the interest of the opulent papa, and from a genuine desire to see what they call Life, with a Capital Hell, I went through Hong-Kong for the space of a night. I am glad that I am not a happy father with a stray son who thinks that he knows all the ropes. Vice4 must be pretty much the same all the round world over, but if a man wishes to get out of pleasure with it, let him go to HongKong.
‘Of course things are out and away better at ’Frisco,’ said my guide, ‘but we consider this very fair for the Island.’ It was not till a fat person in a black dressing-gown began to squeal5 demands for horrible stuff called ‘a bottle of wine’ that I began to understand the glory of the situation. I was seeing Life. ‘Life’ is a great thing. It consists in swigging sweet champagne6 that was stolen from a steward7 of the P. and O., and exchanging bad words with pale-faced baggages who laugh demnibly without effort and without emotion. The argot8 of the real ‘chippy ‘(this means man of the world — Anglice, a half-drunk youth with his hat on the back of his head) is not easy to come at. It requires an apprenticeship9 in America. I stood appalled10 at the depth and richness of the American language, of which I was privileged to hear a special dialect. There were girls who had been to Leadville and Denver and the wilds of the wilder west, who had acted in minor11 companies, and who had generally misconducted themselves in a hundred weary ways. They chattered12 like daws and shovelled13 down the sickly liquor that made the rooms reek14. As long as they talked sensibly things were amusing, but a sufficiency of liquor made the mask drop, and verily they swore by all their gods, chief of whom is Obidicut. Very many men have heard a white woman swear, but some few, and among these I have been, are denied the experience. It is quite a revelation; and if nobody tilts15 you backwards16 out of your chair, you can reflect on heaps of things connected with it. So they cursed and they drank and they told tales, sitting in a circle, till I felt that this was really Life and a thing to be quitted if I wished to like it. The young man who knew a thing or two, and gave the girls leave to sell him if they could, was there of course; and the hussies sold him as he stood for all he considered himself worth; and I saw the by-play. Surely the safest way to be fooled is to know everything. Then there was an interlude and some more shrieks17 and howls, which the generous public took as indicating immense mirth and enjoyment18 of Life; and I came to yet another establishment, where the landlady19 lacked the half of her left lung, as a cough betrayed, but was none the less amusing in a dreary20 way, until she also dropped the mask and the playful jesting began. All the jokes I had heard before at the other place. It is a poor sort of Life that cannot spring one new jest a day. More than ever did the youth cock his hat and explain that he was a real ‘chippy,’ and that there were no flies on him. Any one without a cast-iron head would be ‘real chippy’ next morning after one glass of that sirupy champagne. I understand now why men feel insulted when sweet fizz is offered to them. The second interview closed as the landlady gracefully21 coughed us into the passage, and so into the healthy, silent streets. She was very ill indeed, and announced that she had but four months more to live.
‘Are we going to hold these dismal22 levees all through the night?’ I demanded at the fourth house, where I dreaded23 the repetition of the thrice-told tales.
‘It’s better in ’Frisco. Must amuse the girls a little bit, y’ know. Walk round and wake ’em up. That’s Life. You never saw it in India?’ was the reply.
‘No, thank God, I didn’t. A week of this would make me hang myself,’ I returned, leaning wearily against a door-post. There were very loud sounds of revelry by night here, and the inmates24 needed no waking up. One of them was recovering from a debauch25 of three days, and the other was just entering upon the same course. Providence26 protected me all through. A certain austere27 beauty of countenance28 had made every one take me for a doctor or a parson — a qualified29 parson, I think; and so I was spared many of the more pronounced jokes, and could sit and contemplate30 the Life that was so sweet. I thought of the Oxonian in Tom and Jerry playing jigs31 at the spinet,— you have seen the old-fashioned plate?— while Corinthian Tom and Corinthian Kate danced a stately saraband in a little carpeted room. The worst of it was, the women were real women and pretty, and like some people I knew, and when they stopped the insensate racket for a while they were well behaved.
‘Pass for real ladies anywhere,’ said my friend. ‘Aren’t these things well managed?’
Then Corinthian Kate began to bellow32 for more drinks,— it was three in the morning,— and the current of hideous33 talk recommenced.
They spoke34 about themselves as ‘gay.’ This does not look much on paper. To appreciate the full grimness of the sarcasm35 hear it from their lips amid their own surroundings. I winked36 with vigour37 to show that I appreciated Life and was a real chippy, and that upon me, too, there were no flies. There is an intoxication38 in company that carries a man to excess of mirth; but when a party of four deliberately39 sit down to drink and swear, the bottom tumbles out of the amusement somehow, and loathing40 and boredom41 follow. A night’s reflection has convinced me that there is no hell for these women in another world. They have their own in this Life, and I have been through it a little way. Still carrying the brevet rank of doctor, it was my duty to watch through the night to the dawn a patient — gay, toujours gay, remember — quivering on the verge42 of a complaint called the ‘jumps.’ Corinthian Kate will get hers later on. Her companion, emerging from a heavy drink, was more than enough for me. She was an unmitigated horror, until I lost detestation in genuine pity. The fear of death was upon her for a reason that you shall hear.
‘I say, you say you come from India. Do you know anything about cholera?’
‘A little,’ I answered. The voice of the questioner was cracked and quavering. A long pause.
‘I say, Doctor, what are the symptoms of cholera? A woman died just over the street there last week.’
‘This is pleasant,’ I thought. ‘But I must remember that it is Life.’
‘She died last week — cholera. My God, I tell you she was dead in six hours! I guess I’ll get cholera, too. I can’t, though. Can I? I thought I had it two days ago. It hurt me terribly. I can’t get it, can I? It never attacks people twice, does it? Oh, say it doesn’t and be d — d to you. Doctor, what are the symptoms of cholera?’
I waited till she had detailed43 her own attack, assured her that these and no others were the symptoms, and — may this be set to my credit — that cholera never attacked twice. This soothed44 her for ten minutes. Then she sprang up with an oath and shrieked:—
‘I won’t be buried in Hong-Kong. That frightens me. When I die — of cholera — take me to ’Frisco and bury me there. In ’Frisco — Lone45 Mountain ’Frisco — you hear, Doctor?’
I heard and promised. Outside the birds were beginning to twitter, and the dawn was pencilling the shutters46.
‘I say, Doctor, did you ever know Cora Pearl?’
‘Knew of her.’ I wondered whether she was going to walk round the room to all eternity47 with her eyes glaring at the ceiling and her hands twisting and untwisting one within the other.
‘Well,’ she began, in an impressive whisper, ‘it was young Duval shot himself on her mat, and made a bloody48 mess there. I mean real bloody. You don’t carry a pistol, Doctor? Savile did. You didn’t know Savile. He was my husband in the States. But I’m English, pure English. That’s what I am. Let’s have a bottle of wine, I’m so nervous. Not good for me? What the — No, you’re a doctor. You know what’s good against cholera. Tell me! Tell me.’
She crossed to the shutters and stared out, her hand upon the bolt, and the bolt clacked against the wood because of the tremulous hand.
‘I tell you Corinthian Kate’s drunk — full as she can hold. She’s always drinking. Did you ever see my shoulder — these two marks on it? They were given me by a man — a gentleman — the night before last. I didn’t fall against any furniture. He struck me with his cane49 twice, the beast, the beast, the beast! If I had been full, I’d have knocked the dust out of him. The beast! But I only went into the verandah and cried fit to break my heart. Oh, the beast!’
She paced the room, chafing50 her shoulder and crooning over it as though it were an animal. Then she swore at the man. Then she fell into a sort of stupor51, but moaned and swore at the man in her sleep, and wailed52 for her amah to come and dress her shoulder.
Asleep she was not unlovely, but the mouth twitched53 and the body was shaken with shiverings, and there was no peace in her at all. Daylight showed her purple-eyed, slack-cheeked, and staring, racked with a headache and the nervous twitches54. Indeed I was seeing Life; but it did not amuse me, for I felt that I, though I only made capital of her extreme woe55, was guilty equally with the rest of my kind that had brought her here.
Then she told lies. At least I was informed that they were lies later on by the real man of the world. They related to herself and her people, and if untrue must have been motiveless56, for all was sordid57 and sorrowful, though she tried to gild58 the page with a book of photos which linked her to her past. Not being a man of the world, I prefer to believe that the tales were true, and thank her for the honour she did me in the telling.
I had fancied that the house had nothing sadder to show me than her face. Here was I wrong. Corinthian Kate had really been drinking, and rose up reeling drunk, which is an awful thing to witness, and makes one’s head ache sympathetically. Something had gone wrong in the slatternly menage where the plated tea-services were mixed with cheap china; and the household was being called to account. I watched her clutching the mosquito-net for support, a horror and an offence in the eye of the guiltless day. I heard her swear in a thick, sodden59 voice as I have never yet heard a man swear, and I marvelled60 that the house did not thunder in on our heads. Her companion interposed, but was borne down by a torrent61 of blasphemy62, and the half a dozen little dogs that infested63 the room removed themselves beyond reach of Corinthian Kate’s hand or foot. That she was a handsome woman only made the matter worse. The companion collapsed64 shivering on one of the couches, and Kate swayed to and fro and cursed God and man and earth and heaven with puffed65 lips. If Alma-Tadema could have painted her,— an arrangement in white, black hair, flashing eyes, and bare feet,— we should have seen the true likeness66 of the Eternal Priestess of Humanity. Or she would have been better drawn67 when the passion was over, tottering68 across the room, a champagne glass held high above her head, shouting, at ten o’clock in the morning, for some more of the infamous69 brewage that was even then poisoning the air of the whole house. She got her liquor, and the two women sat down to share it together. That was their breakfast.
I went away very sick and miserable70, and as the door closed I saw the two drinking.
‘Out and away better is ’Frisco,’ said the real ‘chippy ‘one. ‘But you see they are awfully71 nice — could pass for ladies any time they like. I tell you a man has to go round and keep his eyes open among them when he’s seeing a little sporting life.’
I have seen all that I wish to see, and henceforward I will pass. There may be better champagne and better drinkers in ’Frisco and elsewhere, but the talk will be the same, and the mouldiness and staleness of it all will be the same till the end of time. If this be Life give me a little honest death, without drinks and without foul72 jesting. Any way you look at it ’tis a poor performance, badly played, and too near to a tragedy to be pleasant. But it seems to amuse the young man wandering about the world, and I cannot believe that it is altogether good for him — unless, indeed, it makes him fonder of his home.
And mine was the greater sin. I was driven by no gust73 of passion, but went in cold blood to make my account of this Inferno74, and to measure the measureless miseries75 of life. For the wholly insignificant76 sum of thirty dollars I had purchased information and disgust more than I required, and the right to look after a woman half crazed with drink and fear the third part of a terrible night. Mine was the greater sin.
When we stepped back into the world I was glad that the fog stood between myself and the heaven above.
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1
cholera
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| n.霍乱 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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squeal
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| v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音 | |
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champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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argot
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| n.隐语，黑话 | |
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apprenticeship
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| n.学徒身份；学徒期 | |
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appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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minor
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| adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修 | |
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chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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shovelled
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| v.铲子( shovel的过去式和过去分词 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份 | |
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reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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tilts
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| （意欲赢得某物或战胜某人的）企图，尝试( tilt的名词复数 ) | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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landlady
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| n.女房东，女地主 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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debauch
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| v.使堕落，放纵 | |
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providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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austere
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| adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的 | |
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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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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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jigs
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| n.快步舞（曲）极快地( jig的名词复数 )；夹具v.（使）上下急动( jig的第三人称单数 ) | |
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bellow
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| v.吼叫，怒吼；大声发出，大声喝道 | |
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hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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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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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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intoxication
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| n.wild excitement;drunkenness；poisoning | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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boredom
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| n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊 | |
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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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soothed
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| v.安慰( soothe的过去式和过去分词 )；抚慰；使舒服；减轻痛苦 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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chafing
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| n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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stupor
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| v.昏迷；不省人事 | |
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wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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twitches
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| n.（使）抽动， （使）颤动， （使）抽搐( twitch的名词复数 ) | |
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woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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motiveless
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| adj.无动机的，无目的的 | |
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sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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gild
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| vt.给…镀金，把…漆成金色，使呈金色 | |
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sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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blasphemy
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| n.亵渎，渎神 | |
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infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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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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tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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72
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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73
gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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inferno
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| n.火海；地狱般的场所 | |
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miseries
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| n.痛苦( misery的名词复数 )；痛苦的事；穷困；常发牢骚的人 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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