“May I ask for a cup of tea, Miss Minerva?”
“Delighted, I’m sure, Mr. Le Frank.”
“And was Mrs. Gallilee pleased with the Concert?”
“Charmed.”
Mr. Le Frank shook his head. “I am afraid there was a drawback,” he suggested. “You forget the lady who fainted. So alarming to the audience. So disagreeable to the artists.”
“Take care, Mr. Le Frank! These new houses are flimsily built; they might hear you upstairs. The fainting lady is upstairs. All the elements of a romance are upstairs. Is your tea to your liking1?”
In this playfully provocative2 manner, Miss Minerva (the governess) trifled with the curiosity of Mr. Le Frank (the music-master), as the proverbial cat trifles with the terror of the captive mouse. The man of the bald head and the servile smile showed a polite interest in the coming disclosure; he opened his deeply-sunk eyes, and lazily lifted his delicate eyebrows3.
He had called at Mrs. Gallilee’s house, after the concert, to get a little tea (with a large infusion4 of praise) in the schoolroom. A striking personal contrast confronted him, in the face of the lady who was dispensing5 the hospitalities of the table. Mr. Le Frank’s plump cheeks were, in colour, of the obtrusively6 florid sort. The relics7 of yellow hair, still adhering to the sides of his head, looked as silkily frail8 as spun9 glass. His noble beard made amends10 for his untimely baldness. The glossy11 glory of it exhaled12 delicious perfumes; the keenest eyes might have tried in vain to discover a hair that was out of place. Miss Minerva’s eager sallow face, so lean, and so hard, and so long, looked, by contrast, as if it wanted some sort of discreet13 covering thrown over some part of it. Her coarse black hair projected like a penthouse over her bushy black eyebrows and her keen black eyes. Oh, dear me (as they said in the servants’ hall), she would never be married — so yellow and so learned, so ugly and so poor! And yet, if mystery is interesting, this was an interesting woman. The people about her felt an uneasy perception of something secret, ominously14 secret, in the nature of the governess which defied detection. If Inquisitive15 Science, vowed16 to medical research, could dissect17 firmness of will, working at its steadiest repressive action — then, the mystery of Miss Minerva’s inner nature might possibly have been revealed. As it was, nothing more remarkable18 exposed itself to view than an irritable19 temper; serving perhaps as safety-valve to an underlying20 explosive force, which (with strong enough temptation and sufficient opportunity) might yet break out.
“Gently, Mr. Le Frank! The tea is hot — you may burn your mouth. How am I to tell you what has happened?” Miss Minerva dropped the playfully provocative tone, with infinite tact21, exactly at the right moment. “Just imagine,” she resumed, “a scene on the stage, occurring in private life. The lady who fainted at your concert, turns out to be no less a person that Mrs. Gallilee’s niece!”
The general folly22 which reads a prospectus24 and blindly speculates in shares, is matched by the equally diffused25 stupidity, which is incapable26 of discovering that there can be any possible relation between fiction and truth. Say it’s in a novel — and you are a fool if you believe it. Say it’s in a newspaper — and you are a fool if you doubt it. Mr. Le Frank, following the general example, followed it on this occasion a little too unreservedly. He avowed27 his doubts of the circumstance just related, although it was, on the authority of a lady, a circumstance occurring in real life! Far from being offended, Miss Minerva cordially sympathized with him.
“It is too theatrical28 to be believed,” she admitted; “but this fainting young person is positively29 the interesting stranger we have been expecting from Italy. You know Mrs. Gallilee. Hers was the first smelling-bottle produced; hers was the presence of mind which suggested a horizontal position. ‘Help the heart,’ she said; ‘don’t impede30 it.’ The whole theory of fainting fits, in six words! In another moment,” proceeded the governess making a theatrical point without suspecting it —“in another moment, Mrs. Gallilee herself stood in need of the smelling-bottle.”
Mr. Le Frank was not a true believer, even yet. “You don’t mean she fainted!” he said.
Miss Minerva held up the indicative forefinger31, with which she emphasized instruction when her pupils required rousing. “Mrs. Gallilee’s strength of mind — as I was about to say, if you had listened to me — resisted the shock. What the effort must have cost her you will presently understand. Our interesting young lady was accompanied by a hideous32 old foreign woman who completely lost her head. She smacked33 her hands distractedly; she called on the saints (without producing the slightest effect)— but she mixed up a name, remarkable even in Italy, with the rest of the delirium34; and that was serious. Put yourself in Mrs. Gallilee’s place —”
“I couldn’t do it,” said Mr. Le Frank, with humility35.
Miss Minerva passed over this reply without notice. Perhaps she was not a believer in the humility of musicians.
“The young lady’s Christian36 name,” she proceeded, “is Carmina; (put the accent, if you please, on the first syllable). The moment Mrs. Gallilee heard the name, it struck her like a blow. She enlightened the old woman, and asserted herself as Miss Carmina’s aunt in an instant. ‘I am Mrs. Gallilee:’ that was all she said. The result”— Miss Minerva paused, and pointed37 to the ceiling; “the result is up there. Our charming guest was on the sofa, and the hideous old nurse was fanning her, when I had the honour of seeing them just now. No, Mr. Le Frank! I haven’t done yet. There is a last act in this drama of private life still to relate. A medical gentleman was present at the concert, who offered his services in reviving Miss Carmina. The same gentleman is now in attendance on the interesting patient. Can you guess who he is?”
Mr. Le Frank had sold a ticket for his concert to the medical adviser38 of the family — one Mr. Null. A cautious guess in this direction seemed to offer the likeliest chance of success.
“He is a patron of music,” the pianist began.
“He hates music,” the governess interposed.
“I mean Mr. Null,” Mr. Le Frank persisted.
“I mean —” Miss Minerva paused (like the cat with the mouse again!)—“I mean, Mr. Ovid Vere.”
What form the music-master’s astonishment39 might have assumed may be matter for speculation40, it was never destined41 to become matter of fact. At the moment when Miss Minerva overwhelmed him with the climax42 of her story, a little, rosy43, elderly gentleman, with a round face, a sweet smile, and a curly gray head, walked into the room, accompanied by two girls. Persons of small importance — only Mr. Gallilee and his daughters.
“How d’ye-do, Mr. Le Frank. I hope you got plenty of money by the concert. I gave away my own two tickets. You will excuse me, I’m sure. Music, I can’t think why, always sends me to sleep. Here are your two pupils, Miss Minerva, safe and sound. It struck me we were rather in the way, when that sweet young creature was brought home. Sadly in want of quiet, poor thing — not in want of us. Mrs. Gallilee and Ovid, so clever and attentive44, were just the right people in the right place. So I put on my hat — I’m always available, Mr. Le Frank; I have the great advantage of never having anything to do — and I said to the girls, ‘Let’s have a walk.’ We had no particular place to go to — that’s another advantage of mine — so we drifted about. I didn’t mean it, but, somehow or other, we stopped at a pastry-cook’s shop. What was the name of the pastry-cook?”
So far Mr. Gallilee proceeded, speaking in the oddest self-contradictory voice, if such a description is permissible45 — a voice at once high in pitch and mild in tone: in short, as Mr. Le Frank once professionally remarked, a soft falsetto. When the good gentleman paused to make his little effort of memory, his eldest47 daughter — aged48 twelve, and always ready to distinguish herself — saw her opportunity, and took the rest of the narrative49 into her own hands.
Miss Maria, named after her mother, was one of the successful new products of the age we live in — the conventionally-charming child (who has never been smacked); possessed50 of the large round eyes that we see in pictures, and the sweet manners and perfect principles that we read of in books. She called everybody “dear;” she knew to a nicety how much oxygen she wanted in the composition of her native air; and — alas51, poor wretch52!— she had never wetted her shoes or dirtied her face since the day when she was born.
“Dear Miss Minerva,” said Maria, “the pastry-cook’s name was Timbal. We have had ices.”
His mind being now set at rest on the subject of the pastry-cook, Mr. Gallilee turned to his youngest daughter — aged ten, and one of the unsuccessful products of the age we live in. This was a curiously53 slow, quaint54, self-contained child; the image of her father, with an occasional reflection of his smile; incurably55 stupid, or incurably perverse56 — the friends of the family were not quite sure which. Whether she might have been over-crammed with useless knowledge, was not a question in connection with the subject which occurred to anybody.
“Rouse yourself, Zo,” said Mr. Gallilee. “What did we have besides ices?”
Zoe (known to her father, by vulgar abbreviation, as “Zo”) took Mr. Gallilee’s stumpy red hand, and held hard by it as if that was the one way in which a dull child could rouse herself, with a prospect23 of success.
“I’ve had so many of them,” she said; “I don’t know. Ask Maria.”
Maria responded with the sweetest readiness. “Dear Zoe, you are so slow! Cheesecakes.”
Mr. Gallilee patted Zoe’s head as encouragingly as if she had discovered the right answer by herself. “That’s right — ices and cheese-cakes,” he said. “We tried cream-ice, and then we tried water-ice. The children, Miss Minerva, preferred the cream-ice. And, do you know, I’m of their opinion. There’s something in a cream-ice — what do you think yourself of cream-ices, Mr. Le Frank?”
It was one among the many weaknesses of Mr. Gallilee’s character to be incapable of opening his lips without, sooner or later, taking somebody into his confidence. In the merest trifles, he instinctively57 invited sympathy and agreement from any person within his reach — from a total stranger quite as readily as from an intimate friend. Mr. Le Frank, representing the present Court of Social Appeal, attempted to deliver judgment58 on the question of ices, and was interrupted without ceremony by Miss Minerva. She, too, had been waiting her opportunity to speak, and she now took it — not amiably59.
“With all possible respect, Mr. Gallilee, I venture to entreat60 that you will be a little more thoughtful, where the children are concerned. I beg your pardon, Mr. Le Frank, for interrupting you — but it is really a little too hard on Me. I am held responsible for the health of these girls; I am blamed over and over again, when it is not my fault, for irregularities in their diet — and there they are, at this moment, chilled with ices and cloyed61 with cakes! What will Mrs. Gallilee say?”
“Don’t tell her,” Mr. Gallilee suggested.
“The girls will be thirsty for the rest of the evening,” Miss Minerva persisted; “the girls will have no appetite for the last meal before bedtime. And their mother will ask Me what it means.”
“My good creature,” cried Mr. Gallilee, “don’t be afraid of the girls’ appetites! Take off their hats, and give them something nice for supper. They inherit my stomach, Miss Minerva — and they’ll ‘tuck in,’ as we used to say at school. Did they say so in your time, Mr. Le Frank?”
Mrs. Gallilee’s governess and vulgar expressions were anomalies never to be reconciled, under any circumstances. Miss Minerva took off the hats in stern silence. Even “Papa” might have seen the contempt in her face, if she had not managed to hide it in this way, by means of the girls.
In the silence that ensued, Mr. Le Frank had his chance of speaking, and showed himself to be a gentleman with a happily balanced character — a musician, with an eye to business. Using gratitude62 to Mr. Gallilee as a means of persuasion63, he gently pushed the interests of a friend who was giving a concert next week. “We poor artists have our faults, my dear sir; but we are all earnest in helping64 each other. My friend sang for nothing at my concert. Don’t suppose for a moment that he expects it of me! But I am going to play for nothing at his concert. May I appeal to your kind patronage65 to take two tickets?” The reply ended appropriately in musical sound — a golden tinkling66, in Mr. Le Frank’s pocket.
Having paid his tribute to art and artists, Mr. Gallilee looked furtively67 at Miss Minerva. On the wise principle of letting well alone, he perceived that the happy time had arrived for leaving the room. How was he to make his exit? He prided himself on his readiness of resource, in difficulties of this sort, and he was equal to the occasion as usual — he said he would go to his club.
“We really have a capital smoking-room at that club,” he said. “I do like a good cigar; and — what do you think Mr. Le Frank?— isn’t a pint68 of champagne69 nice drinking, this hot weather? Just cooled with ice — I don’t know whether you feel the weather, Miss Minerva, as I do?— and poured, fizzing, into a silver mug. Lord, how delicious! Good-bye, girls. Give me a kiss before I go.”
Maria led the way, as became the elder. She not only gave the kiss, but threw an appropriate sentiment into the bargain. “I do love you, dear papa!” said this perfect daughter — with a look in Miss Minerva’s direction, which might have been a malicious70 look in any eyes but Maria’s.
Mr. Gallilee turned to his youngest child. “Well, Zo — what do you say?”
Zo took her father’s hand once more, and rubbed her head against it like a cat. This new method of expressing filial affection seemed to interest Mr. Gallilee. “Does your head itch46, my dear?” he asked. The idea was new to Zo. She brightened, and looked at her father with a sly smile. “Why do you do it?” Miss Minerva asked sharply. Zo clouded over again, and answered, “I don’t know.” Mr. Gallilee rewarded her with a kiss, and went away to champagne and the club.
Mr. Le Frank left the schoolroom next. He paid the governess the compliment of reverting71 to her narrative of events at the concert.
“I am greatly struck,” he said, “by what you told me about Mr. Ovid Vere. We may, perhaps, have misjudged him in thinking that he doesn’t like music. His coming to my concert suggests a more cheering view. Do you think there would be any impropriety in my calling to thank him? Perhaps it would be better if I wrote, and enclosed two tickets for my friend’s concert? To tell you the truth, I’ve pledged myself to dispose of a certain number of tickets. My friend is so much in request — it’s expecting too much to ask him to sing for nothing. I think I’ll write. Good-evening!”
Left alone with her pupils, Miss Minerva looked at her watch. “Prepare your lessons for to-morrow,” she said.
The girls produced their books. Maria’s library of knowledge was in perfect order. The pages over which Zo pondered in endless perplexity were crumpled72 by weary fingers, and stained by frequent tears. Oh, fatal knowledge! mercifully forbidden to the first two of our race, who shall count the crimes and stupidities committed in your name?
Miss Minerva leaned back in her easy-chair. Her mind was occupied by the mysterious question of Ovid’s presence at the concert. She raised her keenly penetrating73 eyes to the ceiling, and listened for sounds from above.
“I wonder,” she thought to herself, “what they are doing upstairs?”
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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provocative
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| adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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infusion
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| n.灌输 | |
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dispensing
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| v.分配( dispense的现在分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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obtrusively
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| adv.冒失地，莽撞地 | |
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relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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exhaled
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| v.呼出，发散出( exhale的过去式和过去分词 )；吐出（肺中的空气、烟等），呼气 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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dissect
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| v.分割；解剖 | |
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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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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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underlying
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| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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prospectus
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| n.计划书；说明书；慕股书 | |
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diffused
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| 散布的，普及的，扩散的 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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avowed
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| adj.公开声明的，承认的v.公开声明，承认( avow的过去式和过去分词) | |
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theatrical
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| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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impede
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止 | |
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forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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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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smacked
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| 拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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permissible
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| adj.可允许的，许可的 | |
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itch
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| n.痒，渴望，疥癣；vi.发痒，渴望 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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wretch
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| n.可怜的人，不幸的人；卑鄙的人 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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quaint
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| adj.古雅的，离奇有趣的，奇怪的 | |
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incurably
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| ad.治不好地 | |
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perverse
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| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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cloyed
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| v.发腻，倒胃口( cloy的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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pint
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| n.品脱 | |
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champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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71
reverting
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| 恢复( revert的现在分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还 | |
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72
crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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73
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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