There are events that detach themselves from the general stream of occurrences and seem to partake of the nature of revelations. Such was this Parsons affair. It began by seeming grotesque1; it ended disconcertingly. The fabric2 of Mr. Polly’s daily life was torn, and beneath it he discovered depths and terrors.
Life was not altogether a lark3.
The calling in of a policeman seemed at the moment a pantomime touch. But when it became manifest that Mr. Garvace was in a fury of vindictiveness4, the affair took on a different complexion5. The way in which the policeman made a note of everything and aspirated nothing impressed the sensitive mind of Polly profoundly. Polly presently found himself straightening up ties to the refrain of “‘E then ‘It you on the ‘Ed and ——”
In the dormitory that night Parsons had become heroic. He sat on the edge of the bed with his head bandaged, packing very slowly and insisting over and again: “He ought to have left my window alone, O’ Man. He didn’t ought to have touched my window.”
Polly was to go to the police court in the morning as a witness. The terror of that ordeal6 almost overshadowed the tragic7 fact that Parsons was not only summoned for assault, but “swapped,” and packing his box. Polly knew himself well enough to know he would make a bad witness. He felt sure of one fact only, namely, that “‘E then ‘It ‘Im on the ‘Ed and —” All the rest danced about in his mind now, and how it would dance about on the morrow Heaven only knew. Would there be a cross-examination? Is it perjoocery to make a slip? People did sometimes perjuice themselves. Serious offence.
Platt was doing his best to help Parsons, and inciting8 public opinion against Morrison. But Parsons would not hear of anything against Morrison. “He was all right, O’ Man — according to his lights,” said Parsons. “It isn’t him I complain of.”
He speculated on the morrow. “I shall ‘ave to pay a fine,” he said. “No good trying to get out of it. It’s true I hit him. I hit him”— he paused and seemed to be seeking an exquisite9 accuracy. His voice sank to a confidential10 note;—“On the head — about here.”
He answered the suggestion of a bright junior apprentice11 in a corner of the dormitory. “What’s the Good of a Cross summons?” he replied; “with old Corks12, the chemist, and Mottishead, the house agent, and all that lot on the Bench? Humble13 Pie, that’s my meal to-morrow, O’ Man. Humble Pie.”
Packing went on for a time.
“But Lord! what a Life it is!” said Parsons, giving his deep notes scope. “Ten-thirty-five a man trying to do his Duty, mistaken perhaps, but trying his best; ten-forty — Ruined! Ruined!” He lifted his voice to a shout. “Ruined!” and dropped it to “Like an earthquake.”
“Heated altaclation,” said Polly.
“Like a blooming earthquake!” said Parsons, with the notes of a rising wind.
He meditated14 gloomily upon his future and a colder chill invaded Polly’s mind. “Likely to get another crib, ain’t I— with assaulted the guvnor on my reference. I suppose, though, he won’t give me refs. Hard enough to get a crib at the best of times,” said Parsons.
“You ought to go round with a show, O’ Man,” said Mr. Polly.
Things were not so dreadful in the police court as Mr. Polly had expected. He was given a seat with other witnesses against the wall of the court, and after an interesting larceny15 case Parsons appeared and stood, not in the dock, but at the table. By that time Mr. Polly’s legs, which had been tucked up at first under his chair out of respect to the court, were extended straight before him and his hands were in his trouser pockets. He was inventing names for the four magistrates16 on the bench, and had got to “the Grave and Reverend Signor with the palatial18 Boko,” when his thoughts were recalled to gravity by the sound of his name. He rose with alacrity19 and was fielded by an expert policeman from a brisk attempt to get into the vacant dock. The clerk to the Justices repeated the oath with incredible rapidity.
“Right O,” said Mr. Polly, but quite respectfully, and kissed the book.
His evidence was simple and quite audible after one warning from the superintendent20 of police to “speak up.” He tried to put in a good word for Parsons by saying he was “naturally of a choleraic disposition,” but the start and the slow grin of enjoyment22 upon the face of the grave and Reverend Signor with the palatial Boko suggested that the word was not so good as he had thought it. The rest of the bench was frankly23 puzzled and there were hasty consultations24.
“You mean ‘E ‘As a ‘Ot temper,” said the presiding magistrate17.
“I mean ‘E ‘As a ‘Ot temper,” replied Polly, magically incapable25 of aspirates for the moment.
“You don’t mean ‘E ketches cholera21.”
“I mean — he’s easily put out.”
“Then why can’t you say so?” said the presiding magistrate.
Parsons was bound over.
He came for his luggage while every one was in the shop, and Garvace would not let him invade the business to say good-by. When Mr. Polly went upstairs for margarine and bread and tea, he slipped on into the dormitory at once to see what was happening further in the Parsons case. But Parsons had vanished. There was no Parsons, no trace of Parsons. His cubicle26 was swept and garnished27. For the first time in his life Polly had a sense of irreparable loss.
A minute or so after Platt dashed in.
“Ugh!” he said, and then discovered Polly. Polly was leaning out of the window and did not look around. Platt went up to him.
“He’s gone already,” said Platt. “Might have stopped to say good-by to a chap.”
There was a little pause before Polly replied. He thrust his finger into his mouth and gulped28.
“Bit on that beastly tooth of mine,” he said, still not looking at Platt. “It’s made my eyes water, something chronic29. Any one might think I’d been doing a blooming Pipe, by the look of me.”
收听单词发音 |
1
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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2
fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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vindictiveness
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| 恶毒；怀恨在心 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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ordeal
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| n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验 | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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inciting
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| 刺激的，煽动的 | |
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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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confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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corks
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| n.脐梅衣；软木( cork的名词复数 )；软木塞 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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larceny
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| n.盗窃（罪） | |
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16
magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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18
palatial
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| adj.宫殿般的，宏伟的 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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20
superintendent
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| n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长 | |
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cholera
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| n.霍乱 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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24
consultations
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| n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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cubicle
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| n.大房间中隔出的小室 | |
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garnished
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| v.给（上餐桌的食物）加装饰( garnish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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29
chronic
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| adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的 | |
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