Of all of them, he alone preserved the appearance of calm. And that cold, impassive calm was maddening: he met the storms of anger, protests, reproaches, and persuasions10 of the others with an air of sad humility11, a kind of sorrowful acceptance, a quiet agreement to every accusation12 or indictment13, a grand manner of sweet, sorrowful contrition14 that was more hateful than any deliberate insult could have been. For behind this impenetrable armour15 of humility, this air of mysterious fatality16, there was evident a hateful arrogance17 which said that words were useless because no words could express the fatal wisdom of his soul, and which, with a stubborn and abominable18 perversity19, seemed deliberately20 resolved on ruin.
His conduct became daily more absurd, extravagant21, ridiculous. He was acting22 like a melodramatic fool, but it was impossible to laugh at his folly23 because of the desperate fatality that attended it. He did unbelievable things, contrived24 unbelievable situations that seemed fitting only in a world of opera but were shamefully25 unreal and unnecessary in the real one. What was really shameful26 and unworthy in his conduct was this — his fatality served no purpose, his reckless and deliberate pursuit of danger did no good except to dignify27 the melodramatic unreality of a comic opera situation with the realities of blood and death.
He was constantly and deliberately involving himself and others in these ridiculous but perilous28 situations. One night, in one of the Montmartre resorts, he had a quarrel with a man that would have been farcical save for the ugly consequences it produced, the painful and shameful memory it would later evoke29. The man, an unpleasant, wizened-looking little Frenchman, a creature of the night, with obscene eyes, a yellowed skin, and a pointed30 beard half covering the features of a rodent31, had not been able to keep his ugly eyes off Ann, had measured the noble proportions of her beauty with a kind of foul32 leering appraisal33 that had in it something almost as palpable and sensual as a naked touch, and now, as the orchestra struck up another tune34, he approached the table, bowed, and asked her, courteously35 enough, for a dance.
Ann reddened furiously in the face, looked down sullenly36 at the tablecloth37 and, before she was able to think of a reply, Starwick said:
“Mademoiselle does not care to dance. Please go away.”
The cold arrogance of Starwick’s tone, and his curt38 dismissal, enraged39 the Frenchman. When he replied, his lips were bared in an ugly smile that showed unpleasant fangs40 of yellowed teeth; he said:
“Is the lady not allowed to speak for herself? Is Monsieur perhaps her guardian41?”
“Will you please go away now?” Starwick said again, with a cold and weary impassivity. “You are boring us.”
“But, it’s marvellous!” The little Frenchman cast back his yellowed face and bared his fangs in a laugh of envenomed mockery. “It’s Monsieur D’Artagnan come to life again, and a lady so shy and modest that she can’t speak for herself! But, it’s superb!” he cried again, and with an ironic42 bow, concluded: “Monsieur, with all my heart I thank you for this wonderful diversion! You are very droll43!”
Starwick’s reply to this was to pick up the seltzer bottle on the table and, without for a moment altering his air of cold impassivity, to squirt the siphon straight in the little Frenchman’s yellow face.
In a moment, the place was a seething44 maelstrom45 of excitement. People all over sprang up from their tables, the dancers stopped dancing, the orchestra stopped with a crash, and the proprietor46 and the waiter came towards them on the run.
They were at once surrounded by an excited group of gesticulating, chattering47 people, all trying to talk at once. Starwick was standing48 up now, facing his antagonist49, cold and impassive save for a deeper flush of excitement on his ruddy face. As for the little Frenchman, the look of murderous hatred50 on his face was horrible. Without stopping to dry his dripping face with the napkin which an excited and persuasive51 waiter was offering him, he thrust aside the manager, who was trying to restrain him, and coming close to Starwick, snarled52:
“Your name, monsieur? I demand to know your name. My representatives will call upon you in the morning.”
“Good,” said Starwick coldly. “I shall wait for them. Monsieur shall have whatever satisfaction he desires.”
And taking a card from his purse, he wrote the studio address below his name and gave it to the man.
“Ah, good!” the Frenchman cried harshly, glancing at it. “Until tomorrow!”
And calling for his bill, and silent to all the apologies and cajoleries of the proprietor, he departed.
“But Frank, darling!” Elinor cried, when they had seated themselves again. “What do you intend to do? Surely you’re not going to —” She did sot finish, but stared at him with a troubled and astonished face.
“Yes,” said Starwick coldly and quietly. “He has asked me to fight a duel53, and if he wants it, I shall meet him.”
“Oh, but don’t be absurd!” cried Elinor with an impatient laugh. “What on earth do you know about fighting duels54? My poor child, how can you be so ridiculous! This is the twentieth century, darling. Don’t you know that people don’t act that way any longer?”
“Quite!” said Starwick, with a stony55 calm. “Nevertheless, I shall meet him if he wants me to.” He looked at her with quiet eyes for a moment, and then said gravely: “I’ve GOT to do that. I really have, you know.”
“Got to!” Elinor cried impatiently. “Why, the child is MAD!” Her tone immediately became crisp, incisive56, authoritative57: she began to speak to him quietly, kindly58, but in a peremptory59 tone, as one might speak to a child:
“Francis,” she said quietly. “Listen to me! Don’t be an idiot! What does it matter about that wretched little man? It’s all over now! A duel! Good heavens! Don’t be such a child! Whoever heard of such a thing?”
His face reddened a little from her ridicule60, but he answered, in a cold impassive tone:
“Quite! Nevertheless, I shall meet him if he wants it!”
“Meet him!” Elinor cried again. “Oh, Francis, how can you be so stupid! Meet him with what?”
“With whatever weapon he wants to use,” Starwick replied. “Pistols or swords — it doesn’t matter!”
“Pistols or swords!” Elinor shrieked61 faintly, and began to laugh. “Why, you idiot, what do you know about pistols or swords? You’ve never had a sword in your hand in your life — and as for pistols, you wouldn’t even know how to point the thing and press the trigger!”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said in a very quiet and fatal way. “I shall fire into the air.”
In spite of the ridiculous and melodramatic quality of these foolish words, no one laughed. They saw suddenly what fatal consequences this farcical situation might have, and having felt the desperation of his soul — that terrible despair which now seemed to be driving him on to seek ruin everywhere — they knew he would do exactly as he said, if given the opportunity.
Elinor started to go: she beckoned62 to a waiter and called for the bill, and said persuasively63:
“Come on! Let’s get out of this place! You’ve had too much to drink! I think your head needs clearing — a little fresh air will do you good. You’ll feel different about all this tomorrow!”
“But not at all!” he said patiently, and then, as she started to get up: “Will you please sit down. We’re not going yet.”
“But why, darling? Aren’t you ready? Haven’t you raised enough hell for one evening — or do you want to fight a duel with someone else? Besides, I do think you might think of Ann. I know she’s wanted to go for some time.”
“But WHY?” he said, turning to Ann with an air of fine surprise. “Aren’t you enjoying yourself? It’s a VERY good place, and the music is awfully64 good — it really is, you know.”
“Oh, charming, charming!” she muttered sarcastically65. She had been staring at the table-cloth sullenly, with a flaming face, ever since the quarrel had begun, and now looking up suddenly, with a short and angry laugh, she said:
“God! I don’t know whether to walk out of here or CRAWL! I feel all — UNDRESSED!”
At these words, his face really did flush crimson66 with embarrassment67. He looked at her for a moment, and then said sharply, with a note of stern reproof68 and anger in his voice:
“Ann! It’s VERY bad and VERY wrong — and — and — very MEAN of you to talk like that.”
“That’s how I feel,” she muttered.
“Then,” he said quietly but with two deep and angry spots of colour flaming in his cheeks, “I’m THOROUGHLY69 ashamed of you. It’s QUITE unworthy of you. At a time like this, a person of your quality has got to show more —” he paused, choosing the word carefully, “more FIBRE. You really must, you know!”
“Oh, fibre my eye!” she flared70 up, looking at him with flushed, lovely and angry eyes. “You don’t lack fibre simply because you don’t want to be made a fool of! Frank, you make me tired, the way you talk! Everywhere we go now someone’s always showing ‘fibre’— and everyone is having a rotten, awful time. For God’s sake, let’s not talk so much about showing fibre and let’s try to enjoy ourselves and get some pleasure and some happiness from life, and act like decent, natural people for a change. I had looked forward so much to coming on this trip with Elinor — and now —” Tears of anger and disappointment glittered in her eyes, she looked down at the table sullenly in an effort to conceal71 them, and then muttered: “Playing the fool and making scenes and starting rows everywhere we go! Getting into trouble everywhere, making people hate us, never having any fun! Squirting siphons at some wretched little man —” she made a sudden impulsive72 gesture of disgust and turned away. “God! It makes me sick!”
“I’m sorry to know you feel that way,” he said quietly. “I’ll try to see it doesn’t happen again — but, after all, Ann — the reason it did happen is because I like you so VERY much, and have so much respect for you and won’t stand for anyone insulting you!”
“Ah-h! Insulting me!” she said angrily. “Good heavens, Francis, do you think I need protection from a wretched little man like that? When I’ve been a nurse, and had to go alone to every rotten slum in Boston, and learned to handle people twice his size! Protect me!” she said bitterly. “Thank you for nothing! I didn’t come over here to be protected — I don’t need it. I can take care of myself. Just try to act and feel like a decent human being — let’s try to be friends together and to show some consideration for each other — and don’t worry about protecting me!”
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1
debauch
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| v.使堕落，放纵 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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3
frayed
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| adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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addicted
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| adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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assuaged
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| v.减轻( assuage的过去式和过去分词 )；缓和；平息；使安静 | |
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inertia
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| adj.惰性，惯性，懒惰，迟钝 | |
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10
persuasions
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| n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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indictment
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| n.起诉；诉状 | |
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contrition
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| n.悔罪，痛悔 | |
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armour
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| （=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队 | |
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fatality
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| n.不幸，灾祸，天命 | |
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17
arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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18
abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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perversity
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| n.任性；刚愎自用 | |
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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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21
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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23
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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24
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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25
shamefully
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| 可耻地； 丢脸地； 不体面地； 羞耻地 | |
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shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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dignify
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| vt.使有尊严；使崇高；给增光 | |
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28
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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29
evoke
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| vt.唤起，引起，使人想起 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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rodent
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| n.啮齿动物；adj.啮齿目的 | |
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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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appraisal
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| n.对…作出的评价；评价，鉴定，评估 | |
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34
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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tablecloth
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| n.桌布，台布 | |
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curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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42
ironic
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| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
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droll
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| adj.古怪的，好笑的 | |
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seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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maelstrom
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| n.大乱动；大漩涡 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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47
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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48
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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49
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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50
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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51
persuasive
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| adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的 | |
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52
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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53
duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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54
duels
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| n.两男子的决斗( duel的名词复数 )；竞争，斗争 | |
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55
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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56
incisive
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| adj.敏锐的，机敏的，锋利的，切入的 | |
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authoritative
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| adj.有权威的，可相信的；命令式的；官方的 | |
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58
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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peremptory
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| adj.紧急的，专横的，断然的 | |
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ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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persuasively
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| adv.口才好地；令人信服地 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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sarcastically
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| adv.挖苦地，讽刺地 | |
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66
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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67
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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reproof
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| n.斥责，责备 | |
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69
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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70
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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71
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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impulsive
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| adj.冲动的，刺激的；有推动力的 | |
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