He got up and dressed, and with dry lips and a strange, numb3 lightness in his limbs, descended4 to the street and hailed a passing taxi in the Rue6 Bonaparte. The sounds of morning, shutters7 being rolled up, scrubwomen and maids down on their knees at entrances, shops being opened — all this made the night before seem more unreal than ever.
When he got to the studio he found everybody up. Ann was already at work making coffee, scrambling8 eggs for breakfast. Elinor was just combing up her hair, Starwick was in the balcony and had not yet come down. Elinor kept talking as she arranged her hair, and from the balcony Starwick answered her.
“But Frank!” she was saying, “you know you wouldn’t be fool enough to do such a thing! Surely you don’t mean you intend to go through with it?”
“Ace,” he said coldly from above, “I do mean to. Quite!”
“But — oh! Don’t be an ass5!” she cried impatiently. Turning to Ann, with a little, frowning smile, she bit her lips, and shaking her head slightly, cried in an astounded9 tone:
“Isn’t it INCREDIBLE! Did you ever hear of such an INSANE thing in all your life?”
But in the set of her jaw10, the faint smile around the corner of her mouth, there was the look of grim decision they had all seen before.
As Eugene entered, Ann turned from the stove, and, spoon in hand, stood looking at him sullenly11 for a moment. Suddenly she laughed her short and angry laugh and turned away toward Elinor, saying:
“God! Here’s the second! Don’t they make a pair!”
“But my DEAR!” cried Elinor with a light, gay malice12. “Where is the top-hat? Where are the striped trousers and the morning coat? Where is the duelling case with the revolvers? . . . All right, Monsieur D’Artagnan,” she called up towards the balcony ironically. “Your friend Monsieur Porthos has arrived . . . and breakfast is ready, darling! What’s that they say about an army?” she innocently inquired, “— that it ought not to fight on an empty stomach? . . . Ahem!” she cleared her throat. “Will Monsieur D’Artagnan condescend13 to have the company of two frail14 women for breakfast on the morning of the great affair . . . or does Monsieur prefer to be left alone with his devoted15 second to discuss — ahem! ahem! . . . the final arrangements?”
Starwick made no reply, until he had come down the steps.
“You can stay, if you want to,” he said indifferently. “I shall have nothing to say to them, anyway.” Turning to Eugene, he said with magnificent, bored weariness: “Find out what they want. Let me know what they want to do.”
“B— but, what do you want me to say to them, Frank? What shall I tell them?”
“Anything,” said Starwick indifferently. “Anything you like. Say that I will meet him anywhere — on any terms — whatever they like. Let them settle it their own way.”
He picked up a spoon and started to eat his orange.
“Oh, Frank, you idiot!” cried Elinor, seizing him by the hair and shaking his head. “Don’t be stupid! You know you’re not going on with this farce16!”
He lifted quiet, wearily patient eyes and looked at her.
“Sorry!” he said. “But I’ve GOT to. If that’s what he wants, I really must, I owe the man that much — I really do, you know!”
Breakfast then proceeded in a painful and uneasy silence, broken only by Elinor’s malicious17 thrusts, and maintained by Starwick’s weary and impassive calm.
At ten o’clock there were steps along the alley-way outside, someone mounted the veranda18, and the studio bell jangled. The two women exchanged uneasy looks, Starwick got up quietly and turned away, and in a moment Elinor called out sharply: “Entrez.”
The door opened and a man entered the room. He wore striped trousers that were in need of pressing, a frayed19 and worn-looking frock-coat, and he carried a brief-case under his arm. He was bald, sallow, about forty-five years old, and had a little moustache and furtive20 eyes. He looked at each person in the room quickly, sharply, and then said inquiringly:
“Monsieur Star-WEEK?”
“Ace,” said Starwick quietly, and turned.
“Ah, bon!” the little Frenchman said briskly, and smiled, showing yellow fangs21 of teeth. He had been bent22 slightly forward, holding his brief-case with thin, eager fingers, as he waited. Now he came forward swiftly, took a card out of his wallet, and presenting it to Starwick with something of a flourish, said:
“Monsieur, permettez-moi. Ma carte.”
Starwick glanced at the card indifferently, and was about to put it down upon the table when the little Frenchman interrupted him. Stretching out his thin and rather grimy hand, he said courteously23 yet eagerly:
“S’il vous pla?t, monsieur!”— took the card again, and put it back into his wallet.
Starwick indicated a chair and said:
“Won’t you sit down?”
From that time on, the conversation proceeded in mutilated French and English. The little Frenchman sat down, hitched25 up his striped trousers carefully and with his arched fingers poised26 upon his bony knees, bent forward and, with another ingratiating and somewhat repulsive27 smile, said:
“Monsieur Star-week ees Américain, n’est-ce pas?”
“Ace,” said Starwick.
“And was at Le Rat Mort last night?”
“Ace,” said Starwick again.
“Et Monsieur?” He nodded enquiringly toward Eugene, “vas also zere?”
“Ace,” Starwick answered.
“Et Mademoiselle . . . et Mademoiselle,” he turned with courteous24 inquiry28 towards the two young women —“zey vere also zere?”
“Ace,” said Starwick as before.
“Ah, bon!” the little Frenchman cried, nodding his head vigorously, and with an air of complete satisfaction. Then, rubbing his bony, little hands together dryly and briskly, he took up his thin and battered29 old brief-case, which he had been holding firmly between his knees, swiftly unfastened the straps30 and unlatched it, and took out a few sheets of flaming, yellow paper covered with notations31 in a fine, minute hand:
“Monsieur —” he began, clearing his throat, and rattling32 the flimsy sheets impressively —“Monsieur, I s’ink”— he looked up at Starwick ingratiatingly, but with an air of sly insinuation, “— Monsieur, I s’ink, perhaps, vas”— he shrugged33 his shoulders slightly, with an air of deprecation —“Monsieur vas — drink-ING?”
Starwick made no answer for a moment: his face reddened, he inclined his head, and said coldly, but unconcedingly:
“Oui! C’est ?a, monsieur!”
“Ah-h!” the little Frenchman cried again with a dry little cackle of satisfaction —"— an’ ven one drink — espeecialEE, monsieur, ven ve are yong,” he laughed ingratiatingly again, “— he sometime do an’ say some t’ings zat he regret — eh?”
“But of course!” cried Elinor at this point, quickly, impatiently, eagerly. “That’s just the point! Frank was drinking — the whole thing happened like a flash — it’s all over now — we’re sorry — everyone is sorry:— it was a regrettable mistake — we’re sorry for it — we apologize!”
“But not at all!” cried Starwick, reddening angrily, and looking resentfully towards Elinor. “Not at all! I do NOT agree with you!”
“Oh, Frank, you idiot, be quiet! Let me handle this,” she cried. Turning to the little Frenchman, she said swiftly, smoothly34, with all her coaxing35 and formidable persuasiveness36:
“Monsieur, what can we do to remedy this regrettable mistake?”
“Comment?” said the Frenchman, in a puzzled tone.
“Monsieur Starwick,” Elinor went on with coaxing persuasion37, “— Monsieur Starwick — comme vous voyez, monsieur — est très jeune. Il a toutes les fautes de la jeunesse. Mais il est aussi un homme de grand esprit; de grand talent. Il a le tempérament d’un artiste: d’un homme de génie. Comme un Fran?ais, monsieur, vous,” she went on flatteringly “— VOUS connaissez cette espèce d’hommes. Vous savez qu’ils ne sont pas toujours responsables de leurs actes. C’est comme ?a avec Monsieur Starwick. Il est de bonne coeur, de bonne volonté: il est honnête, généreux et sincère, mais il est aussi plein de tempérament — impulsif:— il manque de jugement. Hier soir nous avons tous — comme on dit — fait la noce ensemble39. Monsieur Starwick a bu beaucoup — a bu trop — et il a été coupable d’une chose regrettable. Mais aujourd’hui il se repent40 très sincèrement de sa conduite.
“Il vous offre ses apologies les plus profondes. Il a déjà souffert assez. Dans ces circonstances, monsieur,” she concluded, with an air of charming persuasiveness, “on peut excuser le jeune homme, n’est-ce pas? — on peut pardonner une faute si honnêtement et sincèrement regrettée.”
And she paused, smiling at him with an air of hopeful finality, as if to say: “There! You agree with me, don’t you? I knew you would!”
But the Frenchman was not to be so easily persuaded. Waving thin fingers sideways in the air, and shaking his head without conviction, he laughed a dry, dubious41 laugh, and said:
“Ah-h! I don’t know — mademoiselle! Zese apologies! —"— again he waved thin dubious fingers —“eet ees all ver-ree well to meck apologies bot ze — vat42 you say? — ze dom-mage! — ze dom-mage is done. . . . Monsieur,” he said gravely, turning to Starwick, “you have been coupable of a ver-ree gret offence. Ze — ze — vat you say? — ZE ASSAULT, monsieur — ze assault ees ’ere in France — une chose très sérieuse! Vous comprenez?”
“Ace,” said Starwick coldly.
“Mon client,” the little Frenchman cleared his throat portentously43 — “— mon client, Monsieur Reynal, ‘as been terriblement blessé— insulté! monsieur!” he cried sharply. “Eeet ees necessaree zu meck des réparations, n’est-ce pas?”
“Ace,” said Starwick coldly. “Whatever reparation you desire.”
The Frenchman stared at him a moment in an astonished way and then, in an excited and eager tone, cried:
“Ah, bon! Zen you agree?”
“Perfectly,” said Starwick.
“Bon! Bon!” the little man said eagerly, rubbing his hands together with greedy satisfaction. “Monsieur est sage44 — ees, vat you say? — ees ver-ree wise. Monsieur est Américain — n’est-ce pas? — un étranger — comme vous, mademoiselle . . . et vous, monsieur . . . et vous, mademoiselle — you are ’ere zu meck ze tour — zu be libre — free — n’est-ce pas — zu avoid ze complications —”
“But,” said Elinor, in a bewildered tone, “— what is — I don’t understand —”
“Alors,” the Frenchman said, “eet ees bettaire to avoid ze complications — oui! Ah,” he said, with an arching glance at Starwick, “mais Monsieur est sage . . . est très, très sage! C’est toujours mieux de faire des réparations . . . et éviter les conséquences plus sérieuses.”
“But!” cried Elinor again, her astonishment45 growing, “I don’t understand. What reparations are you talking about?”
“Zese, madame!” the Frenchman said, and coughing portentously, he rattled46 the flimsy sheets of paper in his hand, held them up before his eyes, and began to read:
“Pour l’endommagement d’un veston du soir — trois cents francs!”
“What? WHAT?” said Elinor in a small, chilled tone. “For — WHAT?”
“Mais oui, madame!” the Frenchman now cried passionately47, for the first time rising to the heights of moral indignation, “— un veston du soir complet — ruiné, madame! — COMPLèTEMENT, ABSOLUMENT ruiné! . . . Trois cents francs, monsieur,” he said cunningly, turning to Starwick, “— c’est pas cher! . . . Pour moi, oui! — c’est cher — mais pour vous — ah-h!” he waved his dirty fingers and laughed with scornful deprecation, “— c’est rien! Rien du tout38.” He rattled the flimsy paper in his hands, cleared his throat, and went on:
“Pour l’endommagement d’une chemise — une chemise, n’est-ce pas, du soir?” he looked up inquiringly, “— cinquante francs”—
“But this,” gasped48 Elinor, “this is —” She looked at Starwick with an astounded face. Starwick said nothing.
“Pour l’angoisse mentale,” the Frenchman continued.
“What?” Elinor gasped and looked at Ann. “What did he say?”
“Mental anguish49,” Ann answered curtly50. “All right,” she turned to the Frenchman, “how much is the mental anguish?”
“C’est cinq cents francs, mademoiselle.”
“But this man?” cried Elinor, turning to Ann with an air of astounded enlightenment —“this man is —”
“He’s a shyster lawyer, yes!” Ann said bitterly. “Couldn’t you see it from the first?”
“Ah, mademoiselle,”— the Frenchman began with a reproachful grimace51, and a little, deprecating movement of his fingers, “— you are —”
“How much?” Ann answered in her level, toneless French. “How much do you want?”
“Vous comprenez, mademoiselle —”
“How much?” she said harshly. “How much do you want?”
His furtive eyes gleamed with a sudden fox-glint of eager greed.
“Mille francs!” he said eagerly. “Mille francs pour tout ensemble! . . . Pour vous, mademoiselle”— he laughed again with scornful deprecation as he waved his grimy angers —“c’est rien — pour moi —”
She got up abruptly52, went over to the shelf that ran around the wall and got her purse. She opened it, took out a roll of bills, and coming back tossed them on the table before him.
“But mademoiselle”— he stammered53, unable to believe his good luck, his eyes glued upon the roll of bills in a stare of hypnotic fascination54.
“Give me a receipt,” she said.
“Comment?” he looked puzzled for a moment, then cried, “Ah-h! Un re?u! Mais oui, mais oui, mademoiselle! Tout de suite55!”
Trembling with frantic56 haste he scrawled57 out a receipt on a sheet of yellow paper, gave it to her, clutched the banknotes with a trembling claw, and stuffed them in his wallet.
“Now get out,” said Ann.
“Mademoiselle?” he scrambled58 hastily to his feet, clutched his briefcase59 and his hat, and looked nervously60 at her —“vous dites?”
“Get out of here,” she said, and began to move slowly towards him.
He scrambled for the door like a frightened cat, stammering61:
“Mais oui . . . mais parfaitement . . . mais”— he almost stumbled going down the steps, glancing back with nervous apprehension62 as he went. She shut the door behind him, came back, sat down in her chair, and stared sullenly at her plate, saying nothing. Starwick was crimson63 in the face, but did not look at anyone and did not speak. Elinor was busy with her napkin: she had lifted it to her face and was holding it firmly across her mouth. From time to time her breast and stomach and her heavy shoulders trembled in a kind of shuddering64 convulsion, smothered65 and explosive snorts and gasps66 came from her.
It got too much for her: they heard a faint, choked shriek67, she rose and rushed blindly across the room, entered the bathroom and slammed the door behind her. And then they heard peal68 after peal of laughter, shrieks69 and whoops70 and yells of it, and finally a dead silence, broken at times by exhausted71 gasps. Ann continued to look sullenly and miserably72 at her plate. As for Starwick, he sat there wearily detached, impassive, magnificent as always, but his face had the hue73 and colour of boiled lobster74.
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收听单词发音
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1
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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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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8
scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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9
astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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11
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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12
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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13
condescend
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| v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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farce
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| n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹 | |
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malicious
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| adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的 | |
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veranda
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| n.走廊；阳台 | |
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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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furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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21
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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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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25
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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repulsive
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| adj.排斥的，使人反感的 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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31
notations
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| 记号，标记法( notation的名词复数 ) | |
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32
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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33
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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smoothly
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| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
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coaxing
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| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
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36
persuasiveness
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| 说服力 | |
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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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tout
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| v.推销，招徕；兜售；吹捧，劝诱 | |
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ensemble
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| n.合奏(唱)组；全套服装；整体，总效果 | |
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repent
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| v.悔悟，悔改，忏悔，后悔 | |
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dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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portentously
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sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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48
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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49
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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50
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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51
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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52
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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53
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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55
suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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56
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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57
scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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59
briefcase
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| n.手提箱，公事皮包 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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stammering
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的现在分词 ) | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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63
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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64
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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65
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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66
gasps
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| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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67
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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68
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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69
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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70
whoops
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| int.呼喊声 | |
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71
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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72
miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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73
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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74
lobster
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| n.龙虾，龙虾肉 | |
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