What a glorious day it was; even Fleet Street had a touch of youth about it.
A flower-woman and her wares3 caught his eye; he bought a bunch of late violets and, with his hat tilted4 back, dived in his trousers' pocket and produced a handful of silver. He gave her a shilling and, without asking for change, walked on, the violets in his buttonhole.
He was making west like a homing pigeon. He walked like a man in a hurry but with no purpose, his glance skimmed things and seemed to rest only on things coloured or pleasant to look on, his eyes showed no speculation5. He seemed like a person with no more past than a dreamer. The present seemed to him everything—just as it is to the dreamer.
In the Strand6 he stopped here and there to glance at the contents of shops; neckties attracted him. Then Fuller's drew him in by[Pg 52] its colour. He had a vanilla-and-strawberry ice and chatted to the girls, who did not receive his advances, however, with much favour.
Then he came to Romanos'; it attracted him, and he went in. Gilded7 youths were drinking at the bar, and a cocktail8 being mixed by the bar-tender fascinated Simon by its colour; he had one like it, chatted to the man, paid, and walked out.
It was now eleven.
Still walking gaily9 and lightly, as one walks in a happy dream, he reached the Charing10 Cross Hotel, asked the porter to show him the rooms he had reserved, and enquired11 if his luggage had come.
The luggage had come and was deposited in the bedroom of the suite12: two large brand-new portmanteaux and a hat-box, also a band-box from Lincoln Bennett's.
The portmanteaux and hat-box were locked, but in the band-box were the keys, gummed up in an envelope; there was also a straw hat in the band-box—a boater.
The porter, having unstrapped the portmanteaux, departed with a tip, and our gentleman began to unpack13 swiftly and with the eagerness of a child going to a party.
O Youth! What a star thou art, yet what a[Pg 53] folly14! And yet can all wisdom give one the pleasure of one's first ball-dress, of the young man's brand-new suit? And there were brand-new suits and to spare, check tweed, blue serge, boating flannels15; shoes, too, and boots from the Burlington Arcade16, ties and socks from Beale and Inman's.
It was like a trousseau.
As he unpacked17 he whistled. Whistled a tune18 that was young in the sixties—"Champagne Charley," no less.
Then he dressed, vigorously digging his head into a striped shirt, donning a purple tie, purple socks, and a grey tweed suit of excellent cut.
All his movements were feverish19, light, rapid. He did not seem to notice the details of the room around him; he seemed skimming along the surface of things in a hurry to get to some goal of pleasure. Flushed and bright-eyed, he scarcely looked fifty now, yet, despite this reduction in age, his general get-up had a touch of the raffish20. Purple socks and ties are a bit off at fifty; a straw "boater" does not reduce the effect, nor do tan shoes.
But Simon was quite satisfied with himself.
Still whistling, he bundled his old things away in a drawer and left the other things lying about for the servants to put away, and sat down on[Pg 54] the side of the bed with the wallet in his hands.
He opened it and turned the notes out on the quilt. The gorgeous bundle to "bust21" or do what he liked with held him in its thrall22 as he turned over the contents, not counting the amount, but just reviewing the notes and the huge sums on most of them.
Heavens! What a delight even in a dream! To be young and absolutely free from all restraint, free from all ties, unconscious of relatives, unconscious of everything but immediate23 surroundings, with virginal appetites and desires and countless24 sovereigns to meet them with. Dangling25 his heels, and with his straw hat beside him, he gloated on his treasure; then, picking out three ten-pound notes and putting the remainder in the wallet, he locked the wallet away in his portmanteau and put the key under the wardrobe.
Then, leaving his room, he came downstairs with his straw hat on the back of his head and a smile for a pretty chambermaid who passed him coming up.
The girl laughed and glanced back, but whether she was laughing at or with him it would be hard to say. Chambermaids have strange tastes.
It was in the hall that he met Moxon, senior partner in Plunder's, the great bill-discounting firm; a tall man, serious of face and manner.
"Why, God bless my soul, Pettigrew!" cried Moxon, "I scarcely knew you."
"You have the advantage of me, old cock," replied Simon airily, "for I'm —— if I ever met you before."
"My mistake," said Moxon.
It was Pettigrew's face and voice, but all the rest was not Pettigrew, and the discounter of bills hurried off, feeling as though he had come across the uncanny—which he had.
Simon paused at the office, holding a lady clerk in light conversation about the weather and turning upon her that sprightly26 wit already mentioned. She was busy and stiff, and the weather and his wit didn't seem to interest her. Then he asked for change of a ten-pound note, and she gave it to him in sovereigns; then he asked for change of a sovereign—she gave it to him; then he asked, with a grin, for change of a shilling. She was outraged27 now; that which ought to have made her laugh seemed to incense28 her. Do what he could, he couldn't warm her.
She was colder than the ice-cream girls. What the devil was the matter with them all? She[Pg 56] slapped the change for the shilling down and turned away to her books.
Tilting29 his hat further back, he rapped with a penny on the ledge30.
She got up.
"Well, what is it now?"
"Can you change me a penny, please?" said Simon.
"Mrs. Jones!" called the girl.
A stout31 lady manageress in black appeared.
"I don't know what this gentleman means."
The manageress raised her eyebrows32 at the jester.
"I asked the young lady for change of a penny. Can you let me have two halfpence for a penny, please?"
The manageress opened the till and gave the change. The gay one departed, chuckling33. He had had the best of the girl, silly creature, that could not take a joke in good part—but he had enjoyed himself.
Moving in the line of least resistance towards the phantom34 of pleasure, he made for the hotel entrance and the sunlight showing through the door, bought a cigar at the kiosk outside, and then bundled into a taxi.
"Where to, sir?" asked the driver.
"First bar," replied Simon. "First decent one, and look sharp."
The surly driver—Heavens, how the old hansom cabby of the sixties would have hailed such a fare, and with what joy!—closed the door without a word and started winding35 up the engine. He had difficulties, and as he went on winding the occupant put his head out of the window and addressed the station policeman who was looking on.
"Has the chap a licence for a barrel-organ?" asked Simon. "If he hasn't, ask him to drive on."
He shut the window. They started, and stopped at a bar in Leicester Square. Simon paid and entered.
It was a long bar, a glittering, loathsome36, noxious37 place where, behind a long counter, six barmaids were serving all sorts of men with all sorts of drinks.
Simon seemed to find it all right. Puffing38 his cigar, he ordered a brandy cold—a brandy cold! And sipping39 his brandy cold, he took stock of the men around.
Even his innocence40 and newness—despite the crave41 for companionship now on him—recognised that there were undesirables42, and as for the bar girls, they were frozen images—for him.
They were laughing and changing words with all sorts of young men—counter-jumpers and horsey men—but for him they had nothing but brandy cold and monosyllables. He was beginning to get irritated with woman; but the sunlight outside and two cold brandies inside restored his happy humour, and the idea of lunch was now moving before him, luring43 him on.
Thinking thus, he was advancing not towards luncheon44 but towards Fate.
At Piccadilly Circus there was a crowd round an omnibus. There generally are crowds round omnibuses just here, but this was a special crowd, having for its core an irate45 bus conductor and a pretty girl.
Oh, such a pretty girl! Spring itself, dark-haired, dark-eyed, well dressed, but with just that touch which tells of want of affluence46. She fascinated Simon as a flower fascinates a bee.
"But, sir, I tell you I have lost my purse; some pocket-picker has taken it. I shall be pleased to tell you where I live and reward you if you come for the money. My name is Cerise Rossignol." This, with just a trace of foreign accent.
"I've been done twice this week by that game," said the brutal47 conductor, speaking,[Pg 59] however, the truth. "Come, search in your glove, you'll find it."
Simon broke in.
"How much?" said he.
"Tuppence," said the conductor. Then the gods that preside over youth might have observed this new Andromeda, released at the charge of Tuppence, wandering off with her saviour48 and turning to him a face filled with gratitude49.
They were going in the direction of Leicester Square.
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收听单词发音
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1
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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inhaling
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| v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 ) | |
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3
wares
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| n. 货物, 商品 | |
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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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7
gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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8
cocktail
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| n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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charing
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| n.炭化v.把…烧成炭，把…烧焦( char的现在分词 )；烧成炭，烧焦；做杂役女佣 | |
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enquired
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| 打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问 | |
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12
suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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13
unpack
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| vt.打开包裹（或行李），卸货 | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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15
flannels
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| 法兰绒男裤； 法兰绒( flannel的名词复数 ) | |
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16
arcade
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| n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道 | |
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17
unpacked
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| v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等） | |
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18
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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raffish
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| adj.名誉不好的，无赖的，卑鄙的，艳俗的 | |
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bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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thrall
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| n.奴隶；奴隶制 | |
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23
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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countless
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| adj.无数的，多得不计其数的 | |
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dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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28
incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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29
tilting
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| 倾斜，倾卸 | |
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30
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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32
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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33
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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34
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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35
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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36
loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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noxious
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| adj.有害的，有毒的；使道德败坏的，讨厌的 | |
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38
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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39
sipping
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的现在分词 ) | |
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40
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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41
crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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42
undesirables
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| 不受欢迎的人，不良分子( undesirable的名词复数 ) | |
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43
luring
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的现在分词形式） | |
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44
luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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45
irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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46
affluence
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| n.充裕，富足 | |
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47
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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48
saviour
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| n.拯救者，救星 | |
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49
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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