IO n the following day I went mad. Looking back on it, that is really the only explanation I can find.
I was due for my monthly visit to Marcus Kent… I went up by train. To my intense surprise Joanna elected to staybehind. As a rule she was eager to come and we usually stayed up for a couple of days.
This time, however, I proposed to return the same day by the evening train, but even so I was astonished at Joanna.
She merely said enigmatically that she’d got plenty to do, and why spend hours in a nasty stuffy1 train when it was alovely day in the country?
That, of course, was undeniable, but sounded very unlike Joanna.
She said she didn’t want the car, so I was to drive it to the station and leave it parked there against my return.
The station of Lymstock is situated2, for some obscure reason known to railway companies only, quite half a milefrom Lymstock itself. Halfway3 along the road I overtook Megan shuffling4 along in an aimless manner. I pulled up.
“Hallo, what are you doing?”
“Just out for a walk.”
“But not what is called a good brisk walk, I gather. You were crawling along like a dispirited crab5.”
“Well, I wasn’t going anywhere particular.”
“Then you’d better come and see me off at the station.” I opened the door of the car and Megan jumped in.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“London. To see my doctor.”
“Your back’s not worse, is it?”
“No, it’s practically all right again. I’m expecting him to be very pleased about it.”
Megan nodded.
We drew up at the station. I parked the car and went in and bought my ticket at the booking office. There were veryfew people on the platform and nobody I knew.
“You wouldn’t like to lend me a penny, would you?” said Megan. “Then I’d get a bit of chocolate out of the slotmachine.”
“Here you are, baby,” I said, handing her the coin in question. “Sure you wouldn’t like some clear gums or somethroat pastilles as well?”
“I like chocolate best,” said Megan without suspecting sarcasm6.
She went off to the chocolate machine, and I looked after her with a feeling of mounting irritation7.
She was wearing trodden over shoes, and coarse unattractive stockings and a particularly shapeless jumper andskirt. I don’t know why all this should have infuriated me, but it did.
I said angrily as she came back:
“Why do you wear those disgusting stockings?”
Megan looked down at them, surprised.
“What’s the matter with them?”
“Everything’s the matter with them. They’re loathsome8. And why wear a pullover like a decayed cabbage?”
“It’s all right, isn’t it? I’ve had it for years.”
“So I should imagine. And why do you—”
At this minute the train came in and interrupted my angry lecture.
I got into an empty first-class carriage, let down the window and leaned out to continue the conversation.
Megan stood below me, her face upturned. She asked me why I was so cross.
“I’m not cross.” I said untruly. “It just infuriates me to see you so slack, and not caring how you look.”
“I couldn’t look nice, anyway, so what does it matter?”
“My God,” I said. “I’d like to see you turned out properly. I’d like to take you to London and outfit9 you from tip totoe.”
“I wish you could,” said Megan.
The train began to move. I looked down into Megan’s upturned, wistful face.
And then, as I have said, madness came upon me.
I opened the door, grabbed Megan with one arm and fairly hauled her into the carriage.
There was an outraged10 shout from a porter, but all he could do was dexterously11 to bang shut the door again. Ipulled Megan up from the floor where my impetuous action had landed her.
“What on earth did you do that for?” she demanded, rubbing one knee.
“Shut up,” I said. “You’re coming to London with me and when I’ve done with you you won’t know yourself. I’llshow you what you can look like if you try. I’m tired of seeing you mooch about down at heel and all anyhow.”
“Oh!” said Megan in an ecstatic whisper.
The ticket collector came along and I bought Megan a return ticket. She sat in her corner looking at me in a kind ofawed respect.
“I say,” she said when the man had gone. “You are sudden, aren’t you?”
“Very,” I said. “It runs in our family.”
How to explain to Megan the impulse that had come over me? She had looked like a wistful dog being left behind.
She now had on her face the incredulous pleasure of the dog who has been taken on the walk after all.
“I suppose you don’t know London very well?” I said to Megan.
“Yes, I do,” said Megan. “I always went through it to school. And I’ve been to the dentist there and to apantomime.”
“This,” I said darkly, “will be a different London.”
We arrived with half an hour to spare before my appointment in Harley Street.
I took a taxi and we drove straight to Mirotin, Joanna’s dressmaker. Mirotin is, in the flesh, an unconventional andbreezy woman of forty-five, Mary Grey. She is a clever woman and very good company. I have always liked her.
I said to Megan. “You’re my cousin.”
“Why?”
“Don’t argue,” I said.
Mary Grey was being firm with a stout12 Jewess who was enamoured of a skintight powder-blue evening dress. Idetached her and took her aside.
“Listen,” I said. “I’ve brought a little cousin of mine along. Joanna was coming up but was prevented. But she saidI could leave it all to you. You see what the girl looks like now?”
“My God, I do,” said Mary Grey with feeling.
“Well, I want her turned out right in every particular from head to foot. Carte blanche. Stockings, shoes, undies,everything! By the way, the man who does Joanna’s hair is close round here, isn’t he?”
“Antoine? Round the corner. I’ll see to that too.”
“You’re a woman in a thousand.”
“Oh, I shall enjoy it—apart from the money—and that’s not to be sneezed at in these days—half my damned brutesof women never pay their bills. But as I say, I shall enjoy it.” She shot a quick professional glance at Megan standing13 alittle way away. “She’s got a lovely figure.”
“You must have X-ray eyes,” I said. “She looks completely shapeless to me.”
Mary Grey laughed.
“It’s these schools,” she said. “They seem to take a pride in turning out girls who preen14 themselves on looking likenothing on earth. They call it being sweet and unsophisticated. Sometimes it takes a whole season before a girl canpull herself together and look human. Don’t worry, leave it all to me.”
“Right,” I said. “I’ll come back and fetch her about six.”
II
Marcus Kent was pleased with me. He told me that I surpassed his wildest expectations.
“You must have the constitution of an elephant,” he said, “to make a comeback like this. Oh well, wonderful whatcountry air and no late hours or excitements will do for a man if he can only stick it.”
“I grant you your first two,” I said. “But don’t think that the country is free from excitements. We’ve had a gooddeal in my part.”
“What sort of excitement?”
“Murder,” I said.
Marcus Kent pursed up his mouth and whistled.
“Some bucolic15 love tragedy? Farmer lad kills his lass?”
“Not at all. A crafty16, determined17 lunatic killer18.”
“I haven’t read anything about it. When did they lay him by the heels?”
“They haven’t, and it’s a she!”
“Whew! I’m not sure that Lymstock’s quite the right place for you, old boy.”
I said firmly:
“Yes, it is. And you’re not going to get me out of it.”
Marcus Kent has a low mind. He said at once:
“So that’s it! Found a blonde?”
“Not at all,” I said, with a guilty thought of Elsie Holland. “It’s merely that the psychology19 of crime interests me agood deal.”
“Oh, all right. It certainly hasn’t done you any harm so far, but just make sure that your lunatic killer doesn’tobliterate you.”
“No fear of that,” I said.
“What about dining with me this evening? You can tell me all about your revolting murder.”
“Sorry. I’m booked.”
“Date with a lady—eh? Yes, you’re definitely on the mend.”
“I suppose you could call it that,” I said, rather tickled20 at the idea of Megan in the role.
I was at Mirotin’s at six o’clock when the establishment was officially closing. Mary Grey came to meet me at thetop of the stairs outside the showroom. She had a finger to her lips.
“You’re going to have a shock! If I say it myself, I’ve put in a good bit of work.”
I went into the big showroom. Megan was standing looking at herself in a long mirror. I give you my word I hardlyrecognized her! For the minute it took my breath away. Tall and slim as a willow21 with delicate ankles and feet shownoff by sheer silk stockings and well-cut shoes. Yes, lovely feet and hands, small bones—quality and distinction inevery line of her. Her hair had been trimmed and shaped to her head and it was glowing like a glossy22 chestnut23. They’dhad the sense to leave her face alone. She was not made-up, or if she was it was so light and delicate that it did notshow. Her mouth needed no lipstick24.
Moreover there was about her something that I had never seen before, a new innocent pride in the arch of her neck.
She looked at me gravely with a small shy smile.
“I do look—rather nice, don’t I?” said Megan.
“Nice?” I said. “Nice isn’t the word! Come on out to dinner and if every second man doesn’t turn round to look atyou I’ll be surprised. You’ll knock all the other girls into a cocked hat.”
Megan was not beautiful, but she was unusual and striking looking. She had personality. She walked into therestaurant ahead of me and, as the head waiter hurried towards us, I felt the thrill of idiotic25 pride that a man feels whenhe has got something out of the ordinary with him.
We had cocktails26 first and lingered over them. Then we dined. And later we danced. Megan was keen to dance andI didn’t want to disappoint her, but for some reason or other I hadn’t thought she would dance well. But she did. Shewas light as a feather in my arms, and her body and feet followed the rhythm perfectly27.
“Gosh!” I said. “You can dance!”
She seemed a little surprised. “Well, of course I can. We had dancing class every week at school.”
“It takes more than dancing class to make a dancer,” I said.
We went back to our table.
“Isn’t this food lovely?” said Megan. “And everything!”
She heaved a delighted sigh.
“Exactly my sentiments,” I said.
It was a delirious28 evening. I was still mad. Megan brought me down to earth when she said doubtfully:
“Oughtn’t we to be going home?”
My jaw29 dropped. Yes, definitely I was mad. I had forgotten everything! I was in a world divorced from reality,existing in it with the creature I had created.
“Good Lord!” I said.
I realized that the last train had gone.
“Stay there,” I said. “I’m going to telephone.”
I rang up the Llewellyn Hire people and ordered their biggest and fastest car to come round as soon as possible.
I came back to Megan. “The last train has gone,” I said. “So we’re going home by car.”
“Are we? What fun!”
What a nice child she was, I thought. So pleased with everything, so unquestioning, accepting all my suggestionswithout fuss or bother.
The car came, and it was large and fast, but all the same it was very late when we came into Lymstock.
Suddenly conscience-stricken, I said, “They’ll have been sending out search parties for you!”
But Megan seemed in an equable mood. She said vaguely30:
“Oh, I don’t think so. I often go out and don’t come home for lunch.”
“Yes, my dear child, but you’ve been out for tea and dinner too.”
However, Megan’s lucky star was in the ascendant. The house was dark and silent. On Megan’s advice, we wentround to the back and threw stones at Rose’s window.
In due course Rose looked out and with many suppressed exclamations31 and palpitations came down to let us in.
“Well now, and I saying you were asleep in your bed. The master and Miss Holland”—(slight sniff32 after MissHolland’s name)—“had early supper and went for a drive. I said I’d keep an eye to the boys. I thought I heard youcome in when I was up in the nursery trying to quiet Colin, who was playing up, but you weren’t about when I camedown so I thought you’d gone to bed. And that’s what I said when the master came in and asked for you.”
I cut short the conversation by remarking that that was where Megan had better go now.
“Good night,” said Megan, “and thank you awfully33. It’s been the loveliest day I’ve ever had.”
I drove home slightly light-headed still, and tipped the chauffeur34 handsomely, offering him a bed if he liked. But hepreferred to drive back through the night.
The hall door had opened during our colloquy35 and as he drove away it was flung wide open and Joanna said:
“So it’s you at last, is it?”
“Were you worried about me?” I asked, coming in and shutting the door.
Joanna went into the drawing room and I followed her. There was a coffee pot on the trivet and Joanna madeherself coffee whilst I helped myself to a whisky and soda36.
“Worried about you? No, of course not. I thought you’d decided37 to stay in town and have a binge.”
“I’ve had a binge—of a kind.”
I grinned and then began to laugh.
Joanna asked what I was laughing at and I told her.
“But Jerry, you must have been mad—quite mad!”
“I suppose I was.”
“But, my dear boy, you can’t do things like that—not in a place like this. It will be all round Lymstock tomorrow.”
“I suppose it will. But, after all, Megan’s only a child.”
“She isn’t. She’s twenty. You can’t take a girl of twenty to London and buy her clothes without a most frightfulscandal. Good gracious, Jerry, you’ll probably have to marry the girl.”
Joanna was half serious, half laughing.
It was at that moment that I made a very important discovery. “Damn it all,” I said. “I don’t mind if I do. In fact— Ishould like it.”
A very funny expression came over Joanna’s face. She got up and said dryly, as she went towards the door:
“Yes, I’ve known that for some time….”
She left me standing, glass in hand, aghast at my new discovery.
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收听单词发音
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1
stuffy
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| adj.不透气的，闷热的 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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crab
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| n.螃蟹，偏航，脾气乖戾的人，酸苹果；vi.捕蟹，偏航，发牢骚；vt.使偏航，发脾气 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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irritation
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loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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dexterously
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| adv.巧妙地，敏捷地 | |
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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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preen
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| v.（人）打扮修饰 | |
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bucolic
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| adj.乡村的；牧羊的 | |
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crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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psychology
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| n.心理，心理学，心理状态 | |
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tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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chestnut
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| n.栗树，栗子 | |
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lipstick
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| n.口红，唇膏 | |
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idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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cocktails
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| n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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delirious
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| adj.不省人事的，神智昏迷的 | |
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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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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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chauffeur
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| n.(受雇于私人或公司的)司机；v.为…开车 | |
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colloquy
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| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
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soda
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| n.苏打水；汽水 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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