Three（2）

II
Tommy was establishing the happiest of relationships with MajorBletchley.
“Brought down some golf clubs with you, didn’t you, Meadowes?”
Tommy pleaded guilty.
“Ha! I can tell you, my eyes don’t miss much. Splendid. We must have agame together. Ever played on the links here?”
Tommy replied in the negative.
“They’re not bad — not bad at all. Bit on the short side, perhaps, butlovely view over the sea and all that. And never very crowded. Look here,what about coming along with me this morning? We might have a game.”
“Thanks very much. I’d like it.”
“Must say I’m glad you’ve arrived,” remarked Bletchley as they weretrudging up the hill. “Too many women in that place. Gets on one’s nerves.
Glad I’ve got another fellow to keep me in countenance¹. You can’t countCayley—the man’s a kind of walking chemist’s shop. Talks of nothing buthis health and the treatment he’s tried and the drugs he’s taking. If hethrew away all his little pillboxes and went out for a good ten-mile walkevery day he’d be a different man. The only other male in the place is vonDeinim, and to tell you the truth, Meadowes, I’m not too easy in my mindabout him.”
“No?” said Tommy.
“No. You take my word for it, this refugee business is dangerous. If I hadmy way I’d intern² the lot of them. Safety first.”
“A bit drastic, perhaps.”
“Not at all. War’s war. And I’ve got my suspicions of Master Carl. Forone thing he’s clearly not a Jew. Then he came over here just a month—only a month, mind you—before war broke out. That’s a bit suspicious.”
Tommy said invitingly³:
“Then you think—?”
“Spying—that’s his little game!”
“But surely there’s nothing of great military or naval⁴ importance here-abouts?”
“Ah, old man, that’s where the artfulness comes in! If he were anywherenear Plymouth or Portsmouth he’d be under supervision⁵. In a sleepy placelike this, nobody bothers. But it’s on the coast, isn’t it? The truth of it is theGovernment is a great deal too easy with these enemy aliens. Anyone whocared could come over here and pull a long face and talk about theirbrothers in concentration camps. Look at that young man—arrogance inevery line of him. He’s a Nazi⁶—that’s what he is—a Nazi.”
“What we really need in this country is a witch doctor or two,” saidTommy pleasantly.
“Eh, what’s that?”
“To smell out the spies,” Tommy explained gravely.
“Ha, very good that—very good. Smell ’em out—yes, of course.”
Further conversation was brought to an end, for they had arrived at theclubhouse.
Tommy’s name was put down as a temporary member, he was intro-duced to the secretary, a vacant-looking elderly man, and the subscriptionduly paid. Tommy and the Major started on their round.
Tommy was a mediocre⁷ golfer. He was glad to find that his standard ofplay was just about right for his new friend. The Major won by two up andone to play, a very happy state of events.
“Good match, Meadowes, very good match—you had bad luck with thatmashie shot, just turned off at the last minute. We must have a game fairlyoften. Come along and I’ll introduce you to some of the fellows. Nice lot onthe whole, some of them inclined to be rather old women, if you knowwhat I mean? Ah, here’s Haydock—you’ll like Haydock. Retired⁸ naval wal-lah. Has that house on the cliff next door to us. He’s our local ARPwarden.”
Commander Haydock was a big hearty⁹ man with a weather-beaten face,intensely blue eyes, and a habit of shouting most of his remarks.
He greeted Tommy with friendliness¹⁰.
“So you’re going to keep Bletchley countenance at Sans Souci? He’ll beglad of another man. Rather swamped by female society, eh, Bletchley?”
“I’m not much of a ladies’ man,” said Major Bletchley.
“Nonsense,” said Haydock. “Not your type of lady, my boy, that’s it. Oldboardinghouse pussies¹¹. Nothing to do but gossip and knit.”
“You’re forgetting Miss Perenna,” said Bletchley.
“Ah, Sheila—she’s an attractive girl all right. Regular beauty if you askme.”
“I’m a bit worried about her,” said Bletchley.
“What do you mean? Have a drink, Meadowes? What’s yours, Major?”
The drinks ordered and the men settled on the veranda¹² of the club-house, Haydock repeated his question.
Major Bletchley said with some violence:
“That German chap. She’s seeing too much of him.”
“Getting sweet on him, you mean? H’m, that’s bad. Of course he’s agood-looking young chap in his way. But it won’t do. It won’t do, Bletchley.
We can’t have that sort of thing. Trading with the enemy, that’s what itamounts to. These girls — where’s their proper spirit? Plenty of decentyoung English fellows about.”
Bletchley said:
“Sheila’s a queer girl — she gets odd sullen¹³ fits when she will hardlyspeak to anyone.”
“Spanish blood,” said the Commander. “Her father was half Spanish,wasn’t he?”
“Don’t know. It’s a Spanish name, I should think.”
The Commander glanced at his watch.
“About time for the news. We’d better go in and listen to it.”
The news was meagre that day, little more in it than had been already inthe morning papers. After commenting with approval on the latest ex-ploits of the Air Force—first-rate chaps, brave as lions—the Commanderwent on to develop his own pet theory—that sooner or later the Germanswould attempt a landing at Leahampton itself—his argument being that itwas such an unimportant spot.
“Not even an antiaircraft gun in the place! Disgraceful!”
The argument was not developed, for Tommy and the Major had tohurry back to lunch at Sans Souci. Haydock extended a cordial invitationto Tommy to come and see his little place, “Smugglers’ Rest.” “Marvellousview—my own beach—every kind of handy gadget¹⁴ in the house. Bringhim along, Bletchley.”
It was settled that Tommy and Major Bletchley should come in fordrinks on the evening of the following day.

1 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

2 intern   

v.拘禁，软禁；n.实习生

参考例句：

• I worked as an intern in that firm last summer.去年夏天我在那家商行实习。
• The intern bandaged the cut as the nurse looked on.这位实习生在护士的照看下给病人包扎伤口。

3 invitingly   

adv. 动人地

参考例句：

• Her lips pouted invitingly. 她挑逗地撮起双唇。
• The smooth road sloped invitingly before her. 平展的山路诱人地倾斜在她面前。

4 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

5 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

6 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

7 mediocre   

adj.平常的，普通的

参考例句：

• The student tried hard,but his work is mediocre. 该生学习刻苦，但学业平庸。
• Only lazybones and mediocre persons could hanker after the days of messing together.只有懒汉庸才才会留恋那大锅饭的年代。

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

9 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

10 friendliness   

n.友谊，亲切，亲密

参考例句：

• Behind the mask of friendliness,I know he really dislikes me.在友善的面具后面，我知道他其实并不喜欢我。
• His manner was a blend of friendliness and respect.他的态度友善且毕恭毕敬。

11 pussies   

n.（粗俚） 女阴( pussy的名词复数 )；（总称）（作为性对象的）女人；（主要北美使用，非正式）软弱的；小猫咪

参考例句：

• Not one of these pussies has been washed in weeks. 这帮娘儿们几个星期都没洗过澡了。 来自电影对白
• See there's three kinds of people: dicks pussies and assholes. 哥们，世上有三种人：小弟弟、小妹妹，还有屁股眼。 来自互联网

12 veranda   

n.走廊；阳台

参考例句：

• She sat in the shade on the veranda.她坐在阳台上的遮荫处。
• They were strolling up and down the veranda.他们在走廊上来回徜徉。

13 sullen   

adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的

参考例句：

• He looked up at the sullen sky.他抬头看了一眼阴沉的天空。
• Susan was sullen in the morning because she hadn't slept well.苏珊今天早上郁闷不乐，因为昨晚没睡好。

14 gadget   

n.小巧的机械，精巧的装置，小玩意儿

参考例句：

• This gadget isn't much good.这小机械没什么用处。
• She has invented a nifty little gadget for undoing stubborn nuts and bolts.她发明了一种灵巧的小工具用来松开紧固的螺母和螺栓。