Thirty ANTHONY SIGNS ON FOR A NEW JOB

Thirty ANTHONY SIGNS ON FOR A NEW JOB

“If you will go on, gentlemen, I will follow you in a minute,” said Anthony.
He waited while the others filed out, and then turned to where Superin-tendent Battle was standing¹ apparently² absorbed in examining the panel-ling.
“Well, Battle? Want to ask me something, don’t you?”
“Well, I do, sir, though I don’t know how you knew I did. But I alwaysmarked you out as being specially³ quick in the uptake. I take it that thelady who is dead was the late Queen Varaga?”
“Quite right, Battle. It’ll be hushed up, I hope. You can understand whatI feel about family skeletons.”
“Trust Mr. Lomax for that, sir. No one will ever know. That is, a lot ofpeople will know, but it won’t get about.”
“Was that what you wanted to ask me about?”
“No, sir — that was only in passing. I was curious to know just whatmade you drop your own name—if I’m not taking too much of a liberty?”
“Not a bit of it. I’ll tell you. I killed myself for the purest motives⁴, Battle.
My mother was English, I’d been educated in England, and I was far moreinterested in England than in Herzoslovakia. And I felt an absolute foolknocking about the world with a comic-opera title tacked⁵ on to me. Yousee, when I was very young, I had democratic ideas. Believed in the purityof ideals, and the equality of all men. I especially disbelieved in kings andprinces.”
“And since then?” asked Battle shrewdly.
“Oh, since then, I’ve travelled and seen the world. There’s damned littleequality going about. Mind you, I still believe in democracy. But you’ve gotto force it on people with a strong hand—ram it down their throats. Mendon’t want to be brothers—they may some day, but they don’t now. My be-lief in the brotherhood⁶ of man died the day I arrived in London last week,when I observed people standing in a Tube train resolutely⁷ refuse to moveup and make room for those who entered. You won’t turn people into an-gels by appealing to their better natures just yet awhile—but by judiciousforce you can coerce⁸ them into behaving more or less decently to one an-other to go on with. I still believe in the brotherhood of man, but it’s notcoming yet awhile. Say another ten thousand years or so. It’s no good be-ing impatient. Evolution is a slow process.”
“I’m very interested in these views of yours, sir,” said Battle with atwinkle. “And if you’ll allow me to say so, I’m sure you’ll make a very fineking out there.”
“Thank you, Battle,” said Anthony with a sigh.
“You don’t seem very happy about it, sir?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I daresay it will be rather fun. But it’s tying oneselfdown to regular work. I’ve always avoided that before.”
“But you consider it your duty, I suppose, sir?”
“Good Lord, no! What an idea. It’s a woman — it’s always a woman,Battle. I’d do more than be a king for her sake.”
“Quite so, sir.”
“I’ve arranged it so that the Baron⁹ and Isaacstein can’t kick. The onewants a king, and the other wants oil. They’ll both get what they want, andI’ve got—oh, Lord, Battle, have you ever been in love?”
“I am much attached to Mrs. Battle, sir.”
“Much attached to Mrs.—oh, you don’t know what I’m talking about! It’sentirely different!”
“Excuse me, sir, that man of yours is waiting outside the window.”
“Boris? So he is. He’s a wonderful fellow. It’s a mercy that pistol went offin the struggle and killed the lady. Otherwise Boris would have wrung¹⁰ herneck as sure as Fate, and then you would have wanted to hang him. His at-tachment to the Obolovitch dynasty is remarkable¹¹. The queer thing wasthat as soon as Michael was dead he attached himself to me—and yet hecouldn’t possibly have known who I really was.”
“Instinct,” said Battle. “Like a dog.”
“Very awkward instinct I thought it at the time. I was afraid it mightgive the show away to you. I suppose I’d better see what he wants.”
He went out through the window. Superintendent¹² Battle, left alone,looked after him for a minute, then apparently addressed the panelling.
“He’ll do,” said Superintendent Battle.
Outside Boris explained himself.
“Master,” he said, and led the way along the terrace.
Anthony followed him, wondering what was forward.
Presently Boris stopped and pointed¹³ with his forefinger¹⁴. It was moon-light, and in front of them was a stone seat on which sat two figures.
“He is a dog,” said Anthony to himself. “And what’s more a pointer!”
He strode forward. Boris melted into the shadows.
The two figures rose to meet him. One of them was Virginia—the other—
“Hullo, Joe,” said a well- remembered voice. “This is a great girl ofyours.”
“Jimmy McGrath, by all that’s wonderful,” cried Anthony. “How in thename of fortune did you get here?”
“That trip of mine into the interior went phut. Then some dagos camemonkeying around. Wanted to buy that manuscript off me. Next thing I asnear as nothing got a knife in the back one night. That made me think thatI’d handed you out a bigger job than I knew. I thought you might needhelp, and I came along after you by the very next boat.”
“Wasn’t it splendid of him?” said Virginia. She squeezed Jimmy’s arm.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me how frightfully nice he was? You are, Jimmy,you’re a perfect dear.”
“You two seem to be getting along all right,” said Anthony.
“Sure thing,” said Jimmy. “I was snooping round for news of you, when Iconnected with this dame¹⁵. She wasn’t at all what I thought she’d be—someswell haughty¹⁶ society lady that’d scare the life out of me.”
“He told me all about the letters,” said Virginia. “And I feel almostashamed not to have been in real trouble over them when he was such aknight-errant.”
“If I’d known what you were like,” said Jimmy gallantly¹⁷, “I’d not havegiven him the letters. I’d have brought them to you myself. Say, youngman, is the fun really over? Is there nothing for me to do?”
“By Jove,” said Anthony, “there is! Wait a minute.”
He disappeared into the house. In a minute or two he returned with apaper package which he cast into Jimmy’s arms.
“Go round to the garage and help yourself to a likely looking car. Beat itto London and deliver that parcel at 17 Everdean Square. That’s Mr.
Balderson’s private address. In exchange he’ll hand you a thousandpounds.”
“What? It’s not the memoirs¹⁸? I understood that they’d been burnt.”
“What do you take me for?” demanded Anthony.
“You don’t think I’d fall for a story like that, do you? I rang up the pub-lishers at once, found out that the other was a fake call, and arranged ac-cordingly. I made up a dummy¹⁹ package as I’d been directed to do. But Iput the real package in the manager’s safe and handed over the dummy.
The memoirs have never been out of my possession.”
“Bully for you, my son,” said Jimmy.
“Oh, Anthony,” cried Virginia. “You’re not going to let them be pub-lished?”
“I can’t help myself. I can’t let a pal²⁰ like Jimmy down. But you needn’tworry. I’ve had time to wade²¹ through them, and I see now why people al-ways hint that bigwigs don’t write their own reminiscences but hiresomeone to do it for them. As a writer, Stylptitch is an insufferable bore.
He proses on about statecraft, and doesn’t go in for any racy and indis-creet anecdotes²². His ruling passion of secrecy²³ held strong to the end.
There’s not a word in the memoirs from beginning to end to flutter thesusceptibilities of the most difficult politician. I rang up Balderson today,and arranged with him that I’d deliver the manuscript tonight before mid-night. But Jimmy can do his own dirty work now that he’s here.”
“I’m off,” said Jimmy. “I like the idea of that thousand pounds—espe-cially when I’d made up my mind it was down and out.”
“Half a second,” said Anthony. “I’ve got a confession²⁴ to make to you, Vir-ginia. Something that everyone else knows, but that I haven’t yet toldyou.”
“I don’t mind how many strange women you’ve loved so long as youdon’t tell me about them.”
“Women!” said Anthony, with a virtuous²⁵ air. “Women indeed? You askJames here what kind of women I was going about with the last time hesaw me.”
“Frumps,” said Jimmy solemnly. “Utter frumps. Not one a day underforty-five.”
“Thank you, Jimmy,” said Anthony, “you’re a true friend. No, it’s muchworse than that. I’ve deceived you as to my real name.”
“Is it very dreadful?” said Virginia, with interest. “It isn’t something sillylike Pobbles, is it? Fancy being called Mrs. Pobbles.”
“You are always thinking the worst of me.”
“I admit that I did once think you were King Victor, but only for about aminute and a half.”
“By the way, Jimmy, I’ve got a job for you—gold prospecting²⁶ in the rockyfastnesses of Herzoslovakia?”
“Is there gold there?” asked Jimmy eagerly.
“Sure to be,” said Anthony. “It’s a wonderful country.”
“So you’re taking my advice and going there?”
“Yes,” said Anthony. “Your advice was worth more than you knew. Nowfor the confession. I wasn’t changed at nurse, or anything romantic likethat, but nevertheless I am really Prince Nicholas Obolovitch of Herzoslov-akia.”
“Oh, Anthony,” cried Virginia. “How perfectly²⁷ screaming! And I havemarried you! What are we going to do about it?”
“We’ll go to Herzoslovakia and pretend to be kings and queens. JimmyMcGrath once said that the average life of a king or queen out there is un-der four years. I hope you don’t mind?”
“Mind?” cried Virginia. “I shall love it!”
“Isn’t she great?” murmured Jimmy.
Then, discreetly²⁸, he faded into the night. A few minutes later the soundof a car was heard.
“Nothing like letting a man do his own dirty work,” said Anthony withsatisfaction. “Besides, I didn’t know how else to get rid of him. Since wewere married I’ve not had one minute alone with you.”
“We’ll have a lot of fun,” said Virginia. “Teaching the brigands²⁹ not to bebrigands, and the assassins not to assassinate³⁰, and generally improvingthe moral tone of the country.”
“I like to hear these pure ideals,” said Anthony. “It makes me feel mysacrifice has not been in vain.”
“Rot,” said Virginia calmly, “you’ll enjoy being a king. It’s in your blood,you know. You were brought up to the trade of royalty³¹, and you’ve got anatural aptitude³² for it, just like plumbers³³ have a natural bent³⁴ for plumb-ing.”
“I never think they have,” said Anthony. “But, damn it all, don’t let’swaste time talking about plumbers. Do you know that at this very minuteI’m supposed to be deep in conference with Isaacstein and old Lollipop³⁵?
They want to talk about oil. Oil, my God! They can just await my kinglypleasure. Virginia, do you remember my telling you once that I’d have adamned good try to make you care for me?”
“I remember,” said Virginia softly. “But Superintendent Battle was look-ing out of the window.”
“Well, he isn’t now,” said Anthony.
He caught her suddenly to him, kissing her eyelids³⁶, her lips, the greengold of her hair. .?.?.
“I do love you so, Virginia,” he whispered. “I do love you so. Do you loveme?”
He looked down at her—sure of the answer.
Her head rested against his shoulder, and very low, in a sweet shakenvoice, she answered:
“Not a bit!”
“You little devil,” cried Anthony, kissing her again. “Now I know for cer-tain that I shall love you until I die. .?.?.”

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

3 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

4 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

5 tacked   

用平头钉钉( tack的过去式和过去分词 )； 附加，增补； 帆船抢风行驶，用粗线脚缝

参考例句：

• He tacked the sheets of paper on as carefully as possible. 他尽量小心地把纸张钉上去。
• The seamstress tacked the two pieces of cloth. 女裁缝把那两块布粗缝了起来。

6 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

7 resolutely   

adj.坚决地，果断地

参考例句：

• He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
• He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。

8 coerce   

v.强迫，压制

参考例句：

• You can't coerce her into obedience.你不能强制她服从。
• Do you think there is any way that we can coerce them otherwise?你认为我们有什么办法强迫他们不那样吗？

9 baron   

n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王

参考例句：

• Henry Ford was an automobile baron.亨利·福特是一位汽车业巨头。
• The baron lived in a strong castle.男爵住在一座坚固的城堡中。

10 wrung   

绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水）

参考例句：

• He has wrung the words from their true meaning. 他曲解这些字的真正意义。
• He wrung my hand warmly. 他热情地紧握我的手。

11 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

12 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

13 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

14 forefinger   

n.食指

参考例句：

• He pinched the leaf between his thumb and forefinger.他将叶子捏在拇指和食指之间。
• He held it between the tips of his thumb and forefinger.他用他大拇指和食指尖拿着它。

15 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

16 haughty   

adj.傲慢的，高傲的

参考例句：

• He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。
• They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。

17 gallantly   

adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地

参考例句：

• He gallantly offered to carry her cases to the car. 他殷勤地要帮她把箱子拎到车子里去。
• The new fighters behave gallantly under fire. 新战士在炮火下表现得很勇敢。

18 memoirs   

n.回忆录；回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数)

参考例句：

• Her memoirs were ghostwritten. 她的回忆录是由别人代写的。
• I watched a trailer for the screenplay of his memoirs. 我看过以他的回忆录改编成电影的预告片。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 dummy   

n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头

参考例句：

• The police suspect that the device is not a real bomb but a dummy.警方怀疑那个装置不是真炸弹，只是一个假货。
• The boys played soldier with dummy swords made of wood.男孩们用木头做的假木剑玩打仗游戏。

20 pal   

n.朋友，伙伴，同志；vi.结为友

参考例句：

• He is a pal of mine.他是我的一个朋友。
• Listen,pal,I don't want you talking to my sister any more.听着，小子，我不让你再和我妹妹说话了。

21 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

22 anecdotes   

n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• amusing anecdotes about his brief career as an actor 关于他短暂演员生涯的趣闻逸事
• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman. 他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

24 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

25 virtuous   

adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的

参考例句：

• She was such a virtuous woman that everybody respected her.她是个有道德的女性，人人都尊敬她。
• My uncle is always proud of having a virtuous wife.叔叔一直为娶到一位贤德的妻子而骄傲。

26 prospecting   

n.探矿

参考例句：

• The prospecting team ploughed their way through the snow. 探险队排雪前进。
• The prospecting team has traversed the length and breadth of the land. 勘探队踏遍了祖国的山山水水。

27 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

28 discreetly   

ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地

参考例句：

• He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇，一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
• Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么，有意避开了。

29 brigands   

n.土匪，强盗( brigand的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They say there are brigands hiding along the way. 他们说沿路隐藏着土匪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The brigands demanded tribute from passing vehicles. 土匪向过往车辆勒索钱财。 来自辞典例句

30 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

31 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

32 aptitude   

n.(学习方面的)才能，资质，天资

参考例句：

• That student has an aptitude for mathematics.那个学生有数学方面的天赋。
• As a child,he showed an aptitude for the piano.在孩提时代，他显露出对于钢琴的天赋。

33 plumbers   

n.管子工，水暖工( plumber的名词复数 )；[美][口]（防止泄密的）堵漏人员

参考例句：

• Plumbers charge by the hour for their work. 水管工人的工作是以小时收费的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Plumbers, carpenters, and other workmen finished the new house quickly. 管道工、木工及其他工匠很快完成了这幢新房子。 来自辞典例句

34 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

35 lollipop   

n.棒棒糖

参考例句：

• The child put out his tongue and licked his lollipop.那孩子伸出舌头舔着棒棒糖。
• I ate popcorn,banana and lollipop.我吃了爆米花、香蕉和棒棒糖。

36 eyelids   

n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色

参考例句：

• She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了，眼睑开始往下垂。
• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》