Thirty-four LORD CATERHAM APPROVES

Thirty-four LORD CATERHAM APPROVES

“Father,” said Bundle, “I’ve got to break a piece of news to you. You’re go-ing to lose me.”
“Nonsense,” said Lord Caterham. “Don’t tell me that you’re sufferingfrom galloping¹ consumption² or a weak heart or anything like that, be-cause I simply don’t believe it.”
“It’s not death,” said Bundle. “It’s marriage.”
“Very nearly as bad,” said Lord Caterham. “I suppose I shall have tocome to the wedding, all dressed up in tight uncomfortable clothes, andgive you away. And Lomax may think it necessary to kiss me in thevestry.”
“Good heavens! You don’t think I’m going to marry George, do you?”
cried Bundle.
“Well, something like that seemed to be in the wind last time I saw you,”
said her father. “Yesterday morning, you know.”
“I’m going to be married to someone a hundred times nicer thanGeorge,” said Bundle.
“I hope so, I’m sure,” said Lord Caterham. “But one never knows. I don’tfeel you’re really a good judge of character, Bundle. You told me thatyoung Thesiger was a cheerful inefficient³, and from all I hear now itseems that he was one of the most efficient criminals of the day. The sadthing is that I never met him. I was thinking of writing my reminiscencessoon—with a special chapter on murderers I have met—and by a purelytechnical oversight⁴, I never met this young man.”
“Don’t be silly,” said Bundle. “You know you haven’t got the energy towrite reminiscences or anything else.”
“I wasn’t actually going to write them myself,” said Lord Caterham. “Ibelieve that’s never done. But I met a very charming girl the other day andthat’s her special job. She collects the material and does all the actual writ-ing.”
“And what do you do?”
“Oh, just give her a few facts for half an hour every day. Nothing morethan that.” After a slight pause, Lord Catherham said: “She was a nice-looking girl—very restful and sympathetic.”
“Father,” said Bundle, “I have a feeling that without me you will run intodeadly danger.”
“Different kinds of danger suit different kinds of people,” said LordCaterham.
He was moving away, when he turned back and said over his shoulder:
“By the way, Bundle, who are you marrying?”
“I was wondering,” said Bundle, “when you were going to ask me that.
I’m going to marry Bill Eversleigh.”
The egoist thought it over for a minute. Then he nodded in complete sat-isfaction.
“Excellent,” he said. “He’s scratch, isn’t he? He and I can play together inthe foursomes in the Autumn Meeting.”

1 galloping   

adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
• Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

2 consumption   

n.消费，消耗，消费额，消耗量，结核病

参考例句：

• Consumption of oil has declined in recent years.石油消耗量在最近几年下降了。
• The meat was condemned as unfit for human consumption.这种肉已被宣布不适宜人们食用。

3 inefficient   

adj.效率低的，无效的

参考例句：

• The inefficient operation cost the firm a lot of money.低效率的运作使该公司损失了许多钱。
• Their communication systems are inefficient in the extreme.他们的通讯系统效率非常差。

4 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。