But Roberta's return to Lycurgus and her room at the Gilpins' Christmas night brought no sign of Clyde nor anyword of explanation. For in connection with the Griffiths in the meantime there had been a development relatingto all this which, could she or Clyde have known, would have interested both not a little. For subsequent to theSteele dance that same item read by Roberta fell under the eyes of Gilbert. He was seated at the breakfast tablethe Sunday morning after the party and was about to sip1 from a cup of coffee when he encountered it. On theinstant his teeth snapped about as a man might snap his watch lid, and instead of drinking he put his cup downand examined the item with more care. Other than his mother there was no one at the table or in the room withhim, but knowing that she, more than any of the others, shared his views in regard to Clyde, he now passed thepaper over to her.
"Look at who's breaking into society now, will you?" he admonished2 sharply and sarcastically3, his eyes radiatingthe hard and contemptuous opposition4 he felt. "We'll be having him up here next!""Who?" inquired Mrs. Griffiths, as she took the paper and examined the item calmly and judicially5, yet notwithout a little of outwardly suppressed surprise when she saw the name. For although the fact of Clyde's havingbeen picked up by Sondra in her car sometime before and later been invited to dinner at the Trumbulls', had beenconveyed to the family sometime before, still a society notice in The Star was different. "Now I wonder how itwas that he came to be invited to that?" meditated6 Mrs. Griffiths who was always conscious of her son's mood inregard to all this.
"Now, who would do it but that little Finchley snip7, the little smart aleck?" snapped Gilbert. "She's got the ideafrom somewhere--from Bella for all I know--that we don't care to have anything to do with him, and she thinksthis is a clever way to hit back at me for some of the things I've done to her, or that she thinks I've done. At anyrate, she thinks I don't like her, and that's right, I don't. And Bella knows it, too. And that goes for that littleCranston show-off, too. They're both always running around with her. They're a set of show-offs and wasters, thewhole bunch, and that goes for their brothers, too--Grant Cranston and Stew8 Finchley--and if something don't gowrong with one or another of that bunch one of these days, I miss my guess. You mark my word! They don't do athing, the whole lot of them, from one year's end to the other but play around and dance and run here and there,as though there wasn't anything else in the world for them to do. And why you and Dad let Bella run with 'em asmuch as she does is more than I can see."To this his mother protested. It was not possible for her to entirely9 estrange10 Bella from one portion of this localsocial group and direct her definitely toward the homes of certain others. They all mingled11 too freely. And shewas getting along in years and had a mind of her own.
Just the same his mother's apology and especially in the face of the publication of this item by no means lessenedGilbert's opposition to Clyde's social ambitions and opportunities. What! That poor little moneyless cousin of hiswho had committed first the unpardonable offense12 of looking like him and, second, of coming here to Lycurgusand fixing himself on this very superior family. And after he had shown him all too plainly, and from the first,that he personally did not like him, did not want him, and if left to himself would never for so much as a momentendure him.
"He hasn't any money," he declared finally and very bitterly to his mother, "and he's hanging on here by the skinof his teeth as it is. And what for? If he is taken up by these people, what can he do? He certainly hasn't themoney to do as they do, and he can't get it. And if he could, his job here wouldn't let him go anywhere much,unless some one troubled to pay his way. And how he is going to do his work and run with that crowd is morethan I know. That bunch is on the go all the time."Actually he was wondering whether Clyde would be included from now on, and if so, what was to be done aboutit. If he were to be taken up in this way, how was he, or the family, either, to escape from being civil to him? Forobviously, as earlier and subsequent developments proved, his father did not choose to send him away.
Indeed, subsequent to this conversation, Mrs. Griffiths had laid the paper, together with a version of Gilbert'sviews before her husband at this same breakfast table. But he, true to his previous mood in regard to Clyde, wasnot inclined to share his son's opinion. On the contrary, he seemed, as Mrs. Griffiths saw it, to look upon thedevelopment recorded by the item as a justification13 in part of his own original estimate of Clyde.
"I must say," he began, after listening to his wife to the end, "I can't see what's wrong with his going to a partynow and then, or being invited here and there even if he hasn't any money. It looks more like a compliment tohim and to us than anything else. I know how Gil feels about him. But it rather looks to me as though Clyde's justa little better than Gil thinks he is. At any rate, I can't and I wouldn't want to do anything about it. I've asked himto come down here, and the least I can do is to give him an opportunity to better himself. He seems to be doinghis work all right. Besides, how would it look if I didn't?"And later, because of some additional remarks on the part of Gilbert to his mother, he added: "I'd certainly ratherhave him going with some of the better people than some of the worse ones--that's one thing sure. He's neat andpolite and from all I hear at the factory does his work well enough. As a matter of fact, I think it would have beenbetter if we had invited him up to the lake last summer for a few days anyhow, as I suggested. As it is now, if wedon't do something pretty soon, it will look as though we think he isn't good enough for us when the other peoplehere seem to think he is. If you'll take my advice, you'll have him up here for Christmas or New Year's, anyhow,just to show that we don't think any less of him than our friends do."This suggestion, once transferred to Gilbert by his mother, caused him to exclaim: "Well, I'll be hanged! Allright, only don't think I'm going to lay myself out to be civil to him. It's a wonder, if Father thinks he's so able, that he don't make a real position for him somewhere."Just the same, nothing might have come of this had it not been that Bella, returning from Albany this same day,learned via contacts and telephone talks with Sondra and Bertine of the developments in connection with Clyde.
Also that he had been invited to accompany them to the New Year's Eve dance at the Ellerslies' in Schenectady,Bella having been previously14 scheduled to make a part of this group before Clyde was thought of.
This sudden development, reported by Bella to her mother, was of sufficient import to cause Mrs. Griffiths aswell as Samuel, if not Gilbert, later to decide to make the best of a situation which obviously was being forcedupon them and themselves invite Clyde for dinner--Christmas Day--a sedate15 affair to which many others werebid. For this as they now decided16 would serve to make plain to all and at once that Clyde was not being aswholly ignored as some might imagine. It was the only reasonable thing to do at this late date. And Gilbert, onhearing this, and realizing that in this instance he was checkmated, exclaimed sourly: "Oh, all right. Invite him ifyou want to--if that's the way you and Dad feel about it. I don't see any real necessity for it even now. But you fixit to suit yourself. Constance and I are going over to Utica for the afternoon, anyhow, so I couldn't be there evenif I wanted to."He was thinking of what an outrageous17 thing it was that a girl whom he disliked as much as he did Sondra couldthus via her determination and plottings thrust his own cousin on him and he be unable to prevent it. And what abeggar Clyde must be to attempt to attach himself in this way when he knew that he was not wanted! What sortof a youth was he, anyhow?
And so it was that on Monday morning Clyde had received another letter from the Griffiths, this time signed byMyra, asking him to have dinner with them at two o'clock Christmas Day. But, since this at that time did notseem to interfere18 with his meeting Roberta Christmas night at eight, he merely gave himself over to extremerejoicing in regard to it all now, and at last he was nearly as well placed here, socially, as any one. For althoughhe had no money, see how he was being received--and by the Griffiths, too--among all the others. And Sondrataking so great an interest in him, actually talking and acting19 as though she might be ready to fall in love. AndGilbert checkmated by his social popularity. What would you say to that? It testified, as he saw it now, that atleast his relatives had not forgotten him or that, because of his recent success in other directions, they werefinding it necessary to be civil to him--a thought that was the same as the bays of victory to a contestant20. Heviewed it with as much pleasure almost as though there had never been any hiatus at all.
可是圣诞节晚上罗伯达回到莱柯格斯，回到她在吉尔平家的自己房间以后，既见不到克莱德的影子，也得不到任何片语只字的解释。因为就在这时，格里菲思家发生了一件事，克莱德和罗伯达倘若知道的话，一定都会深为关注。原来罗伯达看到有关斯蒂尔家举行舞会的那段新闻报道，也给吉尔伯特看到了。
舞会后的星期天早上，吉尔伯特坐在进早餐的桌子旁，正要喝咖啡时，碰巧看到了这段新闻，顿时气得他牙齿咯嚓乱响，就象表盖打开时发出的那种响声。
他连咖啡也都不喝了，把杯子往桌上一撂，就仔细研读报上那段新闻报道。这时，餐室里别无他人，只有他和他母亲。他知道，家里人要数他母亲最附和他对克莱德的看法，所以这时便把报纸递给了她老人家。
"看呀，是谁在上流社会大出风头?
"他用犀利。挖苦的口吻说，眼里露出恶狠狠瞧不起人的凶光。"他马上到我们这儿抛头露面来啦!
""是谁呀?
"格里菲思太太一面询问，一面拿起报纸，心情平静。态度公允地仔细读着那段新闻报道，不过，一看到克莱德这个名字，她不免大吃一惊，但是她竭力克制，这才没有在脸上露出来。因为，不久前桑德拉让克莱德搭乘她的车，后来他又被请去参加特朗布尔家举行的舞会等事，尽管最近才传到他们家里，可是，克莱德在《星报》上流社会交际新闻中出现，那就非同小可了。"我真纳闷，不知道他怎么会被邀赴会的?
"格里菲思太太若有所思地说;他儿子对所有这些事情的态度，她心里一向很清楚的。
"当然罗，除了芬奇利这个喜欢装腔作势。自作聪明的小丫头，还会有谁呢?
"吉尔伯特恶狠狠地大声说。"不知道她从哪儿得来的想法……据我知道，她是受贝拉影响……好象觉得我们压根儿不睬他。她以为这是打击我的一大绝招，就我得罪过她的事，或是她自以为好象我得罪过她的事进行报复。不管怎么说，反正她认为我不喜欢她。不过，这倒也是说对了，我才不喜欢她哩。这个，贝拉也知道。不过，这事没有那个爱出风头的小丫头克兰斯顿帮衬，可也不行哪。
她和桑德拉老是跟着贝拉转悠。她们这一拨人，净爱出风头，摆阔气，挥霍浪费，个个都是这样，连她们的兄弟们……格兰特。克兰斯顿和斯图。芬奇利……也不例外……我敢打赌说，这一帮子人不知哪一天就要倒了霉呢。你记住我的话就得了!
他们什么事也不干，这一帮子人，一年到头净是玩啊，跳舞啊，开了车子到处兜风啊，好象世界上除了玩儿就一点儿事都没有似的。再说，你和爸爸干吗让贝拉老是跟在这一拨人后头跑，我可真不明白。"母亲听了他这些话，很不以为然。要阻止贝拉跟当地上流社会里这一部分人完全断绝往来，限定她只好跟另外一部分人里头哪几户人家应酬交往，这个母亲可办不到。她们个个无拘无束地相互交往，常常晤面。何况贝拉也长大成人，可以自己作主了。
不管母亲进行百般辩解，丝毫也没有减少吉尔伯特的敌意，因为他对克莱德千方百计要跻身于上流社会非常反感，何况从已发表的那段新闻报道来看，可能性又是极大。简直叫他难受死了。这个可怜的穷小子堂弟，实在罪该万死，罪名有二，一是模样儿长得活象他吉尔伯特，二是投奔莱柯格斯，一头闯入了这个声名显赫的大户人家。吉尔伯特一开始就明白无误地向他表示过自己既不喜欢他，也不想收留他。倘若吉尔伯特自己能作主，那么连一刹那也不会容忍他。
"他连一个铜子儿都没有啊，"后来他怒冲冲地对母亲说。"可他却使出浑身解数，想跻身于这儿上流社会。为了什么呢?
要是这儿上流社会里头的人都跟他交往，那他以后又该怎么办?
当然罗，他不可能象他们那样胡乱花钱，毕竟他没有钱。就算他行，他在这儿的工作也帮不了他大忙，除非有人愿意替他掏钱。
他怎么能做到两不误，一面干自己的工作，一面又跟着这一拨人胡混，我可真不明白。要知道，这帮子年轻人是整天价开了车子到处乱转悠的。"事实上，现在他心中暗自纳闷:
从今以后，上流社会会不会就公开接纳克莱德。要是接纳的话，那又该怎么办才好。万一他就这样被纳入上流社会，那末，他吉尔伯特也好，还是他家里也好，又岂能不给予他青睐呢?
显而易见，他的父亲并不乐意把他打发走……一开头和后来的事实，早就证明了这一点。
格里菲思太太同儿子谈话以后，便把报纸递给了与她同一张早餐桌的丈夫，还把吉尔伯特的意思转告了他。不过，塞缪尔。格里菲思对克莱德仍旧持同情态度，并不同意儿子的看法。相反，据格里菲思太太看来，他好象认为，这段新闻报道所列举的事实，恰好证明他早先对克莱德所作的估价是颇有道理的。
"我不得不这样说，"他仔细听完了太太的意见后开始说，"哪怕是他身无分文，可有时候克莱德在什么宴会上露露面，或是这儿那儿有人邀请他去，依我看，这也并没有什么要不得。老实说，这对他本人也好，对我们也好，都是很有面子的事。至于吉尔对他的态度怎么样，我也很明白。不过，依我看，克莱德好象比吉尔的估计还要高一些。不管怎么说，我对这件事既不会去干涉，也不愿去干涉。既然我要他上这儿来，至少我也得给他一个出人头地的机会。好象他的工作干得还满出色嘛。再说，要是我不这样办，那又会是怎么个样子呢?
"随后，因为吉尔伯特又向母亲说了一些另外的事，父亲便找补着说:
"当然罗，我巴不得他跟一些上等人来往，不要跟那些下等人一块厮混……那是毫无疑问的。他这个人衣冠楚楚，彬彬有礼，根据我在厂里听到的各种反映来看，他的工作也挺不错嘛。其实，应当听了我的话，去年夏天请他到我们湖上别墅去玩儿，哪怕是只有一两天时间。要是在眼下这情况我们不赶紧作出一点儿表示，那末，结果必然是这样:
好象只有我们认为他表现还不够好，可是人家全都觉得他确实够好的了。不妨听听我的忠告，就在圣诞节或是新年里，请他到我们家来，好歹也表示我们对待他的规格决不会比我们的朋友给的还低。"吉尔伯特一听到母亲所转达的父亲这个建议，就高声喊道:
"嘿，让它见鬼去吧!
得了，不过，你们休想我就会向他溜须拍马!
说来也真怪，爸爸既然觉得他挺有能耐，那他干吗不上别处寻摸一个好差使?
"他们这样议论了一番之后，要不是因为贝拉这一天正好从奥尔巴尼回来，跟桑德拉。伯蒂娜通了电话，又碰过头，得到了一些有关克莱德的消息，本来很可能什么结果也没有。贝拉还获悉:
克莱德已接受邀请，伴送她们去谢内克塔迪，参加埃勒斯利府上的除夕舞会。而在他们想到邀请克莱德以前，贝拉早就列为被邀请的客人之一。
这一突如其来的消息，确实意味深长。贝拉把它告知母亲以后，格里菲思夫妇不顾吉尔伯特表示反感，决定在显然迫不得已的情况下，尽量争取主动，索性邀请克莱德到家里来……时间定在圣诞节这一天……是应邀宾客很多的一个盛大的宴会。他们认为，这就一下子昭示天下:
他们并没有象有些人所想象的那样，压根儿不睬克莱德。迟至今日，这是唯一的合情合理的办法了。吉尔伯特听到这件事以后，深知自己吃了败仗，就乖戾地大声嚷道:
"哦，那敢情好!
要是你们乐意请他，要是你跟爸爸认为这么办好……那你们就尽管请吧。而我呢，直至今日，还看不出真正有邀请的必要性。不过，你们爱怎么办就怎么办得了。
反正康斯坦斯和我要去尤蒂卡一整天，我即使乐意来，到时候恐怕也来不了。
"他心中暗自寻思，象桑德拉这么一个他最最不能容忍的姑娘，毅然决然使出了一些花招，迫使他不得不接受自己的堂弟，就是想阻挡一下，他也阻挡不了，真叫他敢怒而不敢言。而克莱德呢，好一个下流坯!
他明明知道自己不受欢迎，却还是那样使劲儿粘附在一起。这个年青的家伙，究竟是个什么货色啊?
克莱德就这样在星期一早上又接到了格里菲思家的来信，这一回是由麦拉出面，请他圣诞节下午两点来家便宴。既然这个时间跟当晚八点钟和罗伯达的约会好象并不发生冲突，他心中真有说不出的高兴。如今，他在上流社会里终于获得了一席之地……说真的，决不是低人一头啦!
尽管现下他还是身无分文，可你们瞧吧，人家照样宴请他……甚至连格里菲思府上也宴请他哩。而对他脉脉含情的桑德拉呢，说真的，从她的举止谈吐来看，仿佛打算跟他谈情说爱似的。而吉尔伯特呢，却由于克莱德邀获莱柯格斯上流社会的青睐而败下阵来。
你们觉得那封信怎么样?
在克莱德看来，那封信证明至少他的亲戚还没有把他忘掉，要不然就是由于最近他在社会上不断取得成功，他们认为非得跟他套近乎不可。克莱德想到这些，正如一个斗士头上了一顶胜利的桂冠，这时，他心里那么美滋滋，好象在同他的亲戚关系方面从来就没有过裂缝似的。
收听单词发音 |
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sip
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admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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sarcastically
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opposition
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judicially
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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snip
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| n.便宜货，廉价货，剪，剪断 | |
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stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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estrange
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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previously
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sedate
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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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outrageous
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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acting
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contestant
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