“Oh, damn!” says the man.

 

“Hush!” says the woman.  “Shut the door, Susan.  How often am I to tell you never to leave the door open?”

 

The man creeps upstairs on tiptoe and shuts himself in his study.  The woman does things before a looking-glass, waits till she feels she is sufficiently² mistress of herself not to show her feelings, and then enters the drawing-room with outstretched hands and the look of one welcoming an angel’s visit.  She says how delighted she is to see the Bores—how good it was of them to come.  Why did they not bring more Bores with them?  Where is naughty Bore junior?  Why does he never come to see her now?  She will have to be really angry with him.  And sweet little Flossie Bore?  Too young to pay calls!  Nonsense.  An “At Home” day is not worth having where all the Bores are not.

 

The Bores, who had hoped that she was out—who have only called because the etiquette³ book told them that they must call at least four times in the season, explain how they have been trying and trying to come.

 

“This afternoon,” recounts Mrs. Bore, “we were determined⁴ to come.  ‘John, dear,’ I said this morning, ‘I shall go and see dear Mrs. Bounder this afternoon, no matter what happens.’”

 

The idea conveyed is that the Prince of Wales, on calling at the Bores, was told that he could not come in.  He might call again in the evening or come some other day.

 

That afternoon the Bores were going to enjoy themselves in their own way; they were going to see Mrs. Bounder.

 

“And how is Mr. Bounder?” demands Mrs. Bore.

 

Mrs. Bounder remains⁵ mute for a moment, straining her ears.  She can hear him creeping past the door on his way downstairs.  She hears the front door softly opened and closed-to.  She wakes, as from a dream.  She has been thinking of the sorrow that will fall on Bounder when he returns home later and learns what he has missed.

分享到：