On the day of Mr. Scales's visit to the shop to obtain orders and money on behalf of Birkinshaws, a singular success seemed to attend the machinations of Mrs. Baines. With Mr. Scales punctuality was not an inveterate1 habit, and he had rarely been known, in the past, to fulfil exactly the prophecy of the letter of advice concerning his arrival. But that morning his promptitude was unexampled. He entered the shop, and by chance Mr. Povey was arranging unshrinkable flannels2 in the doorway3. The two youngish little men talked amiably4 about flannels, dogs, and quarter-day (which was just past), and then Mr. Povey led Mr. Scales to his desk in the dark corner behind the high pile of twills, and paid the quarterly bill, in notes and gold--as always; and then Mr. Scales offered for the august inspection5 of Mr. Povey all that Manchester had recently invented for the temptation of drapers, and Mr. Povey gave him an order which, if not reckless, was nearer 'handsome' than 'good.' During the process Mr. Scales had to go out of the shop twice or three times in order to bring in from his barrow at the kerb-stone certain small black boxes edged with brass6. On none of these excursions did Mr. Scales glance wantonly about him in satisfaction of the lust7 of the eye. Even if he had permitted himself this freedom he would have seen nothing more interesting than three young lady assistants seated round the stove and sewing with pricked8 fingers from which the chilblains were at last deciding to depart. When Mr. Scales had finished writing down the details of the order with his ivory-handled stylo, and repacked his boxes, he drew the interview to a conclusion after the manner of a capable commercial traveller; that is to say, he implanted in Mr. Povey his opinion that Mr. Povey was a wise, a shrewd and an upright man, and that the world would be all the better for a few more like him. He inquired for Mrs. Baines, and was deeply pained to hear of her indisposition while finding consolation9 in the assurance that the Misses Baines were well. Mr. Povey was on the point of accompanying the pattern of commercial travellers to the door, when two customers simultaneously10 came in--ladies. One made straight for Mr. Povey, whereupon Mr. Scales parted from him at once, it being a universal maxim11 in shops that even the most distinguished12 commercial shall not hinder the business of even the least distinguished customer. The other customer had the effect of causing Constance to pop up from her cloistral13 corner. Constance had been there all the time, but of course, though she heard the remembered voice, her maidenliness had not permitted that she should show herself to Mr. Scales.
Now, as he was leaving, Mr. Scales saw her, with her agreeable snub nose and her kind, simple eyes. She was requesting the second customer to mount to the showroom, where was Miss Sophia. Mr. Scales hesitated a moment, and in that moment Constance, catching14 his eye, smiled upon him, and nodded. What else could she do? Vaguely15 aware though she was that her mother was not 'set up' with Mr. Scales, and even feared the possible influence of the young man on Sophia, she could not exclude him from her general benevolence16 towards the universe. Moreover, she liked him; she liked him very much and thought him a very fine specimen17 of a man.
He left the door and went across to her. They shook hands and opened a conversation instantly; for Constance, while retaining all her modesty18, had lost all her shyness in the shop, and could chatter19 with anybody. She sidled towards her corner, precisely20 as Sophia had done on another occasion, and Mr. Scales put his chin over the screening boxes, and eagerly prosecuted21 the conversation.
There was absolutely nothing in the fact of the interview itself to cause alarm to a mother, nothing to render futile22 the precautions of Mrs. Baines on behalf of the flower of Sophia's innocence23. And yet it held danger for Mrs. Baines, all unconscious in her parlour. Mrs. Baines could rely utterly24 on Constance not to be led away by the dandiacal charms of Mr. Scales (she knew in what quarter sat the wind for Constance); in her plan she had forgotten nothing, except Mr. Povey; and it must be said that she could not possibly have foreseen the effect on the situation of Mr. Povey's character.
Mr. Povey, attending to his customer, had noticed the bright smile of Constance on the traveller, and his heart did not like it. And when he saw the lively gestures of a Mr. Scales in apparently25 intimate talk with a Constance hidden behind boxes, his uneasiness grew into fury. He was a man capable of black and terrible furies. Outwardly insignificant26, possessing a mind as little as his body, easily abashed27, he was none the less a very susceptible28 young man, soon offended, proud, vain, and obscurely passionate29. You might offend Mr. Povey without guessing it, and only discover your sin when Mr. Povey had done something too decisive as a result of it.
The reason of his fury was jealousy30. Mr. Povey had made great advances since the death of John Baines. He had consolidated31 his position, and he was in every way a personage of the first importance. His misfortune was that he could never translate his importance, or his sense of his importance, into terms of outward demeanour. Most people, had they been told that Mr. Povey was seriously aspiring32 to enter the Baines family, would have laughed. But they would have been wrong. To laugh at Mr. Povey was invariably wrong. Only Constance knew what inroads he had effected upon her.
The customer went, but Mr. Scales did not go. Mr. Povey, free to reconnoitre, did so. From the shadow of the till he could catch glimpses of Constance's blushing, vivacious33 face. She was obviously absorbed in Mr. Scales. She and he had a tremendous air of intimacy34. And the murmur35 of their chatter continued. Their chatter was nothing, and about nothing, but Mr. Povey imagined that they were exchanging eternal vows36. He endured Mr. Scales's odious37 freedom until it became insufferable, until it deprived him of all his self-control; and then he retired38 into his cutting-out room. He meditated39 there in a condition of insanity40 for perhaps a minute, and excogitated a device. Dashing back into the shop, he spoke41 up, half across the shop, in a loud, curt42 tone:
"Miss Baines, your mother wants you at once."
He was launched on the phrase before he noticed that, during his absence, Sophia had descended43 from the showroom and joined her sister and Mr. Scales. The danger and scandal were now less, he perceived, but he was glad he had summoned Constance away, and he was in a state to despise consequences.
The three chatterers, startled, looked at Mr. Povey, who left the shop abruptly44. Constance could do nothing but obey the call.
She met him at the door of the cutting-out room in the passage leading to the parlour.
"Where is mother? In the parlour?" Constance inquired innocently.
There was a dark flush on Mr. Povey's face. "If you wish to know," said he in a hard voice, "she hasn't asked for you and she doesn't want you."
He turned his back on her, and retreated into his lair45.
"Then what--?" she began, puzzled.
He fronted her. "Haven't you been gabbling long enough with that jackanapes?" he spit at her. There were tears in his eyes.
Constance, though without experience in these matters, comprehended. She comprehended perfectly46 and immediately. She ought to have put Mr. Povey into his place. She ought to have protested with firm, dignified47 finality against such a ridiculous and monstrous48 outrage49 as that which Mr. Povey had committed. Mr. Povey ought to have been ruined for ever in her esteem50 and in her heart. But she hesitated.
"And only last Sunday--afternoon," Mr. Povey blubbered.
(Not that anything overt51 had occurred, or been articulately said, between them last Sunday afternoon. But they had been alone together, and had each witnessed strange and disturbing matters in the eyes of the other.)
Tears now fell suddenly from Constance's eyes. "You ought to be ashamed--" she stammered52.
Still, the tears were in her eyes, and in his too. What he or she merely said, therefore, was of secondary importance.
Mrs. Baines, coming from the kitchen, and hearing Constance's voice, burst upon the scene, which silenced her. Parents are sometimes silenced. She found Sophia and Mr. Scales in the shop.
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1
inveterate
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| adj.积习已深的，根深蒂固的 | |
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flannels
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| 法兰绒男裤； 法兰绒( flannel的名词复数 ) | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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lust
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| n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望 | |
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pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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consolation
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| n.安慰，慰问 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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maxim
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| n.格言，箴言 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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cloistral
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| adj.修道院的，隐居的，孤独的 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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prosecuted
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| a.被起诉的 | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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susceptible
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| adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的 | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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consolidated
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| a.联合的 | |
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aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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vivacious
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| adj.活泼的，快活的 | |
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34
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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vows
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| 誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿 | |
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odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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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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insanity
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| n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐 | |
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41
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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42
curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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43
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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44
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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46
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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47
dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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48
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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49
outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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50
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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51
overt
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| adj.公开的，明显的，公然的 | |
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52
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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