Towards dusk a stout1 old lady, with grey hair, and a dowdy2 bonnet3, and an expensive mantle4, passed limping, very slowly, along Wedgwood Street and up the Cock Yard towards the Town Hall. Her wrinkled face had an anxious look, but it was also very determined5. The busy, joyous6 Federationists and Anti- Federationists who knew her not saw merely a stout old lady fussing forth10, and those who knew her saw merely Mrs. Povey and greeted her perfunctorily, a woman of her age and gait being rather out of place in that feverish11 altercation12 of opposed principles. But it was more than a stout old lady, it was more than Mrs. Povey. that waddled13 with such painful deliberation through the streets--it was a miracle.
In the morning Constance had been partially14 incapacitated by her sciatica; so much so, at any rate, that she had perceived the advisability of remaining on the bedroom floor instead of descending15 to the parlour. Therefore Mary had lighted the drawing- room fire, and Constance had ensconced herself by it, with Fossette in a basket. Lily Holl had called early, and had been very sympathetic, but rather vague. The truth was that she was concealing16 the imminent17 balloon ascent18 which Dick Povey, with his instinct for the picturesque19, had somehow arranged, in conjunction with a well-known Manchester aeronaut, for the very day of the poll. That was one of various matters that had to be 'kept from' the old lady. Lily herself was much perturbed20 about the balloon ascent. She had to run off and see Dick before he started, at the Football Ground at Bleakridge, and then she had to live through the hours till she should receive a telegram to the effect that Dick had come down safely or that Dick had broken his leg in coming down, or that Dick was dead. It was a trying time for Lily. She had left Constance after a brief visit, with a preoccupied21 unusual air, saying that as the day was a special day, she should come in again 'if she could.' And she did not forget to assure Constance that Federation8 would beyond any question whatever be handsomely beaten at the poll; for this was another matter as to which it was deemed advisable to keep the old lady 'in the dark,' lest the foolish old lady should worry and commit indiscretions.
After that Constance had been forgotten by the world of Bursley, which could pay small heed22 to sciatical old ladies confined to sofas and firesides. She was in acute pain, as Mary could see when at intervals23 she hovered24 round her. Assuredly it was one of Constance's bad days, one of those days on which she felt that the tide of life had left her stranded25 in utter neglect. The sound of the Bursley Town Silver Prize Band aroused her from her mournful trance of suffering. Then the high treble of children's voices startled her. She defied her sciatica, and, grimacing26, went to the window. And at the first glimpse she could see that the Federation Poll was going to be a much more exciting affair than she had imagined. The great cards swinging from the wagonettes showed her that Federation was at all events still sufficiently27 alive to make a formidable impression on the eye and the ear. The Square was transformed by this clamour in favour of Federation; people cheered, and sang also, as the procession wound down the Square. And she could distinctly catch the tramping, martial28 syllables29, "Vote, vote, vote." She was indignant. The pother, once begun, continued. Vehicles flashed frequently across the Square, most of them in the crimson30 livery. Little knots and processions of excited wayfarers31 were a recurring32 feature of the unaccustomed traffic, and the large majority of them flaunted33 the colours of Federation. Mary, after some errands of shopping, came upstairs and reported that 'it was simply "Federation" everywhere,' and that Mr. Brindley, a strong Federationist7, was 'above a bit above himself'; further, that the interest in the poll was tremendous and universal. She said there were 'crowds and crowds' round the Town Hall. Even Mary, generally a little placid34 and dull, had caught something of the contagious35 vivacity36.
Constance remained at the window till dinner, and after dinner she went to it again. It was fortunate that she did not think of looking up into the sky when Dick's balloon sailed westwards; she would have guessed instantly that Dick was in that balloon, and her grievances38 would have been multiplied. The vast grievance37 of the Federation scheme weighed on her to the extremity39 of her power to bear. She was not a politician; she had no general ideas; she did not see the cosmic movement in large curves. She was incapable40 of perceiving the absurdity41 involved in perpetuating42 municipal divisions which the growth of the district had rendered artificial, vexatious, and harmful. She saw nothing but Bursley, and in Bursley nothing but the Square. She knew nothing except that the people of Bursley, who once shopped in Bursley, now shopped in Hanbridge, and that the Square was a desert infested43 by cheap-jacks. And there were actually people who wished to bow the neck to Hanbridge, who were ready to sacrifice the very name of Bursley to the greedy humour of that pushing Chicago! She could not understand such people. Did they know that poor Maria Critchlow was in a lunatic asylum44 because Hanbridge was so grasping? Ah, poor Maria was al-ready forgotten! Did they know that, as a further indirect consequence, she, the daughter of Bursley's chief tradesman, was to be thrown out of the house in which she was born? She wished, bitterly, as she stood there at the window, watching the triumph of Federation, that she had bought the house and shop at the Mericarp sale years ago. She would have shown them, as owner, what was what! She forgot that the property which she already owned in Bursley was a continual annoyance45 to her, and that she was always resolving to sell it at no matter what loss.
She said to herself that she had a vote, and that if she had been 'at all fit to stir out' she would certainly have voted. She said to herself that it had been her duty to vote. And then by an illusion of her wrought46 nerves, tightened47 minute by minute throughout the day, she began to fancy that her sciatica was easier. She said: "If only I could go out!" She might have a cab, of any of the parading vehicles would be glad to take her to the Town Hall, and, perhaps, as a favour, to bring her back again. But no! She dared not go out. She was afraid, really afraid that even the mild Mary might stop her. Otherwise, she could have sent Mary for a cab. And supposing that Lily returned, and caught her going out or coming in! She ought not to go out. Yet her sciatica was strangely better. It was folly48 to think of going out. Yet ...! And Lily did not come. She was rather hurt that Lily had not paid her a second visit. Lily was neglecting her. ... She would go out. It was not four minutes' walk for her to the Town Hall, and she was better. And there had been no shower for a long time, and the wind was drying the mud in the roadways. Yes, she would go.
Like a thief she passed into her bedroom and put on her things; and like a thief she crept downstairs, and so, without a word to Mary, into the street. It was a desperate adventure. As soon as she was in the street she felt all her weakness, all the fatigue49 which the effort had already cost her. The pain returned. The streets were still wet and foul50, the wind cold, and the sky menacing. She ought to go back. She ought to admit that she had been a fool to dream of the enterprise. The Town Hall seemed to be miles off, at the top of a mountain. She went forward, however, steeled to do her share in the killing51 of Federation. Every step caused her a gnashing of her old teeth. She chose the Cock Yard route, because if she had gone up the Square she would have had to pass Holl's shop, and Lily might have spied her.
This was the miracle that breezy politicians witnessed without being aware that it was a miracle. To have impressed them, Constance ought to have fainted before recording52 her vote, and made herself the centre of a crowd of gapers. But she managed, somehow, to reach home again on her own tortured feet, and an astounded53 and protesting Mary opened the door to her. Rain was descending. She was frightened, then, by the hardihood of her adventure, and by its atrocious results on her body. An appalling54 exhaustion55 rendered her helpless. But the deed was done.
2 dowdy | |
adj.不整洁的;过旧的 | |
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3 bonnet | |
n.无边女帽;童帽 | |
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4 mantle | |
n.斗篷,覆罩之物,罩子;v.罩住,覆盖,脸红 | |
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5 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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6 joyous | |
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的 | |
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7 federationist | |
n.联邦主义者,联盟主义者 | |
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8 federation | |
n.同盟,联邦,联合,联盟,联合会 | |
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9 anti- | |
pref.[前缀]表示反抗,排斥 | |
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10 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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11 feverish | |
adj.发烧的,狂热的,兴奋的 | |
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12 altercation | |
n.争吵,争论 | |
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13 waddled | |
v.(像鸭子一样)摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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14 partially | |
adv.部分地,从某些方面讲 | |
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15 descending | |
n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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16 concealing | |
v.隐藏,隐瞒,遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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17 imminent | |
adj.即将发生的,临近的,逼近的 | |
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18 ascent | |
n.(声望或地位)提高;上升,升高;登高 | |
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19 picturesque | |
adj.美丽如画的,(语言)生动的,绘声绘色的 | |
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20 perturbed | |
adj.烦燥不安的v.使(某人)烦恼,不安( perturb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21 preoccupied | |
adj.全神贯注的,入神的;被抢先占有的;心事重重的v.占据(某人)思想,使对…全神贯注,使专心于( preoccupy的过去式) | |
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22 heed | |
v.注意,留意;n.注意,留心 | |
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23 intervals | |
n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 );间隔时间;[数学]区间;(戏剧、电影或音乐会的)幕间休息 | |
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24 hovered | |
鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 ); 靠近(某事物); (人)徘徊; 犹豫 | |
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25 stranded | |
a.搁浅的,进退两难的 | |
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26 grimacing | |
v.扮鬼相,做鬼脸( grimace的现在分词 ) | |
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27 sufficiently | |
adv.足够地,充分地 | |
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28 martial | |
adj.战争的,军事的,尚武的,威武的 | |
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29 syllables | |
n.音节( syllable的名词复数 ) | |
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30 crimson | |
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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31 wayfarers | |
n.旅人,(尤指)徒步旅行者( wayfarer的名词复数 ) | |
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32 recurring | |
adj.往复的,再次发生的 | |
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33 flaunted | |
v.炫耀,夸耀( flaunt的过去式和过去分词 );有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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34 placid | |
adj.安静的,平和的 | |
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35 contagious | |
adj.传染性的,有感染力的 | |
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36 vivacity | |
n.快活,活泼,精神充沛 | |
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37 grievance | |
n.怨愤,气恼,委屈 | |
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38 grievances | |
n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 );苦衷;不满;牢骚 | |
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39 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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40 incapable | |
adj.无能力的,不能做某事的 | |
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41 absurdity | |
n.荒谬,愚蠢;谬论 | |
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42 perpetuating | |
perpetuate的现在进行式 | |
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43 infested | |
adj.为患的,大批滋生的(常与with搭配)v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 );遍布于 | |
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44 asylum | |
n.避难所,庇护所,避难 | |
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45 annoyance | |
n.恼怒,生气,烦恼 | |
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46 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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47 tightened | |
收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)变紧; (使)绷紧; 加紧 | |
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48 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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49 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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50 foul | |
adj.污秽的;邪恶的;v.弄脏;妨害;犯规;n.犯规 | |
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51 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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52 recording | |
n.录音,记录 | |
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53 astounded | |
v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词);愕然;愕;惊讶 | |
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54 appalling | |
adj.骇人听闻的,令人震惊的,可怕的 | |
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55 exhaustion | |
n.耗尽枯竭,疲惫,筋疲力尽,竭尽,详尽无遗的论述 | |
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