Rose Red and Snow White（11）

　　XI
　　The rain started falling at a quarter to seven. Nevile watched it from the window of his bedroom. He had no further conversation with Kay. They had avoided each other after tea.
　　Dinner that evening was a stilted¹, difficult meal. Nevile was sunk in abstraction; Kay's face had an unusual amount of make-up for her; Audrey sat like a frozen ghost. Mary Aldin did her best to keep some kind of a conversation going and was slightly annoyed with Thomas Royde for not playing up to her better.
　　Hurstall was nervous and his hands trembled as he handed the vegetables.
　　As the meal drew to a close Neville said with elaborate casualness: "Think I shall go over to Easterhead after dinner and look up Latimer. We might have a game of billiards².""Take the latchkey," said Mary. "In case you're back late.""Thanks, I will."
　　They went into the drawing-room, where coffee was served.
　　The turning on of the wireless³ and the news was a welcome diversion.
　　Kay, who had been yawning ostentatiously ever since dinner, said she would go up to bed. She had a headache, she said.
　　"Have you got any aspirin⁴?" asked Mary. "Yes, thank you."Kay left the room.
　　Nevile turned the wireless on to a programme with music. He sat silent on the sofa for some time. He did not look once at Audrey, but sat huddled⁵ up, looking like an unhappy little boy. Against her will, Mary felt quite sorry for him.
　　"Well," he said at last, rousing himself. "Better be off if I'm going." "Are you taking your car or going by ferry?""Oh, ferry. No sense in going a round of fifteen miles. I shall enjoy a bit of a walk.""It's raining, you know."
　　"I know. I've got a Burberry." He went towards the door.
　　"Good night."
　　In the hall Barrett came to him.
　　"If you please, sir, will you go up to Lady Tressilian? She wants to see you specially⁶."Nevile glanced at the clock. It was already ten o'clock.
　　He shrugged⁷ his shoulders and went upstairs and along the corridor to Lady Tressilian's room and tapped on the door. While he waited for her to say come in, he heard the voices of the others in the hall down below. Everybody was going to bed early to-night, it seemed.
　　"Come in," said Lady Tressilian's clear voice. Nevile went in, shutting the door behind him.
　　Lady Tressilian was all ready for the night. All the lights were extinguished except one reading-lamp by her bed. She had been reading, but she now laid down the book. She looked at Nevile over the top of her spectacles. It was, somehow, a formidable glance.
　　"I want to speak to you, Nevile," she said. In spite of himself, Nevile smiled faintly. "Yes, Headmaster," he said. Lady Tressilian did not smile.
　　"There are certain things, Nevile, that I will not permit in my house. I have no wish to listen to anybody's private conversations, but if you and your wife insist on shouting at each other exactly under my bedroom windows, I can hardly fail to hear what you say. I gather that you were outlining a plan whereby Kay was to divorce you and in due course you would remarry Audrey. That, Nevile, is a thing you simply cannot do and I will not hear of it for a moment."Nevile seemed to be making an effort to control his temper.
　　"I apologise for the scene," he said shortly. "As for the rest of what you say, surely that is my business!""No, it is not. You have used my house in order to get into touch with Audrey - or else Audrey has used it -""She has done nothing of the sort. She -"Lady Tressilian stopped him with upraised hand.
　　"Anyway, you can't do this thing, Nevile. Kay is your wife. She has certain rights of which you cannot deprive her. In this matter I am entirely⁸ on Kay's side. You have made your bed and must lie upon it. Your duty now is to Kay and I'm telling you so plainly -"Nevile took a step forward. His voice rose: "This is nothing whatever to do with you -""What is more," Lady Tressilian swept on, regardless of his protest, "Audrey leaves this house to-morrow -""You can't do that! I won't stand for it -""Don't shout at me, Nevile."
　　"I tell you I won't have it -"
　　Somewhere along the passage a door shut ...

1 stilted   

adj.虚饰的；夸张的

参考例句：

• All too soon the stilted conversation ran out.很快这种做作的交谈就结束了。
• His delivery was stilted and occasionally stumbling.他的发言很生硬，有时还打结巴。

2 billiards   

n.台球

参考例句：

• John used to divert himself with billiards.约翰过去总打台球自娱。
• Billiards isn't popular in here.这里不流行台球。

3 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

4 aspirin   

n.阿司匹林

参考例句：

• The aspirin seems to quiet the headache.阿司匹林似乎使头痛减轻了。
• She went into a chemist's and bought some aspirin.她进了一家药店，买了些阿司匹林。

5 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

6 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

7 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。