english stories-london-第2章

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interest　in　her　（indeed；　it　had　never　struck　me　that　waiters　had

private　affairs；　and　I　still　think　it　a　pity　that　they　should　have）；

but　as　I　happened　to　be　looking　out　at　the　window　I　could　not　avoid

seeing　what　occurred。　As　soon　as　the　girl　saw　William　she　ran　into　the

street；　regardless　of　vehicles；　and　nodded　three　times　to　him。　Then

she　disappeared。



I　have　said　that　she　was　quite　a　common　child；　without　attraction　of

any　sort；　and　yet　it　was　amazing　the　difference　she　made　in　William。

He　gasped　relief；　like　one　who　had　broken　through　the　anxiety　that

checks　breathing；　and　into　his　face　there　came　a　silly　laugh　of

happiness。　I　had　dined　well；　on　the　whole；　so　I　said：



〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　cheerful　again；　William。〃



I　meant　that　I　approved　his　cheerfulness　because　it　helped　my

digestion；　but　he　must　needs　think　I　was　sympathising　with　him。



〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　he　answered。　〃Oh；　sir！　when　she　nodded　and　I　saw　it

was　all　right　I　could　have　gone　down　on　my　knees　to　God。〃



I　was　as　much　horrified　as　if　he　had　dropped　a　plate　on　my　toes。　Even

William；　disgracefully　emotional　as　he　was　at　the　moment；　flung　out

his　arms　to　recall　the　shameful　words。



〃Coffee；　William！〃　I　said；　sharply。



I　sipped　my　coffee　indignantly；　for　it　was　plain　to　me　that　William

had　something　on　his　mind。



〃You　are　not　vexed　with　me；　sir？〃　he　had　the　hardihood　to　whisper。



〃It　was　a　liberty；〃　I　said。



〃I　know；　sir；　but　I　was　beside　myself。〃



〃That　was　a　liberty　also。〃



He　hesitated；　and　then　blurted　out：



〃It　is　my　wife；　sir。　She〃



I　stopped　him　with　my　hand。　William；　whom　I　had　favoured　in　so　many

ways；　was　a　married　man！　I　might　have　guessed　as　much　years　before　had

I　ever　reflected　about　waiters；　for　I　knew　vaguely　that　his　class　did

this　sort　of　thing。　His　confession　was　distasteful　to　me；　and　I　said

warningly：



〃Remember　where　you　are；　William。〃



〃Yes；　sir；　but　you　see；　she　is　so　delicate〃



〃Delicate！　I　forbid　your　speaking　to　me　on　unpleasant　topics。〃



〃Yes；　sir；　begging　your　pardon。〃



It　was　characteristic　of　William　to　beg　my　pardon　and　withdraw　his

wife；　like　some　unsuccessful　dish；　as　if　its　taste　would　not　remain　in

the　mouth。　I　shall　be　chided　for　questioning　him　further　about　his

wife；　but；　though　doubtless　an　unusual　step；　it　was　only　bad　form

superficially；　for　my　motive　was　irreproachable。　I　inquired　for　his

wife；　not　because　I　was　interested　in　her　welfare；　but　in　the　hope　of

allaying　my　irritation。　So　I　am　entitled　to　invite　the　wayfarer　who

has　bespattered　me　with　mud　to　scrape　it　off。



I　desired　to　be　told　by　William　that　the　girl's　signals　meant　his

wife's　recovery　to　health。　He　should　have　seen　that　such　was　my　wish

and　answered　accordingly。　But；　with　the　brutal　inconsiderateness　of

his　class；　he　said：



〃She　has　had　a　good　day；　but　the　doctor；　hethe　doctor　is　afeard　she

is　dying。〃



Already　I　repented　my　questions。　William　and　his　wife　seemed　in　league

against　me；　when　they　might　so　easily　have　chosen　some　other　member。



〃Pooh！　the　doctor；〃　I　said。



〃Yes；　sir；〃　he　answered。



〃Have　you　been　married　long；　William？〃



〃Eight　years；　sir。　Eight　years　ago　she　wasII　mind　her　when　。　。　。

and　now　the　doctor　says〃



The　fellow　gaped　at　me。　〃More　coffee；　sir？〃　he　asked。



〃What　is　her　ailment？〃



〃She　was　always　one　of　the　delicate　kind；　but　full　of　spirit；　andand

you　see；　she　has　had　a　baby　lately〃



〃William！〃



〃And　sheIthe　doctor　is　afeard　she's　not　picking　up。〃



〃I　feel　sure　she　will　pick　up。〃



〃Yes；　sir？〃



It　must　have　been　the　wine　I　had　drunk　that　made　me　tell　him：



〃I　was　once　married；　William。　My　wifeit　was　just　such　a　case　as

yours。〃



〃She　did　not　get　better　sir？〃



〃No。〃



After　a　pause　he　said；　〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　meaning　for　the　sympathy　that

made　me　tell　him　that。　But　it　must　have　been　the　wine。



〃That　little　girl　comes　here　with　a　message　from　your　wife？〃



〃Yes；　if　she　nods　three　times　it　means　my　wife　is　a　little　better。〃



〃She　nodded　thrice　to…day。〃



〃But　she　is　told　to　do　that　to　relieve　me；　and　maybe　those　nods　don't

tell　the　truth。〃



〃Is　she　your　girl？〃



〃No；　we　have　none　but　the　baby。　She　is　a　neighbour's；　she　comes　twice

a　day。〃



〃It　is　heartless　of　her　parents　not　to　send　her　every　hour。〃



〃But　she　is　six　years　old；〃　he　said；　〃and　has　a　house　and　two　sisters

to　look　after　in　the　daytime；　and　a　dinner　to　cook。　Gentlefolk　don't

understand。〃



〃I　suppose　you　live　in　some　low　part；　William。〃



〃Off　Drury　Lane；〃　he　answered；　flushing；　〃butbut　it　isn't　low。　You

see；　we　were　never　used　to　anything　better；　and　I　mind　when　I　let　her

see　the　house　before　we　were　married；　sheshe　a　sort　of　cried　because

she　was　so　proud　of　it。　That　was　eight　years　ago；　and　nowshe's

afeard　she'll　die　when　I'm　away　at　my　work。〃



〃Did　she　tell　you　that？〃



〃Never；　she　always　says　she　is　feeling　a　little　stronger。〃



〃Then　how　can　you　know　she　is　afraid　of　that？〃



〃I　don't　know　how　I　know；　sir；　but　when　I　am　leaving　the　house　in　the

morning　I　look　at　her　from　the　door；　and　she　looks　at　me；　and　then　I

I　know。〃



〃A　green　chartreuse；　William！〃







I　tried　to　forget　William's　vulgar　story　in　billiards；　but　he　had

spoiled　my　game。　My　opponent；　to　whom　I　can　give　twenty；　ran　out　when

I　was　sixty…seven；　and　I　put　aside　my　cue　pettishly。　That　in　itself

was　bad　form；　but　what　would　they　have　thought　had　they　known　that　a

waiter's　impertinence　caused　it！　I　grew　angrier　with　William　as　the

night　wore　on；　and　next　day　I　punished　him　by　giving　my　orders　through

another　waiter。



As　I　had　my　window…seat；　I　could　not　but　see　that　the　girl　was　late

again。　Somehow　I　dawdled　over　my　coffee。　I　had　an　evening　paper　before

me；　but　there　was　so　little　in　it　that　my　eyes　found　more　of　interest

in　the　street。　It　did　not　matter　to　me　whether　William's　wife　died；

but　when　that　girl　had　promised　to　come；　why　did　she　not　come？　These

lower　classes　only　give　their　word　to　break　it。　The　coffee　was

undrinkable。



At　last　I　saw　her。　William　was　at　another　window；　pretending　to　do

something　with　the　curtains。　I　stood　up；　pressing　closer　to　the

window。　The　coffee　had　been　so　bad　that　I　felt　shaky。　She　nodded　three

times；　and　smiled。



〃She　is　a　little　better；〃　William　whispered　to　me；　almost　gaily。



〃Whom　are　you　speaking　of？〃　I　asked；　coldly；　and　immediately　retired

to　the　billiard…room；　where　I　played　a　capital　game。　The　coffee　was

much　better　there　than　in　the　dining…room。



Several　days　passed；　and　I　took　care　to　show　William　that　I　had

forgotten　his　maunderings。　I　chanced　to　see　the　little　girl　（though　I

never　looked　for　her）　every　evening；　and　she　always　nodded　three

times；　save　once；　when　she　shook　her　head；　and　then　William's　face

grew　white　as　a　napkin。　I　remember　this　incident　because　that　night　I

could　not　get　into　a　pocket。　So　badly　did　I　play　that　the　thought　of

it　kept　me　awake　in　bed；　and　that；　again；　made　me　wonder　how　William's

wife　was。　Next　day　I　went　to　the　club　early　（which　was　not　my　custom）

to　see　the　new　books。　Being　in　the　club　at　any　rate；　I　looked　into　the

dining…room　to　ask　William　if　I　had　left　my　gloves　there；　and　the

sight　of　him　reminded　me　of　his　wife；　so　I　asked　for　her。　He　shook　his

head　mournfully；　and　I　went　off　in　a　rage。



So　accustomed　am　I　to　the　club　that　when　I　dine　elsewhere　I　feel

uncomfortable　next　morning；　as　if　I　had　missed　a　dinner。　William　knew

this；　yet　here　he　was；　hounding　me　out　of　the　club！　That　evening　I

dined　（as　the　saying　is）　at　a　restaurant；　where　no　sauce　was　served

with　the　asparagus。　Furthermore；　as　if　that　were　not　triumph　enough

for　William；　his　doleful　face　came　between　me　and　every　dish；　and　I

seemed　to　see　his　wife　dying　to　annoy　me。



I　dined　next　day　at　the　club　for　self…preservation；　taking；　however；　a

table　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　and　engaging　a