english stories-london-第3章

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table　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　and　engaging　a　waiter　who　had　once

nearly　poisoned　me　by　not　interfering　when　I　put　two　lumps　of　sugar

into　my　coffee　instead　of　one；　which　is　my　allowance。　But　no　William

came　to　me　to　acknowledge　his　humiliation；　and　by…and…by　I　became

aware　that　he　was　not　in　the　room。　Suddenly　the　thought　struck　me　that

his　wife　must　be　dead；　and　I　It　was　the　worst　cooked　and　the　worst

served　dinner　I　ever　had　in　the　club。



I　tried　the　smoking…room。　Usually　the　talk　there　is　entertaining；　but

on　that　occasion　it　was　so　frivolous　that　I　did　not　remain　five

minutes。　In　the　card…room　a　member　told　me　excitedly　that　a　policeman

had　spoken　rudely　to　him；　and　my　strange　comment　was：



〃After　all；　it　is　a　small　matter。〃



In　the　library；　where　I　had　not　been　for　years；　I　found　two　members

asleep；　and；　to　my　surprise；　William　on　a　ladder　dusting　books。



〃You　have　not　heard；　sir？〃　he　said；　in　answer　to　my　raised　eyebrows。

Descending　the　ladder；　he　whispered　tragically：　〃It　was　last　evening；

sir。　II　lost　my　head；　and　Iswore　at　a　member。〃



I　stepped　back　from　William；　and　glanced　apprehensively　at　the　two

members。　They　still　slept。



〃I　hardly　knew；〃　William　went　on；　〃what　I　was　doing　all　day　yesterday；

for　I　had　left　my　wife　so　weakly　that〃



I　stamped　my　foot。



〃I　beg　your　pardon　for　speaking　of　her；〃　he　had　the　grace　to　say；　〃but

I　couldn't　help　slipping　up　to　the　window　often　yesterday　to　look　for

Jenny；　and　when　she　did　come；　and　I　saw　she　was　crying；　itit　sort　of

confused　me；　and　I　didn't　know　right；　sir；　what　I　was　doing。　I　hit

against　a　member；　Mr。　Myddleton　Finch；　and　hehe　jumped　and　swore　at

me。　Well；　sir；　I　had　just　touched　him　after　all；　and　I　was　so

miserable；　it　a　kind　of　stung　me　to　be　treated　likelike　that；　and　me

a　man　as　well　as　him；　and　I　lost　my　senses；　andand　I　swore　back。〃



William's　shamed　head　sank　on　his　chest；　but　I　even　let　pass　his

insolence　in　likening　himself　to　a　member　of　the　club；　so　afraid　was　I

of　the　sleepers　waking　and　detecting　me　in　talk　with　a　waiter。



〃For　the　love　of　God；〃　William　cried；　with　coarse　emotion；　〃don't　let

them　dismiss　me！〃



〃Speak　lower！〃　I　said。　〃Who　sent　you　here？〃



〃I　was　turned　out　of　the　dining…room　at　once；　and　told　to　attend　to

the　library　until　they　had　decided　what　to　do　with　me。　Oh；　sir；　I'll

lose　my　place！〃



He　was　blubbering；　as　if　a　change　of　waiters；　was　a　matter　of

importance。



〃This　is　very　bad；　William；〃　I　said。　〃I　fear　I　can　do　nothing　for

you。〃



〃Have　mercy　on　a　distracted　man！〃　he　entreated。　〃I'll　go　on　my　knees

to　Mr。　Myddleton　Finch。〃



How　could　I　but　despise　a　fellow　who　would　be　thus　abject　for　a　pound

a　week？



〃I　dare　not　tell　her；〃　he　continued；　〃that　I　have　lost　my　place。　She

would　just　fall　back　and　die。〃



〃I　forbade　your　speaking　of　your　wife；〃　I　said；　sharply；　〃unless　you

can　speak　pleasantly　of　her。〃



〃But　she　may　be　worse　now；　sir；　and　I　cannot　even　see　Jenny　from　here。

The　library　windows　look　to　the　back。〃



〃If　she　dies；〃　I　said；　〃it　will　be　a　warning　to　you　to　marry　a

stronger　woman　next　time。〃



Now　every　one　knows　that　there　is　little　real　affection　among　the

lower　orders。　As　soon　as　they　have　lost　one　mate　they　take　another。

Yet　William；　forgetting　our　relative　positions；　drew　himself　up　and

raised　his　fist；　and　if　I　had　not　stepped　back　I　swear　he　would　have

struck　me。



The　highly　improper　words　William　used　I　will　omit；　out　of

consideration　for　him。　Even　while　he　was　apologising　for　them　I

retired　to　the　smoking…room；　where　I　found　the　cigarettes　so　badly

rolled　that　they　would　not　keep　alight。　After　a　little　I　remembered

that　I　wanted　to　see　Myddleton　Finch　about　an　improved　saddle　of　which

a　friend　of　his　has　the　patent。　He　was　in　the　newsroom；　and；　having

questioned　him　about　the　saddle；　I　said：



〃By　the　way；　what　is　this　story　about　your　swearing　at　one　of　the

waiters？〃



〃You　mean　about　his　swearing　at　me；〃　Myddleton　Finch　replied；

reddening。



〃I　am　glad　that　was　it；〃　I　said；　〃for　I　could　not　believe　you　guilty

of　such　bad　form。〃



〃If　I　did　swear〃　he　was　beginning；　but　I　went　on：



〃The　version　which　has　reached　me　was　that　you　swore　at　him；　and　he

repeated　the　word。　I　heard　he　was　to　be　dismissed　and　you

reprimanded。〃



〃Who　told　you　that？〃　asked　Myddleton　Finch；　who　is　a　timid　man。



〃I　forget；　it　is　club　talk；〃　I　replied；　lightly。　〃But　of　course　the

committee　will　take　your　word。　The　waiter；　whichever　one　he　is；　richly

deserves　his　dismissal　for　insulting　you　without　provocation。〃



Then　our　talk　returned　to　the　saddle；　but　Myddleton　Finch　was

abstracted；　and　presently　he　said：



〃Do　you　know；　I　fancy　I　was　wrong　in　thinking　that　the　waiter　swore　at

me；　and　I'll　withdraw　my　charge　to…morrow。〃



Myddleton　Finch　then　left　me；　and；　sitting　alone；　I　realised　that　I

had　been　doing　William　a　service。　To　some　slight　extent　I　may　have

intentionally　helped　him　to　retain　his　place　in　the　club；　and　I　now

see　the　reason；　which　was　that　he　alone　knows　precisely　to　what　extent

I　like　my　claret　heated。



For　a　mere　second　I　remembered　William's　remark　that　he　should　not　be

able　to　see　the　girl　Jenny　from　the　library　windows。　Then　this

recollection　drove　from　my　head　that　I　had　only　dined　in　the　sense

that　my　dinner…bill　was　paid。　Returning　to　the　dining…room；　I　happened

to　take　my　chair　at　the　window；　and　while　I　was　eating　a　deviled

kidney　I　saw　in　the　street　the　girl　whose　nods　had　such　an　absurd

effect　on　William。



The　children　of　the　poor　are　as　thoughtless　as　their　parents；　and　this

Jenny　did　not　sign　to　the　windows　in　the　hope　that　William　might　see

her；　though　she　could　not　see　him。　Her　face；　which　was　disgracefully

dirty；　bore　doubt　and　dismay　on　it；　but　whether　she　brought　good　news

it　would　not　tell。　Somehow　I　had　expected　her　to　signal　when　she　saw

me；　and；　though　her　message　could　not　interest　me；　I　was　in　the　mood

in　which　one　is　irritated　at　that　not　taking　place　which　he　is

awaiting。　Ultimately　she　seemed　to　be　making　up　her　mind　to　go　away。



A　boy　was　passing　with　the　evening　papers；　and　I　hurried　out　to　get

one；　rather　thoughtlessly；　for　we　have　all　the　papers　in　the　club。

Unfortunately；　I　misunderstood　the　direction　the　boy　had　taken；　but

round　the　first　corner　（out　of　sight　of　the　club　windows）　I　saw　the

girl　Jenny；　and　so　asked　her　how　William's　wife　was。



〃Did　he　send　you　to　me？〃　she　replied；　impertinently　taking　me　for　a

waiter。　〃My！〃　she　added；　after　a　second　scrutiny；　〃I　b'lieve　you're

one　of　them。　His　missis　is　a　bit　better；　and　I　was　to　tell　him　as　she

took　all　the　tapiocar。〃



〃How　could　you　tell　him？〃　I　asked。



〃I　was　to　do　like　this；〃　she　replied；　and　went　through　the　supping　of

something　out　of　a　plate　in　dumb…show。



〃That　would　not　show　she　ate　all　the　tapioca；〃　I　said。



〃But　I　was　to　end　like　this；〃　she　answered；　licking　an　imaginary　plate

with　her　tongue。



I　gave　her　a　shilling　（to　get　rid　of　her）；　and　returned　to　the　club

disgusted。







Later　in　the　evening　I　had　to　go　to　the　club　library　for　a　book；　and

while　William　was　looking　in　vain　for　it　（I　had　forgotten　the　title）　I

said　to　him：



〃By　the　way；　William；　Mr。　Myddleton　Finch　is　to　tell　the　committee

that　he　was　mistaken　in　the　charge　he　brought　against　you；　so　you　will

doubtless　be　restored　to　the　dining…room　to…morrow。〃



The　two　members　were　still　in　their　chairs；　probably　sleeping　lightly；

yet　he　had　the　effrontery　to　thank　me。



〃Don't　thank　me；〃　I　said；　blushing　at　the　imputation。　〃Remember　your

place；　William！〃



〃But　Mr。　Myddleton　Finch　knew　I　swore；〃　he　insisted。



〃A　gentleman；〃　I　replied；　stiffly；　〃cannot　remember　for　twenty…four

hours　what　a　waiter　has　said　to　him。〃



〃No；　sir；　but〃



To　stop　him　I　had　to　say：　〃And；　ah；　William；　your　wife　is　a　little

better。　She　has　eaten　the　tapiocaall　of　it。〃



〃How