第7章

类别:其他 作者:Henry Rider Haggard字数:4474更新时间:18/12/27 08:40:52
Theyareaworselotthanusualthistime,odious——odious!——andI can’tstandoneonthelefthandaswellasontheright。Yours,“B。 “P。S。What/have/youbeendoing?Ourdistinguishedguests,tosaynothingofmyuncle,seemtobeinagreatfussaboutyou。I overheardthemtalkingwhenIwaspretendingtoarrangesomeflowers。Oneofthemcalledyouasanctimoniousprigandanobstinatedonkey,andanotheranswered——IthinkitwasSirRobert——’Nodoubt,butobstinatedonkeyscankickandhavebeenknowntoupsetotherpeople’sapplecartserenow。’IstheSaharaSyndicatetheapplecart?Ifso,I’llforgiveyou。 “P。P。S。Rememberthatwewillwalktochurchtogetherto-morrow,butcomedowntobreakfastinknickerbockersorsomethingtoputthemoff,andI’lldothesame——ImeanI’lldressasifIweregoingtogolf。WecanturnintoChristianslater。Ifwedon’t—— dresslikethat,Imean——they’llguessandallwanttocometochurch,excepttheJews,whichwouldbringthejudgmentofHeavenonus。 “P。P。P。S。Don’tbecarelessandleavethisnotelyingabout,fortheunder-footmanwhowaitsuponyoureadsalltheletters。Hesteamsthemoverakettle。Smiththebutleristheonlyrespectablemaninthishouse。“ Alanlaughedoutrightashefinishedthispeculiarandoutspokenepistle,whichsomehowrevivedhisspirits,thatsincethepreviousdayhadbeenlowenough。Itrefreshedhim。Itwaslikeabreathoffrostyairfromanopenwindowblowingcleanandcoldintoascented,overheatedroom。Hewouldhavelikedtokeepit,butrememberingBarbara’sinjunctionsandtheunder-footman,threwitontothefireandwatcheditburn。Jeekiecoughedtointimatethatitwastimeforhismastertodress,andAlanturnedandlookedathiminanabsent- mindedfashion。 Hewasworthlookingat,wasJeekie。Letthereaderimagineaverytallandpowerfully-builtnegrowithaskinasblackasawell- polishedboot,woollyhairaswhiteassnow,alittletuftedbeardalsowhite,ahandlikealegofmutton,butwithlongdelicatefingersandpink,filbert-shapednails,animmovablecountenance,butsetinitbeneathamassivebrow,twoextraordinaryhumorousandeloquentblackeyeswhichexpressedeveryemotionpassingthroughthebrainbehindthem,thatiswhentheirownerchosetoallowthemtodoso。SuchwasJeekie。 “ShallIunlaceyourboots,Major?“hesaidinhisfull,melodiousvoiceandspeakingthemostperfectEnglish。“Iexpectthatthegongwillsoundinnineandahalfminutes。“ “Thenletitsoundandbehangedtoit,“answeredAlan;“no,Iforgot——Imusthurry。Jeekie,putthatfireoutandopenallthewindowsassoonasIgodown。Thisroomislikeahot-house。“ “Yes,Major,thefireshallbeextinguishedandthesleeping-chamberventilated。Theotherboot,ifyouplease,Major。“ “Jeekie,“saidAlan,“whoisstoppinginthisplace?Haveyouheard?“ “Icollectedsomenamesonmywayupstairs,Major。Threeofthegentlemenyouhavenevermetbefore,but,“headdedsuddenlybreakingawayfromhishigh-flownbook-learnedEnglish,aswashiscustomwheninearnest,“Jeekiethinktheyjustblackniggersliketherest,thiefpeople。Thereain’tawhitemaninthishouse,exceptyouandMissBarbaraandme,Major。Jeekielearntallthatinservant’shallpalaver。No,notnow,othertime。EveryonetelleverythingtoJeekie,pooroldAfricanfool,andhelookupananswer,’Olaw!youdon’tsayso?’butkeephiseyesandearsopenallthesame。“ “I’llbeboundyoudo,Jeekie,“repliedAlan,laughingagain。“Well,goonkeepingthemopen,andgivemethosetrousers。“ “Yes,Major,“answeredJeekie,reassuminghisgrandmanner,“Ishallcontinuetocollectinformationwhichmayprovetoyouradvantage,butpersonallyIwishthatyouwereclearofthewholecaboodle,exceptMissBarbara。“ “Hear,hear,“ejaculatedAlan,“theregoesthegong。Mindyoucomeinandhelptowait,“andhurryingintohiscoathedeparteddownstairs。 Theguestsweregatheredinthehalldrinkingsherryandbitters,aproceedingthattoAlan’smindsetastampuponthehouse。Hishost,Mr。Champers-Haswell,cameforwardandgreetedhimwithmuchaffectionateenthusiasm,andAlannoticedthathelookedverypale,alsothathisthoughtsseemedtobewandering,forheintroducedaFrenchbankertohimasanotedJew,andthenotedJewastheFrenchbanker,althoughthedistinctionbetweenthemwasobviousandthegentlemenconcernedevidentlyresentedthemistake。SirRobertAylward,catchingsightofhim,cameacrossthehallinhisusual,directfashion,andshookhimbythehand。 “Gladtoseeyou,Vernon,“hesaid,fixinghispiercingeyesuponAlanasthoughheweretryingtoreadhisthoughts。“PleasantchangethisfromtheCityandallthateternalbusiness,isn’tit?Ah!youarethinkingthatoneisnotquiteclearofbusinessafterall,“andheglancedroundatthecompany。“That’soneofyourcousinHaswell’sfaults;hecannevershakehimselffreeofthething,nevergetanyrealrecreation。I’dbetyouasovereignthathehasastenographerwaitingbyatelephoneinthenextroom,justincaseanyopportunityshouldariseinthecourseofconversation。Thatismagnificent,butitisnotwise。Hisheartcan’tstandit;itwillwearhimoutbeforehistime。Listen,theyarealltalkingabouttheSahara。IwishIwerethere;itmustbequietatanyrate。Thesandsbeneath,theeternalstarsabove。Yes,IwishIwerethere,“herepeatedwithasigh,andAlannotedthatalthoughhisfacecouldnotbemorepallidthanitsnaturalcolour,itlookedquitewornandold。 “SodoI,“heansweredwithenthusiasm。 ThenaFrenchgentlemanonhisleft,havingdiscoveredthathewastheengineerwhohadformulatedthegreatfloodingscheme,begantoaddresshimas“Chermaitre,“speakingsorapidlyhisownlanguagethatAlan,whoseFrenchwasnoneofthebest,struggledafterhiminvain。Whilsthewastryingtoansweraquestionwhichhedidnotunderstand,thedoorattheendofthehallopened,andthroughitappearedBarbaraChampers。 Itwasalargehallandshewasalongwayoff,whichcausedhertolooksmall,whoindeedwasonlyofmiddleheight。Yetevenatthatdistanceitwasimpossibletomistakethedignityofherappearance。A slimwomanwithbrownhair,cheerfulbrowneyes,awell-modelledface,aroundedfigureandanexcellentcomplexion,suchwasBarbara。Tenthousandyoungladiescouldbefoundasgood,orevenbetterlooking,yetsomethingaboutherdifferentiatedherfromthemajorityofhersex。Therewasdeterminationinherstep,andoverflowinghealthandvigourinhereverymovement。Hereyeshadatrickoflookingstraightintoanyothereyestheymet,notboldly,butwithakindofvirginalfearlessnessandenterprisethatpeopleoftenfoundembarrassing。 Indeedshewasextremelyvirginalanddevoidoftheusualfringeoffeminineairsandgraces,anymphofthewoodsandwaters,whoalthoughshewasthreeandtwenty,asyetreckedlittleofmensaveascompanionswhomshelikedordislikedaccordingtoherinstincts。Fortherestshewassweetlydressedinawhiterobewithsilveronit,andworenoornamentssavearowofsmallpearlsaboutherthroatandsomeliliesofthevalleyatherbreast。 Barbaracamestraightonwards,lookingneithertotherightortotheleft,tillshereachedheruncle,towhomshenodded。ThenshewalkedtoAlanand,offeringhimherhand,said: “Howdoyoudo!Whydidyounotcomeoveratlunchtime?Iwantedtoplayaroundofgolfwithyouthisafternoon。“ AlanansweredsomethingaboutbeingbusyatYarleys。 “Yarleys!“shereplied。“IthoughtthatyoulivedintheCitynow,makingmoneyoutofspeculations,likeeveryoneelsethatIknow。“ “Why,MissChampers,“brokeinSirRobertreproachfully,“Iaskedyoutoplayaroundofgolfbeforeteaandyouwouldnot。“ “No,“sheanswered,“becauseIwaswaitingformycousin。Wearebettermatched,SirRobert。“ Therewassomethinginhervoice,usuallysosoftandpleasant,asshespokethesewords,somethingofsteelinessanddefiancethatcausedAlantofeelatoncehappyanduncomfortable。ApparentlyalsoitcausedAylwardtofeelangry,forheflashedaglanceatAlanoverherheadofwhichthepurportcouldnotbemistaken,thoughhispalefaceremainedasimmovableasever。“Weareenemies。Ihateyou,“saidthatglance。ProbablyBarbarasawit;atanyratebeforeeitherofthemcouldspeakagain,shesaid: “Thankgoodness,thereisdinneratlast。SirRobert,willyoutakemein,and,Alan,willyousitontheothersideofme?Myunclewillshowtheresttheirplaces。“ Themealwaslongandmagnificent;thepriceofeachdishofitwouldhavekeptapoorfamilyforamonth,andonthecostoftheexquisitewinestheymighthavelivedforayearortwo。AlsothelastwerewellpatronizedbyeveryoneexceptBarbara,whodrankwater,andAlan,whosincehisseverefevertooknothingbutweakwhiskeyandsodaandalittleclaret。EvenAylward,atemperateperson,absorbedagooddealofchampagne。Asaconsequencetheconversationgrewanimated,andundercoverofit,whileSirRobertwasarguingwithhisneighbourontheleft,Barbaraaskedinalowvoice: “Whatistherow,Alan?Tellme,Ican’twaitanylonger。“ “Ihavequarrelledwiththem,“heanswered,staringathismuttonasthoughhewerecriticizingit。“Imean,Ihaveleftthefirmandhavenothingmoretodowiththebusiness。“ Barbara’seyeslitupasshewhisperedback: “Gladofit。BestnewsIhaveheardformanyaday。Butthen,mayI askwhyyouarehere?“ “Icametoseeyou,“herepliedhumbly——“thoughtperhapsyouwouldn’tmind,“andinhisconfusionhelethisknifefallintothemutton,whenceitrebounded,staininghisshirtfront。 Barbaralaughed,thathappy,delightfullittlelaughofhers,presumablyattheaccidentwiththeknife。Whetherornoshe“minded“ didnotappear,onlyshehandedherhandkerchief,acostly,last- fringedtrifle,toAlantowipethegravyoffhisshirt,whichhetookthinkingitwasanapkin,andasshedidso,touchedhishandwithalittlecaressingmovementofherfingers。Whetherthiswasdonebychanceoronpurposedidnotappeareither。AtleastitmadeAlanfeelextremelyhappy。Alsowhenhediscoveredwhatitwas,hekeptthatgravy-stainedhandkerchief,nordidsheeveraskforitbackagain。