the garden party(园会)-第14章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
and speared you a piece。 It was quite a gayme。〃
Josephine could hardly bear that。 But 〃I think those things are very
extravagant〃 was all she said。
〃But whey？〃 asked Nurse Andrews； beaming through her eyeglasses。
〃No one； surely； would take more buttah than one wantedwould one？〃
〃Ring； Con；〃 cried Josephine。 She couldn't trust herself to reply。
And proud young Kate； the enchanted princess； came in to see what
the old tabbies wanted now。 She snatched away their plates of mock
something or other and slapped down a white； terrified blancmange。
〃Jam； please； Kate；〃 said Josephine kindly。
Kate knelt and burst open the sideboard； lifted the lid of the jam…pot；
saw it was empty； put it on the table； and stalked off。
〃I'm afraid；〃 said Nurse Andrews a moment later； 〃there isn't any。〃
〃Oh； what a bother！〃 said Josephine。 She bit her lip。 〃What had we
better do？〃
Constantia looked dubious。 〃We can't disturb Kate again；〃 she said
softly。
Nurse Andrews waited； smiling at them both。 Her eyes wandered；
spying at everything behind her eyeglasses。 Constantia in despair went
back to her camels。 Josephine frowned heavilyconcentrated。 If it
hadn't been for this idiotic woman she and Con would； of course； have
eaten their blancmange without。 Suddenly the idea came。
〃I know；〃 she said。 〃Marmalade。 There's some marmalade in the
sideboard。 Get it； Con。〃
〃I hope；〃 laughed Nurse Andrewsand her laugh was like a spoon
tinkling against a medicine…glass〃I hope it's not very bittah
57
… Page 58…
The Garden Party
marmalayde。〃
Chapter 3。III。
But； after all； it was not long now； and then she'd be gone for good。
And there was no getting over the fact that she had been very kind to
father。 She had nursed him day and night at the end。 Indeed； both
Constantia and Josephine felt privately she had rather overdone the not
leaving him at the very last。 For when they had gone in to say good…bye
Nurse Andrews had sat beside his bed the whole time； holding his wrist
and pretending to look at her watch。 It couldn't have been necessary。 It
was so tactless； too。 Supposing father had wanted to say something
something private to them。 Not that he had。 Oh； far from it！ He lay
there； purple； a dark； angry purple in the face； and never even looked at
them when they came in。 Then； as they were standing there； wondering
what to do； he had suddenly opened one eye。 Oh； what a difference it
would have made； what a difference to their memory of him； how much
easier to tell people about it； if he had only opened both！ But noone
eye only。 It glared at them a moment and then。。。went out。
Chapter 3。IV。
It had made it very awkward for them when Mr。 Farolles； of St。 John's；
called the same afternoon。
〃The end was quite peaceful； I trust？〃 were the first words he said as
he glided towards them through the dark drawing…room。
〃Quite；〃 said Josephine faintly。 They both hung their heads。 Both
of them felt certain that eye wasn't at all a peaceful eye。
〃Won't you sit down？〃 said Josephine。
〃Thank you； Miss Pinner；〃 said Mr。 Farolles gratefully。 He folded his
coat…tails and began to lower himself into father's arm…chair； but just as he
touched it he almost sprang up and slid into the next chair instead。
He coughed。 Josephine clasped her hands； Constantia looked vague。
〃I want you to feel； Miss Pinner；〃 said Mr。 Farolles； 〃and you； Miss
Constantia； that I'm trying to be helpful。 I want to be helpful to you both；
58
… Page 59…
The Garden Party
if you will let me。 These are the times；〃 said Mr Farolles； very simply
and earnestly； 〃when God means us to be helpful to one another。〃
〃Thank you very much； Mr。 Farolles；〃 said Josephine and Constantia。
〃Not at all；〃 said Mr。 Farolles gently。 He drew his kid gloves through
his fingers and leaned forward。 〃And if either of you would like a little
Communion； either or both of you； here and now； you have only to tell me。
A little Communion is often very helpa great comfort；〃 he added
tenderly。
But the idea of a little Communion terrified them。 What！ In the
drawing… room by themselveswith nono altar or anything！ The piano
would be much too high； thought Constantia； and Mr。 Farolles could not
possibly lean over it with the chalice。 And Kate would be sure to come
bursting in and interrupt them； thought Josephine。 And supposing the
bell rang in the middle？ It might be somebody importantabout their
mourning。 Would they get up reverently and go out； or would they have
to wait。。。in torture？
〃Perhaps you will send round a note by your good Kate if you would
care for it later；〃 said Mr。 Farolles。
〃Oh yes； thank you very much！〃 they both said。
Mr。 Farolles got up and took his black straw hat from the round table。
〃And about the funeral；〃 he said softly。 〃I may arrange thatas your
dear father's old friend and yours； Miss Pinnerand Miss Constantia？〃
Josephine and Constantia got up too。
〃I should like it to be quite simple；〃 said Josephine firmly； 〃and not too
expensive。 At the same time； I should like〃
〃A good one that will last；〃 thought dreamy Constantia； as if Josephine
were buying a nightgown。 But； of course； Josephine didn't say that。
〃One suitable to our father's position。〃 She was very nervous。
〃I'll run round to our good friend Mr。 Knight；〃 said Mr。 Farolles
soothingly。 〃I will ask him to come and see you。 I am sure you will
find him very helpful indeed。〃
Chapter 3。V。
Well； at any rate； all that part of it was over； though neither of them
59
… Page 60…
The Garden Party
could possibly believe that father was never coming back。 Josephine had
had a moment of absolute terror at the cemetery； while the coffin was
lowered； to think that she and Constantia had done this thing without
asking his permission。 What would father say when he found out？ For
he was bound to find out sooner or later。 He always did。 〃Buried。
You two girls had me buried！〃 She heard his stick thumping。 Oh； what
would they say？ What possible excuse could they make？ It sounded
such an appallingly heartless thing to do。 Such a wicked advantage to
take of a person because he happened to be helpless at the moment。 The
other people seemed to treat it all as a matter of course。 They were
strangers； they couldn't be expected to understand that father was the very
last person for such a thing to happen to。 No； the entire blame for it all
would fall on her and Constantia。 And the expense； she thought； stepping
into the tight…buttoned cab。 When she had to show him the bills。 What
would he say then？
She heard him absolutely roaring。 〃And do you expect me to pay for
this gimcrack excursion of yours？〃
〃Oh；〃 groaned poor Josephine aloud； 〃we shouldn't have done it；
Con！〃
And Constantia； pale as a lemon in all that blackness； said in a
frightened whisper； 〃Done what； Jug？〃
〃Let them bu…bury father like that；〃 said Josephine； breaking down and
crying into her new； queer…smelling mourning handkerchief。
〃But what else could we have done？〃 asked Constantia wonderingly。
〃We couldn't have kept him； Jugwe couldn't have kept him unburied。
At any rate； not in a flat that size。〃
Josephine blew her nose； the cab was dreadfully stuffy。
〃I don't know；〃 she said forlornly。 〃It is all so dreadful。 I feel we
ought to have tried to； just for a time at least。 To make perfectly sure。
One thing's certain〃and her tears sprang out again〃father will never
forgive us for thisnever！〃
Chapter 3。VI。
Father would never forgive them。 That was what they felt more than
60
… Page 61…
The Garden Party
ever when； two mornings later； they went into his room to go through his
things。 They had discussed it quite calmly。 It was even down on
Josephine's list of things to be done。 〃Go through father's things and
settle about them。〃 But that was a very different matter from saying after
breakfast：
〃Well； are you ready； Con？〃
〃Yes； Jugwhen you are。〃
〃Then I think we'd better get it over。〃
It was dark in the hall。 It had been a rule for years never to disturb
father in the morning； whatever happened。 And now they were going to
open the door without knocking even。。。Constantia's eyes were enormous at
the idea； Josephine felt weak in the knees。
〃Youyou go first；〃 she gasped； pushing Constantia。
But Constantia said； as she always had said on those occasions； 〃No；
Jug； that's not fair。 You're the eldest。〃
Josephine was just going to saywhat at other times she wouldn't have
owned to for the worldwhat she kept for her very last weapon； 〃But
you're the tallest；〃 when they noticed that the kitchen door was open； and
there stood Kate。。。
〃Very stiff；〃 said Josephine； grasping the doorhandle and doing her
best to turn it。 As if anything ever deceived Kate！
It couldn't be
