english stories-london-第3章

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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　can　your　know；　sir？〃



〃By　an　accident。〃



〃Jenny　signed　to　the　window？〃



〃No。〃



〃Then　you　saw　her；　and　went　out；　and〃



〃Nonsense！〃



〃Oh；　sir；　to　do　that　for　me！　May　God　bl〃



〃William！〃



〃Forgive　me；　sir；　butwhen　I　tell　my　missis；　she　will　say　it　was

thought　of　your　own　wife　as　made　you　do　it。〃



He　wrung　my　hand。　I　dared　not　withdraw　it；　lest　we　should　waken　the

sleepers。







William　returned　to　the　dining…room；　and　I　had　to　show　him　that　if　he

did　not　cease　looking　gratefully　at　me　I　must　change　my　waiter。　I　also

ordered　him　to　stop　telling　me　nightly　how　his　wife　was；　but　I

continued　to　know；　as　I　could　not　help　seeing　the　girl　Jenny　from　the

window。　Twice　in　a　week　I　learned　from　this　objectionable　child　that

the　ailing　woman　had　again　eaten　all　the　tapioca。　Then　I　became

suspicious　of　William。　I　will　tell　why。



It　began　with　a　remark　of　Captain　Upjohn's。　We　had　been　speaking　of

the　inconvenience　of　not　being　able　to　get　a　hot　dish　served　after　1

A。M。；　and　he　said：



〃It　is　because　these　lazy　waiters　would　strike。　If　the　beggars　had　a

love　of　their　work　they　would　not　rush　away　from　the　club　the　moment

one　o'clock　strikes。　That　glum　fellow　who　often　waits　on　you　takes　to

his　heels　the　moment　he　is　clear　of　the　club　steps。　He　ran　into　me　the

other　night　at　the　top　of　the　street；　and　was　off　without

apologising。〃



〃You　mean　the　foot　of　the　street；　Upjohn；〃　I　said；　for　such　is　the　way

to　Drury　Lane。



〃No；　I　mean　the　top。　The　man　was　running　west。〃



〃East。〃



〃West。〃



I　smiled；　which　so　annoyed　him　that　he　bet　me　two　to　one　in

sovereigns。　The　bet　could　have　been　decided　most　quickly　by　asking

William　a　question；　but　I　thought；　foolishly　doubtless；　that　it　might

hurt　his　feelings；　so　I　watched　him　leave　the　club。　The　possibility　of

Upjohn's　winning　the　bet　had　seemed　remote　to　me。　Conceive　my

surprise；　therefore　when　William　went　westward。



Amazed；　I　pursued　him　along　two　streets　without　realising　that　I　was

doing　so。　Then　curiosity　put　me　into　a　hansom。　We　followed　William；

and　it　proved　to　be　a　three…shilling　fare；　for；　running　when　he　was　in

breath　and　walking　when　he　was　out　of　it；　he　took　me　to　West

Kensington。



I　discharged　my　cab；　and　from　across　the　street　watched　William's

incomprehensible　behaviour。　He　had　stopped　at　a　dingy　row　of　workmen's

houses；　and　knocked　at　the　darkened　window　of　one　of　them。　Presently　a

light　showed。　So　far　as　I　could　see；　some　one　pulled　up　the　blind　and

for　ten　minutes　talked　to　William。　I　was　uncertain　whether　they

talked；　for　the　window　was　not　opened；　and　I　felt　that；　had　William

spoken　through　the　glass　loud　enough　to　be　heard　inside；　I　must　have

heard　him　too。　Yet　he　nodded　and　beckoned。　I　was　still　bewildered

when；　by　setting　off　the　way　he　had　come；　he　gave　me　the　opportunity

of　going　home。



Knowing　from　the　talk　of　the　club　what　the　lower　orders　are；　could　I

doubt　that　this　was　some　discreditable　love…affair　of　William's？　His

solicitude　for　his　wife　had　been　mere　pretence；　so　far　as　it　was

genuine；　it　meant　that　he　feared　she　might　recover。　He　probably　told

her　that　he　was　detained　nightly　in　the　club　till　three。



I　was　miserable　next　day；　and　blamed　the　deviled　kidneys　for　it。

Whether　William　was　unfaithful　to　his　wife　was　nothing　to　me；　but　I

had　two　plain　reasons　for　insisting　on　his　going　straight　home　from

his　club：　the　one　that；　as　he　had　made　me　lose　a　bet；　I　must　punish

him；　the　other　that　he　could　wait　upon　me　better　if　he　went　to　bed

betimes。



Yet　I　did　not　question　him。　There　was　something　in　his　face　that

Well；　I　seemed　to　see　his　dying　wife　in　it。



I　was　so　out　of　sorts　that　I　could　eat　no　dinner。　I　left　the　club。

Happening　to　stand　for　some　time　at　the　foot　of　the　street；　I　chanced

to　see　the　girl　Jenny　coming；　and　No；　let　me　tell　the　truth；　though

the　whole　club　reads：　I　was　waiting　for　her。



〃How　is　William's　wife　to…day？〃　I　asked。



〃She　told　me　to　nod　three　times；〃　the　little　slattern　replied；　〃but

she　looked　like　nothink　but　a　dead　one　till　she　got　the　brandy。



〃Hush；　child！〃　I　said；　shocked。　〃You　don't　know　how　the　dead　look。〃



〃Bless　yer；〃　she　answered；　〃don't　I　just！　Why；　I've　helped　to　lay　'em

out。　I'm　going　on　seven。〃



〃Is　William　good　to　his　wife？〃



〃Course　he　is。　Ain't　she　his　missis？〃



〃Why　should　that　make　him　good　to　her？〃　I　asked；　cynically；　out　of　my

knowledge　of　the　poor。　But　the　girl；　precocious　in　many　ways；　had

never　had　any　opportunities　of　studying　the　lower　classes　in　the

newspapers；　fiction；　and　club　talk。　She　shut　one　eye；　and；　looking　up

wonderingly；　said：



〃Ain't　you　greenjust！〃



〃When　does　William　reach　home　at　night？〃



〃　'Tain't　night；　it's　morning。　When　I　wakes　up　at　half　dark　and　half

light；　and　hears　a　door　shutting；　I　know　as　it's　either　father　going

off　to　his　work　or　Mr。　Hicking　come　home　from　his。〃



〃Who　is　Mr。　Hicking？〃



〃Him　as　we've　been　speaking　onWilliam。　We　calls　him　mister；　'cause

he's　a　toff。　Father's　just　doing　jobs　in　Covent　Gardens；　but　Mr。

Hicking；　he's　a　waiter；　and　a　clean　shirt　every　day。　The　old　woman

would　like　father　to　be　a　waiter；　but　he　hain't　got　the　'ristocratic

look。〃



〃What　old　woman？〃



〃Go　'long！　that's　my　mother。　Is　it　true　there's　a　waiter　in　the　club

just　for　to　open　the　door？〃



〃Yes；　but〃



〃And　another　just　for　to　lick　the　stamps？　My！〃



〃William　leaves　the　club　at　one　o'clock？〃　I　said；　interrogatively。



She　nodded。　〃My　mother；〃　she　said；　〃is　one　to　talk；　and　she　says　Mr。

Hicking　as　he　should　get　away　at　twelve；　'cause　his　missis　needs　him

more'n　the　gentlemen　need　him。　The　old　woman　do　talk。〃



〃And　what　does　William　answer　to　that？〃



〃He　says　as　the　gentleman　can't　be　kept　waiting　for　their　cheese。〃



〃But　William　does　not　go　straight　home　when　he　leaves　the　club？〃



〃That's　the　kid。〃



〃Kid！〃　I　echoed；　scarcely　understanding；　for；　knowing　how　little　the

poor　love　their　children；　I　had　asked　William　no　questions　about　the

baby。



〃Didn't　you　know　his　missis　had　a　kid？〃



〃Yes；　but　that　is　no　excuse　for　William's　staying　away　from　his　sick

wife；〃　I　answered；　sharply。　A　baby　in　such　a　home　as　William's；　I

reflected；　must　be　trying；　but　still　Besides；　his　class　can　sleep

through　any　din。



〃The　kid　ain't　in　our　court；〃　the　girl　explained。　〃He's　in　W。；　he　is；

and　I've　never　been　out　of　W。C。；　leastwise；　not　as　I　knows　on。〃



〃This　is　W。　I　suppose　you　mean　that　the　child　is　at　West　Kensington？

Well；　no　doubt　it　was　better　for　William's　wife　to　get　rid　of　the

child〃



〃Better！〃　interposed　the　girl。　〃　'Tain't　better　for　her　not　to　have

the　kid。　Ain't　her　not　having　him　what　she's　always　thinking　on　when

she　looks　like　a　dead　one？〃



〃How　could　you　know　that？〃



〃Cause；〃　answered　the　girl；　illustrating　her　words　with　a　gesture；　〃I

watches　her；　and　I　sees　her　arms　going　this　way；　just　like　as　she

wanted　to　hug　her　kid。〃



〃Possibly　you　are　right；〃　I　said；　frowning；　〃but　William　had　put　the

child　out　to　nurse　because　it　disturbed　his　night's　rest。　A　man　who

has　his　work　to　do〃



〃You　are　green！〃



〃Then　why　have　the　mother　and　child　been　separated？〃



〃Along　of　that　there　measles。　Near　all　the　young　'uns　in　our　court　has

'em　bad。〃



〃Have　you　had　them？〃



〃I　said　the　young　'uns。〃



〃And　William　sent　the　baby　to　West　Kensington　to　escape　infection？〃



〃Took　him；　he　did。〃



〃Against　his　wife's　wishes？〃



〃Na…o！〃



〃You　said　she　was　dying　for　want　of　the　child？〃



〃Wouldn't　she　rayther　die　than　have　the　kid　die？〃



〃Don't　speak　so　heartlessly；　child。　Why　does　William　not　go　straight

home　from　the　club？　Does　he　go　to　West　Kensington　to　see　it？〃



〃　'Tain't　a　hit；　it's　an　'e。　Course　he　do。〃



〃Then　he　should　not。　His　wife　has　the　first　claim　on　him。〃



〃Ain't　you　green！　It's　his　missis　as　wants　him　to　go。　Do　you　think　she

could　sleep　till　she　knowed　how　the　kid　was？〃



〃But　he　does　not　go　into　the　house　at　West　Kensington？〃



〃Is　he　soft？　Course　he　don't　go　in；　fear　of　taking　the　infection　to

the　kid。　They　just　holds　the　kid　up　at　the　window　to　him；　so　as　he　can

have　a　good　look。　Then　he　comes　home　and　tells　his　missis。　He　sits

foot　of　the　bed　and　tells。〃



〃And　that　takes　place　every　night？　He　can't　have　much　to　tell。〃



〃He　has　just。〃



〃He　can　only　say　whether　the　child　is　well　or　ill。〃



〃My！　He　tells　what　a　difference　there　is　in　the　kid　since　he　seed　him

last。〃



〃There　can　be　no　difference！〃



〃Go　'long！　Ain't　a　kid　always　growing？　Haven't　Mr。　Hicking　to　tell　how

the　hair　is　getting　darker；　and　heaps　of　things　beside？〃



〃Such　as　what？〃



〃Like　whether　he　larfed；　and　if　he　has　her　nose；　and　how