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stories by english authors in london(英国作家在伦敦的故事)-第4部分

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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 



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                                         STORIES 



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。 



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                                          STORIES 



     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。〃 



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     〃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 



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