pgw.piccadillyjim-第8节

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as　strangers　and　ended　it　as　an　engaged　couplethe　affair　being　expedited；　no　doubt；　by　the　fact　that；　even　if　it　ever　occurred　to　Bingley　to　resist　the　onslaught　on　his　bachelor　peace；　he　soon　realised　the　futility　of　doing　so；　for　the　cramped　conditions　of　ship…board　intensified　the　always　overwhelming　effects　of　his　future　bride's　determined　nature。
　The　engagement　was　received　in　a　widely　differing　spirit　by　the　only　surviving　blood…relations　of　the　two　principals。　Jimmy；　Mr。　Crocker's　son；　on　being　informed　that　his　father　had　plighted　his　troth　to　the　widow　of　a　prominent　millionaire；　displayed　the　utmost　gratification　and　enthusiasm；　and　at　a　little　supper　which　he　gave　by　way　of　farewell　to　a　few　of　his　newspaper　rades　and　which　lasted　till　six　in　the　morning；　when　it　was　broken　up　by　the　flying　wedge　of　waiters　for　which　the　selected　restaurant　is　justly　famous；　joyfully　announced　that　work　and　he　would　from　then　on　be　total　strangers。　He　alluded　in　feeling　terms　to　the　Providence　which　watches　over　good　young　men　and　saves　them　from　the　blighting　necessity　of　offering　themselves　in　the　flower　of　their　golden　youth　as　human　sacrifices　to　the　Moloch　of　capitalistic　greed：　and；　having　miserated　with　his　guests　in　that　a　similar　stroke　of　luck　had　not　happened　to　each　of　them；　advised　them　to　drown　their　sorrows　in　drink。　Which　they　did。
　Far　different　was　the　attitude　of　Mrs。　Crocker's　sister；　Nesta　Pett。　She　entirely　disapproved　of　the　proposed　match。　At　least；　the　fact　that　in　her　final　interview　with　her　sister　she　described　the　bridegroom…to…be　as　a　wretched　mummer；　a　despicable　fortune…hunter；　a　broken…down　tramp；　and　a　sneaking；　grafting　confidence…trickster　lends　colour　to　the　supposition　that　she　was　not　a　warm　supporter　of　it。　She　agreed　wholeheartedly　with　Mrs。　Crocker's　suggestion　that　they　should　never　speak　to　each　other　again　as　long　as　they　lived：　and　it　was　immediately　after　this　that　the　latter　removed　husband　Bingley；　step…son　Jimmy；　and　all　her　other　goods　and　chattels　to　London；　where　they　had　remained　ever　since。　Whenever　Mrs。　Crocker　spoke　of　America　now；　it　was　in　tones　of　the　deepest　dislike　and　contempt。　Her　friends　were　English；　and　every　year　more　exclusively　of　England's　aristocracy。　She　intended　to　bee　a　leading　figure　in　London　Society；　and　already　her　progress　had　been　astonishing。　She　knew　the　right　people；　lived　in　the　right　square；　said　the　right　things；　and　thought　the　right　thoughts：　and　in　the　Spring　of　her　third　year　had　succeeded　in　curing　Bingley　of　his　habit　of　beginning　his　remarks　with　the　words　〃Say；　lemme　tell　ya　something。〃　Her　progress；　in　short；　was　beginning　to　assume　the　aspect　of　a　walk…over。
　Against　her　plete　contentment　and　satisfaction　only　one　thing　militated。　That　was　the　behaviour　of　her　step…son；　Jimmy。
　It　was　of　Jimmy　that　she　spoke　when；　having　hung　the　receiver　on　its　hook；　she　returned　to　the　breakfast…room。　Bayliss　had　silently　withdrawn；　and　Mr。　Crocker　was　sitting　in　sombre　silence　at　the　table。
　〃A　most　fortunate　thing　has　happened；　Bingley；〃　she　said。　〃It　was　most　kind　of　dear　Lady　Corstorphine　to　ring　me　up。　It　seems　that　her　nephew；　Lord　Percy　Whipple；　is　back　in　England。　He　has　been　in　Ireland　for　the　past　three　years；　on　the　staff　of　the　Lord　Lieutenant；　and　only　arrived　in　London　yesterday　afternoon。　Lady　Corstorphine　has　promised　to　arrange　a　meeting　between　him　and　James。　I　particularly　want　them　to　be　friends。〃
　〃Eugenia；〃　said　Mr。　Crocker　in　a　hollow　voice；　〃do　you　know　they　call　baseball　Rounders　over　here；　and　children　play　it　with　a　soft　ball？〃
　〃James　is　being　a　serious　problem。　It　is　absolutely　necessary　that　he　should　make　friends　with　the　right　kind　of　young　men。〃
　〃And　a　racquet；〃　said　Mr。　Crocker。
　〃Please　listen　to　what　I　am　saying；　Bingley。　I　am　talking　about　James。　There　is　a　crude　American　strain　in　him　which　seems　to　grow　worse　instead　of　better。　I　was　lunching　with　the　Delafields　at　the　Carlton　yesterday；　and　there；　only　a　few　tables　away；　was　James　with　an　impossible　young　man　in　appalling　clothes。　It　was　outrageous　that　James　should　have　been　seen　in　public　at　all　with　such　a　person。　The　man　had　a　broken　nose　and　talked　through　it。　He　was　saying　in　a　loud　voice　that　made　everybody　turn　round　something　about　his　left…scissors　hookwhatever　that　may　have　been。　I　discovered　later　that　he　was　a　low　professional　pugilist　from　New　Yorka　man　named　Spike　Dillon；　I　think　Captain　Wroxton　said。　And　Jimmy　was　giving　him　lunchat　the　Carlton！〃
　Mr。　Crocker　said　nothing。　Constant　practice　had　made　him　an　adept　at　saying　nothing　when　his　wife　was　talking。
　〃James　must　be　made　to　realise　his　responsibilities。　I　shall　have　to　speak　to　him。　I　was　hearing　only　the　other　day　of　a　most　deserving　man；　extremely　rich　and　lavishly　generous　in　his　contributions　to　the　party　funds；　who　was　only　given　a　knighthood；　simply　because　he　had　a　son　who　had　behaved　in　a　manner　that　could　not　possibly　be　overlooked。　The　present　Court　is　extraordinarily　strict　in　its　views。　James　cannot　be　too　careful。　A　certain　amount　of　wildness　in　a　young　man　is　quite　proper　in　the　best　set；　provided　that　he　is　wild　in　the　right　pany。　Every　one　knows　that　young　Lord　Datchet　was　ejected　from　the　Empire　Music…Hall　on　Boat…Race　night　every　year　during　his　residence　at　Oxford　University；　but　nobody　minds。　The　family　treats　it　as　a　joke。　But　James　has　such　low　tastes。　Professional　pugilists！　I　believe　that　many　years　ago　it　was　not　unfashionable　for　young　men　in　Society　to　be　seen　about　with　such　persons；　but　those　days　are　over。　I　shall　certainly　speak　to　James。　He　cannot　afford　to　call　attention　to　himself　in　any　way。　That　breach…of…promise　case　of　his　three　years　ago；　is；　I　hope　and　trust；　forgotten；　but　the　slightest　slip　on　his　part　might　start　the　papers　talking　about　it　again；　and　that　would　be　fatal。　The　eventual　successor　to　a　title　must　be　quite　as　careful　as〃
　It　was　not；　as　has　been　hinted　above；　the　usual　practice　of　Mr。　Crocker　to　interrupt　his　wife　when　she　was　speaking；　but　he　did　it　now。
　〃Say！〃
　Mrs。　Crocker　frowned。
　〃I　wish；　Bingleyand　I　have　told　you　so　oftenthat　you　would　not　begin　your　sentences　with　the　word　'Say'！　It　is　such　a　revolting　Americanism。　Suppose　some　day　when　you　are　addressing　the　House　of　Lords　you　should　make　a　slip　like　that！　The　papers　would　never　let　you　hear　the　end　of　it。〃
　Mr。　Crocker　was　swallowing　convulsively；　as　if　testing　his　larynx　with　a　view　to　speech。　Like　Saul　of　Tarsus；　he　had　been　stricken　dumb　by　the　sudden　bright　light　which　his　wife's　words　had　caused　to　flash　upon　him。　Frequently　during　his　sojourn　in　London　he　had　wondered　just　why　Eugenia　had　settled　there　in　preference　to　her　own　country。　It　was　not　her　wont　to　do　things　without　an　object；　yet　until　this　moment　he　had　been　unable　to　fathom　her　motives。　Even　now　it　seemed　almost　incredible。　And　yet　what　meaning　would　her　words　have　other　than　the　monstrous　one　which　had　smitten　him　as　a　blackjack？
　〃SayI　mean；　Eugeniayou　don't　wantyou　aren't　tryingyou　aren't　working　toyou　haven't　any　idea　of　trying　to　get　them　to　make　me　a　Lord；　have　you？〃
　〃It　is　what　I　have　been　working　for　all　these　years！〃
　〃Butbut　why？　Why？　That's　what　I　want　to　know。　Why？〃
　Mrs。　Crocker's　fine　eyes　glittered。
　〃I　will　tell　you　why；　Bingley。　just　before　we　were　married　I　had　a　talk　with　my　sister　Nesta。　She　was　insufferably　offensive。　She　referred　to　you　in　terms　which　I　shall　never　forgive。　She　affected　to　look　down　on　you；　to　think　that　I　was　marrying　beneath　me。　So　I　am　going　to　make　you　an　English　peer　and　send　Nesta　a　newspaper　clipping　of　the　Birthday　Honours　with　your　name　in　it；　if　I　have　to　keep　working　till　I　die！　Now　you　know！〃
　Silence　fell。　Mr。　Crocker　drank　cold　coffee。　His　wife　stared　with　gleaming　eyes　into　the　glorious　future。
　〃Do　you　mean　that　I　shall　have　to　stop　on　here　till　they　make　me　a　lord？〃　said　Mr。　Crocker　limply。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Never　go　back　to　America？〃
　〃Not　till　we　have　succeeded。〃
　〃Oh　Gee！　Oh　Gosh！　Oh　Hell！〃　said　Mr。　Crocker；　bursting　the　bonds　of　years。
　Mrs。　Crocker　though　resolute；　was　not　unkindly。　She　made　allowances　for　her　husband's　state　of　mind。　She　was　willing　to　permit　even　American　expletives　during　the　sinking…in　process　of　her　great　idea；　much　as　a　broad…minded　cowboy　might　listen　indulgently　to　the　squealing　of　a　mustang　during　the　branding　process。　Docility　and　obedience　would　he　demanded　of　him　later；　but　not　till　the　first　agony　had　abated。　She　spoke　soothingly　to　him。
　〃I　am　glad　we　have　had　this　talk；　Bingley。　It　is　best　that　you　should　know。　It　will　help　you　to　realise　your　responsibilities。　And　that　brings　me　back　to　James。　Thank　goodness　Lord　Percy　Whipple　is　in　town。　He　is　about　James'　age；　and　from　what　Lady　Corstorphine　tells　me　will　be　an　ideal　friend　for　him。　You　understand　who　he　is；　of　course？　The　second　son　of　the　Duke　of　Devizes；　the　Premier's　closest　friend；　the　man　who　can　practically　dictate　the　Birthday　Honours。　If　James　and　Lord　Percy　can　only　form　a　close　friendship；　our　battle　will　be　as　good　as　won。　It　will　mean　everything。　Lady　Corstorphine　has　promised　to　arrange　a　meeting。　In　the　meantime；　I　will　speak　to　James　and　warn　him　to　be　more　careful。〃
　Mr。　Crocker　had　produced　a　stump　of