english stories-london-第13部分

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Simmons　would　/not/　abide：　it　looked　low。　So　Simmons　went　down；　that

she　might　not　be　wroth　with　him　for　the　thing　when　she　came　back；　and；

as　he　shut　the　door；　he　looked　forth　into　the　street。



A　man　was　loitering　on　the　pavement；　and　prying　curiously　about　the

door。　His　face　was　tanned；　his　hands　were　deep　in　the　pockets　of　his

unbraced　blue　trousers；　and　well　back　on　his　head　he　wore　the

high…crowned　peaked　cap；　topped　with　a　knob　of　wool；　which　is　affected

by　Jack　ashore　about　the　docks。　He　lurched　a　step　nearer　to　the　door；

and　〃Mrs。　Ford　ain't　in；　is　she？〃　he　said。



Simmons　stared　at　him　for　a　matter　of　five　seconds；　and　then　said；

〃Eh？〃



〃Mrs。　Ford　as　was；　thenSimmons　now；　ain't　it？〃



He　said　this　with　a　furtive　leer　that　Simmons　neither　liked　nor

understood。



〃No；〃　said　Simmons；　〃she　ain't　in　now。〃



〃You　ain't　her　'usband；　are　ye？〃



〃Yus。〃



The　man　took　his　pipe　from　his　mouth　and　grinned　silently　and　long。

〃Blimy；〃　he　said　at　length；　〃you　look　like　the　sort　o'　bloke　she'd

like；〃　and　with　that　he　grinned　again。　Then；　seeing　that　Simmons　made

ready　to　shut　the　door；　he　put　a　foot　on　the　sill　and　a　hand　against

the　panel。　〃Don't　be　in　a　'hurry；　matey；〃　he　said；　〃I　come　'ere　t'

'ave　a　little　talk　with　you；　man　to　man；　d'　ye　see？〃　And　he　frowned

fiercely。



Tommy　Simmons　felt　uncomfortable；　but　the　door　would　not　shut；　so　he

parleyed。　〃Wotjer　want？〃　he　asked；　〃I　dunno　you。〃



〃Then；　if　you'll　excuse　the　liberty；　I'll　interdooce　meself；　in　a

manner　of　speaking。〃　He　touched　his　cap　with　a　bob　of　mock　humility。

〃I'm　Bob　Ford；〃　he　said；　〃come　back　out　o'　kingdom　come　so　to　say。　Me

as　went　down　with　the　/Mooltan/safe　dead　five　year　gone。　I　come　to

see　my　wife。〃



During　this　speech　Thomas　Simmons's　jaw　was　dropping　lower　and　lower。

At　the　end　of　it　he　poked　his　fingers　up　through　his　hair；　looked　down

at　the　mat；　then　up　at　the　fanlight；　then　out　into　the　street；　then

hard　at　his　visitor。　But　he　found　nothing　to　say。



〃Come　to　see　my　wife；〃　the　man　repeated。　〃So　now　we　can　talk　it　over

as　man　to　man。〃



Simmons　slowly　shut　his　mouth；　and　led　the　way　upstairs　mechanically；

his　fingers　still　in　his　hair。　A　sense　of　the　state　of　affairs　sank

gradually　into　his　brain；　and　the　small　devil　woke　again。　Suppose　this

man　/was/　Ford？　Suppose　he　/did/　claim　his　wife？　Would　it　be　a　knock…

down　blow？　Would　it　hit　him　out？or　not？　He　thought　of　the　trousers；

the　tea…things；　the　mangling；　the　knives；　the　kettles；　and　the

windows；　and　he　thought　of　them　in　the　way　of　a　backslider。



On　the　landing　Ford　clutched　at　his　arm；　and　asked　in　a　hoarse

whisper；　〃　'Ow　long　'fore　she's　back？〃



〃　'Bout　an　hour；　I　expect；〃　Simmons　replied；　having　first　of　all

repeated　the　question　in　his　own　mind。　And　then　he　opened　the　parlour

door。



〃Ah；〃　said　Ford；　looking　about　him；　〃you've　bin　pretty　comf'table。

Them　chairs　an'　things；〃　jerking　his　pipe　toward　them；　〃was　hers

mine；　that　is　to　say；　speakin'　straight；　and　man　to　man。〃　He　sat　down；

puffing　meditatively　at　his　pipe；　and　presently；　〃Well；〃　he　continued；

〃　'ere　I　am　agin；　ol'　Bob　Ford；　dead　an'　done　forgone　down　in　the

/Mooltan/。　On'y　I　/ain't/　done　for；　see？〃　And　he　pointed　the　stem　of

his　pipe　at　Simmons's　waistcoat。　〃I　ain't　done　for；　'cause　why？

Cons'kence　o'　bein'　picked　up　by　a　ol'　German　sailin'…'utch　an'　took

to　'Frisco　'fore　the　mast。　I've　'ad　a　few　years　o'　knockin'　about

since　then；　an'　now〃looking　hard　at　Simmons〃I've　come　back　to　see

my　wife。〃



〃Sheshe　don't　like　smoke　in　'ere；〃　said　Simmons；　as　it　were　at

random。



〃No；　I　bet　she　don't；〃　Ford　answered；　taking　his　pipe　from　his　mouth

and　holding　it　low　in　his　hand。　〃I　know　'Anner。　'Ow　d'　you　find　'her？

Do　she　make　ye　clean　the　winders？〃



〃Well；〃　Simmons　admitted；　uneasily；　〃II　do　'elp　'er　sometimes；　o'

course。〃



〃Ah！　An'　the　knives　too；　I　bet；　an'　the　bloomin'　kittles。　I　know。

W'y〃he　rose　and　bent　to　look　behind　Simmons's　head〃s'　'elp　me；　I

b'lieve　she　cuts　yer　'air！　Well；　I'm　dammed！　Jes'　wot　she　would　do；

too。〃



He　inspected　the　blushing　Simmons　from　divers　points　of　vantage。　Then

he　lifted　a　leg　of　the　trousers　hanging　behind　the　door。　〃I'd　bet　a

trifle；〃　he　said；　〃she　made　these　'ere　trucks。　No…body　else　'ud　do　'em

like　that。　Damme！　they're　wuss'n　wot　you're　got　on。〃



The　small　devil　began　to　have　the　argument　all　its　own　way。　If　this

man　took　his　wife　back　perhaps　he'd　have　to　wear　those　trousers。



〃Ah；〃　Ford　pursued；　〃she　ain't　got　no　milder。　An'；　my　davy；　wot　a

jore！〃



Simmons　began　to　feel　that　this　was　no　longer　his　business。　Plainly；

'Anner　was　this　other　man's　wife；　and　he　was　bound　in　honour　to

acknowledge　the　fact。　The　small　devil　put　it　to　him　as　a　matter　of

duty。



〃Well；〃　said　Ford；　suddenly；　〃time's　short　an'　this　ain't　business。　I

won't　be　'ard　on　you；　matey。　I　ought　prop'ly　to　stand　on　my　rights；

but　seein'　as　you're　a　well…meaning　young　man；　so　to　speak；　an'　all

settled　an'　a…livin'　'ere　quiet　an'　matrimonual；　I'll〃this　with　a

burst　of　generosity〃damme！　yus；　I'll　compound　the　felony　an'　take　me

'ook。　Come；　I'll　name　a　figure；　as　man　to　man；　fust　an'　last；　no　less

an'　no　more。　Five　pound　does　it。〃



Simmons　hadn't　five　pounds；he　hadn't　even　fivepence；and　he　said

so。　〃An'　I　wouldn't　think　to　come　between　a　man　an'　'is　wife；〃　he

added；　〃not　on　no　account。　It　may　be　rough　on　me；　but　it's　a　dooty。

/I'll/　'ook　it。〃



〃No；〃　said　Ford；　hastily；　clutching　Simmons　by　the　arm；　〃don't　do

that。　I'll　make　it　a　bit　cheaper。　Say　three　quidcome；　that's

reasonable；　ain't　it？　Three　quid　ain't　much　compensation　for　me　goin'

away　for　everwhere　the　stormy　winds　do　blow；　so　to　sayan'　never　as

much　as　seein'　me　own　wife　agin　for　better　nor　wuss。　Between　man　an'

man；　now；　three　quid；　an'　I'll　shunt。　That's　fair；　ain't　it？〃



〃Of　course　it's　fair；〃　Simmons　replied；　effusively。　〃It's　more'n　fair：

it's　nobledownright　noble；　/I/　call　it。　But　I　ain't　goin'　to　take　a

mean　advantage　o'　your　good…'artedness；　Mr。　Ford。　She's　your　wife；　an'

I　oughtn't　to　'a'　come　between　you。　I　apologise。　You　stop　an'　'ave　yer

proper　rights。　It's　me　as　ought　to　shunt；　an'　I　will。〃　And　he　made　a

step　toward　the　door。



〃　'Old　on；〃　quoth　Ford；　and　got　between　Simmons　and　the　door；　〃don't

do　things　rash。　Look　wot　a　loss　it'll　be　to　you　with　no　'ome　to　go　to；

an'　nobody　to　look　after　ye；　an'　all　that。　It'll　be　dreadful。　Say　a

couplethere；　we　won't　quarrel；　jest　a　single　quid；　between　man　an'

man；　an'　I'll　stand　a　pot　out　o'　the　money。　You　can　easy　raise　a　quid

the　clock　'ud　pretty　nigh　do　it。　A　quid　does　it；　an'　I'll〃



There　was　a　loud　double　knock　at　the　front　door。　In　the　East　End　a

double　knock　is　always　for　the　upstairs　lodgers。



〃Oo's　that？〃　asked　Bob　Ford；　apprehensively。



〃I'll　see；〃　said　Thomas　Simmons；　in　reply；　and　he　made　a　rush　for　the

staircase。



Bob　Ford　heard　him　open　the　front　door。　The　he　went　to　the　window；　and

just　below　him　he　saw　the　crown　of　a　bonnet。　It　vanished；　and　borne　to

him　from　within　the　door　there　fell　upon　his　ear　the　sound　of　a　well…

remembered　female　voice。



〃Where　ye　goin'　now　with　no　'at？〃　asked　the　voice；　sharply。



〃Awright；　'Annerthere'sthere's　somebody　upstairs　to　see　you；〃

Simmons　answered。　And；　as　Bob　Ford　could　see；　a　man　went　scuttling

down　the　street　in　the　gathering　dusk。　And　behold；　it　was　Thomas

Simmons。



Ford　reached　the　landing　in　three　strides。　His　wife　was　still　at　the

front　door；　staring　after　Simmons。　He　flung　into　the　back　room；　threw

open　the　window；　dropped　from　the　wash…house　roof　into　the　back　yard；

scrambled　desperately　over　the　fence；　and　disappeared　into　the　gloom。

He　was　seen　by　no　living　soul。　And　that　is　why　Simmons's　base

desertionunder　his　wife's　very　eyes；　toois　still　an　astonishment

to　the　neighbours。







A　ROSE　OF　THE　GHETTO



BY



ISRAEL　ZANGWILL







One　day　it　occurred　to　Leibel　that　he　ought　to　get　married。　He　went　to

Sugarman　the　Shadchan　forthwith。



〃I　have　the　very　thing　for　you；〃　said　the　great　marriage　broker。



〃Is　she　pretty？〃　asked　Leibel。



〃Her　father　has　a　boot　and　shoe　warehouse；〃　replied　Sugarman；

enthusiastically。



〃Then　there　ought　to　be　a　dowry　with　her；〃　said　Leibel；　eagerly。



〃Certainly　a　dowry！　A　fine　man　like　you！〃



〃How　much　do　you　think　it　would　be？〃



〃Of　course　it　is　not　a　large　warehouse；　but　then　you　could　get　your

boots　at　trade　price；　and　your　wife's；　perhaps；　for　the　cost　of　the

leather。〃



〃When　could　I　see　her？〃



〃I　will　arrange　for　you　to　call　next　Sabbath　afternoon。〃



〃You　won't　charge　me　more　than　a　sovereign？〃



〃Not　a　groschen　more！　Such　a　pious　maiden！　I'm　sure　you　will　be　happy。

She　has　so　much　way…of…the…country　＇breeding＇。　And　of　course　five　per

cent　on　the　dowry？〃



〃H'm！　Well；　I　don't　mind！〃　〃Perhaps　they　won't　give　a　dowry；〃　he

thought　with　a　consolatory　sense　of　outwitting　t