english stories-london-第4部分

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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　as　he　knowed

him。　He　tells　her　them　things　more　'n　once。〃



〃And　all　this　time　he　is　sitting　at　the　foot　of　the　bed？〃



〃　'Cept　when　he　holds　her　hand。〃



〃But　when　does　he　get　to　bed　himself？〃



〃He　don't　get　much。　He　tells　her　as　he　has　a　sleep　at　the　club。〃



〃He　cannot　say　that。〃



〃Hain't　I　heard　him？　But　he　do　go　to　his　bed　a　bit；　and　then　they　both

lies　quiet；　her　pretending　she　is　sleeping　so　as　he　can　sleep；　and　him

'feard　to　sleep　case　he　shouldn't　wake　up　to　give　her　the　bottle

stuff。〃



〃What　does　the　doctor　say　about　her？〃



〃He's　a　good　one；　the　doctor。　Sometimes　he　says　she　would　get　better

if　she　could　see　the　kid　through　the　window。〃



〃Nonsense！〃



〃And　if　she　was　took　to　the　country。〃



〃Then　why　does　not　William　take　her？〃



〃My！　you　are　green！　And　if　she　drank　port　wines。〃



〃Doesn't　she？〃



〃No；　but　William；　he　tells　her　about　the　gentlemen　drinking　them。〃







On　the　tenth　day　after　my　conversation　with　this　unattractive　child　I

was　in　my　brougham；　with　the　windows　up；　and　I　sat　back；　a　paper

before　my　face　lest　any　one　should　look　in。　Naturally；　I　was　afraid　of

being　seen　in　company　of　William's　wife　and　Jenny；　for　men　about　town

are　uncharitable；　and；　despite　the　explanation　I　had　ready；　might　have

charged　me　with　pitying　William。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　William　was

sending　his　wife　into　Surrey　to　stay　with　an　old　nurse　of　mine；　and　I

was　driving　her　down　because　my　horses　needed　an　outing。　Besides；　I

was　going　that　way　at　any　rate。



I　had　arranged　that　the　girl　Jenny；　who　was　wearing　an　outrageous

bonnet；　should　accompany　us；　because；　knowing　the　greed　of　her　class；

I　feared　she　might　blackmail　me　at　the　club。



William　joined　us　in　the　suburbs；　bringing　the　baby　with　him；　as　I　had

foreseen　they　would　all　be　occupied　with　it；　and　to　save　me　the

trouble　of　conversing　with　them。　Mrs。　Hicking　I　found　too　pale　and

fragile　for　a　workingman's　wife；　and　I　formed　a　mean　opinion　of　her

intelligence　from　her　pride　in　the　baby；　which　was　a　very　ordinary

one。　She　created　quite　a　vulgar　scene　when　it　was　brought　to　her；

though　she　had　given　me　her　word　not　to　do　so；　what　irritated　me　even

more　than　her　tears　being　her　ill…bred　apology　that　she　〃had　been

'feared　baby　wouldn't　know　her　again。〃　I　would　have　told　her　they

didn't　know　any　one　for　years　had　I　not　been　afraid　of　the　girl　Jenny；

who　dandled　the　infant　on　her　knees　and　talked　to　it　as　if　it

understood。　She　kept　me　on　tenter…hooks　by　asking　it　offensive

questions；　such　as；　〃　'Oo　know　who　give　me　that　bonnet？〃　and　answering

them　herself；　〃It　was　the　pretty　gentleman　there；〃　and　several　times　I

had　to　affect　sleep　because　she　announced；　〃Kiddy　wants　to　kiss　the

pretty　gentleman。〃



Irksome　as　all　this　necessarily　was　to　a　man　of　taste；　I　suffered　even

more　when　we　reached　our　destination。　As　we　drove　through　the　village

the　girl　Jenny　uttered　shrieks　of　delig