首页 >出版文学> The Works of Rudyard Kipling One>第41章
  wouldhavemadehimanything!AnythinginthewideworldHecouldhavegonetotheworld’sendIwouldhavehelpedhimImadehim,didn’tI,Polly?Didn’tIcreatethatman?Doesn’theoweeverythingtome?Andtorewardme,justwheneverythingwasnicelyarranged,bythislunacythatspoiledeverything!”
  “Veryfewmenunderstandyourdevotionthoroughly。”
  “Oh,Polly,don’tlaughatme!IgivemenupfromthishourI
  couldhavekilledhimthenandthereWhatrighthadthisman-thisThingIhadpickedoutofhisfilthypaddy-fields-tomakelovetome?”
  “Hedidthat,didhe?”
  “HedidIdon’trememberhalfhesaid,IwassoangryOh,hutsuchafunnythinghappened!I
  can’thelplaughingatitnow,thoughIfeltnearlyreadytocrywithrageHeravedandI
  stormed-I’mafraidwemusthavemadeanawfulnoiseinourkalajuggahProtectmycharacter,dear,ifit’salloverSimlabyto-morrow-andthenhebobbedforwardinthemiddleofthisinsanity-Ifirmlybelievetheman’sdemented-andkissedme!”
  “Moralsabovereproach。”purredMrsMallowe。
  “Sotheywer~sotheyare!ItwasthemostabsurdkissIdon’tbelievehe’deverkissedawomaninhislifebeforeIthrewmyheadback,anditwasasortofslidy,peckingdab,justontheendofthechin-here。”MrsHauksbeetappedhermasculinelittlechinwithherfan“Then,ofcourse,I
  wasjuriouslyangry,andtoldhimthathewasnogentleman,andI
  wassorryI’devermethim,andsoonHewascrushedsoeasilythatIcouldn’tbeveryangryThenIcameawaystraighttoyou。”
  “Wasthisbeforeoraftersupper?”
  “Oh!before-oceansbeforeIsn’titperfectlydisgusting?”
  “LetmethinkIwithholdjudgmenttillto-morrowMorningbringscounsel。”
  ButmorningbroughtonlyaservantwithadaintybouquetofAnnandalerosesforMrsHauksbeetowearatthedanceatViceregalLodgethatnight。
  “Hedoesn’tseemtobeverypenitent。”saidMrsMallowe“What’sth,’billet-douxinthecentre?”
  MrsHauksbeeopenedtheneatlyfoldednote,-anotheraccomplishmentthatshehadtaughtOtis,-readit,andgroanedtragically。
  “Lastwreckofafeebleintellect!Poetry!Isithisown,doyouthink?Oh,thatIeverbuiltmyhopesonsuchamaudlinidiot!”
  “NoIt’saquotationfromMrsBrowning,and,inviewofthefactsofthecase,asJacksays,uncommonlywellchosenListen-“’Sweetthouhastrodonaheart,Pass!There’saworldfullofmenAndwomenasfairasthouart,Mustdosuchthingsnowandthefl“’Thouonlyhaststeppedunaware-Malicenotonecanimpute;
  Andwhyshouldahearthavebeenthere,Inthewayofafairwoman5foot?’
  “Ididn’t-Ididn’t-Ididn’t!“-saidMrsHauksbee,angrily,hereyesfillingwithtears;“therewasnomaliceatal~Oh,it’stoovexatious!”
  “You’vemisunderstoodthecompliment。”saidMrsMallowe“Heclearsyoucompletelyand-ahem-1shouldthinkbythis,thathehasclearedcompletelytooMyexperienceofmenisthatwhentheybegintoquotepoetry,theyaregoingtoflitLikeswanssingingbeforetheydie,youknow。”
  ’Polly,youtakemysorrowsinamostunfeelingway。”
  “DoI?”Isitsoterrible?Ifhe’shurtyourvanity,Ishouldsaythatyou’vedoneacertainamountofdamagetohisheart。”
  “Oh,younevercantellaboutamansaidMrsHauksbee。
  AtthePit’sMouthMensayitwasastolentid~
  TheLordthatsentitheknowsall,ButinmineearwillayeabideThemessagethatthebellsletfall,Andawesomebellstheyweretome,Thatinthedarkrang,“Enderby。”-
  JeanIngelow。
  ONCEuponatimetherewasamanandhisWifeandaTertiumQuid。
  Allthreewereunwise,buttheWifewastheunwisestTheManshouldhavelookedafterhisWife,whoshouldhaveavoidedtheTertiumQuid,who,again,shouldhavemarriedawifeofhisown,aftercleanandopenflirtations,towhichnobodycanpossiblyobject,roundJakkoorObservatoryHillWhenyouseeayoungmanwithhisponyinawhitelather,andhishatonthebackofhisheadflyingdown-hillatfifteenmilesanhourtomeetagirlwhowillheproperlysurprisedtomeethim,younaturallyapproveofthatyoungman,andwishhimStaffAppointments,andtakeaninterestinhiswelfare,and,asthepropertimecomes,givethemsugar-tongsorside-saddleiaccordingtoyourmeansandgenerosity。
  TheTertiumQuidflewdown-hillonhorseback,butitwastomeettheMan’sWife;andwhenheflewup-hillitwasforthesameend。
  TheManwasinthePlains,earningmoneyforhisWifetospendondressesandfour-hundred-rupeebracelets,andinexpensiveluxuriesofthatkindHeworkedveryhard,andsentheraletterorapost-carddailyShealsowrotetohimdaily,andsaidthatshewaslongingforhimtocomeuptoSimlaTheTertiumQuidusedtoleanoverhershoulderandlaughasshewrotethenotesThenthetwowouldridetothePostOfficetogether。
  Now,Simlaisastrangeplaceanditscustomsarepeculiar;norisanymanwhohasnotspentatleasttenseasonstherequalifiedtopassjudgmentoncircumstantialevidencewhichisthemostuntrustworthyintheCourtsForthesereasons,andforotherswhichneednotappear,IdeclinetostatepositivelywhethertherewasanythingirretrievablywrongintherelationsbetweentheMan’sWifeandtheTertiumQuidIftherewas,andhereonyoumustformyourownopinion,itwastheMan’sWife’sfaultShewaskittenishinhermanners,wearinggenerallyanairofATTHEPIT’SMOUTh201
  “You’vemisunderstoodthecompliment。”saidMrsMallowe“Heclearsyoucompletelyand-ahem-Ishouldthinkbythis,thathehasclearedcompletelytooMyexperienceofmenisthatwhentheybegintoquotepoetry,theyaregoingtoflitLikeswanssing’ngbeforetheydie,youknow。”
  ’Polly,youtakemysorrowsinamostunfeelingway。”
  “DoI?”Isitsoterrible?Ifhe’shurtyourvanity,Ishouldsaythatyou’vedoneacertainamountofdamagetohisheart。”
  “Oh,younevercantellaboutaman!”saidMrsHauksbee。
  AtthePit’sMouthMensayitwasastolentid~
  TheLordthatsentitheknowsall,ButinmineearwillayeabideThemessagethatthebellsletfall,Andawesomebellstheyweretome,Thatinthedarkrang,“Enderby。”-
  JeanIngelaw~
  ONCEuponatimetherewasamanandhisWifeandaTertiumQuid。
  Allthreewereunwise,buttheWifewastheunwisestTheManshouldhavelookedafterhisWife,whoshouldhaveavoidedtheTertiuinQuid,who,again,shouldhavemarriedawifeofhisown,aftercleanandopenflirtations,towhichnobodycanpossiblyobject,roundJakkoorObservatoryHillWhenyouseeayoungmanwithhisponyinawhitelather,andhishatonthebackofhisheadflyingdown-hillatfifteenmilesanhourtomeetagirlwhowillheproperlysurprisedtomeethim,younaturallyapproveofthatyoungman,andwishhimStaffAppointments,andtakeaninterestinhiswelfare,and,asthepropertimecomes,givethemsugar-tongsorside-saddle~accordingtoyourmeansandgenerosity。
  TheTertiumQuidflewdown-hillonhorseback,butitwastomeettheMan’sWife;andwhenheflewup-hillitwasforthesameend。
  TheManwasinthePlains,earningmoneyforhisWifetospendondressesandfour-hundred-rupeebracelets,andinexpensiveluxuriesofthatkindHeworkedveryhard,andsentheraletterorapost-carddailyShealsowrotetohimdaily,andsaidthatshewaslongingforhimtocomeuptoSimlaTheTertiumQuidusedtoleanoverhershoulderandlaughasshewrotethenotesThenthetwowouldridetothePostOfficetogether。
  Now,Simlaisastrangeplaceanditscustomsarepeculiar;norisanymanwhohasnotspentatleasttenseasonstherequalifiedtopassjudgmentoncircumstantialevidencewhichisthemostuntrustworthyintheCourtsForthesereasons,andforotherswhichneednotappear,IdeclinetostatepositivelywhethertherewasanythingirretrievablywrongintherelationsbetweentheMan’sWifeandtheTertiumQuidIftherewas,andhereonyoumustformyourownopinion,itwastheMan’sWife’sfaultShewaskittenishinhermanners,wearinggenerallyanairof201
  WORKSOFRUDYARDKIPLING
  渙ftandfluffyinnocenceButshewasdeidlilylearnedandevil-instructed;and,nowandagain,whenthemaskdropped,mensawthis,snudueredand~almostdrewbackMenareoccasionallyparucular,andtheleastparticularmenarealwaysthemostexacting。
  SimlaiseccentricinitsfashionoftearingfriendshipsCertainattachments~iclihavesetandcrystallizedthroughhalfadozenseasonsacquirealmostthesanctityofthemarriagebond,andarereveredassuchAgain,certainattachmentsequallyold,and,toallappearance,equallyvenerable,neverseemtowinanyrecognizedofficialstatus;whileachance-sprungacquaintancenowtwomonthsborn,stepsintotheplacewhichbyrightbelongstothe~eniorThereisnolawreducibletoprintwhichregulatestheseaffairs。
  Somepeoplehaveagjftwhichsecurestheminfiniteteleration,andothershavenotTheMan’sWifehadnotIfshelookedoverthegardenwall,forin-stance,womentaxedherwithstealingtheirhusbandsShecomplainedpatheticallythatshewasnotallowedtochooseherownfriends。
  Whensheputupherbigwhitemufftoherlips,andgazedoveritandunderhereyebrowsatyouas~hesaidthisthing,youfeltthatshehadbeeninfamouslymisjudged,andthatalltheotherwomen’sinstinctswereallwrong;whichwasabsurdShewasnotallowedtoowntheTertiumQuidinpeace;andwassostrangelyconstructedthatshewouldnothaveenjoyedpeacehadshebeensopermittedShepreferredsomesemblanceofintriguetocloakevenhermostcornmonpiaceactions。
  Afte~twomonthsofriding,firstroundJakko,thenElysium,thenSummerHill,thenObservatoryHill,thepunderJutogh,andlastlyupanddowntheCartRoadasfarastheTaraDevigapinthedusk,shesaidtotheTertiumQuid,’~Frank,peoplesaywearetoomuchtogether,andpeoplearesohorrid。”
  TheTertiumQuidpulledhismoustache,andrepliedthathorridpeoplewereunworthyoftheconsiderationoinicepeople。
  “Buttheyhavedonemorethantalk-theyhavewritten-writtentomyhubby-I’msureofit。”saidtheMan’sWife,andshepulledaletterfromherhusbandoutofhersaddle-pocketan~gaveittotheTertiumQuid。
  Itwasanhonestletter,writtenb~anhonestman,thenstewinginth~Plainsontwohundredrupeesamonthforheallowedhiswifeeighthundre~andfifty,andinasilkbanianandcottontrousersItissaidthat,perhaps,shehadnothoughtoftheunwisdomofallowinghernametobesogenerallycoupledwiththeTertiumQuid’s;thatshewastoomuchofachildtounderstandthedangersofthatsortofthing;thathe,herhusband,wasthelastmanintheworldtointerferejealouslywithherlittleamusementsandinterests,butthatitwouldbebetterwereshetodroptheTertiumQuidquietlyandforherhusband’ssakeTheletterwassweetenedwithmanyprettylittlepetnames,anditamusedtheTertiumQuidconsiderablyHeandShelaughedoverit,sothatyou,fiftyyardsaway,couldseetheirshouldersshakingwhilethehorsesslouchedalongsidebyside。
  TheirconversationwasnotworthreportingTheupshotofitwasthat,ATTHEPIT’la,MOUTh203
  nextday,noonesawtheMan’sWifeandtheTertiumQuidtogetherTheyhadbothgonedowntotheCemetery,whiob,asarule,isonlyvisitedofficiallybytheinhabitantsofSimla。