pgw.piccadillyjim-第10章

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ime；　I　will　speak　to　James　and　warn　him　to　be　more　careful。〃
　Mr。　Crocker　had　produced　a　stump　of　pencil　from　his　pocket　and　was　writing　on　the　table…cloth。
　　　　Lord　Crocker　　　　　Lord　Bingley　Crocker　　　　　Lord　Crocker　of　Crocker　　　　　The　Marquis　of　Crocker　　　　　Baron　Crocker　　　　　Bingley；　first　Viscount　Crocker
　He　blanched　as　he　read　the　frightful　words。　A　sudden　thought　stung　him。
　〃Eugenia！〃
　〃Well？〃
　〃What　will　the　boys　at　the　Lambs　say？〃
　〃I　am　not　interested；〃　replied　his　wife；　〃in　the　boys　at　the　Lambs。〃
　〃I　thought　you　wouldn't　be；〃　said　the　future　baron　gloomily。
　
　CHAPTER　III
　FAMILY　JARS
　
　IT　is　a　peculiarity　of　the　human　mind　that；　with　whatever　apprehension　it　may　be　regarding　the　distant　future；　it　must　return　after　a　while　to　face　the　minor　troubles　of　the　future　that　is　immediate。　The　prospect　of　a　visit　to　the　dentist　this　afternoon　causes　us　to　forget　for　the　moment　the　prospect　of　total　ruin　next　year。　Mr。　Crocker；　therefore；　having　tortured　himself　for　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　with　his　meditations　on　the　subject　of　titles；　was　jerked　back　to　a　more　imminent　calamity　than　the　appearance　of　his　name　in　the　Birthday　Honoursthe　fact　that　in　all　probability　he　would　be　taken　again　this　morning　to　watch　the　continuation　of　that　infernal　cricket…match；　and　would　be　pelled　to　spend　the　greater　part　of　to…day；　as　he　had　spent　the　greater　part　of　yesterday；　bored　to　the　verge　of　dissolution　in　the　pavilion　at　Lord's。
　One　gleam　of　hope　alone　presented　itself。　Like　baseball；　this　pastime　of　cricket　was　apparently　affected　by　rain；　if　there　had　been　enough　of　it。　He　had　an　idea　that　there　had　been　a　good　deal　of　rain　in　the　night；　but　had　there　been　sufficient　to　cause　the　teams　of　Surrey　and　Kent　to　postpone　the　second　instalment　of　their　serial　struggle？　He　rose　from　the　table　and　went　out　into　the　hall。　It　was　his　purpose　to　sally　out　into　Grosvenor　Square　and　examine　the　turf　in　its　centre　with　the　heel　of　his　shoe；　in　order　to　determine　the　stickiness　or　non…stickiness　of　the　wicket。　He　moved　towards　the　front　door；　hoping　for　the　best；　and　just　as　he　reached　it　the　bell　rang。
　One　of　the　bad　habits　of　which　his　wife　had　cured　Mr。　Crocker　in　the　course　of　the　years　was　the　habit　of　going　and　answering　doors。　He　had　been　brought　up　in　surroundings　where　every　man　was　his　own　door…keeper；　and　it　had　been　among　his　hardest　tasks　to　learn　the　lesson　that　the　perfect　gentleman　does　not　open　doors　but　waits　for　the　appropriate　menial　to　e　along　and　do　it　for　him。　He　had　succeeded　at　length　in　mastering　this　great　truth；　and　nowadays　seldom　offended。　But　this　morning　his　mind　was　clouded　by　his　troubles；　and　instinct；　allaying　itself　with　opportunity；　was　too　much　for　him。　His　fingers　had　been　on　the　handle　when　the　ring　came；　so　he　turned　it。
　At　the　top　of　the　steps　which　connect　the　main　entrance　of　Drexdale　House　with　the　sidewalk　three　persons　were　standing。　One　was　a　tall　and　formidably　handsome　woman　in　the　early　forties　whose　appearance　seemed　somehow　oddly　familiar。　The　second　was　a　small；　fat；　blobby；　bulging　boy　who　was　chewing　something。　The　third；　lurking　diffidently　in　the　rear；　was　a　little　man　of　about　Mr。　Crocker's　own　age；　grey…haired　and　thin　with　brown　eyes　that　gazed　meekly　through　rimless　glasses。
　Nobody　could　have　been　less　obtrusive　than　this　person；　yet　it　was　he　who　gripped　Mr。　Crocker's　attention　and　caused　that　home…sick　sufferer's　heart　to　give　an　almost　painful　leap。　For　he　was　clothed　in　one　of　those　roomy　suits　with　square　shoulders　which　to　the　seeing　eye　are　as　republican　as　the　Stars　and　Stripes。　His　blunt…toed　yellow　shoes　sang　gaily　of　home。　And　his　hat　was　not　so　much　a　hat　as　an　effusive　greeting　from　Gotham。　A　long　time　had　passed　since　Mr。　Crocker　had　set　eyes　upon　a　biped　so　exhilaratingly　American；　and　rapture　held　him　speechless；　as　one　who　after　long　exile　beholds　some　landmark　of　his　childhood。
　The　female　member　of　the　party　took　advantage　of　his　dumbnesswhich；　as　she　had　not　unnaturally　mistaken　him　for　the　butler；　she　took　for　a　silent　and　respectful　query　as　to　her　business　and　wishesto　open　the　conversation。
　〃Is　Mrs。　Crocker　at　home？　Please　tell　her　that　Mrs。　Pett　wishes　to　see　her。〃
　There　was　a　rush　and　scurry　in　the　corridors　of　Mr。　Crocker's　brain；　as　about　six　different　thoughts　tried　to　squash　simultaneously　into　that　main　chamber　where　there　is　room　for　only　one　at　a　time。　He　understood　now　why　this　woman's　appearance　had　seemed　familiar。　She　was　his　wife's　sister；　and　that　same　Nesta　who　was　some　day　to　be　pulverised　by　the　sight　of　his　name　in　the　Birthday　Honours。　He　was　profoundly　thankful　that　she　had　mistaken　him　for　the　butler。　A　chill　passed　through　him　as　he　pictured　what　would　have　been　Eugenia's　reception　of　the　information　that　he　had　mitted　such　a　bourgeois　solecism　as　opening　the　front　door　to　Mrs。　Pett　of　all　people；　who　already　despised　him　as　a　low　vulgarian。　There　had　been　trouble　enough　when　she　had　found　him　opening　it　a　few　weeks　before　to　a　mere　collector　of　subscriptions　for　a　charity。　He　perceived；　with　a　clarity　remarkable　in　view　of　the　fact　that　the　discovery　of　her　identity　had　given　him　a　feeling　of　physical　dizziness；　that　at　all　costs　he　must　foster　this　misapprehension　on　his　sister…in…law's　part。
　Fortunately　he　was　in　a　position　to　do　so。　He　knew　all　about　what　butlers　did　and　what　they　said　on　these　occasions；　for　in　his　innocently　curious　way　he　had　often　pumped　Bayliss　on　the　subject。　He　bowed　silently　and　led　the　way　to　the　morning…room；　followed　by　the　drove　of　Petts：　then；　opening　the　door；　stood　aside　to　allow　the　procession　to　march　past　the　given　point。
　〃I　will　inform　Mrs。　Crocker　that　you　are　here；　madam。〃
　Mrs。　Pett；　shepherding　the　chewing　child　before　her；　passed　into　the　room。　In　the　light　of　her　outspoken　sentiments　regarding　her　brother…in…law；　it　is　curious　to　reflect　that　his　manner　at　this；　their　first　meeting；　had　deeply　impressed　her。　After　many　months　of　smouldering　revolt　she　had　dismissed　her　own　butler　a　day　or　so　before　sailing　for　England；　and　for　the　first　time　envy　of　her　sister　Eugenia　gripped　her。　She　did　not　covet　Eugenia's　other　worldly　possessions；　but　she　did　grudge　her　this　supreme　butler。
　Mr。　Pett；　meanwhile；　had　been　trailing　in　the　rear　with　a　hunted　expression　on　his　face。　He　wore　the　unmistakable　look　of　a　man　about　to　be　present　at　a　row　between　women；　and　only　a　wet　cat　in　a　strange　back…yard　bears　itself　with　less　jauntiness　than　a　man　faced　by　such　a　prospect。　A　millionaire　several　times　over；　Mr。　Pett　would　cheerfully　have　given　much　of　his　wealth　to　have　been　elsewhere　at　that　moment。　Such　was　the　agitated　state　of　his　mind　that；　when　a　hand　was　laid　lightly　upon　his　arm　as　he　was　about　to　follow　his　wife　into　the　room；　he　started　so　violently　that　his　hat　flew　out　of　his　hand。　He　turned　to　meet　the　eyes　of　the　butler　who　had　admitted　him　to　the　house；　fixed　on　his　in　an　appealing　stare。
　〃Who's　leading　in　the　pennant　race？〃　said　this　strange　butler　in　a　feverish　whisper。
　It　was　a　question；　ing　from　such　a　source；　which　in　another　than　Mr。　Pett　might　well　have　provoked　a　blank　stare　of　amazement。　Such；　however；　is　the　almost　superhuman　intelligence　and　quickness　of　mind　engendered　by　the　study　of　America's　national　game　that　he　answered　without　the　slightest　hesitation。
　〃Giants！〃
　〃Wow！〃　said　the　butler。
　No　sense　of　anything　strange　or　untoward　about　the　situation　came　to　mar　the　perfect　joy　of　Mr。　Pett；　the　overmastering　joy　of　the　baseball　fan　who　in　a　strange　land　unexpectedly　encounters　a　brother。　He　thrilled　with　a　happiness　which　he　had　never　hoped　to　feel　that　morning。
　〃No　signs　of　them　slumping？〃　enquired　the　butler。
　〃No。　But　you　never　can　tell。　It's　early　yet。　I've　seen　those　boys　lead　the　league　till　the　end　of　August　and　then　be　nosed　out。〃
　〃True　enough；〃　said　the　butler　sadly。
　〃Matty's　in　shape。〃
　〃He　is？　The　old　souper　working　well？〃
　〃Like　a　machine。　He　shut　out　the　Cubs　the　day　before　I　sailed！〃
　〃Fine！〃
　At　this　point　an　appreciation　of　the　unusualness　of　the　proceedings　began　to　steal　upon　Mr。　Pett。　He　gaped　at　this　surprising　servitor。
　〃How　on　earth　do　you　know　anything　about　baseball？〃　he