pgw.piccadillyjim-第21章

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imself　resolutely　cheerful；　but　the　girl's　apparently　total　indifference　to　him　was　too　much　for　his　spirits。　One　of　the　young　men　who　had　had　to　pick　up　the　heart　he　had　flung　at　Ann's　feet　and　carry　it　away　for　repairs　had　once　confided　to　an　intimate　friend；　after　the　sting　had　to　some　extent　passed；　that　the　feelings　of　a　man　who　made　love　to　Ann　might　be　likened　to　the　emotions　which　hot　chocolate　might　be　supposed　to　entertain　on　contact　with　vanilla　ice…cream。　Jimmy；　had　the　parison　been　presented　to　him；　would　have　endorsed　its　perfect　accuracy。　The　wind　from　the　sea；　until　now　keen　and　bracing；　had　bee　merely　infernally　cold。　The　song　of　the　wind　in　the　rigging；　erstwhile　melodious；　had　turned　into　a　damned　depressing　howling。
　〃I　used　to　be　as　sentimental　as　any　one　a　few　years　ago；〃　said　Ann；　returning　to　the　dropped　subject。　〃Just　after　I　left　college；　I　was　quite　maudlin。　I　dreamed　of　moons　and　Junes　and　loves　and　doves　all　the　time。　Then　something　happened　which　made　me　see　what　a　little　fool　I　was。　It　wasn't　pleasant　at　the　time；　but　it　had　a　very　bracing　effect。　I　have　been　quite　different　ever　since。　It　was　a　man；　of　course；　who　did　it。　His　method　was　quite　simple。　He　just　made　fun　of　me；　and　Nature　did　the　rest。〃
　Jimmy　scowled　in　the　darkness。　Murderous　thoughts　towards　the　unknown　brute　flooded　his　mind。
　〃I　wish　I　could　meet　him！〃　he　growled。
　〃You　aren't　likely　to；〃　said　Ann。　〃He　lives　in　England。　His　name　is　Crocker。　Jimmy　Crocker。　I　spoke　about　him　just　now。〃
　Through　the　howling　of　the　wind　cut　the　sharp　notes　of　a　bugle。　Ann　turned　to　the　saloon　entrance。
　〃Dinner！〃　she　said　brightly。　〃How　hungry　one　gets　on　board　ship！〃　She　stopped。　〃Aren't　you　ing　down；　Mr。　Bayliss？〃
　〃Not　just　yet；〃　said　Jimmy　thickly。
　
　CHAPTER　VIII
　PAINFUL　SCENE　IN　A　CAFé
　
　THE　noonday　sun　beat　down　on　Park　Row。　Hurrying　mortals；　released　from　a　thousand　offices；　congested　the　sidewalks；　their　thoughts　busy　with　the　vision　of　lunch。　Up　and　down　the　canyon　of　Nassau　Street　the　crowds　moved　more　slowly。　Candy…selling　aliens　jostled　newsboys；　and　huge　dray…horses　endeavoured　to　the　best　of　their　ability　not　to　grind　the　citizenry　beneath　their　hooves。　Eastward；　pressing　on　to　the　City　Hall；　surged　the　usual　dense　army　of　happy　lovers　on　their　way　to　buy　marriage…licenses。　Men　popped　in　and　out　of　the　subway　entrances　like　rabbits。　It　was　a　stirring；　bustling　scene；　typical　of　this　nerve…centre　of　New　York's　vast　body。
　Jimmy　Crocker；　standing　in　the　doorway；　watched　the　throngs　enviously。　There　were　men　in　that　crowd　who　chewed　gum；　there　were　men　who　wore　white　satin　ties　with　imitation　diamond　stick…pins；　there　were　men　who；　having　smoked　seven…tenths　of　a　cigar；　were　eating　the　remainder：　but　there　was　not　one　with　whom　he　would　not　at　that　moment　willingly　have　exchanged　identities。　For　these　men　had　jobs。　And　in　his　present　frame　of　mind　it　seemed　to　him　that　no　further　ingredient　was　needed　for　the　recipe　of　the　ultimate　human　bliss。
　The　poet　has　said　some　very　searching　and　unpleasant　things　about　the　man　〃whose　heart　has　ne'er　within　him　burned　as　home　his　footsteps　he　has　turned　from　wandering　on　some　foreign　strand；〃　but　he　might　have　excused　Jimmy　for　feeling　just　then　not　so　much　a　warmth　of　heart　as　a　cold　and　clammy　sensation　of　dismay。　He　would　have　had　to　admit　that　the　words　〃High　though　his　titles；　proud　his　name；　boundless　his　wealth　as　wish　can　claim〃　did　not　apply　to　Jimmy　Crocker。　The　latter　may　have　been　〃concentred　all　on　self；〃　but　his　wealth　consisted　of　one　hundred　and　thirty…three　dollars　and　forty　cents　and　his　name　was　so　far　from　being　proud　that　the　mere　sight　of　it　in　the　files　of　the　New　York　Sunday　Chronicle；　the　record…room　of　which　he　had　just　been　visiting；　had　made　him　consider　the　fact　that　he　had　changed　it　to　Bayliss　the　most　sensible　act　of　his　career。
　The　reason　for　Jimmy's　lack　of　enthusiasm　as　he　surveyed　the　portion　of　his　native　land　visible　from　his　doorway　is　not　far　to　seek。　The　Atlantic　had　docked　on　Saturday　night；　and　Jimmy；　having　driven　to　an　excellent　hotel　and　engaged　an　expensive　room　therein；　had　left　instructions　at　the　desk　that　breakfast　should　be　served　to　him　at　ten　o'clock　and　with　it　the　Sunday　issue　of　the　Chronicle。　Five　years　had　passed　since　he　had　seen　the　dear　old　rag　for　which　he　had　reported　so　many　fires；　murders；　street…accidents；　and　weddings：　and　he　looked　forward　to　its　perusal　as　a　formal　taking　seisin　of　his　long…neglected　country。　Nothing　could　be　more　fitting　and　symbolic　than　that　the　first　morning　of　his　return　to　America　should　find　him　propped　up　in　bed　reading　the　good　old　Chronicle。　Among　his　final　meditations　as　he　dropped　off　to　sleep　was　a　gentle　speculation　as　to　who　was　City　editor　now　and　whether　the　ic　supplement　was　still　featuring　the　sprightly　adventures　of　the　Doughnut　family。
　A　wave　of　not　unmanly　sentiment　passed　over　him　on　the　following　morning　as　he　reached　out　for　the　paper。　The　sky…line　of　New　York；　seen　as　the　boat　es　up　the　bay；　has　its　points　and　the　rattle　of　the　Elevated　trains　and　the　quaint　odour　of　the　Subway　extend　a　kindly　wele；　but　the　thing　that　really　convinces　the　returned　traveller　that　he　is　back　on　Manhattan　Island　is　the　first　Sunday　paper。　Jimmy；　like　every　one　else；　began　by　opening　the　ic　supplement：　and　as　he　scanned　it　a　chilly　disfort；　almost　a　premonition　of　evil；　came　upon　him。　The　Doughnut　Family　was　no　more。　He　knew　that　it　was　unreasonable　of　him　to　feel　as　if　he　had　just　been　informed　of　the　death　of　a　dear　friend；　for　Pa　Doughnut　and　his　associates　had　been　having　their　adventures　five　years　before　he　had　left　the　country；　and　even　the　toughest　ic　supplementary　hero　rarely　endures　for　a　decade：　but　nevertheless　the　shadow　did　fall　upon　his　morning　optimism；　and　he　derived　no　pleasure　whatever　from　the　artificial　rollickings　of　a　degraded　creature　called　Old　Pop　Dill…Pickle　who　was　offered　as　a　substitute。
　But　this；　he　was　to　discover　almost　immediately；　was　a　trifling　disaster。　It　distressed　him；　but　it　did　not　affect　his　material　welfare。　Tragedy　really　began　when　he　turned　to　the　magazine　section。　Scarcely　had　he　started　to　glance　at　it　when　this　headline　struck　him　like　a　bullet：
　　　　　　　　　　　　PICCADILLY　JIM　AT　IT　AGAIN
　And　beneath　it　his　own　name。
　Nothing　is　so　capable　of　diversity　as　the　emotion　we　feel　on　seeing　our　name　unexpectedly　in　print。　We　may　soar　to　the　heights　or　we　may　sink　to　the　depths。　Jimmy　did　the　latter。　A　mere　cursory　first　inspection　of　the　article　revealed　the　fact　that　it　was　no　eulogy。　With　an　unsparing　hand　the　writer　had　muck…raked　his　eventful　past；　the　text　on　which　he　hung　his　remarks　being　that　ill…fated　encounter　with　Lord　Percy　Whipple　at　the　Six　Hundred　Club。　This　the　scribe　had　recounted　at　a　length　and　with　a　boisterous　vim　which　outdid　even　Bill　Blake's　effort　in　the　London　Daily　Sun。　Bill　Blake　had　been　handicapped　by　consideration　of　space　and　the　fact　that　he　had　turned　in　his　copy　at　an　advanced　hour　when　the　paper　was　almost　made　up。　The　present　writer　was　shackled　by　no　restrictions。　He　had　plenty　of　room　to　spread　himself　in；　and　he　had　spread　himself。　So　liberal　had　been　the　editor's　views　in　the　respect　that；　in　addition　to　the　letter…press；　the　pages　contained　an　unspeakably　offensive　picture　of　a　burly　young　man　in　an　obviously　advanced　condition　of　alcoholism　raising　his　fist　to　strike　a　monocled　youth　in　evening　dress　who　had　so　little　chin　that　Jimmy　was　surprised　that　he　had　ever　been　able　to　hit　it。　The　only　gleam　of　consolation　that　he　could　discover　in　this　repellent　drawing　was　the　fact　that　the　artist　had　treated　Lord　Percy　even　more　scurvily　than　himself。　Among　other　things；　the　second　son　of　the　Duke　of　Devizes　was　depicted　as　wearing　a　coroneta　thing　which　would　have　excited　remark　even　in　a　London　night…club。
　Jimmy　read　the　thing　through　in　its　entirety　three　times　before　he　appreciated　a　nuance　which　his　disordered　mind　had　at　first　failed　to　graspto　wit；　that　this　character…sketch　of　himself　was　no　mere　isolated　outburst　but　apparently　one　of　a　series。　In　several　places　the　writer　alluded　unmistakeably　to　other　theses　on　the　same　subject。
　Jimmy's　breakfast　congealed　on　its　tray；　untouch