pgw.piccadillyjim-第3章

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u　knowand　make　it　run　about　a　lot。　And　in　about　a　week　the　dog's　as　well　and　happy　and　nice　as　he　can　possibly　be。〃
　〃Oh；〃　said　Mr。　Pett；　disappointed。
　Ann　touched　the　keys　of　her　machine　softly。
　〃Why　I　mentioned　Mr。　Smethurst；〃　she　said；　〃it　was　because　we　had　been　talking　of　Ogden。　Don't　you　think　his　treatment　would　be　just　what　Ogden　needs？〃
　Mr。　Pett's　eyes　gleamed。
　〃It's　a　shame　he　can't　have　a　week　or　two　of　it！〃
　Ann　played　a　little　tune　with　her　finger…tips　on　the　desk。
　〃It　would　do　him　good；　wouldn't　it？〃
　Silence　fell　upon　the　room；　broken　only　by　the　tapping　of　the　typewriter。　Mr。　Pett；　having　finished　the　ic　supplement；　turned　to　the　sporting　section；　for　he　was　a　baseball　fan　of　no　lukewarm　order。　The　claims　of　business　did　not　permit　him　to　see　as　many　games　as　he　could　wish；　but　he　followed　the　national　pastime　closely　on　the　printed　page　and　had　an　admiration　for　the　Napoleonic　gifts　of　Mr。　McGraw　which　would　have　gratified　that　gentleman　had　he　known　of　it。
　〃Uncle　Peter；〃　said　Ann；　turning　round　again。
　〃Eh？〃
　〃It's　funny　you　should　have　been　talking　about　Ogden　getting　kidnapped。　This　story　of　aunt　Nesta's　is　all　about　an　angel…childI　suppose　it's　meant　to　be　Ogdenbeing　stolen　and　hidden　and　all　that。　It's　odd　that　she　should　write　stories　like　this。　You　wouldn't　expect　it　of　her。〃
　〃Your　aunt；〃　said　Mr。　Pett；　〃lets　her　mind　run　on　that　sort　of　thing　a　good　deal。　She　tells　me　there　was　a　time；　not　so　long　ago；　when　half　the　kidnappers　in　America　were　after　him。　She　sent　him　to　school　in　Englandor；　rather；　her　husband　did。　They　were　separated　thenand；　as　far　as　I　can　follow　the　story；　they　all　took　the　next　boat　and　besieged　the　place。〃
　〃It's　a　pity　somebody　doesn't　smuggle　him　away　now　and　keep　him　till　he's　a　better　boy。〃
　〃Ah！〃　said　Mr。　Pett　wistfully。
　Ann　looked　at　him　fixedly；　but　his　eyes　were　once　more　on　his　paper。　She　gave　a　little　sigh；　and　turned　to　her　work　again。
　〃It's　quite　demoralising；　typing　aunt　Nesta's　stories；〃　she　said。　〃They　put　ideas　into　one's　head。〃
　Mr。　Pett　said　nothing。　He　was　reading　an　article　of　medical　interest　in　the　magazine　section；　for　he　was　a　man　who　ploughed　steadily　through　his　Sunday　paper；　omitting　nothing。　The　typewriter　began　tapping　again。
　〃Great　Godfrey！〃
　Ann　swung　round；　and　gazed　at　her　uncle　in　concern。　He　was　staring　blankly　at　the　paper。
　〃What's　the　matter？〃
　The　page　on　which　Mr。　Pett's　attention　was　concentrated　was　decorated　with　a　fanciful　picture　in　bold　lines　of　a　young　man　in　evening　dress　pursuing　a　young　woman　similarly　clad　along　what　appeared　to　be　a　restaurant　supper…table。　An　enjoyable　time　was　apparently　being　had　by　both。　Across　the　page　this　legend　ran：
　PICCADILLY　JIM　ONCE　MORE
　The　Recent　Adventures　of　Young　Mr。　Crocker
　of　New　York　and　London
　It　was　not　upon　the　title；　however；　nor　upon　the　illustration　that　Mr。　Pett's　fascinated　eye　rested。　What　he　was　looking　at　was　a　small　reproduction　of　a　photograph　which　had　been　inserted　in　the　body　of　the　article。　It　was　the　photograph　of　a　woman　in　the　early　forties；　rather　formidably　handsome；　beneath　which　were　printed　the　words：
　Mrs。　Nesta　Ford　Pett
　Well…Known　Society　Leader　and　Authoress
　Ann　had　risen　and　was　peering　over　his　shoulder。　She　frowned　as　she　caught　sight　of　the　heading　of　the　page。　Then　her　eye　fell　upon　the　photograph。
　〃Good　gracious！　Why　have　they　got　aunt　Nesta's　picture　there？〃
　Mr。　Pett　breathed　a　deep　and　gloomy　breath。
　〃They've　found　out　she's　his　aunt。　I　was　afraid　they　would。　I　don't　know　what　she　will　say　when　she　sees　this。〃
　〃Don't　let　her　see　it。〃
　〃She　has　the　paper　downstairs。　She's　probably　reading　it　now。〃
　Ann　was　glancing　through　the　article。
　〃It　seems　to　be　much　the　same　sort　of　thing　that　they　have　published　before。　I　can't　understand　why　the　Chronicle　takes　such　an　interest　in　Jimmy　Crocker。〃
　〃Well；　you　see　he　used　to　be　a　newspaper　man；　and　the　Chronicle　was　the　paper　he　worked　for。〃
　Ann　flushed。
　〃I　know；〃　she　said　shortly。
　Something　in　her　tone　arrested　Mr。　Pett's　attention。
　〃Yes；　yes；　of　course；〃　he　said　hastily。　〃I　was　forgetting。〃
　There　was　an　awkward　silence。　Mr。　Pett　coughed。　The　matter　of　young　Mr。　Crocker's　erstwhile　connection　with　the　New　York　Chronicle　was　one　which　they　had　tacitly　decided　to　refrain　from　mentioning。
　〃I　didn't　know　he　was　your　nephew；　uncle　Peter。〃
　〃Nephew　by　marriage；〃　corrected　Mr。　Pett　a　little　hurriedly。　〃Nesta's　sister　Eugenia　married　his　father。〃
　〃I　suppose　that　makes　me　a　sort　of　cousin。〃
　〃A　distant　cousin。〃
　〃It　can't　be　too　distant　for　me。〃
　There　was　a　sound　of　hurried　footsteps　outside　the　door。　Mrs。　Pett　entered；　holding　a　paper　in　her　hand。　She　waved　it　before　Mr。　Pett's　sympathetic　face。
　〃I　know；　my　dear；〃　he　said　backing。　〃Ann　and　I　were　just　talking　about　it。〃
　The　little　photograph　had　not　done　Mrs。　Pett　justice。　Seen　life…size；　she　was　both　handsomer　and　more　formidable　than　she　appeared　in　reproduction。　She　was　a　large　woman；　with　a　fine　figure　and　bold　and　pelling　eyes；　and　her　personality　crashed　disturbingly　into　the　quiet　atmosphere　of　the　room。　She　was　the　type　of　woman　whom　small；　diffident　men　seem　to　marry　instinctively；　as　unable　to　help　themselves　as　cockleshell　boats　sucked　into　a　maelstrom。
　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　about　it？〃　she　demanded；　sinking　heavily　into　the　chair　which　her　husband　had　vacated。
　This　was　an　aspect　of　the　matter　which　had　not　occurred　to　Mr。　Pett。　He　had　not　contemplated　the　possibility　of　actually　doing　anything。　Nature　had　made　him　out　of　office　hours　essentially　a　passive　organism；　and　it　was　his　tendency；　when　he　found　himself　in　a　sea　of　troubles；　to　float　plaintively；　not　to　take　arms　against　it。　To　pick　up　the　slings　and　arrows　of　outrageous　fortune　and　fling　them　back　was　not　a　habit　of　his。　He　scratched　his　chin　and　said　nothing。　He　went　on　saying　nothing。
　〃If　Eugenia　had　had　any　sense；　she　would　have　foreseen　what　would　happen　if　she　took　the　boy　away　from　New　York　where　he　was　working　too　hard　to　get　into　mischief　and　let　him　run　loose　in　London　with　too　much　money　and　nothing　to　do。　But；　if　she　had　had　any　sense；　she　would　never　have　married　that　impossible　Crocker　man。　As　I　told　her。〃
　Mrs。　Pett　paused；　and　her　eyes　glowed　with　reminiscent　fire。　She　was　recalling　the　scene　which　had　taken　place　three　years　ago　between　her　sister　and　herself；　when　Eugenia　had　told　her　of　her　intention　to　marry　an　obscure　and　middle…aged　actor　named　Bingley　Crocker。　Mrs。　Pett　had　never　seen　Bingley　Crocker；　but　she　had　condemned　the　proposed　match　in　terms　which　had　ended　definitely　and　forever　her　relations　with　her　sister。　Eugenia　was　not　a　woman　who　weled　criticism　of　her　actions。　She　was　cast　in　the　same　formidable　mould　as　Mrs。　Pett　and　resembled　her　strikingly　both　in　appearance　and　character。
　Mrs。　Pett　returned　to　the　present。　The　past　could　look　after　itself。　The　present　demanded　surgery。
　〃One　would　have　thought　it　would　have　been　obvious　even　to　Eugenia　that　a　boy　of　twenty…one　needed　regular　work。〃
　Mr。　Pett　was　glad　to　e　out　of　his　shell　here。　He　was　the　Apostle　of　Work；　and　this　sentiment　pleased　him。
　〃That's　right；〃　he　said。　〃Every　boy　ought　to　have　work。〃
　〃Look　at　this　young　Crocker's　record　since　he　went　to　live　in　London。　He　is　always　doing　something　to　make　himself　notorious。　There　was　that　breach…of…promise　case；　and　that　fight　at　the　political　meeting；　and　his　escapades　at　Monte　Carlo；　andand　everything。　And　he　must　be　drinking　himself　to　death。　I　think　Eugenia's　insane。　She　seems　to　have　no　influence　over　him　at　all。〃
　Mr。　Pett　moaned　sympathetically。
　〃And　now　the　papers　have　found　out　that　I　am　his　aunt；　and　I　suppose　they　will　print　my　photograph　whenever　they　publish　an　article　about　him。〃
　She　ceased　and　sat　rigid　with　just　wrath。　Mr。　Pett；　who　always　felt　his　responsibilities　as　chorus　keenly　during　these　wifely　monologues；　surmised　that　a　remark　from　him　was　indicated。
　〃It's　tough；〃　he　said。
　Mrs。　Pett　turned　on　him　like　a　wounded　tigress。
　〃What　is　the　use　of　saying　that？　It's　no　use　saying　anything。〃
　〃No；　no；〃　said　Mr。　Pett；　prudently　refraining　from　pointing　out　that　she　had　already　said　a　good　dea