pgw.piccadillyjim-第32章

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　〃Jimmy；〃　prompted　his　nephew。
　〃Eh？〃
　〃Add　the　word　Jimmy　to　your　remarks。　It　will　help　me　to　feel　at　home　and　enable　me　to　overe　my　shyness。〃
　Mr。　Pett　chuckled。
　〃Shyness！　If　I　had　your　nerve！〃　He　broke　off　with　a　sigh　and　looked　at　Jimmy　affectionately。　〃What　I　was　thinking　was　that　you're　a　good　boy。　At　least；　you're　not；　but　you're　different　from　that　gang　ofofthat　crowd　up…town。〃
　〃What　crowd？〃
　〃Your　aunt　is　literary；　you　know。　She's　filled　the　house　with　poets　and　that　sort　of　thing。　It　will　be　a　treat　having　you　around。　You're　human！　I　don't　see　that　we're　going　to　make　much　of　you　now　that　you're　here；　but　I'm　darned　glad　you've　e；　Jimmy！〃
　〃Put　it　there；　uncle　Pete！〃　said　Jimmy。　〃You're　all　right。　You're　the　finest　Captain　of　Industry　I　ever　met！〃
　
　CHAPTER　XIII
　SLIGHT　PLICATIONS
　
　THEY　left　the　subway　at　Ninety…sixth　Street　and　walked　up　the　Drive。　Jimmy；　like　every　one　else　who　saw　it　for　the　first　time；　experienced　a　slight　shock　at　the　sight　of　the　Pett　mansion；　but；　rallying；　followed　his　uncle　up　the　flagged　path　to　the　front　door。
　〃Your　aunt　will　be　in　the　drawing…room；　I　guess；〃　said　Mr。　Pett；　opening　the　door　with　his　key。
　Jimmy　was　looking　round　him　appreciatively。　Mr。　Pett's　house　might　be　an　eyesore　from　without；　but　inside　it　had　had　the　benefit　of　the　skill　of　the　best　interior　decorator　in　New　York。
　〃A　man　could　be　very　happy　in　a　house　like　this；　if　he　didn't　have　to　poison　his　days　with　work；〃　said　Jimmy。
　Mr。　Pett　looked　alarmed。
　〃Don't　go　saying　anything　like　that　to　your　aunt！〃　he　urged。　〃She　thinks　you　have　e　to　settle　down。〃
　〃So　I　have。　I'm　going　to　settle　down　like　a　limpet。　I　hope　I　shall　be　living　in　luxury　on　you　twenty　years　from　now。　Is　this　the　room？〃
　Mr。　Pett　opened　the　drawing…room　door。　A　small　hairy　object　sprang　from　a　basket　and　stood　yapping　in　the　middle　of　the　room。　This　was　Aida；　Mrs。　Pett's　Pomeranian。　Mr。　Pett；　avoiding　the　animal　coldly；　for　he　disliked　it；　ushered　Jimmy　into　the　room。
　〃Here's　Jimmy　Crocker；　Nesta。〃
　Jimmy　was　aware　of　a　handsome　woman　of　middle　age；　so　like　his　step…mother　that　for　an　instant　his　self…possession　left　him　and　he　stammered。
　〃Howhow　do　you　do？〃
　His　demeanour　made　a　favourable　impression　on　Mrs。　Pett。　She　took　it　for　the　decent　confusion　of　remorse。
　〃I　was　very　surprised　when　your　uncle　telephoned　me；〃　she　said。　〃I　had　not　the　slightest　idea　that　you　were　ing　over。　I　am　very　glad　to　see　you。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　〃This　is　your　cousin；　Ogden。〃
　Jimmy　perceived　a　fat　boy　lying　on　a　settee。　He　had　not　risen　on　Jimmy's　entrance；　and　he　did　not　rise　now。　He　did　not　even　lower　the　book　he　was　reading。
　〃Hello；〃　he　said。
　Jimmy　crossed　over　to　the　settee；　and　looked　down　on　him。　He　had　got　over　his　momentary　embarrassment；　and；　as　usual　with　him；　the　reaction　led　to　a　fatal　breeziness。　He　prodded　Ogden　in　his　well…covered　ribs；　producing　a　yelp　of　protest　from　that　astounded　youth。
　〃So　this　is　Ogden！　Well；　well；　well！　You　don't　grow　up；　Ogden；　but　you　do　grow　out。　What　are　youa　perfect　sixty…six？〃
　The　favourable　impression　which　Mrs。　Pett　had　formed　of　her　nephew　waned。　She　was　shocked　by　this　disrespectful　attitude　towards　the　child　she　worshipped。
　〃Please　do　not　disturb　Ogden；　James；〃　she　said　stiffly。　〃He　is　not　feeling　very　well　to…day。　His　stomach　is　weak。〃
　〃Been　eating　too　much？〃　said　Jimmy　cheerfully。
　〃I　was　just　the　same　at　his　age。　What　he　wants　is　half　rations　and　plenty　of　exercise。〃
　〃Say！〃　protested　Ogden。　　〃Just　look　at　this；〃　proceeded　Jimmy；　grasping　a　handful　of　superfluous　tissue　around　the　boy's　ribs。　〃All　that　ought　to　e　off。　I'll　tell　you　what　I'll　do。　I'll　buy　a　pair　of　flannel　trousers　and　a　sweater　and　some　sneakers；　and　I'll　take　him　for　a　run　up　Riverside　Drive　this　evening。　Do　him　no　end　of　good。　And　a　good　skipping…rope；　too。　Nothing　like　it。　In　a　couple　of　weeks　I'll　have　him　as　fit　as　a〃
　〃Ogden's　case；〃　said　Mrs。　Pett　coldly；　〃which　is　very　plicated；　is　in　the　hands　of　Doctor　Briginshaw；　in　whom　we　have　every　confidence。〃
　There　was　a　silence；　the　paralysing　effects　of　which　Mr。　Pett　vainly　tried　to　mitigate　by　shuffling　his　feet　and　coughing。　Mrs。　Pett　spoke。
　〃I　hope　that；　now　that　you　are　here；　James；　you　intend　to　settle　down　and　work　hard。〃
　〃Indubitably。　Like　a　beaver；〃　said　Jimmy；　mindful　of　Mr。　Pett's　recent　warning。　〃The　only　trouble　is　that　there　seems　to　be　a　little　uncertainty　as　to　what　I　am　best　fitted　for。　We　talked　it　over　in　uncle　Pete's　office　and　arrived　at　no　conclusion。〃
　〃Can't　you　think　of　anything？〃　said　Mr。　Pett。
　〃I　looked　right　through　the　telephone　classified　directory　the　other　day〃
　〃The　other　day？　But　you　only　landed　this　morning。〃
　〃I　mean　this　morning。　When　I　was　looking　up　your　address　so　that　I　could　go　and　see　you；〃　said　Jimmy　glibly。〃　It　seems　a　long　time　ago。　I　think　the　sight　of　all　those　fellows　in　your　office　has　aged　me。　I　think　the　best　plan　would　be　for　me　to　settle　down　here　and　learn　how　to　be　an　electrical　engineer　or　something　by　mail。　I　was　reading　an　advertisement　in　a　magazine　as　we　came　up　on　the　subway。　I　see　they　guarantee　to　teach　you　anything　from　sheet　metal　working　to　poultry　raising。　The　thing　began　'You　are　standing　still　because　you　lack　training。'　It　seemed　to　me　to　apply　to　my　case　exactly。　I　had　better　drop　them　a　line　to…night　asking　for　a　few　simple　facts　about　chickens。〃
　Whatever　ment　Mrs。　Pett　might　have　made　on　this　suggestion　was　checked　by　the　entrance　of　Ann。　From　the　window　of　her　room　Ann　had　observed　the　arrival　of　Jimmy　and　her　uncle；　and　now；　having　allowed　sufficient　time　to　elapse　for　the　former　to　make　Mrs。　Pett's　acquaintance；　she　came　down　to　see　how　things　were　going。
　She　was　well　satisfied　with　what　she　saw。　A　slight　strain　which　she　perceived　in　the　atmosphere　she　attributed　to　embarrassment　natural　to　the　situation。
　She　looked　at　Jimmy　enquiringly。　Mrs。　Pett　had　not　informed　her　of　Mr。　Pett's　telephone　call；　so　Jimmy；　she　realised；　had　to　be　explained　to　her。　She　waited　for　some　one　to　say　something。
　Mr。　Pett　undertook　the　introduction。
　〃Jimmy；　this　is　my　niece；　Ann　Chester。　This　is　Jimmy　Crocker；　Ann。〃
　Jimmy　could　not　admire　sufficiently　the　start　of　surprise　which　she　gave。　It　was　artistic　and　convincing。
　〃Jimmy　Crocker！〃
　Mr。　Pett　was　on　the　point　of　mentioning　that　this　was　not　the　first　time　Ann　had　met　Jimmy；　but　refrained。　After　all；　that　interview　had　happened　five　years　ago。　Jimmy　had　almost　certainly　forgotten　all　about　it。　There　was　no　use　in　making　him　feel　unnecessarily　awkward。　It　was　up　to　Ann。　If　she　wanted　to　disinter　the　ancient　grievance；　let　her。　It　was　no　business　of　his。
　〃I　thought　you　weren't　ing　over！〃　said　Ann。
　〃I　changed　my　mind。〃
　Mr。　Pett；　who　had　been　gazing　attentively　at　them；　uttered　an　exclamation。
　〃I've　got　it！　I've　been　trying　all　this　while　to　think　where　it　was　that　I　saw　you　before。　It　was　on　the　Atlantic！〃
　Ann　caught　Jimmy's　eye。　She　was　relieved　to　see　that　he　was　not　disturbed　by　this　sudden　development。
　〃Did　you　e　over　on　the　Atlantic；　Mr。　Crocker？〃　she　said。　〃Surely　not？　We　crossed　on　her　ourselves。　We　should　have　met。〃
　〃Don't　call　me　Mr。　Crocker；〃　said　Jimmy。　〃Call　me　Jimmy。　Your　mother's　brother's　wife's　sister's　second　husband　is　my　father。　Blood　is　thicker　than　water。　No；　I　came　over　on　the　Caronia。　We　docked　this　morning。〃
　〃Well；　there　was　a　fellow　just　like　you　on　the　Atlantic；〃　persisted　Mr。　Pett。
　Mrs。　Pett　said　nothing。　She　was　watching　Jimmy　with　a　keen　and　suspicious　eye。
　〃I　suppose　I'm　a　mon　type；〃　said　Jimmy。
　〃You　remember　the　man　I　mean；〃　said　Mr。　Pett；　innocently　unconscious　of　the　unfriendly　thoughts　he　was　encouraging　in　two　of　his　hearers。　〃He　sat　two　tables　away　from　us　at　meals。　You　remember　him；　Nesta？〃
　〃As　I　was　too　unwell　to　e　to　meals；　I　do　not。〃
　〃Why；　I　thought　I　saw　you　once　talking　to　him　on　deck；　Ann。〃
　〃Really？〃　said　Ann。　〃I　don't　remember　any　one　who　looked　at　all　like　Jimmy。〃
　〃Well；〃　said　Mr。　Pett；　puzzled。　〃It's　very　strange。　I　guess　I'm　wrong。〃　He　looked　at　his　watch。　〃Well；　I'll　have　to　be　getting　back　to　the　office。〃
　〃I'll　e　with　you　part　of　the　way；　uncle　Pete；〃　said　Jimmy。　〃I　have　to　go　and　arrange　fo