登陆注册
15465600000046

第46章 CHAPTER XVIII ACADEMIC(2)

"Trimmer and Washer are coming round," he said, and as he spoke the door opened to admit these gentlemen. Of the same height, but different appearance, their manner was faintly jocular, faintly supercilious, as if they tolerated everything. The one whose name was Trimmer had patches of red on his large cheek-bones, and on his cheeks a bluish tint. His lips were rather full, so that he had a likeness to a spider. Washer, who was thin and pale, wore an intellectual smile.

The little fat host moved the hand that held the meerschaum.

"Crocker, Shelton," he said.

An awkward silence followed. Shelton tried to rouse the cultured portion of his wits; but the sense that nothing would be treated seriously paralysed his faculties; he stayed silent, staring at the glowing tip of his cigar. It seemed to him unfair to have intruded on these gentlemen without its having been made quite clear to them beforehand who and what he was; he rose to take his leave, but Washer had begun to speak.

"Madame Bovary!" he said quizzically, reading the title of the book on the little fat man's bookrest; and, holding it closer to his boiled-looking eyes, he repeated, as though it were a joke, "Madame Bovary!""Do you mean to say, Turl, that you can stand that stuff?" said Berryman.

As might have been expected, this celebrated novel's name had galvanised him into life; he strolled over to the bookcase, took down a book, opened it, and began to read, wandering in a desultory way about the room.

"Ha! Berryman," said a conciliatory voice behind--it came from Trimmer, who had set his back against the hearth, and grasped with either hand a fistful of his gown--"the book's a classic!""Classic!" exclaimed Berryman, transfixing Shelton with his eyes;"the fellow ought to have been horsewhipped for writing such putridity!"A feeling of hostility instantly sprang up in Shelton; he looked at his little host, who, however, merely blinked.

"Berryman only means," explains Washer, a certain malice in his smile, "that the author is n't one of his particular pets.""For God's sake, you know, don't get Berryman on his horse!" growled the little fat man suddenly.

Berryman returned his volume to the shelf and took another down.

There was something almost godlike in his sarcastic absent-mindedness.

"Imagine a man writing that stuff," he said, "if he'd ever been at Eton! What do we want to know about that sort of thing? A writer should be a sportsman and a gentleman"; and again he looked down over his chin at Shelton, as though expecting him to controvert the sentiment.

"Don't you--" began the latter.

But Berryman's attention had wandered to the wall.

"I really don't care," said he, "to know what a woman feels when she is going to the dogs; it does n't interest me."The voice of Trimmer made things pleasant:

"Question of moral standards, that, and nothing more."He had stretched his legs like compasses,--and the way he grasped his gown-wings seemed to turn him to a pair of scales. His lowering smile embraced the room, deprecating strong expressions. "After all," he seemed to say, "we are men of the world; we know there 's not very much in anything. This is the modern spirit; why not give it a look in?""Do I understand you to say, Berryman, that you don't enjoy a spicy book?" asked Washer with his smile; and at this question the little fat man sniggered, blinking tempestuously, as if to say, "Nothing pleasanter, don't you know, before a hot fire in cold weather."Berryman paid no attention to the impertinent inquiry, continuing to dip into his volume and walk up and down.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 封后

    封后

    重生的安然,除了要成为真正的演员and让爸妈过上好日子and吧啦吧啦各种心愿之外,最大的心愿就是,扑倒暗恋多年的男神洛泽衍!传说中的最完美男神,您的贴心小萌妻已送到,请签收并验货!男神:“唔……验货么?”安然:“……你干什么?你别过来!”PS:一切情节与人物形象等不均以现实为准,请勿较真。
  • 痴心入骨:智谋天下

    痴心入骨:智谋天下

    为夫家所弃,她先绝鸳鸯枕,再绝连理枝;为父母所弃,她断笔绝墨,宁舍了这命去亦不觉错。天不绝人,她朱淑真改名改姓,甚至这女儿身都可不要,哪怕厮杀江湖中,哪怕策马尘世扰,有她朦胧师傅在,还有诸多风流客,惹下诸多风流债,这天下她却闯定!
  • 盗圣传人异界纵横

    盗圣传人异界纵横

    白叶,盗圣传人。他在偷取少林至宝——大日如来真经时不幸身亡。白叶灵魂不散,被盗圣玉佩带到一个武道昌隆的世界,且看一名擅长点穴和妙手空空的盗中之王在这个世界如何纵横披靡!盗行天下!
  • 独宠乾坤

    独宠乾坤

    茫茫宇宙,天下之大,独我敢闯脚踏星尘,翻手覆云,唯我无敌独宠乾坤,众生谁敢不服
  • 图腾后裔

    图腾后裔

    一个图腾代表一个氏族,而这个世界又有着千千万万个氏族。每个氏族的嫡系继承着图腾所蕴含的力量,有动物化形,有自然掌控,有信仰召唤,甚至还有许许多多未知的奇特能力。图腾后裔们默默的守护着这个世界,他们在暗处保护着人们。可是宁静终会被打破,他们不得不挺身而出守护亲人,保卫国家。
  • 空间修行传

    空间修行传

    人活着忙着干什么?忙着赚钱!然后呢?然后忙着花钱!再然后呢?再然后拼命赚更多的钱!赚更多的钱以后呢?再拼命的花!人在忙碌着追什么?追自己没有的!然后呢?然后失去!再然后呢?再然后追别人不要的!追到以后呢?丢了让别人追!人生啊,本来就是一个周而复始的过程!!
  • 好想大声说爱你

    好想大声说爱你

    缘起何处?是抬眸的一瞬间就注定是你!还是上天早已注定!在她终于知道为何来到这个世界的时候,他却悄无声息的消失在了自己的世界!没有他的世界,她真的可以过的好吗?那个小雪纷飞的季节,你我站在樱花树下,这是你像我表白的地方,也是在这个地方,你让我守了八年的承诺,可我却不知你人在何处!八年的时间让我开始淡忘了,淡忘了关于你的一切,包括自己为何来到这个世界?你曾经说过,会为我记下所有我们之间美好的回忆,可我却永远都无法忘记我们的初遇!那个清逸的早朝,一身纯白色的衬衫,俊美的容颜没有半点表情,使我永远都无法忘怀。剧场一少年瞟了一眼摔倒在地的女孩“粉色!”女孩这才意识到,脸上立马染上红晕,双手赶忙捂住自己的裙子,双腿平方在地上!男孩依旧没有任何的表情,他的手却伸在女孩的面前,女孩害羞的将手放在他的手上!好温暖。剧场二今天是情人节,女同学们纷纷为自己喜欢的男孩准备礼物,当然女孩也准备了一份,当她开心的跑去找男孩的时候,男孩正好在和一位同学说话,她立马躲在了墙角,看着男孩和同学说完话,男孩的手中多了一盒礼物,女孩看着手中精心准备的东西,沮丧的耷拉着脑袋。“你在这干嘛呢?”男孩突然出现在她的面前!女孩赶忙将手中的东西藏在身后“好巧!”“拿出来吧!”男孩意外笑着说道。“什么?”女孩假装不知。“你不是准备了礼物吗?”男孩看着她狡辩的模样,真是想笑,她还是一如既往的不会说谎!女孩此时脸更加红了,将藏在手中的东西递给他后,拔腿就跑了,独留男孩看着手中包装精致的礼盒,拆开一看,巧克力!他明明最讨厌的就是巧克力,看着这盘却想要尝尝!拿起一个放入口中。“好吃!”满意的拿着手上整盒巧克力,边往教室走,边吃!这是一篇属于二次元的纯爱恋情,两人都互相倾心,却因儿时那个身影让他久久无法忘怀,两人感情急速升温,却又在最紧要的关头他不得不离开她,她们相约一年后,她们能如愿见面吗?
  • 商色

    商色

    谁说女儿不如男?本书以改革开放以后的中国社会为故事背景,讲述一部女强人的人生奋斗与传奇,反映中国社会变迁及国人生活、情感、梦想。以叶夷的经商奋斗为主线,以她的情感纠结为副线,全书注重事实和悬念,环环相扣,故事紧凑,可读性强。其中有人情的淡漠,生意场上的诡异,以及人们对叶夷,是用戴着有色眼镜来看待她的。种种冤枉、委曲求全、和各种不平际遇,都在这位女强人身上一一展现。
  • 硫磺密杀

    硫磺密杀

    杰里米在阁楼中被谋杀,但罪犯没有留下任何线索,似乎这是由超自然的力量所主宰。纽约警方努力寻找到死者生前的最后联系人,但随着调查的深入,案件把警方从奢华的曼哈顿区,带到了意大利充满神话色彩的乡村,并逐步揭开了三十年前,四位神秘人物暗自遵从黑色魔法,与恶魔缔结下不可告人的契约的惊人秘密。本书特色:绝对的惊悚、奇妙的悬疑和细致入微而又形象生动的描写,使得《硫磺谋杀案》理所当然的成了一本最为惊险且吸引人的小说。
  • 中国大艺术家的故事

    中国大艺术家的故事

    中华民族是一个有悠久历史的文明古国,在这个漫漫的历史长河中,为了中华民族的发展和兴旺,一批批优秀人物前赴后继,不懈努力,才换来了我们今天的幸福生活。