pgw.threemenandamaid-第3节

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　〃Well；　you've　taken　a　weight　off　my　mind。〃
　〃A　mind；　I　should　imagine；　scarcely　constructed　to　bear　great　weights。〃
　〃I'll　be　going。　Haven't　had　breakfast　yet。　Too　worried　to　eat　breakfast。　Relieved　now。　This　is　where　three　eggs　and　a　rasher　of　ham　get　cut　off　in　their　prime。　I　feel　I　can　rely　on　you。〃
　〃You　can！〃
　〃Then　I'll　say　good…bye。〃
　〃Good…bye。〃
　〃I　mean　really　good…bye。　I'm　sailing　for　England　on　Saturday　on　the　　Atlantic　。〃
　〃Indeed？　My　son　will　be　your　fellow…traveller。〃
　Bream　Mortimer　looked　somewhat　apprehensive。
　〃You　won't　tell　him　that　I　was　the　one　who　spilled　the　beans？〃
　〃I　beg　your　pardon。〃
　〃You　won't　wise　him　up　that　I　threw　a　spanner　into　the　machinery？〃
　〃I　do　not　understand　you。〃
　〃You　won't　tell　him　that　I　crabbed　his　actgave　the　thing　awaygummed　the　game？〃
　〃I　shall　not　mention　your　chivalrous　intervention。〃
　〃Chivalrous？〃　said　Bream　Mortimer　doubtfully。　〃I　don't　know　that　I'd　call　it　absolutely　chivalrous。　Of　course；　all's　fair　in　love　and　war。　Well；　I'm　glad　you're　going　to　keep　my　share　in　the　business　under　your　hat。　It　might　have　been　awkward　meeting　him　on　board。〃
　〃You　are　not　likely　to　meet　Eustace　on　board。　He　is　a　very　indifferent　sailor　and　spends　most　of　his　time　in　his　cabin。〃
　〃That's　good！　Saves　a　lot　of　awkwardness。　Well；　good…bye。〃
　〃Good…bye。　When　you　reach　England　remember　me　to　your　father。〃
　〃He　won't　have　forgotten　you；〃　said　Bream　Mortimer　confidently。　He　did　not　see　how　it　was　humanly　possible　for　anyone　to　forget　this　woman。　She　was　like　a　celebrated　chewing…gum。　The　taste　lingered。
　Mrs。　Hignett　was　a　woman　of　instant　and　decisive　action。　Even　while　her　late　visitor　was　speaking　schemes　had　begun　to　form　in　her　mind　like　bubbles　rising　to　the　surface　of　a　rushing　river。　By　the　time　the　door　had　closed　behind　Bream　Mortimer　she　had　at　her　disposal　no　fewer　than　seven；　all　good。　It　took　her　but　a　moment　to　select　the　best　and　simplest。　She　tip…toed　softly　to　her　son's　room。　Rhythmic　snores　greeted　her　listening　ears。　She　opened　the　door　and　went　noiselessly　in。
　
　CHAPTER　TWO
　
　The　White　Star　liner　　Atlantic　　lay　at　her　pier　with　steam　up　and　gangway　down　ready　for　her　trip　to　Southampton。　The　hour　of　departure　was　near　and　there　was　a　good　deal　of　mixed　activity　going　on。　Sailors　fiddled　about　with　ropes。　Junior　officers　flitted　to　and　fro。　White…jacketed　stewards　wrestled　with　trunks。　Probably　the　captain；　though　not　visible；　was　also　employed　on　some　useful　work　of　a　nautical　nature　and　not　wasting　his　time。　Men；　women；　boxes；　rugs；　dogs；　flowers　and　baskets　of　fruit　were　flowing　on　board　in　a　steady　stream。
　The　usual　drove　of　citizens　had　e　to　see　the　travellers　off。　There　were　men　on　the　passenger…list　who　were　being　seen　off　by　fathers；　by　mothers；　by　sisters；　by　cousins；　and　by　aunts。　In　the　steerage　there　was　an　elderly　Jewish　lady　who　was　being　seen　off　by　exactly　thirty…seven　of　her　late　neighbours　in　Rivington　Street。　And　two　men　in　the　second　cabin　were　being　seen　off　by　detectives；　surely　the　crowning　pliment　a　great　nation　can　bestow。　The　cavernous　customs　shed　was　congested　with　friends　and　relatives；　and　Sam　Marlowe；　heading　for　the　gang…plank；　was　only　able　to　make　progress　by　employing　all　the　muscle　and　energy　which　Nature　had　bestowed　upon　him；　and　which　during　the　twenty…five　years　of　his　life　he　had　developed　by　athletic　exercise。　However；　after　some　minutes　of　silent　endeavour；　now　driving　his　shoulder　into　the　midriff　of　some　obstructing　male；　now　courteously　lifting　some　stout　female　off　his　feet；　he　had　succeeded　in　struggling　to　within　a　few　yards　of　his　goal；　when　suddenly　a　sharp　pain　shot　through　his　right　arm　and　he　spun　round　with　a　cry。
　It　seemed　to　Sam　that　he　had　been　bitten；　and　this　puzzled　him；　for　New　York　crowds；　though　they　may　shove　and　jostle；　rarely　bite。
　He　found　himself　face　to　face　with　an　extraordinarily　pretty　girl。
　She　was　a　red…haired　girl　with　the　beautiful　ivory　skin　which　goes　with　red　hair。　Her　eyes；　though　they　were　under　the　shadow　of　her　hat；　and　he　could　not　be　certain；　he　diagnosed　as　green；　or　maybe　blue；　or　possibly　grey。　Not　that　it　mattered；　for　he　had　a　catholic　taste　in　feminine　eyes。　So　long　as　they　were　large　and　bright；　as　were　the　specimens　under　his　immediate　notice；　he　was　not　the　man　to　quibble　about　a　point　of　colour。　Her　nose　was　small；　and　on　the　very　tip　of　it　there　was　a　tiny　freckle。　Her　mouth　was　nice　and　wide；　her　chin　soft　and　round。　She　was　just　about　the　height　which　every　girl　ought　to　be。　Her　figure　was　trim；　her　feet　tiny；　and　she　wore　one　of　those　dresses　of　which　a　man　can　say　no　more　than　that　they　look　pretty　well　all　right。
　Nature　abhors　a　vacuum。　Samuel　Marlowe　was　a　susceptible　young　man；　and　for　many　a　long　month　his　heart　had　been　lying　empty；　all　swept　and　garnished；　with　〃Wele〃　on　the　mat。　This　girl　seemed　to　rush　in　and　fill　it。　She　was　not　the　prettiest　girl　he　had　ever　seen。　She　was　the　third　prettiest。　He　had　an　orderly　mind；　one　capable　of　classifying　and　docketing　girls。　But　there　was　a　subtle　something　about　her；　a　sort　of　how…shall…one…put…it；　which　he　had　never　encountered　before。　He　swallowed　convulsively。　His　well…developed　chest　swelled　beneath　its　covering　of　blue　flannel　and　invisible　stripe。　At　last；　he　told　himself；　he　was　in　love；　really　in　love；　and　at　first　sight；　too；　which　made　it　all　the　more　impressive。　He　doubted　whether　in　the　whole　course　of　history　anything　like　this　had　ever　happened　before　to　anybody。　Oh；　to　clasp　this　girl　to　him　and
　But　she　had　bitten　him　in　the　arm。　That　was　hardly　the　right　spirit。　That；　he　felt；　constituted　an　obstacle。
　〃Oh；　I'm　so　sorry！〃　she　cried。
　Well；　of　course；　if　she　regretted　her　rash　act　。。。　After　all；　an　impulsive　girl　might　bite　a　man　in　the　arm　in　the　excitement　of　the　moment　and　still　have　a　sweet；　womanly　nature。。。。
　〃The　crowd　seems　to　make　Pinky…Boodles　so　nervous。〃
　Sam　might　have　remained　mystified；　but　at　this　juncture　there　proceeded　from　a　bundle　of　rugs　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　girl's　lower　ribs　a　sharp　yapping　sound；　of　such　a　calibre　as　to　be　plainly　audible　over　the　confused　noise　of　Mamies　who　were　telling　Sadies　to　be　sure　and　write；　of　Bills　who　were　instructing　Dicks　to　look　up　old　Joe　in　Paris　and　give　him　their　best；　and　of　all　the　fruit…boys；　candy…boys；　magazine…boys；　American…flag…boys；　and　telegraph　boys　who　were　honking　their　wares　on　every　side。
　〃I　hope　he　didn't　hurt　you　much。　You're　the　third　person　he's　bitten　to…day。〃　She　kissed　the　animal　in　a　loving　and　congratulatory　way　on　the　tip　of　his　black　nose。　〃Not　counting　bell…boys；　of　course；〃　she　added。　And　then　she　was　swept　from　him　in　the　crowd　and　he　was　left　thinking　of　all　the　things　he　might　have　saidall　those　graceful；　witty；　ingratiating　things　which　just　make　a　bit　of　difference　on　these　occasions。
　He　had　said　nothing。　Not　a　sound；　exclusive　of　the　first　sharp　yowl　of　pain；　had　proceeded　from　him。　He　had　just　goggled。　A　rotten　exhibition！　Perhaps　he　would　never　see　this　girl　again。　She　looked　the　sort　of　girl　who　es　to　see　friends　off　and　doesn't　sail　herself。　And　what　memory　of　him　would　she　retain？　She　would　mix　him　up　with　the　time　when　she　went　to　visit　the　deaf…and…dumb　hospital。
　Sam　reached　the　gang…plank；　showed　his　ticket；　and　made　his　way　through　the　crowd　of　passengers；　passengers'　friends；　stewards；　junior　officers；　and　sailors　who　infested　the　deck。　He　proceeded　down　the　main　panion…way；　through　a　rich　smell　of　india…rubber　and　mixed　pickles；　as　far　as　the　dining…saloon：　then　turned　down　the　narrow　passage　leading　to　his　stateroom。
　Staterooms　on　ocean　liners　are　curious　things。　When　you　see　them　on　the　chart　in　the　passenger…office；　with　the　gentlemanly　clerk　drawing　rings　round　them　in　pencil；　they　seem　so　vast　that　you　get　the　impression　that；　after　stowing　away　all　your　trunks；　you　will　have　room　left　over　to　do　a　bit　of　entertainingpossibly　an　informal　dance　or　something。　When　you　go　on　board　you　find　that　the　place　has　shrunk　to　the　dimensions　of　an　undersized　cupboard　in　which　it　would　be　impossible　to　swing　a　cat。　And　then；　about　the　second　day　out；　it　suddenly　expands　again。　For　one　reason　or　another　the　necessity　for　swinging　cats　does　not　arise　and　you　find　yourself　quite　fortable。
　Sam；　balancing　himself　on　the　narrow；　projecting　ledge　which　the　chart　in　the　passenger…office　had　grandiloquently　described　as　a　lounge；　began　to　feel　the　depression　which　marks　the　second　phase。　He　almost　wished　now　that　he　had　not　been　so　energetic　in　having　his　room　changed　in　order　to　enjoy　the　pany　of　his　cousin　Eustace。　It　was　going　to　be　a　tight　fit。　Eustace's　bag　was　already　in　the　cabin；　and　it　seemed　to　take　up　the　entire　fairway。　Still；　after　all；　Eustace　was　a　good　sort；　and　would　be　a　cheerful　panion。　And　Sam　realised　that　if　that　girl　with　the　red　hair　was　not　a　passenger　on　the　boat　he　was　going　to　have　need　of　diverting　society。
　A　footstep　sounded　in　the　passage　outside。　The　door　opened。
　〃Hullo；　Eustace！〃　said　Sam。
　Eustace　Hignett　nodded　listlessly；　sat　down　on　his　bag　and　emitted　a　deep　sigh。　He　was　a　small；　fragile…looking　young　man　with　a　pale；　intellectual　face。　Dark　hair　fell　in　a　sweep　over　his　forehead。　He　looked　like