the diary of a nobody-第21节

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pence。

Got　back　early　to　give　time　to　dress；　which　we　received　a　telegram　instructing　us　to　do。　　I　wanted　Carrie　to　meet　me　at　Franching's　house；　but　she　would　not　do　so；　so　I　had　to　go　home　to　fetch　her。　What　a　long　journey　it　is　from　Holloway　to　Peckham！　　Why　do　people　live　such　a　long　way　off？　　Having　to　change　'buses；　I　allowed　plenty　of　time　…　in　fact；　too　much；　for　we　arrived　at　twenty　minutes　to　seven；　and　Franching；　so　the　servant　said；　had　only　just　gone　up　to　dress。　　However；　he　was　down　as　the　clock　struck　seven；　he　must　have　dressed　very　quickly。

I　must　say　it　was　quite　a　distinguished　party；　and　although　we　did　not　know　anybody　personally；　they　all　seemed　to　be　quite　swells。　Franching　had　got　a　professional　waiter；　and　evidently　spared　no　expense。　　There　were　flowers　on　the　table　round　some　fairy…lamps　and　the　effect；　I　must　say；　was　exquisite。　　The　wine　was　good　and　there　was　plenty　of　champagne；　concerning　which　Franching　said　he　himself；　never　wished　to　taste　better。　　We　were　ten　in　number；　and　a　MENU　card　to　each。　　One　lady　said　she　always　preserved　the　MENU　and　got　the　guests　to　write　their　names　on　the　back。

We　all　of　us　followed　her　example；　except　Mr。　Huttle；　who　was　of　course　the　important　guest。

The　dinner…party　consisted　of　Mr。　Franching；　Mr。　Hardfur　Huttle；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Samuel　Hillbutter；　Mrs。　Field；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Purdick；　Mr。　Pratt；　Mr。　R。　Kent；　and；　last　but　not　least；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Charles　Pooter。　　Franching　said　he　was　sorry　he　had　no　lady　for　me　to　take　in　to　dinner。　　I　replied　that　I　preferred　it；　which　I　afterwards　thought　was　a　very　uncomplimentary　observation　to　make。

I　sat　next　to　Mrs。　Field　at　dinner。　　She　seemed　a　well…informed　lady；　but　was　very　deaf。　　It　did　not　much　matter；　for　Mr。　Hardfur　Huttle　did　all　the　talking。　　He　is　a　marvellously　intellectual　man　and　says　things　which　from　other　people　would　seem　quite　alarming。　How　I　wish　I　could　remember　even　a　quarter　of　his　brilliant　conversation。　　I　made　a　few　little　reminding　notes　on　the　MENU　card。

One　observation　struck　me　as　being　absolutely　powerful　…　though　not　to　my　way　of　thinking　of　course。　　Mrs。　Purdick　happened　to　say　〃You　are　certainly　unorthodox；　Mr。　Huttle。〃　　Mr。　Huttle；　with　a　peculiar　expression　（I　can　see　it　now）　said　in　a　slow　rich　voice：　　〃Mrs。　Purdick；　'orthodox'　is　a　grandiloquent　word　implying　sticking…in…　the…mud。　　If　Columbus　and　Stephenson　had　been　orthodox；　there　would　neither　have　been　the　discovery　of　America　nor　the　steam…engine。〃　There　was　quite　a　silence。　　It　appeared　to　me　that　such　teaching　was　absolutely　dangerous；　and　yet　I　felt　…　in　fact　we　must　all　have　felt　…　there　was　no　answer　to　the　argument。　　A　little　later　on；　Mrs。　Purdick；　who　is　Franching's　sister　and　also　acted　as　hostess；　rose　from　the　table；　and　Mr。　Huttle　said：　　〃Why；　ladies；　do　you　deprive　us　of　your　company　so　soon？　　Why　not　wait　while　we　have　our　cigars？〃

The　effect　was　electrical。　　The　ladies　（including　Carrie）　were　in　no　way　inclined　to　be　deprived　of　Mr。　Huttle's　fascinating　society；　and　immediately　resumed　their　seats；　amid　much　laughter　and　a　little　chaff。　　Mr。　Huttle　said：　　〃Well；　that's　a　real　good　sign；　you　shall　not　be　insulted　by　being　called　orthodox　any　longer。〃　Mrs。　Purdick；　who　seemed　to　be　a　bright　and　rather　sharp　woman；　said：　　〃Mr。　Huttle；　we　will　meet　you　half…way　…　that　is；　till　you　get　half…way　through　your　cigar。　　That；　at　all　events；　will　be　the　happy　medium。〃

I　shall　never　forget　the　effect　the　words；　〃happy　medium；〃　had　upon　him。　　He　was　brilliant　and　most　daring　in　his　interpretation　of　the　words。　　He　positively　alarmed　me。　　He　said　something　like　the　following：　　〃Happy　medium；　indeed。　　Do　you　know　'happy　medium'　are　two　words　which　mean　'miserable　mediocrity'？　　I　say；　go　first　class　or　third；　marry　a　duchess　or　her　kitchenmaid。　　The　happy　medium　means　respectability；　and　respectability　means　insipidness。　　Does　it　not；　Mr。　Pooter？〃

I　was　so　taken　aback　by　being　personally　appealed　to；　that　I　could　only　bow　apologetically；　and　say　I　feared　I　was　not　competent　to　offer　an　opinion。　　Carrie　was　about　to　say　something；　but　she　was　interrupted；　for　which　I　was　rather　pleased；　for　she　is　not　clever　at　argument；　and　one　has　to　be　extra　clever　to　discuss　a　subject　with　a　man　like　Mr。　Huttle。

He　continued；　with　an　amazing　eloquence　that　made　his　unwelcome　opinions　positively　convincing：　　〃The　happy　medium　is　nothing　more　or　less　than　a　vulgar　half…measure。　　A　man　who　loves　champagne　and；　finding　a　pint　too　little；　fears　to　face　a　whole　bottle　and　has　recourse　to　an　imperial　pint；　will　never　build　a　Brooklyn　Bridge　or　an　Eiffel　Tower。　　No；　he　is　half…hearted；　he　is　a　half…measure　…　respectable　…　in　fact；　a　happy　medium；　and　will　spend　the　rest　of　his　days　in　a　suburban　villa　with　a　stucco…column　portico；　resembling　a　four…post　bedstead。〃

We　all　laughed。

〃That　sort　of　thing；〃　continued　Mr。　Huttle；　〃belongs　to　a　soft　man；　with　a　soft　beard　with　a　soft　head；　with　a　made　tie　that　hooks　on。〃

This　seemed　rather　personal　and　twice　I　caught　myself　looking　in　the　glass　of　the　cheffoniere；　for　I　had　on　a　tie　that　hooked　on　…　and　why　not？　　If　these　remarks　were　not　personal　they　were　rather　careless；　and　so　were　some　of　his　subsequent　observations；　which　must　have　made　both　Mr。　Franching　and　his　guests　rather　uncomfortable。　　I　don't　think　Mr。　Huttle　meant　to　be　personal；　for　he　added；　〃We　don't　know　that　class　here　in　this　country：　　but　we　do　in　America；　and　I've　no　use　for　them。〃

Franching　several　times　suggested　that　the　wine　should　be　passed　round　the　table；　which　Mr。　Huttle　did　not　heed；　but　continued　as　if　he　were　giving　a　lecture：

〃What　we　want　in　America　is　your　homes。　　We　live　on　wheels。　　Your　simple；　quiet　life　and　home；　Mr。　Franching；　are　charming。　　No　display；　no　pretension！　　You　make　no　difference　in　your　dinner；　I　dare　say；　when　you　sit　down　by　yourself　and　when　you　invite　us。　You　have　your　own　personal　attendant　…　no　hired　waiter　to　breathe　on　the　back　of　your　head。〃

I　saw　Franching　palpably　wince　at　this。

Mr。　Huttle　continued：　　〃Just　a　small　dinner　with　a　few　good　things；　such　as　you　have　this　evening。　　　You　don't　insult　your　guests　by　sending　to　the　grocer　for　champagne　at　six　shillings　a　bottle。〃

I　could　not　help　thinking　of　〃Jackson　Freres〃　at　three…and…six！

〃In　fact；〃　said　Mr。　Huttle；　〃a　man　is　little　less　than　a　murderer　who　does。　　That　is　the　province　of　the　milksop；　who　wastes　his　evening　at　home　playing　dominoes　with　his　wife。　　I've　heard　of　these　people。　　We　don't　want　them　at　this　table。　　Our　party　is　well　selected。　　We've　no　use　for　deaf　old　women；　who　cannot　follow　intellectual　conversation。〃

All　our　eyes　were　turned　to　Mrs。　Field；　who　fortunately；　being　deaf；　did　not　hear　his　remarks；　but　continued　smiling　approval。

〃We　have　no　representative　at　Mr。　Franching's　table；〃　said　Mr。　Huttle；　〃of　the　unenlightened　frivolous　matron；　who　goes　to　a　second　class　dance　at　Bayswater　and　fancies　she　is　in　Society。　Society　does　not　know　her；　it　has　no　use　for　her。〃

Mr。　Huttle　paused　for　a　moment　and　the　opportunity　was　afforded　for　the　ladies　to　rise。　　I　asked　Mr。　Franching　quietly　to　excuse　me；　as　I　did　not　wish　to　miss　the　last　train；　which　we　very　nearly　did；　by…the…by；　through　Carrie　having　mislaid　the　little　cloth　cricket…　cap　which　she　wears　when　we　go　out。

It　was　very　late　when　Carrie　and　I　got　home；　but　on　entering　the　sitting…room　I　said：　　〃Carrie；　what　do　you　think　of　Mr。　Hardfur　Huttle？〃　　She　simply　answered：　　〃How　like　Lupin！〃　　The　same　idea　occurred　to　me　in　the　train。　　The　comparison　kept　me　awake　half　the　night。　　Mr。　Huttle　was；　of　course；　an　older　and　more　influential　man；　but　he　WAS　like　Lupin；　and　it　made　me　think　how　dangerous　Lupin　would　be　if　he　were　older　and　more　influential。　　I　feel　proud　to　think　Lupin　DOES　resemble　Mr。　Huttle　in　some　ways。　　Lupin；　like　Mr。　Huttle；　has　original　and　sometimes　wonderful　ideas；　but　it　is　those　ideas　that　are　so　dangerous。　　They　make　men　extremely　rich　or　extremely　poor。　　They　make　or　break　men。　　I　always　feel　people　are　happier　who　live　a　simple　unsophisticated　life。　　I　believe　I　am　happy　because　I　am　not　ambitious。　　Somehow　I　feel　that　Lupin；　since　he　has　been　with　Mr。　Perkupp；　has　become　content　to　settle　down　and　follow　the　footsteps　of　his　father。　　This　is　a　comfort。



CHAPTER　XXI。



Lupin　is　discharged。　　We　are　in　great　trouble。　　Lupin　gets　engaged　elsewhere　at　a　handsome　salary。


May　13。　…　A　terrible　misfortune　has　happened：　　Lupin　is　discharged　from　Mr。　Perkupp's　office；　and　I　scarcely　know　how　I　am　writing　my　diary。　　I　was　away　from　office　last　Sat。；　the　first　time　I　have　been　absent　through　illness　for　twenty　years。　　I　believe　I　was　poisoned　by　some　lobster。　　Mr。　Perkupp　was　also　absent；　as　Fate　would　have　it；　and　our　most　valued　customer；　Mr。　Crowbillon；　went　to　the　office　in　a　rage；　and　withdrew　his　custom。　　My　boy　Lupin　not　only　had　the　assurance　to　receive　him；　but　recommended　him　the　firm　of　Gylterson；　Sons　and　Co。　Limited。　　In　my　own　humble　judgment；　and　though　I　have　to　say　it　against　my　own　son；　this　seems　an　act　of　treachery。

This　morning　I　receive　a　letter　from　Perkupp；　informing　me　that　Lupin's　services　are　no　longer　required；　and　an　interview　with　me　is　desired　at　eleven　o'cloc