登陆注册
5238400000002

第2章 REGINALD(2)

"My dear Colonel," purred Reginald, "fancy admitting such a thing! Such a give-away for one's age! I wouldn't admit being on this planet in '76." (Reginald in his wildest lapses into veracity never admits to being more than twenty-two.)

The Colonel went to the colour of a fig that has attained great ripeness, and Reginald, ignoring my efforts to intercept him, glided away to another part of the lawn. I found him a few minutes later happily engaged in teaching the youngest Rampage boy the approved theory of mixing absinthe, within full earshot of his mother. Mrs. Rampage occupies a prominent place in local Temperance movements.

As soon as I had broken up this unpromising tete-a-tete and settled Reginald where he could watch the croquet players losing their tempers, I wandered off to find my hostess and renew the kitten negotiations at the point where they had been interrupted. I did not succeed in running her down at once, and eventually it was Mrs. McKillop who sought me out, and her conversation was not of kittens.

"Your cousin is discussing Zaza with the Archdeacon's wife; at least, he is discussing, she is ordering her carriage."

She spoke in the dry, staccato tone of one who repeats a French exercise, and I knew that as far as Millie McKillop was concerned, Wumples was devoted to a lifelong celibacy.

"If you don't mind," I said hurriedly, "I think we'd like our carriage ordered too," and I made a forced march in the direction of the croquet-ground.

I found everyone talking nervously and feverishly of the weather and the war in South Africa, except Reginald, who was reclining in a comfortable chair with the dreamy, far-away look that a volcano might wear just after it had desolated entire villages. The Archdeacon's wife was buttoning up her gloves with a concentrated deliberation that was fearful to behold. I shall have to treble my subscription to her Cheerful Sunday Evenings Fund before I dare set foot in her house again.

At that particular moment the croquet players finished their game, which had been going on without a symptom of finality during the whole afternoon. Why, I ask, should it have stopped precisely when a counter-attraction was so necessary?

Everyone seemed to drift towards the area of disturbance, of which the chairs of the Archdeacon's wife and Reginald formed the storm-centre. Conversation flagged, and there settled upon the company that expectant hush that precedes the dawn--when your neighbours don't happen to keep poultry.

"What did the Caspian Sea?" asked Reginald, with appalling suddenness.

There were symptoms of a stampede. The Archdeacon's wife looked at me. Kipling or someone has described somewhere the look a foundered camel gives when the caravan moves on and leaves it to its fate. The peptonised reproach in the good lady's eyes brought the passage vividly to my mind.

I played my last card.

"Reginald, it's getting late, and a sea-mist is coming on."

I knew that the elaborate curl over his right eyebrow was not guaranteed to survive a sea-mist.

"Never, never again, will I take you to a garden-party.

Never . . . You behaved abominably . . . What did the Caspian see?"

A shade of genuine regret for misused opportunities passed over Reginald's face.

"After all," he said, "I believe an apricot tie would have gone better with the lilac waistcoat."

同类推荐
  • 佛说十二游经

    佛说十二游经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 易冒

    易冒

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • THE RED FAIRY BOOK

    THE RED FAIRY BOOK

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Just David

    Just David

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 蜀锦谱

    蜀锦谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 人生哲理枕边书1

    人生哲理枕边书1

    书中充满了智慧、温暖人心和震撼心灵的故事和哲理。能够激发我们的灵感,涤荡我们的心灵,丰富我们的经验,升华我们的人生。 谨以本书献给各行各业、不同年龄、愿意通过学习和自己的努力迅速改善人生境遇的人。 要想让人生充实一点,让生活质量高一点,让职场生活丰富一点,为人处世潇洒一点,就要时刻把本书放在枕边,不断从中吸取经验、智慧和力量。
  • 学霸记忆学习法

    学霸记忆学习法

    怎样学习才能达到最好的效果?学习是一个循序渐进的过程,在这个过程中,只有注意自己的学习方法,才能收到事半功倍的效果。学习方法并没有统一的标准和规定,因个人条件的不同,选取的方法效果也有一定的差别。我们编辑的这套“学霸学习法”作品可供学者参考,从中获取最适合自己的高效学习方法,但要说明的是:“学习有法,但无定法,贵在得法”。《学霸记忆学习法》对学生如何提高记忆能力做出了理论指导,并推荐了部分有利于训练学生提高记忆能力的故事,可供练习掌握该学习方法。
  • 持斋念佛忏悔礼文

    持斋念佛忏悔礼文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 拜阴堂

    拜阴堂

    你们知道和死人拜堂什么感觉吗?我知道,因为我不止一次和死人拜堂……
  • 与国共武

    与国共武

    初来乍到,成为死囚,明明只是偷了一只鸡,为什么被打成了死囚犯?唐峥很是迷惑,古代律法这么严苛么?有人要杀他,有人要保他。大世纷争,铁蹄肆虐,盛世民安乐,乱世人如狗,各地藩镇裂土为王,这真是一个活着很累的年代。唐峥想冷眼旁观,然而不知不觉坠入彀中,杀他的人继续想杀,保他的人仍旧想保,在杀与保的争斗中,他渐渐发现了一个惊天大秘密。自古历史无真假,谁能反手震乾坤?藩镇诸国,交战不休,昔年孔子周游列国,看我唐峥与国共武!***************************这是个种田种到当皇帝的故事!(另有老书《大唐风华路》过万均订,保证良心写作,欢迎前往品鉴,必不令君失望)书友群:707518143
  • 世界军事百科之空战武器

    世界军事百科之空战武器

    军事是一个国家和民族强大和稳定的象征,在国家生活中具有举足轻重的作用。国家兴亡,匹夫有责,全面而系统地掌握军事知识,是我们每一个人光荣的责任和义务,也是我们进行国防教育的主要内容。
  • 我的仙女未婚妻

    我的仙女未婚妻

    因情醉酒,死于车轮之下,或命运或巧合,赵易便与她相遇了。一个契约,一个失意少年,一个冷冷的女妖,一条条穿心的红线,一段从不甘渺小到征战天下的传奇泪歌就此谱写。
  • 变身之缘来是你

    变身之缘来是你

    张黎表示有些绝望,自己不是已经死了吗?怎么又活过来了?总算接受了自己复活了的事实,又惊讶的发现,他即将征战沙场的意大利炮居然……(都市传统变身嫁人文,非替身,非穿越,非萝莉,非百合,非第一人称。简介很无力,有兴趣的,可以点进正文看一看,相信不会让你太过失望的。)Ps:本书不定时更新,保证不太监。
  • 女神的王牌特工

    女神的王牌特工

    曾经的当过特种兵王的林东,为了执行暗杀毒枭的任务,被组织开除,于是。回到家乡当了女神曲莹莹的王牌特工,于是,将京城扰的风生水起,尽在《女神的王牌特工》
  • 三舅

    三舅

    1977年的冬天,我和母亲回老家蒲草去奔丧。那一年我九岁。三舅四十七,死了。米镇离蒲草五十里,那时没车,想去姥姥家一律都是步行。记得那一天刚下完一场大雪,天刚蒙蒙亮的时候我就和母亲从家里出来了,踩着积雪,行走在崎岖不平的山路上。随着脚踩雪的咯吱声和雪灌进鞋里的冰冷,在我幼小的心灵里埋下了农村日子的艰辛。一路上母亲没话可说,绷着脸,脚步是急促的,也不顾及我的快慢,赶火车似的一个劲儿地往前走。我时不时地要跑上几步,撵上她,问啥时能到。