登陆注册
5387400000004

第4章 LOUISE(2)

"You didn't visit any place of devotion, did you? If you've left her mooning about Westminster Abbey or St. Peter's, Eaton Square, without being able to give any satisfactory reason why she's there, she'll be seized under the Cat and Mouse Act and sent to Reginald McKenna."

"That would be extremely awkward," said Jane, meeting an irresolute piece of bread and butter halfway; "we hardly know the McKennas, and it would be very tiresome having to telephone to some unsympathetic private secretary, describing Louise to him and asking to have her sent back in time for dinner. Fortunately, I didn't go to any place of devotion, though I did get mixed up with a Salvation Army procession. It was quite interesting to be at close quarters with them, they're so absolutely different to what they used to be when I first remember them in the 'eighties. They used to go about then unkempt and dishevelled, in a sort of smiling rage with the world, and now they're spruce and jaunty and flamboyantly decorative, like a geranium bed with religious convictions. Laura Kettleway was going on about them in the lift of the Dover Street Tube the other day, saying what a lot of good work they did, and what a loss it would have been if they'd never existed. 'If they had never existed,' I said, 'Granville Barker would have been certain to have invented something that looked exactly like them.' If you say things like that, quite loud, in a Tube lift, they always sound like epigrams."

"I think you ought to do something about Louise," said the dowager.

"I'm trying to think whether she was with me when I called on Ada Spelvexit. I rather enjoyed myself there. Ada was trying, as usual, to ram that odious Koriatoffski woman down my throat, knowing perfectly well that I detest her, and in an unguarded moment she said: 'She's leaving her present house and going to Lower Seymour Street.' 'I dare say she will, if she stays there long enough,' I said. Ada didn't see it for about three minutes, and then she was positively uncivil. No, I am certain I didn't leave Louise there."

"If you could manage to remember where you DID leave her, it would be more to the point than these negative assurances," said Lady Beanford; "so far, all we know is that she is not at the Carrywoods', or Ada Spelvexit's, or Westminster Abbey."

"That narrows the search down a bit," said Jane hopefully; "I rather fancy she must have been with me when I went to Mornay's. I know I went to Mornay's, because I remember meeting that delightful Malcolm What's-his-name there--you know whom I mean. That's the great advantage of people having unusual first names, you needn't try and remember what their other name is. Of course I know one or two other Malcolms, but none that could possibly be described as delightful. He gave me two tickets for the Happy Sunday Evenings in Sloane Square. I've probably left them at Mornay's, but still it was awfully kind of him to give them to me."

"Do you think you left Louise there?"

"I might telephone and ask. Oh, Robert, before you clear the tea-things away I wish you'd ring up Mornay's, in Regent Street, and ask if I left two theatre tickets and one niece in their shop this afternoon."

"A niece, ma'am?" asked the footman.

"Yes, Miss Louise didn't come home with me, and I'm not sure where I left her."

"Miss Louise has been upstairs all the afternoon, ma'am, reading to the second kitchenmaid, who has the neuralgia. I took up tea to Miss Louise at a quarter to five o'clock, ma'am."

"Of course, how silly of me. I remember now, I asked her to read the Faerie Queene to poor Emma, to try to send her to sleep. I always get some one to read the Faerie Queene to me when I have neuralgia, and it usually sends me to sleep. Louise doesn't seem to have been successful, but one can't say she hasn't tried. I expect after the first hour or so the kitchenmaid would rather have been left alone with her neuralgia, but of course Louise wouldn't leave off till some one told her to. Anyhow, you can ring up Mornay's, Robert, and ask whether I left two theatre tickets there. Except for your silk, Susan, those seem to be the only things I've forgotten this afternoon. Quite wonderful for me."

同类推荐
  • Candide

    Candide

    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。
  • 春雪

    春雪

    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。
  • 仁王护国般若波罗蜜多经疏

    仁王护国般若波罗蜜多经疏

    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。
  • 雪峰义存禅师语录

    雪峰义存禅师语录

    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。
  • 水石闲谈

    水石闲谈

    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
  • 外行看热闹:社会热点话题冷思考

    外行看热闹:社会热点话题冷思考

    本书是作者就经济领域的一些问题进行思考的结果。话题包括房价、教育、食品安全、城市交通、名牌与驰名商标管理、知识产权保护、假日经济、慈善与公益事业等。
  • 心路

    心路

    小说从60年代写到90年代,时间跨度较长,反映在不同时期、不同环境下,乡镇曾经发生的人和事,重点描写一批年轻乡镇干部,在山区艰苦创业的事迹。
  • 会来事的男人有回报

    会来事的男人有回报

    会来事儿的人,能够使难成之事心想事成;能够在紧要关头化险为夷;能够在商战中左右逢源;能够迅速说服他人,赢得宝贵的合作机会;能够受到上司的重视,深得同事的喜爱、赢得下属的尊重……本书立足于现实,取材于生活,通过大量的故事及生活实例来告诉你如何历练“会来事儿”。
  • 犯人三哥

    犯人三哥

    你大概愿意听听他的故事。一个很狗血的故事,一个已经永远离开这个世界的人,一些发生在他身上的错误。我不抽烟,也不会因为要写他的事而烧三炷香。我曾经恨透了他,那时我还小,什么都不知道。并不是我不想知道,是大人不想我知道。所以我听到的,也许不是真人真事。他的人生转折点,是一次性交。
  • 傲行天下:佣兵痞王妃

    傲行天下:佣兵痞王妃

    她的世界充斥着血腥,杀戮!她腹黑!她狠毒!她坐拥财富与男色,她是神秘组织的王牌杀手。强大如她,一朝被陷害,成了玄之大陆风氏家族庶出的废柴小姐!废柴怎样,庶出又怎样!且看她一个至尊杀手如何称霸天下!玄之大陆唯她独尊!普天之下任她傲行!(情节虚构,切勿模仿)
  • 超然沟通(影响你一生的成功励志书)

    超然沟通(影响你一生的成功励志书)

    心态决定一切!智慧创造一切!这是一个人人追求成功的时代,心智的力量具有创造成功态势的无穷魔力!即具有成功暗示的随着灵感牵引的成功力。
  • 掩护

    掩护

    温亚军,现为北京武警总部某文学杂志主编。著有长篇小说伪生活等六部,小说集硬雪、驮水的日子等七部。获第三届鲁迅文学奖,第十一届庄重文文学奖,《小说选刊》《中国作家》和《上海文学》等刊物奖,入选中国小说学会排行榜。中国作家协会会员。
  • 大秦之万世基业

    大秦之万世基业

    一个只想安静看世界,顺便享受亲情的怪人,去到那个战乱不断的年代,该何去何从?
  • 帝豪的VIP夫人

    帝豪的VIP夫人

    【1V1绝宠甜文】他是京都背景神秘、权势滔天的帝豪,尊贵傲气。她是京都女神,帝豪心间的朱砂痣。一朝重生归来,命运相交。Bon:“时总,诗琪小姐被人求婚了。”时景修:“把洛诗琪这名字写到本少的配偶栏。”Bon:“时总,夫人看中隔壁公司了。”时景修:“连带隔壁的隔壁全部打包送去给夫人。”Bon:隔壁+隔壁=半个京都!PS:无虐!女主重生完美逆袭,收获霸道雅痞忠犬帝豪一枚!
  • 简·爱(中小学生必读丛书)

    简·爱(中小学生必读丛书)

    《中小学生必读丛书:简·爱》是长篇小说作品。书中简·爱对罗切斯特的爱情故事,生动地展现了的那火一样的热情和赤诚的心灵,强烈地透露出她的爱情观。她蔑视权贵的骄横,嘲笑他们的愚蠢,显示出自强自立的人格和美好的理想;她大胆地爱自己所爱,然而当她发现自己所爱之人还有妻子的时候,又毅然离开她所留恋的人和地方。