登陆注册
5410100000005

第5章 Between Rounds(1)

The May moon shone bright upon the private boarding-house of Mrs.Murphy.By reference to the almanac a large amount of territory will be discovered upon which its rays also fell.Spring was in its heyday,with hay fever soon to follow.The parks were green with new leaves and buyers for the Western and Southern trade.Flowers and summer-resort agents were blowing;the air and answers to Lawson were growing milder;hand-organs,fountains and pinochle were playing everywhere.

The windows of Mrs.Murphy's boarding-house were open.A group of boarders were seated on the high stoop upon round,flat mats like German pancakes.

In one of the second-floor front windows Mrs.McCaskey awaited her husband.Supper was cooling on the table.Its heat went into Mrs.McCaskey.

At nine Mr.McCaskey came.He carried his coat on his arm and his pipe in his teeth;and he apologized for disturbing the boarders on the steps as he selected spots of stone between them on which to set his size 9,width Ds.

As he opened the door of his room he received a surprise.Instead of the usual stove-lid or potato-masher for him to dodge,came only words.

Mr.McCaskey reckoned that the benign May moon had softened the breast of his spouse.

‘I heard ye,’came the oral substitutes for kitchenware.‘Ye can apollygize to riff-raff of the streets for settin'yer unhandy feet on the tails of their frocks,but ye'd walk on the neck of yer wife the length of a clothes-line without so much as a “Kiss me fut,”and I'm sure it's that long from rubberin'out the windy for ye and the victuals cold such as there's money to buy after drinkin'up yer wages at Gallegher's every Saturday evenin',and the gas man here twice to-day for his.’

‘Woman!’said Mr.McCaskey,dashing his coat and hat upon a chair,‘the noise of ye is an insult to me appetite.When ye run down politeness ye take the mortar from between the bricks of the foundations of society.'Tis no more than exercisin'the acrimony of a gentleman when ye ask the dissent of ladies blockin'the way for steppin'between them.Will ye bring the pig's face of ye out of the windy and see to the food?’

Mrs.McCaskey arose heavily and went to the stove.There was something in her manner that warned Mr.McCaskey.When the corners of her mouth went down suddenly like a barometer it usually foretold a fall of crockery and tinware.

‘Pig's face,is it?’said Mrs.McCaskey,and hurled a stewpan full of bacon and turnips at her lord.

Mr.McCaskey was no novice at repartee.He knew what should follow the entree.On the table was a roast sirloin of pork,garnished with shamrocks.He retorted with this,and drew the appropriate return of a bread pudding in an earthen dish.A hunk of Swiss cheese accurately thrown by her husband struck Mrs.McCaskey below one eye.When she replied with a well-aimed coffee-pot full of a hot,black,semi-fragrant liquid the battle,according to courses,should have ended.

But Mr.McCaskey was no 50cent table d'hter.Let cheap Bohemians consider coffee the end,if they would.Let them make that faux pas.He was foxier still.Finger-bowls were not beyond the compass of his experience.They were not to be had in the Pension Murphy;but their equivalent was at hand.Triumphantly he sent the granite-ware wash-basin at the head of his matrimonial adversary.Mrs.McCaskey dodged in time.She reached for a flat-iron,with which,as a sort of cordial,she hoped to bring the gastronomical duel to a close.But a loud,wailing scream downstairs caused both her and Mr.McCaskey to pause in a sort of involuntary armistice.

On the sidewalk at the corner of the house Policeman Cleary was standing with one ear upturned,listening to the crash of household utensils.

‘'Tis Jawn McCaskey and his missus at it again,’meditated the policeman.‘I wonder shall I go up and stop the row.I will not.Married folks they are;and few pleasures they have.'Twill not last long.Sure,they'll have to borrow more dishes to keep it up with.’

And just then came the loud scream below-stairs,betokening fear or dire extremity.‘'Tis probably the cat,’said Policeman Cleary,and walked hastily in the other direction.

The boarders on the steps were fluttered.Mr.Toomey,an insurance solicitor by birth and an investigator by profession,went inside to analyse the scream.He returned with the news that Mrs.Murphy's little boy Mike was lost.Following the messenger,out bounced Mrs.Murphy-two hundred pounds in tears and hysterics,clutching the air and howling to the sky for the loss of thirty pounds of freckles and mischief.Bathos,truly;but Mr.Toomey sat down at the side of Miss Purdy,milliner,and their hands came together in sympathy.The two old maids,Misses Walsh,who complained every day about the noise in the halls,inquired immediately if anybody had looked behind the clock.

Major Grigg,who sat by his fat wife on the top step,arose and buttoned his coat.‘The little one lost?’he exclaimed.‘I will scour the city.’His wife never allowed him out after dark.But now she said:‘Go,Ludovic!’in a baritone voice.‘Whoever can look upon that mother's grief without springing to her relief has a heart of stone.’‘Give me some thirty or-sixty cents,my love,’said the Major.‘Lost children sometimes stray far.I may need car-fares.’

Old man Denny,hall-room,fourth floor back,who sat on the lowest step,trying to read a paper by the street lamp,turned over a page to follow up the article about the carpenters'strike.Mrs.Murphy shrieked to the moon:‘Oh,ar-r-Mike,f'r Gawd's sake,where is me little bit av a boy?’

‘When'd ye see him last?’asked old man Denny,with one eye on the report of the Building Trades League.

同类推荐
  • 带本英语书游世界

    带本英语书游世界

    本书章节分为 Chapter 1 万事俱备 Chapter 2 快乐出发 Chapter 3 平安到达 Chapter 4 享受美食 Chapter 5 遨游世界 Chapter 6 疯狂购物每个章节详细描写了相关旅游出行的细节,词汇补给、旅游应急句、实用情景对话帮助读者轻松出行。
  • 终极英语日常用语1980句

    终极英语日常用语1980句

    本书内容包括:用餐宴请;居家交流;职场办公;校园求学;旅游出行;逛街购物等基本交际口语。
  • 春天在心里歌唱(英文爱藏双语系列)

    春天在心里歌唱(英文爱藏双语系列)

    《春天在心里歌唱》精选了四十多篇世界上最具代表性的散文,所选篇目皆出自于名家,语言优美,意义深邃,堪称人类文明的共同财富。同时本书的内容广泛,包罗自然、社会、人生等方方面面。
  • 安徒生童话选(纯爱英文馆)

    安徒生童话选(纯爱英文馆)

    安徒生童话是丹麦作家安徒生的童话作品,也是世界上最有名的童话作品集之一。他最著名的童话故事有《海的女儿》、《小锡兵》、《冰雪女王》、《拇指姑娘》、《卖火柴的小女孩》、《丑小鸭》和《红鞋》等。尽管创作体裁属于童话,但是其中蕴含了丰富的人生哲理。
  • 当幸福来敲门(英文爱藏双语系列)

    当幸福来敲门(英文爱藏双语系列)

    幸福瞬间的确存在。每天,它们在我们身边徘徊,像银光闪闪的游鱼,等待我们去捕捉。即使你没有找到幸福,它们也会找上你。快乐似乎就是简单地做事,是一种能从最简单的事物中提炼出乐趣的能力。万事万物都绽放着美。漫步于田野或者树林,闲荡在夏日海边或山涧,细碎的困惑和忧虑都会烟消云散。
热门推荐
  • 白领私家菜

    白领私家菜

    《白领私家菜》是一本介绍白领一族如何做菜的菜谱书。书中精选了80款既有较高营养价值,又有较好食疗保健功效的美味养生菜肴,以简洁的文字和精美的彩图对每款菜肴的用料配比、制作方法、成品特点等均作了具体的介绍。本书图文并茂,选料考究,搭配合理,步骤清晰,易学易做,是白领一族提高厨艺的好帮手。
  • 关于风起时

    关于风起时

    后来的我们依然走着,只是不再并肩了,朝着各自的人生追寻了
  • 给思维一对翅膀

    给思维一对翅膀

    《给思维一对翅膀》精心选取了 100个精彩的智慧故事,内容涉及生活中的方方面面。所谓滴水藏海,小中见大,这些小故事同样折射出人类智慧的灵光。浓厚的文学气息、寓意深远的人生哲理、精美典雅的插图,有助 于开启青少年朋友们的心灵和智慧大门,为读者朋友 营造了一个清新隽永的阅读氛围。
  • 在人间(语文新课标课外读物)

    在人间(语文新课标课外读物)

    现代中、小学生不能只局限于校园和课本,应该广开视野,广长见识,广泛了解博大的世界和社会,不断增加丰富的现代社会知识和世界信息,才有所精神准备,才能迅速地长大,将来才能够自由地翱翔于世界蓝天。否则,我们将永远是妈妈怀抱中的乖宝宝,将永远是温室里面的豆芽菜,那么,我们将怎样走向社会、走向世界呢?
  • 灵魂与美感:杨飞云范学德对话录

    灵魂与美感:杨飞云范学德对话录

    本书是油画家杨飞云第一部有关自己艺术生涯的谈艺录。本书以与美籍华人作家范学德对话的形式,讲述了杨飞云艺术生涯的点滴:从童年的生活;少年时期的学画过程;青年时期的工作生活经历,尤其是1978年考入中央美术学院之后,就油画学习、创作、风格的思考;担任中国油画院院长之后,组织的一系列促进油画发展的展览活动,对青年油画家的提携和推荐,对中国油画的期待和展望等等。在这部对话录中,杨飞云对自己六十多年生涯作了详细的叙述,第一次历史地、系统地、准确地说明了自己的艺术见解。这既是一部艺术对话录,也是人生对话录;既能给年轻的艺术家以艺术上的指导,更能给他们以精神上的启发。
  • 器魂系统

    器魂系统

    世界三大实验,引动了维度交融,前生险些战死沙场的夏启山,被从天而降的天碑融入体内,最终在2000多年后的末世重生,拥有了神奇的器魂系统,继承了天碑的诸多神异。在末世中,进化,强大,生存,继而发现天碑的最终奥秘。
  • 剩女相亲记

    剩女相亲记

    一个大龄剩女相亲的故事
  • 先洞房后拜堂

    先洞房后拜堂

    她是云之约,惊云山庄七小姐,在百花宴上追逐燕北国太子失足落马,摔了一身马粪,自此名动天下,喜穿五彩斑斓的长裙,外号,花蝴蝶,花痴七小姐。而她是云惊鸿,二十一世纪闻名于世的中医世家传人,被人奉为穿越版华佗,疑难杂症无所不能,即是中医院坐诊教授,亦是黑道闻名丧胆毒医九重。当潇洒狂放热爱自由的她穿越到畏缩懦弱钟爱美色的她身上,将会发生怎样的传奇?传言篇:听说惊云山庄七小姐昨日在百花宴上追逐南国太子失足落马了!听说还摔了一身马粪,成了整个大燕国的笑柄!听说那个云七小姐一直爱慕北国太子,没想到那么懦弱的性子竟敢去追逐太子?听说那个云七小姐自那次落马之后,便傻了!以前是懦弱胆小,现在可是傻啊!唉,可怜可怜…翻身篇:女子懒懒伫立着,脚下不稳,让人担心她是不是会随时摔倒,如墨的长发不挽不束就随意的披散而下,无半分仪态可言,慵懒肆意的斜睨着眼前的一身雍容的男子,“太子殿下,没听过一句话么?什么什么不挡道来着?我记性不大好,希望太子殿下不要介意?”看着眼前似乎脱胎换骨一般的女子,虽无半分仪态可言,却肆意自如,似乎她本该如此一般,对于女子的话,男子尔雅一笑,眸中略有深沉,“明日就是你我的大喜之日,我今日特地来看看我的太子妃是不是会私自逃婚?”“逃婚?我若要逃,你岂能拦得住?”女子闻言狭眸一眯,继而笑颜如花,“你放心,明日我一定上花轿,不过上的是另外一顶花轿。”男子的隐忍终于达到极限,尔雅的面具破碎,“既如此,那便先下手为强,先洞房后拜堂!”一支帝王燕的上上签,将她推上人人艳羡的女人至尊之位,双龙夺凤之战就此拉开帷幕…凤临天下纷争起,惊鸿一跃震心怯,金戈铁马空欲泣,云中战歌舞烟歇。云惊鸿:墨衣风华,狂放不羁。惊云山庄七小姐。燕北歌:素衣如月,俊雅绝伦。燕北国太子。凤天澜:清朗如日,霸气狂妄。燕南国太子。西空雪:鹤发童颜,神秘邪魅。西楚山庄四少爷。玉生烟:颜容若画,温润如玉。千玉山庄三少爷。昔千舞:舞衣霓裳,艳冠天下。天昔山庄少主。……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………小炎最新文文《-壹夜风流-》简介:号外号外,百花宫宫主被人迷X了!此八卦流言一出,横扫江湖…传闻百花宫宫主风流成性,宫内除了他自己之外皆为女子。传闻百花宫宫主美艳如妖,所到之处经常引起交通堵塞,场面混乱,一度失控。
  • 三世轻狂:一只小妖出墙来

    三世轻狂:一只小妖出墙来

    修炼千年的花妖在一次吃神仙肉的时候,遇上九重天高高在上翩翩谪仙上神。她贪恋上神美色,几次企图染指他未果,她死皮赖脸勾引他的功夫堪称一流,无论床上嘿咻还是摆首弄姿都能惹得自己难耐不忍,而上神被剥得精光仍是一副飘逸脱俗的笑容“美男!你要记住一句话,顺妖者昌,逆妖者亡,包小三拿去喂狼!”她勾着他的脖子霸道开口。”唔-----“他这样结束谈话。”美男,我是你的徒儿!你要养我一辈子!“她扒拉在他身上叫嚣着。“一辈子很长,得有千万年!”他很是潇洒的开口。
  • Sons and Other Flammable Objects