pgw.uneasymoney-第9章

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himself。　From　some　conning…tower　in　this　fourth　dimension　he　perceived　himself　eating　broiled　lobster　and　drinking　champagne　and　heard　himself　bearing　an　adequate　part　in　the　conversation；　but　his　movements　were　largely　automatic。
　Time　passed。　It　seemed　to　Lord　Dawlish；　watching　from　without；　that　things　were　livening　up。　He　seemed　to　perceive　a　quickening　of　the　_tempo_　of　the　revels；　an　added　abandon。　Nutty　was　getting　quite　bright。　He　had　the　air　of　one　who　recalls　the　good　old　days；　of　one　who　in　familiar　scenes　re…enacts　the　joys　of　his　vanished　youth。　The　chastened　melancholy　induced　by　many　months　of　fetching　of　pails　of　water；　of　scrubbing　floors　with　a　mop；　and　of　jumping　like　a　firecracker　to　avoid　excited　bees　had　been　purged　from　him　by　the　lights　and　the　music　and　the　wine。　He　was　telling　a　long　anecdote；　laughing　at　it；　throwing　a　crust　of　bread　at　an　adjacent　waiter；　and　refilling　his　glass　at　the　same　time。　It　is　not　easy　to　do　all　these　things　simultaneously；　and　the　fact　that　Nutty　did　them　with　notable　success　was　proof　that　he　was　picking　up。
　Miss　Daisy　Leonard　was　still　demure；　bat　as　she　had　just　slipped　a　piece　of　ice　down　the　back　of　Nutty's　neck　one　may　assume　that　she　was　feeling　at　her　ease　and　had　overe　any　diffidence　or　shyness　which　might　have　interfered　with　her　plete　enjoyment　of　the　festivities。　As　for　the　Good　Sport；　she　was　larger；　blonder；　and　more　exuberant　than　ever　and　she　was　addressing　someone　as　'Bill'。
　Perhaps　the　most　remarkable　phenomenon　of　the　evening；　as　it　advanced；　was　the　change　it　wrought　in　Lord　Dawlish's　attitude　toward　this　same　Good　Sport。　He　was　not　conscious　of　the　beginning　of　the　change；　he　awoke　to　the　realization　of　it　suddenly。　At　the　beginning　of　supper　his　views　on　her　had　been　definite　and　clear。　When　they　had　first　been　introduced　to　each　other　he　had　had　a　stunned　feeling　that　this　sort　of　thing　ought　not　to　be　allowed　at　large；　and　his　battered　brain　had　instinctively　recalled　that　line　of　Tennyson：　'The　curse　is　e　upon　me。'　But　now；　warmed　with　food　and　drink　and　smoking　an　excellent　cigar；　he　found　that　a　gentler；　more　charitable　mood　had　descended　upon　him。
　He　argued　with　himself　in　extenuation　of　the　girl's　peculiar　idiosyncrasies。　Was　it；　he　asked　himself；　altogether　her　fault　that　she　was　so　massive　and　spoke　as　if　she　were　addressing　an　open…air　meeting　in　a　strong　gale？　Perhaps　it　was　hereditary。　Perhaps　her　father　had　been　a　circus　giant　and　her　mother　the　strong　woman　of　the　troupe。　And　for　the　unrestraint　of　her　manner　defective　training　in　early　girlhood　would　account。　He　began　to　regard　her　with　a　quiet；　kindly　miseration；　which　in　its　turn　changed　into　a　sort　of　brotherly　affection。　He　discovered　that　he　liked　her。　He　liked　her　very　much。　She　was　so　big　and　jolly　and　robust；　and　spoke　in　such　a　clear；　full　voice。　He　was　glad　that　she　was　patting　his　hand。　He　was　glad　that　he　had　asked　her　to　call　him　Bill。
　People　were　dancing　now。　It　has　been　claimed　by　patriots　that　American　dyspeptics　lead　the　world。　This　supremacy；　though　partly　due；　no　doubt；　to　vast　supplies　of　pie　absorbed　in　youth；　may　be　attributed　to　a　certain　extent　also　to　the　national　habit　of　dancing　during　meals。　Lord　Dawlish　had　that　sturdy　reverence　for　his　interior　organism　which　is　the　birthright　of　every　Briton。　And　at　the　beginning　of　supper　he　had　resolved　that　nothing　should　induce　him　to　court　disaster　in　this　fashion。　But　as　the　time　went　on　he　began　to　waver。
　The　situation　was　awkward。　Nutty　and　Miss　Leonard　were　repeatedly　leaving　the　table　to　tread　the　measure；　and　on　these　occasions　the　Good　Sport's　wistfulness　was　a　haunting　reproach。　Nor　was　the　spectacle　of　Nutty　in　action　without　its　effect　on　Bill's　resolution。　Nutty　dancing　was　a　sight　to　stir　the　most　stolid。
　Bill　wavered。　The　music　had　started　again　now；　one　of　those　twentieth…century　eruptions　of　sound　that　begin　like　a　train　going　through　a　tunnel　and　continue　like　audible　electric　shocks；　that　set　the　feet　tapping　beneath　the　table　and　the　spine　thrilling　with　an　unaccustomed　exhilaration。　Every　drop　of　blood　in　his　body　cried　to　him　'Dance！'　He　could　resist　no　longer。
　'Shall　we？'　he　said。
　Bill　should　not　have　danced。　He　was　an　estimable　young　man；　honest；　amiable；　with　high　ideals。　He　had　played　an　excellent　game　of　football　at　the　university；　his　golf　handicap　was　plus　two；　and　he　was　no　mean　performer　with　the　gloves。　But　we　all　of　us　have　our　limitations；　and　Bill　had　his。　He　was　not　a　good　dancer。　He　was　energetic；　but　he　required　more　elbow　room　than　the　ordinary　dancing　floor　provides。　As　a　dancer；　in　fact；　he　closely　resembled　a　Newfoundland　puppy　trying　to　run　across　a　field。
　It　takes　a　good　deal　to　daunt　the　New　York　dancing　man；　but　the　invasion　of　the　floor　by　Bill　and　the　Good　Sport　undoubtedly　caused　a　profound　and　even　painful　sensation。　Linked　together　they　formed　a　living　projectile　which　might　well　have　intimidated　the　bravest。　Nutty　was　their　first　victim。　They　caught　him　in　mid…stepone　of　those　fancy　steps　which　he　was　just　beginning　to　exhume　from　the　cobwebbed　recesses　of　his　memoryand　swept　him　away。　After　which　they　descended　resistlessly　upon　a　stout　gentleman　of　middle　age；　chiefly　conspicuous　for　the　glittering　diamonds　which　he　wore　and　the　stoical　manner　in　which　he　danced　to　and　fro　on　one　spot　of　not　more　than　a　few　inches　in　size　in　the　exact　centre　of　the　room。　He　had　apparently　staked　out　a　claim　to　this　small　spot；　a　claim　which　the　other　dancers　had　decided　to　respect；　but　Bill　and　the　Good　Sport；　ing　up　from　behind；　had　him　two　yards　away　from　it　at　the　first　impact。　Then；　scattering　apologies　broadcast　like　a　medieval　monarch　distributing　largesse；　Bill　whirled　his　partner　round　by　sheer　muscular　force　and　began　what　he　intended　to　be　a　movement　toward　the　farther　corner；　skirting　the　edge　of　the　floor。　It　was　his　simple　belief　that　there　was　more　safety　there　than　in　the　middle。
　He　had　not　reckoned　with　Heinrich　Joerg。　Indeed；　he　was　not　aware　of　Heinrich　Joerg's　existence。　Yet　fate　was　shortly　to　bring　them　together；　with　far…reaching　results。　Heinrich　Joerg　had　left　the　Fatherland　a　good　many　years　before　with　the　prudent　purpose　of　escaping　military　service。　After　various　vicissitudes　in　the　land　of　his　adoptionwhich　it　would　be　extremely　interesting　to　relate；　but　which　must　wait　for　a　more　favourable　opportunityhe　had　secured　a　useful　and　not　ill…repensed　situation　as　one　of　the　staff　of　Reigelheimer's　Restaurant。　He　was；　in　point　of　fact；　a　waiter；　and　he　es　into　the　story　at　this　point　bearing　a　tray　full　of　glasses；　knives；　forks；　and　pats　of　butter　on　little　plates。　He　was　setting　a　table　for　some　new　arrivals；　and　in　order　to　obtain　more　scope　for　that　task　he　had　left　the　crowded　aisle　beyond　the　table　and　e　round　to　the　edge　of　the　dancing…floor。
　He　should　not　have　e　out　on　to　the　dancing…floor。　In　another　moment　he　was　admitting　that　himself。　For　just　as　he　was　lowering　his　tray　and　bending　over　the　table　in　the　pursuance　of　his　professional　duties；　along　came　Bill　at　his　customary　high　rate　of　speed；　propelling　his　partner　before　him；　and　for　the　first　time　since　he　left　home　Heinrich　was　conscious　of　a　regret　that　he　had　done　so。　There　are　worse　things　than　military　service！
　It　was　the　table　that　saved　Bill。　He　clutched　at　it　and　it　supported　him。　He　was　thus　enabled　to　keep　the　Good　Sport　from　falling　and　to　assist　Heinrich　to　rise　from　the　morass　of　glasses；　knives；　and　pats　of　butter　in　which　he　was　wallowing。　Then；　the　dance　having　been　abandoned　by　mutual　consent；　he　helped　his　now　somewhat　hysterical　partner　back　to　their　table。
　Remorse　came　upon　Bill。　He　was　sorry　that　he　had　danced；　sorry　that　he　had　upset　Heinrich；　sorry　that　he　had　subjected　the　Good　Sport's　nervous　system　to　such　a　strain；　sorry　that　so　much　glass　had　been　broken　and　so　many　pats　of　butter　bruised　beyond　repair。　But　of　one　thing；　even　in　that　moment　of　bleak　regrets；　he　was　distinctly　glad；　and　that　was　that　all　these　things　had　taken　place　three　thousand　miles　away　from　Claire　Fenwick。　He　had　not　been　appearing　at　his　best；　and　he　was　glad　that　Claire　had　not　seen　him。
　As　he　sat　and　smoked　the　remains　of　his　cigar；　while　renewing　his　apologies　and　explanations　to　his　partner　and　soothing　the　ruffled　Nutty　with　well…chosen　condolences；　he　wondered　idly　what　Claire　was　doing　at　that　moment。
　Claire　at　that　moment；　having　been　an　astonished　eye…witness　of　the　whole　performance；　was　resuming　her　seat　at　a　table　at　the　other　end　of　the　room。
　
　7
　There　were　two　reasons　why　Lord　Dawlish　was　unaware　of　Claire　Fenwick's　presence　at　Reigelheimer's　Restaurant：　Reigelheimer's　is　situated　in　a　basement　below　a　ten…storey　building；　and　in　order　to　prevent　this　edifice　from　falling　into　his　patrons'　soup　the　proprietor　had　been　obliged　to　shore　up　his　ceiling　with　massive　pillars。　One　of　these　protruded　itself　between　the　table　which　Nutty　had　secured　for　his　supper…party　and　the　table　at　which　Claire　was　sitting　with　her　friend；　Lady　Wetherby；　and　her　steamer　acquaintance；　Mr　Dudley　Pickering。　That　was　why　Bill　had　not　seen　Claire　from　where　he　sat；　and　the　reason　that　he　had　not　seen　her　when　he　left　his　seat　and　began　to　dance　was　that　he　was　not　one　of　your　dancers　who　glance　airily　about　them。　When　Bill　danced　he　danced。
　He　would　have　been　stunned　with　amazement　if　he　had　known　that　Claire　was　at　Reigelheimer's　that　night。　And　yet　it　would　have　been　remarkable；　seeing　that　she　was　the　guest　of　Lady　Wetherby；　if　she　had　not　been　there。　When　you　have　travelled　three　thousand　miles　to　enjoy　the　hospitality　of　a　friend　who　does　near…Greek　dances　at　a　popular　restaurant；　the　least　you　can　do　is　to　go　to　the　restaurant　and　watch　her　step。　Claire　had　arrived　with　Polly　Wetherby　and　Mr　Dudley　Pickering　at　about　the　time　when　Nutty；　his　gloom　melting　rapidly；　was　instructing　the　waiter　to　open　the　second　bottle。
　Of　Claire's　movements　between　the　time　when　she　secured　her　ticket　at　the　steamship　offices　at　Southampton　and　the　moment　when　she　entered　Reigelheimer's　Restaurant　it　is　not　necessary　to　give　a　detailed　record。　She　had　had　the　usual　experiences　of　the　ocean　voyager。　She　had　fed；　read；　and　gone　to　bed。　The　only　notable　event　in　her　trip　had　been　her　intimacy　with　Mr　Dudley　Pickering。
　Dudley　Pickering　was　a　middle…aged　Middle　Westerner；　who　by　thrift　and　industry　had　amassed　a　considerable　fortune　out　of　automobiles。　Everybody　spoke　well　of　Dudley　Pickering。　The　papers　spoke　well　of　him；　Bradstreet　spoke　well　of　him；　and　he　spoke　well　of　himself。　On　board　the　liner　he　had　poured　the　saga　of　his　life　into　Claire's　attentive　ears；　and　there　was　a　gentle　sweetness　in　her　manner　which　encouraged　Mr　Pickering　mightily；　for　he　had　fallen　in　love　with　Claire　on　sight。
　It　would　seem　that　a　schoolgirl　in　these　advanced　days　would　know　what　to　do　when　she　found　that　a　man　worth　millions　was　in　love　with　her；　yet　there　were　factors　in　the　situation　which　gave　Claire　pause。　Lord　Dawlish；　of　course；　was　one　of　them。　She　had　not　mentioned　Lord　Dawlish　to　Mr　Pickering；　anddoubtless　lest　the　sight　of　it　might　pain　himshe　had　abstained　from　wearing　her　engagement　ring　during　the　voyage。　But　she　had　not　pletely　lost　sight　of　the　fact　that　she　was　engaged　to　B