CHAPTER II
關燈
小
中
大
shewasold.
Afabricbiggerthanthemosquefelltopieces,andhedidnotknowwhetherhewasgladorsorry.ShewasolderthanHamidullahBegum,witharedfaceandwhitehair.Hervoicehaddeceivedhim.
“Mrs.Moore,IamafraidIstartledyou.Ishalltellmycommunity—ourfriends—aboutyou.ThatGodishere—verygood,veryfineindeed.IthinkyouarenewlyarrivedinIndia.”
“Yes—howdidyouknow?”
“Bythewayyouaddressme.No,butcanIcallyouacarriage?”
“Ihaveonlycomefromtheclub.TheyaredoingaplaythatIhaveseeninLondon,anditwassohot.”
“Whatwasthenameoftheplay?”
“CousinKate.”
“Ithinkyououghtnottowalkatnightalone,Mrs.Moore.TherearebadcharactersaboutandleopardsmaycomeacrossfromtheMarabarHills.Snakesalso.”
Sheexclaimedshehadforgottenthesnakes.
“Forexample,asix-spotbeetle,”hecontinued,“Youpickitup,itbites,youdie.”
“Butyouwalkaboutyourself.”
“Oh,Iamusedtoit.”
“Usedtosnakes?”
Theybothlaughed.“I’madoctor,”hesaid.“Snakesdon’tdarebiteme.”Theysatdownsidebysideintheentrance,andslippedontheireveningshoes.“PleasemayIaskyouaquestionnow?WhydoyoucometoIndiaatthistimeofyear,justasthecoldweatherisending?”
“Iintendedtostartearlier,buttherewasanunavoidabledelay.”
“Itwillsoonbesounhealthyforyou!AndwhyeverdoyoucometoChandrapore?”
“Tovisitmyson.HeistheCityMagistratehere.”
“Ohno,excuseme,thatisquiteimpossible.OurCityMagistrate’snameisMr.Heaslop.Iknowhimintimately.”
“He’smysonallthesame,”shesaid,smiling.
“But,Mrs.Moore,howcanhebe?”
“Iwasmarriedtwice.”
“Yes,nowIsee,andyourfirsthusbanddied.”
“Hedid,andsodidmysecondhusband.”
“Thenweareinthesamebox,”hesaidcryptically.“ThenistheCityMagistratetheentireofyourfamilynow?”
“No,therearetheyoungerones—RalphandStellainEngland.”
“Andthegentlemanhere,isheRalphandStella’shalf-brother?”
“Quiteright.”
“Mrs.Moore,thisisallextremelystrange,becauselikeyourselfIhavealsotwosonsandadaughter.Isnotthisthesameboxwithavengeance?”
“Whataretheirnames?NotalsoRonny,Ralph,andStella,surely?”
Thesuggestiondelightedhim.“No,indeed.Howfunnyitsounds!Theirnamesarequitedifferentandwillsurpriseyou.Listen,please.Iamabouttotellyoumychildren’snames.ThefirstiscalledAhmed,thesecondiscalledKarim,thethird—sheistheeldest—Jamila.Threechildrenareenough.Donotyouagreewithme?”
“Ido.”
Theywerebothsilentforalittle,thinkingoftheirrespectivefamilies.Shesighedandrosetogo.
“WouldyoucaretoseeovertheMintoHospitalonemorning?”heenquired.“IhavenothingelsetoofferatChandrapore.”
“Thankyou,Ihaveseenitalready,orIshouldhavelikedtocomewithyouverymuch.”
“IsupposetheCivilSurgeontookyou.”
“Yes,andMrs.Callendar.”
Hisvoicealtered.“Ah!Averycharminglady.”
“Possibly,whenoneknowsherbetter.”
“What?What?Youdidn’tlikeher?”
“Shewascertainlyintendingtobekind,butIdidnotfindherexactlycharming.”
Heburstoutwith:“Shehasjusttakenmytongawithoutmypermission—doyoucallthatbeingcharming?—andMajorCallendarinterruptsmenightafternightfromwhereIamdiningwithmyfriendsandIgoatonce,breakingupamostpleasantentertainment,andheisnotthereandnotevenamessage.Isthischarming,pray?Butwhatdoesitmatter?Icandonothingandheknowsit.Iamjustasubordinate,mytimeisofnovalue,theverandahisgoodenoughforanIndian,yes,yes,lethimstand,andMrs.Callendartakesmycarriageandcutsmedead...”
Shelistened.
Hewasexcitedpartlybyhiswrongs,butmuchmorebytheknowledgethatsomeonesympathizedwiththem.Itwasthisthatledhimtorepeat,exaggerate,contradict.Shehadprovedhersympathybycriticizingherfellow-countrywomantohim,butevenearlierhehadknown.Theflamethatnotevenbeautycannourishwasspringingup,andthoughhiswordswerequeruloushisheartbegantoglowsecretly.Presentlyitburstintospeech.
“Youunderstandme,youknowwhatothersfeel.Oh,ifothersresembledyou!”
Rathersurprised,shereplied:“Idon’tthinkIunderstandpeopleverywell.IonlyknowwhetherIlikeordislikethem.”
“ThenyouareanOriental.”
Sheacceptedhisescortbacktotheclub,andsaidatthegatethatshewishedshewasamember,sothatshecouldhaveaskedhimin.
“IndiansarenotallowedintotheChandraporeClubevenasguests,”hesaidsimply.Hedidnotexpatiateonhiswrongsnow,beinghappy.Ashestrolleddownhillbeneaththelovelymoon,andagainsawthelovelymosque,heseemedtoownthelandasmuchasanyoneownedit.WhatdiditmatterifafewflabbyHindushadprecededhimthere,andafewchillyEnglishsucceeded?