The Garden Party.docx
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- 上传时间:2023-06-17
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The Garden Party.docx
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TheGardenParty
THEGARDEN-PARTY
ByKatherineMansfield
1.ANDafteralltheweatherwasideal.Theycouldnothavehadamoreperfectdayforagarden-partyiftheyhadorderedit.Windless,warm,theskywithoutacloud.Onlythebluewasveiledwithahazeoflightgold,asitissometimesinearlysummer.Thegardenerhadbeenupsincedawn,mowingthelawnsandsweepingthem,untilthegrassandthedarkflatrosetteswherethedaisyplantshadbeenseemedtoshine.Asfortheroses,youcouldnothelpfeelingtheyunderstoodthatrosesaretheonlyflowersthatimpresspeopleatgarden-parties;theonlyflowersthateverybodyiscertainofknowing.Hundreds,yes,literallyhundreds,hadcomeoutinasinglenight;thegreenbushesboweddownasthoughtheyhadbeenvisitedbyarchangels.
2.Breakfastwasnotyetoverbeforethemencametoputupthemarquee.
3."Wheredoyouwantthemarqueeput,mother?
"
4."Mydearchild,it'snouseaskingme.I'mdeterminedtoleaveeverythingtoyouchildrenthisyear.ForgetIamyourmother.Treatmeasanhonouredguest."
5.ButMegcouldnotpossiblygoandsupervisethemen.Shehadwashedherhairbeforebreakfast,andshesatdrinkinghercoffeeinagreenturban,withadarkwetcurlstampedoneachcheek.Jose,thebutterfly,alwayscamedowninasilkpetticoatandakimonojacket.
6."You'llhavetogo,Laura;you'retheartisticone."
7.AwayLauraflew,stillholdingherpieceofbread-and-butter.It'ssodelicioustohaveanexcuseforeatingoutofdoors,andbesides,shelovedhavingtoarrangethings;shealwaysfeltshecoulddoitsomuchbetterthananybodyelse.
8.Fourmenintheirshirt-sleevesstoodgroupedtogetheronthegardenpath.Theycarriedstavescoveredwithrollsofcanvas,andtheyhadbigtool-bagsslungontheirbacks.Theylookedimpressive.Laurawishednowthatshewasnotholdingthatpieceofbread-and-butter,buttherewasnowheretoputit,andshecouldn'tpossiblythrowitaway.Sheblushedandtriedtolooksevereandevenalittlebitshort-sightedasshecameuptothem.
9."Goodmorning,"shesaid,copyinghermother'svoice.Butthatsoundedsofearfullyaffectedthatshewasashamed,andstammeredlikealittlegirl,"Oh–er–haveyoucome–isitaboutthemarquee?
"
10."That'sright,miss,"saidthetallestofthemen,alanky,freckledfellow,andheshiftedhistool-bag,knockedbackhisstrawhatandsmileddownather."That'saboutit."
11.Hissmilewassoeasy,sofriendly,thatLaurarecovered.Whatniceeyeshehad,small,butsuchadarkblue!
Andnowshelookedattheothers,theyweresmilingtoo."Cheerup,wewon'tbite,"theirsmileseemedtosay.Howveryniceworkmenwere!
Andwhatabeautifulmorning!
Shemustn'tmentionthemorning;shemustbebusiness-like.Themarquee.
12."Well,whataboutthelily-lawn?
Wouldthatdo?
"
13.Andshepointedtothelily-lawnwiththehandthatdidn'tholdthebread-and-butter.Theyturned,theystaredinthedirection.Alittlefatchapthrustouthisunder-lip,andthetallfellowfrowned.
14."Idon'tfancyit,"saidhe."Notconspicuousenough.Yousee,withathinglikeamarquee,"andheturnedtoLaurainhiseasyway,"youwanttoputitsomewherewhereit'llgiveyouabangslapintheeye,ifyoufollowme."
15.Laura'supbringingmadeherwonderforamomentwhetheritwasquiterespectfulofaworkmantotalktoherofbangsslapintheeye.Butshedidquitefollowhim.
16."Acornerofthetennis-court,"shesuggested."Buttheband'sgoingtobeinonecorner."
17."H'm,goingtohaveaband,areyou?
"saidanotheroftheworkmen.Hewaspale.Hehadahaggardlookashisdarkeyesscannedthetennis-court.Whatwashethinking?
18."Onlyaverysmallband,"saidLauragently.Perhapshewouldn'tmindsomuchifthebandwasquitesmall.Butthetallfellowinterrupted.
19."Lookhere,miss,that'stheplace.Againstthosetrees.Overthere.That'lldofine."
20.Againstthekarakas.Thenthekaraka-treeswouldbehidden.Andtheyweresolovely,withtheirbroad,gleamingleaves,andtheirclustersofyellowfruit.Theywereliketreesyouimaginedgrowingonadesertisland,proud,solitary,liftingtheirleavesandfruitstothesuninakindofsilentsplendour.Musttheybehiddenbyamarquee?
21.Theymust.Alreadythemenhadshoulderedtheirstavesandweremakingfortheplace.Onlythetallfellowwasleft.Hebentdown,pinchedasprigoflavender,puthisthumbandforefingertohisnoseandsnuffedupthesmell.WhenLaurasawthatgesturesheforgotallaboutthekarakasinherwonderathimcaringforthingslikethat–caringforthesmelloflavender.Howmanymenthatsheknewwouldhavedonesuchathing?
Oh,howextraordinarilyniceworkmenwere,shethought.Whycouldn'tshehaveworkmenforherfriendsratherthanthesillyboysshedancedwithandwhocametoSundaynightsupper?
Shewouldgetonmuchbetterwithmenlikethese.
22.It'sallthefault,shedecided,asthetallfellowdrewsomethingonthebackofanenvelope,somethingthatwastobeloopeduporlefttohang,oftheseabsurdclassdistinctions.Well,forherpart,shedidn'tfeelthem.Notabit,notanatom....Andnowtherecamethechock-chockofwoodenhammers.Someonewhistled,someonesangout,"Areyourightthere,matey?
""Matey!
"Thefriendlinessofit,the–the–Justtoprovehowhappyshewas,justtoshowthetallfellowhowathomeshefelt,andhowshedespisedstupidconventions,Lauratookabigbiteofherbread-and-butterasshestaredatthelittledrawing.Shefeltjustlikeawork-girl.
23."Laura,Laura,whereareyou?
Telephone,Laura!
"avoicecriedfromthehouse.
24."Coming!
"Awaysheskimmed,overthelawn,upthepath,upthesteps,acrosstheveranda,andintotheporch.InthehallherfatherandLauriewerebrushingtheirhatsreadytogototheoffice.
25."Isay,Laura,"saidLaurieveryfast,"youmightjustgiveasquizatmycoatbeforethisafternoon.Seeifitwantspressing."
26."Iwill,"saidshe.Suddenlyshecouldn'tstopherself.SheranatLaurieandgavehimasmall,quicksqueeze."Oh,Idoloveparties,don'tyou?
"gaspedLaura.
27."Ra-ther,"saidLaurie'swarm,boyishvoice,andhesqueezedhissistertoo,andgaveheragentlepush."Dashofftothetelephone,oldgirl."
28.Thetelephone."Yes,yes;ohyes.Kitty?
Goodmorning,dear.Cometolunch?
Do,dear.Delightedofcourse.Itwillonlybeaveryscratchmeal–justthesandwichcrustsandbrokenmeringue-shellsandwhat'sleftover.Yes,isn'titaperfectmorning?
Yourwhite?
Oh,Icertainlyshould.Onemoment–holdtheline.Mother'scalling."AndLaurasatback."What,mother?
Can'thear."
29.Mrs.Sheridan'svoicefloateddownthestairs."TellhertowearthatsweethatshehadonlastSunday."
30."Mothersaysyou'retowearthatsweethatyouhadonlastSunday.Good.Oneo'clock.Bye-bye."
31.Lauraputbackthereceiver,flungherarmsoverherhead,tookadeepbreath,stretchedandletthemfall."Huh,"shesighed,andthemomentafterthesighshesatupquickly.Shewasstill,listening.Allthedoorsinthehouseseemedtobeopen.Thehousewasalivewithsoft,quickstepsandrunningvoices.Thegreenbaizedoorthatledtothekitchenregionsswungopenandshutwithamuffledthud.Andnowtherecamealong,chucklingabsurdsound.Itwastheheavypianobeingmovedonitsstiffcastors.Buttheair!
Ifyoustoppedtonotice,wastheairalwayslikethis?
Littlefaintwindswereplayingchaseinatthetopsofthewindows,outatthedoors.Andthereweretwotinyspotsofsun,oneontheinkpot,oneonasilverphotographframe,playingtoo.Darlinglittlespots.Especiallytheoneontheinkpotlid.Itwasquitewarm.Awarmlittlesilverstar.Shecouldhavekissedit.
32.Thefrontdoorbellpealed,andtheresoundedtherustleofSadie'sprintskirtonthestairs.Aman'svoicemurmured;Sadieanswered,careless,"I'msureIdon'tknow.Wait.I'llaskMrsSheridan."
33."Whatisit,Sadie?
"Lauracameintothehall.
34."It'stheflorist,MissLaura."
35.Itwas,indeed.There,justinsidethedoor,stoodawide,shallowtrayfullofpotsofpinklilies.Nootherkind.Nothingbutlilies–cannalilies,bigpinkflowers,wideopen,radiant,almostfrighteninglyaliveonbrightcrimsonstems.
36."O-oh,Sadie!
"saidLaura,andthesoundwaslikealittlemoan.Shecroucheddownasiftowarmherselfatthatblazeoflilies;shefelttheywereinherfingers,onherlips,growinginherbreast.
37."It'ssomemistake,"shesaidfaintly."Nobodyeverorderedsomany.Sadie,goandfindmother."
38.ButatthatmomentMrs.Sheridanjoinedthem.
39."It'squiteright,"shesaidcalmly."Yes,Iorderedthem.Aren'ttheylovely?
"ShepressedLaura'sarm."Iwaspassingtheshopyesterday,andIsawtheminthewindow.AndIsuddenlythoughtforonceinmylifeIshallhaveenoughcannalilies.Thegarden-partywillbeagoodexcuse."
40."ButIthoughtyousaidyoudidn'tmeantointerfere,"saidLaura.Sadiehadgone.Theflorist'smanwasstilloutsideathisvan.Sheputherarmroundhermother'sneckandgently,verygently,shebithermother'sear.
41."Mydarlingchild,youwouldn'tlikealogicalmother,wouldyou?
Don'tdothat.Here'stheman."
42.Hecarriedmoreliliesstill,anotherwholetray.
43."Bankthemup,justinsidethedoor,onbothsidesoftheporch,please,"saidMrs.Sheridan."Don'tyouagree,Laura?
"
44."Oh,Ido,mother."
45.Inthedrawing-roomMeg,JoseandgoodlittleHanshadatlastsucceededinmovingthepiano.
46."Now,ifweputthischesterfieldagainstthewallandmoveeverythingoutoftheroomexceptthechairs,don'tyouthink?
"
47."Quite."
48."Hans,movethesetablesintothesmoking-room,a
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