登陆注册
5656300000003

第3章

He can't possibly have gone to a hotter place, you know.""Oh, there's only one hotter place," said Lord Lambeth, "and I hope he hasn't gone there."They strolled along the shady side of the street to the number indicated upon the precious letter. The house presented an imposing chocolate-colored expanse, relieved by facings and window cornices of florid sculpture, and by a couple of dusty rose trees which clambered over the balconies and the portico.

This last-mentioned feature was approached by a monumental flight of steps.

"Rather better than a London house," said Lord Lambeth, looking down from this altitude, after they had rung the bell.

"It depends upon what London house you mean," replied his companion.

"You have a tremendous chance to get wet between the house door and your carriage.""Well," said Lord Lambeth, glancing at the burning heavens, "I 'guess' it doesn't rain so much here!"The door was opened by a long Negro in a white jacket, who grinned familiarly when Lord Lambeth asked for Mr. Westgate.

"He ain't at home, sah; he's downtown at his o'fice.""Oh, at his office?" said the visitors. "And when will he be at home?""Well, sah, when he goes out dis way in de mo'ning, he ain't liable to come home all day."This was discouraging; but the address of Mr. Westgate's office was freely imparted by the intelligent black and was taken down by Percy Beaumont in his pocketbook.

The two gentlemen then returned, languidly, to their hotel, and sent for a hackney coach, and in this commodious vehicle they rolled comfortably downtown. They measured the whole length of Broadway again and found it a path of fire; and then, deflecting to the left, they were deposited by their conductor before a fresh, light, ornamental structure, ten stories high, in a street crowded with keen-faced, light-limbed young men, who were running about very quickly and stopping each other eagerly at corners and in doorways. Passing into this brilliant building, they were introduced by one of the keen-faced young men--he was a charming fellow, in wonderful cream-colored garments and a hat with a blue ribbon, who had evidently perceived them to be aliens and helpless--to a very snug hydraulic elevator, in which they took their place with many other persons, and which, shooting upward in its vertical socket, presently projected them into the seventh horizontal compartment of the edifice. Here, after brief delay, they found themselves face to face with the friend of their friend in London.

His office was composed of several different rooms, and they waited very silently in one of them after they had sent in their letter and their cards. The letter was not one which it would take Mr. Westgate very long to read, but he came out to speak to them more instantly than they could have expected;he had evidently jumped up from his work. He was a tall, lean personage and was dressed all in fresh white linen;he had a thin, sharp, familiar face, with an expression that was at one and the same time sociable and businesslike, a quick, intelligent eye, and a large brown mustache, which concealed his mouth and made his chin, beneath it, look small.

Lord Lambeth thought he looked tremendously clever.

"How do you do, Lord Lambeth--how do you do, sir?" he said, holding the open letter in his hand. "I'm very glad to see you;I hope you're very well. You had better come in here; I think it's cooler," and he led the way into another room, where there were law books and papers, and windows wide open beneath striped awning.

Just opposite one of the windows, on a line with his eyes, Lord Lambeth observed the weathervane of a church steeple.

The uproar of the street sounded infinitely far below, and Lord Lambeth felt very high in the air. "I say it's cooler,"pursued their host, "but everything is relative.

How do you stand the heat?"

"I can't say we like it," said Lord Lambeth; "but Beaumont likes it better than I.""Well, it won't last," Mr. Westgate very cheerfully declared;"nothing unpleasant lasts over here. It was very hot when Captain Littledale was here; he did nothing but drink sherry cobblers.

He expressed some doubt in his letter whether I will remember him--as if I didn't remember making six sherry cobblers for him one day in about twenty minutes. I hope you left him well, two years having elapsed since then.""Oh, yes, he's all right," said Lord Lambeth.

"I am always very glad to see your countrymen," Mr. Westgate pursued.

"I thought it would be time some of you should be coming along.

A friend of mine was saying to me only a day or two ago, 'It's time for the watermelons and the Englishmen.""The Englishmen and the watermelons just now are about the same thing,"Percy Beaumont observed, wiping his dripping forehead.

"Ah, well, we'll put you on ice, as we do the melons.

You must go down to Newport."

"We'll go anywhere," said Lord Lambeth.

"Yes, you want to go to Newport; that's what you want to do,"Mr. Westgate affirmed. "But let's see--when did you get here?""Only yesterday," said Percy Beaumont.

"Ah, yes, by the Russia. Where are you staying?""At the Hanover, I think they call it."

"Pretty comfortable?" inquired Mr. Westgate.

"It seems a capital place, but I can't say we like the gnats,"said Lord Lambeth.

Mr. Westgate stared and laughed. "Oh, no, of course you don't like the gnats. We shall expect you to like a good many things over here, but we shan't insist upon your liking the gnats;though certainly you'll admit that, as gnats, they are fine, eh?

But you oughtn't to remain in the city."

"So we think," said Lord Lambeth. "If you would kindly suggest something--""Suggest something, my dear sir?" and Mr. Westgate looked at him, narrowing his eyelids. "Open your mouth and shut your eyes!

Leave it to me, and I'll put you through. It's a matter of national pride with me that all Englishmen should have a good time;and as I have had considerable practice, I have learned to minister to their wants. I find they generally want the right thing.

同类推荐
  • 孔子家语

    孔子家语

    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。
  • 东周列国志上

    东周列国志上

    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。
  • 惠远外传

    惠远外传

    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。
  • English Stories France

    English Stories France

    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。
  • 爱清子至命篇

    爱清子至命篇

    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
  • 银河之心I·天垂日暮

    银河之心I·天垂日暮

    中国科幻银河奖桂冠作家史诗巨作,华语科幻星云奖长篇小说金奖作品!人类征服银河系,“拔剑四顾心茫然”。然而,宇宙流浪汉李约素无意中却发现了多年前失踪的移民飞船“上佳”号,并目睹了令人惊惧的异常现象……闻知此事的科尼尔星域军人,逐渐发觉了正在逼近人类的巨大危险,科尼尔星域各方势力不得不合力应对强敌。孰料,异族的强大超乎想象,其攻击如汤泼雪,科尼尔星域人类在全军覆没之际,只得派出李约素向银河之心的强大人类文明求救……
  • 追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    追妻无门:女boss不好惹

    青涩蜕变,如今她是能独当一面的女boss,爱了冷泽聿七年,也同样花了七年时间去忘记他。以为是陌路,他突然向他表白,扬言要娶她,她只当他是脑子抽风,他的殷勤她也全都无视。他帮她查她父母的死因,赶走身边情敌,解释当初拒绝她的告别,和故意对她冷漠都是无奈之举。突然爆出她父母的死居然和冷家有丝毫联系,还莫名跳出个公爵未婚夫,扬言要与她履行婚约。峰回路转,破镜还能重圆吗? PS:我又开新文了,每逢假期必书荒,新文《有你的世界遇到爱》,喜欢我的文的朋友可以来看看,这是重生类现言,对这个题材感兴趣的一定要收藏起来。
  • 异能之步步高升

    异能之步步高升

    爷爷去世后,便到瓷都来投靠爸爸,然而爸爸却打了她一巴掌叫她走 得好心帅哥老板相救 因为对瓷的了解,以及出人意料的天赋,老总有心栽培 在帮助老总赚钱的同时,她自己也赚了不少 二十...五十....一百..... 再回头看时,她已经是个大富婆了 谁能知道一次意外,她有了看透瓷过去和未来的异能
  • 生出个吸血鬼宝贝

    生出个吸血鬼宝贝

    苏菲,孤儿院长大,不知生养她的父母是谁。十六岁出来混世,如今二十岁的她一个人独居。白天,她是个其貌不扬的本分上班族,夜晚却变身为网络兼职代号:SF。【妈咪版简介】:“苏小姐,恭喜你,你怀孕了!”从外地“休假”回来的苏菲,正逢公司一年一度的体检,原本自以为身体超健康的她居然收到体检医生的一句恭喜祝福。恭喜个P呀!她苏菲正值花样年华的二十岁,私生活向来检点。试问,她哪有可能怀孕???苏菲左右扫视了一下,以着极快的速度关上房门,接着一把薅起体检医生的领口,目露凶光:“你、是、在、开、玩、笑、的、吧?!嗯?”医生吓傻,眼镜斜挂在鼻梁上:“没,绝对没有!不信,你可以用验孕棒验一验……”苏菲照做,果然,发现验孕棒上亮起了两盏红灯……她,确实怀孕了!!!But,???……【宝贝版简介】:产房内,传来女人声嘶力竭的呼痛声————“吸气,用力,再吸气,再用力……啊,就快出来了,就快出来了!”医生不厌其烦地说着。“Shit!这句话你他妈的都说了不下一百遍了!”女人咆哮,接着一用力,人也跟着嘶吼了一声。“啊,出来了,出来了!”医生兴奋地将一个软乎乎嫩生生的小肉球抱给女人看,并顺势拍了一下孩子的小PP。岂料————“妈咪!”孩子不是嚎哭出声,而是开口说话了。医生两眼一翻,晕倒在地。五分钟后,医生睁开眼,刚想大呼,眼前却出现一枚坠饰摇摆不停。“你什么都没听到,什么都没听到,什么都没听到……”女人以着蛊惑的声音一遍又一遍地说着。于是,医生也跟着喃喃念道:“我什么都没听到,什么都没听到,什么都没听到……”……对于这个莫名出生的宝贝,苏菲其实并未有多大的触动情绪。因为,宝贝看起来似乎和普通的孩子没什么两样,只不过是比普通的孩子聪明一点,漂亮一点,懂事一点……还有奇怪一点——遇到危险或惊慌时,宝贝的头发会张扬竖起,原本银色的眼眸会变红,口中的小犬牙会抽长,背后还会长出两只蝙蝠的翅膀……而苏菲本身也发生了奇怪的事情,经常会梦到一个满脸是血的男子向她和宝贝扑过来。更更奇怪的是,一向低调行事的她居然受到了众多帅哥的青睐,这真是……★注:【此文颠覆常规的血族文,慎入!!!】+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
  • 淡水水库温室气体状态的评价与测量方法

    淡水水库温室气体状态的评价与测量方法

    淡水水库可基于多种目的调节流量,包括:供水、灌溉、防洪减灾、抗旱、航运和水电。陆地表面积转换形成水体,和相关水面气体流量测量已经表明二氧化碳(CO2)和甲烷(CH4)排放可能和温室气体(GHG)交换的全球清单有关。研究表明寒冷和温和气候条件下的排放水平普遍较低,而较高的排放量似乎和持续缺氧的热带系统有关。然而,改进可用的信息和工具对于支持已有水库和新建水库的温室气体状态以及采取必要缓解措施的明智决策非常重要。
  • 清纱仙侣

    清纱仙侣

    几世轮回,换不回一个完整的你。作品上部分完结撒花,这不是终点,而是起点。
  • 诸天万界副本

    诸天万界副本

    皮卡丘说:只要你让我升级,我就能把整个界面的修炼资源都共享给你。林庄第二次重生在了一个面临灵气面临爆发的界面。林庄:灵气不足,升级太慢怎么办?皮卡丘:走!大爷带你到别的界面抢资源去?于是林庄带着可以升级的系统,走上了掠夺诸天万界资源的道路。这是一个可以将诸天万界变成游戏副本的故事。
  • 在恰巧的时光相爱

    在恰巧的时光相爱

    (男女主双重生)陆家小女单纯天真,陆老爹很是苦恼:自家女儿这么软糯,时时刻刻都要担心被兔崽子们骗走,真是甜蜜的负担。而陆老爹不知道的是,自己的小女儿早就被狼崽子盯上,暗地赶走了不少情敌。而此人还是当初自己最为欣赏的男孩,不料最后竟成为了自己的女婿,也罢,至少女儿没有被猪拱。
  • 花落听风语

    花落听风语

    花开花落,谁知悲喜?她在听,听风的呢喃;她在看,看云的舒卷;她在等,等一个时光深处的人。经历种种,她曾以为老天爷再也不会眷顾她了,可老天爷大抵还是偏向她的,只是,故事会在时光中搁浅,她亦不知星光在哪。
  • 思想在文学现场

    思想在文学现场

    终南山所在的秦岭山脉是中国历史地理的显著标示,有着丰富的自然资源和人文景观,形成了一个多样化的生态系统,同时也塑造了一种独特的自然人文之美。在建设社会主义生态文明的过程中,需要实地研究中国的生态环境和生态观念,尤其是中国的人与自然的关系,由此所产生的生态美学观念对于建设生态文明至关重要。本书以终南山生态美学研究为基础,探讨生态文明建设的思想观念基础和现实路径。