登陆注册
15752500000033

第33章

As soon, even, as I was in the hotel I was impatient to press through to the place where the dancing was, and where I already heard the band playing. I knew very well that when we got there Ishould have to sit down somewhere on the edge of the platform with the other frumps and fogies, and begin taking cold in my dress-coat, and want to doze off without being able to, while my young people were waltzing together, or else promenading up and down ignoring me, or recognising me by the offer of a fan, and the question whether Iwas not simply melting; I have seen how the poor chaperon fares at such times. But they, secure of their fun, were by no means desirous to have it over, or even to have it begin. They dawdled through the thronged hotel office, where other irresponsible pairs were coming and going under the admiring eyes of the hotel loungers, and they wandered up and down the waste parlours, and sat on tete-a-tetes just to try them, apparently; and Miss Gage verified in the mirrors the beauty which was reflected in all eyes. They amused themselves with the extent of the richly-carpeted and upholstered desolation around them, where only a few lonely and aging women lurked about on sofas and ottomans; and they fell to playing with their compassion for the plebeian spectators at the long verandah windows trying to penetrate with their forbidden eyes to the hop going on in the court far beyond the intermediary desert of the parlours.

When they signified at last that they were ready for me to lead them on to the dance, I would so much rather have gone to bed that there are no words for the comparison. Then, when we got to the place, which I should never have been able to reach in the world if it had not been for the young energy and inspiration of Kendricks, and they had put me in a certain seat with Miss Gage's wraps beside me where they could find me, they went off and danced for hours and hours.

For hours and hours? For ages and ages! while I withered away amid mouldering mothers, and saw my charges through the dreadful half-dreams of such a state whirling in the waltz, hopping in the polka, sliding in the galop, and then endlessly walking up and down between the dances, and eating and drinking the chill refreshments that it made my teeth chatter to think of. I suppose they decently came to me from time to time, though they seemed to be always dancing, for Icould afterward remember Miss Gage taking a wrap from me now and then, and quickly coming back to shed it upon my lap again. I got so chilled that if they had not been unmistakably women's wraps Ishould have bundled them all about my shoulders, which I could almost hear creak with rheumatism. I must have fallen into a sort of drowse at last; for I was having a dispute with some sort of authority, which turned out to be Mrs. March, and upbraiding her with the fact that there were no women's wraps which would also do for a man, when the young people stood arm in arm before me, and Miss Gage said that she was tired to death now, and they were going.

同类推荐
  • The Clouds

    The Clouds

    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。
  • 古文龙虎上经注

    古文龙虎上经注

    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。
  • 益州记

    益州记

    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。
  • 练中丞集

    练中丞集

    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。
  • 使琉球录

    使琉球录

    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。
热门推荐
  • 铁掌王

    铁掌王

    民国时的国术宗师,练至极处,有神行机圆之灵感,不见不闻之知觉,潜力开发,力大无穷,一苇渡江,四象不过。神意一动,弹指之间扑杀强敌于数丈之外。前辈风采,令人神往。现代呢?国术消亡了吗?没有!只是隔行如隔山,普通人无法接触而已。这便是一个铁掌门少年以一颗铁心,一对铁掌,会遍天下英雄的故事。本书风格:热血、纯正、专业。有感情戏,但不多。喜欢疯狂YY者慎入。《龙蛇》看完无书可看,于是写了这本书,向神机致敬,望能解和我一样的国术迷们书荒之渴。书友交流QQ群:512270578感谢阅文书评团提供书评支持!
  • 风钺宝鉴

    风钺宝鉴

    宝鉴里的小兽们溜达在人间的故事…纯架空,种田流,独立卷,古偶型的小言系列。本系列的主题:知音。借用三毛的这段话开场:有时候,我多么希望能有一双睿智的眼睛能够看穿我,能够明白了解我的一切,包括所有的斑斓和荒芜,那双眼眸能够穿透我的最为本质的灵魂,直抵我心灵深处那个真实的自己…
  • 福州府志万历本

    福州府志万历本

    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。
  • 变身的扑街作者

    变身的扑街作者

    无心他是一个扑街的同人写手,因为对二次元的那份爱,所以才一直选择自己坚持写同人小说,虽然他知道自己的文笔很差,简直就像小学生作文一样,但是无心还是以直努力坚持着。
  • 天神师傅很好看

    天神师傅很好看

    前世学霸,智商逆天的她竟穿越到一个14岁的小孩身上,天上飞来一美男好心收留她,一睁眼她便大喊非礼,没办法,只能坑人为师傅了。他,是新晋天神,在天神之前,有一女子陪他看星星,看月亮,从诗词歌赋聊的人生哲学…可有一天,她为救他触犯天条,被贬为凡人,他苦笑,却也无奈,从此他发奋修炼,一天,路过一山,听见女孩哭的声音,他又与她重逢…
  • 校花的贴身魔医

    校花的贴身魔医

    单纯调皮的校花、冷艳高贵的美女老师、刚刚出道的玉女明星、喜欢驾驭男人的霸道女总裁、性感活泼的护士姐姐……身怀绝世武功,手戴盘龙戒指,周南一路暧昧、一路嚣张,肆意纵横校园和都市,最终在地球留下一段传奇,进入不朽的修真世界!
  • 好名字创造一生好运气

    好名字创造一生好运气

    本书是专为青少年读者量身订制的。它集中展示了当代成功人生智慧的精华,浓缩了专家学者近年来对生命价值和人生意义的主要研究成果,逐一介绍了适合青少年读者的人生奋斗方向,概括了鲜活灵动的人生成功要义,创新地总结了卓越人生的成功方法。
  • 天罚之轮回

    天罚之轮回

    千年前,看守祁隆神山的守护神之子恒翼,一个10岁的少年因贪玩无意间闯入禁地放走了关押千年的上古巨兽大蟒。上古仙人钰迟易水和他的朋友执法大神因包庇守护神私自下凡捉拿巨兽引发的千年天罚...
  • 魔戒奇谈

    魔戒奇谈

    本文会以魔戒剑士影在都市斩杀妖魔的普通生活小故事集形式为主。影是一个强大却温柔的魔戒剑士。虽然说是杀妖魔,却是以拯救为主线。虽然是魔幻的故事,希望反映出一些真实的人心与爱。我希望写一些温暖人心的小故事,这些故事披着魔幻的皮,但却是我们真实生活新闻故事的林林总总。我希望真实地反映出人社会生活中不好的一面,以及在这不好一面映衬下人类绝不陨落的高贵美好灵魂。
  • 你比夏天更寂寞

    你比夏天更寂寞

    才短短一年的时间里,那个160多斤的丑女为了让她的好哥们喜欢上她,居然在短短一年的时间里瘦到了80斤,没人知道江楠这一年的时间里发生了什么,但她所做的一切都是为了能够骄傲的站在他的身边!如果他是落难王子的话,她就是王子的女骑士~