pgw.piccadillyjim-第6部分

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　〃A　card　from　Lady　Corstorphine；　Bingley；　for　her　at…home　on　the　twenty…ninth。〃
　Mr。　Crocker；　still　absorbed；　snorted　absently。
　〃One　of　the　most　exclusive　hostesses　in　England。　。　。　。　She　has　influence　with　the　right　sort　of　people。　Her　brother；　the　Duke　of　Devizes；　is　the　Premier's　oldest　friend。〃
　〃Uh？〃
　〃The　Duchess　of　Axminster　has　written　to　ask　me　to　look　after　a　stall　at　her　bazaar　for　the　Indigent　Daughters　of　the　Clergy。〃
　〃Huh？〃
　〃Bingley！　You　aren't　listening。　What　is　that　you　are　reading？〃
　Mr。　Crocker　tore　himself　from　the　paper。
　〃This？　Oh；　I　was　looking　at　a　report　of　that　cricket　game　you　made　me　go　and　see　yesterday。〃
　〃Oh？　I　am　glad　you　have　begun　to　take　an　interest　in　cricket。　It　is　simply　a　social　necessity　in　England。　Why　you　ever　made　such　a　fuss　about　taking　it　up；　I　can't　think。　You　used　to　be　so　fond　of　watching　baseball　and　cricket　is　just　the　same　thing。〃
　A　close　observer　would　have　marked　a　deepening　of　the　look　of　pain　on　Mr。　Crocker's　face。　Women　say　this　sort　of　thing　carelessly；　with　no　wish　to　wound：　but　that　makes　it　none　the　less　hard　to　bear。
　From　the　hall　outside　came　faintly　the　sound　of　the　telephone；　then　the　measured　tones　of　Bayliss　answering　it。　Mr。　Crocker　returned　to　his　paper。
　Bayliss　entered。
　〃Lady　Corstorphine　desires　to　speak　to　you　on　the　telephone；　madam。〃
　Half…way　to　the　door　Mrs。　Crocker　paused；　as　if　recalling　something　that　had　slipped　her　memory。
　〃Is　Mr。　James　getting　up；　Bayliss？〃
　〃I　believe　not；　madam。　I　am　informed　by　one　of　the　house…maids　who　passed　his　door　a　short　time　back　that　there　were　no　sounds。〃
　Mrs。　Crocker　left　the　room。　Bayliss；　preparing　to　follow　her　example；　was　arrested　by　an　exclamation　from　the　table。
　〃Say！〃
　His　master's　voice。
　〃Say；　Bayliss；　e　here　a　minute。　Want　to　ask　you　something。〃
　The　butler　approached　the　table。　It　seemed　to　him　that　his　employer　was　not　looking　quite　himself　this　morning。　There　was　something　a　trifle　wild；　a　little　haggard；　about　his　expression。　He　had　remarked　on　it　earlier　in　the　morning　in　the　Servants'　Hall。
　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Mr。　Crocker's　ailment　was　a　perfectly　simple　one。　He　was　suffering　from　one　of　those　acute　spasms　of　home…sickness；　which　invariably　racked　him　in　the　earlier　Summer　months。　Ever　since　his　marriage　five　years　previously　and　his　simultaneous　removal　from　his　native　land　he　had　been　a　chronic　victim　to　the　plaint。　The　symptoms　grew　less　acute　in　Winter　and　Spring；　but　from　May　onward　he　suffered　severely。
　Poets　have　dealt　feelingly　with　the　emotions　of　practically　every　variety　except　one。　They　have　sung　of　Ruth；　of　Israel　in　bondage；　of　slaves　pining　for　their　native　Africa；　and　of　the　miner's　dream　of　home。　But　the　sorrows　of　the　baseball　bug；　pelled　by　fate　to　live　three　thousand　miles　away　from　the　Polo　Grounds；　have　been　neglected　in　song。　Bingley　Crocker　was　such　a　one；　and　in　Summer　his　agonies　were　awful。　He　pined　away　in　a　country　where　they　said　〃Well　played；　sir！〃　when　they　mean　〃'at…a…boy！〃
　〃Bayliss；　do　you　play　cricket？〃
　〃I　am　a　little　past　the　age；　sir。　In　my　younger　days　。　。　。〃
　〃Do　you　understand　it？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　I　frequently　spend　an　afternoon　at　Lord's　or　the　Oval　when　there　is　a　good　match。〃
　Many　who　enjoyed　a　merely　casual　acquaintance　with　the　butler　would　have　looked　on　this　as　an　astonishingly　unexpected　revelation　of　humanity　in　Bayliss；　but　Mr。　Crocker　was　not　surprised。　To　him；　from　the　very　beginning；　Bayliss　had　been　a　man　and　a　brother　who　was　always　willing　to　suspend　his　duties　in　order　to　answer　questions　dealing　with　the　thousand　and　one　problems　which　the　social　life　of　England　presented。　Mr。　Crocker's　mind　had　adjusted　itself　with　difficulty　to　the　niceties　of　class　distinction：　and；　while　he　had　cured　himself　of　his　early　tendency　to　address　the　butler　as　〃Bill；〃　he　never　failed　to　consult　him　as　man　to　man　in　his　moments　of　perplexity。　Bayliss　was　always　eager　to　be　of　assistance。　He　liked　Mr。　Crocker。　True；　his　manner　might　have　struck　a　more　sensitive　man　than　his　employer　as　a　shade　too　closely　resembling　that　of　an　indulgent　father　towards　a　son　who　was　not　quite　right　in　the　head：　but　it　had　genuine　affection　in　it。
　Mr。　Crocker　picked　up　his　paper　and　folded　it　back　at　the　sporting　page；　pointing　with　a　stubby　forefinger。
　〃Well；　what　does　all　this　mean？　I've　kept　out　of　watching　cricket　since　I　landed　in　England；　but　yesterday　they　got　the　poison　needle　to　work　and　took　me　off　to　see　Surrey　play　Kent　at　that　place　Lord's　where　you　say　you　go　sometimes。〃
　〃I　was　there　yesterday；　sir。　A　very　exciting　game。〃
　〃Exciting？　How　do　you　make　that　out？　I　sat　in　the　bleachers　all　afternoon；　waiting　for　something　to　break　loose。　Doesn't　anything　ever　happen　at　cricket？〃
　The　butler　winced　a　little；　but　managed　to　smile　a　tolerant　smile。　This　man；　he　reflected；　was　but　an　American　and　as　such　more　to　be　pitied　than　censured。　He　endeavoured　to　explain。
　〃It　was　a　sticky　wicket　yesterday；　sir；　owing　to　the　rain。〃
　〃Eh？〃
　〃The　wicket　was　sticky；　sir。〃
　〃e　again。〃
　〃I　mean　that　the　reason　why　the　game　yesterday　struck　you　as　slow　was　that　the　wicketI　should　say　the　turfwas　stickythat　is　to　say　wet。　Sticky　is　the　technical　term；　sir。　When　the　wicket　is　sticky；　the　batsmen　are　obliged　to　exercise　a　great　deal　of　caution；　as　the　stickiness　of　the　wicket　enables　the　bowlers　to　make　the　ball　turn　more　sharply　in　either　direction　as　it　strikes　the　turf　than　when　the　wicket　is　not　sticky。〃
　〃That's　it；　is　it？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Thanks　for　telling　me。〃
　〃Not　at　all；　sir。〃
　Mr。　Crocker　pointed　to　the　paper。
　〃Well；　now；　this　seems　to　be　the　box…score　of　the　game　we　saw　yesterday。　If　you　can　make　sense　out　of　that；　go　to　it。〃
　The　passage　on　which　his　finger　rested　was　headed　〃Final　Score；〃　and　ran　as　follows：
　　　　　　　　　　　　SURREY
　　　　　　　　　First　Innings
　Hayward；　c　Wooley；　b　Carr　。。。。。。。　67　Hobbs；　run　out　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　0　Hayes；　st　Huish；　b　Fielder　。。。。。。　12　Ducat；　b　Fielder　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　33　Harrison；　not　out　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　11　Sandham；　not　out　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　6　Extras　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　10
　Total　（for　four　wickets）　。。。。。。。　139
　Bayliss　inspected　the　cipher　gravely。
　〃What　is　it　you　wish　me　to　explain；　sir？〃
　〃Why；　the　whole　thing。　What's　it　all　about？〃
　〃It's　perfectly　simple；　sir。　Surrey　won　the　toss；　and　took　first　knock。　Hayward　and　Hobbs　were　the　opening　pair。　Hayward　called　Hobbs　for　a　short　run；　but　the　latter　was　unable　to　get　across　and　was　thrown　out　by　mid…on。　Hayes　was　the　next　man　in。　He　went　out　of　his　ground　and　was　stumped。　Ducat　and　Hayward　made　a　capital　stand　considering　the　stickiness　of　the　wicket；　until　Ducat　was　bowled　by　a　good　length　off…break　and　Hayward　caught　at　second　slip　off　a　googly。　Then　Harrison　and　Sandham　played　out　time。〃
　Mr。　Crocker　breathed　heavily　through　his　nose。
　〃Yes！〃　he　said。　〃Yes！　I　had　an　idea　that　was　it。　But　I　think　I'd　like　to　have　it　once　again；　slowly。　Start　with　these　figures。　What　does　that　sixty…seven　mean；　opposite　Hayward's　name？〃
　〃He　made　sixty…seven　runs；　sir。〃
　〃Sixty…seven！　In　one　game？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Why；　Home…Run　Baker　couldn't　do　it！〃
　〃I　am　not　familiar　with　Mr。　Baker；　sir。〃
　〃I　suppose　you've　never　seen　a　ball…game？〃
　〃Ball…game；　sir？〃
　〃A　baseball　game？〃
　〃Never；　sir。〃
　〃Then；　Bill；〃　said　Mr。　Crocker；　reverting　in　his　emotion　to　the　bad　habit　of　his　early　London　days；　〃you　haven't　lived。　See　here！〃
　Whatever　vestige　of　respect　for　class　distinctions　Mr。　Crocker　had　managed　to　preserve　during　the　opening　stages　of　the　interview　now　definitely　disappeared。　His　eyes　shone　wildly　and　he　snorted　like　a　war…horse。　He　clutched　the　butler　by　the　sleeve　and　drew　him　closer　to　the　table；　then　began　to　move　forks；　spoons；　cups；　and　even　the　contents　of　his　plate　about　the　cloth　with　an　energy　little　short　of　feverish。
　〃Bayliss！〃
　〃Sir？〃
　〃Watch！〃　said　Mr。　Crocker；　with　the　air　of　an　excitable　high　priest　about　to　initiate　a　novice　into　the　Mysteries。
　He　removed　a　roll　from　the　basket。
　〃You　see　this　roll？　That's　the　home　plate。　This　spoon　is　first　base。　Where　I'm　putting　this　cup　is　second。　This　piece　of　bacon　is　third。　There's　your　diamond　for　you。　Very　well；　then。　These　lumps　of　sugar　are　the　infielders　and　the　outfielders。　Now　we're　ready。　Batter　up？　He　stands　here。　Catcher　behind　him。　Umps　behind　catcher。〃
　〃Umps；　I　take　it；　sir；　is　what　we　would　call　the　umpire？〃
　〃Call　him　anything　you　like。　It's　part　of　the　game。　Now　here's　the　box；　where　I've　put　this　dab　of　marmalade；　and　here's　the　pitcher；　winding　up。〃
　〃The　pitcher　would　be　equivalent　to　our　bowler？〃
　〃I　guess　so；　though　why　you　should　call　him　a　bowler　gets　past　me。〃
　〃The　box；　then；　is　the　bowler's　wicket？〃
　〃Have　it　your　own　way。　Now　pay　attention。　Play　ball！　Pitcher's　winding　up。　Put　it　over；　Mike；　put　it　over！　Some　speed；　kid！　Here　it　es；　right　in　the　groove。　Bing！　Batter　slams　it　and　streaks　for　first。　Outfielderthis　lump　of　sugarboots　it。　Bonehead！　Batter　touches　second。　Third？　No！　Get　back！　Can't　be　done。　Play　it　safe。　Stick　around　the　sack；　old　pal。　Second　batter　up。　Pitcher　getting　something　on　the　ball　now　besides　the　cover。　Whiffs　him。　Back　to　the　bench；　Cyril！　Third　batter　up。　See　him　rub　his　hands　in　the　dirt。　Watch　this　kid。　He's　good！　He　lets　two　alone；　then　slams　the　next　right　on　the　nose。　Whizzes　around　to　second。　First　guy；　the　one　we　left　on　second；　es　home　for　one　run。　That's　a　game！　Take　it　from　me；　Bill；　that's　a　game！〃
　Somewhat　overe　with　the　energy　with　which　he　had　flung　himself　into　his　lecture；　Mr。　Crocker　sat　down　and　refreshed　himself　with　cold　coffee。
　〃Quite　an　interesting　game；〃　said　Bayliss。　〃But　I　find；　now　that　you　have　explained　it；　sir；　that　it　is　familiar　to　me；　though　I　have　always　known　it　under　another　name。　It　is　played　a　great　deal　in　this　country。〃
　Mr。　Crocker　started　to　his　feet。
　〃It　is？　And　I've　been　five　years　here　without　finding　it　out！　When's　the　next　game　scheduled？〃
　〃It　is　known　in　England　as　Rounders；　sir。　Children　play　it　with　a　soft　ball　and　a　racquet；　and　derive　considerable　enjoyment　from　it。　I　had　never　heard　of　it　before　as　a　pastime　for　adults。〃
　Two　shocked　eyes　stared　into　the　butler's　face。
　〃Children？〃　The　word