The Moon And Sixpence 4.1

No one waskinder to me at that time than Rose Waterford. She combined a masculineintelligence with a feminine perversity, and the novels she wrote were originaland disconcerting. It was at her house one day that I met Charles Strickland's wife.Miss Waterford was giving a tea-party, and her small room was more than usuallyfull. Everyone seemed to be talking, and I, sitting in silence, felt awkward;but I was too shy to break into any of the groups that seemed absorbed in theirown affairs. Miss Waterford was a good hostess, and seeing my embarrassmentcame up to me.

"I wantyou to talk to Mrs. Strickland, " she said. "She's raving about yourbook. "

"What doesshe do?" I asked.

I was consciousof my ignorance, and if Mrs. Strickland was a well-known writer I thought it aswell to ascertain the fact before I spoke to her.

Rose Waterfordcast down her eyes demurely to give greater effect to her reply.

"She givesluncheon-parties. You've only got to roar a little, and she'll ask you. "

在那些日子里，再没有谁象柔斯·瓦特尔芙德那样关心照拂我了。她既有男性的才智又有女人的怪脾气。她写的小说很有特色，读起来叫你心绪不能平静。正是在她家里，有一天我见到了查理斯·思特里克兰德太太。那一天瓦特尔芙德小姐举行了一次茶话会，在她的一间小屋子里，客人比往常来得还多。每个人好象都在和别人交谈，只有我一个人静静地坐在那里，感到很窘；既然客人们都在三三两两地谈他们自己的事，我就很不好意思挤进哪个人堆里去了。瓦特尔芙德小姐是个很体贴的女主人，她注意到我有些尴尬，便走到我身边来。

“我想让你去同思特里克兰德太太谈一谈，”她说，“她对你的书崇拜得了不得。”

“她是干什么的？”我问。

我知道自己孤陋寡闻，如果思特里克兰德是一位名作家，我在同她谈话以前最好还是把情况弄清楚。

为了使自己的答话给我更深的印象，瓦特尔芙德故意把眼皮一低，做出一副一本正经的样子。

“她专门招待人吃午餐。你只要别那么腼腆，多吹嘘自己几句，她准会请你吃饭的。”