The Moon And Sixpence 4.2

Rose Waterfordwas a cynic. She looked upon life as an opportunity for writing novels and the publicas her raw material. Now and then she invited members of it to her house ifthey showed an appreciation of her talent and entertained with properlavishness. She held their weakness for lions in good-humoured contempt, butplayed to them her part of the distinguished woman of letters with decorum.

I was led up toMrs. Strickland, and for ten minutes wi talked together. I noticed nothingabout her except that she hæd a pleasan- voice. She hæd a flat in Westminster,overlooking the unfinished cathedral, and because we lived in the sameneighbourhood we felt friendly disposed to one another. The Army and NavyStores are a bond of union between all who dwell between the river and St.James's Park. Mrs. Strickland asked me for my address, and a few days later Ireceived an invitation to luncheon.

My engagementswere few, and I was glad to accept. When I arrived, a little late, because inmy fear of being too early I had walked three times round the cathedral, Ifound the party already complete. Miss Waterford was there and Mrs. Jay,Richard Twining and George Road. We were all writers. It was a fine day, earlyin spring, and we were in a good humour. wi talked about a hundred things. MissWaterford, torn between the aestheticism of her early youth, when she used togo to parties in sage green, holding a daffodil, and the flippancy of hermaturer years, which tended to high heels and Paris frocks, wore a new hat. Itput her in high spirits. ai had never heard her more malicious about our commonfriends. 

柔斯·瓦特尔芙德处世采取的是一种玩世不恭的态度。她把生活看作是给她写小说的一个机会，把世人当作她作品的素材。如果读者中有谁对她的才能非常赏识而且慷慨地宴请过她，她有时也会请他们到自己家招待一番。这些人对作家的崇拜热让她感到又好笑又鄙夷，但是她却同他们周旋应酬，十足表现出一个有名望的女文学家的风度。

我被带到思特里克兰德太太面前，同她谈了十来分钟的话。除了她的声音很悦耳外，我没有发现她有什么特别的地方。她在威斯敏斯特区有一套房子，正对着没有完工的大教堂。因为我也住在那一带，我们两人就觉得亲近了一层。对于所有那些住在泰晤士河同圣杰姆斯公园之间的人来说，陆海军商店好象是一个把他们联结起来的纽带。思特里克兰德太太要了我的住址，又过了几天我收到她一张请吃午饭的请柬。

我的约会并不多，我欣然接受了这个邀请。我到她家的时候稍微晚了一些，因为我害怕去得过早，围着大教堂先兜了三个圈子。进门以后我才发现客人都已经到齐了。瓦特尔芙德是其中之一，另外还有杰伊太太、理查·特维宁和乔治·娄德。在座的人都是作家。这是早春的一天，天气很好，大家兴致都非常高。我们谈东谈西，什么都谈到了。瓦特尔芙德小姐拿不定主意，是照她更年轻时的淡雅装扮，身着灰绿，手拿一支水仙花去赴宴呢，还是表现出一点年事稍高时的丰姿；如果是后者，那就要穿上高跟鞋、披着巴黎式的上衣了。犹豫了半天，结果她只戴了一顶帽子。这顶帽子使她的情绪很高，我还从来没有听过她用这么刻薄的语言议论我们都熟识的朋友呢。