tommy and co.-第22部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


popular　in　the　halls。　　Five　men；　when　she　had　finished；　begged　her　
to　go　on。　　Miss　Ramsbotham；　speaking　in　a　shrill　falsetto；　
explained　it　was　the　only　tune　she　knew。　　Four　of　them　begged　her　
to　play　it　again。　　Miss　Ramsbotham　played　it　a　second　time　with　
involuntary　variations。

The　Lady　Mary's　carriage　was　announced　by　the　imperturbable　Willis。　　
The　party；　with　the　exception　of　the　Lady　Mary　and　the　hostess；　
suppressed　with　difficulty　an　inclination　to　burst　into　a　cheer。　　
The　Lady　Mary　thanked　Mrs。　Loveredge　for　a　most　interesting　
evening；　and　beckoned　Tommy　to　accompany　her。　　With　her　
disappearance；　a　wild　hilarity；　uncanny　in　its　suddenness；　took　
possession　of　the　remaining　guests。

A　few　days　later；　the　Lady　Mary's　carriage　again　drew　up　before　the　
little　house　in　Regent's　Park。　　Mrs。　Loveredge；　fortunately；　was　at　
home。　　The　carriage　remained　waiting　for　quite　a　long　time。　　Mrs。　
Loveredge；　after　it　was　gone；　locked　herself　in　her　own　room。　　The　
under…housemaid　reported　to　the　kitchen　that；　passing　the　door；　she　
had　detected　sounds　indicative　of　strong　emotion。

Through　what　ordeal　Joseph　Loveredge　passed　was　never　known。　　For　a　
few　weeks　the　Autolycus　Club　missed　him。　　Then　gradually；　as　aided　
by　Time　they　have　a　habit　of　doing；　things　righted　themselves。　　
Joseph　Loveredge　received　his　old　friends；　his　friends　received　
Joseph　Loveredge。　　Mrs。　Loveredge；　as　a　hostess；　came　to　have　only　
one　failinga　marked　coldness　of　demeanour　towards　all　people　with　
titles；　whenever　introduced　to　her。



STORY　THE　SIXTH：　　〃The　Babe〃　applies　for　Shares



People　said　of　the　new　journal；　Good　Humourpeople　of　taste　and　
judgment；　that　it　was　the　brightest；　the　cleverest；　the　most　
literary　penny　weekly　that　ever　had　been　offered　to　the　public。　　
This　made　Peter　Hope；　editor　and　part…proprietor；　very　happy。　　
William　Clodd；　business　manager；　and　also　part…proprietor；　it　left　
less　elated。

〃Must　be　careful；〃　said　William　Clodd；　〃that　we　don't　make　it　too　
clever。　　Happy　medium；　that's　the　ideal。〃

People　saidpeople　of　taste　and　judgment；　that　Good　Humour　was　
more　worthy　of　support　than　all　the　other　penny　weeklies　put　
together。　　People　of　taste　and　judgment　even　went　so　far；　some　of　
them；　as　to　buy　it。　　Peter　Hope；　looking　forward；　saw　fame　and　
fortune　coming　to　him。

William　Clodd；　looking　round　about　him；　said　…

〃Doesn't　it　occur　to　you；　Guv'nor；　that　we're　getting　this　thing　
just　a　trifle　too　high　class？〃

〃What　makes　you　think　that？〃　demanded　Peter　Hope。

〃Our　circulation；　for　one　thing；〃　explained　Clodd。　　〃The　returns　
for　last　month〃

〃I'd　rather　you　didn't　mention　them；　if　you　don't　mind；〃　
interrupted　Peter　Hope；　〃somehow；　hearing　the　actual　figures　always　
depresses　me。〃

〃Can't　say　I　feel　inspired　by　them　myself；〃　admitted　Clodd。

〃It　will　come；〃　said　Peter　Hope；　〃it　will　come　in　time。　　We　must　
educate　the　public　up　to　our　level。〃

〃If　there　is　one　thing；　so　far　as　I　have　noticed；〃　said　William　
Clodd；　〃that　the　public　are　inclined　to　pay　less　for　than　another；　
it　is　for　being　educated。〃

〃What　are　we　to　do？〃　asked　Peter　Hope。

〃What　you　want；〃　answered　William　Clodd；　〃is　an　office…boy。〃

〃How　will　our　having　an　office…boy　increase　our　circulation？〃　
demanded　Peter　Hope。　　〃Besides；　it　was　agreed　that　we　could　do　
without　one　for　the　first　year。　　Why　suggest　more　expense？〃

〃I　don't　mean　an　ordinary　office…boy；〃　explained　Clodd。　　〃I　mean　
the　sort　of　boy　that　I　rode　with　in　the　train　going　down　to　
Stratford　yesterday。〃

〃What　was　there　remarkable　about　him？〃

〃Nothing。　　He　was　reading　the　current　number　of　the　Penny　Novelist。　　
Over　two　hundred　thousand　people　buy　it。　　He　is　one　of　them。　　He　
told　me　so。　　When　he　had　done　with　it；　he　drew　from　his　pocket　a　
copy　of　the　Halfpenny　Jokerthey　guarantee　a　circulation　of　
seventy　thousand。　　He　sat　and　chuckled　over　it　until　we　got　to　
Bow。〃

〃But〃

〃You　wait　a　minute。　　I'm　coming　to　the　explanation。　　That　boy　
represents　the　reading　public。　　I　talked　to　him。　　The　papers　he　
likes　best　are　the　papers　that　have　the　largest　sales。　　He　never　
made　a　single　mistake。　　The　othersthose　of　them　he　had　seenhe　
dismissed　as　'rot。'　　What　he　likes　is　what　the　great　mass　of　the　
journal…buying　public　likes。　　Please　himI　took　his　name　and　
address；　and　he　is　willing　to　come　to　us　for　eight　shillings　a　
weekand　you　please　the　people　that　buy。　　Not　the　people　that　
glance　through　a　paper　when　it　is　lying　on　the　smoking…room　table；　
and　tell　you　it　is　damned　good；　but　the　people　that　plank　down　
their　penny。　　That's　the　sort　we　want。〃

Peter　Hope；　able　editor；　with　ideals；　was　shockedindignant。　　
William　Clodd；　business　man；　without　ideals；　talked　figures。

〃There's　the　advertiser　to　be　thought　of；〃　persisted　Clodd。　　〃I　
don't　pretend　to　be　a　George　Washington；　but　what's　the　use　of　
telling　lies　that　sound　like　lies；　even　to　one's　self　while　one's　
telling　them？　　Give　me　a　genuine　sale　of　twenty　thousand；　and　I'll　
undertake；　without　committing　myself；　to　convey　an　impression　of　
forty。　　But　when　the　actual　figures　are　under　eight　thousandwell；　
it　hampers　you；　if　you　happen　to　have　a　conscience。

〃Give　them　every　week　a　dozen　columns　of　good；　sound　literature；〃　
continued　Clodd　insinuatingly；　〃but　wrap　it　up　in　twenty…four　
columns　of　jam。　　It's　the　only　way　they'll　take　it；　and　you　will　be　
doing　them　goodeducating　them　without　their　knowing　it。　　All　
powder　and　no　jam！　　Well；　they　don't　open　their　mouths；　that's　
all。〃

Clodd　was　a　man　who　knew　how　to　get　his　way。　　Flippspelled　
PhilipTweetel　arrived　in　due　course　of　time　at　23；　Crane　Court；　
ostensibly　to　take　up　the　position　of　Good　Humour's　office…boy；　in　
reality；　and　without　his　being　aware　of　it；　to　act　as　its　literary　
taster。　　Stories　in　which　Flipp　became　absorbed　were　accepted。　　
Peter　groaned；　but　contented　himself　with　correcting　only　their　
grosser　grammatical　blunders；　the　experiment　should　be　tried　in　all　
good　faith。　　Humour　at　which　Flipp　laughed　was　printed。　　Peter　
tried　to　ease　his　conscience　by　increasing　his　subscription　to　the　
fund　for　destitute　compositors；　but　only　partially　succeeded。　　
Poetry　that　brought　a　tear　to　the　eye　of　Flipp　was　given　leaded　
type。　　People　of　taste　and　judgment　said　Good　Humour　had　
disappointed　them。　　Its　circulation；　slowly　but　steadily；　
increased。

〃See！〃　cried　the　delighted　Clodd；　〃told　you　so！〃

〃It's　sad　to　think〃　began　Peter。

〃Always　is；〃　interrupted　Clodd　cheerfully。　　〃Moraldon't　think　too　
much。〃

〃Tell　you　what　we'll　do；〃　added　Clodd。　　〃We'll　make　a　fortune　out　
of　this　paper。　　Then　when　we　can　afford　to　lose　a　little　money；　
we'll　launch　a　paper　that　shall　appeal　only　to　the　intellectual　
portion　of　the　public。　　Meanwhile〃

A　squat　black　bottle　with　a　label　attached；　standing　on　the　desk；　
arrested　Clodd's　attention。

〃When　did　this　come？〃　asked　Clodd。

〃About　an　hour　ago；〃　Peter　told　him。

〃Any　order　with　it？〃

〃I　think　so。〃　　Peter　searched　for　and　found　a　letter　addressed　to　
〃William　Clodd；　Esq。；　Advertising　Manager；　Good　Humour。〃　　Clodd　
tore　it　open；　hastily　devoured　it。

〃Not　closed　up　yet；　are　you？〃

〃No；　not　till　eight　o'clock。〃

〃Good！　　I　want　you　to　write　me　a　par。　　Do　it　now；　then　you　won't　
forget　it。　　For　the　'Walnuts　and　Wine'　column。〃

Peter　sat　down；　headed　a　sheet　of　paper：　　'For　W。　and　W。　Col。'

〃What　is　it？〃　questioned　Peter〃something　to　drink？〃

〃It's　a　sort　of　port；〃　explained　Clodd；　〃that　doesn't　get　into　your　
head。〃

〃You　consider　that　an　advantage？〃　queried　Peter。

〃Of　course。　　You　can　drink　more　of　it。〃

Peter　continued　to　write：　　'Possesses　all　the　qualities　of　an　old　
vintage　port；　without　those　deleterious　properties'　　〃I　haven't　
tasted　it；　Clodd；〃　hinted　Peter。

〃That's　all　rightI　have。〃

〃And　was　it　good？〃

〃Splendid　stuff。　　Say　it's　'delicious　and　invigorating。'　　They'll　
be　sure　to　quote　that。〃

Peter　wrote　on：　　'Personally　I　have　found　it　delicious　and'　Peter　
left　off　writing。　　〃I　really　think；　Clodd；　I　ought　to　taste　it。　　
You　see；　I　am　personally　recommending　it。〃

〃Finish　that　par。　　Let　me　have　it　to　take　round　to　the　printers。　　
Then　put　the　bottle　in　your　pocket。　　Take　it　home　and　make　a　night　
of　it。〃

Clodd　appeared　to　be　in　a　mighty　hurry。　　Now；　this　made　Peter　only　
the　more　suspicious。　　The　bottle　was　close　to　his　hand。　　Clodd　
tried　to　intercept　him；　but　was　not　quick　enough。

〃You're　not　used　to　temperance　drinks；〃　urged　Clodd。　　〃Your　palate　
is　not　accustomed　to　them。〃

〃I　can　tell　whether　it's　'delicious'　or　not；　surely？〃　pleaded　
Peter；　who　had　pulled　out　the　cork。

〃It's　a　quarter…page　advertisement　for　thirteen　weeks。　　Put　it　down　
and　don't　be　a　fool！〃　urged　Clodd。

〃I'm　going　to　put　it　down；〃　laughed　Peter；　who　was　fond　of　his　
joke。　　Peter　poured　out　half　a　tumblerful；　and　dranksome　of　it。

〃Like　it？〃　demanded　Clodd；　with　a　savage　grin。

〃You　are　sureyou　are　sure　it　was　the　right　bottle？〃　gasped　Peter。

〃Bottle's　all　right；〃　Clodd　assured　him。　　〃Try　some　more。　　Judge　it　
fairly。〃

Peter　ventured　on　another　sip。　　〃You　don't　think　they　would　be　
satisfied　if　I　recommended　it　as　a　medicine？〃　insinuated　Peter
〃something　to　have　about　the　house　in　case　of　accidental　
poisoning？〃

〃Better　go　round　and　suggest　the　idea　to　them　yourself。　　I've　done　
with　it。〃　　Clodd　took　up　his　hat。

〃I'm　sorryI'm　very　sorry；〃　sighed　Peter。　　〃But　I　couldn't　
conscientiously〃

Clodd　put　down　his　hat　again　with　a　bang。　　〃Oh！　confound　that　
conscience　of　yours！　　Don't　it　ever　think　of　your　creditors？　　
What's　the　use　of　my　working　out　my　lungs　for　you；　when　all　you　do　
is　to　hamper　me　at　every　step？〃

〃Wouldn't　it　be　better　policy；〃　urged　Peter；　〃to　go　for　the　better　
class　of　advertiser；　who　doesn't　ask　you　for　this　sort　of　thing？〃

〃Go　for　him！〃　snorted　Clodd。　　〃Do　you　think　I　don't　go　for　him？　　
They　are　just　sheep。　　Get　one；　you　get　the　lot。　　Until　you've　got　
the　one；　the　others　won't　listen　to　you。〃

〃That's　true；〃　mused　Peter。　　〃I　spoke　to　Wilkinson；　of　Kingsley's；　
myself。　　He　advised　me　to　try　and　get　Landor's。　　He　thought　that　if　
I　could　get　an　advertisement　out　of　Landor；　he　might　persua