Tickets please.docx

Tickets please.docx

《Tickets please.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Tickets please.docx（13页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

Ticketsplease

Tickets,Please!

D.H.Lawrence

1919

ThereisintheNorthasingle-linesystemoftramcarswhichboldlyleavesthecountytownandplungesoffintotheblack,industrialcountryside,uphillanddowndale,throughthelong,uglyvillagesofworkmen'shouses,overcanalsandrailways,pastchurchesperchedhighandnoblyoverthesmokeandshadows,throughdark,grimy,coldlittlemarket-places,tiltingawayinarushpastcinemasandshopsdowntothehollowwherethecollieriesare,thenupagain,pastalittleruralchurchundertheash-trees,oninabolttotheterminus,thelastlittleuglyplaceofindustry,thecoldlittletownthatshiversontheedgeofthewild,gloomycountrybeyond.Theretheblueandcreamycolouredtramcarseemstopauseandpurrwithcurioussatisfaction.Butinafewminutes—theclockontheturretoftheCo-operativeWholesaleSociety'sshopsgivesthetime—awayitstartsoncemoreontheadventure.Againtherearetherecklessswoopsdownhill,bouncingtheloops;againthechillywaitinthehill-topmarket-place:

againthebreathlessslitheringroundtheprecipitousdropunderthechurch:

againthepatienthaltsattheloops,waitingfortheoutcomingcar:

soonandon,fortwolonghours,tillatlastthecityloomsbeyond,thefatgasworks,thenarrowfactoriesdrawnear,weareinthesordidstreetsofthegreattown,oncemorewesidletoastandstillatourterminus,abashedbythegreatcrimsonandcream-colouredcitycars,butstilljerky,jaunty,somewhatdaredevil,pertasablue-titoutofablackcollierygarden.

Torideonthesecarsisalwaysanadventure.Thedriversareoftenmenunfitforactiveservice:

cripplesandhunchbacks.Sotheyhavethespiritofthedevilinthem.Theridebecomesasteeplechase.Hurrah!

wehaveleaptinacleanjumpoverthecanalbridges—nowforthefour-lanecorner!

Withashriekandatrailofsparksweareclearagain.Tobesureatramoftenleapstherails—butwhatmatter!

Itsitsinaditchtillothertramscometohaulitout.Itisquitecommonforacar,packedwithonesolidmassoflivingpeople,tocometoadeadhaltinthemidstofunbrokenblackness,theheartofnowhereonadarknight,andforthedriverandthegirl-conductortocall:

'Allgetoff—car'sonfire.'Insteadofrushingoutinapanic,thepassengersstolidlyreply:

'Geton—geton.We'renotcomingout.We'restoppingwhereweare.Pushon,George.'Sotillflamesactuallyappear.

Thereasonforthisreluctancetodismountisthatthenightsarehowlinglycold,blackandwindswept,andacarisahavenofrefuge.Fromvillagetovillagetheminerstravel,forachangeofcinema,ofgirl,ofpub.Thetramsaredesperatelypacked.Whoisgoingtoriskhimselfintheblackgulfoutside,towaitperhapsanhourforanothertram,thentoseetheforlornnotice'DepotOnly'—becausethereissomethingwrong;ortogreetaunitofthreebrightcarsallsotightwithpeoplethattheysailpastwithahowlofderision?

Tramsthatpassinthenight!

This,themostdangeroustram-serviceinEngland,astheauthoritiesthemselvesdeclare,withpride,isentirelyconductedbygirls,anddrivenbyrashyoungmen,orelsebyinvalidswhocreepforwardinterror.Thegirlsarefearlessyounghussies.Intheiruglyblueuniforms,skirtsuptotheirknees,shapelessoldpeakedcapsontheirheads,theyhaveallthesang-froidofanoldnon-commissionedofficer.Withatrampackedwithhowlingcolliers,roaringhymnsdownstairsandasortofantiphonyofobscenitiesupstairs,thelassesareperfectlyattheirease.Theypounceontheyouthswhotrytoevadetheirticket-machine.Theypushoffthemenattheendoftheirdistance.Theyarenotgoingtobedoneintheeye—notthey.Theyfearnobody—andeverybodyfearsthem.

'Halloa,Annie!

'

'Halloa,Ted!

''Oh,mindmycorn,MissStone!

It'smybeliefyou'vegotaheartofstone,foryou'vetrodonitagain.'

'Youshouldkeepitinyourpocket,'repliesMissStone,andshegoessturdilyupstairsinherhighboots.

'Tickets,please.'

Sheisperemptory,suspicious,andreadytohitfirst.Shecanholdherownagainsttenthousand.

Thereforethereisacertainwildromanceaboardthesecars—andinthesturdybosomofAnnieherself.Theromantictimeisinthemorning,betweenteno'clockandone,whenthingsareratherslack:

thatis,exceptmarket-dayandSaturday.ThenAnniehastimetolookabouther.Thensheoftenhopsoffhercarandintoashopwhereshehasspiedsomething,whileherdriverchatsinthemainroad.Thereisverygoodfeelingbetweenthegirlsandthedrivers.Aretheynotcompanionsinperil,shipmatesaboardthiscareeringvesselofatramcar,foreverrockingonthewavesofahillyland?

Then,also,intheeasyhourstheinspectorsaremostinevidence.Forsomereason,everybodyemployedinthistram-serviceisyoung:

therearenogreyheads.Itwouldnotdo.Thereforetheinspectorsareoftherightage,andone,thechief,isalsogood-looking.Seehimstandonawet,gloomymorninginhislongoilskin,hispeakedcapwelldownoverhiseyes,waitingtoboardacar.Hisfaceisruddy,hissmallbrownmoustacheisweathered,hehasafaint,impudentsmile.Fairlytallandagile,eveninhiswaterproof,hespringsaboardacarandgreetsAnnie.

'Halloa,Annie!

Keepingthewetout?

'

'Tryingto.'

Thereareonlytwopeopleinthecar.Inspectingissoonover.Thenforalongandimpudentchatonthefootboard—agood,easy,twelve-milechat.

Theinspector'snameisJohnJosephRaynor:

alwayscalledJohnJoseph.Hisfacesetsinfurywhenheisaddressed,fromadistance,withthisabbreviation.ThereisconsiderablescandalaboutJohnJosephinhalf-a-dozenvillages.Heflirtswiththegirl-conductorsinthemorning,andwalksoutwiththeminthedarknightwhentheyleavetheirtramcaratthedepot.Ofcourse,thegirlsquittheservicefrequently.Thenheflirtsandwalksoutwithanewcomer:

alwaysprovidingsheissufficientlyattractive,andthatshewillconsenttowalk.Itisremarkable,however,thatmostofthegirlsarequitecomely,theyareallyoung,andthisrovinglifeaboardthecargivesthemasailor'sdashandrecklessness.Whatmatterhowtheybehavewhentheshipisinport?

Tomorrowtheywillbeaboardagain.

Annie,however,wassomethingofatartar,andhersharptonguehadkeptJohnJosephatarm'slengthformanymonths.Perhaps,therefore,shelikedhimallthemore;forhealwayscameupsmiling,withimpudence.Shewatchedhimvanquishonegirl,thenanother.Shecouldtellbythemovementofhismouthandeyes,whenheflirtedwithherinthemorning,thathehadbeenwalkingoutwiththislass,ortheotherthenightbefore.Shecouldsumhimupprettywell.

Intheirsubtleantagonism,theykneweachotherlikeoldfriends;theywereasshrewdwithoneanotheralmostasmanandwife.ButAnniehadalwayskepthimfullyatarm'slength.Besides,shehadaboyofherown.

TheStatutesfair,however,cameinNovember,atMiddleton.IthappenedthatAnniehadtheMondaynightoff.Itwasadrizzling,uglynight,yetshedressedherselfupandwenttothefairground.Shewasalone,butsheexpectedsoontofindapalofsomesort.

Theroundaboutswereveeringroundandgrindingouttheirmusic,theside-showsweremakingasmuchcommotionaspossible.Inthecoconutshiestherewerenococonuts,butartificialsubstitutes,whichtheladsdeclaredwerefastenedintotheirons.Therewasasaddeclineinbrillianceandluxury.Nonetheless,thegroundwasmuddyasever,therewasthesamecrush,thepressoffaceslightedupbytheflaresandtheelectriclights,thesamesmellofnaphthaandfriedpotatoesandelectricity.

WhoshouldbethefirsttogreetMissAnnie,ontheshow-ground,butJohnJoseph!

Hehadablackovercoatbuttoneduptohischin,andatweedcappulleddownoverhisbrows,hisfacebetweenwasruddyandsmilingandhardyasever.Sheknewsowellthewayhismouthmoved.

Shewasverygladtohavea'boy'.TobeattheStatuteswithoutafellowwasnofun.Instantly,likethegallanthewas,hetookheronthedragons,grim-toothed,round-aboutswitchbacks.Itwasnotnearlysoexcitingasatramcar,actually.Butthen,tobeseatedinashakinggreendragon,upliftedabovetheseaofbubblefaces,careeringinaricketyfashioninthelowerheavens,whilstJohnJosephleanedoverher,hiscigaretteinhismouth,was,afterall,therightstyle.Shewasaplump,quick,alivelittlecreature.Soshewasquiteexcitedandhappy.

JohnJosephmadeherstayonforthenextround.Andthereforeshecouldhardlyforshametorepulsehimwhenheputhisarmroundheranddrewheralittlenearertohim,inaverywarmandcuddlymanner.Besides,hewasfairlydiscreet,hekepthismovementashiddenaspossible.Shelookeddown,andsawthathisred,cleanhandwasoutofsightofthecrowd.Andtheykneweachothersowell.Sotheywarmeduptothefair.

Afterthedragonstheywentonthehorses.JohnJosephpaideachtime,shecouldbutbecomplaisant.He,ofcourse,satastrideontheouterhorse—named'BlackBess'—andshesatsidewaystowardshim,ontheinnerhorse—named'Wildfire'.But,ofcourse,JohnJosephwasnotgoingtositdiscreetlyon'BlackBess',holdingthebrassbar.Roundtheyspunandheaved,inthelight.Androundheswungonhiswoodensteed,flingingonelegacrosshermount,andperilouslytippingupanddown,acrossthespace,half-lyingback,laughingather.Hewasperfectlyhappy;shewasafraidherhatwasononeside,butshewasexcited.

Hethrewquoitsonatable,andwonhertwolarge,pale-bluehatpins.Andthen,hearingthenoiseofthecinema,announcinganotherperformance,theyclimbedtheboardsandwentin.

Ofcourse,duringtheseperformances,pitchdark