Chapter 9 Nine

Christmas festivities are not very lively in Black Pond, and whenever I can, I go to the Driffields' little house next to the Congregational Church.I always ran into Lord George there, and often Mr. Galloway.My pact with him to keep the secret made us two friends.When we met in the parsonage or in the vestry of a church after service, we exchanged only a sly look.We didn't talk about our secret, but we were both very happy about it; I think we were both very happy to know that I had fooled my uncle.But once, I suddenly thought of George.If Kemp met my uncle in the street, he might casually mention that he used to see me at the Driffields.

Will Lord George speak out?I asked Mr. Galloway. Oh, I've already spoken to him. We all chuckled.I began to like Lord George.At first I was cold and very polite to him, but he seemed so unaware of the difference in social status between us that I was forced to conclude that my haughty politeness did not keep him at ease. interesting.He always seemed warm and friendly, light-hearted, and sometimes yelled and yelled with joy; he teased me in his vulgar way, and I responded with my middle-school one-liners; we used to make other people laugh .This made me gradually develop a good impression of him.He was always bragging about the great plans he had in mind, but he didn't mind the jokes I made about his flashy ideas.I loved hearing him tell stories about the leading men of Black Tavern, who were all stupid in his descriptions; and I couldn't help laughing out loud when he imitated their eccentric movements.He is thick-skinned, vulgar, and he always surprises me with his clothes (I have never been to Newmarket [Note: The famous British horse racing center.], nor have I seen a horse trainer, but I imagine that the Newmarket Markett's horse trainer is his attire).The way he eats is also annoying, but I find myself feeling less and less disgusted with him.He gave me a copy of Pink Weekly every week [note: a news tabloid covering horse racing. 】.I took it home carefully in the pocket of my long overcoat, and rummaged through it in my bedroom.

I always finished my afternoon tea at the Parsonage before going to Driffield's, and when I got there I always managed to have another tea.Then, Ted.Driffield sang burlesque songs, sometimes with the banjo, sometimes with the piano.He would sing for an hour at a time, staring at the score with rather nearsighted eyes; he had a smile on his lips, and loved us all singing with him in the chorus.We also played whist together.I learned this game when I was very young, and used to play it with my uncle and aunt at the vicarage on long winter evenings.Uncle is always partnered with dummy [Note: The virtual partner of the card showdown. ] One side.We played cards just for fun, of course, but if my aunt and I lost, I used to hide under the dining room table and have a good cry.Ted.Driffield didn't play cards, he said he didn't have the talent, so as soon as we started playing cards he went and sat by the fire with a pencil and began to read a book that had been sent from London for him to review.I'd never played that kind of card with three before, and of course I played badly, but Mrs Driffield was a natural at it.Her movements, usually slow and deliberate, were swift and swift when she played cards.She confuses us all.Usually she doesn't talk much, and she speaks very slowly when she does, but after a game of cards, she is always pleasant and takes the trouble to point out to me where I made a mistake.At this time, she spoke clearly and fluently.Lord George joked with her as he joked with other people; she always smiled at his jokes, and seldom laughed out loud, and sometimes she paid Lord George adroitly.The behavior of the two of them was not that of lovers, but that of two very familiar friends.If she hadn't looked at him sometimes in a way that embarrassed me, I should have completely forgotten what I had heard about them in the past, and what I had seen with my own eyes.Her eyes fixed on Lord George quietly, as if he were not a living person, but a chair or a table, and there was always a hint of childish mischief in her eyes.Then I would see Lord George's face seem suddenly excited, and his whole body move restlessly in his chair.I glanced hastily at the curate, lest he notice something, but he was either absorbed in his cards or lighting his pipe.

[Note] Whist: A card game played by four people.It was popular in England in the 17th century, popular in the British upper class in the middle of the 18th century, and gradually evolved into modern bridge. However, whist was still popular in Britain and some places in the United States until the 20th century. The hours or two that I would spend almost every day in this smoky, stuffy, cramped room passed like lightning.The holidays are coming to an end, and I'm depressed to think that I'll have to go to school for another three months of dreary life. I don't know how we're going to get on with you gone, said Mrs Driffield, we'll have to play dummy.

I was secretly glad that their game was over when I left.I don't want to think of them sitting in that little room playing cards happily when I'm preparing for homework, as if I wasn't there at all. How many days off do you have for Easter?asked Mr Galloway. About three weeks. We're going to have fun.Mrs. Driffield said the weather would be fine by then.We could go out for a ride in the morning, and after tea in the afternoon we would play whist.Your poker skills have improved a lot.If we fight three or four times a week during your Easter break, then you can deal with anyone afterwards.