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1、STORIESSTORIESbyEnglishAuthorsinLondon1STORIESTHEINCONSIDERATEWAITERBYJ.M.BARRIEFrequentlyIhavetoaskmyselfinthestreetforthenameofthemanIbowedtojustnow,andthen,beforeIcananswer,thewindofthefirstcornerblowshimfrommymemory.Ihaveatheory,however,thatthosepuzzlingfaces,whichpassbeforeIcanseewhocut
2、thecoat,allbelongtoclubwaiters.UntilWilliamforcedhisaffairsuponmethatwasallIdidknowoftheprivatelifeofwaiters,thoughIhavebeenintheclubfortwentyyears.Iwasevenunawarewhethertheysleptdownstairsorhadtheirownhomes;norhadItheinteresttoinquireofothermembers,northeytheknowledgetoinformme.Iholdthatthi
3、ssortofpeopleshouldbefedandclothedandgivenairingandwivesandchildren,andIsubscribeyearly,Ibelieveforthesepurposes;buttocomeintocloserrelationwithwaitersisbadform;theyareclubfittings,andWilliamshouldhavekepthisdistresstohimself,ortakenitawayandpatchedituplikearentinoneofthechairs.Hisinconsider
4、atenesshasbeenapairofspectaclestomeformonths.Itisnotcorrecttastetoknowthenameofaclubwaiter,soImustapologiseforknowingWilliam's,andstillmorefornotforgettingit.If,again,tospeakofawaiterisbadform,tospeakbitterlyisthecomicdegreeofit.ButWilliamhasdisappointedmesorely.TherewereyearswhenIwoulddefer
5、diningseveralminutesthathemightwaitonme.Hispainstoreservethewindow-seatformewereperfectlysatisfactory.Iallowedhimprivileges,astosuggestdishes,andwouldgivehiminformation,asthatsomeonehadstartledmeinthereading-roombyslammingadoor.IhaveshownhimhowIcutmyfingerwithapieceofstring.Obviouslyhewasgra
6、tifiedbytheseattentions,usuallyrecommendingaliqueur;andIfancyhemusthaveunderstoodmysufferings,forheoftenlookedillhimself.Probablyhewasrheumatic,butIcannotsayforcertain,asIneverthoughtofasking,andhehadthesensetoseethattheknowledgewouldbeoffensivetome.Inthesmoking-roomwehaveawaitersoindependen
7、tthatonce,whenhebroughtmeayellowchartreuse,andIsaidIhadorderedgreen,he2STORIESreplied,"No,sir;yousaidyellow."Williamcouldneverhavebeenguiltyofsucheffrontery.Inappearance,ofcourse,heismean,butIcannomoredescribehimthanamilkmaidcoulddrawcows.Isupposew
