The Street Violinst I got up and dressed，stuck my violin under my jacket，and went out

The Street Violinst

I got up and dressed，stuck my violin under my jacket，and went out into the streets to try my luck．I wandered about for an hour，looking for a likely spot，fleeling as though I were about to commit a crime．Then I stopped at last under a bridge near the station and decided to have a try．

I felt tense and nervous．It was the first time，after all. I drew the violin from under my coat like a gun．It was here，in Southampton，with trains rattling overhead，that I was about to declare myself. One morning I was part of the hurrying crowds，the next I stood apart，my back to the wall，my hat on the pavement before me，the violin under my chin．

The fist notes I played were loud and raw，1ike a declaration of protest．Then they settled down and began to run more smoothly and to stay more or less in turn．To my surprise I was neither arrested nor told to shut up． Indeed，nobody took any notice at all．Then an old man，without stopping，sur-reptitious1y tossed a penny into my hat as though getting out of some guilty evidence．

I worked the streets of Southampton for several days，gradually acquiring the truths of the trade by trial and error． It was not a good thing，for instance，to let the hat fill up with money--the sight could discourage the patron．Nor was it wise to empty it completely，which could also confuse him，giving him no hint as to where to drop his money． Placing a couple of pennies in the hat to start the thing going soon became a regular ritual，making sure between tunes，to hide most of the earnings，but always leaving two pennies behind．

Old ladies were most generous， and so were women with children, shopgirls，typists and bar - maids．As for the man．heavy drinkers were always willing listeners and so were big guys with muscles．But never a man with a gentleman’s hat，briefcase or dog．Respectable types were the meanest，of all．Except for retired army officers，who would yell“why aren’t you working，young man ？"and then toss some money into the hat to hide their confusion．

第 41 题 How long did the author wander about in the streets before he stopped under a bridge？

A．a day．

B．an hour．

C．all morning．

D．all afternoon．