rr.eastofealing-第4章

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artner；　of　course。'
　'Of　course。'
　'A　man　he　could　trust。'　John　put　much　emphasis　upon　the　word　as　he　wrung　out　the　tea　bags　and　added　the　cream　of　the　milk　to　his　own　mug　and　a　splash　of　the　rest　to　Jim's。　'Yes；　he　would　definitely　want　a　man　he　could　rely　on。'
　'I　am　convinced　of　that；'　said　Jim；　accepting　his　mug。　'A　bit　strong；　isn't　it？'
　'Antique　bedding　is　currently　the　vogue　amongst　the　trendies　of　Kensington；　I　understand；'　John　continued。
　'Oh　those　bodies。'
　'Yes；　the　fashionable　set　do　be　weeping；　wailing；　and　gnashing　its　expensively…capped　teeth　for　the　lack　of　it。'
　Pooley　blew　on　to　his　tea。　'Strange　days；'　said　he。
　John　felt　that　he　was　obviously　not　getting　his　point　across　in　quite　the　right　way。　A　more　direct　approach　was　necessary。　'Jim；'　he　said　in　a　highly　confidential　tone。　'What　would　you　say　if　I　was　to　offer　you　a　chance　of　a　partnership　in　an　enterprise　which　would　involve　you　in　absolutely　no　financial　risk　whatever？'
　'I　would　say　that　there　is　always　a　first　time　for　everything；　I　suppose。'
　'What　if　I　was　to　tell　you　that　at　this　very　moment　I　know　of　where　there　is　an　extremely　valuable　antique　lying　discarded　and　unwanted　which　is　ours　for　the　taking；　what　would　you　say　then？'
　Jim　sipped　at　his　tea。　'I　would　say　to　you　then；　Omally；'　he　said；　without　daring　to　look　up；　'dig　the　bugger　out　yourself。'
　Omally's　eyebrows　soared　towards　his　flat　cap。
　Pooley　simply　pointed　to　an　L…shaped　tear　in　his　own　left　trouser　knee。　'I　passed　along　your　path　not　half　an　hour　before　you；'　he　said　simply。
　'Your　lack　of　enterprise　is　a　thing　to　inspire　disgust。'
　'He　that　diggeth　a　pit　will　fall　into　it。　Ecclesiasticus　Chapter　twenty…seven；　verse　twenty…six；'　said　Jim　Pooley。　'I　am　not　a　religious　man　as　you　well　know；　but　I　feel　that　the　Scriptures　definitely　have　it　sussed　on　this　point。　A　mendable　try　though。'　Jim　took　out　his　cigarette　packet　from　his　top　pocket　and　handed　the　Irishman　a　tailor…made。
　'Thank　you；'　said　Omally。
　'Now；　if　you　really　have　a　wish　to　make　a　killing　today　…'　John　nodded　enthusiastically；　it　was　early　yet　and　his　brain　was　only　just　warming　up　to　the　daily　challenge；　'…　I　have　seen　something　which　has　the　potential　to　earn　a　man　more　pennies　than　a　thousand　buried　bedframes。　Something　which　a　man　can　only　be　expected　to　witness　once　in　a　lifetime。　And　something　of　such　vast　financial　potential　that　if　a　man　was　to　see　it　and　not　take　advantage　of　the　experience；　he　should　consider　himself　a　soul　lost　for　ever　and　beyond　all　hope。'
　'Your　words　are　pure　music；'　said　John　Omally。　'Play　on；　sweet　friend；　play　on。'
　As　Neville　the　part…time　barman　drew　the　polished　brass　bolts　on　the　saloon…bar　door　and　stood　in　the　opening；　sniffing　the　air；　the　clatter　of　two　pairs　of　hobnail　boots　and　the　grating　of　rear　mudguard　upon　back　wheel　announced　the　approach　of　a　brace　of　regulars。　One　of　these　was　a　gentleman　of　Celtic　extraction　who　had　recently　bee　convinced　that　the　future　lay　in　perpetual　motion　and　its　application　to　the　fifth　gear　of　the　mon　bicycle。　Neville　installed　himself　behind　the　bar　counter　and　closed　the　hinged　counter　top。
　'God　save　all　here；'　said　John　Omally；　pushing　open　the　door。
　'Count　that　double；'　said　Pooley；　following　up　the　rear。
　Neville　pushed　a　polished　glass　beneath　the　spout　of　the　beer　engine　and　drew　upon　the　enamel　pump　handle。　Before　the　patrons　had　hoisted　themselves　on　to　their　accustomed　barstools；　two　pints　of　Large　stood　brimming　before　them；　golden　brown　and　crystal　clear。　'Wele；'　said　Neville。
　'Hello　once　more；'　said　Omally；　'Jim　is　in　the　chair。'　Pooley　smiled　and　pushed　the　exact　amount　of　pennies　and　halfpennies　across　the　polished　counter　top。　Neville　rang　up　'No　Sale'　and　once　more　all　was　as　it　ever　had　been　and　hopefully　ever　would　be　in　Brentford。
　'How　goes　the　game　then；　gentlemen？'　Neville　asked　the　patrons；　already　a　third　of　the　way　through　their　pints。
　'As　ever；　cruel　to　the　working　man；'　said　John。　'And　how　is　yourself？'
　'To　tell　you　the　truth；　a　little　iffy。　In　your　personal　opinion；　John；　how　do　I　look　to　you？'
　'The　very　picture　of　health。'
　'Not　a　little　puffy？'　Neville　fingered　his　middle　regions。
　'Not　at　all。'
　'No　hint　of　stoutness　there？　You　can　be　frank　with　me；　I　have　no　fear　of　criticism。'
　Omally　shook　his　head　and　looked　towards　Jim。　'You　look　fine；'　said　Pooley。　'Are　you　feeling　a　bit　poorly；　then？'
　'No；　no。'　Neville　shook　his　head　with　vigour。　'It's　just　that；　well。。。'he　considered　the　two　drinkers　who　surveyed　him　with　dubious　expressions。　'Oh；　nothing　at　all。　I　look　all　right　you　think？　No　higher；　say；　than　usual？'　Two　heads　swung　to　and　fro　upon　their　respective　necks。　'Best　to　forget　it　then；　a　small　matter；　do　not　let　it　spoil　your　ale。'
　'Have　no　fear　of　that；'　said　John　Omally。
　The　Swan's　door　opened　to　admit　the　entry　of　an　elderly　gentleman　and　his　dog。　'Morning；　John；　Jim；'　said　Old　Pete；　sidling　up　to　the　bar。　'Large　dark　rum　please；　Neville。'　Neville　took　himself　off　to　the　optic。
　'Morning；　Pete；'　said　Pooley；　'good　day；　Chips。'　The　ancient's　furry　panion　woofed　nonmittally。　'Are　you　fit？'
　'As　well　as　can　be　expected。　And　how　goes　the　sport　for　you？　That　Big　One　still　lurking　up　beyond　your　frayed　cuff？'
　Pooley　made　a　'so…so'　gesture。　'Inches；　but。。。'
　Old　Pete　accepted　his　drink　from　Neville　and　held　up　the　glass　to　evaluate　the　exact　volume　of　his　measure　before　grudgingly　pushing　the　correct　change　across　the　bar　top。　'So；'　he　continued；　addressing　himself　to　Omally；　'and　how　fare　the　crops？'
　'Blooming；'　said　Omally。　'I　expect　a　bumper　harvest　this　year。　e　the　Festival。　I　expect　several　firsts　and　as　many　seconds　in　the　Show。'
　'King　Teddies　again　then；　is　it？'　Revered　as　the　personification　of　all　agricultural　knowledge　within　a　radius　of　an　'nth　number　of　miles；　Old　Pete　had　little　truck　with　potato　growers。
　'Nature's　finest　food；'　said　John。　'Was　it　not　the　spud　which　sustained　the　Joyces；　the　Wildes；　the　Behans　and　the　Traynors？　Show　me　a　great　man　and　I　will　show　you　a　spud　to　his　rear。'
　'I　have　little　regard　for　footballers；'　said　Old　Pete。　'If　you　were　any　kind　of　a　farmer　you　would　diversify　your　crops　a　little。　I　myself　have　fostered　no　fewer　than　five　new　varieties　of　sprout。'
　Omally　crossed　himself　and　made　a　disgusted　face。　'Don't　even　speak　the　word；'　said　he。　'I　cannot　be　having　with　that　most　despicable　of　all　vegetables。'
　'The　sprout　is　your　man；'　intoned　the　old　one。　'Full　of　iron。　A　man　could　live　alone　upon　a　desert　island　all　his　life　if　he　had　nothing　more　than　a　few　sprout　seeds　and　bit　of　mon　sense。'
　'A　pox　on　all　sprouts；'　said　John；　crouching　low　over　his　pint。　'May　the　black　fly　take　the　lot　of　them。'
　Pooley　was　consulting　his　racing　paper。　Possibly　there　was　a　horse　running　whose　name　was　an　anagram　of　'sprout'。　Such　factors　were　not　to　be　taken　lightly　when　one　was　seeking　that　all　elusive　cosmic　connection。　The　effort　was　quite　considerable　and　very　shortly　Jim；　like　Dickens's　now　legendary　fat　boy；　was　once　more　asleep。　Neville　made　to　take　up　the　half…finished　glass　for　the　washer。　With　a　sudden　transformation　from　Dickens　to　Edgar　Alien　Poe；　the　sleeper　awoke。　'Not　done　here；'　said　Jim。　'It's　Omally's　round。'　Omally　got　them　in。
　'Let　us　speak　no　more　of　horticulture；'　said　John　to　Old　Pete。　'Your　knowledge　of　the　subject　is　legend　hereabouts　and　I　am　not　up　to　matching　wits　with　you。　Tell　me　something；　do　you　sleep　well　of　a　night？'
　'The　sleep　of　the　just；　nothing　else。'
　'Then　you　must　indeed　have　a　cosy　nest　to　take　your　slumbers　in。'
　'No；　nothing　much；　a　mattress　upon　a　rough　wooden　pallet。　It　serves　as　it　has　since　my　childhood。'
　Omally　shook　his　head　in　dismay；　'Longevity；　as　I　understand　it　to　be；　is　very　much　the　part　and　parcel　of　good　sleeping。　Man　spends　one　third　of　his　life　in　bed。　Myself　a　good　deal　more。　The　fort　of　the　sleeper　greatly　reflects　upon　his　health　and　well　being。'
　'Is　that　a　fact？'　said　Old　Pete。　'I　have　no　plaints。'
　'Because　you　have　never　experienced　greater　fort。　Take　myself。　You　would　take　me　for　a　man　of　thirty。'
　'Never。　Forty。'
　Omally　laughed。　'Always　the　wag。　But　truthfully；　I　attribute　my　good　health　to　the