beasts and superbeasts-第22章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



during　the　process　of　infusion。



On　this　particular　night　the　irreducible　nine　hours　

were　severely　mutilated　by　the　sudden　and　by　no　means　

noiseless　incursion　of　a　pyjama…clad　figure　into　Waldo's　

room　at　an　hour　midway　between　midnight　and　dawn。



〃What　is　the　matter？　　What　are　you　looking　for？〃　

asked　the　awakened　and　astonished　Waldo；　slowly　

recognising　Van　Tahn；　who　appeared　to　be　searching　

hastily　for　something　he　had　lost。



〃Looking　for　sheep；〃　was　the　reply。



〃Sheep？〃　exclaimed　Waldo。



〃Yes；　sheep。　　You　don't　suppose　I'm　looking　for　

giraffes；　do　you？〃



〃I　don't　see　why　you　should　expect　to　find　either　in　

my　room；〃　retorted　Waldo　furiously。



〃I　can't　argue　the　matter　at　this　hour　of　the　

night；〃　said　Bertie；　and　began　hastily　rummaging　in　the　

chest　of　drawers。　　Shirts　and　underwear　went　flying　on　to　

the　floor。



〃There　are　no　sheep　here；　I　tell　you；〃　screamed　

Waldo。



〃I've　only　got　your　word　for　it；〃　said　Bertie；　

whisking　most　of　the　bedclothes　on　to　the　floor；　〃if　you　

weren't　concealing　something　you　wouldn't　be　so　

agitated。〃



Waldo　was　by　this　time　convinced　that　Van　Tahn　was　

raving　mad；　and　made　an　anxious；　effort　to　humour　him。



〃Go　back　to　bed　like　a　dear　fellow；〃　he　pleaded；　

〃and　your　sheep　will　turn　up　all　right　in　the　morning。〃



〃I　daresay；〃　said　Bertie　gloomily；　〃without　their　

tails。　　Nice　fool　I　shall　look　with　a　lot　of　Manx　sheep。〃



And　by　way　of　emphasising　his　annoyance　at　the　

prospect　he　sent　Waldo's　pillows　flying　to　the　top　of　the　

wardrobe。



〃But　WHY　no　tails？〃　asked　Waldo；　whose　teeth　were　

chattering　with　fear　and　rage　and　lowered　temperature。



〃My　dear　boy；　have　you　never　heard　the　ballad　of　

Little　Bo…Peep？〃　said　Bertie　with　a　chuckle。　　〃It's　my　

character　in　the　Game；　you　know。　　If　I　didn't　go　hunting　

about　for　my　lost　sheep　no　one　would　be　able　to　guess　who　

I　was；　and　now　go　to　sleepy　weeps　like　a　good　child　or　I　

shall　be　cross　with　you。〃



〃I　leave　you　to　imagine；〃　wrote　Waldo　in　the　course　

of　a　long　letter　to　his　mother；　〃how　much　sleep　I　was　

able　to　recover　that　night；　and　you　know　how　essential　

nine　uninterrupted　hours　of　slumber　are　to　my　health。〃



On　the　other　hand　he　was　able　to　devote　some　wakeful　

hours　to　exercises　in　breathing　wrath　and　fury　against　

Bertie　van　Tahn。



Breakfast　at　Blonzecourt　was　a　scattered　meal；　on　

the　〃come　when　you　please〃　principle；　but　the　house…party　

was　supposed　to　gather　in　full　strength　at　lunch。　　On　the　

day　after　the　〃Game〃　had　been　started　there　were；　

however；　some　notable　absentees。　　Waldo　Plubley；　for　

instance；　was　reported　to　be　nursing　a　headache。　　A　large　

breakfast　and　an　〃A。B。C。〃　had　been　taken　up　to　his　room；　

but　he　had　made　no　appearance　in　the　flesh。



〃I　expect　he's　playing　up　to　some　character；〃　said　

Vera　Durmot；　〃isn't　there　a　thing　of　Moliere's；　'LE　

MALADE　IMAGINAIRE'？　　I　expect　he's　that。〃



Eight　or　nine　lists　came　out；　and　were　duly　

pencilled　with　the　suggestion。



〃And　where　are　the　Klammersteins？〃　asked　Lady　

Blonze；　〃they're　usually　so　punctual。〃



〃Another　character　pose；　perhaps；〃　said　Bertie　van　

Tahn；　〃　'the　Lost　Ten　Tribes。'　〃



〃But　there　are　only　three　of　them。　　Besides；　they'll　

want　their　lunch。　　Hasn't　anyone　seen　anything　of　them？〃



〃Didn't　you　take　them　out　in　your　car？〃　asked　

Blanche　Boveal；　addressing　herself　to　Cyril　Skatterly。



〃Yes；　took　them　out　to　Slogberry　Moor　immediately　

after　breakfast。　　Miss　Durmot　came　too。〃



〃I　saw　you　and　Vera　come　back；〃　said　Lady　Blonze；　

〃but　I　didn't　see　the　Klammersteins。　　Did　you　put　them　

down　in　the　village？〃



〃No；〃　said　Skatterly　shortly。



〃But　where　are　they？　　Where　did　you　leave　them？〃



〃We　left　them　on　Slogberry　Moor；〃　said　Vera　calmly。



〃On　Slogberry　Moor？　　Why；　it's　more　than　thirty　

miles　away！　　How　are　they　going　to　get　back？〃



〃We　didn't　stop　to　consider　that；〃　said　Skatterly；　

〃we　asked　them　to　get　out　for　a　moment；　on　the　pretence　

that　the　car　had　stuck；　and　then　we　dashed　off　full　speed　

and　left　them　there。〃



〃But　how　dare　you　do　such　a　thing？　　It's　most　

inhuman！　　Why；　it's　been　snowing　for　the　last　hour。〃



〃I　expect　there'll　be　a　cottage　or　farmhouse　

somewhere　if　they　walk　a　mile　or　two。〃



〃But　why　on　earth　have　you　done　it？〃



The　question　came　in　a　chorus　of　indignant　

bewilderment。



〃THAT　would　be　telling　what　our　characters　are　meant　

to　be；〃　said　Vera。



〃Didn't　I　warn　you？〃　said　Sir　Nicholas　tragically　to　

his　wife。



〃It's　something　to　do　with　Spanish　history；　we　don't　

mind　giving　you　that　clue；〃　said　Skatterly；　helping　

himself　cheerfully　to　salad；　and　then　Bertie　van　Tahn　

broke　forth　into　peals　of　joyous　laughter。



〃I've　got　it！　　Ferdinand　and　Isabella　deporting　the　

Jews！　　Oh；　lovely！　　Those　two　have　certainly　won　the　

prize；　we　shan't　get　anything　to　beat　that　for　

thoroughness。〃



Lady　Blonze's　Christmas　party　was　talked　about　and　

written　about　to　an　extent　that　she　had　not　anticipated　

in　her　most　ambitious　moments。　　The　letters　from　Waldo's　

mother　would　alone　have　made　it　memorable。





COUSIN　TERESA





BASSET　HARROWCLUFF　returned　to　the　home　of　his　

fathers；　after　an　absence　of　four　years；　distinctly　well　

pleased　with　himself。　　He　was　only　thirty…one；　but　he　had　

put　in　some　useful　service　in　an　out…of…the…way；　though　

not　unimportant；　corner　of　the　world。　　He　had　quieted　a　

province；　kept　open　a　trade　route；　enforced　the　tradition　

of　respect　which　is　worth　the　ransom　of　many　kings　in　

out…of…the…way　regions；　and　done　the　whole　business　on　

rather　less　expenditure　than　would　be　requisite　for　

organising　a　charity　in　the　home　country。　　In　Whitehall　

and　places　where　they　think；　they　doubtless　thought　well　

of　him。　　It　was　not　inconceivable；　his　father　allowed　

himself　to　imagine；　that　Basset's　name　might　figure　in　

the　next　list　of　Honours。



Basset　was　inclined　to　be　rather　contemptuous　of　his　

half…brother；　Lucas；　whom　he　found　feverishly　engrossed　

in　the　same　medley　of　elaborate　futilities　that　had　

claimed　his　whole　time　and　energies；　such　as　they　were；　

four　years　ago；　and　almost　as　far　back　before　that　as　he　

could　remember。　　It　was　the　contempt　of　the　man　of　action　

for　the　man　of　activities；　and　it　was　probably　

reciprocated。　　Lucas　was　an　over…well　nourished　

individual；　some　nine　years　Basset's　senior；　with　a　

colouring　that　would　have　been　accepted　as　a　sign　of　

intensive　culture　in　an　asparagus；　but　probably　meant　in　

this　case　mere　abstention　from　exercise。　　His　hair　and　

forehead　furnished　a　recessional　note　in　a　personality　

that　was　in　all　other　respects　obtrusive　and　assertive。　　

There　was　certainly　no　Semitic　blood　in　Lucas's　

parentage；　but　his　appearance　contrived　to　convey　at　

least　a　suggestion　of　Jewish　extraction。　　Clovis　

Sangrail；　who　knew　most　of　his　associates　by　sight；　said　

it　was　undoubtedly　a　case　of　protective　mimicry。



Two　days　after　Basset's　return；　Lucas　frisked　in　to　

lunch　in　a　state　of　twittering　excitement　that　could　not　

be　restrained　even　for　the　immediate　consideration　of　

soup；　but　had　to　be　verbally　discharged　in　spluttering　

competition　with　mouthfuls　of　vermicelli。



〃I've　got　hold　of　an　idea　for　something　immense；〃　he　

babbled；　〃something　that　is　simply　It。〃



Basset　gave　a　short　laugh　that　would　have　done　

equally　well　as　a　snort；　if　one　had　wanted　to　make　the　

exchange。　　His　half…brother　was　in　the　habit　of　

discovering　futilities　that　were　〃simply　It〃　at　

frequently　recurring　intervals。　　The　discovery　generally　

meant　that　he　flew　up　to　town；　preceded　by　glowingly…

worded　telegrams；　to　see　some　one　connected　with　the　

stage　or　the　publishing　world；　got　together　one　or　two　

momentous　luncheon　parties；　flitted　in　and　out　of　

〃Gambrinus〃　for　one　or　two　evenings；　and　returned　home　

with　an