beasts and superbeasts-第30章

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〃What　happened　in　the　smoking…room？〃



〃He　trotted　out　some　well…worn　chestnut　as　the　

latest　thing　in　good　stories；　and　I　remarked；　quite　

innocently；　that　I　never　could　remember　whether　it　was　

George　II。　or　James　II。　who　was　so　fond　of　that　

particular　story；　and　now　he　regards　me　with　politely…

draped　dislike。　　I'll　do　my　best　for　you；　if　the　

opportunity　arises；　but　it　will　have　to　be　in　a　

roundabout；　impersonal　manner。〃





*　*　*　*





〃It's　so　nice　having　Mr。　Lanner　here；〃　confided　Mrs。　

Olston　to　Clovis　the　next　afternoon；　〃he's　always　been　

engaged　when　I've　asked　him　before。　　Such　a　nice　man；　he　

really　ought　to　be　married　to　some　nice　girl。　　Between　

you　and　me；　I　have　an　idea　that　he　came　down　here　for　a　

certain　reason。〃



〃I've　had　much　the　same　idea；〃　said　Clovis；　lowering　

his　voice；　〃in　fact；　I'm　almost　certain　of　it。〃



〃You　mean　he's　attracted　by　…　〃　began　Mrs。　Olston　

eagerly。



〃I　mean　he's　here　for　what　he　can　get；〃　said　Clovis。



〃For　what　he　can　GET？〃　said　the　hostess　with　a　touch　

of　indignation　in　her　voice；　〃what　do　you　mean？　　He's　a　

very　rich　man。　　What　should　he　want　to　get　here？〃



〃He　has　one　ruling　passion；〃　said　Clovis；　〃and　

there's　something　he　can　get　here　that　is　not　to　be　had　

for　love　nor　for　money　anywhere　else　in　the　country；　as　

far　as　I　know。〃



〃But　what？　　Whatever　do　you　mean？　　What　is　his　

ruling　passion？〃



〃Egg…collecting；〃　said　Clovis。　　〃He　has　agents　all　

over　the　world　getting　rare　eggs　for　him；　and　his　

collection　is　one　of　the　finest　in　Europe；　but　his　great　

ambition　is　to　collect　his　treasures　personally。　　He　

stops　at　no　expense　nor　trouble　to　achieve　that　end。〃



〃Good　heavens！　　The　buzzards；　the　rough…legged　

buzzards！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Olston；　〃you　don't　think　he's　

going　to　raid　their　nest？〃



〃What　do　you　think　yourself？〃　asked　Clovis；　〃the　

only　pair　of　rough…legged　buzzards　known　to　breed　in　this　

country　are　nesting　in　your　woods。　　Very　few　people　know　

about　them；　but　as　a　member　of　the　league　for　protecting　

rare　birds　that　information　would　be　at　his　disposal。　　I　

came　down　in　the　train　with　him；　and　I　noticed　that　a　

bulky　volume　of　Dresser's　'Birds　of　Europe'　was　one　of　

the　requisites　that　he　had　packed　in　his　travelling…kit。　　

It　was　the　volume　dealing　with　short…winged　hawks　and　

buzzards。〃



Clovis　believed　that　if　a　lie　was　worth　telling　it　

was　worth　telling　well。



〃This　is　appalling；〃　said　Mrs。　Olston；　〃my　husband　

would　never　forgive　me　if　anything　happened　to　those　

birds。　　They've　been　seen　about　the　woods　for　the　last　

year　or　two；　but　this　is　the　first　time　they've　nested。　　

As　you　say；　they　are　almost　the　only　pair　known　to　be　

breeding　in　the　whole　of　Great　Britain；　and　now　their　

nest　is　going　to　be　harried　by　a　guest　staying　under　my　

roof。　　I　must　do　something　to　stop　it。　　Do　you　think　if　I　

appealed　to　him　…　〃



Clovis　laughed。



〃There　is　a　story　going　about；　which　I　fancy　is　true　

in　most　of　its　details；　of　something　that　happened　not　

long　ago　somewhere　on　the　coast　of　the　Sea　of　Marmora；　in　

which　our　friend　had　a　hand。　　A　Syrian　nightjar；　or　some　

such　bird；　was　known　to　be　breeding　in　the　olive　gardens　

of　a　rich　Armenian；　who　for　some　reason　or　other　wouldn't　

allow　Lanner　to　go　in　and　take　the　eggs；　though　he　

offered　cash　down　for　the　permission。　　The　Armenian　was　

found　beaten　nearly　to　death　a　day　or　two　later；　and　his　

fences　levelled。　　It　was　assumed　to　be　a　case　of　

Mussulman　aggression；　and　noted　as　such　in　all　the　

Consular　reports；　but　the　eggs　are　in　the　Lanner　

collection。　　No；　I　don't　think　I　should　appeal　to　his　

better　feelings　if　I　were　you。〃



〃I　must　do　something；〃　said　Mrs。　Olston　tearfully；　

〃my　husband's　parting　words　when　he　went　off　to　Norway　

were　an　injunction　to　see　that　those　birds　were　not　

disturbed；　and　he's　asked　about　them　every　time　he's　

written。　　Do　suggest　something。〃



〃I　was　going　to　suggest　picketing；〃　said　Clovis。



〃Picketing！　　You　mean　setting　guards　round　the　

birds？〃



〃No；　round　Lanner。　　He　can't　find　his　way　through　

those　woods　by　night；　and　you　could　arrange　that　you　or　

Evelyn　or　Jack　or　the　German　governess　should　be　by　his　

side　in　relays　all　day　long。　　A　fellow　guest　he　could　get　

rid　of；　but　he　couldn't　very　well　shake　off　members　of　

the　household；　and　even　the　most　determined　collector　

would　hardly　go　climbing　after　forbidden　buzzards'　eggs　

with　a　German　governess　hanging　round　his　neck；　so　to　

speak。〃



Lanner；　who　had　been　lazily　watching　for　an　

opportunity　for　prosecuting　his　courtship　of　the　

Coulterneb　girl；　found　presently　that　his　chances　of　

getting　her　to　himself　for　ten　minutes　even　were　non…

existent。　　If　the　girl　was　ever　alone　he　never　was。　　His　

hostess　had　changed　suddenly；　as　far　as　he　was　concerned；　

from　the　desirable　type　that　lets　her　guests　do　nothing　

in　the　way　that　best　pleases　them；　to　the　sort　that　drags　

them　over　the　ground　like　so　many　harrows。　　She　showed　

him　the　herb　garden　and　the　greenhouses；　the　village　

church；　some　water…colour　sketches　that　her　sister　had　

done　in　Corsica；　and　the　place　where　it　was　hoped　that　

celery　would　grow　later　in　the　year。



He　was　shown　all　the　Aylesbury　ducklings　and　the　row　

of　wooden　hives　where　there　would　have　been　bees　if　there　

had　not　been　bee　disease。　　He　was　also　taken　to　the　end　

of　a　long　lane　and　shown　a　distant　mound　whereon　local　

tradition　reported　that　the　Danes　had　once　pitched　a　

camp。　　And　when　his　hostess　had　to　desert　him　temporarily　

for　other　duties　he　would　find　Evelyn　walking　solemnly　by　

his　side。　　Evelyn　was　fourteen　and　talked　chiefly　about　

good　and　evil；　and　of　how　much　one　might　accomplish　in　

the　way　of　regenerating　the　world　if　one　was　thoroughly　

determined　to　do　one's　utmost。　　It　was　generally　rather　a　

relief　when　she　was　displaced　by　Jack；　who　was　nine　years　

old；　and　talked　exclusively　about　the　Balkan　War　without　

throwing　any　fresh　light　on　its　political　or　military　

history。　　The　German　governess　told　Lanner　more　about　

Schiller　than　he　had　ever　heard　in　his　life　about　any　one　

person；　it　was　perhaps　his　own　fault　for　having　told　her　

that　he　was　not　interested　in　Goethe。　　When　the　governess　

went　off　picket　duty　the　hostess　was　again　on　hand　with　a　

not…to…be…gainsaid　invitation　to　visit　the　cottage　of　an　

old　woman　who　remembered　Charles　James　Fox；　the　woman　had　

been　dead　for　two　or　three　years；　but　the　cottage　was　

still　there。　　Lanner　was　called　back　to　town　earlier　than　

he　had　originally　intended。



Hugo　did　not　bring　off　his　affair　with　Betty　

Coulterneb。　　Whether　she　refused　him　or　whether；　as　was　

more　generally　supposed；　he　did　not　get　a　chance　of　

saying　three　consecutive　words；　has　never　been　exactly　

ascertained。　　Anyhow；　she　is　still　the　jolly　Coulterneb　

girl。



The　buzzards　successfully　reared　two　young　ones；　

which　were　shot　by　a　local　hairdresser。





THE　STAKE





〃RONNIE　is　a　great　trial　to　me；〃　said　Mrs。　Attray　

plaintively。　　〃Only　eighteen　years　old　last　February　and　

already　a　confirmed　gambler。　　I　am　sure　I　don't　know　

where　he　inherits　it　from；　his　father　never　touched　

cards；　and　you　know　how　little　I　play　…　a　game　of　bridge　

on　Wednesday　afternoons　in　the　winter；　for　three…pence　a　

hundred；　and　even　that　I　shouldn't　do　if　it　wasn't　that　

Edith　always　wants　a　fourth　and　would　be　certain　to　ask　

that　detestable　Jenkinham　woman　if　she　couldn't　get　me。　　

I　would　much　rather　sit　and　talk　any　day　than　play　

bridge；　cards　are　such　a　waste　of　time；　I　think。　　But　as　

to　Ronnie；　bridge　and　baccarat　and　poker…patience　are　

positively　all　that　he　thinks　about。　　Of　course　I've　done　

my　best　to　stop　it；　I've　asked　the　Norridrums　not　to　let　

him　play　cards　when　he's　over　there；　but　you　might　as　

well　ask　the　Atlantic　Ocean　to　keep　quiet　for　a　crossing