beasts and superbeasts-第31章

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

well　ask　the　Atlantic　Ocean　to　keep　quiet　for　a　crossing　

as　expect　them　to　bother　about　a　mother's　natural　

anxieties。〃



〃Why　do　you　let　him　go　there？〃　asked　Eleanor　

Saxelby。



〃My　dear；〃　said　Mrs。　Attray；　〃I　don't　want　to　offend　

them。　After　all；　they　are　my　landlords　and　I　have　to　look　

to　them　for　anything　I　want　done　about　the　place；　they　

were　very　accommodating　about　the　new　roof　for　the　orchid　

house。　　And　they　lend　me　one　of　their　cars　when　mine　is　

out　of　order；　you　know　how　often　it　gets　out　of　order。〃



〃I　don't　know　how　often；〃　said　Eleanor；　〃but　it　must　

happen　very　frequently。　　Whenever　I　want　you　to　take　me　

anywhere　in　your　car　I　am　always　told　that　there　is　

something　wrong　with　it；　or　else　that　the　chauffeur　has　

got　neuralgia　and　you　don't　like　to　ask　him　to　go　out。〃



〃He　suffers　quite　a　lot　from　neuralgia；〃　said　Mrs。　

Attray　hastily。　　〃Anyhow；〃　she　continued；　〃you　can　

understand　that　I　don't　want　to　offend　the　Norridrums。　　

Their　household　is　the　most　rackety　one　in　the　county；　

and　I　believe　no　one　ever　knows　to　an　hour　or　two　when　

any　particular　meal　will　appear　on　the　table　or　what　it　

will　consist　of　when　it　does　appear。〃



Eleanor　Saxelby　shuddered。　　She　liked　her　meals　to　

be　of　regular　occurrence　and　assured　proportions。



〃Still；〃　pursued　Mrs。　Attray；　〃whatever　their　own　

home　life　may　be；　as　landlords　and　neighbours　they　are　

considerate　and　obliging；　so　I　don't　want　to　quarrel　with　

them。　　Besides；　if　Ronnie　didn't　play　cards　there　he'd　be　

playing　somewhere　else。〃



〃Not　if　you　were　firm　with　him；〃　said　Eleanor　〃I　

believe　in　being　firm。〃



〃Firm？　　I　am　firm；〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Attray；　〃I　am　

more　than　firm　…　I　am　farseeing。　　I've　done　everything　I　

can　think　of　to　prevent　Ronnie　from　playing　for　money。　　

I've　stopped　his　allowance　for　the　rest　of　the　year；　so　

he　can't　even　gamble　on　credit；　and　I've　subscribed　a　

lump　sum　to　the　church　offertory　in　his　name　instead　of　

giving　him　instalments　of　small　silver　to　put　in　the　bag　

on　Sundays。　　I　wouldn't　even　let　him　have　the　money　to　

tip　the　hunt　servants　with；　but　sent　it　by　postal　order。　　

He　was　furiously　sulky　about　it；　but　I　reminded　him　of　

what　happened　to　the　ten　shillings　that　I　gave　him　for　

the　Young　Men's　Endeavour　League　'Self…Denial　Week。'　〃



〃What　did　happen　to　it？〃　asked　Eleanor。



〃Well；　Ronnie　did　some　preliminary　endeavouring　with　

it；　on　his　own　account；　in　connection　with　the　Grand　

National。　　If　it　had　come　off；　as　he　expressed　it；　he　

would　have　given　the　League　twenty…five　shillings　and　

netted　a　comfortable　commission　for　himself；　as　it　was；　

that　ten　shillings　was　one　of　the　things　the　League　had　

to　deny　itself。　　Since　then　I've　been　careful　not　to　let　

him　have　a　penny　piece　in　his　hands。〃



〃He'll　get　round　that　in　some　way；〃　said　Eleanor　

with　quiet　conviction；　〃he'll　sell　things。〃



〃My　dear；　he's　done　all　that　is　to　be　done　in　that　

direction　already。　　He's　got　rid　of　his　wrist…watch　and　

his　hunting　flask　and　both　his　cigarette　cases；　and　I　

shouldn't　be　surprised　if　he's　wearing　imitation…gold　

sleeve　links　instead　of　those　his　Aunt　Rhoda　gave　him　on　

his　seventeenth　birthday。　　He　can't　sell　his　clothes；　of　

course；　except　his　winter　overcoat；　and　I've　locked　that　

up　in　the　camphor　cupboard　on　the　pretext　of　preserving　

it　from　moth。　　I　really　don't　see　what　else　he　can　raise　

money　on。　　I　consider　that　I've　been　both　firm　and　far…

seeing。〃



〃Has　he　been　at　the　Norridrums　lately？〃　asked　

Eleanor。



〃He　was　there　yesterday　afternoon　and　stayed　to　

dinner；〃　said　Mrs。　Attray。　　〃I　don't　quite　know　when　he　

came　home；　but　I　fancy　it　was　late。〃



〃Then　depend　on　it　he　was　gambling；〃　said　Eleanor；　

with　the　assured　air　of　one　who　has　few　ideas　and　makes　

the　most　of　them。　　〃　Late　hours　in　the　country　always　

mean　gambling。〃



〃He　can't　gamble　if　he　has　no　money　and　no　chance　of　

getting　any；〃　argued　Mrs。　Attray；　〃even　if　one　plays　for　

small　stakes　one　must　have　a　decent　prospect　of　paying　

one's　losses。〃



〃He　may　have　sold　some　of　the　Amherst　pheasant　

chicks；〃　suggested　Eleanor；　〃they　would　fetch　about　ten　

or　twelve　shillings　each；　I　daresay。〃



〃Ronnie　wouldn't　do　such　a　thing；〃　said　Mrs。　Attray；　

〃and　anyhow　I　went　and　counted　them　this　morning　and　

they're　all　there。　　No；〃　she　continued；　with　the　quiet　

satisfaction　that　comes　from　a　sense　of　painstaking　and　

merited　achievement；　〃I　fancy　that　Ronnie　had　to　content　

himself　with　the　role　of　onlooker　last　night；　as　far　as　

the　card…table　was　concerned。〃



〃Is　that　clock　right？〃　asked　Eleanor；　whose　eyes　had　

been　straying　restlessly　towards　the　mantel…piece　for　

some　little　time；　〃lunch　is　usually　so　punctual　in　your　

establishment。〃



〃Three　minutes　past　the　half…hour；〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　

Attray；　〃cook　must　be　preparing　something　unusually　

sumptuous　in　your　honour。　　I　am　not　in　the　secret；　I've　

been　out　all　the　morning；　you　know。〃



Eleanor　smiled　forgivingly。　　A　special　effort　by　

Mrs。　Attray's　cook　was　worth　waiting　a　few　minutes　for。



As　a　matter　of　fact；　the　luncheon　fare；　when　it　made　

its　tardy　appearance；　was　distinctly　unworthy　of　the　

reputation　which　the　justly…treasured　cook　had　built　up　

for　herself。　　The　soup　alone　would　have　sufficed　to　cast　

a　gloom　over　any　meal　that　it　had　inaugurated；　and　it　was　

not　redeemed　by　anything　that　followed。　　Eleanor　said　

little；　but　when　she　spoke　there　was　a　hint　of　tears　in　

her　voice　that　was　far　more　eloquent　than　outspoken　

denunciation　would　have　been；　and　even　the　insouciant　

Ronald　showed　traces　of　depression　when　he　tasted　the　

rognons　Saltikoff。



〃Not　quite　the　best　luncheon　I've　enjoyed　in　your　

house；〃　said　Eleanor　at　last；　when　her　final　hope　had　

flickered　out　with　the　savoury。



〃My　dear；　it's　the　worst　meal　I've　sat　down　to　for　

years；〃　said　her　hostess；　〃that　last　dish　tasted　

principally　of　red　pepper　and　wet　toast。　　I'm　awfully　

sorry。　　Is　anything　the　matter　in　the　kitchen；　Pellin？〃　

she　asked　of　the　attendant　maid。



〃Well；　ma'am；　the　new　cook　hadn't　hardly　time　to　see　

to　things　properly；　coming　in　so　sudden　…　〃　commenced　

Pellin　by　way　of　explanation。



〃The　new　cook！〃　screamed　Mrs。　Attray。



〃Colonel　Norridrum's　cook；　ma'am；〃　said　Pellin。



〃What　on　earth　do　you　mean？　　What　is　Colonel　

Norridrum's　cook　doing　in　my　kitchen　…　and　where　is　my　

cook？〃



〃Perhaps　I　can　explain　better　than　Pellin　can；〃　said　

Ronald　hurriedly；　〃the　fact　is；　I　was　dining　at　the　

Norridrums'　yesterday；　and　they　were　wishing　they　had　a　

swell　cook　like　yours；　just　for　to…day　and　to…morrow；　

while　they've　got　some　gourmet　staying　with　them：　their　

own　cook　is　no　earthly　good　…　well；　you've　seen　what　she　

turns　out　when　she's　at　all　flurried。　　So　I　thought　it　

would　be　rather　sporting　to　play　them　at　baccarat　for　the　

loan　of　our　cook　against　a　money　stake；　and　I　lost；　

that's　all。　　I　have　had　rotten　luck　at　baccarat　all　this　

year。〃



The　remainder　of　his　explanation；　of　how　he　had　

assured　the　cooks　that　the　temporary　transfer　had　his　

mother's　sanction；　and　had　smuggled　the　one　out　and　the　

other　in　during　the　maternal　absence；　was　drowned　in　the　

outcry　of　scandalised　upbraiding。



〃If　I　had　sold　the　woman　into　slavery　there　couldn't　

have　been　a　bigger　fuss　about　it；〃　he　confided　afterwards　

to　Bertie　Norridrum；　〃and　Eleanor　Saxelby　raged　and　

ramped　the　louder　of　the　two。　　I　tell　you　what；　I'll　bet　

you　two　of　the　Amherst　pheasants　to　five　shillings　that　

she　refuses　to　have　me　as　a　partner　at　the　croquet　

tournament。　　We're　drawn　together；　you　know。〃



This　time　he　won　his　bet。





CLOVIS　ON　PARENTAL　RESPONSIBILITIES





MARION　EGGELBY　sat　talking　to　Clovis　on　the　only　

subject　that　she　ever　willingly　talked　about　…　her　

offspring　and　t