beasts and superbeasts-第32章

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subject　that　she　ever　willingly　talked　about　…　her　

offspring　and　their　varied　perfections　and　

accomplishments。　Clovis　was　not　in　what　could　be　called　a　

receptive　mood；　the　younger　generation　of　Eggelby；　

depicted　in　the　glowing　improbable　colours　of　parent　

impressionism；　aroused　in　him　no　enthusiasm。　　Mrs。　

Eggelby；　on　the　other　hand；　was　furnished　with　enthusiasm　

enough　for　two。



〃You　would　like　Eric；〃　she　said；　argumentatively　

rather　than　hopefully。　　Clovis　had　intimated　very　

unmistakably　that　he　was　unlikely　to　care　extravagantly　

for　either　Amy　or　Willie。　　〃Yes；　I　feel　sure　you　would　

like　Eric。　　Every　one　takes　to　him　at　once。　　You　know；　he　

always　reminds　me　of　that　famous　picture　of　the　youthful　

David　…　I　forget　who　it's　by；　but　it's　very　well　known。〃



〃That　would　be　sufficient　to　set　me　against　him；　if　

I　saw　much　of　him；〃　said　Clovis。　　〃Just　imagine　at　

auction　bridge；　for　instance；　when　one　was　trying　to　

concentrate　one's　mind　on　what　one's　partner's　original　

declaration　had　been；　and　to　remember　what　suits　one's　

opponents　had　originally　discarded；　what　it　would　be　like　

to　have　some　one　persistently　reminding　one　of　a　picture　

of　the　youthful　David。　　It　would　be　simply　maddening。　　If　

Eric　did　that　I　should　detest　him。〃



〃Eric　doesn't　play　bridge；〃　said　Mrs。　Eggelby　with　

dignity。



〃Doesn't　he？〃　asked　Clovis；　〃why　not？〃



〃None　of　my　children　have　been　brought　up　to　play　

card　games；〃　said　Mrs。　Eggelby；　〃draughts　and　halma　and　

those　sorts　of　games　I　encourage。　　Eric　is　considered　

quite　a　wonderful　draughts…player。〃



〃You　are　strewing　dreadful　risks　in　the　path　of　your　

family；〃　said　Clovis；　〃a　friend　of　mine　who　is　a　prison　

chaplain　told　me　that　among　the　worst　criminal　cases　that　

have　come　under　his　notice；　men　condemned　to　death　or　to　

long　periods　of　penal　servitude；　there　was　not　a　single　

bridge…player。　　On　the　other　hand；　he　knew　at　least　two　

expert　draughts…players　among　them。〃



〃I　really　don't　see　what　my　boys　have　got　to　do　with　

the　criminal　classes；〃　said　Mrs。　Eggelby　resentfully。　　

〃They　have　been　most　carefully　brought　up；　I　can　assure　

you　that。〃



〃That　shows　that　you　were　nervous　as　to　how　they　

would　turn　out；〃　said　Clovis。　　〃Now；　my　mother　never　

bothered　about　bringing　me　up。　　She　just　saw　to　it　that　I　

got　whacked　at　decent　intervals　and　was　taught　the　

difference　between　right　and　wrong；　there　is　some　

difference；　you　know；　but　I've　forgotten　what　it　is。〃



〃Forgotten　the　difference　between　right　and　wrong！〃　

exclaimed　Mrs。　Eggelby。



〃Well；　you　see；　I　took　up　natural　history　and　a　

whole　lot　of　other　subjects　at　the　same　time；　and　one　

can't　remember　everything；　can　one？　　I　used　to　know　the　

difference　between　the　Sardinian　dormouse　and　the　

ordinary　kind；　and　whether　the　wry…neck　arrives　at　our　

shores　earlier　than　the　cuckoo；　or　the　other　way　round；　

and　how　long　the　walrus　takes　in　growing　to　maturity；　I　

daresay　you　knew　all　those　sorts　of　things　once；　but　I　

bet　you've　forgotten　them。〃



〃Those　things　are　not　important；〃　said　Mrs。　Eggelby；　

〃but　…　〃



〃The　fact　that　we've　both　forgotten　them　proves　that　

they　are　important；〃　said　Clovis；　〃you　must　have　noticed　

that　it's　always　the　important　things　that　one　forgets；　

while　the　trivial；　unnecessary　facts　of　life　stick　in　

one's　memory。　　There's　my　cousin；　Editha　Clubberley；　for　

instance；　I　can　never　forget　that　her　birthday　is　on　the　

12th　of　October。　　It's　a　matter　of　utter　indifference　to　

me　on　what　date　her　birthday　falls；　or　whether　she　was　

born　at　all；　either　fact　seems　to　me　absolutely　trivial；　

or　unnecessary　…　I've　heaps　of　other　cousins　to　go　on　

with。　　On　the　other　hand；　when　I'm　staying　with　

Hildegarde　Shrubley　I　can　never　remember　the　important　

circumstance　whether　her　first　husband　got　his　unenviable　

reputation　on　the　Turf　or　the　Stock　Exchange；　and　that　

uncertainty　rules　Sport　and　Finance　out　of　the　

conversation　at　once。　　One　can　never　mention　travel；　

either；　because　her　second　husband　had　to　live　

permanently　abroad。〃



〃Mrs。　Shrubley　and　I　move　in　very　different　

circles；〃　said　Mrs。　Eggelby　stiffly。



〃No　one　who　knows　Hildegarde　could　possibly　accuse　

her　of　moving　in　a　circle；〃　said　Clovis；　〃her　view　of　

life　seems　to　be　a　non…stop　run　with　an　inexhaustible　

supply　of　petrol。　　If　she　can　get　some　one　else　to　pay　

for　the　petrol　so　much　the　better。　　I　don't　mind　

confessing　to　you　that　she　has　taught　me　more　than　any　

other　woman　I　can　think　of。〃



〃What　kind　of　knowledge？〃　demanded　Mrs。　Eggelby；　

with　the　air　a　jury　might　collectively　wear　when　finding　

a　verdict　without　leaving　the　box。



〃Well；　among　other　things；　she's　introduced　me　to　at　

least　four　different　ways　of　cooking　lobster；〃　said　

Clovis　gratefully。　　〃That；　of　course；　wouldn't　appeal　to　

you；　people　who　abstain　from　the　pleasures　of　the　card…

table　never　really　appreciate　the　finer　possibilities　of　

the　dining…table。　　I　suppose　their　powers　of　enlightened　

enjoyment　get　atrophied　from　disuse。〃



〃An　aunt　of　mine　was　very　ill　after　eating　a　

lobster；〃　said　Mrs。　Eggelby。



〃I　daresay；　if　we　knew　more　of　her　history；　we　

should　find　out　that　she'd　often　been　ill　before　eating　

the　lobster。　　Aren't　you　concealing　the　fact　that　she'd　

had　measles　and　influenza　and　nervous　headache　and　

hysteria；　and　other　things　that　aunts　do　have；　long　

before　she　ate　the　lobster？　　Aunts　that　have　never　known　

a　day's　illness　are　very　rare；　in　fact；　I　don't　

personally　know　of　any。　　Of　course　if　she　ate　it　as　a　

child　of　two　weeks　old　it　might　have　been　her　first　

illness　…　and　her　last。　　But　if　that　was　the　case　I　think　

you　should　have　said　so。〃



〃I　must　be　going；〃　said　Mrs。　Eggelby；　in　a　tone　

which　had　been　thoroughly　sterilised　of　even　perfunctory　

regret。



Clovis　rose　with　an　air　of　graceful　reluctance。



〃I　have　so　enjoyed　our　little　talk　about　Eric；〃　he　

said；　〃I　quite　look　forward　to　meeting　him　some　day。〃



〃Good…bye；〃　said　Mrs。　Eggelby　frostily；　the　

supplementary　remark　which　she　made　at　the　back　of　her　

throat　was　…



〃I'll　take　care　that　you　never　shall！〃





A　HOLIDAY　TASK





KENELM　JERTON　entered　the　dining…hall　of　the　Golden　

Galleon　Hotel　in　the　full　crush　of　the　luncheon　hour。　　

Nearly　every　seat　was　occupied；　and　small　additional　

tables　had　been　brought　in；　where　floor　space　permitted；　

to　accommodate　latecomers；　with　the　result　that　many　of　

the　tables　were　almost　touching　each　other。　　Jerton　was　

beckoned　by　a　waiter　to　the　only　vacant　table　that　was　

discernible；　and　took　his　seat　with　the　uncomfortable　and　

wholly　groundless　idea　that　nearly　every　one　in　the　room　

was　staring　at　him。　　He　was　a　youngish　man　of　ordinary　

appearance；　quiet　of　dress　and　unobtrusive　of　manner；　and　

he　could　never　wholly　rid　himself　of　the　idea　that　a　

fierce　light　of　public　scrutiny　beat　on　him　as　though　he　

had　been　a　notability　or　a　super…nut。　　After　he　had　

ordered　his　lunch　there　came　the　unavoidable　interval　of　

waiting；　with　nothing　to　do　but　to　stare　at　the　flower…

vase　on　his　table　and　to　be　stared　at　（in　imagination）　by　

several　flappers；　some　maturer　beings　of　the　same　sex；　

and　a　satirical…looking　Jew。　　In　order　to　carry　off　the　

situation　with　some　appearance　of　unconcern　he　became　

spuriously　interested　in　the　contents　of　the　flower…vase。



〃What　is　the　name　of　these　roses；　d'you　know？〃　he　

asked　the　waiter。　　The　waiter　was　ready　at　all　times　to　

conceal　his　ignorance　concerning　items　of　the　wine…list　

or　menu；　he　was　frankly　ignorant　as　to　the　specific　name　

of　the　roses。



〃AMY　SYLVESTER　PARTINGLON；〃　said　a　voice　at　Jerton's　

elbow。



The　voice　came　from　a　pleasant…faced；　well…dressed　

young　woman　who　was　sitting　at　a　table　that　almost　

touched　Jerton's。　　He　thanked　her　hurriedly　and　nervously　

for　the　information；　and　made　s