beasts and superbeasts-第34章

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out　just　now？　　She　is　the　Lady　…　〃



His　promenade　carried　him　out　of　earshot　at　the　

critical　moment　when　he　was　about　to　disclose　the　elusive　

identity。　　The　Lady　Who？　　Jerton　could　scarcely　run　after　

a　total　stranger；　break　into　his　conversation；　and　ask　

him　for　information　concerning　a　chance　passer…by。　　

Besides；　it　was　desirable　that　he　should　keep　up　the　

appearance　of　looking　after　the　luggage。　　In　a　minute　or　

two；　however；　the　important　personage；　the　man　who　knew；　

came　strolling　back　alone。　　Jerton　summoned　up　all　his　

courage　and　waylaid　him。



〃I　think　I　heard　you　say　you　knew　the　lady　who　went　

out　of　the　hotel　a　few　minutes　ago；　a　tall　lady；　dressed　

in　grey。　　Excuse　me　for　asking　if　you　could　tell　me　her　

name；　I've　been　talking　to　her　for　half　an　hour；　she　…　er　

…　she　knows　all　my　people　and　seems　to　know　me；　so　I　

suppose　I've　met　her　somewhere　before；　but　I'm　blest　if　I　

can　put　a　name　to　her。　　Could　you　…　？〃



〃Certainly。　　She's　a　Mrs。　Stroope。〃



〃MRS。？〃　queried　Jerton。



〃Yes；　she's　the　Lady　Champion　at　golf　in　my　part　of　

the　world。　　An　awful　good　sort；　and　goes　about　a　good　

deal　in　Society；　but　she　has　an　awkward　habit　of　losing　

her　memory　every　now　and　then；　and　gets　into　all　sorts　of　

fixes。　　She's　furious；　too；　if　you　make　any　allusion　to　

it　afterwards。　　Good　day；　sir。〃



The　stranger　passed　on　his　way；　and　before　Jerton　

had　had　time　to　assimilate　his　information　he　found　his　

whole　attention　centred　on　an　angry…looking　lady　who　was　

making　loud　and　fretful…seeming　inquiries　of　the　hotel　

clerks。



〃Has　any　luggage　been　brought　here　from　the　station　

by　mistake；　a　dress…basket　and　dressing…case；　with　the　

name　Kestrel…Smith？　　It　can't　be　traced　anywhere。　　I　saw　

it　put　in　at　Victoria；　that　I'll　swear。　　Why　…　there　is　

my　luggage！　and　the　locks　have　been　tampered　with！〃



Jerton　heard　no　more。　　He　fled　down　to　the　Turkish　

bath；　and　stayed　there　for　hours。





THE　STALLED　OX





THEOPHIL　ESHLEY　was　an　artist　by　profession；　a　

cattle　painter　by　force　of　environment。　　It　is　not　to　be　

supposed　that　he　lived　on　a　ranche　or　a　dairy　farm；　in　an　

atmosphere　pervaded　with　horn　and　hoof；　milking…stool；　

and　branding…iron。　　His　home　was　in　a　park…like；　villa…

dotted　district　that　only　just　escaped　the　reproach　of　

being　suburban。　　On　one　side　of　his　garden　there　abutted　

a　small；　picturesque　meadow；　in　which　an　enterprising　

neighbour　pastured　some　small　picturesque　cows　of　the　

Channel　Island　persuasion。　　At　noonday　in　summertime　the　

cows　stood　knee…deep　in　tall　meadow…grass　under　the　shade　

of　a　group　of　walnut　trees；　with　the　sunlight　falling　in　

dappled　patches　on　their　mouse…sleek　coats。　　Eshley　had　

conceived　and　executed　a　dainty　picture　of　two　reposeful　

milch…cows　in　a　setting　of　walnut　tree　and　meadow…grass　

and　filtered　sunbeam；　and　the　Royal　Academy　had　duly　

exposed　the　same　on　the　walls　of　its　Summer　Exhibition。　　

The　Royal　Academy　encourages　orderly；　methodical　habits　

in　its　children。　　Eshley　had　painted　a　successful　and　

acceptable　picture　of　cattle　drowsing　picturesquely　under　

walnut　trees；　and　as　he　had　begun；　so；　of　necessity；　he　

went　on。　　His　〃Noontide　Peace；〃　a　study　of　two　dun　cows　

under　a　walnut　tree；　was　followed　by　〃A　Mid…day　

Sanctuary；〃　a　study　of　a　walnut　tree；　with　two　dun　cows　

under　it。　　In　due　succession　there　came　〃Where　the　Gad…

Flies　Cease　from　Troubling；〃　〃The　Haven　of　the　Herd；〃　and　

〃A…dream　in　Dairyland；〃　studies　of　walnut　trees　and　dun　

cows。　　His　two　attempts　to　break　away　from　his　own　

tradition　were　signal　failures：　〃Turtle　Doves　alarmed　by　

Sparrow…hawk〃　and　〃Wolves　on　the　Roman　Campagna〃　came　

back　to　his　studio　in　the　guise　of　abominable　heresies；　

and　Eshley　climbed　back　into　grace　and　the　public　gaze　

with　〃A　Shaded　Nook　where　Drowsy　Milkers　Dream。〃



On　a　fine　afternoon　in　late　autumn　he　was　putting　

some　finishing　touches　to　a　study　of　meadow　weeds　when　

his　neighbour；　Adela　Pingsford；　assailed　the　outer　door　

of　his　studio　with　loud　peremptory　knockings。



〃There　is　an　ox　in　my　garden；〃　she　announced；　in　

explanation　of　the　tempestuous　intrusion。



〃An　ox；〃　said　Eshley　blankly；　and　rather　fatuously；　

〃what　kind　of　ox？〃



〃Oh；　I　don't　know　what　kind；〃　snapped　the　lady。　　〃A　

common　or　garden　ox；　to　use　the　slang　expression。　　It　is　

the　garden　part　of　it　that　I　object　to。　　My　garden　has　

just　been　put　straight　for　the　winter；　and　an　ox　roaming　

about　in　it　won't　improve　matters。　　Besides；　there　are　

the　chrysanthemums　just　coming　into　flower。〃



〃How　did　it　get　into　the　garden？〃　asked　Eshley。



〃I　imagine　it　came　in　by　the　gate；〃　said　the　lady　

impatiently；　〃it　couldn't　have　climbed　the　walls；　and　I　

don't　suppose　anyone　dropped　it　from　an　aeroplane　as　a　

Bovril　advertisement。　　The　immediately　important　question　

is　not　how　it　got　in；　but　how　to　get　it　out。〃



〃Won't　it　go？〃　said　Eshley。



〃If　it　was　anxious　to　go；〃　said　Adela　Pingsford　

rather　angrily；　〃I　should　not　have　come　here　to　chat　with　

you　about　it。　　I'm　practically　all　alone；　the　housemaid　

is　having　her　afternoon　out　and　the　cook　is　lying　down　

with　an　attack　of　neuralgia。　　Anything　that　I　may　have　

learned　at　school　or　in　after　life　about　how　to　remove　a　

large　ox　from　a　small　garden　seems　to　have　escaped　from　

my　memory　now。　　All　I　could　think　of　was　that　you　were　a　

near　neighbour　and　a　cattle　painter；　presumably　more　or　

less　familiar　with　the　subjects　that　you　painted；　and　

that　you　might　be　of　some　slight　assistance。　　Possibly　I　

was　mistaken。〃



〃I　paint　dairy　cows；　certainly；〃　admitted　Eshley；　

〃but　I　cannot　claim　to　have　had　any　experience　in　

rounding…up　stray　oxen。　　I've　seen　it　done　on　a　cinema　

film；　of　course；　but　there　were　always　horses　and　lots　of　

other　accessories；　besides；　one　never　knows　how　much　of　

those　pictures　are　faked。〃



Adela　Pingsford　said　nothing；　but　led　the　way　to　her　

garden。　　It　was　normally　a　fair…sized　garden；　but　it　

looked　small　in　comparison　with　the　ox；　a　huge　mottled　

brute；　dull　red　about　the　head　and　shoulders；　passing　to　

dirty　white　on　the　flanks　and　hind…quarters；　with　shaggy　

ears　and　large　blood…shot　eyes。　　It　bore　about　as　much　

resemblance　to　the　dainty　paddock　heifers　that　Eshley　was　

accustomed　to　paint　as　the　chief　of　a　Kurdish　nomad　clan　

would　to　a　Japanese　tea…shop　girl。　　Eshley　stood　very　

near　the　gate　while　he　studied　the　animal's　appearance　

and　demeanour。　　Adela　Pingsford　continued　to　say　nothing。



〃It's　eating　a　chrysanthemum；〃　said　Eshley　at　last；　

when　the　silence　had　become　unbearable。



〃How　observant　you　are；〃　said　Adela　bitterly。　　〃You　

seem　to　notice　everything。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　it　has　

got　six　chrysanthemums　in　its　mouth　at　the　present　

moment。〃



The　necessity　for　doing　something　was　becoming　

imperative。　　Eshley　took　a　step　or　two　in　the　direction　

of　the　animal；　clapped　his　hands；　and　made　noises　of　the　

〃Hish〃　and　〃Shoo〃　variety。　　If　the　ox　heard　them　it　gave　

no　outward　indication　of　the　fact。



〃If　any　hens　should　ever　stray　into　my　garden；〃　said　

Adela；　〃I　should　certainly　send　for　you　to　frighten　them　

out。　　You　'shoo'　beautifully。　　Meanwhile；　do　you　mind　

trying　to　drive　that　ox　away？　　That　is　a　MADEMOISELLE　

LOUISE　BICHOT　that　he's　begun　on　now；〃　she　added　in　icy　

calm；　as　a　glowing　orange　head　was　crushed　into　the　huge　

munching　mouth。



〃Since　you　have　been　so　frank　about　the　variety　of　

the　chrysanthemum；〃　said　Eshley；　〃I　don't　mind　telling　

you　that　this　is　an　Ayrshire　ox。〃



The　icy　calm　broke　down；　Adela　Pingsford　used　

language　that　sent　the　artist　instinctively　a　few　feet　

nearer　to　the　ox。　　He　picked　up　a　pea…stick　and　flung　it　

with　some　determination　against　the　animal's　mottled　

flanks。　　The　operation　of　mashing　MADEMOISELLE　LOUISE　

BICHOT　into　a　petal　salad　was　suspended　for　a　long　

moment；　while　the　ox