beasts and superbeasts-第37章

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small　girls；　〃but　it　had　a　beautiful　ending。〃



〃It　is　the　most　beautiful　story　that　I　ever　heard；〃　

said　the　bigger　of　the　small　girls；　with　immense　

decision。



〃It　is　the　ONLY　beautiful　story　I　have　ever　heard；〃　

said　Cyril。



A　dissentient　opinion　came　from　the　aunt。



〃A　most　improper　story　to　tell　to　young　children！　　

You　have　undermined　the　effect　of　years　of　careful　

teaching。〃



〃At　any　rate；〃　said　the　bachelor；　collecting　his　

belongings　preparatory　to　leaving　the　carriage；　〃I　kept　

them　quiet　for　ten　minutes；　which　was　more　than　you　were　

able　to　do。〃



〃Unhappy　woman！〃　he　observed　to　himself　as　he　walked　

down　the　platform　of　Templecombe　station；　〃for　the　next　

six　months　or　so　those　children　will　assail　her　in　public　

with　demands　for　an　improper　story！〃





A　DEFENSIVE　DIAMOND





TREDDLEFORD　sat　in　an　easeful　arm…chair　in　front　of　

a　slumberous　fire；　with　a　volume　of　verse　in　his　hand　and　

the　comfortable　consciousness　that　outside　the　club　

windows　the　rain　was　dripping　and　pattering　with　

persistent　purpose。　　A　chill；　wet　October　afternoon　was　

merging　into　a　bleak；　wet　October　evening；　and　the　club　

smoking…room　seemed　warmer　and　cosier　by　contrast。　　It　

was　an　afternoon　on　which　to　be　wafted　away　from　one's　

climatic　surroundings；　and　〃The　Golden　journey　to　

Samarkand〃　promised　to　bear　Treddleford　well　and　bravely　

into　other　lands　and　under　other　skies。　　He　had　already　

migrated　from　London　the　rain…swept　to　Bagdad　the　

Beautiful；　and　stood　by　the　Sun　Gate　〃in　the　olden　time〃　

when　an　icy　breath　of　imminent　annoyance　seemed　to　creep　

between　the　book　and　himself。　　Amblecope；　the　man　with　

the　restless；　prominent　eyes　and　the　mouth　ready　

mobilised　for　conversational　openings；　had　planted　

himself　in　a　neighbouring　arm…chair。　　For　a　twelvemonth　

and　some　odd　weeks　Treddleford　had　skilfully　avoided　

making　the　acquaintance　of　his　voluble　fellow…clubman；　he　

had　marvellously　escaped　from　the　infliction　of　his　

relentless　record　of　tedious　personal　achievements；　or　

alleged　achievements；　on　golf　links；　turf；　and　gaming　

table；　by　flood　and　field　and　covert…side。　　Now　his　

season　of　immunity　was　coming　to　an　end。　　There　was　no　

escape；　in　another　moment　he　would　be　numbered　among　

those　who　knew　Amblecope　to　speak　to　…　or　rather；　to　

suffer　being　spoken　to。



The　intruder　was　armed　with　a　copy　of　COUNTRY　LIFE；　

not　for　purposes　of　reading；　but　as　an　aid　to　

conversational　ice…breaking。



〃Rather　a　good　portrait　of　Throstlewing；〃　he　

remarked　explosively；　turning　his　large　challenging　eyes　

on　Treddleford；　〃somehow　it　reminds　me　very　much　of　

Yellowstep；　who　was　supposed　to　be　such　a　good　thing　for　

the　Grand　Prix　in　1903。　　Curious　race　that　was；　I　suppose　

I've　seen　every　race　for　the　Grand　Prix　for　the　last　…　〃



〃Be　kind　enough　never　to　mention　the　Grand　Prix　in　

my　hearing；〃　said　Treddleford　desperately；　〃it　awakens　

acutely　distressing　memories。　　I　can't　explain　why　

without　going　into　a　long　and　complicated　story。〃



〃Oh；　　certainly；　certainly；〃　said　Amblecope　hastily；　

long　and　complicated　stories　that　were　not　told　by　

himself　were　abominable　in　his　eyes。　　He　turned　the　pages　

of　COUNTRY　LIFE　and　became　spuriously　interested　in　the　

picture　of　a　Mongolian　pheasant。



〃Not　a　bad　representation　of　the　Mongolian　variety；〃　

he　exclaimed；　holding　it　up　for　his　neighbour's　

inspection。　　〃They　do　very　well　in　some　covers。　　Take　

some　stopping　too；　once　they're　fairly　on　the　wing。　　I　

suppose　the　biggest　bag　I　ever　made　in　two　successive　

days　…　〃



〃My　aunt；　who　owns　the　greater　part　of　

Lincolnshire；〃　broke　in　Treddleford；　with　dramatic　

abruptness；　〃possesses　perhaps　the　most　remarkable　record　

in　the　way　of　a　pheasant　bag　that　has　ever　been　achieved。　　

She　is　seventy…five　and　can't　hit　a　thing；　but　she　always　

goes　out　with　the　guns。　　When　I　say　she　can't　hit　a　

thing；　I　don't　mean　to　say　that　she　doesn't　occasionally　

endanger　the　lives　of　her　fellow…guns；　because　that　

wouldn't　be　true。　　In　fact；　the　chief　Government　Whip　

won't　allow　Ministerial　M。P。's　to　go　out　with　her；　'We　

don't　want　to　incur　by…elections　needlessly；'　he　quite　

reasonably　observed。　　Well；　the　other　day　she　winged　a　

pheasant；　and　brought　it　to　earth　with　a　feather　or　two　

knocked　out　of　it；　it　was　a　runner；　and　my　aunt　saw　

herself　in　danger　of　being　done　out　of　about　the　only　

bird　she'd　hit　during　the　present　reign。　　Of　course　she　

wasn't　going　to　stand　that；　she　followed　it　through　

bracken　and　brushwood；　and　when　it　took　to　the　open　

country　and　started　across　a　ploughed　field　she　jumped　on　

to　the　shooting　pony　and　went　after　it。　　The　chase　was　a　

long　one；　and　when　my　aunt　at　last　ran　the　bird　to　a　

standstill　she　was　nearer　home　than　she　was　to　the　

shooting　party；　she　had　left　that　some　five　miles　behind　

her。〃



〃Rather　a　long　run　for　a　wounded　pheasant；〃　snapped　

Amblecope。



〃The　story　rests　on　my　aunt's　authority；〃　said　

Treddleford　coldly；　〃and　she　is　local　vice…president　of　

the　Young　Women's　Christian　Association。　　She　trotted　

three　miles　or　so　to　her　home；　and　it　was　not　till　the　

middle　of　the　afternoon　that　it　was　discovered　that　the　

lunch　for　the　entire　shooting　party　was　in　a　pannier　

attached　to　the　pony's　saddle。　　Anyway；　she　got　her　

bird。〃



〃Some　birds；　of　course；　take　a　lot　of　killing；〃　said　

Amblecope；　〃so　do　some　fish。　　I　remember　once　I　was　

fishing　in　the　Exe；　lovely　trout　stream；　lots　of　fish；　

though　they　don't　run　to　any　great　size　…　〃



〃One　of　them　did；〃　announced　Treddleford；　with　

emphasis。　　〃My　uncle；　the　Bishop　of　Southmolton；　came　

across　a　giant　trout　in　a　pool　just　off　the　main　stream　

of　the　Exe　near　Ugworthy；　he　tried　it　with　every　kind　of　

fly　and　worm　every　day　for　three　weeks　without　an　atom　of　

success；　and　then　Fate　intervened　on　his　behalf。　　There　

was　a　low　stone　bridge　just　over　this　pool；　and　on　the　

last　day　of　his　fishing　holiday　a　motor　van　ran　violently　

into　the　parapet　and　turned　completely　over；　no　one　was　

hurt；　but　part　of　the　parapet　was　knocked　away；　and　the　

entire　load　that　the　van　was　carrying　was　pitched　over　

and　fell　a　little　way　into　the　pool。　　In　a　couple　of　

minutes　the　giant　trout　was　flapping　and　twisting　on　bare　

mud　at　the　bottom　of　a　waterless　pool；　and　my　uncle　was　

able　to　walk　down　to　him　and　fold　him　to　his　breast。　　The　

van…load　consisted　of　blotting…paper；　and　every　drop　of　

water　in　that　pool　had　been　sucked　up　into　the　mass　of　

spilt　cargo。〃



There　was　silence　for　nearly　half　a　minute　in　the　

smoking…room；　and　Treddleford　began　to　let　his　mind　steal　

back　towards　the　golden　road　that　led　to　Samarkand。　　

Amblecope；　however；　rallied；　and　remarked　in　a　rather　

tired　and　dispirited　voice：



〃Talking　of　motor　accidents；　the　narrowest　squeak　I　

ever　had　was　the　other　day；　motoring　with　old　Tommy　Yarby　

in　North　Wales。　　Awfully　good　sort；　old　Yarby；　thorough　

good　sportsman；　and　the　best　…　〃



〃It　was　in　North　Wales；〃　said　Treddleford；　〃that　my　

sister　met　with　her　sensational　carriage　accident　last　

year。　　She　was　on　her　way　to　a　garden…party　at　Lady　

Nineveh's；　about　the　only　garden…party　that　ever　comes　to　

pass　in　those　parts　in　the　course　of　the　year；　and　

therefore　a　thing　that　she　would　have　been　very　sorry　to　

miss。　　She　was　driving　a　young　horse　that　she'd　only　

bought　a　week　or　two　previously；　warranted　to　be　

perfectly　steady　with　motor　traffic；　bicycles；　and　other　

common　objects　of　the　roadside。　　The　animal　lived　up　to　

its　reputation；　and　passed　the　most　explosive　of　motor…

bikes　with　an　indifference　that　almost　amounted　to　

apathy。　　However；　I　suppose　we　all　draw　the　line　

somewhere；　and　this　particular　cob　drew　it　at　travelling　

wild　beast　shows。　　Of　course　my　sister　didn't　know　that；　

but　she　knew　it　very　distinctly　when　she　turned　a　sharp　

corner　and