beasts and superbeasts-第38章

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

but　she　knew　it　very　distinctly　when　she　turned　a　sharp　

corner　and　found　herself　in　a　mixed　company　of　camels；　

piebald　horses；　and　canary…coloured　vans。　　The　dogcart　

was　overturned　in　a　ditch　and　kicked　to　splinters；　and　

the　cob　went　home　across　country。　　Neither　my　sister　nor　

the　groom　was　hurt；　but　the　problem　of　how　to　get　to　the　

Nineveh　garden…party；　some　three　miles　distant；　seemed　

rather　difficult　to　solve；　once　there；　of　course；　my　

sister　would　easily　find　some　one　to　drive　her　home。　　'I　

suppose　you　wouldn't　care　for　the　loan　of　a　couple　of　my　

camels？'　the　showman　suggested；　in　humorous　sympathy。　　'　

I　would；'　said　my　sister；　who　had　ridden　camel…back　in　

Egypt；　and　she　overruled　the　objections　of　the　groom；　who　

hadn't。　　She　picked　out　two　of　the　most　presentable…

looking　of　the　beasts　and　had　them　dusted　and　made　as　

tidy　as　was　possible　at　short　notice；　and　set　out　for　the　

Nineveh　mansion。　　You　may　imagine　the　sensation　that　her　

small　but　imposing　caravan　created　when　she　arrived　at　

the　hall　door。　　The　entire　garden…party　flocked　up　to　

gape。　　My　sister　was　rather　glad　to　slip　down　from　her　

camel；　and　the　groom　was　thankful　to　scramble　down　from　

his。　　Then　young　Billy　Doulton；　of　the　Dragoon　Guards；　

who　has　been　a　lot　at　Aden　and　thinks　he　knows　camel…

language　backwards；　thought　he　would　show　off　by　making　

the　beasts　kneel　down　in　orthodox　fashion。　　Unfortunately　

camel　words…of…command　are　not　the　same　all　the　world　

over；　these　were　magnificent　Turkestan　camels；　accustomed　

to　stride　up　the　stony　terraces　of　mountain　passes；　and　

when　Doulton　shouted　at　them　they　went　side　by　side　up　

the　front　steps；　into　the　entrance　hall；　and　up　the　grand　

staircase。　　The　German　governess　met　them　just　at　the　

turn　of　the　corridor。　　The　Ninevehs　nursed　her　with　

devoted　attention　for　weeks；　and　when　I　last　heard　from　

them　she　was　well　enough　to　go　about　her　duties　again；　

but　the　doctor　says　she　will　always　suffer　from　Hagenbeck　

heart。〃



Amblecope　got　up　from　his　chair　and　moved　to　another　

part　of　the　room。　　Treddleford　reopened　his　book　and　

betook　himself　once　more　across





The　dragon…green；　the　luminous；　the　dark；　the　

serpent…haunted　sea。





For　a　blessed　half…hour　he　disported　himself　in　

imagination　by　the　〃gay　Aleppo…Gate；〃　and　listened　to　the　

bird…voiced　singing…man。　　Then　the　world　of　to…day　called　

him　back；　a　page　summoned　him　to　speak　with　a　friend　on　

the　telephone。



As　Treddleford　was　about　to　pass　out　of　the　room　he　

encountered　Amblecope；　also　passing　out；　on　his　way　to　

the　billiard…room；　where；　perchance；　some　luckless　wight　

might　be　secured　and　held　fast　to　listen　to　the　number　of　

his　attendances　at　the　Grand　Prix；　with　subsequent　

remarks　on　Newmarket　and　the　Cambridgeshire。　　Amblecope　

made　as　if　to　pass　out　first；　but　a　new…born　pride　was　

surging　in　Treddleford's　breast　and　he　waved　him　back。



〃I　believe　I　take　precedence；〃　he　said　coldly；　〃you　

are　merely　the　club　Bore；　I　am　the　club　Liar。〃





THE　ELK





TERESA；　Mrs。　Thropplestance；　was　the　richest　and　

most　intractable　old　woman　in　the　county　of　Woldshire。　　

In　her　dealings　with　the　world　in　general　her　manner　

suggested　a　blend　between　a　Mistress　of　the　Robes　and　a　

Master　of　Foxhounds；　with　the　vocabulary　of　both。　　In　her　

domestic　circle　she　comported　herself　in　the　arbitrary　

style　that　one　attributes；　probably　without　the　least　

justification；　to　an　American　political　Boss　in　the　bosom　

of　his　caucus。　　The　late　Theodore　Thropplestance　had　left　

her；　some　thirty…five　years　ago；　in　absolute　possession　

of　a　considerable　fortune；　a　large　landed　property；　and　a　

gallery　full　of　valuable　pictures。　　In　those　intervening　

years　she　had　outlived　her　son　and　quarrelled　with　her　

elder　grandson；　who　had　married　without　her　consent　or　

approval。　　Bertie　Thropplestance；　her　younger　grandson；　

was　the　heir…designate　to　her　property；　and　as　such　he　

was　a　centre　of　interest　and　concern　to　some　half…hundred　

ambitious　mothers　with　daughters　of　marriageable　age。　　

Bertie　was　an　amiable；　easy…going　young　man；　who　was　

quite　ready　to　marry　anyone　who　was　favourably　

recommended　to　his　notice；　but　he　was　not　going　to　waste　

his　time　in　falling　in　love　with　anyone　who　would　come　

under　his　grandmother's　veto。　　The　favourable　

recommendation　would　have　to　come　from　Mrs。　

Thropplestance。



Teresa's　house…parties　were　always　rounded　off　with　

a　plentiful　garnishing　of　presentable　young　women　and　

alert；　attendant　mothers；　but　the　old　lady　was　

emphatically　discouraging　whenever　any　one　of　her　girl　

guests　became　at　all　likely　to　outbid　the　others　as　a　

possible　granddaughter…in…law。　　It　was　the　inheritance　of　

her　fortune　and　estate　that　was　in　question；　and　she　was　

evidently　disposed　to　exercise　and　enjoy　her　powers　of　

selection　and　rejection　to　the　utmost。　　Bertie's　

preferences　did　not　greatly　matter；　he　was　of　the　sort　

who　can　be　stolidly　happy　with　any　kind　of　wife；　he　had　

cheerfully　put　up　with　his　grandmother　all　his　life；　so　

was　not　likely　to　fret　and　fume　over　anything　that　might　

befall　him　in　the　way　of　a　helpmate。



The　party　that　gathered　under　Teresa's　roof　in　

Christmas　week　of　the　year　nineteen…hundred…and…something　

was　of　smaller　proportions　than　usual；　and　Mrs。　Yonelet；　

who　formed　one　of　the　party；　was　inclined　to　deduce　

hopeful　augury　from　this　circumstance。　　Dora　Yonelet　and　

Bertie　were　so　obviously　made　for　one　another；　she　

confided　to　the　vicar's　wife；　and　if　the　old　lady　were　

accustomed　to　seeing　them　about　a　lot　together　she　might　

adopt　the　view　that　they　would　make　a　suitable　married　

couple。



〃People　soon　get　used　to　an　idea　if　it　is　dangled　

constantly　before　their　eyes；〃　said　Mrs。　Yonelet　

hopefully；　〃and　the　more　often　Teresa　sees　those　young　

people　together；　happy　in　each　other's　company；　the　more　

she　will　get　to　take　a　kindly　interest　in　Dora　as　a　

possible　and　desirable　wife　for　Bertie。〃



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　vicar's　wife　resignedly；　〃my　own　

Sybil　was　thrown　together　with　Bertie　under　the　most　

romantic　circumstances　…　I'll　tell　you　about　it　some　day　

…　but　it　made　no　impression　whatever　on　Teresa；　she　put　

her　foot　down　in　the　most　uncompromising　fashion；　and　

Sybil　married　an　Indian　civilian。〃



〃Quite　right　of　her；〃　said　Mrs。　Yonelet　with　vague　

approval；　〃it's　what　any　girl　of　spirit　would　have　done。　　

Still；　that　was　a　year　or　two　ago；　I　believe；　Bertie　is　

older　now；　and　so　is　Teresa。　　Naturally　she　must　be　

anxious　to　see　him　settled。〃



The　vicar's　wife　reflected　that　Teresa　seemed　to　be　

the　one　person　who　showed　no　immediate　anxiety　to　supply　

Bertie　with　a　wife；　but　she　kept　the　thought　to　herself。



Mrs。　Yonelet　was　a　woman　of　resourceful　energy　and　

generalship；　she　involved　the　other　members　of　the　house…

party；　the　deadweight；　so　to　speak；　in　all　manner　of　

exercises　and　occupations　that　segregated　them　from　

Bertie　and　Dora；　who　were　left　to　their　own　devisings　…　

that　is　to　say；　to　Dora's　devisings　and　Bertie's　

accommodating　acquiescence。　　Dora　helped　in　the　Christmas　

decorations　of　the　parish　church；　and　Bertie　helped　her　

to　help。　　Together　they　fed　the　swans；　till　the　birds　

went　on　a　dyspepsia…strike；　together　they　played　

billiards；　together　they　photographed　the　village　

almshouses；　and；　at　a　respectful　distance；　the　tame　elk　

that　browsed　in　solitary　aloofness　in　the　park。　　It　was　

〃tame〃　in　the　sense　that　it　had　long　ago　discarded　the　

least　vestige　of　fear　of　the　human　race；　nothing　in　its　

record　encouraged　its　human　neighbours　to　feel　a　

reciprocal　confidence。



Whatever　sport　or　exercise　or　occupation　Bertie　and　

Dora　indulged　in　together　was　unfailingly　chronicled　and　

advertised　by　Mrs。　Yonelet　for　the　due　enlightenment　of　

Bertie's　grandmoth