beasts and superbeasts-第41章

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political　meetings。　　If　a　mad　dog　or　a　Mad　Mullah　had　

come　his　way　he　would　have　surrendered　the　way　without　

hesitation。　　At　school　he　had　unwillingly　acquired　a　

thorough　knowledge　of　the　German　tongue　out　of　deference　

to　the　plainly…expressed　wishes　of　a　foreign…languages　

master；　who；　though　he　taught　modern　subjects；　employed　

old…fashioned　methods　in　driving　his　lessons　home。　　It　

was　this　enforced　familiarity　with　an　important　

commercial　language　which　thrust　Abbleway　in　later　years　

into　strange　lands　where　adventures　were　less　easy　to　

guard　against　than　in　the　ordered　atmosphere　of　an　

English　country　town。　　The　firm　that　he　worked　for　saw　

fit　to　send　him　one　day　on　a　prosaic　business　errand　to　

the　far　city　of　Vienna；　and；　having　sent　him　there；　

continued　to　keep　him　there；　still　engaged　in　humdrum　

affairs　of　commerce；　but　with　the　possibilities　of　

romance　and　adventure；　or　even　misadventure；　jostling　at　

his　elbow。　　After　two　and　a　half　years　of　exile；　however；　

John　James　Abbleway　had　embarked　on　only　one　hazardous　

undertaking；　and　that　was　of　a　nature　which　would　

assuredly　have　overtaken　him　sooner　or　later　if　he　had　

been　leading　a　sheltered；　stay…at…home　existence　at　

Dorking　or　Huntingdon。　　He　fell　placidly　in　love　with　a　

placidly　lovable　English　girl；　the　sister　of　one　of　his　

commercial　colleagues；　who　was　improving　her　mind　by　a　

short　trip　to　foreign　parts；　and　in　due　course　he　was　

formally　accepted　as　the　young　man　she　was　engaged　to。　　

The　further　step　by　which　she　was　to　become　Mrs。　John　

Abbleway　was　to　take　place　a　twelvemonth　hence　in　a　town　

in　the　English　midlands；　by　which　time　the　firm　that　

employed　John　James　would　have　no　further　need　for　his　

presence　in　the　Austrian　capital。



It　was　early　in　April；　two　months　after　the　

installation　of　Abbleway　as　the　young　man　Miss　Penning　

was　engaged　to；　when　he　received　a　letter　from　her；　

written　from　Venice。　　She　was　still　peregrinating　under　

the　wing　of　her　brother；　and　as　the　latter's　business　

arrangements　would　take　him　across　to　Fiume　for　a　day　or　

two；　she　had　conceived　the　idea　that　it　would　be　rather　

jolly　if　John　could　obtain　leave　of　absence　and　run　down　

to　the　Adriatic　coast　to　meet　them。　　She　had　looked　up　

the　route　on　the　map；　and　the　journey　did　not　appear　

likely　to　be　expensive。　　Between　the　lines　of　her　

communication　there　lay　a　hint　that　if　he　really　cared　

for　her　…



Abbleway　obtained　leave　of　absence　and　added　a　

journey　to　Fiume　to　his　life's　adventures。　　He　left　

Vienna　on　a　cold；　cheerless　day。　　The　flower　shops　were　

full　of　spring　blooms；　and　the　weekly　organs　of　

illustrated　humour　were　full　of　spring　topics；　but　the　

skies　were　heavy　with　clouds　that　looked　like　cotton…wool　

that　has　been　kept　over　long　in　a　shop　window。



〃Snow　comes；〃　said　the　train　official　to　the　station　

officials；　and　they　agreed　that　snow　was　about　to　come。　　

And　it　came；　rapidly；　plenteously。　　The　train　had　not　

been　more　than　an　hour　on　its　journey　when　the　cotton…

wool　clouds　commenced　to　dissolve　in　a　blinding　downpour　

of　snowflakes。　　The　forest　trees　on　either　side　of　the　

line　were　speedily　coated　with　a　heavy　white　mantle；　the　

telegraph　wires　became　thick　glistening　ropes；　the　line　

itself　was　buried　more　and　more　completely　under　a　

carpeting　of　snow；　through　which　the　not　very　powerful　

engine　ploughed　its　way　with　increasing　difficulty。　　The　

Vienna…Fiume　line　is　scarcely　the　best　equipped　of　the　

Austrian　State　railways；　and　Abbleway　began　to　have　

serious　fears　for　a　breakdown。　　The　train　had　slowed　down　

to　a　painful　and　precarious　crawl　and　presently　came　to　a　

halt　at　a　spot　where　the　drifting　snow　had　accumulated　in　

a　formidable　barrier。　　The　engine　made　a　special　effort　

and　broke　through　the　obstruction；　but　in　the　course　of　

another　twenty　minutes　it　was　again　held　up。　　The　process　

of　breaking　through　was　renewed；　and　the　train　doggedly　

resumed　its　way；　encountering　and　surmounting　fresh　

hindrances　at　frequent　intervals。　　After　a　standstill　of　

unusually　long　duration　in　a　particularly　deep　drift　the　

compartment　in　which　Abbleway　was　sitting　gave　a　huge　

jerk　and　a　lurch；　and　then　seemed　to　remain　stationary；　

it　undoubtedly　was　not　moving；　and　yet　he　could　hear　the　

puffing　of　the　engine　and　the　slow　rumbling　and　jolting　

of　wheels。　　The　puffing　and　rumbling　grew　fainter；　as　

though　it　were　dying　away　through　the　agency　of　

intervening　distance。　　Abbleway　suddenly　gave　vent　to　an　

exclamation　of　scandalised　alarm；　opened　the　window；　and　

peered　out　into　the　snowstorm。　　The　flakes　perched　on　his　

eyelashes　and　blurred　his　vision；　but　he　saw　enough　to　

help　him　to　realise　what　had　happened。　　The　engine　had　

made　a　mighty　plunge　through　the　drift　and　had　gone　

merrily　forward；　lightened　of　the　load　of　its　rear　

carriage；　whose　coupling　had　snapped　under　the　strain。　　

Abbleway　was　alone；　or　almost　alone；　with　a　derelict　

railway　waggon；　in　the　heart　of　some　Styrian　or　Croatian　

forest。　　In　the　third…class　compartment　next　to　his　own　

he　remembered　to　have　seen　a　peasant　woman；　who　had　

entered　the　train　at　a　small　wayside　station。　　〃With　the　

exception　of　that　woman；〃　he　exclaimed　dramatically　to　

himself；　〃the　nearest　living　beings　are　probably　a　pack　

of　wolves。〃



Before　making　his　way　to　the　third…class　compartment　

to　acquaint　his　fellow…traveller　with　the　extent　of　the　

disaster　Abbleway　hurriedly　pondered　the　question　of　the　

woman's　nationality。　　He　had　acquired　a　smattering　of　

Slavonic　tongues　during　his　residence　in　Vienna；　and　felt　

competent　to　grapple　with　several　racial　possibilities。



〃If　she　is　Croat　or　Serb　or　Bosniak　I　shall　be　able　

to　make　her　understand；〃　he　promised　himself。　　〃If　she　is　

Magyar；　heaven　help　me！　　We　shall　have　to　converse　

entirely　by　signs。〃



He　entered　the　carriage　and　made　his　momentous　

announcement　in　the　best　approach　to　Croat　speech　that　he　

could　achieve。



〃The　train　has　broken　away　and　left　us！〃



The　woman　shook　her　head　with　a　movement　that　might　

be　intended　to　convey　resignation　to　the　will　of　heaven；　

but　probably　meant　noncomprehension。　　Abbleway　repeated　

his　information　with　variations　of　Slavonic　tongues　and　

generous　displays　of　pantomime。



〃Ah；〃　said　the　woman　at　last　in　German　dialect；　〃the　

train　has　gone？　　We　are　left。　　Ah；　so。〃



She　seemed　about　as　much　interested　as　though　

Abbleway　had　told　her　the　result　of　the　municipal　

elections　in　Amsterdam。



〃They　will　find　out　at　some　station；　and　when　the　

line　is　clear　of　snow　they　will　send　an　engine。　　It　

happens　that　way　sometimes。〃



〃We　may　be　here　all　night！〃　exclaimed　Abbleway。



The　woman　nodded　as　though　she　thought　it　possible。



〃Are　there　wolves　in　these　parts？〃　asked　Abbleway　

hurriedly。



〃Many；〃　said　the　woman；　〃just　outside　this　forest　my　

aunt　was　devoured　three　years　ago；　as　she　was　coming　home　

from　market。　　The　horse　and　a　young　pig　that　was　in　the　

cart　were　eaten　too。　　The　horse　was　a　very　old　one；　but　

it　was　a　beautiful　young　pig；　oh；　so　fat。　　I　cried　when　I　

heard　that　it　was　taken。　　They　spare　nothing。〃



〃They　may　attack　us　here；〃　said　Abbleway　

tremulously；　〃they　could　easily　break　in；　these　carriages　

are　like　matchwood。　　We　may　both　be　devoured。〃



〃You；　perhaps；〃　said　the　woman　calmly；　〃not　me。〃



〃Why　not　you？〃　demanded　Abbleway。



〃It　is　the　day　of　Saint　Maria　Kleopha；　my　name…day。　　

She　would　not　allow　me　to　be　eaten　by　wolves　on　her　day。　　

Such　a　thing　could　not　be　thought　of。　　You；　yes；　but　not　

me。〃



Abbleway　changed　the　subject。



〃It　is　only　afternoon　now；　if　we　are　to　be　left　here　

till　morning　we　shall　be　starving。〃



〃I　have　here　some　good　eatables；〃　said　the　woman　

tranquilly；　〃on　my　festival　day　it　is　natural　that　I　

should　have　provision　with　me。　　I　have　five　good　blood…

sausages