beasts and superbeasts-第46章

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would　get　two　upper　circle　tickets　for　a　popular　play；　

make　her　way　into　some　cheap　tea…shop；　and　present　the　

tickets　to　the　first　couple　of　interesting　work　girls　

with　whom　she　could　casually　drop　into　conversation。　　She　

could　explain　matters　by　saying　that　she　was　unable　to　

use　the　tickets　herself　and　did　not　want　them　to　be　

wasted；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　did　not　want　the　trouble　

of　sending　them　back。　　On　further　reflection　she　decided　

that　it　might　be　better　to　get　only　one　ticket　and　give　

it　to　some　lonely…looking　girl　sitting　eating　her　frugal　

meal　by　herself；　the　girl　might　scrape　acquaintance　with　

her　next…seat　neighbour　at　the　theatre　and　lay　the　

foundations　of　a　lasting　friendship。



With　the　Fairy　Godmother　impulse　strong　upon　her；　

Jocantha　marched　into　a　ticket　agency　and　selected　with　

immense　care　an　upper　circle　seat　for　the　〃Yellow　

Peacock；〃　a　play　that　was　attracting　a　considerable　

amount　of　discussion　and　criticism。　　Then　she　went　forth　

in　search　of　a　tea…shop　and　philanthropic　adventure；　at　

about　the　same　time　that　Attab　sauntered　into　the　garden　

with　a　mind　attuned　to　sparrow　stalking。　　In　a　corner　of　

an　A。B。C。　shop　she　found　an　unoccupied　table；　whereat　she　

promptly　installed　herself；　impelled　by　the　fact　that　at　

the　next　table　was　sitting　a　young　girl；　rather　plain　of　

feature；　with　tired；　listless　eyes；　and　a　general　air　of　

uncomplaining　forlornness。　　Her　dress　was　of　poor　

material；　but　aimed　at　being　in　the　fashion；　her　hair　was　

pretty；　and　her　complexion　bad；　she　was　finishing　a　

modest　meal　of　tea　and　scone；　and　she　was　not　very　

different　in　her　way　from　thousands　of　other　girls　who　

were　finishing；　or　beginning；　or　continuing　their　teas　in　

London　tea…shops　at　that　exact　moment。　　The　odds　were　

enormously　in　favour　of　the　supposition　that　she　had　

never　seen　the　〃Yellow　Peacock〃；　obviously　she　supplied　

excellent　material　for　Jocantha's　first　experiment　in　

haphazard　benefaction。



Jocantha　ordered　some　tea　and　a　muffin；　and　then　

turned　a　friendly　scrutiny　on　her　neighbour　with　a　view　

to　catching　her　eye。　　At　that　precise　moment　the　girl's　

face　lit　up　with　sudden　pleasure；　her　eyes　sparkled；　a　

flush　came　into　her　cheeks；　and　she　looked　almost　pretty。　　

A　young　man；　whom　she　greeted　with　an　affectionate　

〃Hullo；　Bertie；〃　came　up　to　her　table　and　took　his　seat　

in　a　chair　facing　her。　　Jocantha　looked　hard　at　the　new…

comer；　he　was　in　appearance　a　few　years　younger　than　

herself；　very　much　better　looking　than　Gregory；　rather　

better　looking；　in　fact；　than　any　of　the　young　men　of　her　

set。　　She　guessed　him　to　be　a　well…mannered　young　clerk　

in　some　wholesale　warehouse；　existing　and　amusing　himself　

as　best　he　might　on　a　tiny　salary；　and　commanding　a　

holiday　of　about　two　weeks　in　the　year。　　He　was　aware；　of　

course；　of　his　good　looks；　but　with　the　shy　self…

consciousness　of　the　Anglo…Saxon；　not　the　blatant　

complacency　of　the　Latin　or　Semite。　　He　was　obviously　on　

terms　of　friendly　intimacy　with　the　girl　he　was　talking　

to；　probably　they　were　drifting　towards　a　formal　

engagement。　　Jocantha　pictured　the　boy's　home；　in　a　

rather　narrow　circle；　with　a　tiresome　mother　who　always　

wanted　to　know　how　and　where　he　spent　his　evenings。　　He　

would　exchange　that　humdrum　thraldom　in　due　course　for　a　

home　of　his　own；　dominated　by　a　chronic　scarcity　of　

pounds；　shillings；　and　pence；　and　a　dearth　of　most　of　the　

things　that　made　life　attractive　or　comfortable。　　

Jocantha　felt　extremely　sorry　for　him。　　She　wondered　if　

he　had　seen　the　〃Yellow　Peacock〃；　the　odds　were　

enormously　in　favour　of　the　supposition　that　he　had　not。　　

The　girl　had　finished　her　tea　and　would　shortly　be　going　

back　to　her　work；　when　the　boy　was　alone　it　would　be　

quite　easy　for　Jocantha　to　say：　〃My　husband　has　made　

other　arrangements　for　me　this　evening；　would　you　care　to　

make　use　of　this　ticket；　which　would　otherwise　be　

wasted？〃　　Then　she　could　come　there　again　one　afternoon　

for　tea；　and；　if　she　saw　him；　ask　him　how　he　liked　the　

play。　　If　he　was　a　nice　boy　and　improved　on　acquaintance　

he　could　be　given　more　theatre　tickets；　and　perhaps　asked　

to　come　one　Sunday　to　tea　at　Chelsea。　　Jocantha　made　up　

her　mind　that　he　would　improve　on　acquaintance；　and　that　

Gregory　would　like　him；　and　that　the　Fairy　Godmother　

business　would　prove　far　more　entertaining　than　she　had　

originally　anticipated。　　The　boy　was　distinctly　

presentable；　he　knew　how　to　brush　his　hair；　which　was　

possibly　an　imitative　faculty；　he　knew　what　colour　of　tie　

suited　him；　which　might　be　intuition；　he　was　exactly　the　

type　that　Jocantha　admired；　which　of　course　was　accident。　　

Altogether　she　was　rather　pleased　when　the　girl　looked　at　

the　clock　and　bade　a　friendly　but　hurried　farewell　to　her　

companion。　　Bertie　nodded　〃good…bye；〃　gulped　down　a　

mouthful　of　tea；　and　then　produced　from　his　overcoat　

pocket　a　paper…covered　book；　bearing　the　title　〃Sepoy　and　

Sahib；　a　tale　of　the　great　Mutiny。〃



The　laws　of　tea…shop　etiquette　forbid　that　you　

should　offer　theatre　tickets　to　a　stranger　without　having　

first　caught　the　stranger's　eye。　　It　is　even　better　if　

you　can　ask　to　have　a　sugar　basin　passed　to　you；　having　

previously　concealed　the　fact　that　you　have　a　large　and　

well…filled　sugar　basin　on　your　own　table；　this　is　not　

difficult　to　manage；　as　the　printed　menu　is　generally　

nearly　as　large　as　the　table；　and　can　be　made　to　stand　on　

end。　　Jocantha　set　to　work　hopefully；　she　had　a　long　and　

rather　high…pitched　discussion　with　the　waitress　

concerning　alleged　defects　in　an　altogether　blameless　

muffin；　she　made　loud　and　plaintive　inquiries　about　the　

tube　service　to　some　impossibly　remote　suburb；　she　talked　

with　brilliant　insincerity　to　the　tea…shop　kitten；　and　as　

a　last　resort　she　upset　a　milk…jug　and　swore　at　it　

daintily。　　Altogether　she　attracted　a　good　deal　of　

attention；　but　never　for　a　moment　did　she　attract　the　

attention　of　the　boy　with　the　beautifully…brushed　hair；　

who　was　some　thousands　of　miles　away　in　the　baking　plains　

of　Hindostan；　amid　deserted　bungalows；　seething　bazaars；　

and　riotous　barrack　squares；　listening　to　the　throbbing　

of　tom…toms　and　the　distant　rattle　of　musketry。



Jocantha　went　back　to　her　house　in　Chelsea；　which　

struck　her　for　the　first　time　as　looking　dull　and　over…

furnished。　　She　had　a　resentful　conviction　that　Gregory　

would　be　uninteresting　at　dinner；　and　that　the　play　would　

be　stupid　after　dinner。　　On　the　whole　her　frame　of　mind　

showed　a　marked　divergence　from　the　purring　complacency　

of　Attab；　who　was　again　curled　up　in　his　corner　of　the　

divan　with　a　great　peace　radiating　from　every　curve　of　

his　body。



But　then　he　had　killed　his　sparrow。





ON　APPROVAL





OF　all　the　genuine　Bohemians　who　strayed　from　time　

to　time　into　the　would…be　Bohemian　circle　of　the　

Restaurant　Nuremberg；　Owl　Street；　Soho；　none　was　more　

interesting　and　more　elusive　than　Gebhard　Knopfschrank。　　

He　had　no　friends；　and　though　he　treated　all　the　

restaurant　frequenters　as　acquaintances　he　never　seemed　

to　wish　to　carry　the　acquaintanceship　beyond　the　door　

that　led　into　Owl　Street　and　the　outer　world。　　He　dealt　

with　them　all　rather　as　a　market　woman　might　deal　with　

chance　passers…by；　exhibiting　her　wares　and　chattering　

about　the　weather　and　the　slackness　of　business；　

occasionally　about　rheumatism；　but　never　showing　a　desire　

to　penetrate　into　their　daily　lives　or　to　dissect　their　

ambitions。



He　was　understood　to　belong　to　a　family　of　peasant　

farmers；　somewhere　in　Pomerania；　some　two　years　ago；　

according　to　all　that　was　known　of　him；　he　had　abandoned　

the　labours　and　responsibilities　of　swine　tending　and　

goose　rearing　to　try　his　fortune　as　an　artist　in　London。



〃Why　London　and　not　Paris　or　Munich？〃　he　had　been　

asked　by　the　curious。



Well；　there　was　a　ship　that　left　Stolpmunde　for