beasts and superbeasts-第47章

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

asked　by　the　curious。



Well；　there　was　a　ship　that　left　Stolpmunde　for　

London　twice　a　month；　that　carried　few　passengers；　but　

carried　them　cheaply；　the　railway　fares　to　Munich　or　

Paris　were　not　cheap。　　Thus　it　was　that　he　came　to　select　

London　as　the　scene　of　his　great　adventure。



The　question　that　had　long　and　seriously　agitated　

the　frequenters　of　the　Nuremberg　was　whether　this　goose…

boy　migrant　was　really　a　soul…driven　genius；　spreading　

his　wings　to　the　light；　or　merely　an　enterprising　young　

man　who　fancied　he　could　paint　and　was　pardonably　anxious　

to　escape　from　the　monotony　of　rye　bread　diet　and　the　

sandy；　swine…bestrewn　plains　of　Pomerania。　　There　was　

reasonable　ground　for　doubt　and　caution；　the　artistic　

groups　that　foregathered　at　the　little　restaurant　

contained　so　many　young　women　with　short　hair　and　so　many　

young　men　with　long　hair；　who　supposed　themselves　to　be　

abnormally　gifted　in　the　domain　of　music；　poetry；　

painting；　or　stagecraft；　with　little　or　nothing　to　

support　the　supposition；　that　a　self…announced　genius　of　

any　sort　in　their　midst　was　inevitably　suspect。　　On　the　

other　hand；　there　was　the　ever…imminent　danger　of　

entertaining；　and　snubbing；　an　angel　unawares。　　There　had　

been　the　lamentable　case　of　Sledonti；　the　dramatic　poet；　

who　had　been　belittled　and　cold…shouldered　in　the　Owl　

Street　hall　of　judgment；　and　had　been　afterwards　hailed　

as　a　master　singer　by　the　Grand　Duke　Constantine　

Constantinovitch　…　〃the　most　educated　of　the　Romanoffs；〃　

according　to　Sylvia　Strubble；　who　spoke　rather　as　one　who　

knew　every　individual　member　of　the　Russian　imperial　

family；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　she　knew　a　newspaper　

correspondent；　a　young　man　who　ate　BORTSCH　with　the　air　

of　having　invented　it。　　Sledonti's　〃Poems　of　Death　and　

Passion〃　were　now　being　sold　by　the　thousand　in　seven　

European　languages；　and　were　about　to　be　translated　into　

Syrian；　a　circumstance　which　made　the　discerning　critics　

of　the　Nuremberg　rather　shy　of　maturing　their　future　

judgments　too　rapidly　and　too　irrevocably。



As　regards　Knopfschrank's　work；　they　did　not　lack　

opportunity　for　inspecting　and　appraising　it。　　However　

resolutely　he　might　hold　himself　aloof　from　the　social　

life　of　his　restaurant　acquaintances；　he　was　not　minded　

to　hide　his　artistic　performances　from　their　inquiring　

gaze。　　Every　evening；　or　nearly　every　evening；　at　about　

seven　o'clock；　he　would　make　his　appearance；　sit　himself　

down　at　his　accustomed　table；　throw　a　bulky　black　

portfolio　on　to　the　chair　opposite　him；　nod　round　

indiscriminately　at　his　fellow…guests；　and　commence　the　

serious　business　of　eating　and　drinking。　　When　the　coffee　

stage　was　reached　he　would　light　a　cigarette；　draw　the　

portfolio　over　to　him；　and　begin　to　rummage　among　its　

contents。　　With　slow　deliberation　he　would　select　a　few　

of　his　more　recent　studies　and　sketches；　and　silently　

pass　them　round　from　table　to　table；　paying　especial　

attention　to　any　new　diners　who　might　be　present。　　On　the　

back　of　each　sketch　was　marked　in　plain　figures　the　

announcement　〃Price　ten　shillings。〃



If　his　work　was　not　obviously　stamped　with　the　hall…

mark　of　genius；　at　any　rate　it　was　remarkable　for　its　

choice　of　an　unusual　and　unvarying　theme。　　His　pictures　

always　represented　some　well…known　street　or　public　place　

in　London；　fallen　into　decay　and　denuded　of　its　human　

population；　in　the　place　of　which　there　roamed　a　wild　

fauna；　which；　from　its　wealth　of　exotic　species；　must　

have　originally　escaped　from　Zoological　Gardens　and　

travelling　beast　shows。　　〃Giraffes　drinking　at　the　

fountain　pools；　Trafalgar　Square；〃　was　one　of　the　most　

notable　and　characteristic　of　his　studies；　while　even　

more　sensational　was　the　gruesome　picture　of　〃Vultures　

attacking　dying　camel　in　Upper　Berkeley　Street。〃　　There　

were　also　photographs　of　the　large　canvas　on　which　he　had　

been　engaged　for　some　months；　and　which　he　was　now　

endeavouring　to　sell　to　some　enterprising　dealer　or　

adventurous　amateur。　　The　subject　was　〃Hyaenas　asleep　in　

Euston　Station；〃　a　composition　that　left　nothing　to　be　

desired　in　the　way　of　suggesting　unfathomed　depths　of　

desolation。



〃Of　course　it　may　be　immensely　clever；　it　may　be　

something　epoch…making　in　the　realm　of　art；〃　said　Sylvia　

Strubble　to　her　own　particular　circle　of　listeners；　〃but；　

on　the　other　hand；　it　may　be　merely　mad。　　One　mustn't　pay　

too　much　attention　to　the　commercial　aspect　of　the　case；　

of　course；　but　still；　if　some　dealer　would　make　a　bid　for　

that　hyaena　picture；　or　even　for　some　of　the　sketches；　we　

should　know　better　how　to　place　the　man　and　his　work。〃



〃We　may　all　be　cursing　ourselves　one　of　these　days；〃　

said　Mrs。　Nougat…Jones；　〃for　not　having　bought　up　his　

entire　portfolio　of　sketches。　　At　the　same　time；　when　

there　is　so　much　real　talent　going　about；　one　does　not　

feel　like　planking　down　ten　shillings　for　what　looks　like　

a　bit　of　whimsical　oddity。　　Now　that　picture　that　he　

showed　us　last　week；　'Sand…grouse　roosting　on　the　Albert　

Memorial；'　was　very　impressive；　and　of　course　I　could　see　

there　was　good　workmanship　in　it　and　breadth　of　

treatment；　but　it　didn't　in　the　least　convey　the　Albert　

Memorial　to　me；　and　Sir　James　Beanquest　tells　me　that　

sand…grouse　don't　roost；　they　sleep　on　the　ground。〃



Whatever　talent　or　genius　the　Pomeranian　artist　

might　possess；　it　certainly　failed　to　receive　commercial　

sanction。　　The　portfolio　remained　bulky　with　unsold　

sketches；　and　the　〃Euston　Siesta；〃　as　the　wits　of　the　

Nuremberg　nicknamed　the　large　canvas；　was　still　in　the　

market。　　The　outward　and　visible　signs　of　financial　

embarrassment　began　to　be　noticeable；　the　half…bottle　of　

cheap　claret　at　dinner…time　gave　way　to　a　small　glass　of　

lager；　and　this　in　turn　was　displaced　by　water。　　The　one…

and…sixpenny　set　dinner　receded　from　an　everyday　event　to　

a　Sunday　extravagance；　on　ordinary　days　the　artist　

contented　himself　with　a　sevenpenny　omelette　and　some　

bread　and　cheese；　and　there　were　evenings　when　he　did　not　

put　in　an　appearance　at　all。　　On　the　rare　occasions　when　

he　spoke　of　his　own　affairs　it　was　observed　that　he　began　

to　talk　more　about　Pomerania　and　less　about　the　great　

world　of　art。



〃It　is　a　busy　time　there　now　with　us；〃　he　said　

wistfully；　〃the　schwines　are　driven　out　into　the　fields　

after　harvest；　and　must　be　looked　after。　　I　could　be　

helping　to　look　after　if　I　was　there。　　Here　it　is　

difficult　to　live；　art　is　not　appreciate。〃



〃Why　don't　you　go　home　on　a　visit？〃　some　one　asked　

tactfully。



〃Ah；　it　cost　money！　　There　is　the　ship　passage　to　

Stolpmunde；　and　there　is　money　that　I　owe　at　my　lodgings。　　

Even　here　I　owe　a　few　schillings。　　If　I　could　sell　some　

of　my　sketches　…　〃



〃Perhaps；〃　suggested　Mrs。　Nougat…Jones；　〃if　you　were　

to　offer　them　for　a　little　less；　some　of　us　would　be　glad　

to　buy　a　few。　　Ten　shillings　is　always　a　consideration；　

you　know；　to　people　who　are　not　over　well　off。　　Perhaps　

if　you　were　to　ask　six　or　seven　shillings　…　〃



Once　a　peasant；　always　a　peasant。　　The　mere　

suggestion　of　a　bargain　to　be　struck　brought　a　twinkle　of　

awakened　alertness　into　the　artist's　eyes；　and　hardened　

the　lines　of　his　mouth。



〃Nine　schilling　nine　pence　each；〃　he　snapped；　and　

seemed　disappointed　that　Mrs。　Nougat…Jones　did　not　pursue　

the　subject　further。　　He　had　evidently　expected　her　to　

offer　seven　and　fourpence。



The　weeks　sped　by；　and　Knopfschrank　came　more　rarely　

to　the　restaurant　in　Owl　Street；　while　his　meals　on　those　

occasions　became　more　and　more　meagre。　　And　then　came　a　

triumphal　day；　when　he　appeared　early　in　the　evening　in　a　

high　state　of　elation；　and　ordered　an　elaborate　meal　that　

scarcely　stopped　short　of　being　a　banquet。　　The　ordinary　

resources　of　the　kitchen　were　supplemented　by　an　imported　

dish　of　smo