beasts and superbeasts-第9章

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was　saying。



〃Here　they　are　at　last！〃　she　cried。　　〃Just　in　time　

for　tea；　and　don't　they　look　as　if　they　were　muddy　up　to　

the　eyes！〃



Framton　shivered　slightly　and　turned　towards　the　

niece　with　a　look　intended　to　convey　sympathetic　

comprehension。　　The　child　was　staring　out　through　the　

open　window　with　dazed　horror　in　her　eyes。　　In　a　chill　

shock　of　nameless　fear　Framton　swung　round　in　his　seat　

and　looked　in　the　same　direction。



In　the　deepening　twilight　three　figures　were　walking　

across　the　lawn　towards　the　window；　they　all　carried　guns　

under　their　arms；　and　one　of　them　was　additionally　

burdened　with　a　white　coat　hung　over　his　shoulders。　　A　

tired　brown　spaniel　kept　close　at　their　heels。　　

Noiselessly　they　neared　the　house；　and　then　a　hoarse　

young　voice　chanted　out　of　the　dusk：　〃I　said；　Bertie；　why　

do　you　bound？〃



Framton　grabbed　wildly　at　his　stick　and　hat；　the　

hall…door；　the　gravel…drive；　and　the　front　gate　were　

dimly…noted　stages　in　his　headlong　retreat。　　A　cyclist　

coming　along　the　road　had　to　run　into　the　hedge　to　avoid　

an　imminent　collision。



〃Here　we　are；　my　dear；〃　said　the　bearer　of　the　white　

mackintosh；　coming　in　through　the　window；　〃fairly　muddy；　

but　most　of　it's　dry。　　Who　was　that　who　bolted　out　as　we　

came　up？〃



〃A　most　extraordinary　man；　a　Mr。　Nuttel；〃　said　Mrs。　

Sappleton；　〃could　only　talk　about　his　illnesses；　and　

dashed　off　without　a　word　of　good…bye　or　apology　when　you　

arrived。　　One　would　think　he　had　seen　a　ghost。〃



〃I　expect　it　was　the　spaniel；〃　said　the　niece　

calmly；　〃he　told　me　he　had　a　horror　of　dogs。　　He　was　once　

hunted　into　a　cemetery　somewhere　on　the　banks　of　the　

Ganges　by　a　pack　of　pariah　dogs；　and　had　to　spend　the　

night　in　a　newly　dug　grave　with　the　creatures　snarling　

and　grinning　and　foaming　just　above　him。　　Enough　to　make　

anyone　their　nerve。〃



Romance　at　short　notice　was　her　speciality。





THE　TREASURE　SHIP





THE　great　galleon　lay　in　semi…retirement　under　the　

sand　and　weed　and　water　of　the　northern　bay　where　the　

fortune　of　war　and　weather　had　long　ago　ensconced　it。　　

Three　and　a　quarter　centuries　had　passed　since　the　day　

when　it　had　taken　the　high　seas　as　an　important　unit　of　a　

fighting　squadron　…　precisely　which　squadron　the　learned　

were　not　agreed。　　The　galleon　had　brought　nothing　into　

the　world；　but　it　had；　according　to　tradition　and　report；　

taken　much　out　of　it。　　But　how　much？　　There　again　the　

learned　were　in　disagreement。　　Some　were　as　generous　in　

their　estimate　as　an　income…tax　assessor；　others　applied　

a　species　of　higher　criticism　to　the　submerged　treasure　

chests；　and　debased　their　contents　to　the　currency　of　

goblin　gold。　　Of　the　former　school　was　Lulu；　Duchess　of　

Dulverton。



The　Duchess　was　not　only　a　believer　in　the　existence　

of　a　sunken　treasure　of　alluring　proportions；　she　also　

believed　that　she　knew　of　a　method　by　which　the　said　

treasure　might　be　precisely　located　and　cheaply　

disembedded。　　An　aunt　on　her　mother's　side　of　the　family　

had　been　Maid　of　Honour　at　the　Court　of　Monaco；　and　had　

taken　a　respectful　interest　in　the　deep…sea　researches　in　

which　the　Throne　of　that　country；　impatient　perhaps　of　

its　terrestrial　restrictions；　was　wont　to　immerse　itself。　　

It　was　through　the　instrumentality　of　this　relative　that　

the　Duchess　learned　of　an　invention；　perfected　and　very　

nearly　patented　by　a　Monegaskan　savant；　by　means　of　which　

the　home…life　of　the　Mediterranean　sardine　might　be　

studied　at　a　depth　of　many　fathoms　in　a　cold　white　light　

of　more　than　ball…room　brilliancy。　　Implicated　in　this　

invention　（and；　in　the　Duchess's　eyes；　the　most　

attractive　part　of　it）　was　an　electric　suction　dredge；　

specially　designed　for　dragging　to　the　surface　such　

objects　of　interest　and　value　as　might　be　found　in　the　

more　accessible　levels　of　the　ocean…bed。　　The　rights　of　

the　invention　were　to　be　acquired　for　a　matter　of　

eighteen　hundred　francs；　and　the　apparatus　for　a　few　

thousand　more。　　The　Duchess　of　Dulverton　was　rich；　as　the　

world　counted　wealth；　she　nursed　the　hope；　of　being　one　

day　rich　at　her　own　computation。　　Companies　had　been　

formed　and　efforts　had　been　made　again　and　again　during　

the　course　of　three　centuries　to　probe　for　the　alleged　

treasures　of　the　interesting　galleon；　with　the　aid　of　

this　invention　she　considered　that　she　might　go　to　work　

on　the　wreck　privately　and　independently。　　After　all；　one　

of　her　ancestors　on　her　mother's　side　was　descended　from　

Medina　Sidonia；　so　she　was　of　opinion　that　she　had　as　

much　right　to　the　treasure　as　anyone。　　She　acquired　the　

invention　and　bought　the　apparatus。



Among　other　family　ties　and　encumbrances；　Lulu　

possessed　a　nephew；　Vasco　Honiton；　a　young　gentleman　who　

was　blessed　with　a　small　income　and　a　large　circle　of　

relatives；　and　lived　impartially　and　precariously　on　

both。　　The　name　Vasco　had　been　given　him　possibly　in　the　

hope　that　he　might　live　up　to　its　adventurous　tradition；　

but　he　limited　himself　strictly　to　the　home　industry　of　

adventurer；　preferring　to　exploit　the　assured　rather　than　

to　explore　the　unknown。　　Lulu's　intercourse　with　him　had　

been　restricted　of　recent　years　to　the　negative　processes　

of　being　out　of　town　when　he　called　on　her；　and　short　of　

money　when　he　wrote　to　her。　　Now；　however；　she　bethought　

herself　of　his　eminent　suitability　for　the　direction　of　a　

treasure…seeking　experiment；　if　anyone　could　extract　gold　

from　an　unpromising　situation　it　would　certainly　be　Vasco　

…　of　course；　under　the　necessary　safeguards　in　the　way　of　

supervision。　　Where　money　was　in　question　Vasco's　

conscience　was　liable　to　fits　of　obstinate　silence。



Somewhere　on　the　west　coast　of　Ireland　the　Dulverton　

property　included　a　few　acres　of　shingle；　rock；　and　

heather；　too　barren　to　support　even　an　agrarian　outrage；　

but　embracing　a　small　and　fairly　deep　bay　where　the　

lobster　yield　was　good　in　most　seasons。　　There　was　a　

bleak　little　house　on　the　property；　and　for　those　who　

liked　lobsters　and　solitude；　and　were　able　to　accept　an　

Irish　cook's　ideas　as　to　what　might　be　perpetrated　in　the　

name　of　mayonnaise；　Innisgluther　was　a　tolerable　exile　

during　the　summer　months。　　Lulu　seldom　went　there　

herself；　but　she　lent　the　house　lavishly　to　friends　and　

relations。　　She　put　it　now　at　Vasco's　disposal。



〃It　will　be　the　very　place　to　practise　and　

experiment　with　the　salvage　apparatus；〃　she　said；　〃the　

bay　is　quite　deep　in　places；　and　you　will　be　able　to　test　

everything　thoroughly　before　starting　on　the　treasure　

hunt。〃



In　less　than　three　weeks　Vasco　turned　up　in　town　to　

report　progress。



〃The　apparatus　works　beautifully；〃　he　informed　his　

aunt；　〃the　deeper　one　got　the　clearer　everything　grew。　　

We　found　something　in　the　way　of　a　sunken　wreck　to　

operate　on；　too！〃



〃A　wreck　in　Innisgluther　Bay！〃　exclaimed　Lulu。



〃A　submerged　motor…boat；　the　SUB…ROSA；〃　said　Vasco。



〃No！　really？〃　said　Lulu；　〃poor　Billy　Yuttley's　boat。　　

I　remember　it　went　down　somewhere　off　that　coast　some　

three　years　ago。　　His　body　was　washed　ashore　at　the　

Point。　　People　said　at　the　time　that　the　boat　was　

capsized　intentionally　…　a　case　of　suicide；　you　know。　　

People　always　say　that　sort　of　thing　when　anything　tragic　

happens。〃



〃In　this　case　they　were　right；〃　said　Vasco。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　the　Duchess　hurriedly。　　

〃What　makes　you　think　so？〃



〃I　know；〃　said　Vasco　simply。



〃Know？　　How　can　you　know？　　How　can　anyone　know？　　The　

thing　happened　three　years　ago。〃



〃In　a　locker　of　the　SUB…ROSA　I　found　a　water…tight　

strong…box。　　It　contained　papers。〃　　Vasco　paused　with　

dramatic　effect　and　searched　for　a　moment　in　the　inner　

breast…pocket　of　his　coat。　　He　drew　out　a　folded　slip　of　

paper。　　The　Duchess　snatched　at　it　in　almost　indecent　

haste　and　moved　appreciably　nearer　the　fireplace。



〃Was　this　in　the　SUB…RO