beasts and superbeasts-第15章

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clothes　could　scarcely　be　called　shabby；　at　least　they　

passed　muster　in　the　half…light；　but　one's　imagination　

could　not　have　pictured　the　wearer　embarking　on　the　

purchase　of　a　half…crown　box　of　chocolates　or　laying　out　

ninepence　on　a　carnation　buttonhole。　　He　belonged　

unmistakably　to　that　forlorn　orchestra　to　whose　piping　no　

one　dances；　he　was　one　of　the　world's　lamenters　who　

induce　no　responsive　weeping。　　As　he　rose　to　go　Gortsby　

imagined　him　returning　to　a　home　circle　where　he　was　

snubbed　and　of　no　account；　or　to　some　bleak　lodging　where　

his　ability　to　pay　a　weekly　bill　was　the　beginning　and　

end　of　the　interest　he　inspired。　　His　retreating　figure　

vanished　slowly　into　the　shadows；　and　his　place　on　the　

bench　was　taken　almost　immediately　by　a　young　man；　fairly　

well　dressed　but　scarcely　more　cheerful　of　mien　than　his　

predecessor。　　As　if　to　emphasise　the　fact　that　the　world　

went　badly　with　him　the　new…corner　unburdened　himself　of　

an　angry　and　very　audible　expletive　as　he　flung　himself　

into　the　seat。



〃You　don't　seem　in　a　very　good　temper；〃　said　

Gortsby；　judging　that　he　was　expected　to　take　due　notice　

of　the　demonstration。



The　young　man　turned　to　him　with　a　look　of　disarming　

frankness　which　put　him　instantly　on　his　guard。



〃You　wouldn't　be　in　a　good　temper　if　you　were　in　the　

fix　I'm　in；〃　he　said；　〃I've　done　the　silliest　thing　I've　

ever　done　in　my　life。〃



〃Yes？〃　said　Gortsby　dispassionately。



〃Came　up　this　afternoon；　meaning　to　stay　at　the　

Patagonian　Hotel　in　Berkshire　Square；〃　continued　the　

young　man；　〃when　I　got　there　I　found　it　had　been　pulled　

down　some　weeks　ago　and　a　cinema　theatre　run　up　on　the　

site。　　The　taxi　driver　recommended　me　to　another　hotel　

some　way　off　and　I　went　there。　　I　just　sent　a　letter　to　

my　people；　giving　them　the　address；　and　then　I　went　out　

to　buy　some　soap　…　I'd　forgotten　to　pack　any　and　I　hate　

using　hotel　soap。　　Then　I　strolled　about　a　bit；　had　a　

drink　at　a　bar　and　looked　at　the　shops；　and　when　I　came　

to　turn　my　steps　back　to　the　hotel　I　suddenly　realised　

that　I　didn't　remember　its　name　or　even　what　street　it　

was　in。　　There's　a　nice　predicament　for　a　fellow　who　

hasn't　any　friends　or　connections　in　London！　　Of　course　I　

can　wire　to　my　people　for　the　address；　but　they　won't　

have　got　my　letter　till　to…morrow；　meantime　I'm　without　

any　money；　came　out　with　about　a　shilling　on　me；　which　

went　in　buying　the　soap　and　getting　the　drink；　and　here　I　

am；　wandering　about　with　twopence　in　my　pocket　and　

nowhere　to　go　for　the　night。〃



There　was　an　eloquent　pause　after　the　story　had　been　

told。　　〃I　suppose　you　think　I've　spun　you　rather　an　

impossible　yarn；〃　said　the　young　man　presently；with　a　

suggestion　of　resentment　in　his　voice。



〃Not　at　all　impossible；〃　said　Gortsby　judicially；　〃I　

remember　doing　exactly　the　same　thing　once　in　a　foreign　

capital；　and　on　that　occasion　there　were　two　of　us；　which　

made　it　more　remarkable。　　Luckily　we　remembered　that　the　

hotel　was　on　a　sort　of　canal；　and　when　we　struck　the　

canal　we　were　able　to　find　our　way　back　to　the　hotel。〃



The　youth　brightened　at　the　reminiscence。　　〃In　a　

foreign　city　I　wouldn't　mind　so　much；〃　he　said；　〃one　

could　go　to　one's　Consul　and　get　the　requisite　help　from　

him。　　Here　in　one's　own　land　one　is　far　more　derelict　if　

one　gets　into　a　fix。　　Unless　I　can　find　some　decent　chap　

to　swallow　my　story　and　lend　me　some　money　I　seem　likely　

to　spend　the　night　on　the　Embankment。　　I'm　glad；　anyhow；　

that　you　don't　think　the　story　outrageously　improbable。〃



He　threw　a　good　deal　of　warmth　into　the　last　remark；　

as　though　perhaps　to　indicate　his　hope　that　Gortsby　did　

not　fall　far　short　of　the　requisite　decency。



〃Of　course；〃　said　Gortsby　slowly；　〃the　weak　point　of　

your　story　is　that　you　can't　produce　the　soap。〃



The　young　man　sat　forward　hurriedly；　felt　rapidly　in　

the　pockets　of　his　overcoat；　and　then　jumped　to　his　feet。



〃I　must　have　lost　it；〃　he　muttered　angrily。



〃To　lose　an　hotel　and　a　cake　of　soap　on　one　

afternoon　suggests　wilful　carelessness；〃　said　Gortsby；　

but　the　young　man　scarcely　waited　to　hear　the　end　of　the　

remark。　　He　flitted　away　down　the　path；　his　head　held　

high；　with　an　air　of　somewhat　jaded　jauntiness。



〃It　was　a　pity；〃　mused　Gortsby；　〃the　going　out　to　

get　one's　own　soap　was　the　one　convincing　touch　in　the　

whole　story；　and　yet　it　was　just　that　little　detail　that　

brought　him　to　grief。　　If　he　had　had　the　brilliant　

forethought　to　provide　himself　with　a　cake　of　soap；　

wrapped　and　sealed　with　all　the　solicitude　of　the　

chemist's　counter；　he　would　have　been　a　genius　in　his　

particular　line。　　In　his　particular　line　genius　certainly　

consists　of　an　infinite　capacity　for　taking　precautions。〃



With　that　reflection　Gortsby　rose　to　go；　as　he　did　

so　an　exclamation　of　concern　escaped　him。　　Lying　on　the　

ground　by　the　side　of　the　bench　was　a　small　oval　packet；　

wrapped　and　sealed　with　the　solicitude　of　a　chemist's　

counter。　　It　could　be　nothing　else　but　a　cake　of　soap；　

and　it　had　evidently　fallen　out　of　the　youth's　overcoat　

pocket　when　he　flung　himself　down　on　the　seat。　　In　

another　moment　Gortsby　was　scudding　along　the　dusk…

shrouded　path　in　anxious　quest　for　a　youthful　figure　in　a　

light　overcoat。　　He　had　nearly　given　up　the　search　when　

he　caught　sight　of　the　object　of　his　pursuit　standing　

irresolutely　on　the　border　of　the　carriage　drive；　

evidently　uncertain　whether　to　strike　across　the　Park　or　

make　for　the　bustling　pavements　of　Knightsbridge。　　He　

turned　round　sharply　with　an　air　of　defensive　hostility　

when　he　found　Gortsby　hailing　him。



〃The　important　witness　to　the　genuineness　of　your　

story　has　turned　up；〃　said　Gortsby；　holding　out　the　cake　

of　soap；　〃it　must　have　slid　out　of　your　overcoat　pocket　

when　you　sat　down　on　the　seat。　　I　saw　it　on　the　ground　

after　you　left。　　You　must　excuse　my　disbelief；　but　

appearances　were　really　rather　against　you；　and　now；　as　I　

appealed　to　the　testimony　of　the　soap　I　think　I　ought　to　

abide　by　its　verdict。　　If　the　loan　of　a　sovereign　is　any　

good　to　you　…　〃



The　young　man　hastily　removed　all　doubt　on　the　

subject　by　pocketing　the　coin。



〃Here　is　my　card　with　my　address；〃　continued　

Gortsby；　〃any　day　this　week　will　do　for　returning　the　

money；　and　here　is　the　soap　…　don't　lose　it　again　it's　

been　a　good　friend　to　you。〃



〃Lucky　thing　your　finding　it；〃　said　the　youth；　and　

then；　with　a　catch　in　his　voice；　he　blurted　out　a　word　or　

two　of　thanks　and　fled　headlong　in　the　direction　of　

Knightsbridge。



〃Poor　boy；　he　as　nearly　as　possible　broke　down；〃　

said　Gortsby　to　himself。　　〃I　don't　wonder　either；　the　

relief　from　his　quandary　must　have　been　acute。　　It's　a　

lesson　to　me　not　to　be　too　clever　in　judging　by　

circumstances。〃



As　Gortsby　retraced　his　steps　past　the　seat　where　

the　little　drama　had　taken　place　he　saw　an　elderly　

gentleman　poking　and　peering　beneath　it　and　on　all　sides　

of　it；　and　recognised　his　earlier　fellow　occupant。



〃Have　you　lost　anything；　sir？〃　he　asked。



〃Yes；　sir；　a　cake　of　soap。〃





A　TOUCH　OF　REALISM





〃I　HOPE　you've　come　full　of　suggestions　for　

Christmas；〃　said　Lady　Blonze　to　her　latest　arrived　guest；　

〃the　old…fashioned　Christmas　and　the　up…to…date　Christmas　

are　both　so　played　out。　　I　want　to　have　something　really　

original　this　year。〃



〃I　was　staying　with　the　Mathesons　last　month；〃　said　

Blanche　Boveal　eagerly；　〃and　we　had　such　a　good　idea。　　

Every　one　in　the　house…party　had　to　be　a　character　and　

behave　consistently　all　the　time；　and　at　the　end　of　the　

visit　one　had　to　guess　what　every　one's　character　was。　　

The　one　who　was　voted　to　have　acted　his　or　her　character　

best　got　a　prize。〃



〃It　sounds　amusing；〃　said　Lady　Blonze。



〃I　was　St。　Francis　of　Assisi；〃　continued　Blanche；　

〃we　hadn't　got　to　keep　to　our　right　sexes。　　I　kept　

getting　up　in　the　middle　of　a　meal；　and　throwing　out　food　

to　the　birds；　you　see；　the　chief　thing　that　one　remembers　

of　St。　Francis　is　that　he　was　fond　of　the　birds。　　Every　

one　was　so　stupid　about　it；　and　thought　that　I　was　the　

old　man　who　feeds　the　sparrows　in　the　Tuileries　Gardens。　　

Then　Colonel　Pentley　was　the　Jolly　Miller　on　the　banks　of　

Dee。〃



〃How　on　earth　did　he　do　that？〃　asked　Bertie　van　

Tahn。



〃　'He　laughed　and　sang　from　morn　till　night；'　〃　

explained　Blanche。



〃How　dreadful　for　the　rest　of　you；〃　said　Bertie；　

〃and　anyway　he　wasn't　on　the　banks　of　Dee。〃



〃One　had　to　imagine　that；〃　said　Blanche。



〃If　you　could　imagine　all　that　you　might　as　well　

imagine　cattle　on　the　further　bank　and　keep　on　calling　

them　home；　Mary…fashion；　across　the　sands　of　Dee。　　Or　you　

might　change　the　river　to　the　Yarrow　and　imagine　it　was　

on　the　top　of　you；　and　say　you　were　Willie；　or　whoever　it　

was；　drowned　in　Yarrow。〃



〃Of　course　it's　easy　to　make　fun　of　it；〃　said　

Blanche　sharply；　〃but　it　was　extremely　interesting　and　

amusing。　　The　prize　was　rather　a　fiasco；　though。　　You　

see；　Millie　Matheson　said　her　character　was　Lady　

Bountiful；　and　as　she　was　our　hostess　of　course　we　all　

had　to　vote　that　she　had　carried　out　her　character　better　

than　anyone。　　Otherwise　I　ought　to　have　got　the　prize。〃



〃It's　quite　an　idea　for　a　Christmas　party；〃　said　

Lady　Blonze；　〃we　must　certainly　do　it　here。〃



Sir　Nicholas　was　not　so　enthusiastic。　　〃Are　you　

quite　sure；　my　dear；　that　you're　wise　in　doing　this　

thing？〃　he　said　to　his　wife　when　they　were　alone　

together。　　〃It　might　do　very　well　at　the　Mathesons；　where　

they　had　rather　a　staid；　elderly　house…party；　but　here　it　

will　be　a　different　matter。　　There　is　the　Durmot　flapper；　

for　instance；　who　simply　stops　at　nothing；　and　you　know　

what　Van　Tahn　is　like。　　Then　there　is　Cyril　Skatterly；　he　

has　madness　on　one　side　of　his　family　and　a　Hungarian　

grandmother　on　the　other。〃



〃I　don't　see　what　they　could　do　that　would　matter；〃　

said　Lady　Blonze。



〃It's　the　unknown　that　is　to　be　dreaded；〃　said　Sir　

Nicholas。　　〃If　Skatterly　took　it　into　his　head　to　

represent　a　Bull　of　Bashan；　well；　I'd　rather　not　be　

here。〃



〃Of　course　we　shan't　allow　any　Bible　characters。　　

Besides；　I　don't　know　what　the　Bulls　of　Bashan　really　did　

that　was　so　very　dreadful；　they　just　came　round　and　

gaped；　as　far　as　I　remember。〃



〃My　dear；　you　don't　know　what　Skatterly's　Hungarian　

imagination　mightn't　read　into　the　part；　it　would　be　

small　satisfaction　to　say　to　him　afterwards：　'You've　

behaved　as　no　Bull　of　Bashan　would　have　behaved。'　〃



〃Oh；　you're　an　alarmist；〃　said　Lady　Blonze；　I　

particularly　want　to　have　this　idea　carried　out。　　It　will　

be　sure　to　be　talked　about　a　lot。〃



〃That　is　quite　possible；〃　said　Sir　Nicholas。





*　*　*　*





Dinner　that　evening　was　not　a　particularly　lively　

affair；　the　strain　of