beasts and superbeasts-第26章

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〃The　man　is　mad！〃　exclaimed　Adela　tragically。　　A　

moment　later　it　was　Adela　herself　who　appeared　to　go　mad。　　

The　ox　had　finished　the　vase…flowers　and　the　cover　of　

〃Israel　Kalisch；〃　and　appeared　to　be　thinking　of　leaving　

its　rather　restricted　quarters。　　Eshley　noticed　its　

restlessness　and　promptly　flung　it　some　bunches　of　

Virginia　creeper　leaves　as　an　inducement　to　continue　the　

sitting。



〃I　forget　how　the　proverb　runs；〃　he　observed；　of　

something　about　'better　a　dinner　of　herbs　than　a　stalled　

ox　where　hate　is。'　　We　seem　to　have　all　the　ingredients　

for　the　proverb　ready　to　hand。〃



〃I　shall　go　to　the　Public　Library　and　get　them　to　

telephone　for　the　police；〃　announced　Adela；　and；　raging　

audibly；　she　departed。



Some　minutes　later　the　ox；　awakening　probably　to　the　

suspicion　that　oil　cake　and　chopped　mangold　was　waiting　

for　it　in　some　appointed　byre；　stepped　with　much　

precaution　out　of　the　morning…room；　stared　with　grave　

inquiry　at　the　no　longer　obtrusive　and　pea…stick…throwing　

human；　and　then　lumbered　heavily　but　swiftly　out　of　the　

garden。　　Eshley　packed　up　his　tools　and　followed　the　

animal's　example　and　〃Larkdene〃　was　left　to　neuralgia　and　

the　cook。



The　episode　was　the　turning…point　in　Eshley's　

artistic　career。　　His　remarkable　picture；　〃Ox　in　a　

morning…room；　late　autumn；〃　was　one　of　the　sensations　and　

successes　of　the　next　Paris　Salon；　and　when　it　was　

subsequently　exhibited　at　Munich　it　was　bought　by　the　

Bavarian　Government；　in　the　teeth　of　the　spirited　bidding　

of　three　meat…extract　firms。　　From　that　moment　his　

success　was　continuous　and　assured；　and　the　Royal　Academy　

was　thankful；　two　years　later；　to　give　a　conspicuous　

position　on　its　walls　to　his　large　canvas　〃Barbary　Apes　

Wrecking　a　Boudoir。〃



Eshley　presented　Adela　Pingsford　with　a　new　copy　of　

〃Israel　Kalisch；〃　and　a　couple　of　finely　flowering　plants　

of　MADAME　ADNRE　BLUSSET；　but　nothing　in　the　nature　of　a　

real　reconciliation　has　taken　place　between　them。





THE　STORY…TELLER





IT　was　a　hot　afternoon；　and　the　railway　carriage　was　

correspondingly　sultry；　and　the　next　stop　was　at　

Templecombe；　nearly　an　hour　ahead。　　The　occupants　of　the　

carriage　were　a　small　girl；　and　a　smaller　girl；　and　a　

small　boy。　　An　aunt　belonging　to　the　children　occupied　

one　corner　seat；　and　the　further　corner　seat　on　the　

opposite　side　was　occupied　by　a　bachelor　who　was　a　

stranger　to　their　party；　but　the　small　girls　and　the　

small　boy　emphatically　occupied　the　compartment。　　Both　

the　aunt　and　the　children　were　conversational　in　a　

limited；　persistent　way；　reminding　one　of　the　attentions　

of　a　housefly　that　refuses　to　be　discouraged。　　Most　of　

the　aunt's　remarks　seemed　to　begin　with　〃Don't；〃　and　

nearly　all　of　the　children's　remarks　began　with　〃Why？〃　　

The　bachelor　said　nothing　out　loud。　　〃Don't；　Cyril；　

don't；〃　exclaimed　the　aunt；　as　the　small　boy　began　

smacking　the　cushions　of　the　seat；　producing　a　cloud　of　

dust　at　each　blow。



〃Come　and　look　out　of　the　window；〃　she　added。



The　child　moved　reluctantly　to　the　window。　　〃Why　are　

those　sheep　being　driven　out　of　that　field？〃　he　asked。



〃I　expect　they　are　being　driven　to　another　field　

where　there　is　more　grass；〃　said　the　aunt　weakly。



〃But　there　is　lots　of　grass　in　that　field；〃　

protested　the　boy；　〃there's　nothing　else　but　grass　there。　　

Aunt；　there's　lots　of　grass　in　that　field。〃



〃Perhaps　the　grass　in　the　other　field　is　better；〃　

suggested　the　aunt　fatuously。



〃Why　is　it　better？〃　came　the　swift；　inevitable　

question。



〃Oh；　look　at　those　cows！〃　exclaimed　the　aunt。　　

Nearly　every　field　along　the　line　had　contained　cows　or　

bullocks；　but　she　spoke　as　though　she　were　drawing　

attention　to　a　rarity。



〃Why　is　the　grass　in　the　other　field　better？〃　

persisted　Cyril。



The　frown　on　the　bachelor's　face　was　deepening　to　a　

scowl。　　He　was　a　hard；　unsympathetic　man；　the　aunt　

decided　in　her　mind。　　She　was　utterly　unable　to　come　to　

any　satisfactory　decision　about　the　grass　in　the　other　

field。



The　smaller　girl　created　a　diversion　by　beginning　to　

recite　〃On　the　Road　to　Mandalay。〃　　She　only　knew　the　

first　line；　but　she　put　her　limited　knowledge　to　the　

fullest　possible　use。　　She　repeated　the　line　over　and　

over　again　in　a　dreamy　but　resolute　and　very　audible　

voice；　it　seemed　to　the　bachelor　as　though　some　one　had　

had　a　bet　with　her　that　she　could　not　repeat　the　line　

aloud　two　thousand　times　without　stopping。　　Whoever　it　

was　who　had　made　the　wager　was　likely　to　lose　his　bet。



〃Come　over　here　and　listen　to　a　story；〃　said　the　

aunt；　when　the　bachelor　had　looked　twice　at　her　and　once　

at　the　communication　cord。



The　children　moved　listlessly　towards　the　aunt's　end　

of　the　carriage。　　Evidently　her　reputation　as　a　story…

teller　did　not　rank　high　in　their　estimation。



In　a　low；　confidential　voice；　interrupted　at　

frequent　intervals　by　loud；　petulant　questionings　from　

her　listeners；　she　began　an　unenterprising　and　deplorably　

uninteresting　story　about　a　little　girl　who　was　good；　and　

made　friends　with　every　one　on　account　of　her　goodness；　

and　was　finally　saved　from　a　mad　bull　by　a　number　of　

rescuers　who　admired　her　moral　character。



〃Wouldn't　they　have　saved　her　if　she　hadn't　been　

good？〃　demanded　the　bigger　of　the　small　girls。　　It　was　

exactly　the　question　that　the　bachelor　had　wanted　to　ask。



〃Well；　yes；〃　admitted　the　aunt　lamely；　〃but　I　don't　

think　they　would　have　run　quite　so　fast　to　her　help　if　

they　had　not　liked　her　so　much。〃



〃It's　the　stupidest　story　I've　ever　heard；〃　said　the　

bigger　of　the　small　girls；　with　immense　conviction。



〃I　didn't　listen　after　the　first　bit；　it　was　so　

stupid；〃　said　Cyril。



The　smaller　girl　made　no　actual　comment　on　the　

story；　but　she　had　long　ago　recommenced　a　murmured　

repetition　of　her　favourite　line。



〃You　don't　seem　to　be　a　success　as　a　story…teller；〃　

said　the　bachelor　suddenly　from　his　corner。



The　aunt　bristled　in　instant　defence　at　this　

unexpected　attack。



〃It's　a　very　difficult　thing　to　tell　stories　that　

children　can　both　understand　and　appreciate；〃　she　said　

stiffly。



〃I　don't　agree　with　you；〃　said　the　bachelor。



〃Perhaps　you　would　like　to　tell　them　a　story；〃　was　

the　aunt's　retort。



〃Tell　us　a　story；〃　demanded　the　bigger　of　the　small　

girls。



〃Once　upon　a　time；〃　began　the　bachelor；　〃there　was　a　

little　girl　called　Bertha；　who　was　extra…ordinarily　

good。〃



The　children's　momentarily…aroused　interest　began　at　

once　to　flicker；　all　stories　seemed　dreadfully　alike；　no　

matter　who　told　them。



〃She　did　all　that　she　was　told；　she　was　always　

truthful；　she　kept　her　clothes　clean；　ate　milk　puddings　

as　though　they　were　jam　tarts；　learned　her　lessons　

perfectly；　and　was　polite　in　her　manners。〃



〃Was　she　pretty？〃　asked　the　bigger　of　the　small　

girls。



〃Not　as　pretty　as　any　of　you；〃　said　the　bachelor；　

〃but　she　was　horribly　good。〃



There　was　a　wave　of　reaction　in　favour　of　the　story；　

the　word　horrible　in　connection　with　goodness　was　a　

novelty　that　commended　itself。　　It　seemed　to　introduce　a　

ring　of　truth　that　was　absent　from　the　aunt's　tales　of　

infant　life。



〃She　was　so　good；〃　continued　the　bachelor；　〃that　she　

won　several　medals　for　goodness；　which　she　always　wore；　

pinned　on　to　her　dress。　　There　was　a　medal　for　obedience；　

another　medal　for　punctuality；　and　a　third　for　good　

behaviour。　　They　were　large　metal　medals　and　they　clicked　

against　one　another　as　she　walked。　　No　other　child　in　the　

town　where　she　lived　had　as　many　as　three　medals；　so　

everybody　knew　that　she　must　be　an　extra　good　child。〃



〃Horribly　good；〃　quoted　Cyril。



〃Everybody　talked　about　her　goodness；　and　the　Prince　

of　the　country　got　to　hear　about　it；　and　he　said　that　as　

she　was　so　very　good　she　might　be　allowed　once　a　week　to　

walk　in　his　park；　which　was　just　outside　the　town。　　It　

was　a　beautiful　park；　and　no　children　were　ever　allowed　

in　it；　so　it　was　a　great　honour　for　Bertha　to　be　allowed　

to　go　there。〃



〃Were　there　any　sheep　in　the　park？〃　demanded　Cyril。



〃No；〃　said　the　bachelor；　〃there　were　no　sheep。〃



〃Why　weren't　there　any　sheep？〃　came　the　inevitable　

question　arising　out　of　that　answer。



The　aunt　permitted　herself　a　smile；　which　might　

almost　have　been　described　as　a　grin。



〃There　were　no　sheep　in　the　park；〃　said　the　

bachelor；　〃because　the　Prince's　mother　had　once　had　a　

dream　that　her　son　would　either　be　killed　by　a　sheep　or　

else　by　a　clock　falling　on　him。　　For　that　reason　the　

Prince　never　kept　a　sheep　in　his　park　or　a　clock　in　his　

palace。〃



The　aunt　suppressed　a　gasp　of　admiration。



〃Was　the　Prince　killed　by　a　sheep　or　by　a　clock？〃　

asked　Cyril。



〃He　is　still　alive；　so　we　can't　tell　whether　the　

dream　will　come　true；〃　said　the　bachelor　unconcernedly；　

〃anyway；　there　were　no　sheep　in　the　park；　but　there　were　

lots　of　little　pigs　running　all　over　the　place。〃



〃What　colour　were　they？〃



〃Black　with　white　faces；　white　with　black　spots；　

black　all　over；　grey　with　white　patches；　and　some　were　

white　all　over。〃



The　storyteller　paused　to　let　a　full　idea　of　the　

park's　treasures　sink　into　the　children's　imaginations；　

then　he　resumed：



〃Bertha　was　rather　sorry　to　find　that　there　were　no　

flowers　in　the　park。　　She　had　promised　her　aunts；　with　

tears　in　her　eyes；　that　she　would　not　pick　any　of　the　

kind　Prince's　flowers；　and　she　had　meant　to　keep　her　

promise；　so　of　course　it　made　her　feel　silly　to　find　that　

there　were　no　flowers　to　pick。〃



〃Why　weren't　there　any　flowers？〃



〃Because　the　pigs　had　eaten　them　all；〃　said　the　

bachelor　promptly。　　〃The　gardeners　had　told　the　Prince　

that　you　couldn't　have　pigs　and　flowers；　so　he　decided　to　

have　pigs　and　no　flowers。〃



There　was　a　murmur　of　approval　at　the　excellence　of　

the　Prince's　decision；　so　many　people　would　have　decided　

the　other　way。



〃There　were　lots　of　other　delightful　things　in　the　

park。　　There　were　ponds　with　gold　and　blue　and　green　fish　

in　them；　and　trees　with　beautiful　parrots　that　said　

clever　things　at　a　moment's　notice；　and　humming　birds　

that　hummed　all　the　popular　tunes　of　the　day。　　Bertha　

walked　up　and　down　and　enjoyed　herself　immensely；　and　

thought　to　herself：　'If　I　were　not　so　extraordinarily　

good　I　should　not　have　been　allowed　to　come　into　this　

beautiful　park　and　enjoy　all　that　there　is　to　be　seen　in　

it；'　and　her　three　medals　clinked　against　one　another　as　

she　walked　and　helped　to　remind　her　how　very　good　she　

really　was。　　Just　then　an　enormous　wolf　came　prowling　

into　the　park　to　see　if　it　could　catch　a　fat　little　pig　

for　its　supper。〃



〃What　colour　was　it？〃　asked　the　children；　amid　an　

immediate　quickening　of　interest。



〃Mud…colour　al