beasts and superbeasts-第34章

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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　

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