beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第33章
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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。
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BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
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。
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BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
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。
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BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
〃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
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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
