english stories-london-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Should　I　send　Bingo　in；　with　a　card　tied　to　his　neck　and　my　regrets

and　compliments？　That　was　too　much　like　a　present　of　game。　Ought　I　not

to　carry　him　in　myself？　I　would　wreathe　him　in　the　best　crape；　I　would

put　on　black　for　him；　the　Curries　would　hardly　consider　a　taper　and　a

white　sheet；　or　sack…cloth　and　ashes；　an　excessive　form　of　atonement；

but　I　could　not　grovel　to　quite　such　an　abject　extent。



I　wondered　what　the　colonel　would　say。　Simple　and　hearty；　as　a　general

rule；　he　had　a　hot　temper　on　occasions；　and　it　made　me　ill　as　I

thought；　would　he　and；　worse　still；　would　/Lilian/　believe　it　was

really　an　accident？　They　knew　what　an　interest　I　had　in　silencing　the

deceased　poodlewould　they　believe　the　simple　truth？



I　vowed　that　they　/should/　believe　me。　My　genuine　remorse　and　the

absence　of　all　concealment　on　my　part　would　speak　powerfully　for　me。　I

would　choose　a　favourable　time　for　my　confession；　that　very　evening　I

would　tell　all。



Still　I　shrank　from　the　duty　before　me；　and；　as　I　knelt　down

sorrowfully　by　the　dead　form　and　respectfully　composed　his　stiffening

limbs；　I　thought　that　it　was　unjust　of　fate　to　place　a　well…meaning

man；　whose　nerves　were　not　of　iron；　in　such　a　position。



Then；　to　my　horror；　I　heard　a　well…known　ringing　tramp　on　the　road

outside；　and　smelled　the　peculiar　fragrance　of　a　Burmese　cheroot。　It

was　the　colonel　himself；　who　had　been　taking　out　the　doomed　Bingo　for

his　usual　evening　run。



I　don't　know　how　it　was；　exactly；　but　a　sudden　panic　came　over　me。　I

held　my　breath；　and　tried　to　crouch　down　unseen　behind　the　laurels；

but　he　had　seen　me；　and　came　over　at　once　to　speak　to　me　across　the

hedge。



He　stood　there；　not　two　yards　from　his　favourite's　body！　Fortunately

it　was　unusually　dark　that　evening。



〃Ha；　there　you　are；　eh！〃　he　began；　heartily；　〃don't　rise；　my　boy；

don't　rise。〃



I　was　trying　to　put　myself　in　front　of　the　poodle；　and　did　not　rise

at　least；　only　my　hair　did。



〃You're　out　late；　ain't　you？〃　he　went　on；　〃laying　out　your　garden；

hey？〃



I　could　not　tell　him　that　I　was　laying　out　his　poodle！　My　voice　shook

as；　with　a　guilty　confusion　that　was　veiled　by　the　dusk；　I　said　it　was

a　fine　eveningwhich　it　was　not。



〃Cloudy；　sir；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃cloudy；　rain　before　morning；　I

think。　By　the　way；　have　you　seen　anything　of　Bingo　in　here？〃



This　was　the　turning…point。　What　I　/ought/　to　have　done　was　to　say

mournfully；　〃Yes；　I'm　sorry　to　say　I've　had　a　most　unfortunate

accident　with　him。　Here　he　is；　the　fact　is；　I'm　afraid　I've　/shot/

him！〃



But　I　couldn't。　I　could　have　told　him　at　my　own　time；　in　a　prepared

form　of　wordsbut　not　then。　I　felt　I　must　use　all　my　wits　to　gain

time；　and　fence　with　the　questions。



〃Why；〃　I　said；　with　a　leaden　airiness；　〃he　hasn't　given　you　the　slip；

has　he？〃



〃Never　did　such　a　thing　in　his　life！〃　said　the　colonel；　warmly；　〃he

rushed　off　after　a　rat　or　a　frog　or　something　a　few　minutes　ago；　and

as　I　stopped　to　light　another　cheroot　I　lost　sight　of　him。　I　thought　I

saw　him　slip　in　under　your　gate；　but　I've　been　calling　him　from　the

front　there　and　he　won't　come　out。〃



No；　and　he　never　/would/　come　out　any　more。　But　the　colonel　must　not

be　told　that　just　yet。　I　temporised　again：　〃If；〃　I　said；　unsteadily

〃if　he　had　slipped　in　under　the　gate　I　should　have　seen　him。　Perhaps

he　took　it　into　his　head　to　run　home？〃



〃Oh；　I　shall　find　him　on　the　door…step；　I　expect；　the　knowing　old

scamp！　Why；　what　d'　ye　think　was　the　last　thing　he　did；　now？〃



I　could　have　given　him　the　very　latest　intelligence；　but　I　dared　not。

However；　it　was　altogether　too　ghastly　to　kneel　there　and　laugh　at

anecdotes　of　Bingo　told　across　Bingo's　dead　body；　I　could　not　stand

that。　〃Listen；〃　I　said；　suddenly；　〃wasn't　that　his　bark？　There；　again；

it　seems　to　come　from　the　front　of　your　house；　don't　you　think？〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃I'll　go　and　fasten　him　up　before　he's　off

again。　How　your　teeth　are　chattering！　You've　caught　a　chill；　man；　go

indoors　at　once；　and；　if　you　feel　equal　to　it；　look　in　half　an　hour

later；　about　grog…time；　and　I'll　tell　you　all　about　it。　Compliments　to

your　mother。　Don't　forgetabout　grog…time！〃



I　had　got　rid　of　him　at　last；　and　I　wiped　my　forehead；　gasping　with

relief。　I　would　go　round　in　half　an　hour；　and　then　I　should　be

prepared　to　make　my　melancholy　announcement。　For；　even　then；　I　never

thought　of　any　other　course；　until　suddenly　it　flashed　upon　me　with

terrible　clearness　that　my　miserable　shuffling　by　the　hedge　had　made

it　impossible　to　tell　the　truth！　I　had　not　told　a　direct　lie；　to　be

sure；　but　then　I　had　given　the　colonel　the　impression　that　I　had

denied　having　seen　the　dog。　Many　people　can　appease　their　consciences

by　reflecting　that；　whatever　may　be　the　effect　their　words　produce；

they　did　contrive　to　steer　clear　of　a　downright　lie。　I　never　quite

knew　where　the　distinction　lay　morally；　but　there　/is/　that　feelingI

have　it　myself。



Unfortunately；　prevarication　has　this　drawback：　that；　if　ever　the

truth　comes　to　light；　the　prevaricator　is　in　just　the　same　case　as　if

he　had　lied　to　the　most　shameless　extent；　and　for　a　man　to　point　out

that　the　words　he　used　contained　no　absolute　falsehood　will　seldom

restore　confidence。



I　might；　of　course；　still　tell　the　colonel　of　my　misfortune；　and　leave

him　to　infer　that　it　had　happened　after　our　interview；　but　the　poodle

was　fast　becoming　cold　and　stiff；　and　they　would　most　probably　suspect

the　real　time　of　the　occurrence。



And　then　Lilian　would　hear　that　I　had　told　a　string　of　falsehoods　to

her　uncle　over　the　dead　body　of　their　idolised　Bingoan　act；　no

doubt；　of　abominable　desecration；　of　unspeakable　profanity；　in　her

eyes。



If　it　would　have　been　difficult　before　to　prevail　on　her　to　accept　a

blood…stained　hand；　it　would　be　impossible　after　that。　No；　I　had

burned　my　ships；　I　was　cut　off　for　ever　from　the　straightforward

course；　that　one　moment　of　indecision　had　decided　my　conduct　in　spite

of　me；　I　must　go　on　with　it　now；　and　keep　up　the　deception　at　all

hazards。



It　was　bitter。　I　had　always　tried　to　preserve　as　many　of　the　moral

principles　which　had　been　instilled　into　me　as　can　be　conveniently

retained　in　this　grasping　world；　and　it　had　been　my　pride　that；

roughly　speaking；　I　had　never　been　guilty　of　an　unmistakable

falsehood。



But　henceforth；　if　I　meant　to　win　Lilian；　that　boast　must　be

relinquished　for　ever。　I　should　have　to　lie　now　with　all　my　might；

without　limit　or　scruple；　to　dissemble　incessantly；　and　〃wear　a　mask；〃

as　the　poet　Bunn　beautifully　expressed　it　long　ago；　〃over　my　hollow

heart。〃　I　felt　all　this　keenly；　I　did　not　think　it　was　right；　but　what

was　I　to　do？



After　thinking　all　this　out　very　carefully；　I　decided　that　my　only

course　was　to　bury　the　poor　animal　where　he　fell；　and　say　nothing

about　it。　With　some　vague　idea　of　precaution；　I　first　took　off　the

silver　collar　he　wore；　and　then　hastily　interred　him　with　a　garden…

trowel；　and　succeeded　in　removing　all　traces　of　the　disaster。



I　fancy　I　felt　a　certain　relief　in　the　knowledge　that　there　would　now

be　no　necessity　to　tell　my　pitiful　story　and　risk　the　loss　of　my

neighbours'　esteem。



By…and…by；　I　thought；　I　would　plant　a　rose…tree　over　his　remains；　and

some　day；　as　Lilian　and　I；　in　the　noontide　of　our　domestic　bliss；

stood　before　it　admiring　its　creamy　luxuriance；　I　might　（perhaps）　find

courage　to　confess　that　the　tree　owed　some　of　that　luxuriance　to　the

long…lost　Bingo。



There　was　a　touch　of　poetry　in　this　idea　that　lightened　my　gloom　for

the　moment。



I　need　scarcely　say　that　I　did　not　go　round　to　Shuturgarden　that

evening。　I　was　not　hardened　enough　for　that　yet；　my　manner　might

betray　me；　and　so　I　very　prudently　stayed　at　home。



But　that　night　my　sleep　was　broken　by　frightful　dreams。　I　was

perpetually　trying　to　bury　a　great；　gaunt　poodle；　which　would　persist

in　rising　up　through　the　damp　mould　as　fast　as　I　covered　him　up。　。　。　。

Lilian　and　I　were　engaged；　and　we　were　in　church　together　on　Sunday；

and　the　poodle；　resisting　all　attempts　to　eject　him；　forbade　our　bans

with　sepulchral　barks。　。　。　。　It　was　our　wedding…day；　and　at　the

critical　moment　the　poodle　leaped　between　us　and　swallowed　the

ring。　。　。　。　Or　we　were　at　the　wedding…breakfast；　and　Bingo；　a　grisly

black　skeleton　with　flaming　eyes；　sat　on　the　cake　and　would　not　allow

Lilian　to　cut　it。　Even　the　rose…tree　fancy　was　reproduced　in　a

distorted　formthe　tree　grew；　and　every　blossom　contained　a　miniature

Bingo；　which　barked；　and　as　I　woke　I　was　desperately　trying　to

persuade　the　colonel　that　they　were　ordinary　dog…roses。



I　went　up　to　the　office　next　day　with　my　gloomy　secret　gnawing　my

bosom；　and；　whatever　I　did；　the　spectre　of　the　murdered　poodle　rose

before　me。　For　two　days　after　that　I　dared　not　go　near　the　Curries；

until　at　last　one　evening　after　dinner　I　forced　myself　to　call；

feeling　that　it　was　really　not　safe　to　keep　away　any　longer。



My　conscience　smote　me　as　I　went　in。　I　put　on　an　unconscious；　easy

manner；　which　was　such　a　dismal　failure　that　it　was　lucky　for　me　that

they　were　too　much　engrossed　to　notice　it。



I　never　before　saw　a　family　so　stricken　down　by　a　domestic　misfortune

as　the　group　I　found　in　the　drawing…room；　making　a　dejected　pretence

of　reading　or　working。　We　talked　at　firstand　hollow　talk　it　wason

indifferent　subjects；　till　I　could　bear　it　no　longer；　and　plunged

boldly　into　danger。



〃I　don't　see　the　dog；〃　I　began；　〃I　suppose　youyou　found　him　all

right　the　other　evening；　colonel？〃　I　wondered；　as　I　spoke；　whether

they　would　not　notice　the　break　in　my　voice；　but　they　did　not。



〃Why；　the　fact　is；〃　said　the　colonel；　heavily；　gnawing　his　gray

moustache；　〃we've　not　heard　anything　of　him　since；　he'she's　run

off！〃



〃Gone；　Mr。　Weatherhead；　gone　without　a　word！〃　said　Mrs。　Currie；

plaintively；　as　if　she　thought　the　dog　might　at　least　have　left　an

address。



〃I　wouldn't　have　believed　it　of　him；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃it　has

completely　knocked　me　over。　Haven't　been　so　cut　up　for　yearsthe

ungrateful　rascal！〃



〃O　uncle！〃　pleaded　Lilian；　〃don't　talk　like　that；　perhaps　Bingo

couldn't　help　itperhaps　some　one　has　s…s…shot　him！〃



〃Shot！〃　cried　the　colonel；　angrily。　〃By　heaven！　if　I　thought　there　was

a　villain　on　earth　capable　of　shooting　that　poor　inoffensive　dog；

I'd　Why　/should/　they　shoot　him；　Lilian？　Tell　me　that！　II　hope　you

won't　let　me　hear　you　talk　like　that　again。　/You/　don't　think　he's

shot；　eh；　Weatherhead？〃



I　saidHeaven　forgive　me！that　I　thought　it　highly　improbable。



〃He's　not　dead！〃　cried　Mrs。　Currie。　〃If　he　were　dead　I　should　know　it

somehowI'm　sure　I　should！　But　I'm　certain　he's　alive。　Only　last

night　I　had　such　a　beautiful　dream　about　him。　I　thought　he　came　back

to　us；　Mr。　Weatherhead；　driving　up　in　a　hansom…cab；　and　he　was　just

the　same　as　everonly　he　wore　bl