english stories-london-第7章

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

the　same　as　everonly　he　wore　blue　spectacles；　and　the　shaved　part　of

him　was　painted　a　bright　red。　And　I　woke　up　with　the　joyso；　you

know；　it's　sure　to　come　true！〃



It　will　be　easily　understood　what　torture　conversations　like　these

were　to　me；　and　how　I　hated　myself　as　I　sympathised　and　spoke

encouraging　words　concerning　the　dog's　recovery；　when　I　knew　all　the

time　he　was　lying　hid　under　my　garden　mould。　But　I　took　it　as　a　part

of　my　punishment；　and　bore　it　all　uncomplainingly；　practice　even　made

me　an　adept　in　the　art　of　consolationI　believe　I　really　was　a　great

comfort　to　them。



I　had　hoped　that　they　would　soon　get　over　the　first　bitterness　of

their　loss；　and　that　Bingo　would　be　first　replaced　and　then　forgotten

in　the　usual　way；　but　there　seemed　no　signs　of　this　coming　to　pass。



The　poor　colonel　was　too　plainly　fretting　himself　ill　about　it；　he

went　pottering　about　forlornly；　advertising；　searching；　and　seeing

people；　but　all；　of　course；　to　no　purpose；　and　it　told　upon　him。　He

was　more　like　a　man　whose　only　son　and　heir　had　been　stolen　than　an

Anglo…Indian　officer　who　had　lost　a　poodle。　I　had　to　affect　the

liveliest　interest　in　all　his　inquiries　and　expeditions；　and　to　listen

to　and　echo　the　most　extravagant　eulogies　of　the　departed；　and　the

wear　and　tear　of　so　much　duplicity　made　me　at　last　almost　as　ill　as

the　colonel　himself。



I　could　not　help　seeing　that　Lilian　was　not　nearly　so　much　impressed

by　my　elaborate　concern　as　her　relatives；　and　sometimes　I　detected　an

incredulous　look　in　her　frank　brown　eyes　that　made　me　very　uneasy。

Little　by　little；　a　rift　widened　between　us；　until　at　last　in　despair

I　determined　to　know　the　worst　before　the　time　came　when　it　would　be

hopeless　to　speak　at　all。　I　chose　a　Sunday　evening　as　we　were　walking

across　the　green　from　church　in　the　golden　dusk；　and　then　I　ventured

to　speak　to　her　of　my　love。　She　heard　me　to　the　end；　and　was　evidently

very　much　agitated。　At　last　she　murmured　that　it　could　not　be；　unless

no；　it　never　could　be　now。



〃Unless；　what？〃　I　asked。　〃LilianMiss　Roseblade；　something　has　come

between　us　lately；　you　will　tell　me　what　that　something　is；　won't

you？〃



〃Do　you　want　to　know　/really/？〃　she　said；　looking　up　at　me　through　her

tears。　〃Then　I'll　tell　you；　itit's　Bingo！〃



I　started　back　overwhelmed。　Did　she　know　all？　If　not；　how　much　did　she

suspect？　I　must　find　out　that　at　once。　〃What　about　Bingo？〃　I　managed

to　pronounce；　with　a　dry　tongue。



〃You　never　l…loved　him　when　he　was　here；〃　she　sobbed；　〃you　know　you

didn't！〃



I　was　relieved　to　find　it　was　no　worse　than　this。



〃No；〃　I　said；　candidly；　〃I　did　not　love　Bingo。　Bingo　didn't　love　/me/；

Lilian；　he　was　always　looking　out　for　a　chance　of　nipping　me

somewhere。　Surely　you　won't　quarrel　with　me　for　that！〃



〃Not　for　that；〃　she　said；　〃only；　why　do　you　pretend　to　be　so　fond　of

him　now；　and　so　anxious　to　get　him　back　again？　Uncle　John　believes

you；　but　/I/　don't。　I　can　see　quite　well　that　you　wouldn't　be　glad　to

find　him。　You　could　find　him　easily　if　you　wanted　to！〃



〃What　do　you　mean；　Lilian？〃　I　said；　hoarsely。　〃/How/　could　I　find

him？〃　Again　I　feared　the　worst。



〃You're　in　a　government　office；〃　cried　Lilian；　〃and　if　you　only　chose；

you　could　easily　g…get　g…government　to　find　Bingo！　What's　the　use　of

government　if　it　can't　do　that？　Mr。　Travers　would　have　found　him　long

ago　if　I'd　asked　him！〃



Lilian　had　never　been　so　childishly　unreasonable　as　this　before；　and

yet　I　loved　her　more　madly　than　ever；　but　I　did　not　like　this　allusion

to　Travers；　a　rising　barrister；　who　lived　with　his　sister　in　a　pretty

cottage　near　the　station；　and　had　shown　symptoms　of　being　attracted　by

Lilian。



He　was　away　on　circuit　just　then；　luckily；　but；　at　least；　even　he

would　have　found　it　a　hard　task　to　find　Bingothere　was　comfort　in

that。



〃You　know　that　isn't　just；　Lilian；〃　I　observed；　〃but　only　tell　me　what

you　want　me　to　do。〃



〃Bub…bub…bring　back　Bingo！〃　she　said。



〃Bring　back　Bingo！〃　I　cried；　in　horror。　〃But　suppose　I　/can't/

suppose　he's　out　of　the　country；　ordead；　what　then　Lilian？〃



〃I　can't　help　it；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　don't　believe　he　/is/　out　of　the

country　or　dead。　And　while　I　see　you　pretending　to　uncle　that　you

cared　awfully　about　him；　and　going　on　doing　nothing　at　all；　it　makes

me　think　you're　not　quitequite　/sincere/！　And　I　couldn't　possibly

marry　any　one　while　I　thought　that　of　him。　And　I　shall　always　have

that　feeling　unless　you　find　Bingo！〃



It　was　of　no　use　to　argue　with　her；　I　knew　Lilian　by　that　time。　With

her　pretty；　caressing　manner　she　united　a　latent　obstinacy　which　it

was　hopeless　to　attempt　to　shake。　I　feared；　too；　that　she　was　not

quite　certain　as　yet　whether　she　cared　for　me　or　not；　and　that　this

condition　of　hers　was　an　expedient　to　gain　time。



I　left　her　with　a　heavy　heart。　Unless　I　proved　my　worth　by　bringing

back　Bingo　within　a　very　short　time；　Travers　would　probably　have

everything　his　own　way。　And　Bingo　was　dead！



However；　I　took　heart。　I　thought　that　perhaps　if　I　could　succeed　by　my

earnest　efforts　in　persuading　Lilian　that　I　really　was　doing　all　in　my

power　to　recover　the　poodle；　she　might　relent　in　time；　and　dispense

with　his　actual　production。



So；　partly　with　this　object；　and　partly　to　appease　the　remorse　which

now　revived　and　stung　me　deeper　than　before；　I　undertook　long　and

weary　pilgrimages　after　office　hours。　I　spent　many　pounds　in

advertisements；　I　interviewed　dogs　of　every　size；　colour；　and　breed；

and　of　course　I　took　care　to　keep　Lilian　informed　of　each　successive

failure。　But　still　her　heart　was　not　touched；　she　was　firm。　If　I　went

on　like　that；　she　told　me；　I　was　certain　to　find　Bingo　one　day；　then；

but　not　before；　would　her　doubts　be　set　at　rest。



I　was　walking　one　day　through　the　somewhat　squalid　district　which　lies

between　Bow　Street　and　High　Holborn；　when　I　saw；　in　a　small　theatrical

costumer's　window；　a　hand…bill　stating　that　a　black　poodle　had

〃followed　a　gentleman〃　on　a　certain　date；　and　if　not　claimed　and　the

finder　remunerated　before　a　stated　time　would　be　sold　to　pay　expenses。



I　went　in　and　got　a　copy　of　the　bill　to　show　Lilian；　and；　although　by

that　time　I　scarcely　dared　to　look　a　poodle　in　the　face；　I　thought　I

would　go　to　the　address　given　and　see　the　animal；　simply　to　be　able　to

tell　Lilian　I　had　done　so。



The　gentleman　whom　the　dog　had　very　unaccountably　followed　was　a

certain　Mr。　William　Blagg；　who　kept　a　little　shop　near　Endell　Street；

and　called　himself　a　bird…fancier；　though　I　should　scarcely　have

credited　him　with　the　necessary　imagination。　He　was　an　evil…browed

ruffian　in　a　fur　cap；　with　a　broad　broken　nose　and　little　shifty　red

eyes；　and　after　I　had　told　him　what　I　wanted　he　took　me　through　a

horrible　little　den；　stacked　with　piles　of　wooden；　wire；　and　wicker

prisons；　each　quivering　with　restless；　twittering　life；　and　then　out

into　a　back　yard；　in　which　were　two　or　three　rotten　old　kennels　and

tubs。　〃That　there's　him；〃　he　said；　jerking　his　thumb　to　the　farthest

tub；　〃follered　me　all　the　way　'ome　from　Kinsington　Gardens；　/he/　did。

Kim　out；　will　yer？〃



And　out　of　the　tub　there　crawled　slowly；　with　a　snuffling　whimper　and

a　rattling　of　its　chain；　the　identical　dog　I　had　slain　a　few　evenings

before！



At　least；　so　I　thought　for　a　moment；　and　felt　as　if　I　had　seen　a

spectre；　the　resemblance　was　so　exactin　size；　in　every　detail；　even

to　the　little　clumps　of　hair　about　the　hind　parts；　even　to　the　lop　of

half　an　ear；　this　dog　might　have　been　the　/doppelganger/　of　the

deceased　Bingo。　I　suppose；　after　all；　one　black　poodle　is　very　like

any　other　black　poodle　of　the　same　size；　but　the　likeness　startled　me。



I　think　it　was　then　that　the　idea　occurred　to　me　that　here　was　a

miraculous　chance　of　securing　the　sweetest　girl　in　the　whole　world；

and　at　the　same　time　atoning　for　my　wrong　by　bringing　back　gladness

with　me　to　Shuturgarden。　It　only　needed　a　little　boldness；　one　last

deception；　and　I　could　embrace　truthfulness　once　more。



Almost　unconsciously；　when　my　guide　turned　round　and　asked；　〃Is　that

there　dawg　yourn？〃　I　said　hurriedly；　〃Yes；　yes；　that's　the　dog　I　want；

thatthat's　Bingo！〃



〃He　don't　seem　to　be　a…puttin'　of　'isself　out　about　seein'　you　again；〃

observed　Mr。　Blagg；　as　the　poodle　studied　me　with　calm　interest。



〃Oh；　he's　not　exactly　/my/　dog；　you　see；〃　I　said；　〃he　belongs　to　a

friend　of　mine！〃



He　gave　me　a　quick；　furtive　glance。　〃Then　maybe　you're　mistook　about

him；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　can't　run　no　risks。　I　was　a…goin'　down　in　the

country　this　'ere　werry　evenin'　to　see　a　party　as　lives　at　Wistaria

Willa；　he's　been　a…hadwertisin'　about　a　black　poodle；　/he/　has！〃



〃But　look　here；〃　I　said；　〃that's　/me/。〃



He　gave　me　a　curious　leer。　〃No　offence；　you　know；　guv'nor；〃　he　said；

〃but　I　should　wish　for　some　evidence　as　to　that　afore　I　part　with　a

vallyable　dawg　like　this　'ere！〃



〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃here's　one　of　my　cards；　will　that　do　for　you？〃



He　took　it　and　spelled　it　out　with　a　pretence　of　great　caution；　but　I

saw　well　enough　that　the　old　schoundrel　suspected　that　if　I　had　lost　a

dog　at　all　it　was　not　this　particular　dog。　〃Ah；〃　he　said；　as　he　put　it

in　his　pocket；　〃if　I　part　with　him　to　you　I　must　be　cleared　of　all

risks。　I　can't　afford　to　get　into　trouble　about　no　mistakes。　Unless

you　likes　to　leave　him　for　a　day　or　two　you　must　pay　accordin'；　you

see。〃



I　wanted　to　get　the　hateful　business　over　as　soon　as　possible。　I　did

not　care　what　I　paidLilian　was　worth　all　the　expense！　I　said　I　had

no　doubt　myself　as　to　the　real　ownership　of　the　animal；　but　I　would

give　him　any　sum　in　reason；　and　would　remove　the　dog　at　once。



And　so　we　settled　it。　I　paid　him　an　extortionate　sum；　and　came　away

with　a　duplicate　poodle；　a　canine　counterfeit；　which　I　hoped　to　pass

off　at　Shuturgarden　as　the　long…lost　Bingo。



I　know　it　was　wrong；it　even　came　unpleasantly　near　dog…stealing；

but　I　was　a　desperate　man。　I　saw　Lilian　gradually　slipping　away　from

me；　I　knew　that　nothing　short　of　this　could　ever　recall　her；　I　was

sorely　tempted；　I　had　gone　far　on　the　same　road　already；　it　was　the

old　story　of　being　hung　for　a　sheep。　And　so　I　fell。



Surely　some　who　read　this　will　be　generous　enough　to　consider　the

peculiar　state　of　the　case；　and　mingle　a　little　pity　with　their

contempt。



I　was　dining　in　town　that　evening；　and　took　my　purchase　home　by　a　late

train；　his　demeanour　was　grave　and　intensely　respectable；　he　was　not

the　animal　to　commit　himself　by　any　flagrant　indiscretion；　he　was

gentle　and　tractable　too；　and　in　all　respects　an　agreeable　contrast　in

character　to　the　original。　Still；　it　may　have　been　the　after…dinner

workings　of　conscience；　but　I　could　not　help　fancying　that　I　saw　a

certain　look　in　the　creature's　eyes；　as　if　he　were　aware　that　he　w