english stories-london-第8章

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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　was

required　to　connive　at　a　fraud；　and　rather　resented　it。



If　he　would　only　be　good　enough　to　back　me　up！　Fortunately；　however；

he　was　such　a　perfect　facsimile　of　the　outward　Bingo　that　the　risk　of

detection　was　really　inconsiderable。



When　I　got　him　home　I　put　Bingo's　silver　collar　round　his　neck；

congratulating　myself　on　my　forethought　in　preserving　it；　and　took　him

in　to　see　my　mother。　She　accepted　him　as　what　he　seemed　without　the

slightest　misgiving；　but　this；　though　it　encouraged　me　to　go　on；　was

not　decisivethe　spurious　poodle　would　have　to　encounter　the　scrutiny

of　those　who　knew　every　tuft　on　the　genuine　animal's　body！



Nothing　would　have　induced　me　to　undergo　such　an　ordeal　as　that　of

personally　restoring　him　to　the　Curries。　We　gave　him　supper；　and　tied

him　up　on　the　lawn；　where　he　howled　dolefully　all　night　and　buried

bones。



The　next　morning　I　wrote　a　note　to　Mrs。　Currie；　expressing　my　pleasure

at　being　able　to　restore　the　lost　one；　and　another　to　Lilian；

containing　only　the　words；　〃Will　you　believe　/now/　that　I　am　sincere？〃

Then　I　tied　both　round　the　poodle's　neck；　and　dropped　him　over　the

wall　into　the　colonel's　garden　just　before　I　started　to　catch　my　train

to　town。







I　had　an　anxious　walk　home　from　the　station　that　evening；　I　went　round

by　the　longer　way；　trembling　the　whole　time　lest　I　should　meet　any　of

the　Currie　household；　to　which　I　felt　myself　entirely　unequal　just

then。　I　could　not　rest　until　I　knew　whether　my　fraud　had　succeeded；　or

if　the　poodle　to　which　I　had　intrusted　my　fate　had　basely　betrayed　me；

but　my　suspense　was　happily　ended　as　soon　as　I　entered　my　mother's

room。　〃You　can't　think　how　delighted　those　poor　Curries　were　to　see

Bingo　again；〃　she　said　at　once；　〃and　they　said　such　charming　things

about　you；　AlgyLilian　particularly；　quite　affected　she　seemed；　poor

child！　And　they　wanted　you　to　go　round　and　dine　there　and　be　thanked

to…night；　but　at　last　I　persuaded　them　to　come　to　us　instead。　And

they're　going　to　bring　the　dog　to　make　friends。　Oh；　and　I　met　Frank

Travers；　he's　back　from　circuit　again　now；　so　I　asked　him　in　too　to

meet　them！〃



I　drew　a　deep　breath　of　relief。　I　had　played　a　desperate　game；　but　I

had　won！　I　could　have　wished；　to　be　sure；　that　my　mother　had　not

thought　of　bringing　in　Travers　on　that　of　all　evenings；　but　I　hoped

that　I　could　defy　him　after　this。



The　colonel　and　his　people　were　the　first　to　arrive；　he　and　his　wife

being　so　effusively　grateful　that　they　made　me　very　uncomfortable

indeed；　Lilian　met　me　with　downcast　eyes　and　the　faintest　possible

blush；　but　she　said　nothing　just　then。　Five　minutes　afterward；　when

she　and　I　were　alone　together　in　the　conservatory；　where　I　had　brought

her　on　pretence　of　showing　a　new　begonia；　she　laid　her　hand　on　my

sleeve　and　whispered；　almost　shyly；　〃Mr。　WeatherheadAlgernon！　Can

you　ever　forgive　me　for　being　so　cruel　and　unjust　to　you？〃　And　I

replied　that；　upon　the　whole；　I　could。



We　were　not　in　the　conservatory　long；　but　before　we　left　it　beautiful

Lilian　Roseblade　had　consented　to　make　my　life　happy。　When　we

reentered　the　drawing…room　we　found　Frank　Travers；　who　had　been　told

the　story　of　the　recovery；　and　I　observed　his　jaw　fall　as　he　glanced

at　our　faces；　and　noted　the　triumphant　smile　which　I　have　no　doubt

mine　wore；　and　the　tender；　dreamy　look　in　Lilian's　soft　eyes。　Poor

Travers！　I　was　sorry　for　him；　although　I　was　not　fond　of　him。　Travers

was　a　good　type　of　rising　young　common…law　barrister；　tall；　not　bad…

looking；　with　keen　dark　eyes；　black　whiskers；　and　the　mobile　forensic

mouth　which　can　express　every　shade　of　feeling；　from　deferential

assent　to　cynical　incredulity；　possessed；　too；　of　an　endless　flow　of

conversation　that　was　decidedly　agreeable；　if　a　trifling　too

laboriously　so；　he　had　been　a　dangerous　rival。　But　all　that　was　over

now；　he　saw　it　himself　at　once；　and　during　dinner　sank　into　dismal

silence；　gazing　pathetically　at　Lilian；　and　sighing　almost　obtrusively

between　the　courses。　His　stream　of　small　talk　seemed　to　have　been　cut

off　at　the　main。



〃You've　done　a　kind　thing；　Weatherhead；〃　said　the　colonel。　〃I　can't

tell　you　all　that　dog　is　to　me；　and　how　I　missed　the　poor　beast。　I'd

quite　given　up　all　hope　of　ever　seeing　him　again；　and　all　the　time

there　was　Weatherhead；　Mr。　Travers；　quietly　searching　all　London　till

he　found　him！　I　sha'n't　forget　it。　It　shows　a　really　kind　feeling。〃



I　saw　by　Travers's　face　that　he　was　telling　himself　he　would　have

found　fifty　Bingos　in　half　the　timeif　he　had　only　thought　of　it；　he

smiled　a　melancholy　assent　to　all　the　colonel　said；　and　then　began　to

study　me　with　an　obviously　depreciatory　air。



〃You　can't　think；〃　I　heard　Mrs。　Currie　telling　my　mother；　〃how　really

/touching/　it　was　to　see　poor　Bingo's　emotion　at　seeing　all　the　old

familiar　objects　again！　He　went　up　and　sniffed　at　them　all　in　turn；

quite　plainly　recognising　everything。　And　he　was　quite　put　out　to　find

that　we　had　moved　his　favourite　ottoman　out　of　the　drawing…room。　But

he　/is/　so　penitent　too；　and　so　ashamed　of　having　run　away；　he　kept

under　a　chair　in　the　hall　all　the　morning；　he　wouldn't　come　in　here；

either；　so　we　had　to　leave　him　in　your　garden。〃



〃He's　been　sadly　out　of　spirits　all　day；〃　said　Lilian；　〃he　hasn't

bitten　one　of　the　tradespeople。〃



〃Oh；　/he's/　all　right；　the　rascal！〃　said　the　colonel；　cheerily。　〃He'll

be　after　the　cats　again　as　well　as　ever　in　a　day　or　two。〃



〃Ah；　those　cats！〃　said　my　poor　innocent　mother。　〃Algy；　you　haven't

tried　the　air…gun　on　them　again　lately；　have　you？　They're　worse　than

ever。〃



I　troubled　the　colonel　to　pass　the　claret。　Travers　laughed　for　the

first　time。　〃That's　a　good　idea；〃　he　said；　in　that　carrying　〃bar…mess〃

voice　of　his；　〃an　air…gun　for　cats；　ha；　ha！　Make　good　bags；　eh；

Weatherhead？〃　I　said　that　I　did；　/very/　good　bags；　and　felt　I　was

getting　painfully　red　in　the　face。



〃Oh；　Algy　is　an　excellent　shotquite　a　sportsman；〃　said　my　mother。　〃I

remember；　oh；　long　ago；　when　we　lived　at　Hammersmith；　he　had　a　pistol；

and　he　used　to　strew　crumbs　in　the　garden　for　the　sparrows；　and　shoot

at　them　out　of　the　pantry　window；　he　frequently　hit　one。〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　colonel；　not　much　impressed　by　these　sporting

reminiscences；　〃don't　go　rolling　over　our　Bingo　by　mistake；　you　know；

Weatherhead；　my　boy。　Not　but　what　you've　a　sort　of　right　after　this

only　don't。　I　wouldn't　go　through　it　all　twice　for　anything。〃



〃If　you　really　won't　take　any　more　wine；〃　I　said；　hurriedly；

addressing　the　colonel　and　Travers；　〃suppose　we　all　go　out　and　have

our　coffee　on　the　lawn？　Itit　will　be　cooler　there。〃　For　it　was

getting　very　hot　indoors；　I　thought。



I　left　Travers　to　amuse　the　ladieshe　could　do　no　more　harm　now；　and；

taking　the　colonel　aside；　I　seized　the　opportunity；　as　we　strolled　up

and　down　the　garden　path；　to　ask　his　consent　to　Lilian's　engagement　to

me。　He　gave　it　cordially。　〃There's　not　a　man　in　England；〃　he　said；

〃that　I'd　sooner　see　her　married　to　after　to…day。　You're　a　quiet；

steady　young　fellow；　and　you've　a　good　kind　heart。　As　for　the　money；

that's　neither　here　nor　there；　Lilian　won't　come　to　you　without　a

penny；　you　know。　But　really；　my　boy；　you　can　hardly　believe　what　it　is

to　my　poor　wife　and　me　to　see　that　dog。　Why；　bless　my　soul；　look　at

him　now！　What's　the　matter　with　him；　eh？〃



To　my　unutterable　horror；　I　saw　that　that　miserable　poodle；　after

begging　unnoticed　at　the　tea…table　for　some　time；　had　retired　to　an

open　space　before　it；　where　he　was　industriously　standing　on　his　head。



We　gathered　round　and　examined　the　animal　curiously；　as　he　continued

to　balance　himself　gravely　in　his　abnormal　position。　〃Good　gracious；

John；〃　cried　Mrs。　Currie；　〃I　never　saw　Bingo　do　such　a　thing　before　in

his　life！〃



〃Very　odd；〃　said　the　colonel；　putting　up　his　glasses；　〃never　learned

that　from　/me/。〃



〃I　tell　you　what　I　fancy　it　is；〃　I　suggested　wildly。　〃You　see；　he　was

always　a　sensitive；　excitable　animal；　and　perhaps　thethe　sudden　joy

of　his　return　has　gone　to　his　head/upset/　him；　you　know。〃



They　seemed　disposed　to　accept　this　solution；　and；　indeed；　I　believe

they　would　have　credited　Bingo　with　every　conceivable　degree　of

sensibility；　but　I　felt　myself　that　if　this　unhappy　animal　had　many

more　of　these　accomplishments　I　was　undone；　for　the　original　Bingo　had

never　been　a　dog　of　parts。



〃It's　very　odd；〃　said　Travers；　reflectively；　as　the　dog　recovered　his

proper　level；　〃but　I　always　thought　that　it　was　half　the　/right/　ear

that　Bingo　had　lost。〃



〃So　it　is；　isn't　it？〃　said　the　colonel。　〃Left；　eh？　Well；　I　thought

myself　it　was　the　right。〃



My　heart　almost　stopped　with　terror；　I　had　altogether　forgotten　that。

I　hastened　to　set　the　point　at　rest。　〃Oh；　it　/was/　the　left；〃　I　said；

positively；　〃I　know　it　because　I　remember　so　particularly　thinking　how

odd　it　was　that　it　/should/　be　the　left　ear；　and　not　the　right！〃　I

told　myself　this　should　be　positively　my　last　lie。



〃/Why/　odd？〃　asked　Frank　Travers；　with　his　most　offensive　Socratic

manner。



〃My　dear　fellow；　I　can't　tell　you；〃　I　said；　impatiently；　〃everything

seems　odd　when　you　come　to　think　at　all　about　it。〃



〃Algernon；〃　said　Lilian；　later　on；　〃will　you　tell　Aunt　Mary　and　Mr。

Travers　andme　how　it　was　you　came　to　find　Bingo？　Mr。　Travers　is

quite　anxious　to　hear　all　about　it。〃



I　could　not　very　well　refuse；　I　sat　down　and　told　the　story；　all　my

own　way。　I　painted　Blagg　perhaps　rather　bigger　and　blacker　than　life；

and　described　an　exciting　scene；　in　which　I　recognised　Bingo　by　his

collar　in　the　streets；　and　claimed　and　bore　him　off　then　and　there　in

spite　of　all　opposition。



I　had　the　inexpressible　pleasure　of　seeing　Travers　grinding　his　teeth

with　envy　as　I　went　on；　and　feeling　Lilian's　soft；　slender　hand　glide

silently　into　mine　as　I　told　my　tale　in　the　twilight。



All　at　once；　just　as　I　reached　the　climax；　we　heard　the　poodle　barking

furiously　at　the　hedge　which　separated　my　garden　from　the　road。



〃There's　a　foreign…looking　man　staring　over　the　hedge；〃　said　Lilian；

〃Bingo　always　/did/　hate　foreigners。〃



There　certainly　was　a　swarthy　man　there；　and；　though　I　had　no　reason

for　it　then；　somehow　my　heart　died　within　me　at　the　sight　of　him。



〃Don't　be　alarmed；　sir；〃　cried　the　colonel；　〃the　dog　won't　bite　you

unless　there's　a　hole　in　the　hedge　anywhere。〃



The　stranger　took　off　his　small　straw　hat　with　a　sweep。　〃Ah；　I　am　not

afraid；〃　he　said；　and　his　accent　proclaimed　him　a　Frenchman；　〃he　is

not　enrage　at　me。　May　I　ask；　it　is　pairmeet　to　speak　viz　Misterre

Vezzered？〃



I　felt　I　must　deal　with　this　person　alone；　for　I　feared　the　worst；

and；　asking　them　to　excuse　me；　I　went　to　the　hedge　and　faced　the

Frenchman　with　the　frightful　calm