the wheels of chance-第23部分

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〃Fancy　seeing　a　lion！　Weren't　you　frightened？〃

Mr。　Hoopdriver　was　now　thoroughly　sorry　he　had　accepted　that　offer　of　South　Africa。　He　puffed　his　cigarette　and　regarded　the　Solent　languidly　as　he　settled　the　fate　on　that　lion　in　his　mind。　〃I　scarcely　had　time；〃　he　said。　〃It　all　happened　in　a　minute。〃

〃Go　on；〃　she　said。

〃I　was　going　across　the　inner　paddock　where　the　fatted　ostriches　were。〃

〃Did　you　EAT　ostriches；　then？　I　did　not　know〃

〃Eat　them！often。　Very　nice　they　ARE　too；　properly　stuffed。　Well；　weI；　ratherwas　going　across　this　paddock；　and　I　saw　something　standing　up　in　the　moonlight　and　looking　at　me。〃　Mr。　Hoopdriver　was　in　a　hot　perspiration　now。　His　invention　seemed　to　have　gone　limp。　〃Luckily　I　had　my　father's　gun　with　me。　I　was　scared；　though；　I　can　tell　you。　（Puff。）　I　just　aimed　at　the　end　that　I　thought　was　the　head。　And　let　fly。　（Puff。）　And　over　it　went；　you　know。〃

〃Dead？〃

〃AS　dead。　It　was　one　of　the　luckiest　shots　I　ever　fired。　And　I　wasn't　much　over　nine　at　the　time；　neither。〃

〃_I_　should　have　screamed　and　run　away。〃

〃There's　some　things　you　can't　run　away　from；〃　said　Mr。　Hoopdriver。　〃To　run　would　have　been　Death。〃

〃I　don't　think　I　ever　met　a　lion…killer　before；〃　she　remarked；　evidently　with　a　heightened　opinion　of　him。

There　was　a　pause。　She　seemed　meditating　further　questions。　Mr。　Hoopdriver　drew　his　watch　hastily。　〃I　say；〃　said　Mr。　Hoopdriver；　showing　it　to　her；　〃don't　you　think　we　ought　to　be　getting　on？〃

His　face　was　flushed；　his　ears　bright　red。　She　ascribed　his　confusion　to　modesty。　He　rose　with　a　lion　added　to　the　burthens　of　his　conscience；　and　held　out　his　hand　to　assist　her。　They　walked　down　into　Cosham　again；　resumed　their　machines；　and　went　on　at　a　leisurely　pace　along　the　northern　shore　of　the　big　harbour。　But　Mr。　Hoopdriver　was　no　longer　happy。　This　horrible；　this　fulsome　lie；　stuck　in　his　memory。　Why　HAD　he　done　it？　She　did　not　ask　for　any　more　South　African　stories；　happilyat　least　until　Porchester　was　reachedbut　talked　instead　of　Living　One's　Own　Life；　and　how　custom　hung　on　people　like　chains。　She　talked　wonderfully；　and　set　Hoopdriver's　mind　fermenting。　By　the　Castle；　Mr。　Hoopdriver　caught　several　crabs　in　little　shore　pools。　At　Fareham　they　stopped　for　a　second　tea；　and　left　the　place　towards　the　hour　of　sunset；　under　such　invigorating　circumstances　as　you　shall　in　due　course　hear。



THE　RESCUE　EXPEDITION

XXX

And　now　to　tell　of　those　energetic　chevaliers；　Widgery；　Dangle；　and　Phipps；　and　of　that　distressed　beauty；　'Thomas　Plantagenet；'　well　known　in　society；　so　the　paragraphs　said；　as　Mrs。　Milton。　We　left　them　at　Midhurst　station；　if　I　remember　rightly；　waiting；　in　a　state　of　fine　emotion；　for　the　Chichester　train。　It　was　clearly　understood　by　the　entire　Rescue　Party　that　Mrs。　Milton　was　bearing　up　bravely　against　almost　overwhelming　grief。　The　three　gentlemen　outdid　one　another　in　sympathetic　expedients；　they　watched　her　gravely　almost　tenderly。　The　substantial　Widgery　tugged　at　his　moustache；　and　looked　his　unspeakable　feelings　at　her　with　those　dog…like；　brown　eyes　of　his；　the　slender　Dangle　tugged　at　HIS　moustache；　and　did　what　he　could　with　unsympathetic　grey　ones。　Phipps；　unhappily；　had　no　moustache　to　run　any　risks　with；　so　he　folded　his　arms　and　talked　in　a　brave；　indifferent；　bearing…up　tone　about　the　London；　Brighton；　and　South　Coast　Railway；　just　to　cheer　the　poor　woman　up　a　little。　And　even　Mrs。　Milton　really　felt　that　exalted　melancholy　to　the　very　bottom　of　her　heart；　and　tried　to　show　it　in　a　dozen　little；　delicate；　feminine　ways。

〃There　is　nothing　to　do　until　we　get　to　Chichester；〃　said　Dangle。　〃Nothing。〃

〃Nothing；〃　said　Widgery；　and　aside　in　her　ear：　〃You　really　ate　scarcely　anything；　you　know。〃

〃Their　trains　are　always　late；〃　said　Phipps；　with　his　fingers　along　the　edge　of　his　collar。　Dangle；　you　must　understand；　was　a　sub…editor　and　reviewer；　and　his　pride　was　to　be　Thomas　Plantagenet's　intellectual　companion。　Widgery；　the　big　man；　was　manager　of　a　bank　and　a　mighty　golfer；　and　his　conception　of　his　relations　to　her　never　came　into　his　mind　without　those　charming　oldlines；　〃Douglas；　Douglas；　tender　and　true；〃　falling　hard　upon　its　heels。　His　name　was　Douglas…Douglas　Widgery。　And　Phipps；　Phipps　was　a　medical　student　still；　and　he　felt　that　he　laid　his　heart　at　her　feet；　the　heart　of　a　man　of　the　world。　She　was　kind　to　them　all　in　her　way；　and　insisted　on　their　being　friends　together；　in　spite　of　a　disposition　to　reciprocal　criticism　they　displayed。　Dangle　thought　Widgery　a　Philistine；　appreciating　but　coarsely　the　merits　of　〃A　Soul　Untrammelled；〃　and　Widgery　thought　Dangle　lacked；　humanitywould　talk　insincerely　to　say　a　clever　thing。　Both　Dangle　and　Widgery　thought　Phipps　a　bit　of　a　cub；　and　Phipps　thought　both　Dangle　and　Widgery　a　couple　of　Thundering　Bounders。

〃They　would　have　got　to　Chichester　in　time　for　lunch；〃　said　Dangle；　in　the　train。　〃After；　perhaps。　And　there's　no　sufficient　place　in　the　road。　So　soon　as　we　get　there；　Phipps　must　inquire　at　the　chief　hotels　to　see　if　any　one　answering　to　her　description　has　lunched　there。〃

〃Oh；　I'LL　inquire；〃　said　Phipps。　〃Willingly。　I　suppose　you　and　Widgery　will　just　hang　about〃

He　saw　an　expression　of　pain　on　Mrs。　Milton's　gentle　face；　and　stopped　abruptly。

〃No；〃　said　Dangle；　〃we　shan't　HANG　ABOUT；　as　you　put　it。　There　are　two　places　in　Chichester　where　tourists　might　gothe　cathedral　and　a　remarkably　fine　museum。　I　shall　go　to　the　cathedral　and　make　an　inquiry　or　so；　while　Widgery〃

〃The　museum。　Very　well。　And　after　that　there's　a　little　thing　or　two　I've　thought　of　myself；〃　said　Widgery。

To　begin　with　they　took　Mrs。　Milton　in　a　kind　of　procession　to　the　Red　Hotel　and　established　her　there　with　some　tea。　〃You　are　so　kind　to　me；〃　she　said。　〃All　of　you。〃　They　signified　that　it　was　nothing；　and　dispersed　to　their　inquiries。　By　six　they　returned；　their　zeal　a　little　damped；　without　news。　Widgery　came　back　with　Dangle。　Phipps　was　the　last　to　return。　〃You're　quite　sure；〃　said　Widgery；　that　there　isn't　any　flaw　in　that　inference　of　yours？〃

〃Quite；〃　said　Dangle；　rather　shortly。

〃Of　course；〃　said　Widgery；　〃their　starting　from　Midhurst　on　the　Chichester　road　doesn't　absolutely　bind　them　not　to　change　their　minds。〃

〃My　dear　fellow！It　does。　Really　it　does。　You　must　allow　me　to　have　enough　intelligence　to　think　of　cross…roads。　Really　you　must。　There　aren't　any　cross…roads　to　tempt　them。　Would　they　turn　aside　here？　No。　Would　they　turn　there？　Many　more　things　are　inevitable　than　you　fancy。〃

〃We　shall　see　at　once；〃　said　Widgery；　at　the　window。　〃Here　comes　Phipps。　For　my　own　part〃

〃Phipps！〃　said　Mrs。　Milton。　〃Is　he　hurrying？　Does　he　look〃　She　rose　in　her　eagerness；　biting　her　trembling　lip；　and　went　towards　the　window。

〃No　news；〃　said　Phipps；　entering。　

〃Ah！〃　said　Widgery。

〃None？〃　said　Dangle。

〃Well；〃　said　Phipps。　〃One　fellow　had　got　hold　of　a　queer　story　of　a　man　in　bicycling　clothes；　who　was　asking　the　same　question　about　this　time　yesterday。〃

〃What　question？〃　said　Mrs。　Milton；　in　the　shadow　of　the　window。　She　spoke　in　a　low　voice；　almost　a　whisper。

〃WhyHave　you　seen　a　young　lady　in　a　grey　bicycling　costume？〃

Dangle　caught　at　his　lower　lip。　〃What's　that？〃　he　said。　〃Yesterday！　A　man　asking　after　her　then！　What　can　THAT　mean？〃

〃Heaven　knows；〃　said　Phipps；　sitting　down　wearily。　〃You'd　better　infer。〃

〃What　kind　of　man？〃　said　Dangle。

〃How　should　I　know？in　bicycling　costume；　the　fellow　said。〃

〃But　what　height？What　complexion？〃

〃Didn't　ask；〃　said　Phipps。　〃DIDN'T　ASK！　Nonsense；〃　said　Dangle。

〃Ask　him　yourself；〃　said　Phipps。　〃He's　an　ostler　chap　in　the　White　Hart；short；　thick…set　fellow；　with　a　red　face　and　a　crusty　manner。　Leaning　up　against　the　stable　door。　Smells　of　whiskey。　Go　and　ask　him。〃

〃Of　course；〃　said　Dangle；　taking　his　straw　hat　from　the　shade　over　the　stuffed　bird　on　the　chiffonier　and　turning　towards　the　door。　〃I　might　have　known。〃

Phipps'　mouth　opened　and　shut。　

〃You're　tired；　I'm　sure；　Mr。　Phipps；〃　said　the　lady；　soothingly。　〃Let　me　ring　for　some　tea　for　you。〃　It　suddenly　occurred　to　Phipps　that　he　had　lapsed　a　little　from　his　chivalry。　〃I　was　a　little　annoyed　at　the　way　he　rushed　me　to　do　all　this　business；〃　he　said。　〃But　I'd　do　a　hundred　times　as　much　if　it　would　bring　you　any　nearer　to　her。〃　Pause。　〃I　WOULD　like　a　little　tea。〃

〃I　don't　want　to　raise　any　false　hopes；〃　said　Widgery。　〃But　I　do　NOT　believe　they　even　came　to　Chichester。　Dangle's　a　very　clever　fellow；　of　course；　but　sometimes　these　Inferences　of　his〃

〃Tchak！〃　said　Phipps；　suddenly。

〃What　is　it？〃　said　Mrs。　Milton。

〃Something　I've　forgotten。　I　went　right　out　from　here；　went　to　every　other　hotel　in　the　place；　and　never　thoughtBut　never　mind。　I'll　ask　when　the　waiter　comes。〃

〃You　don't　mean〃　A　tap；　and　the　door　opened。　〃Tea；　m'm？　yes；　m'm；〃　said　the　waiter。

〃One　minute；〃　said　Phipps。　〃Was　a　lady　in　grey；　a　cycling　lady〃

〃Stopped　here　yesterday？　Yessir。　Stopped　the　night。　With　her　brother；　sira　young　gent。〃

〃Brother！〃　said　Mrs。　Milton；　in　a　low　tone。　〃Thank　God！〃

The　waiter　glanced　at　her　and　understood　everything。　〃A　young　gent；　sir；〃　he　said；　〃very　free　with　his　money。　Give　the　name　of　Beaumont。〃　He　proceeded　to　some　rambling