beasts and superbeasts-第22部分

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atmosphere　on　minds　and　temperaments　unused　to　such　

luxuries。　　The　Yarkand　manner　was　not　popular。〃



〃And　the　contents　of　the　paper；〃　said　the　nephew；　

〃did　they　show　the　influence　of　the　new　style？〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Sir　Lulworth；　〃that　was　the　exciting　

thing。　　In　home　affairs；　social　questions；　and　the　

ordinary　events　of　the　day　not　much　change　was　

noticeable。　　A　certain　Oriental　carelessness　seemed　to　

have　crept　into　the　editorial　department；　and　perhaps　a　

note　of　lassitude　not　unnatural　in　the　work　of　men　who　

had　returned　from　what　had　been　a　fairly　arduous　journey。　　

The　aforetime　standard　of　excellence　was　scarcely　

maintained；　but　at　any　rate　the　general　lines　of　policy　

and　outlook　were　not　departed　from。　　It　was　in　the　realm　

of　foreign　affairs　that　a　startling　change　took　place。　　

Blunt；　forcible；　outspoken　articles　appeared；　couched　in　

language　which　nearly　turned　the　autumn　manoeuvres　of　six　

important　Powers　into　mobilisations。　　Whatever　else　the　

DAILY　INTELLIGENCER　had　learned　in　the　East；　it　had　not　

acquired　the　art　of　diplomatic　ambiguity。　　The　man　in　the　

street　enjoyed　the　articles　and　bought　the　paper　as　he　

had　never　bought　it　before；　the　men　in　Downing　Street　

took　a　different　view。　　The　Foreign　Secretary；　hitherto　

accounted　a　rather　reticent　man；　became　positively　

garrulous　in　the　course　of　perpetually　disavowing　the　

sentiments　expressed　in　the　DAILY　INTELLIGENCER'S　

leaders；　and　then　one　day　the　Government　came　to　the　

conclusion　that　something　definite　and　drastic　must　be　

done。　　A　deputation；　consisting　of　the　Prime　Minister；　

the　Foreign　Secretary；　four　leading　financiers；　and　a　

well…known　Nonconformist　divine；　made　its　way　to　the　

offices　of　the　paper。　　At　the　door　leading　to　the　

editorial　department　the　way　was　barred　by　a　nervous　but　

defiant　office…boy。



〃　'You　can't　see　the　editor　nor　any　of　the　staff；'　

he　announced。



〃　'We　insist　on　seeing　the　editor　or　some　

responsible　person；'　said　the　Prime　Minister；　and　the　

deputation　forced　its　way　in。　　The　boy　had　spoken　truly；　

there　was　no　one　to　be　seen。　　In　the　whole　suite　of　rooms　

there　was　no　sign　of　human　life。



〃　'Where　is　the　editor？'　　'Or　the　foreign　editor？'　　

'Or　the　chief　leader…writer？　　Or　anybody？'



〃In　answer　to　the　shower　of　questions　the　boy　

unlocked　a　drawer　and　produced　a　strange…looking　

envelope；　which　bore　a　Khokand　postmark；　and　a　date　of　

some　seven　or　eight　months　back。　　It　contained　a　scrap　of　

paper　on　which　was　written　the　following　message：





〃　'Entire　party　captured　by　brigand　tribe　on　

homeward　journey。　　Quarter　of　million　demanded　as　ransom；　

but　would　probably　take　less。　　Inform　Government；　

relations；　and　friends。'





〃There　followed　the　signatures　of　the　principal　

members　of　the　party　and　instructions　as　to　how　and　where　

the　money　was　to　be　paid。



〃The　letter　had　been　directed　to　the　office…boy…in…

charge；　who　had　quietly　suppressed　it。　　No　one　is　a　hero　

to　one's　own　office…boy；　and　he　evidently　considered　that　

a　quarter　of　a　million　was　an　unwarrantable　outlay　for　

such　a　doubtfully　advantageous　object　as　the　repatriation　

of　an　errant　newspaper　staff。　　So　he　drew　the　editorial　

and　other　salaries；　forged　what　signatures　were　

necessary；　engaged　new　reporters；　did　what　sub…editing　he　

could；　and　made　as　much　use　as　possible　of　the　large　

accumulation　of　special　articles　that　was　held　in　reserve　

for　emergencies。　　The　articles　on　foreign　affairs　were　

entirely　his　own　composition。



〃Of　course　the　whole　thing　had　to　be　kept　as　quiet　

as　possible；　an　interim　staff；　pledged　to　secrecy；　was　

appointed　to　keep　the　paper　going　till　the　pining　

captives　could　be　sought　out；　ransomed；　and　brought　home；　

in　twos　and　threes　to　escape　notice；　and　gradually　things　

were　put　back　on　their　old　footing。　　The　articles　on　

foreign　affairs　reverted　to　the　wonted　traditions　of　the　

paper。〃



〃But；〃　interposed　the　nephew；　〃how　on　earth　did　the　

boy　account　to　the　relatives　all　those　months　for　the　

non…appearance　…　〃



〃That；〃　said　Sir　Lulworth；　〃was　the　most　brilliant　

stroke　of　all。　　To　the　wife　or　nearest　relative　of　each　

of　the　missing　men　he　forwarded　a　letter；　copying　the　

handwriting　of　the　supposed　writer　as　well　as　he　could；　

and　making　excuses　about　vile　pens　and　ink；　in　each　

letter　he　told　the　same　story；　varying　only　the　locality；　

to　the　effect　that　the　writer；　alone　of　the　whole　party；　

was　unable　to　tear　himself　away　from　the　wild　liberty　and　

allurements　of　Eastern　life；　and　was　going　to　spend　

several　months　roaming　in　some　selected　region。　　Many　of　

the　wives　started　off　immediately　in　pursuit　of　their　

errant　husbands；　and　it　took　the　Government　a　

considerable　time　and　much　trouble　to　reclaim　them　from　

their　fruitless　quests　along　the　banks　of　the　Oxus；　the　

Gobi　Desert；　the　Orenburg　steppe；　and　other　outlandish　

places。　　One　of　them；　I　believe；　is　still　lost　somewhere　

in　the　Tigris　Valley。〃



〃And　the　boy？〃



〃Is　still　in　journalism。〃





THE　BYZANTINE　OMELETTE





SOPHIE　CHATTEL…MONKHEIM　was　a　Socialist　by　

conviction　and　a　Chattel…Monkheim　by　marriage。　　The　

particular　member　of　that　wealthy　family　whom　she　had　

married　was　rich；　even　as　his　relatives　counted　riches。　　

Sophie　had　very　advanced　and　decided　views　as　to　the　

distribution　of　money：　it　was　a　pleasing　and　fortunate　

circumstance　that　she　also　had　the　money。　　When　she　

inveighed　eloquently　against　the　evils　of　capitalism　at　

drawing…room　meetings　and　Fabian　conferences　she　was　

conscious　of　a　comfortable　feeling　that　the　system；　with　

all　its　inequalities　and　iniquities；　would　probably　last　

her　time。　　It　is　one　of　the　consolations　of　middle…aged　

reformers　that　the　good　they　inculcate　must　live　after　

them　if　it　is　to　live　at　all。



On　a　certain　spring　evening；　somewhere　towards　the　

dinner…hour；　Sophie　sat　tranquilly　between　her　mirror　and　

her　maid；　undergoing　the　process　of　having　her　hair　built　

into　an　elaborate　reflection　of　the　prevailing　fashion。　　

She　was　hedged　round　with　a　great　peace；　the　peace　of　one　

who　has　attained　a　desired　end　with　much　effort　and　

perseverance；　and　who　has　found　it　still　eminently　

desirable　in　its　attainment。　　The　Duke　of　Syria　had　

consented　to　come　beneath　her　roof　as　a　guest；　was　even　

now　installed　beneath　her　roof；　and　would　shortly　be　

sitting　at　her　dining…table。　　As　a　good　Socialist；　Sophie　

disapproved　of　social　distinctions；　and　derided　the　idea　

of　a　princely　caste；　but　if　there　were　to　be　these　

artificial　gradations　of　rank　and　dignity　she　was　pleased　

and　anxious　to　have　an　exalted　specimen　of　an　exalted　

order　included　in　her　house…party。　　She　was　broad…minded　

enough　to　love　the　sinner　while　hating　the　sin　…　not　that　

she　entertained　any　warm　feeling　of　personal　affection　

for　the　Duke　of　Syria；　who　was　a　comparative　stranger；　

but　still；　as　Duke　of　Syria；　he　was　very；　very　welcome　

beneath　her　roof。　　She　could　not　have　explained　why；　but　

no　one　was　likely　to　ask　her　for　an　explanation；　and　most　

hostesses　envied　her。



〃You　must　surpass　yourself　to…night；　Richardson；〃　

she　said　complacently　to　her　maid；　〃I　must　be　looking　my　

very　best。　　We　must　all　surpass　ourselves。〃



The　maid　said　nothing；　but　from　the　concentrated　

look　in　her　eyes　and　the　deft　play　of　her　fingers　it　was　

evident　that　she　was　beset　with　the　ambition　to　surpass　

herself。



A　knock　came　at　the　door；　a　quiet　but　peremptory　

knock；　as　of　some　one　who　would　not　be　denied。



〃Go　and　see　who　it　is；〃　said　Sophie；　〃it　may　be　

something　about　the　wine。〃



Richardson　held　a　hurried　conference　with　an　

invisible　messenger　at　the　door；　when　she　returned　there　

was　noticeable　a　curious　listlessness　in　place　of　her　

hitherto　alert　manner。



〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Sophie。



〃The　household　servants　have　'downed　tools；'　

madame；〃　said　Richardson。



〃Downed　tools！〃　exclaimed　Sophie；　〃do　you　mean　to　

say　they've　gone　on　strike？〃



〃Yes；　madame；〃　said　Richardson；　adding　the　

information：　〃It's　Gaspare　that　the　trouble　is　about。〃



〃Gaspare？〃　said　Sophie　wanderingly；　〃the　emergency　

chef！　　The　omelette　specialist！〃



〃Yes；　madame。　　Before　he　became　an　omelette　

specialist　he　was　a　valet；　and　he　was　one　of　the　strike…

breakers　in　the　great　strike　at　Lord　Grimford's　two　years　

ago。　　As　soon　as　the　household　staff　here　learned　that　

you　had　engaged　him　they　resolved　to　‘down　tools'　as　a　

protest。　　They　haven't　got　any　grievance　against　you　

personally；　but　they　demand　that　Gaspare　should　be　

immediately　dismissed。〃



〃But；〃　protested　Sophie；　〃he　is　the　only　man　in　

England　who　understands　how　to　make　a　Byzantine　omelette。　　

I　engaged　him　specially　for　the　Duke　of　Syria's　visit；　

and　it　would　be　impossible　to　replace　him　at　short　

notice。　　I　should　have　to　send　to　Paris