english stories-london-第10部分

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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　of　despair。　He　was　a　short；　stout

little　man；　with　blue　cheeks；　sparkling　black　eyes；　and　a　vivacious

walnut…coloured　countenance；　he　wore　a　short　black　alpaca　coat；　and　a

large　white　cravat；　with　an　immense　oval　malachite　brooch　in　the

centre　of　it；　which　I　mention　because　I　found　myself　staring

mechanically　at　it　during　the　interview。



〃My　name　is　Weatherhead；〃　I　began　with　the　bearing　of　a　detected

pickpocket。　〃Can　I　be　of　any　service　to　you？〃



〃Of　a　great　service；〃　he　said；　emphatically；　〃you　can　restore　to　me　ze

poodle　vich　I　see　zere！〃



Nemesis　had　called　at　last　in　the　shape　of　a　rival　claimant。　I

staggered　for　an　instant；　then　I　said；　〃Oh；　I　think　you　are　under　a

mistake；　that　dog　is　not　mine。〃



〃I　know　it；〃　he　said；　〃zere　'as　been　leetle　mistake；　so　if　ze　dog　is

not　to　you；　you　give　him　back　to　me；　/hein/？〃



〃I　tell　you；〃　I　said；　〃that　poodle　belongs　to　the　gentleman　over

there。〃　And　I　pointed　to　the　colonel；　seeing　that　it　was　best　now　to

bring　him　into　the　affair　without　delay。



〃You　are　wrong；〃　he　said；　doggedly；　〃ze　poodle　is　my　poodle！　And　I　was

direct　to　youit　is　your　name　on　ze　carte！〃　And　he　presented　me　with

that　fatal　card　which　I　had　been　foolish　enough　to　give　to　Blagg　as　a

proof　of　my　identity。　I　saw　it　all　now；　the　old　villain　had　betrayed

me；　and　to　earn　a　double　reward　had　put　the　real　owner　on　my　track。



I　decided　to　call　the　colonel　at　once；　and　attempt　to　brazen　it　out

with　the　help　of　his　sincere　belief　in　the　dog。



〃Eh；　what's　that；　what's　it　all　about？〃　said　the　colonel；　bustling　up；

followed　at　intervals　by　the　others。



The　Frenchman　raised　his　hat　again。　〃I　do　not　vant　to　make　a　trouble；〃

he　began；　〃but　zere　is　leetle　mistake。　My　word　of　honour；　sare；　I　see

my　own　poodle　in　your　garden。　Ven　I　appeal　to　zis　gentilman　to　restore

'im　he　reffer　me　to　you。〃



〃You　must　allow　me　to　know　my　own　dog；　sir；〃　said　the　colonel。　〃Why；

I've　had　him　from