english stories-london-第8部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



perpetually　trying　to　bury　a　great；　gaunt　poodle；　which　would　persist

in　rising　up　through　the　damp　mould　as　fast　as　I　covered　him　up。　。　。　。

Lilian　and　I　were　engaged；　and　we　were　in　church　together　on　Sunday；

and　the　poodle；　resisting　all　attempts　to　eject　him；　forbade　our　bans

with　sepulchral　barks。　。　。　。　It　was　our　wedding…day；　and　at　the

critical　moment　the　poodle　leaped　between　us　and　swallowed　the

ring。　。　。　。　Or　we　were　at　the　wedding…breakfast；　and　Bingo；　a　grisly

black　skeleton　with　flaming　eyes；　sat　on　the　cake　and　would　not　allow

Lilian　to　cut　it。　Even　the　rose…tree　fancy　was　reproduced　in　a

distorted　formthe　tree　grew；　and　every　blossom　contained　a　miniature

Bingo；　which　barked；　and　as　I　woke　I　was　desperately　trying　to

persuade　the　colonel　that　they　were　ordinary　dog…roses。



I　went　up　to　the　office　next　day　with　my　gloomy　secret　gnawing　my

bosom；　and；　whatever　I　did；　the　spectre　of　the　murdered　poodle　rose

before　me。　For　two　days　after　that　I　dared　not　go　near　the　Curries；

until　at　last　one　evening　after　dinner　I　forced　myself　to　call；

feeling　that　it　was　really　not　safe　to　keep　away　any　longer。



My　conscience　smote　me　as　I　went　in。　I　put　on　an　unconscious；　easy

manner；　which　was　such　a　dismal　failure　that　it　was　lucky　for　me　that

they　were　too　much　engrossed　to　notice　it。



I　never　before　saw　a　family　so　stricken　down　by　a　domestic　misfortune

as　the　group　I　found　in　the　drawing…room；　making　a　dejected　pretence

of　reading　or　working。　We　talked　at　firstand　hollow　talk　it　wason

indifferent　subjects；　till　I　could　bear　it　no　longer；　and　plunged

boldly　into　danger。



〃I　don't　see　the　dog；〃　I　began；　〃I　suppose　youyou　found　him　all

right　the　other　evening；　colonel？〃　I　wondered；　as　I　spoke；　whether

they　would　not　notice　the　break　in　my　voice；　but　they　did　not。



〃Why；　the　fact　is；〃　said　the　colonel；　heavily；　gnawing　his　gray

moustache；　〃we've　not　heard　anything　of　him　since；　he'she's　run

off！〃



〃Gone；　Mr。　Weatherhead；　gone　without　a　word！〃　said　Mrs。　Currie；

plaintively；　as　if　she　thought　the　dog　might　at　least　have　left　an

address。



〃I　wouldn't　have　believed　it　of　him；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃it　has

completely　knocked　me　over。　Haven't　been　so　cut　up　for　yearsthe

ungrateful　rascal！〃



〃O　uncle！〃　pleaded　Lilian；　〃don't　talk　like　that；　perhaps　Bingo

couldn't　help　itperhaps　some　one　has　s…s…shot　him！〃



〃Shot！〃　cried　the　colonel；　angrily。　〃By　heaven！　if　I　thought　there　was

a　villain　on　earth　capable　of　shooting　that　poor　inoffensive　dog；

I'd　Why　/should/　they　shoot　him；　Lilian？　Tell　me　that！　II　hope　you

won't　let　me　hear　you　talk　like　that　again。　/You/　don't　think　he's

shot；　eh；　Weatherhead？〃



I　saidHeaven　forgive　me！that　I　thought　it　highly　improbable。



〃He's　not　dead！〃　cried　Mrs。　Currie。　〃If　he　were　dead　I　should　know　it

somehowI'm　sure　I　should！　But　I'm　certain　he's　alive。　Only　last

night　I　had　such　a　beautiful　dream　about　him。　I　thought　he　came　back

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　theatric