beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第21章
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the privilege of deafness） Mrs。 Quabarl flew indignantly to the rescue of
the struggling captives。
〃Wilfrid！ Claude！ Let those children go at once。 Miss Hope；
what on earth is the meaning of this scene？〃
〃Early Roman history； the Sabine Women； don't you know？ It's the
Schartz…Metterklume method to make children understand history by
acting it themselves； fixes it in their memory； you know。 Of course； if；
thanks to your interference； your boys go through life thinking that the
Sabine women ultimately escaped； I really cannot be held responsible。〃
〃You may be very clever and modern； Miss Hope；〃 said Mrs。
Quabarl firmly； 〃but I should like you to leave here by the next train。
Your luggage will be sent after you as soon as it arrives。〃
〃I'm not certain exactly where I shall be for the next few days；〃 said
the dismissed instructress of youth； 〃you might keep my luggage till I
wire my address。 There are only a couple of trunks and some golf…
clubs and a leopard cub。〃
〃A leopard cub！〃 gasped Mrs。 Quabarl。 Even in her departure this
extraordinary person seemed destined to leave a trail of embarrassment
behind her。
〃Well； it's rather left off being a cub； it's more than half…grown； you
know。 A fowl every day and a rabbit on Sundays is what it usually gets。
Raw beef makes it too excitable。 Don't trouble about getting the car for
me； I'm rather inclined for a walk。〃
And Lady Carlotta strode out of the Quabarl horizon。
The advent of the genuine Miss Hope； who had made a mistake as to
the day on which she was due to arrive； caused a turmoil which that
good lady was quite unused to inspiring。 Obviously the Quabarl family
had been woefully befooled； but a certain amount of relief came with
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BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
the knowledge。
〃How tiresome for you； dear Carlotta；〃 said her hostess； when the
overdue guest ultimately arrived； 〃how very tiresome losing your train
and having to stop overnight in a strange place。〃
〃Oh dear； no；〃 said Lady Carlotta； 〃not at all tiresome … for me。〃
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BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
THE SEVENTH PULLET
〃IT'S not the daily grind that I complain of；〃 said Blenkinthrope
resentfully； 〃it's the dull grey sameness of my life outside of office hours。
Nothing of interest comes my way； nothing remarkable or out of the
common。 Even the little things that I do try to find some interest in
don't seem to interest other people。 Things in my garden； for instance。〃
〃The potato that weighed just over two pounds；〃 said his friend
Gorworth。
〃Did I tell you about that？〃 said Blenkinthrope； 〃I was telling the
others in the train this morning。 I forgot if I'd told you。〃
〃To be exact you told me that it weighed just under two pounds； but I
took into account the fact that abnormal vegetables and freshwater fish
have an after… life； in which growth is not arrested。〃
〃You're just like the others；〃 said Blenkinthrope sadly； 〃you only
make fun of it。〃
〃The fault is with the potato； not with us；〃 said Gorworth； 〃we are
not in the least interested in it because it is not in the least interesting。
The men you go up in the train with every day are just in the same case
as yourself； their lives are commonplace and not very interesting to
themselves； and they certainly are not going to wax enthusiastic over the
commonplace events in other men's lives。 Tell them something
startling； dramatic； piquant that has happened to yourself or to
someone in your family； and you will capture their interest at once。
They will talk about you with a certain personal pride to all their
acquaintances。 'Man I know intimately； fellow called Blenkinthrope；
lives down my way； had two of his fingers clawed clean off by a
lobster he was carrying home to supper。 Doctor says entire hand may
have to come off。' Now that is conversation of a very high order。 But
imagine walking into a tennis club with the remark： 'I know a man who
has grown a potato weighing two and a quarter pounds。'〃
〃But hang it all； my dear fellow；〃 said Blenkinthrope impatiently；
〃haven't I just told you that nothing of a remarkable nature ever happens
to me？〃
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〃Invent something；〃 said Gorworth。 Since winning a prize for
excellence in Scriptural knowledge at a preparatory school he had felt
licensed to be a little more unscrupulous than the circle he moved in。
Much might surely be excused to one who in early life could give a list
of seventeen trees mentioned in the Old Testament。
〃What sort of thing？〃asked Blenkinthrope； somewhat snappishly。
〃A snake got into your hen…run yesterday morning and killed six out
of seven pullets； first mesmerising them with its eyes and then biting
them as they stood helpless。 The seventh pullet was one of that French
sort； with feathers all over its eyes； so it escaped the mesmeric snare； and
just flew at what it could see of the snake and pecked it to pieces。〃
〃Thank you；〃 said Blenkinthrope stiffly； 〃it's a very clever invention。
If such a thing had really happened in my poultry…run I admit I should
have been proud and interested to tell people about it。 But I'd rather
stick to fact； even if it is plain fact。〃 All the same his mind dwelt
wistfully on the story of the Seventh Pullet。 He could picture himself
telling it in the train amid the absorbed interest of his fellow…passengers。
Unconsciously all sorts of little details and improvements began to
suggest themselves。
Wistfulness was still his dominant mood when he took his seat in the
railway carriage the next morning。 Opposite him sat Stevenham； who
had attained to a recognised brevet of importance through the fact of an
uncle having dropped dead in the act of voting at a Parliamentary
election。 That had happened three years ago； but Stevenham was still
deferred to on all questions of home and foreign politics。
〃Hullo； how's the giant mushroom； or whatever it was？〃 was all the
notice Blenkinthrope got from his fellow travellers。
Young Duckby； whom he mildly disliked； speedily monopolised the
general attention by an account of a domestic bereavement。
〃Had four young pigeons carried off last night by a whacking big rat。
Oh； a monst
