beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第22章
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〃Had four young pigeons carried off last night by a whacking big rat。
Oh； a monster he must have been； you could tell by the size of the hole
he made breaking into the loft。〃
No moderate…sized rat ever seemed to carry out any predatory
operations in these regions； they were all enormous in their enormity。
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〃Pretty hard lines that；〃 continued Duckby； seeing that he had
secured the attention and respect of the company； 〃four squeakers
carried off at one swoop。 You'd find it rather hard to match that in the
way of unlooked… for bad luck。〃
〃I had six pullets out of a pen of seven killed by a snake yesterday
afternoon；〃 said Blenkinthrope； in a voice which he hardly recognised as
his own。
〃By a snake？〃 came in excited chorus。
〃It fascinated them with its deadly； glittering eyes； one after the other；
and struck them down while they stood helpless。 A bedridden
neighbour； who wasn't able to call for assistance； witnessed it all from
her bedroom window。〃
〃Well； I never！〃 broke in the chorus； with variations。
〃The interesting part of it is about the seventh pullet； the one that
didn't get killed；〃 resumed Blenkinthrope； slowly lighting a cigarette。
His diffidence had left him； and he was beginning to realise how safe
and easy depravity can seem once one has the courage to begin。 〃The
six dead birds were Minorcas； the seventh was a Houdan with a mop of
feathers all over its eyes。 It could hardly see the snake at all； so of
course it wasn't mesmerised like the others。 It just could see
something wriggling on the ground； and went for it and pecked it to
death。〃
〃Well； I'm blessed！〃 exclaimed the chorus。
In the course of the next few days Blenkinthrope discovered how
little the loss of one's self…respect affects one when one has gained the
esteem of the world。 His story found its way into one of the poultry
papers； and was copied thence into a daily news…sheet as a matter of
general interest。 A lady wrote from the North of Scotland recounting a
similar episode which she had witnessed as occurring between a stoat
and a blind grouse。 Somehow a lie seems so much less reprehensible
when one can call it a lee。
For awhile the adapter of the Seventh Pullet story enjoyed to the full
his altered standing as a person of consequence； one who had had some
share in the strange events of his times。 Then he was thrust once again
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into the cold grey background by the sudden blossoming into
importance of Smith…Paddon； a daily fellow…traveller； whose little girl
had been knocked down and nearly hurt by a car belonging to a musical…
comedy actress。 The actress was not in the car at the time； but she was
in numerous photographs which appeared in the illustrated papers of
Zoto Dobreen inquiring after the well…being of Maisie； daughter of
Edmund Smith…Paddon； Esq。 With this new human interest to absorb
them the travelling companions were almost rude when Blenkinthrope
tried to explain his contrivance for keeping vipers and peregrine
falcons out of his chicken…run。
Gorworth； to whom he unburdened himself in private； gave him the
same counsel as heretofore。
〃Invent something。〃
〃Yes； but what？〃
The ready affirmative coupled with the question betrayed a
significant shifting of the ethical standpoint。
It was a few days later that Blenkinthrope revealed a chapter of
family history to the customary gathering in the railway carriage。
〃Curious thing happened to my aunt； the one who lives in Paris；〃 he
began。 He had several aunts； but they were all geographically
distributed over Greater London。
〃She was sitting on a seat in the Bois the other afternoon； after
lunching at the Roumanian Legation。〃
Whatever the story gained in picturesqueness from the dragging…in
of diplomatic 〃atmosphere；〃 it ceased from that moment to command
any acceptance as a record of current events。 Gorworth had warned his
neophyte that this would be the case； but the traditional enthusiasm of
the neophyte had triumphed over discretion。
〃She was feeling rather drowsy； the effect probably of the
champagne； which she's not in the habit of taking in the middle of the
day。〃
A subdued murmur of admiration went round the company。
Blenkinthrope's aunts were not used to taking champagne in the middle
of the year； regarding it exclusively as a Christmas and New Year
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accessory。
〃Presently a rather portly gentleman passed by her seat and paused
an instant to light a cigar。 At that moment a youngish man came up
behind him； drew the blade from a swordstick； and stabbed him half a
dozen times through and through。 'Scoundrel；' he cried to his victim；
'you do not know me。 My name is Henri Leturc。' The elder man
wiped away some of the blood that was spattering his clothes； turned to
his assailant； and said： ‘And since when has an attempted assassination
been considered an introduction？' Then he finished lighting his cigar
and walked away。 My aunt had intended screaming for the police； but
seeing the indifference with which the principal in the affair treated the
matter she felt that it would be an impertinence on her part to interfere。
Of course I need hardly say she put the whole thing down to the effects
of a warm； drowsy afternoon and the Legation champagne。 Now
comes the astonishing part of my story。 A fortnight later a bank
manager was stabbed to death with a swordstick in that very part of the
Bois。 His assassin was the son of a charwoman formerly working at
the bank； who had been dismissed from her job by the manager on
account of chronic intemperance。 His name was Henri Leturc。〃
From that moment Blenkinthrope was tacitly accepted as the
Munchausen of the party。 No effort was spared to draw him out from
day to day in the exercise of testing their powers of credulity； and
Blenkinthrope； in the false security of an assured and receptive audience；
waxed industrious and ingenious in supplying the demand for marvels。
Duck
