the ivory child-第2章

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I　had　no　one　to　admire　except　Mr。　Savage；　a　temperature　of　about　35

degrees　produced　its　natural　effect　upon　me。



At　length　we　took　a　short　cut　from　the　large　to　the　little　gallery

through　a　warmed　and　comfortable　room；　which　I　understood　was　Lord

Ragnall's　study。　Halting　for　a　moment　by　one　of　the　fires；　I　observed

a　picture　on　the　wall；　over　which　a　curtain　was　drawn；　and　asked　Mr。

Savage　what　it　might　be。



〃That；　sir；〃　he　replied　with　a　kind　of　haughty　reserve；　〃is　the

portrait　of　her　future　ladyship；　which　his　lordship　keeps　for　his

private　heye。〃



Miss　Manners　sniggered；　and　I　said：



〃Oh；　thank　you。　What　an　ill…omened　kind　of　thing　to　do！〃



Then；　observing　through　an　open　door　the　hall　in　which　my　hat　had　been

taken　from　me；　I　lingered　and　as　the　others　vanished　in　the　little

gallery；　slipped　into　it；　recovered　my　belongings；　and　passed　out　to

the　garden；　purposing　to　walk　there　till　I　was　warm　again　and　Scroope

reappeared。　While　I　marched　up　and　down　a　terrace；　on　which；　I

remember；　several　very　cold…looking　peacocks　were　seated；　like

conscientious　birds　that　knew　it　was　their　duty　to　be　ornamental；

however　low　the　temperature；　I　heard　some　shots　fired；　apparently　in　a

clump　of　ilex　oaks　which　grew　about　five　hundred　yards　away；　and

reflected　to　myself　that　they　seemed　to　be　those　of　a　small　rifle；　not

of　a　shotgun。



My　curiosity　being　excited　as　to　what　was　to　be　an　almost　professional

matter；　I　walked　towards　the　grove；　making　a　circuit　through　a

shrubbery。　At　length　I　found　myself　near　to　the　edge　of　a　glade；　and

perceived；　standing　behind　the　shelter　of　a　magnificent　ilex；　two　men。

One　of　these　was　a　young　keeper；　and　the　other；　from　his　appearance；　I

felt　sure　must　be　Lord　Ragnall　himself。　Certainly　he　was　a　splendid…

looking　man；　very　tall；　very　broad；　very　handsome；　with　a　peaked

beard；　a　kind　and　charming　face；　and　large　dark　eyes。　He　wore　a　cloak

upon　his　shoulders；　which　was　thrown　back　from　over　a　velvet　coat；

and；　except　for　the　light　double…barrelled　rifle　in　his　hand；　looked

exactly　like　a　picture　by　Van　Dyck　which　Mr。　Savage　had　just　informed

me　was　that　of　one　of　his　lordship's　ancestors　of　the　time　of　Charles

I。



Standing　behind　another　oak；　I　observed　that　he　was　trying　to　shoot

wood…pigeons　as　they　descended　to　feed　upon　the　acorns；　for　which　the

hard　weather　had　made　them　greedy。　From　time　to　time　these　beautiful

blue　birds　appeared　and　hovered　a　moment　before　they　settled；　whereon

the　sportsman　fired　andthey　flew　away。　/Bang！　Bang！/　went　the

double…barrelled　rifle；　and　off　fled　the　pigeon。



〃Damn！〃　said　the　sportsman　in　a　pleasant；　laughing　voice；　〃that's　the

twelfth　I　have　missed；　Charles。〃



〃You　hit　his　tail；　my　lord。　I　saw　a　feather　come　out。　But；　my　lord；　as

I　told　you；　there　ain't　no　man　living　what　can　kill　pigeons　on　the

wing　with　a　bullet；　even　when　they　seem　to　sit　still　in　the　air。〃



〃I　have　heard　of　one；　Charles。　Mr。　Scroope　has　a　friend　from　Africa

staying　with　him　who；　he　swears；　could　knock　over　four　out　of　six。〃



〃Then；　my　lord；　Mr。　Scroope　has　a　friend　what　lies；〃　replied　Charles

as　he　handed　him　the　second　rifle。



This　was　too　much　for　me。　I　stepped　forward；　raising　my　hat　politely；

and　said：



〃Sir；　forgive　me　for　interrupting　you；　but　you　are　not　shooting　at

those　wood…pigeons　in　the　right　way。　Although　they　seem　to　hover　just

before　they　settle；　they　are　dropping　much　faster　than　you　think。　Your

keeper　was　mistaken　when　he　said　that　you　knocked　a　feather　out　of　the

tail　of　that　last　bird　at　which　you　fired　two　barrels。　In　both　cases

you　shot　at　least　a　foot　above　it；　and　what　fell　was　a　leaf　from　the

ilex　tree。〃



There　was　a　moment's　silence；　which　was　broken　by　Charles；　who

ejaculated　in　a　thick　voice：



〃Well；　of　all　the　cheek！〃



Lord　Ragnall；　however；　for　it　was　he；　looked　first　angry　and　then

amused。



〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　thank　you　for　your　advice；　which　no　doubt　is

excellent；　for　it　is　certainly　true　that　I　have　missed　every　pigeon

which　I　tried　to　shoot　with　these　confounded　little　rifles。　But　if　you

could　demonstrate　in　practice　what　you　so　kindly　set　out　in　precept；

the　value　of　your　counsel　would　be　enhanced。〃



Thus　he　spoke；　mimicking；　I　have　no　doubt　（for　he　had　a　sense　of

humour）；　the　manner　of　my　address；　which　nervousness　had　made　somewhat

pompous。



〃Give　me　the　rifle；〃　I　answered；　taking　off　my　greatcoat。



He　handed　it　me　with　a　bow。



〃Mind　what　you　are　about；〃　growled　Charles。　〃That　there　thing　is　full

cocked　and　'air…triggered。〃



I　withered；　or；　rather；　tried　to　wither　him　with　a　glance；　but　this

unbelieving　keeper　only　stared　back　at　me　with　insolence　in　his　round

and　bird…like　eyes。　Never　before　had　I　felt　quite　so　angry　with　a

menial。　Then　a　horrible　doubt　struck　me。　Supposing　I　should　miss！　I

knew　very　little　of　the　manner　of　flight　of　English　wood…pigeons；

which　are　not　difficult　to　miss　with　a　bullet；　and　nothing　at　all　of

these　particular　rifles；　though　a　glance　at　them　showed　me　that　they

were　exquisite　weapons　of　their　sort　and　by　a　great　maker。　If　I　muffed

the　thing　now；　how　should　I　bear　the　scorn　of　Charles　and　the　polite

amusement　of　his　noble　master？　Almost　I　prayed　that　no　more　pigeons

would　put　in　an　appearance；　and　thus　that　the　issue　of　my　supposed

skill　might　be　left　in　doubt。



But　this　was　not　to　be。　These　birds　came　from　far　in　ones　or　twos　to

search　for　their　favourite　food；　and　the　fact　that　others　had　been

scared　away　did　not　cause　them　to　cease　from　coming。　Presently　I　heard

Charles　mutter：



〃Now；　then；　look　out；　guv'nor。　Here's　your　chance　of　teaching　his

lordship　how　to　do　it；　though　he　does　happen　to　be　the　best　shot　in

these　counties。〃



While　he　spoke　two　pigeons　appeared；　one　a　little　behind　the　other；

coming　down　very　straight。　As　they　reached　the　opening　in　the　ilex

grove　they　hovered；　preparing　to　alight；　for　of　us　they　could　see

nothing；　one　at　a　distance　of　about　fifty　and　the　other　of；　say；

seventy　yards　away。　I　took　the　nearest；　got　on　to　it；　allowing　for　the

drop　and　the　angle；　and　touched　the　trigger　of　the　rifle；　which　fell

to　my　shoulder　very　sweetly。　The　bullet　struck　that　pigeon　on　the

crop；　out　of　which　fell　a　shower　of　acorns　that　it　had　been　eating；　as

it　sank　to　the　ground　stone　dead。　Number　two　pigeon；　realizing　danger；

began　to　mount　upwards　almost　straight。　I　fired　the　second　barrel；　and

by　good　luck　shot　its　head　off。　Then　I　snatched　the　other　rifle；　which

Charles　had　been　loading　automatically；　from　his　outstretched　hand；

for　at　that　moment　I　saw　two　more　pigeons　coming。　At　the　first　I

risked　a　difficult　shot　and　hit　it　far　back；　knocking　out　its　tail；

but　bringing　it；　still　fluttering；　to　the　ground。　The　other；　too；　I

covered；　but　when　I　touched　the　trigger　there　was　a　click；　no　more。



This　was　my　opportunity　of　coming　even　with　Charles；　and　I　availed

myself　of　it。



〃Young　man；〃　I　said；　while　he　gaped　at　me　open…mouthed；　〃you　should

learn　to　be　careful　with　rifles；　which　are　dangerous　weapons。　If　you

give　one　to　a　shooter　that　is　not　loaded；　it　shows　that　you　are

capable　of　anything。〃



Then　I　turned；　and　addressing　Lord　Ragnall；　added：



〃I　must　apologize　for　that　third　shot　of　mine；　which　was　infamous；　for

I　committed　a　similar　fault　to　that　against　which　I　warned　you；　sir；

and　did　not　fire　far　enough　ahead。　However；　it　may　serve　to　show　your

attendant　the　difference　between　the　tail　of　a　pigeon　and　an　oak

leaf；〃　and　I　pointed　to　one　of　the　feathers　of　the　poor　bird；　which

was　still　drifting　to　the　ground。



〃Well；　if　this　here　snipe　of　a　chap　ain't　the　devil　in　boots！〃

exclaimed　Charles　to　himself。



But　his　master　cut　him　short　with　a　look；　then　lifted　his　hat　to　me

and　said：



〃Sir；　the　practice　much　surpasses　the　precept；　which　is　unusual。　I

congratulate　you　upon　a　skill　that　almost　partakes　of　the　marvellous；

unless；　indeed；　chance〃　And　he