english stories-london-第13章

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grateful　just　then　for　a　reassuring　glance　of　pity　and　confidence　from

Lilian's　sweet　eyes；　which　revived　my　drooping　spirits　for　the　moment。



〃Yes；　we'll　go　into　it　to…morrow；　Travers；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃and

thenhullo；　why；　there's　that　confounded　Frenchman　/again/！〃



It　was　indeed；　he　came　prancing　back　delicately；　with　a　malicious

enjoyment　on　his　wrinkled　face。　〃Once　more　I　return　to　apologise；〃　he

said。　〃My　poodle　'as　permit　'imself　ze　grave　indiscretion　to　make　a

very　big　'ole　at　ze　bottom　of　ze　garden！〃



I　assured　him　that　it　was　of　no　consequence。　〃Perhaps；〃　he　replied；

looking　steadily　at　me　through　his　keen；　half…shut　eyes；　〃you　vill　not

say　zat　ven　you　regard　ze　'ole。　And　you　others；　I　spik　to　you：

sometimes　von　loses　a　somzing　vich　is　qvite　near　all　ze　time。　It　is

ver'　droll；　eh？　my　vord；　ha；　ha；　ha！〃　And　he　ambled　off；　with　an

aggressively　fiendish　laugh　that　chilled　my　blood。



〃What　the　deuce　did　he　mean　by　that；　eh？〃　said　the　colonel；　blankly。



〃Don't　know；〃　said　Travers；　〃suppose　we　go　and　inspect　the　hole？〃



But　before　that　I　had　contrived　to　draw　near　it　myself；　in　deadly　fear

lest　the　Frenchman's　last　words　had　contained　some　innuendo　which　I

had　not　understood。



It　was　light　enough　still　for　me　to　see　something；　at　the　unexpected

horror　of　which　I　very　nearly　fainted。



That　thrice　accursed　poodle　which　I　had　been　insane　enough　to　attempt

to　foist　upon　the　colonel　must；　it　seems；　have　buried　his　supper　the

night　before　very　near　the　spot　in　which　I　had　laid　Bingo；　and　in　his

attempts　to　exhume　his　bone　had　brought　the　remains　of　my　victim　to

the　surface！



There　the　corpse　lay；　on　the　very　top　of　the　excavations。　Time　had

not；　of　course；　improved　its　appearance；　which　was　ghastly　in　the

extreme；　but　still　plainly　recognisable　by　the　eye　of　affection。



〃It's　a　very　ordinary　hole；〃　I　gasped；　putting　myself　before　it　and

trying　to　turn　them　back。　〃Nothing　in　itnothing　at　all！〃



〃Except　one　Algernon　Weatherhead；　Esq。；　eh？〃　whispered　Travers；

jocosely；　in　my　ear。



〃No；　but；〃　persisted　the　colonel；　advancing；　〃look　here！　Has　the　dog

damaged　any　of　your　shrubs？〃



〃No；　no！〃　I　cried；　piteously；　〃quite　the　reverse。　Let's　all　go　indoors

now；　it's　getting　so　cold！〃



〃See；　there　/is/　a　shrub　or　something　uprooted；〃　said　the　colonel；

still　coming　nearer　that　fatal　hole。　〃Why；　hullo；　look　there！　What's

that？〃



Lilian；　who　was　by　his　side；　gave　a　slight　scream。　〃Uncle；〃　she　cried；

〃it　looks　likelike　/Bingo/！〃



The　colonel　turned　suddenly　upon　me。　〃Do　you　hear？〃　he　demanded；　in　a

choked　voice。　〃You　hear　what　she　says？　Can't　you　speak　out？　Is　that

our　Bingo？〃



I　gave　it　up　at　last；　I　only　longed　to　be　allowed　to　crawl　away　under

something！　〃Yes；〃　I　said　in　a　dull　whisper；　as　I　sat　down　heavily　on　a

garden　seat；　〃yes　。　。　。　that's　Bingo　。　。　。　misfortune　。　。　。　shoot　him

。　。　。　quite　an　accident！〃



There　was　a　terrible　explosion　after　that；　they　saw　at　last　how　I　had

deceived　them；　and　put　the　very　worst　construction　upon　everything。

Even　now　I　writhe　impotently　at　times；　and　my　cheeks　smart　and　tingle

with　humiliation；　as　I　recall　that　scenethe　colonel's　very　plain

speaking；　Lilian's　passionate　reproaches　and　contempt；　and　her　aunt's

speechless　prostration　of　disappointment。



I　made　no　attempt　to　defend　myself；　I　was　not；　perhaps；　the　complete

villain　they　deemed　me；　but　I　felt　dully　that　no　doubt　it　all　served

me　perfectly　right。



Still　I　do　not　think　I　am　under　any　obligation　to　put　their　remarks

down　in　black　and　white　here。



Travers　had　vanished　at　the　first　opportunitywhether　out　of

delicacy；　or　the　fear　of　breaking　out　into　unseasonable　mirth；　I

cannot　say；　and　shortly　afterward　the　others　came　to　where　I　sat

silent　with　bowed　head；　and　bade　me　a　stern　and　final　farewell。



And　then；　as　the　last　gleam　of　Lilian's　white　dress　vanished　down　the

garden　path；　I　laid　my　head　down　on　the　table　among　the　coffee…cups；

and　cried　like　a　beaten　child。







I　got　leave　as　soon　as　I　could；　and　went　abroad。　The　morning　after　my

return　I　noticed；　while　shaving；　that　there　was　a　small　square　marble

tablet　placed　against　the　wall　of　the　colonel's　garden。　I　got　my

opera…glass　and　readand　pleasant　reading　it　wasthe　following

inscription：



IN　AFFECTIONATE　MEMORY



OF



B　I　N　G　O；



SECRETLY　AND　CRUELLY　PUT　TO　DEATH；



IN　COLD　BLOOD；



BY　A



NEIGHBOUR　AND　FRIEND。



JUNE；　1881。



If　this　explanation　of　mine　ever　reaches　my　neighbours'　eyes；　I　humbly

hope　they　will　have　the　humanity　either　to　take　away　or　tone　down　that

tablet。　They　cannot　conceive　what　I　suffer　when　curious　visitors

insist；　as　they　do　every　day；　on　spelling　out　the　words　from　our

windows；　and　asking　me　countless　questions　about　them！



Sometimes　I　meet　the　Curries　about　the　village；　and　as　they　pass　me

with　averted　heads　I　feel　myself　growing　crimson。　Travers　is　almost

always　with　Lilian　now。　He　has　given　her　a　dog；a　fox…terrier；and

they　take　ostentatiously　elaborate　precautions　to　keep　it　out　of　my

garden。



I　should　like　to　assure　them　here　that　they　need　not　be　under　any

alarm。　I　have　shot　one　dog。







THAT　BRUTE　SIMMONS



BY



ARTHUR　MORRISON







Simmons's　infamous　behaviour　toward　his　wife　is　still　matter　for

profound　wonderment　among　the　neighbours。　The　other　women　had　all

along　regarded　him　as　a　model　husband；　and　certainly　Mrs。　Simmons　was

a　most　conscientious　wife。　She　toiled　and　slaved　for　that　man；　as　any

woman　in　the　whole　street　would　have　maintained；　far　more　than　any

husband　had　a　right　to　expect。　And　now　this　was　what　she　got　for　it。

Perhaps　he　had　suddenly　gone　mad。



Before　she　married　Simmons；　Mrs。　Simmons　had　been　the　widowed　Mrs。

Ford。　Ford　had　got　a　berth　as　donkeyman　on　a　tramp　steamer；　and　that

steamer　had　gone　down　with　all　hands　off　the　Cape：　a　judgment；　the

widow　woman　feared；　for　long　years　of　contumacy；　which　had　culminated

in　the　wickedness　of　taking　to　the　sea；　and　taking　to　it　as　a

donkeymanan　immeasurable　fall　for　a　capable　engine…fitter。　Twelve

years　as　Mrs。　Ford　had　left　her　still　childless；　and　childless　she

remained　as　Mrs。　Simmons。



As　for　Simmons；　he；　it　was　held；　was　fortunate　in　that　capable　wife。

He　was　a　moderately　good　carpenter　and　joiner；　but　no　man　of　the

world；　and　he　wanted　one。　Nobody　could　tell　what　might　not　have

happened　to　Tommy　Simmons　if　there　had　been　no　Mrs。　Simmons　to　take

care　of　him。　He　was　a　meek　and　quiet　man；　with　a　boyish　face　and

sparse；　limp　whiskers。　He　had　no　vices　（even　his　pipe　departed　him

after　his　marriage）；　and　Mrs。　Simmons　had　ingrafted　on　him　divers

exotic　virtues。　He　went　solemnly　to　chapel　every　Sunday；　under　a　tall

hat；　and　put　a　pennyone　returned　to　him　for　the　purpose　out　of　his

week's　wagesin　the　plate。　Then；　Mrs。　Simmons　overseeing；　he　took　off

his　best　clothes；　and　brushed　them　with　solicitude　and　pains。　On

Saturday　afternoons　he　cleaned　the　knives；　the　forks；　the　boots；　the

kettles；　and　the　windows；　patiently　and　conscientiously；　on　Tuesday

evenings　he　took　the　clothes　to　the　mangling；　and　on　Saturday　nights

he　attended　Mrs。　Simmons　in　her　marketing；　to　carry　the　parcels。



Mrs。　Simmons's　own　virtues　were　native　and　numerous。　She　was　a

wonderful　manager。　Every　penny　of　Tommy's　thirty…six　or　thirty…eight

shillings　a　week　was　bestowed　to　the　greatest　advantage；　and　Tommy

never　ventured　to　guess　how　much　of　it　she　saved。　Her　cleanliness　in

housewifery　was　distracting　to　behold。　She　met　Simmons　at　the　front

door　whenever　he　came　home；　and　then　and　there　he　changed　his　boots

for　slippers；　balancing　himself　painfully　on　alternate　feet　on　the

cold　flags。　This　was　because　she　scrubbed　the　passage　and　door…step

turn　about　with　the　wife　of　the　downstairs　family；　and　because　the

stair…carpet　was　her　own。　She　vigilantly　supervised　her　husband　all

through　the　process　of　〃cleaning　himself〃　after