beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第30章
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maddening。 If Eric did that I should detest him。〃
〃Eric doesn't play bridge；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby with dignity。
〃Doesn't he？〃 asked Clovis； 〃why not？〃
〃None of my children have been brought up to play card games；〃
said Mrs。 Eggelby； 〃draughts and halma and those sorts of games I
encourage。 Eric is considered quite a wonderful draughts…player。〃
〃You are strewing dreadful risks in the path of your family；〃 said
Clovis； 〃a friend of mine who is a prison chaplain told me that among
the worst criminal cases that have come under his notice； men
condemned to death or to long periods of penal servitude； there was not
a single bridge…player。 On the other hand； he knew at least two
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expert draughts…players among them。〃
〃I really don't see what my boys have got to do with the criminal
classes；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby resentfully。 〃They have been most carefully
brought up； I can assure you that。〃
〃That shows that you were nervous as to how they would turn out；〃
said Clovis。 〃Now； my mother never bothered about bringing me up。
She just saw to it that I got whacked at decent intervals and was taught
the difference between right and wrong； there is some difference； you
know； but I've forgotten what it is。〃
〃Forgotten the difference between right and wrong！〃 exclaimed Mrs。
Eggelby。
〃Well； you see； I took up natural history and a whole lot of other
subjects at the same time； and one can't remember everything； can one？
I used to know the difference between the Sardinian dormouse and the
ordinary kind； and whether the wry…neck arrives at our shores earlier
than the cuckoo； or the other way round； and how long the walrus takes
in growing to maturity； I daresay you knew all those sorts of things once；
but I bet you've forgotten them。〃
〃Those things are not important；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby； 〃but … 〃
〃The fact that we've both forgotten them proves that they are
important；〃 said Clovis； 〃you must have noticed that it's always the
important things that one forgets； while the trivial； unnecessary facts of
life stick in one's memory。 There's my cousin； Editha Clubberley； for
instance； I can never forget that her birthday is on the 12th of October。
It's a matter of utter indifference to me on what date her birthday falls； or
whether she was born at all； either fact seems to me absolutely trivial；
or unnecessary … I've heaps of other cousins to go on with。 On the other
hand； when I'm staying with Hildegarde Shrubley I can never remember
the important circumstance whether her first husband got his unenviable
reputation on the Turf or the Stock Exchange； and that uncertainty rules
Sport and Finance out of the conversation at once。 One can never
mention travel； either； because her second husband had to live
permanently abroad。〃
〃Mrs。 Shrubley and I move in very different circles；〃 said Mrs。
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Eggelby stiffly。
〃No one who knows Hildegarde could possibly accuse her of
moving in a circle；〃 said Clovis； 〃her view of life seems to be a non…stop
run with an inexhaustible supply of petrol。 If she can get some one else
to pay for the petrol so much the better。 I don't mind confessing to
you that she has taught me more than any other woman I can think of。〃
〃What kind of knowledge？〃 demanded Mrs。 Eggelby； with the air a
jury might collectively wear when finding a verdict without leaving the
box。
〃Well； among other things； she's introduced me to at least four
different ways of cooking lobster；〃 said Clovis gratefully。 〃That； of
course； wouldn't appeal to you； people who abstain from the pleasures of
the card… table never really appreciate the finer possibilities of the
dining…table。 I suppose their powers of enlightened enjoyment get
atrophied from disuse。〃
〃An aunt of mine was very ill after eating a lobster；〃 said Mrs。
Eggelby。
〃I daresay； if we knew more of her history； we should find out that
she'd often been ill before eating the lobster。 Aren't you concealing the
fact that she'd had measles and influenza and nervous headache and
hysteria； and other things that aunts do have； long before she ate the
lobster？ Aunts that have never known a day's illness are very rare； in
fact； I don't personally know of any。 Of course if she ate it as a child
of two weeks old it might have been her first illness … and her last。 But
if that was the case I think you should have said so。〃
〃I must be going；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby； in a tone which had been
thoroughly sterilised of even perfunctory regret。
Clovis rose with an air of graceful reluctance。
〃I have so enjoyed our little talk about Eric；〃 he said； 〃I quite look
forward to meeting him some day。〃
〃Good…bye；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby frostily； the supplementary remark
which she made at the back of her throat was …
〃I'll take care that you never shall！〃
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A HOLIDAY TASK
KENELM JERTON entered the dining…hall of the Golden Galleon
Hotel in the full crush of the luncheon hour。 Nearly every seat was
occupied； and small additional tables had been brought in； where floor
space permitted； to accommodate latecomers； with the result that many
of the tables were almost touching each other。 Jerton was beckoned
by a waiter to the only vacant table that was discernible； and took his
seat with the uncomfortable and wholly groundless idea that nearly
every one in the room was staring at him。 He was a youngish man of
ordinary appearance； quiet of dress and unobtrusive of manner； and he
could never wholly rid himself of the idea that a fierce light of public
scrutiny beat on him as though he had been a notability or a super…nut。
After he had ordered his lunch there came the unavoidable interval of
waiting； with nothing to do but to stare at the flower… vase on his table and
to be stared at （in imagination） by several flappers； some maturer beings
of the same sex； and a satirical…looking Jew。 In order to carry off the
situation with some appearance of unconcern he became spuriously
interested in the contents of the flower…vase。
〃What is the name of these roses； d'you know？〃 he asked the waiter。
The waiter was ready at all times to conceal his ignorance concerning
items of the wine…list or menu； he was frankly ignorant as to the specific
name of the roses。
〃AMY SYLVESTER PARTINGLON；〃 said a voice at Jerton's
elbow。
The voice came from a pleasant…faced； well…dressed young woman
who was sitting at a table that almost touched Jerton's。 He thanked her
hurriedly and nervously for the information； and made some
inconsequent remark about the flowers。
〃It is a curious thing；〃 said the young woman； that； 〃I should be able
to tell you the name of those roses without an effort of memory； because
if you were to ask me my name I should be utterly unable to give it to
you。〃
Jerton had not harboured the least intention of extending his thirst
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for name…labels to his neighbour。 After her rather remarkable
announcement； however； he was obliged to say something in the way of
polite inquiry。
〃Yes；〃 answered the lady； 〃I suppose it is a case of partial loss of
memory。 I was in the train coming down here； my ticket told me that I
had come from Victoria and was bound for this place。 I had a couple of
five…pound notes and a sovereign on me； no visiting cards or any other
means of identification； and no idea as to who I am。 I can only hazily
recollect that I have a title； I am Lady Somebody … beyond that my mind
is a blank。〃
〃Hadn't you any luggage with you？〃 asked Jerton。
〃That is what I didn't know。 I knew the name of this hotel and
made up my mind to come here； and when the hotel porter who meets
the trains asked if I had any luggage I had to invent a dressing…bag and
dress…basket； I could always pretend that they had gone astray。 I gave
him the name of Smith； and presently he emerged from a confused pile
of luggage and passengers with a dressing… bag and dress…basket labelled
Kestrel…Smith。 I had to take them； I don't see what else I could have
done。〃
Jerton said nothing； but he rather wondered what the lawful owner of
the baggage would do。
〃Of course it was dreadful arriving at a strange hotel with the name
of Kestrel…Smith； but it would have been worse to have arrived without
luggage。 Anyhow； I hate causing trouble。〃
Jerton had visions of harassed railway officials and distraught
Kestrel…Smiths； but he made no attempt to clothe his mental picture
