beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第38章
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if we had taken a sudden aversion to Stilton or been forbidden it by the
doctor； we should still have written a letter of hearty thanks around it。
So you see the present system of acknowledgment is just as perfunctory
and conventional as the counterfoil business would be； only ten times
more tiresome and brain…racking。〃
〃Your plan would certainly bring the ideal of a Happy Christmas a
step nearer realisation；〃 said Janetta。
〃There are exceptions； of course；〃 said Egbert； 〃people who really
try to infuse a breath of reality into their letters of acknowledgment。
Aunt Susan； for instance； who writes： 'Thank you very much for the ham；
not such a good flavour as the one you sent last year； which itself was
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not a particularly good one。 Hams are not what they used to be。' It
would be a pity to be deprived of her Christmas comments； but that loss
would be swallowed up in the general gain。〃
〃Meanwhile；〃 said Janetta； 〃what am I to say to the Froplinsons？〃
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THE NAME…DAY
ADVENTURES； according to the proverb； are to the adventurous。
Quite as often they are to the non… adventurous； to the retiring； to the
constitutionally timid。 John James Abbleway had been endowed by
Nature with the sort of disposition that instinctively avoids Carlist
intrigues； slum crusades； the tracking of wounded wild beasts； and the
moving of hostile amendments at political meetings。 If a mad dog or a
Mad Mullah had come his way he would have surrendered the way
without hesitation。 At school he had unwillingly acquired a thorough
knowledge of the German tongue out of deference to the plainly…
expressed wishes of a foreign…languages master； who； though he taught
modern subjects； employed old…fashioned methods in driving his lessons
home。 It was this enforced familiarity with an important commercial
language which thrust Abbleway in later years into strange lands where
adventures were less easy to guard against than in the ordered
atmosphere of an English country town。 The firm that he worked for
saw fit to send him one day on a prosaic business errand to the far city
of Vienna； and； having sent him there； continued to keep him there； still
engaged in humdrum affairs of commerce； but with the possibilities of
romance and adventure； or even misadventure； jostling at his elbow。
After two and a half years of exile； however； John James Abbleway had
embarked on only one hazardous undertaking； and that was of a nature
which would assuredly have overtaken him sooner or later if he had
been leading a sheltered； stay…at…home existence at Dorking or
Huntingdon。 He fell placidly in love with a placidly lovable English
girl； the sister of one of his commercial colleagues； who was improving
her mind by a short trip to foreign parts； and in due course he was
formally accepted as the young man she was engaged to。 The further
step by which she was to become Mrs。 John Abbleway was to take place
a twelvemonth hence in a town in the English midlands； by which time
the firm that employed John James would have no further need for his
presence in the Austrian capital。
It was early in April； two months after the installation of Abbleway
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as the young man Miss Penning was engaged to； when he received a
letter from her； written from Venice。 She was still peregrinating under
the wing of her brother； and as the latter's business arrangements would
take him across to Fiume for a day or two； she had conceived the idea
that it would be rather jolly if John could obtain leave of absence and
run down to the Adriatic coast to meet them。 She had looked up the
route on the map； and the journey did not appear likely to be expensive。
Between the lines of her communication there lay a hint that if he really
cared for her …
Abbleway obtained leave of absence and added a journey to Fiume
to his life's adventures。 He left Vienna on a cold； cheerless day。 The
flower shops were full of spring blooms； and the weekly organs of
illustrated humour were full of spring topics； but the skies were heavy
with clouds that looked like cotton…wool that has been kept over long in
a shop window。
〃Snow comes；〃 said the train official to the station officials； and they
agreed that snow was about to come。 And it came； rapidly； plenteously。
The train had not been more than an hour on its journey when the
cotton… wool clouds commenced to dissolve in a blinding downpour of
snowflakes。 The forest trees on either side of the line were speedily
coated with a heavy white mantle； the telegraph wires became thick
glistening ropes； the line itself was buried more and more completely
under a carpeting of snow； through which the not very powerful engine
ploughed its way with increasing difficulty。 The Vienna…Fiume line is
scarcely the best equipped of the Austrian State railways； and Abbleway
began to have serious fears for a breakdown。 The train had slowed
down to a painful and precarious crawl and presently came to a halt at
a spot where the drifting snow had accumulated in a formidable barrier。
The engine made a special effort and broke through the obstruction； but
in the course of another twenty minutes it was again held up。 The
process of breaking through was renewed； and the train doggedly
resumed its way； encountering and surmounting fresh hindrances at
frequent intervals。 After a standstill of unusually long duration in a
particularly deep drift the compartment in which Abbleway was sitting
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gave a huge jerk and a lurch； and then seemed to remain stationary； it
undoubtedly was not moving； and yet he could hear the puffing of the
engine and the slow rumbling and jolting of wheels。 The puffing and
rumbling grew fainter； as though it were dying away through the agency
of intervening distance。 Abbleway suddenly gave vent to an
exclamation of scandalised alarm； opened the window； and peered out
into the snowstorm。 The flakes perched on his eyelashes and blurred
his vision； but he saw enough to help him to realise what had happened。
The engine had made a mighty plunge through the drift and had gone
merrily forward； lightened of the load of its rear carriage； whose
coupling had snapped under the strain。 Abbleway was alone； or almost
alone； with a derelict railway waggon； in the heart of some Styrian or
Croatian forest。 In the third…class compartment next to his own he
remembered to have seen a peasant woman； who had entered the train at
a small wayside station。 〃With the exception of that woman；〃 he
exclaimed dramatically to himself； 〃the nearest living beings are
probably a pack of wolves。〃
Before making his way to the third…class compartment to acquaint
his fellow…traveller with the extent of the disaster Abbleway hurriedly
pondered the question of the woman's nationality。 He had acquired a
smattering of Slavonic tongues during his residence in Vienna； and felt
competent to grapple with several racial possibilities。
〃If she is Croat or Serb or Bosniak I shall be able to make her
understand；〃 he promised himself。 〃If she is Magyar； heaven help me！
We shall have to converse entirely by signs。〃
He entered the carriage and made his momentous announcement in
the best approach to Croat speech that he could achieve。
〃The train has broken away and left us！〃
The woman shook her head with a movement that might be intended
to convey resignation to the will of heaven； but probably meant
noncomprehension。 Abbleway repeated his information with variations
of Slavonic tongues and generous displays of pantomime。
〃Ah；〃 said the woman at last in German dialect； 〃the train has gone？
We are left。 Ah； so。〃
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She seemed about as much interested as though Abbleway had told
her the result of the municipal elections in Amsterdam。
〃They will find out at some station； and when the line is clear of
snow they will send an engine。 It happens that way sometimes。〃
〃We may be here all night！〃 exclaimed Abbleway。
The woman nodded as though she thought it possible。
〃Are there wolves in these parts？〃 asked Abbleway hurriedly。
〃Many；〃 said the woman； 〃just outside this forest my aunt was
devoured three years ago； as she was coming home from market。
