english stories-london-第11部分

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〃You　must　allow　me　to　know　my　own　dog；　sir；〃　said　the　colonel。　〃Why；

I've　had　him　from　a　pup。　Bingo；　old　boy；　you　know　your　name；　don't

you？〃



But　the　brute　ignored　him　altogether；　and　began　to　leap　wildly　at　the

hedge　in　frantic　efforts　to　join　the　Frenchman。　It　needed　no　Solomon

to　decide　/his/　ownership！



〃I　tell　you；　you　'ave　got　ze　wrong　poodleit　is　my　own　dog；　my　Azor！

He　remember　me　well；　you　see？　I　lose　him；　it　is　three；　four

days。　。　。　。　I　see　a　nottice　zat　he　is　found；　and　ven　I　go　to　ze

address　zey　tell　me；　'Oh；　he　is　reclaim；　he　is　gone　viz　a　strangaire

who　has　advertise。'　Zey　show　me　ze　placard；　I　follow　'ere；　and　ven　I

arrive　I　see　my　poodle　in　ze　garden　before　me！〃



〃But　look　here；〃　said　the　colonel；　impatiently；　〃it's　all　very　well　to

say　that；　but　how　can　you　prove　it？　I　give　you　/my/　word　that　the　dog

belongs　to　/me/！　You　must　prove　your　claim；　eh；　Travers？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Travers；　judicially；　〃mere　assertion　is　no　proof；　it's

oath　against　oath　at　present。〃



〃Attend　an　instant；　your　poodle；　was　he　'ighly　train；　had　he　some

talentsa　dog　viz　tricks；　eh？〃



〃No；　he's　not；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃I　don't　like　to　see　dogs　taught　to

play　the　fool；　there's　none　of　that　nonsense　about　/him/；　sir！〃



〃Ah；　remark　him　well；　then。　/Azor；　mon　chou；　danse　donc　un　peu/！〃



And；　on　the　foreigner's　whistling　a　lively　air；　that　infernal　poodle

rose　on　his　hind　legs　and　danced　solemnly　about　half…way　round　the

garden！　We　inside　followed　his　movements　with　dismay。



〃Why；　dash　it　all！〃　cried　the　disgusted　colonel；　〃he's　dancing　along

like　a　dd　mountebank！　But　it's　my　Bingo；　for　all　that！〃



〃You　are　not　convince？　You　shall　see　more。　/Azor；　ici！　Pour　Beesmarck；

Azor！/〃　（the　poodle　barked　ferociously。）　〃/Pour　Gambetta！/〃　（He　wagged

his　tail　and　began　to　leap　with　joy。）　/〃Meurs　pour　la　patrie！〃　And　the

too　accomplished　animal　rolled　over　as　if　killed　in　battle！



〃Where　could　Bingo　have　picked　up　so　much　French？〃　cried　Lilian；

incredulously。



〃Or　so　much　French　history？〃　added　that　serpent；　Travers。



〃Shall　I　command　'im　to　jump；　or　reverse　'imself？〃　inquired　the

obliging　Frenchman。



〃We've　seen　that；　thank　you；〃　said　the　colonel；　gloomily。　〃Upon　my

word；　I　don't　know　what　to　think。　It　can't　be　that　that's　not　my　Bingo

after　allI'll　never　believe　it！〃



I　tried　a　last　desperate　stroke。　〃Will　you　come　round　to　the　front？〃　I

said　to　the　Frenchman。　〃I'll　let　you　in；　and　we　can　discuss　the　matter

quietly。〃　Then；　as　we　walked　back　together；　I　asked　him　eagerly　what

he　would　take　to　abandon　his　claims　and　let　the　colonel　think　the

poodle　was　his　after　all。



He　was　furioushe　considered　himself　insulted；　with　great　emotion　he

informed　me　that　the　dog　was　the　pride　of　his　life　（it　seems　to　be　the

mission　of　black　poodles　to　serve　as　domestic　comforts　of　this

priceless　kind！）；　that　he　would　not　part　with　him　for　twice　his　weight

in　gold。



〃Figure；〃　he　began；　as　we　joined　the　others；　〃zat　zis　gentilman　'ere

'as　offer　me　money　for　ze　dog！　He　agrees　zat　it　is　to　me；　you　see？

Ver'　well；　zen；　zere　is　no　more　to　be　said！〃



〃Why；　Weatherhead；　have　/you/　lost　faith　too；　then？〃　said　the　colonel。



I　saw　it　was　no　good；　all　I　wanted　now　was　to　get　out　of　it　creditably

and　get　rid　of　the　Frenchman。　〃I'm　sorry　to　say；〃　I　replied；　〃that　I'm

afraid　I've　been　deceived　by　the　extraordinary　likeness。　I　don't

think；　on　reflection；　that　that　/is/　Bingo！〃



〃What　do　you　think；　Travers？〃　asked　the　colonel。



〃Well；　since　you　ask　me；〃　said　Travers；　with　quite　unnecessary

dryness；　〃I　never　did　think　so。〃



〃Nor　I；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃I　thought　from　the　first　that　was　never　my

Bingo。　Why；　Bingo　would　make　two　of　that　beast！〃



And　Lilian　and　her　aunt　both　protested　that　they　had　had　their　doubts

from　the　first。



〃Zen　you　pairmeet　zat　I　remove　'im？〃　said　the　Frenchman。



〃Certainly；〃　said　the　colonel；　and；　after　some　apologies　on　our　part

for　the　mistake；　he　went　off　in　triumph；　with　the　detestable　poodle

frisking　after　him。



When　he　had　gone　the　colonel　laid　his　hand　kindly　on　my　shoulder。

〃Don't　look　so　cut　up　about　it；　my　boy；〃　he　said；　〃you　did　your　best

there　was　a　sort　of　likeness　to　any　one　who　didn't　know　Bingo　as　we

did。〃



Just　then　the　Frenchman　again　appeared　at　the　hedge。　〃A　thousand

pardons；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　find　zis　upon　my　dog；　it　is　not　to　me。

Suffer　me　to　restore　it　viz　many　compliments。〃



It　was　Bingo's　collar。　Travers　took　it　from　his　hand　and　brought　it　to

us。



〃This　was　on　the　dog　when　you　stopped　that　fellow；　didn't　you　say？〃　he

asked　me。



One　more　lieand　I　was　so　weary　of　falsehood！　〃Y…yes；〃　I　said；

reluctantly；　〃that　was　so。〃



〃Very　extraordinary；〃　said　Travers；　〃that's　the　wrong　poodle　beyond　a

doubt；　but　when　he's　found　he's　wearing　the　right　dog's　collar！　Now

how　do　you　account　for　that？〃



〃My　good　fellow；〃　I　said；　impatiently；　〃I'm　not　in　the　witness…box。　I

/can't/　account　for　it。　It…it's　a　mere　coincidence！〃



〃But　look　here；　my　/dear/　Weatherhead；〃　argued　Travers　（whether　in

good　faith　or　not　I　never　could　quite　make　out）；　〃don't　you　see　what　a

tremendously　important　link　it　is？　Here's　a　dog　who　（as　I　understand

the　facts）　had　a　silver　collar；　with　his　name　engraved　on　it；　round

his　neck　at　the　time　he　was　lost。　Here's　that　identical　collar　turning

up　soon　afterward　round　the　neck　of　a　totally　different　dog！　We　must

follow　this　up；　we　must　get　at　the　bottom　of　it　somehow！　With　a　clue

like　this；　we're　sure　to　find　out　either　the　dog　himself；　or　what's

become　of　him！　Just　try　to　recollect　exactly　what　happened；　there's　a

good　fellow。　This　is　just　the　sort　of　thing　I　like！〃



It　was　the　sort　of　thing　I　did　not　enjoy　at　all。　〃You　must　excuse　me

to…night；　Travers；〃　I　said；　uncomfortably；　〃you　see；　just　now　it's

rather　a　sore　subject　for　me；　and　I'm　not　feeling　very　well！〃　I　was

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　con