english stories-london-第5部分

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the　girl　Jenny　uttered　shrieks　of　delight　at　the　sight　of　flowers

growing　up　the　cottage　walls；　and　declared　they　were　〃just　like　a

music…'all　without　the　drink　license。〃　As　my　horses　required　a　rest；　I

was　forced　to　abandon　my　intention　of　dropping　these　persons　at　their

lodgings　and　returning　to　town　at　once；　and　I　could　not　go　to　the　inn

lest　I　should　meet　inquisitive　acquaintances。　Disagreeable

circumstances；　therefore；　compelled　me　to　take　tea　with　a　waiter's

familyclose　to　a　window　too；　through　which　I　could　see　the　girl

Jenny　talking　excitedly　to　the　villagers；　and　telling　them；　I　felt

certain；　that　I　had　been　good　to　William。　I　had　a　desire　to　go　out　and

put　myself　right　with　those　people。



William's　long　connection　with　the　club　should　have　given　him　some

manners；　but　apparently　his　class　cannot　take　them　on；　for；　though　he

knew　I　regarded　his　thanks　as　an　insult；　he　looked　them　when　he　was

not　speaking　them；　and　hardly　had　he　sat　down；　by　my　orders；　than　he

remembered　that　I　was　a　member　of　the　club；　and　jumped　up。　Nothing　is

in　worse　form　than　whispering；　yet　again　and　again；　when　he　thought　I

was　not　listening；　he　whispered　to　Mrs。　Hicking；　〃You　don't　feel

faint？〃　or　〃How　are　you　now？〃　He　was　also　in　extravagant　glee　because

she　ate　two　cakes　（it　takes　so　little　to　put　these　people　in　good

spirits）；　and　when　she　said　she　felt　like　another　being　already　the

fellow's　face　charged　me　with　the　change。　I　could　not　but　conclude；

from　the　way　Mrs。　Hicking　let　the　baby　pound　her；　that　she　was

stronger　than　she　had　pretended。



I　remained　longer　than　was　necessary；　because　I　had　something　to　say

to　William　which　I　knew　he　would　misunderstand；　and　so　I　put　off

saying　it。　But　when　he　announced　that　it　was　time　for　him　to　return　to

London；at　which　his　wife　suddenly　paled；　so　that　he　had　to　sign　to

her　not　to　break　down；I　delivered　the　message。



〃William；〃　I　said；　〃the　head　waiter　asked　me　to　say　that　you　could

take　a　fortnight's　holiday　just　now。　Your　wages　will　be　paid　as

usual。〃



Confound　them！　William　had　me　by　the　hand；　and　his　wife　was　in　tears

before　I　could　reach　the　door。



〃Is　it　your　doing　again；　sir？〃　William　cried。



〃William！〃　I　said；　fiercely。



〃We　owe　everything　to　you；〃　he　insisted。　〃The　port　wine〃



〃Because　I　had　no　room　for　it　in　my　cellar。〃



〃The　money　for　the　nurse　in　London〃



〃Because　I　objected　to　being　waited　on　by　a　man　who　got　no　sleep。〃



〃These　lodgings〃



〃Because　I　wanted　to　do　something　for　my　old　nurse。〃



〃And　now；　sir；　a　fortnight's　holiday！〃



〃Good…bye；　William！〃　I　said；　in　a　fury。



But　before　I　could　get　away　Mrs。　Hicking　signed　to　William　to　leave

the　room；　and　then　she　kissed　my　hand。　She　said　something　to　me。　It

was　about　my　wife。　Somehow　I　What　business　had　William　to　tell　her

about　my　wife？







They　are　all　back　in　Drury　Lane　now；　and　William　tells　me　that　his

wife　sings　at　her　work　just　as　she　did　eight　years　ago。　I　have　no

interest　in　this；　and　try　to　check　his　talk　of　it；　but　such　people

have　no　sense　of　propriety；　and　he　even　speaks　of　the　girl　Jenny；　who

sent　me　lately　a　gaudy　pair　of　worsted　gloves　worked　by　her　own　hand。

The　meanest　advantage　they　took　of　my　weakness；　however；　was　in

calling　their　baby　after　me。　I　have　an　uncomfortable　suspicion；　too；

that　William　has　given　the　other　waiters　his　version　of　the　affair；

but　I　feel　safe　so　long　as　it　does　not　reach　the　committee。







THE　BLACK　POODLE



BY



F。　ANSTEY







I　have　set　myself　the　task　of　relating　in　the　course　of　this　story；

without　suppressing　or　altering　a　single　detail；　the　most　painful　and

humiliating　episode　of　my　life。



I　do　this；　not　because　it　will　give　me　the　least　pleasure；　but　simply

because　it　affords　me　an　opportunity　of　extenuating　myself；　which　has

hitherto　been　wholly　denied　to　me。



As　a　general　rule；　I　am　quite　aware　that　to　publish　a　lengthy

explanation　of　one's　conduct　in　any　questionable　transaction　is　not

the　best　means　of　recovering　a　lost　reputation；　but　in　my　own　case

there　is　one　to　whom　I　shall　nevermore　be　permitted　to　justify　by　word

of　moutheven　if　I　found　myself　able　to　attempt　it。　And　as　she　could

not　possibly　think　worse　of　me　than　she　does　at　present；　I　write　this；

knowing　it　can　do　me　no　harm；　and　faintly　hoping　that　it　may　come　to

her　notice　and　suggest　a　doubt　whether　I　am　quite　so　unscrupulous　a

villain；　so　consummate　a　hypocrite；　as　I　have　been　forced　to　appear　in

her　eyes。



The　bare　chance　of　such　a　result　makes　me　perfectly　indifferent　to　all

else；　I　cheerfully　expose　to　the　derision　of　the　whole　reading　world

the　story　of　my　weakness　and　my　shame；　since　by　doing　so　I　may

possibly　rehabilitate　myself　somewhat　in　the　good　opinion　of　one

person。



Having　said　so　much；　I　will　begin　my　confession　without　further　delay。



My　name　is　Algernon　Weatherhead；　and　I　may　add　that　I　am　in　one　of　the

government　departments；　that　I　am　an　only　son；　and　live　at　home　with

my　mother。



We　had　had　a　house　at　Hammersmith　until　just　before　the　period　covered

by　this　history；　when；　our　lease　expiring；　my　mother　decided　that　my

health　required　country　air　at　the　close　of　the　day；　and　so　we　took　a

〃desirable　villa　residence〃　on　one　of　the　many　new　building　estates

which　have　lately　sprung　up　in　such　profusion　in　the　home　counties。



We　have　called　it　〃Wistaria　Villa。〃　It　is　a　pretty　little　place；　the

last　of　a　row　of　detached　villas；　each　with　its　tiny　rustic　carriage…

gate　and　gravel　sweep　in　front；　and　lawn　enough　for　a　tennis…court

behind；　which　lines　the　road　leading　over　the　hill　to　the　railway…

station。



I　could　certainly　have　wished　that　our　landlord；　shortly　after　giving

us　the　agreement；　could　have　found　some　other　place　to　hang　himself　in

than　one　of　our　attics；　for　the　consequence　was　that　a　housemaid　left

us　in　violent　hysterics　about　every　two　months；　having　learned　the

tragedy　from　the　tradespeople；　and　naturally　〃seen　a　somethink〃

immediately　afterward。



Still　it　is　a　pleasant　house；　and　I　can　now　almost　forgive　the

landlord　for　what　I　shall　always　consider　an　act　of　gross　selfishness

on　his　part。



In　the　country；　even　so　near　town；　a　next…door　neighbor　is　something

more　than　a　mere　numeral；　he　is　a　possible　acquaintance；　who　will　at

least　consider　a　new…comer　as　worth　the　experiment　of　a　call。　I　soon

knew　that　〃Shuturgarden；〃　the　next　house　to　our　own；　was　occupied　by　a

Colonel　Currie；　a　retired　Indian　officer；　and　often；　as　across　the　low

boundary　wall　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　graceful　girlish　figure　flitting

about　among　the　rose…bushes　in　the　neighbouring　garden；　I　would　lose

myself　in　pleasant　anticipations　of　a　time　not　too　far　distant　when

the　wall　which　separated　us　would　be　（metaphorically）　levelled。



I　rememberah；　how　vividly！the　thrill　of　excitement　with　which　I

heard　from　my　mother；　on　returning　from　town　one　evening；　that　the

Curries　had　called；　and　seemed　disposed　to　be　all　that　was　neighbourly

and　kind。



I　remember；　too；　the　Sunday　afternoon　on　which　I　returned　their　call

alone；　as　my　mother　had　already　done　so　during　the　week。　I　was

standing　on　the　steps　of　the　colonel's　villa；　waiting　for　the　door　to

open；　when　I　was　startled　by　a　furious　snarling　and　yapping　behind；

and；　looking　round；　discovered　a　large　poodle　in　the　act　of　making　for

my　legs。



He　was　a　coal…black　poodle；　with　half　of　his　right　ear　gone；　and

absurd　little　thick　moustaches　at　the　end　of　his　nose；　he　was　shaved

in　the　shamlion　fashion；　which　is　considered；　for　some　mysterious

reason；　to　improve　a　poodle；　but　the　barber　had　left　sundry　little

tufts　of　hair；　which　studded　his　haunches　capriciously。



I　could　not　help　being　reminded；　as　I　looked　at　him；　of　another　black

poodle；　which　Faust　entertained　for　a　short　time　with　unhappy　results；

and　I　thought　that　a　very　moderate　degree　of　incantation　would　be

enough　to　bring　the　fiend　out　of　this　brute。



He　made　me　intensely　uncomfortable；　for　I　am　of　a　slightly　nervous

temperament；　with　a　constitutional　horror　of　dogs；　and　a　liability　to

attacks　of　diffidence　on　performing　the　ordinary　social　rites　under

the　most　favourable　conditions；　and　certainly　the　consciousness　that　a

strange　and　apparently　savage　dog　was　engaged　in　worrying　the　heels　of

my　boots　was　the　reverse　of　reassuring。



The　Currie　family　received　me　with　all　possible　kindness。　〃So　charmed

to　make　your　acquaintance；　Mr。　Weatherhead；〃　said　Mrs。　Currie；　as　I

shook　hands。　〃I　see；〃　she　added；　pleasantly；　〃you've　brought　the

doggie　in　with　you。〃　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　had　brought　the　doggie　in

at　the　ends　of　my　coat…tails；　but　it　was　evidently　no　unusual

occurrence　for　visitors　to　appear　in　this　undignified　manner；　for　she

detached　him　quite　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　as　soon　as　I　was

sufficiently　collected　we　fell　into　conversation。



I　discovered　that　the　colonel　and　his　wife　w