english stories-london-第9部分

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I　was　walking　one　day　through　the　somewhat　squalid　district　which　lies

between　Bow　Street　and　High　Holborn；　when　I　saw；　in　a　small　theatrical

costumer's　window；　a　hand…bill　stating　that　a　black　poodle　had

〃followed　a　gentleman〃　on　a　certain　date；　and　if　not　claimed　and　the

finder　remunerated　before　a　stated　time　would　be　sold　to　pay　expenses。



I　went　in　and　got　a　copy　of　the　bill　to　show　Lilian；　and；　although　by

that　time　I　scarcely　dared　to　look　a　poodle　in　the　face；　I　thought　I

would　go　to　the　address　given　and　see　the　animal；　simply　to　be　able　to

tell　Lilian　I　had　done　so。



The　gentleman　whom　the　dog　had　very　unaccountably　followed　was　a

certain　Mr。　William　Blagg；　who　kept　a　little　shop　near　Endell　Street；

and　called　himself　a　bird…fancier；　though　I　should　scarcely　have

credited　him　with　the　necessary　imagination。　He　was　an　evil…browed

ruffian　in　a　fur　cap；　with　a　broad　broken　nose　and　little　shifty　red

eyes；　and　after　I　had　told　him　what　I　wanted　he　took　me　through　a

horrible　little　den；　stacked　with　piles　of　wooden；　wire；　and　wicker

prisons；　each　quivering　with　restless；　twittering　life；　and　then　out

into　a　back　yard；　in　which　were　two　or　three　rotten　old　kennels　and

tubs。　〃That　there's　him；〃　he　said；　jerking　his　thumb　to　the　farthest

tub；　〃follered　me　all　the　way　'ome　from　Kinsington　Gardens；　/he/　did。

Kim　out；　will　yer？〃



And　out　of　the　tub　there　crawled　slowly；　with　a　snuffling　whimper　and

a　rattling　of　its　chain；　the　identical　dog　I　had　slain　a　few　evenings

before！



At　least；　so　I　thought　for　a　moment；　and　felt　as　if　I　had　seen　a

spectre；　the　resemblance　was　so　exactin　size；　in　every　detail；　even

to　the　little　clumps　of　hair　about　the　hind　parts；　even　to　the　lop　of

half　an　ear；　this　dog　might　have　been　the　/doppelganger/　of　the

deceased　Bingo。　I　suppose；　after　all；　one　black　poodle　is　very　like

any　other　black　poodle　of　the　same　size；　but　the　likeness　startled　me。



I　think　it　was　then　that　the　idea　occurred　to　me　that　here　was　a

miraculous　chance　of　securing　the　sweetest　girl　in　the　whole　world；

and　at　the　same　time　atoning　for　my　wrong　by　bringing　back　gladness

with　me　to　Shuturgarden。　It　only　needed　a　little　boldness；　one　last

deception；　and　I　could　embrace　truthfulness　once　more。



Almost　unconsciously；　when　my　guide　turned　round　and　asked；　〃Is　that

there　dawg　yourn？〃　I　said　hurriedly；　〃Yes；　yes；　that's　the　dog　I　want；

thatthat's　Bingo！〃



〃He　don't　seem　to　be　a…puttin'　of　'isself　out　about　seein'　you　again；〃

observed　Mr。　Blagg；　as　the　poodle　studied　me　with　calm　interest。



〃Oh；　he's　not　exactly　/my/　dog；　you　see；〃　I　said；　〃he　belongs　to　a

friend　of　mine！〃



He　gave　me　a　quick；　furtive　glance。　〃Then　maybe　you're　mistook　about

him；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　can't　run　no　risks。　I　was　a…goin'　down　in　the

country　this　'ere　werry　evenin'　to　see　a　party　as　lives　at　Wistaria

Willa；　he's　been　a…hadwertisin'　about　a　black　poodle；　/he/　has！〃



〃But　look　here；〃　I　said；　〃that's　/me/。〃



He　gave　me　a　curious　leer。　〃No　offence；　you　know；　guv'nor；〃　he　said；

〃but　I　should　wish　for　some　evidence　as　to　that　afore　I　part　with　a

vallyable　dawg　like　this　'ere！〃



〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃here's　one　of　my　cards；　will　that　do　for　you？〃



He　took　it　and　spelled　it　out　with　a　pretence　of　great　caution；　but　I

saw　well　enough　that　the　old　schoundrel　suspected　that　if　I　had　lost　a

dog　at　all　it　was　not　this　particular　dog。　〃Ah；〃　he　said；　as　he　put　it

in　his　pocket；　〃if　I　part　with　him　to　you　I　must　be　cleared　of　all

risks。　I　can't　afford　to　get　into　trouble　about　no　mistakes。　Unless

you　likes　to　leave　him　for　a　day　or　two　you　must　pay　accordin'；　you

see。〃



I　wanted　to　get　the　hateful　business　over　as　soon　as　possible。　I　did

not　care　what　I　paidLilian　was　worth　all　the　expense！　I　said　I　had

no　doubt　myself　as　to　the　real　ownership　of　the　animal；　but　I　would

give　him　any　sum　in　reason；　and　would　remove　the　dog　at　once。



And　so　we　settled　it。　I　paid　him　an　extortionate　sum；　and　came　away

with　a　duplicate　poodle；　a　canine　counterfeit；　which　I　hoped　to　pass

off　at　Shuturgarden　as　the　long…lost　Bingo。



I　know　it　was　wrong；it　even　came　unpleasantly　near　dog…stealing；

but　I　was　a　desperate　man。　I　saw　Lilian　gradually　slipping　away　from

me；　I　knew　that　nothing　short　of　this　could　ever　recall　her；　I　was

sorely　tempted；　I　had　gone　far　on　the　same　road　already；　it　was　the

old　story　of　being　hung　for　a　sheep。　And　so　I　fell。



Surely　some　who　read　this　will　be　generous　enough　to　consider　the

peculiar　state　of　the　case；　and　mingle　a　little　pity　with　their

contempt。



I　was　dining　in　town　that　evening；　and　took　my　purchase　home　by　a　late

train；　his　demeanour　was　grave　and　intensely　respectable；　he　was　not

the　animal　to　commit　himself　by　any　flagrant　indiscretion；　he　was

gentle　and　tractable　too；　and　in　all　respects　an　agreeable　contrast　in

character　to　the　original。　Still；　it　may　have　been　the　after…dinner

workings　of　conscience；　but　I　could　not　help　fancying　that　I　saw　a

certain　look　in　the　creature's　eyes；　as　if　he　were　aware　that　he　was

required　to　connive　at　a　fraud；　and　rather　resented　it。



If　he　would　only　be　good　enough　to　back　me　up！　Fortunately；　however；

he　was　such　a　perfect　facsimile　of　the　outward　Bingo　that　the　risk　of

detection　was　really　inconsiderable。



When　I　got　him　home　I　put　Bingo's　silver　collar　round　his　neck；

congratulating　myself　on　my　forethought　in　preserving　it；　and　took　him

in　to　see　my　mother。　She　accepted　him　as　what　he　seemed　without　the

slightest　misgiving；　but　this；　though　it　encouraged　me　to　go　on；　was

not　decisivethe　spurious　poodle　would　have　to　encounter　the　scrutiny

of　those　who　knew　every　tuft　on　the　genuine　animal's　body！



Nothing　would　have　induced　me　to　undergo　such　an　ordeal　as　that　of

personally　restoring　him　to　the　Curries。　We　gave　him　supper；　and　tied

him　up　on　the　lawn；　where　he　howled　dolefully　all　night　and　buried

bones。



The　next　morning　I　wrote　a　note　to　Mrs。　Currie；　expressing　my　pleasure

at　being　able　to　restore　the　lost　one；　and　another　to　Lilian；

containing　only　the　words；　〃Will　you　believe　/now/　that　I　am　sincere？〃

Then　I　tied　both　round　the　poodle's　neck；　and　dropped　him　over　the

wall　into　the　colonel's　garden　just　before　I　started　to　catch　my　train

to　town。







I　had　an　anxious　walk　home　from　the　station　that　evening；　I　went　round

by　the　longer　way；　trembling　the　whole　time　lest　I　should　meet　any　of

the　Currie　household；　to　which　I　felt　myself　entirely　unequal　just

then。　I　could　not　rest　until　I　knew　whether　my　fraud　had　succeeded；　or

if　the　poodle　to　which　I　had　intrusted　my　fate　had　basely　betrayed　me；

but　my　suspense　was　happily　ended　as　soon　as　I　entered　my　mother's

room。　〃You　can't　think　how　delighted　those　poor　Curries　were　to　see

Bingo　again；〃　she　said　at　once；　〃and　they　said　such　charming　things

about　you；　AlgyLilian　particularly；　quite　affected　she　seemed；　poor

child！　And　they　wanted　you　to　go　round　and　dine　there　and　be　thanked

to…night；　but　at　last　I　persuaded　them　to　come　to　us　instead。　And

they're　going　to　bring　the　dog　to　make　friends。　Oh；　and　I　met　Frank

Travers；　he's　back　from　circuit　again　now；　so　I　asked　him　in　too　to

meet　them！〃



I　drew　a　deep　breath　of　relief。　I　had　played　a　desperate　game；　but　I

had　won！　I　could　have　wished；　to　be　sure；　that　my　mother　had　not

thought　of　bringing　in　Travers　on　that　of　all　evenings；　but　I　hoped

that　I　could　defy　him　after　this。



The　colonel　and　his　people　were　the　first　to　arrive；　he　and　his　wife

being　so　effusively　grateful　that　they　made　me　very　uncomfortable

indeed；　Lilian　met　me　with　downcast　eyes　and　the　faintest　possible

blush；　but　she　said　nothing　just　then。　Five　minutes　afterward；　when

she　and　I　were　alone　together　in　the　conservatory；　where　I　had　brought

her　on　pretence　of　showing　a　new　begonia；　she　laid　her　hand　on　my

sleeve　and　whispered；　almost　shyly；　〃Mr。　WeatherheadAlgernon！　Can

you　ever　forgive　me　for　being　so　cruel　and　unjust　to　you？〃　And　I

replied　that；　upon　the　whole；　I　could。



We　were　not　in　the　conservatory　long；　but　before　we　left　it　beautiful

Lilian　Roseblade　had　consented　to　make　my　life　happy。　When　we

reentered　the　drawing…room　we　found　Frank　Travers；　who　had　been　told

the　story　of　the　recovery；　and　I　observed　his　jaw　fall　as　he　glanced

at　our　faces；　and　noted　the　triumphant　smile　which　I　have　no　doubt

mine　wore；　and　the　tender；　dreamy　look　in　Lilian's　soft　eyes。　Poor

Travers！　I　was　sorry　for　him；　although　I　was　not　fond　of　him。　Travers

was　a　good　type　of　rising　young　common…law　barrister；　tall；　not　bad…

looking；　with　keen　dark　eyes；　black　whiskers；　and　the　mobile　forensic

mouth　which　can　express　every　shade　of　feeling；　from　deferential

assent　to　cynical　incredulity；　possessed；　too；　of　an　endless　flow　of

conversation　that　was　decidedly　agreeable；　if　a　trifling　too

laboriously　so；　he　had　been　a　dangerous　rival。　But　all　that　was　over

now；　he　saw　it　himself　at　once；