beasts and superbeasts-第7部分

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the　people　here。〃



He　made　the　last　statement　in　a　tone　of　distinct　

regret。



〃Then　you　know　practically　nothing　about　my　aunt？〃　

pursued　the　self…possessed　young　lady。



〃Only　her　name　and　address；〃　admitted　the　caller。　　

He　was　wondering　whether　Mrs。　Sappleton　was　in　the　

married　or　widowed　state。　　An　undefinable　something　about　

the　room　seemed　to　suggest　masculine　habitation。



〃Her　great　tragedy　happened　just　three　years　ago；〃　

said　the　child；　〃that　would　be　since　your　sister's　time。〃



〃Her　tragedy？〃　asked　Framton；　somehow　in　this　

restful　country　spot　tragedies　seemed　out　of　place。



〃You　may　wonder　why　we　keep　that　window　wide　open　on　

an　October　afternoon；〃　said　the　niece；　indicating　a　large　

French　window　that　opened　on　to　a　lawn。



　〃It　is　quite　warm　for　the　time　of　the　year；〃　said　

Framton；　〃but　has　that　window　got　anything　to　do　with　the　

tragedy？〃



〃Out　through　that　window；　three　years　ago　to　a　day；　

her　husband　and　her　two　young　brothers　went　off　for　their　

day's　shooting。　　They　never　came　back。　　In　crossing　the　

moor　to　their　favourite　snipe…shooting　ground　they　were　

all　three　engulfed　in　a　treacherous　piece　of　bog。　　It　had　

been　that　dreadful　wet　summer；　you　know；　and　places　that　

were　safe　in　other　years　gave　way　suddenly　without　

warning。　　Their　bodies　were　never　recovered。　　That　was　

the　dreadful　part　of　it。〃　　Here　the　child's　voice　lost　

its　self…possessed　note　and　became　falteringly　human。　　

〃Poor　aunt　always　thinks　that　they　will　come　back　some　

day；　they　and　the　little　brown　spaniel　that　was　lost　with　

them；　and　walk　in　at　that　window　just　as　they　used　to　do。　　

That　is　why　the　window　is　kept　open　every　evening　till　it　

is　quite　dusk。　　Poor　dear　aunt；　she　has　often　told　me　how　

they　went　out；　her　husband　with　his　white　waterproof　coat　

over　his　arm；　and　Ronnie；　her　youngest　brother；　singing　

'Bertie；　why　do　you　bound？'　as　he　always　did　to　tease　

her；　because　she　said　it　got　on　her　nerves。　　Do　you　know；　

sometimes　on　still；　quiet　evenings　like　this；　I　almost　

get　a　creepy　feeling　that　they　will　all　walk　in　through　

that　window　…　〃



She　broke　off　with　a　little　shudder。　　It　was　a　

relief　to　Framton　when　the　aunt　bustled　into　the　room　

with　a　whirl　of　apologies　for　being　late　in　making　her　

appearance。



〃I　hope　Vera　has　been　amusing　you？〃　she　said。



〃She　has　been　very　interesting；〃　said　Framton。



〃I　hope　you　don't　mind　the　open　window；〃　said　Mrs。　

Sappleton　briskly；　〃my　husband　and　brothers　will　be　home　

directly　from　shooting；　and　they　always　come　in　this　way。　　

They've　been　out　for　snipe　in　the　marshes　to…day；　so　

they'll　make　a　fine　mess　over　my　poor　carpets。　　So　like　

you　men…folk；　isn't　it？〃



She　rattled　on　cheerfully　about　the　shooting　and　the　

scarcity　of　birds；　and　the　prospects　for　duck　in　the　

winter。　　To　Framton　it　was　all　purely　horrible。　　He　made　

a　desperate　but　only　partially　successful　effort　to　turn　

the　talk　on　to　a　less　ghastly　topic；　he　was　conscious　

that　his　hostess　was　giving　him　only　a　fragment　of　her　

attention；　and　her　eyes　were　constantly　straying　past　him　

to　the　open　window　and　the　lawn　beyond。　　It　was　certainly　

an　unfortunate　coincidence　that　he　should　have　paid　his　

visit　on　this　tragic　anniversary。



〃The　doctors　agree　in　ordering　me　complete　rest；　an　

absence　of　mental　excitement；　and　avoidance　of　anything　

in　the　nature　of　violent　physical　exercise；〃　announced　

Framton；　who　laboured　under　the　tolerably　wide…spread　

delusion　that　total　strangers　and　chance　acquaintances　

are　hungry　for　the　least　detail　of　one's　ailments　and　

infirmities；　their　cause　and　cure。　　〃On　the　matter　of　

diet　they　are　not　so　much　in　agreement；〃　he　continued。



〃No？〃　said　Mrs。　Sappleton；　in　a　voice　which　only　

replaced　a　yawn　at　the　last　moment。　　Then　she　suddenly　

brightened　into　alert　attention　…　but　not　to　what　Framton　

was　saying。



〃Here　they　are　at　last！〃　she　cried。　　〃Just　in　time　

for　tea；　and　don't　they　look　as　if　they　were　muddy　up　to　

the　eyes！〃



Framton　shivered　slightly　and　turned　towards　the　

niece　with　a　look　intended　to　convey　sympathetic　

comprehension。　　The　child　was　staring　out　through　the　

open　window　with　dazed　horror　in　her　eyes。　　In　a　chill　

shock　of　nameless　fear　Framton　swung　round　in　his　seat　

and　looked　in　the　same　direction。



In　the　deepening　twilight　three　figures　were　walking　

across　the　lawn　towards　the　window；　they　all　carried　guns　

under　their　arms；　and　one　of　them　was　additionally　

burdened　with　a　white　coat　hung　over　his　shoulders。　　A　

tired　brown　spaniel　kept　close　at　their　heels。　　

Noiselessly　they　neared　the　house；　and　then　a　hoarse　

young　voice　chanted　out　of　the　dusk：　〃I　said；　Bertie；　why　

do　you　bound？〃



Framton　grabbed　wildly　at　his　stick　and　hat；　the　

hall…door；　the　gravel…drive；　and　the　front　gate　were　

dimly…noted　stages　in　his　headlong　retreat。　　A　cyclist　

coming　along　the　road　had　to　run　into　the　hedge　to　avoid　

an　imminent　collision。



〃Here　we　are；　my　dear；〃　said　the　bearer　of　the　white　

mackintosh；　coming　in　through　the　window；　〃fairly　muddy；　

but　most　of　it's　dry。　　Who　was　that　who　bolted　out　as　we　

came　up？〃



〃A　most　extraordinary　man；　a　Mr。　Nuttel；〃　said　Mrs。　

Sappleton；　〃could　only　talk　about　his　illnesses；　and　

dashed　off　without　a　word　of　good…bye　or　apology　when　you　

arrived。　　One　would　think　he　had　seen　a　ghost。〃



〃I　expect　it　was　the　spaniel；〃　said　the　niece　

calmly；　〃he　told　me　he　had　a　horror　of　dogs。　　He　was　once　

hunted　into　a　cemetery　somewhere　on　the　banks　of　the　

Ganges　by　a　pack　of　pariah　dogs；　and　had　to　spend　the　

night　in　a　newly　dug　grave　with　the　creatures　snarling　

and　grinning　and　foaming　just　above　him。　　Enough　to　make　

anyone　their　nerve。〃



Romance　at　short　notice　was　her　speciality。





THE　TREASURE　SHIP





THE　great　galleon　lay　in　semi…retirement　under　the　

sand　and　weed　and　water　of　the　northern　bay　where　the　

fortune　of　war　and　weather　had　long　ago　ensconced　it。　　

Three　and　a　quarter　centuries　had　passed　since　the　day　

when　it　had　taken　the　high　seas　as　an　important　unit　of　a　

fighting　squadron　…　precisely　which　squadron　the　learned　

were　not　agreed。　　The　galleon　had　brought　nothing　into　

the　world；　but　it　had；　according　to　tradition　and　report；　

taken　much　out　of　it。　　But　how　much？　　There　again　the　

learned　were　in　disagreement。　　Some　were　as　generous　in　

their　estimate　as　an　income…tax　assessor；　others　applied　

a　species　of　higher　criticism　to　the　submerged　treasure　

chests；　and　debased　their　contents　to　the　currency　of　

goblin　gold。　　Of　the　former　school　was　Lulu；　Duchess　of　

Dulverton。



The　Duchess　was　not　only　a　believer　in　the　existence　

of　a　sunken　treasure　of　alluring　proportions；　she　also　

believed　that　she　knew　of　a　method　by　which　the　said　

treasure　might　be　precisely　located　and　cheaply　

disembedded。　　An　aunt　on　her　mother's　side　of　the　family　

had　been　Maid　of　Honour　at　the　Court　of　Monaco；　and　had　

taken　a　respectful　interest　in　the　deep…sea　researches　in　

which　the　Throne　of　that　country；　impatient　perhaps　of　

its　terrestrial　restrictions；　was　wont　to　immerse　itself。　　

It　was　through　the　instrumentality　of　this　relative　that　

the　Duchess　learned　of　an　invention；　perfected　and　very　

nearly　patented　by　a　Monegaskan　savant；　by　means　of　which　

the　home…life　of　the　Mediterranean　sardine　might　be　

studied　at　a　depth　of　many　fathoms　in　a　cold　white　light　

of　more　than　ball…room　brilliancy。　　Implicated　in　this　

invention　（and；　in　the　Duchess's　eyes；　the　most　

attractive　part　of　it）　was　an　electric　suction　dredge；　

specially　designed　for　dragging　to　the　surface　such　

objects　of　interest　and　value　as　might　be　found　in　the　

more　accessible　levels　of　the　ocean…bed。　　The　rights　of　

the　invention　were　to　be　acquired　for　a　matter　of　

eighteen　hundred　francs；　and　the　apparatus　for　a　few　

thousand　more。　　The　Duchess　of　Dulverton　was　rich；　as　the　

world　counted　wealth；　she　nursed　the　hope；　of　being　one　

day　rich　at　her　own　computation。　　Companies　had　been　

formed　and　efforts　had　been　made　again　and　again　during　

the　course　of　three　centuries　to　probe　for　the　alleged　

treasures　of　the　interesting　galleon；　with　the　aid　of　

this　invention　she　considered　that　she　might　go　to　work　

on　the　wreck　privately　and　independently。　　After　all；　one　

of　her　ancestors　on　her　mother's　side　was　descended　from　

Medina　Sidonia；　so　she　was　of　opinion　that　she　had　as　

much　right　to　the　treasure　as　anyone。　　She　acquired　the　

invention　and　bought　the　apparatus。



Among　other　family　ties　and　encumbrances；　Lulu　

possessed　a　nephew；　Vasco　Honiton；　a　young　gentleman　who　

was　blessed　with　a　small　income　and　a　large　circle　of　

relatives；　and　lived　impartially　and　precariously　on　

both。　　The　name　Vasco　had　been　given　him　possibly　in　the　

hope　that　he　might　live　up　to　its　adventurous　tradition；　

but　he　limited　himself　strictly　to　the　home　industry　of　

adventurer；　preferring　to　exploit　the　assured　rather　than　

to　explore　the　unknown。　　Lulu's　intercourse　with　him　had　

been　restricted　of　recent　years　to　the　negative　processes　

of　being　out　of　town　when　he　called　on　her；　and　short　of　

money　when　he　wrote　to　her。　　Now；　however；　she　bethought　

herself　of　his　eminent　suitability　for　the　direction　of　a　

treasure…seeking　experiment；　if　anyone　could　extract　gold　

from　an　unpromising　situation　it　would　certainly　be　Vasco　

…　of　course；　under　the　necessary　safeguards　in　the　way　of　

supervision。　　Where　money　was　in　question　Vasco's　

conscience　was　liable　to　fits　of　obstinate　silence。



Somewhere　on　the　west　coast　of　Ireland　the　Dulverton　

property　included　a　few　acres　of　shingle；　rock；　and　

heather；　too　barren　to　support　even　an　agrarian　outrage；　

but　embracing　a　small　and　fairly　deep　bay　where　the　

lobster　yield　was　good　in　most　seasons。　　There　was　a　

bleak　littl