第 3 节
作者:
辛苦 更新:2024-09-11 20:30 字数:9321
man of action; the heroic warrior; the beau sabreur。
AUGUSTUS 'gloomily'。 Madam; I beg! Please! My military exploits
are not a pleasant subject; unhappily。
THE LADY。 Oh; I know I know。 How shamefully you have been
treated! what ingratitude! But the country is with you。 The women
are with you。 Oh; do you think all our hearts did not throb and
all our nerves thrill when we heard how; when you were ordered to
occupy that terrible quarry in Hulluch; and you swept into it at
the head of your men like a sea…god riding on a tidal wave; you
suddenly sprang over the top shouting 〃To Berlin! Forward!〃;
dashed at the German army single…handed; and were cut off and
made prisoner by the Huns。
AUGUSTUS。 Yes; madam; and what was my reward? They said I
had disobeyed orders; and sent me home。 Have they forgotten
Nelson in the Baltic? Has any British battle ever been won except
by a bold initiative? I say nothing of professional jealousy; it
exists in the army as elsewhere; but it is a bitter thought to me
that the recognition denied me by my countryor rather by the
Radical cabal in the Cabinet which pursues my family with
rancorous class hatredthat this recognition; I say; came to me
at the hands of an enemyof a rank Prussian。
THE LADY。 You don't say so!
AUGUSTUS。 How else should I be here instead of starving to death
in Ruhleben? Yes; madam: the Colonel of the Pomeranian regiment
which captured me; after learning what I had done; and conversing
for an hour with me on European politics and military strategy;
declared that nothing would induce him to deprive my country of
my services; and set me free。 I offered; of course; to procure
the release in exchange of a German officer of equal quality; but
he would not hear of it。 He was kind enough to say he could not
believe that a German officer answering to that description
existed。 'With emotion。' I had my first taste of the ingratitude
of my own country as I made my way back to our lines。 A shot from
our front trench struck me in the head。 I still carry the
flattened projectile as a trophy 'he throws it on the table; the
noise it makes testifies to its weight'。 Had it penetrated to the
brain I might never have sat on another Royal Commission。
Fortunately we have strong heads; we Highcastles。 Nothing has
ever penetrated to our brains。
THE LADY。 How thrilling! How simple! And how tragic! But you will
forgive England? Remember: England! Forgive her。
AUGUSTUS 'with gloomy magnanimity'。 It will make no difference
whatever to my services to my country。 Though she slay me; yet
will I; if not exactly trust in her; at least take my part in her
government。 I am ever at my country's call。 Whether it be the
embassy in a leading European capital; a governor…generalship in
the tropics; or my humble mission here to make Little Pifflington
do its bit; I am always ready for the sacrifice。 Whilst England
remains England; wherever there is a public job to be done you
will find a Highcastle sticking to it。 And now; madam; enough of
my tragic personal history。 You have called on business。 What can
I do for you?
THE LADY。 You have relatives at the Foreign Office; have you not?
AUGUSTUS 'haughtily'。 Madam; the Foreign Office is staffed by my
relatives exclusively。
THE LADY。 Has the Foreign Office warned you that you are being
pursued by a female spy who is determined to obtain possession of
a certain list of gun emplacements?
AUGUSTUS 'interrupting her somewhat loftily'。 All that is
perfectly well known to this department; madam。
THE LADY 'surprised and rather indignant'。 Is it? Who told you?
Was it one of your German brothers…in…law?
AUGUSTUS 'injured; remonstrating'。 I have only three German
brothers…in…law; madam。 Really; from your tone; one would suppose
that I had several。 Pardon my sensitiveness on that subject; but
reports are continually being circulated that I have been shot as
a traitor in the courtyard of the Ritz Hotel simply because I
have German brothers…in…law。 'With feeling。' If you had a German
brother…in…law; madam; you would know that nothing else in the
world produces so strong an anti…German feeling。 Life affords no
keener pleasure than finding a brother…in…law's name in the
German casualty list。
THE LADY。 Nobody knows that better than I。 Wait until you hear
what I have come to tell you: you will understand me as no one
else could。 Listen。 This spy; this woman
AUGUSTUS 'all attention'。 Yes?
THE LADY。 She is a German。 A Hun。
AUGUSTUS。 Yes; yes。 She would be。 Continue。
THE LADY。 She is my sister…in…law。
AUGUSTUS 'deferentially'。 I see you are well connected; madam。
Proceed。
THE LADY。 Need I add that she is my bitterest enemy?
AUGUSTUS。 May I'he proffers his hand。 They shake; fervently。
》From this moment onward Augustus becomes more and more
confidential; gallant; and charming。'
THE LADY。 Quite so。 Well; she is an intimate friend of your
brother at the War Office; Hungerford Highcastle; Blueloo as you
call him; I don't know why。
AUGUSTUS 'explaining'。 He was originally called The Singing
Oyster; because he sang drawing…room ballads with such an
extraordinary absence of expression。 He was then called the Blue
Point for a season or two。 Finally he became Blueloo。
THE LADY。 Oh; indeed: I didn't know。 Well; Blueloo is simply
infatuated with my sister…in…law; and he has rashly let out to
her that this list is in your possession。 He forgot himself
because he was in a towering rage at its being entrusted to you:
his language was terrible。 He ordered all the guns to be shifted
at once。
AUGUSTUS。 What on earth did he do that for?
THE LADY。 I can't imagine。 But this I know。 She made a bet with
him that she would come down here and obtain possession of that
list and get clean away into the street with it。 He took the bet
on condition that she brought it straight back to him at the War
Office。
AUGUSTUS。 Good heavens! And you mean to tell me that Blueloo was
such a dolt as to believe that she could succeed? Does he take me
for a fool?
THE LADY。 Oh; impossible! He is jealous of your intellect。 The
bet is an insult to you: don't you feel that? After what you have
done for our country
AUGUSTUS。 Oh; never mind that。 It is the idiocy of the thing I
look at。 He'll lose his bet; and serve him right!
THE LADY。 You feel sure you will be able to resist the siren? I
warn you; she is very fascinating。
AUGUSTUS。 You need have no fear; madam。 I hope she will come and
try it on。 Fascination is a game that two can play at。 For
centuries the younger sons of the Highcastles have had nothing to
do but fascinate attractive females when they were not sitting on
Royal Commissions or on duty at Knightsbridge barracks。 By Gad;
madam; if the siren comes here she will meet her match。
THE LADY。 I feel that。 But if she fails to seduce you
AUGUSTUS 'blushing'。 Madam!
THE LADY 'continuing'from your allegiance
AUGUSTUS。 Oh; that!
THE LADY。 she will resort to fraud; to force; to anything。 She
will burgle your office: she will have you attacked and garotted
at night in the street。
AUGUSTUS。 Pooh! I'm not afraid。
THE LADY。 Oh; your courage will only tempt you into danger。 She
may get the list after all。 It is true that the guns are moved。
But she would win her bet。
AUGUSTUS 'cautiously'。 You did not say that the guns were moved。
You said that Blueloo had ordered them to be moved。
THE LADY。 Well; that is the same thing; isn't it?
AUGUSTUS。 Not quiteat the War Office。 No doubt those guns WILL
be moved: possibly even before the end of the war。
THE LADY。 Then you think they are there still! But if the German
War Office gets the listand she will copy it before she gives
it back to Blueloo; you may depend on itall is lost。
AUGUSTUS 'lazily'。 Well; I should not go as far as that。
'Lowering his voice。' Will you swear to me not to repeat what I
am going to say to you; for if the British public knew that I had
said it; I should be at once hounded down as a pro…German。
THE LADY。 I will be silent as the grave。 I swear it。
AUGUSTUS 'again taking it easily'。 Well; our people have for some
reason made up their minds that the German War Office is
everything that our War Office is notthat it carries
promptitude; efficiency; and organization to a pitch of
completeness and perfection that must be; in my opinion;
destructive to the happiness of the staff。 My own viewwhich you
are pledged; remember; not to betrayis that the German War
Office is no better than any other War Office。 I found that
opinion on my observation of the characters of my
brothers…in…law: one of whom; by the way; is on the German
general staff。 I am not at all sure that this list of gun
emplacements would receive the smallest attention。 You see; there
are always so many more important things to be attended to。
Family matters; and so on; you understand。
THE LADY。 Still; if a question were asked in the House of
Commons
AUGUSTUS。 The great advantage of being at war; madam; is that
nobody takes the slightest notice of the House of Commons。 No
doubt it is sometimes necessary for a Minister to soothe the more
seditious members of that assembly by giving a pledge