第 17 节
作者:旅游巴士      更新:2021-10-16 18:45      字数:9322
  other two      were。〃
  〃Ah;    I  daresay;〃    said   the   stranger;   in   a  tone   that   betrayed      no
  enthusiasm for the philosopher's memory; 〃and                 did he practise what he
  preached?      That's the test。〃
  〃He lived happily with very little money or             resources;〃 said Crosby。
  〃Then     I  expect    he   had    friends   who    would     help   him     liberally
  whenever he was in difficulties; such as I am             in at present。〃
  〃In Yom;〃 said Crosby; 〃it is not necessary to have              friends in order to
  obtain help。      Any citizen of Yom          would help a stranger as a matter of
  course。〃
  The greybeard was now genuinely interested。
  The conversation had at last taken a favourable             turn。
  〃If   someone;      like   me;    for   instance;    who    was    in    undeserved
  difficulties; asked a citizen of that town you            speak of for a small loan to
  tide over a few days'        impecuniosity … five shillings; or perhaps a rather
  larger sum … would it be given to him as a matter of              course?〃
  〃There   would   be   a   certain   preliminary;〃   said   Crosby;      〃one   would
  take him to a wine…shop and treat him to a                measure of wine; and then;
  after a little high…flown       conversation; one would put the desired sum in
  his    hand     and     wish    him    good…day。      It   is  a   roundabout      way    of
  performing       a   simple    transaction;     but   in   the   East    all  ways      are
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  BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
  roundabout。〃
  The listener's eyes were glittering。
  〃Ah;〃 he exclaimed; with a thin sneer ringing              meaningly through his
  words; 〃I suppose you've given up             all those generous customs since you
  left your town。        Don't practise them now; I expect。〃
  〃No     one   who    has   lived   in   Yom;〃    said   Crosby      fervently;    〃and
  remembers its green hills covered with             apricot and almond trees; and the
  cold   water   that   rushes   down   like   a   caress   from   the   upland   snows   and
  dashes   under      the   little   wooden   bridges;   no   one   who   remembers   these
  things   and   treasures   the   memory   of   them   would   ever   give     up   a   single
  one of its   unwritten laws and   customs。           To   me    they  are as binding   as
  though I still lived in that      hallowed home of my youth。〃
  〃Then if I was to ask you for a small loan … 〃 began                  the greybeard
  fawningly; edging nearer on the seat and              hurriedly wondering how large
  he might safely make his          request; 〃if I was to ask you for; say … 〃
  〃At    any   other   time;   certainly;〃    said  Crosby;     〃in  the    months     of
  November and December; however; it is               absolutely forbidden for anyone
  of   our   race   to  give  or   receive     loans   or  gifts;  in  fact;  one   does   not
  willingly     speak of them。       It is considered unlucky。        We will      therefore
  close this discussion。〃
  〃But   it   is   still   October!〃   exclaimed   the   adventurer    with   an   eager;
  angry whine; as Crosby rose from his seat;               〃wants eight days to the end
  of the month!〃
  〃The Afghan November began yesterday;〃 said Crosby                     severely; and
  in   another   moment   he   was   striding   across     the   Park;   leaving   his   recent
  companion scowling and            muttering furiously on the seat。
  〃I don't believe a word of his story;〃 he chattered            to himself; 〃pack of
  nasty   lies   from   beginning   to   end。      Wish   I'd   told   him   so   to   his   face。
  Calling himself an        Afghan!〃
  The snorts and snarls that escaped from him for the                 next quarter of
  an hour went far to support the truth of           the old saying that two of a trade
  never agree。
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  BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
  THE SCHARTZ…
  METTERKLUME METHOD
  LADY   CARLOTTA   stepped   out   on   to   the   platform   of   the        small
  wayside   station   and   took   a   turn   or   two   up   and   down its   uninteresting
  length; to kill time till the train      should be pleased to proceed on its way。
  Then; in   the    roadway  beyond;  she   saw  a   horse   struggling   with   a   more
  than   ample   load;   and   a   carter   of   the   sort   that   seems   to bear   a   sullen
  hatred against the animal that helps him to            earn a living。     Lady Carlotta
  promptly      betook     her   to  the    roadway;      and    put   rather   a  different
  complexion on the         struggle。    Certain of her acquaintances were wont to
  give    her plentiful admonition as to the undesirability of              interfering on
  behalf    of  a  distressed    animal;    such   interference      being   〃none    of  her
  business。〃     Only once had        she put the doctrine of non…interference into
  practice;    when   one   of   its   most   eloquent   exponents   had   been   besieged
  for nearly three hours in a small and extremely               uncomfortable may…tree
  by an angry boar…pig; while Lady            Carlotta; on the other side of the fence;
  had   proceeded      with   the   water…colour   sketch   she   was   engaged   on;   and
  refused to interfere between the boar and his prisoner。                It is to be feared
  that   she   lost  the  friendship    of  the   ultimately   rescued     lady。   On    this
  occasion she  merely        lost   the  train;  which   gave way  to   the  first   sign of
  impatience      it  had   shown     throughout     the   journey;   and     steamed     off
  without her。      She bore the desertion with         philosophical indifference; her
  friends    and   relations    were     thoroughly     well   used   to  the   fact  of  her
  luggage       arriving    without     her。   She     wired   a   vague    non…committal
  message   to   her   destination   to   say  that   she   was   coming   on 〃by  another
  train。〃    Before she had time to think what            her next move might be she
  was confronted by an         imposingly attired lady; who seemed to be taking a
  prolonged mental inventory of her clothes and looks。
  〃You must be Miss Hope; the governess I've come to                  meet;〃 said the
  apparition; in a tone that admitted of         very little argument。
  〃Very   well;   if   I   must   I   must;〃   said   Lady   Carlotta   to herself   with
  dangerous meekness。
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  BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
  〃I am Mrs。 Quabarl;〃 continued the lady; 〃and where;                 pray; is your
  luggage?〃
  〃It's  gone   astray;〃   said  the  alleged   governess;     falling   in  with   the
  excellent rule of life that the      absent are always to blame; the luggage had;
  in    point   of    fact;    behaved     with   perfect    correctitude。     〃I've    just
  telegraphed about it;〃 she added; with a nearer approach              to truth。
  〃How provoking;〃 said Mrs。 Quabarl; 〃these railway                 companies are
  so careless。     However; my maid can lend you             things for the night;〃 and
  she led the way to her car。
  During     the   drive   to  the   Quabarl     mansion     Lady     Carlotta     was
  impressively introduced to the nature of the            charge that had been thrust
  upon   her;   she   learned   that  Claude   and   Wilfrid   were   delicate;   sensitive
  young people;       that Irene had the artistic temperament highly developed;
  and    that   Viola   was    something     or   other   else  of   a  mould      equally
  commonplace   among   children   of   that   class   and   type       in   the   twentieth
  century。
  〃I   wish   them   not   only   to   be   TAUGHT;〃   said   Mrs。    Quabarl;   〃but
  INTERESTED in what they learn。              In their    history lessons; for instance;
  you must try to make them          feel that they are being introduced to the life…
  stories    of men and women who really lived; not merely committing                     a
  mass of names and dates to memory。              French; of course;       I shall expect
  you to talk at meal…times several days in          the week。〃
  〃I   shall  talk  French    four   days   of  the  week    and    Russian     in  the
  remaining three。〃
  〃Russian?      My   dear    Miss   Hope;    no   one  in  the   house    speaks    or
  understands Russian。〃
  〃That will not embarrass me in th