beasts and superbeasts- 第15部分

true。〃　　〃The　Death's　Head　patience：　Card…game　that　

justified　its　sinister　name　in　three　generations。〃　　He　

wrote　out　a　full　story　of　the　fatal　occurrence　for　the　

ESSEX　VEDETTE；　the　editor　of　which　was　a　friend　of　his；　

and　to　another　friend　he　gave　a　condensed　account；　to　be　

taken　up　to　the　office　of　one　of　the　halfpenny　dailies。　　

But　in　both　cases　his　reputation　as　a　romancer　stood　

fatally　in　the　way　of　the　fulfilment　of　his　ambitions。　　

〃Not　the　right　thing　to　be　Munchausening　in　a　time　of　

sorrow〃　agreed　his　friends　among　themselves；　and　a　brief　

note　of　regret　at　the　〃sudden　death　of　the　wife　of　our　

respected　neighbour；　Mr。　John　Blenkinthrope；　from　heart　

failure；〃　appearing　in　the　news　column　of　the　local　paper　

was　the　forlorn　outcome　of　his　visions　of　widespread　

publicity。



Blenkinthrope　shrank　from　the　society　of　his　

erstwhile　travelling　companions　and　took　to　travelling　

townwards　by　an　earlier　train。　　He　sometimes　tries　to　

enlist　the　sympathy　and　attention　of　a　chance　

acquaintance　in　details　of　the　whistling　prowess　of　his　

best　canary　or　the　dimensions　of　his　largest　beetroot；　he　

scarcely　recognises　himself　as　the　man　who　was　once　

spoken　about　and　pointed　out　as　the　owner　of　the　Seventh　

Pullet。





THE　BLIND　SPOT





〃YOU'VE　just　come　back　from　Adelaide's　funeral；　

haven't　you？〃　said　Sir　Lulworth　to　his　nephew；　〃I　suppose　

it　was　very　like　most　other　funerals？〃



〃I'll　tell　you　all　about　it　at　lunch；〃　said　Egbert。



〃You'll　do　nothing　of　the　sort。　　It　wouldn't　be　

respectful　either　to　your　great…aunt's　memory　or　to　the　

lunch。　　We　begin　with　Spanish　olives；　then　a　borshch；　

then　more　olives　and　a　bird　of　some　kind；　and　a　rather　

enticing　Rhenish　wine；　not　at　all　expensive　as　wines　go　

in　this　country；　but　still　quite　laudable　in　its　way。　　

Now　there's　absolutely　nothing　in　that　menu　that　

harmonises　in　the　least　with　the　subject　of　your　great…

aunt　Adelaide　or　her　funeral。　　She　was　a　charming　woman；　

and　quite　as　intelligent　as　she　had　any　need　to　be；　but　

somehow　she　always　reminded　me　of　an　English　cook's　idea　

of　a　Madras　curry。〃



〃She　used　to　say　you　were　frivolous；〃　said　Egbert。　　

Something　in　his　tone　suggested　that　he　rather　endorsed　

the　verdict。



〃I　believe　I　once　considerably　scandalised　her　by　

declaring　that　clear　soup　was　a　more　important　factor　in　

life　than　a　clear　conscience。　　She　had　very　little　sense　

of　proportion。　　By　the　way；　she　made　you　her　principal　

heir；　didn't　she？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Egbert；　〃and　executor　as　well。　　It's　in　

that　connection　that　I　particularly　want　to　speak　to　

you。〃



〃Business　is　not　my　strong　point　at　any　time；〃　said　

Sir　Lulworth；　〃and　certainly　not　when　we're　on　the　

immediate　threshold　of　lunch。〃



〃It　isn't　exactly　business；〃　explained　Egbert；　as　he　

followed　his　uncle　into　the　dining…room。



〃It's　something　rather　serious。　　Very　serious。〃



〃Then　we　can't　possibly　speak　about　it　now；〃　said　

Sir　Lulworth；　〃no　one　could　talk　seriously　during　a　

borshch。　　A　beautifully　constructed　borshch；　such　as　you　

are　going　to　experience　presently；　ought　not　only　to　

banish　conversation　but　almost　to　annihilate　thought。　　

Later　on；　when　we　arrive　at　the　second　stage　of　olives；　I　

shall　be　quite　ready　to　discuss　that　new　book　on　Borrow；　

or；　if　you　prefer　it；　the　present　situation　in　the　Grand　

Duchy　of　Luxemburg。　　But　I　absolutely　decline　to　talk　

anything　approaching　business　till　we　have　finished　with　

the　bird。〃



For　the　greater　part　of　the　meal　Egbert　sat　in　an　

abstracted　silence；　the　silence　of　a　man　whose　mind　is　

focussed　on　one　topic。　　When　the　coffee　stage　had　been　

reached　he　launched　himself　suddenly　athwart　his　uncle's　

reminiscences　of　the　Court　of　Luxemburg。



〃I　think　I　told　you　that　great…aunt　Adelaide　had　

made　me　her　executor。　　There　wasn't　very　much　to　be　done　

in　the　way　of　legal　matters；　but　I　had　to　go　through　her　

papers。〃



〃That　would　be　a　fairly　heavy　task　in　itself。　　I　

should　imagine　there　were　reams　of　family　letters。〃



〃Stacks　of　them；　and　most　of　them　highly　

uninteresting。　　There　was　one　packet；　however；　which　I　

thought　might　repay　a　careful　perusal。　　It　was　a　bundle　

of　correspondence　from　her　brother　Peter。〃



〃The　Canon　of　tragic　memory；〃　said　Lulworth。



〃Exactly；　of　tragic　memory；　as　you　say；　a　tragedy　

that　has　never　been　fathomed。〃



〃Probably　the　simplest　explanation　was　the　correct　

one；〃　said　Sir　Lulworth；　〃he　slipped　on　the　stone　

staircase　and　fractured　his　skull　in　falling。〃



Egbert　shook　his　head。　　〃The　medical　evidence　all　

went　to　prove　that　the　blow　on　the　head　was　struck　by　

some　one　coming　up　behind　him。　　A　wound　caused　by　violent　

contact　with　the　steps　could　not　possibly　have　been　

inflicted　at　that　angle　of　the　skull。　　They　experimented　

with　a　dummy　figure　falling　in　every　conceivable　

position。〃



〃But　the　motive？〃　exclaimed　Sir　Lulworth；　〃no　one　

had　any　interest　in　doing　away　with　him；　and　the　number　

of　people　who　destroy　Canons　of　the　Established　Church　

for　the　mere　fun　of　killing　must　be　extremely　limited。　　

Of　course　there　are　individuals　of　weak　mental　balance　

who　do　that　sort　of　thing；　but　they　seldom　conceal　their　

handiwork；　they　are　more　generally　inclined　to　parade　

it。〃



〃His　cook　was　under　suspicion；〃　said　Egbert　shortly。



〃I　know　he　was；〃　said　Sir　Lulworth；　〃simply　because　

he　was　about　the　only　person　on　the　premises　at　the　time　

of　the　tragedy。　　But　could　anything　be　sillier　than　

trying　to　fasten　a　charge　of　murder　on　to　Sebastien？　　He　

had　nothing　to　gain；　in　fact；　a　good　deal　to　lose；　from　

the　death　of　his　employer。　　The　Canon　was　paying　him　

quite　as　good　wages　as　I　was　able　to　offer　him　when　I　

took　him　over　into　my　service。　　I　have　since　raised　them　

to　something　a　little　more　in　accordance　with　his　real　

worth；　but　at　the　time　he　was　glad　to　find　a　new　place　

without　troubling　about　an　increase　of　wages。　　People　

were　fighting　rather　shy　of　him；　and　he　had　no　friends　in　

this　country。　　No；　if　anyone　in　the　world　was　interested　

in　the　prolonged　life　and　unimpaired　digestion　of　the　

Canon　it　would　certainly　be　Sebastien。〃



〃People　don't　always　weigh　the　consequences　of　their　

rash　acts；〃　said　Egbert；　〃otherwise　there　would　be　very　

few　murders　committed。　　Sebastien　is　a　man　of　hot　

temper。〃



〃He　is　a　southerner；〃　admitted　Sir　Lulworth；　〃to　be　

geographically　exact　I　believe　he　hails　from　the　French　

slopes　of　the　Pyrenees。　　I　took　that　into　consideration　

when　he　nearly　killed　the　gardener's　boy　the　other　day　

for　bringing　him　a　spurious　substitute　for　sorrel。　　One　

must　always　make　allowances　for　origin　and　locality　and　

early　environment；　‘Tell　me　your　longitude　and　I'll　know　

what　latitude　to　allow　you；'　is　my　motto。〃



〃There；　you　see；〃　said　Egbert；　〃he　nearly　killed　the　

gardener's　boy。〃



〃My　dear　Egbert；　between　nearly　killing　a　gardener's　

boy　and　altogether　killing　a　Canon　there　is　a　wide　

difference。　　No　doubt　you　have　often　felt　a　temporary　

desire　to　kill　a　gardener's　boy；　you　have　never　given　way　

to　it；　and　I　respect　you　for　your　self…control。　　But　I　

don't　suppose　you　have　ever　wanted　to　kill　an　

octogenarian　Canon。　　Besides；　as　far　as　we　know；　there　

had　never　been　any　quarrel　or　disagreement　between　the　

two　men。　　The　evidence　at　the　inquest　brought　that　out　

very　clearly。〃



〃Ah！〃　said　Egbert；　with　the　air　of　a　man　coming　at　

last　into　a　deferred　inheritance　of　conversational　

importance；　〃that　is　precisely　what　I　want　to　speak　to　

you　about。〃



He　pushed　away　his　coffee　cup　and　drew　a　pocket…book　

from　his　inner　breast…pocket。　　From　the　depths　of　the　

pocket…book　he　produced　an　envelope；　and　from　the　

envelope　he　extracted　a　letter；　closely　written　in　a　

small；　neat　handwriting。



〃One　of　the　Canon's　numerous　letters　to　Aunt　

Adelaide；〃　he　explained；　〃written　a　few　days　before　his　

death。　　Her　memory　was　already　failing　when　she　received　

it；　and　I　daresay　she　forgot　the　contents　as　soon　as　she　

had　read　it；　otherwise；　in　the　light　of　what　subsequently　

happened；　we　should　have　heard　something　of　this　letter　

before　now。　　If　it　had　been　produced　at　the　inquest　I　

fancy　it　would　have　made　some　difference　in　the　course　of　


affairs。　　The　evidence；　as　you　remarked　just　now；　choked　

off　suspicion　against　Sebastien　by　disclosing　an　utter　

absence　of　anything　that　could　be　considered　a　motive　or　

provocation　for　the　crime；　if　crime　there　was。〃



〃Oh；　read　the　letter；〃　said　Sir　Lulworth　

impatiently。



〃It's　a　long　rambling　affair；　like　most　of　his　

letters　in　his　later　years；〃　said　Egbert。　　〃I'll　read　the　

part　that　bears　immediately　on　the　mystery。



〃　'I　very　much　fear　I　shall　have　to　get　rid　of　

Sebastien。　　He　cooks　divinely；　but　he　has　the　temper　of　a　

fiend　or　an　anthropoid　ape；　and　I　am　really　in　bodily　

fear　of　him。　　We　had　a　dispute　the　other　day　as　to　the　

correct　sort　of　lunch　to　be　served　on　Ash　Wednesday；　and　

I　got　so　irritated　and　annoyed　at　his　conceit　and　

obstinacy　that　at　last　I　threw　a　cupful　of　coffee　in　his　

face　and　called　him　at　the　same　time　an　impudent　

jackanapes。　　Very　little　of　the　coffee　went　actually　in　

his　face；　but　I　have　never　seen　a　human　being　show　such　

deplorable　lack　of　self…control。　　I　laughed　at　the　threat　

of　killing　me　that　he　spluttered　out　in　his　rage；　and　

thought　the　whole　thing　would　blow　over；　but　I　have　

several　times　since　caught　him　scowling　and　muttering　in　

a　highly　unpleasant　fashion；　and　lately　I　have　fancied　

that　he　was　dogging　my　footsteps　about　the　grounds；　

particularly　when　I　walk　of　an　evening　in　the　Italian　

Garden。'



〃It　was　on　the　steps　in　the　Italian　Garden　that　the　

body　was　found；〃　commented　Egbert；　and　resumed　reading。



〃　'I　daresay　the　danger　is　imaginary；　but　I　shall　

f