beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第21节
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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。
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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
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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
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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
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an envelope； and from the envelope he extracted a lette
