pgw.piccadillyjim-第12节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Mean　what？〃
　〃You　have　really　forgotten　that　you　were　engaged　in　a　fracas　last　night　at　the　Six　Hundred　Club？〃
　Jimmy　sat　up　with　a　jerk；　staring　at　this　omniscient　man。　Then　the　movement　having　caused　a　renewal　of　the　operations　of　the　red…hot　corkscrew；　he　fell　back　again　with　a　groan。
　〃Was　I？　How　on　earth　did　you　know？　Why　should　you　know　all　about　it　when　I　can't　remember　a　thing？　It　was　my　fault；　not　yours。〃
　〃There　is　quite　a　long　report　of　it　in　to…day's　Daily　Sun；　Mr。　James。〃
　〃A　report？　In　the　Sun？〃
　〃Half　a　column；　Mr。　James。　Would　you　like　me　to　fetch　the　paper？　I　have　it　in　my　pantry。〃
　〃I　should　say　so。　Trot　a　quick　beat　back　with　it。　This　wants　looking　into。〃
　Bayliss　retired；　to　return　immediately　with　the　paper。　Jimmy　took　it；　gazed　at　it；　and　handed　it　back。
　〃I　overestimated　my　powers。　It　can't　be　done。　Have　you　any　important　duties　at　the　moment；　Bayliss？〃
　〃No；　sir。〃
　〃Perhaps　you　wouldn't　mind　reading　me　the　bright　little　excerpt；　then？〃
　〃Certainly；　sir。〃
　〃It　will　be　good　practice　for　you。　I　am　convinced　I　am　going　to　be　a　confirmed　invalid　for　the　rest　of　my　life；　and　it　will　be　part　of　your　job　to　sit　at　my　bedside　and　read　to　me。　By　the　way；　does　the　paper　say　who　the　party　of　the　second　part　was？　Who　was　the　citizen　with　whom　I　went　to　the　mat？〃
　〃Lord　Percy　Whipple；　Mr。　James。〃
　〃Lord　who？〃
　〃Lord　Percy　Whipple。〃
　〃Never　heard　of　him。　Carry　on；　Bayliss。〃
　Jimmy　posed　himself　to　listen；　yawning。
　
　CHAPTER　V
　THE　MORNING　AFTER
　
　BAYLISS　took　a　spectacle…case　from　the　recesses　of　his　costume；　opened　it；　took　out　a　pair　of　gold…rimmed　glasses；　dived　into　the　jungle　again；　came　out　with　a　handkerchief；　polished　the　spectacles；　put　them　on　his　nose；　closed　the　case；　restored　it　to　its　original　position；　replaced　the　handkerchief；　and　took　up　the　paper。　　〃Why　the　hesitation；　Bayliss？　Why　the　coyness？〃　enquired　Jimmy；　lying　with　closed　eyes。　〃Begin！〃
　〃I　was　adjusting　my　glasses；　sir。〃
　〃All　set　now？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　Shall　I　read　the　headlines　first？〃
　〃Read　everything。〃
　The　butler　cleared　his　throat。
　〃Good　Heavens；　Bayliss；〃　moaned　Jimmy；　starting；　〃don't　gargle。　Have　a　heart！　Go　on！〃
　Bayliss　began　to　read。
　　　　　　　　FRACAS　IN　FASHIONABLE　NIGHT…CLUB
　　　　　　　　SPRIGS　OF　NOBILITY　BRAWL
　Jimmy　opened　his　eyes；　interested。
　〃Am　I　a　sprig　of　nobility？〃
　〃It　is　what　the　paper　says；　sir。〃
　〃We　live　and　learn。　Carry　on。〃
　The　butler　started　to　clear　his　throat；　but　checked　himself。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SENSATIONAL　INTERNATIONAL　CONTEST
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BATTLING　PERCY
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（England）
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　v
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CYCLONE　JIM
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（America）
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FULL　DESCRIPTION　BY　OUR　EXPERT
　Jimmy　sat　up。
　〃Bayliss；　you're　indulging　that　distorted　sense　of　humour　of　yours　again。　That　isn't　in　the　paper？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　Very　large　headlines。〃
　Jimmy　groaned。
　〃Bayliss；　I'll　give　you　a　piece　of　advice　which　may　be　useful　to　you　when　you　grow　up。　Never　go　about　with　newspaper　men。　It　all　es　back　to　me。　Out　of　pure　kindness　of　heart　I　took　young　Bill　Blake　of　the　Sun　to　supper　at　the　Six　Hundred　last　night。　This　is　my　reward。　I　suppose　he　thinks　it　funny。　Newspaper　men　are　a　low　lot；　Bayliss。〃
　〃Shall　I　go　on；　sir？〃
　〃Most　doubtless。　Let　me　hear　all。〃
　Bayliss　resumed。　He　was　one　of　those　readers　who；　whether　their　subject　be　a　murder　case　or　a　funny　anecdote；　adopt　a　measured　and　sepulchral　delivery　which　gives　a　suggestion　of　tragedy　and　horror　to　whatever　they　read。　At　the　church　which　he　attended　on　Sundays；　of　which　he　was　one　of　the　most　influential　and　respected　members；　children　would　turn　pale　and　snuggle　up　to　their　mothers　when　Bayliss　read　the　lessons。　Young　Mr。　Blake's　account　of　the　overnight　proceedings　at　the　Six　Hundred　Club　he　rendered　with　a　gloomy　gusto　more　marked　even　than　his　wont。　It　had　a　topical　interest　for　him　which　urged　him　to　extend　himself。
　〃At　an　early　hour　this　morning；　when　our　myriad　readers　were　enjoying　that　refreshing　and　brain…restoring　sleep　so　necessary　to　the　proper　appreciation　of　the　Daily　Sun　at　the　breakfast　table；　one　of　the　most　interesting　sporting　events　of　the　season　was　being　pulled　off　at　the　Six　Hundred　Club　in　Regent　Street；　where；　after　three　rounds　of　fast　exchanges；　James　B。　Crocker；　the　well…known　American　welter…weight　scrapper；　succeeded　in　stopping　Lord　Percy　Whipple；　second　son　of　the　Duke　of　Devizes；　better　known　as　the　Pride　of　Old　England。　Once　again　the　superiority　of　the　American　over　the　English　style　of　boxing　was　demonstrated。　Battling　Percy　has　a　kind　heart；　but　Cyclone　Jim　packs　the　punch。〃
　〃The　immediate　cause　of　the　encounter　had　to　do　with　a　disputed　table；　which　each　gladiator　claimed　to　have　engaged　in　advance　over　the　telephone。〃
　〃I　begin　to　remember；〃　said　Jimmy　meditatively。　〃A　pill　with　butter…coloured　hair　tried　to　jump　my　claim。　Honeyed　words　proving　fruitless；　I　soaked　him　on　the　jaw。　It　may　be　that　I　was　not　wholly　myself。　I　seem　to　remember　an　animated　session　at　the　Empire　earlier　in　the　evening；　which　may　have　impaired　my　self…control。　Proceed！〃
　〃One　word　leading　to　others；　which　in　their　turn　led　to　several　more；　Cyclone　Jim　struck　Battling　Percy　on　what　our　rude　forefathers　were　accustomed　to　describe　as　the　mazzard；　and　the　gong　sounded　for〃
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃ROUND　ONE〃
　〃Both　men　came　up　fresh　and　eager　to　mix　things；　though　it　seems　only　too　probable　that　they　had　already　been　mixing　more　things　than　was　good　for　them。　Battling　Percy　tried　a　right　swing　which　got　home　on　a　waiter。　Cyclone　Jim　put　in　a　rapid　one…two　punch　which　opened　a　large　gash　in　the　atmosphere。　Both　men　sparred　cautiously；　being　hampered　in　their　movements　by　the　fact；　which　neither　had　at　this　stage　of　the　proceedings　perceived；　that　they　were　on　opposite　sides　of　the　disputed　table。　A　clever　Fitzsimmons'　shift　on　the　part　of　the　Battler　removed　this　obstacle；　and　some　brisk　work　ensued　in　neutral　territory。　Percy　landed　twice　without　a　return。　The　Battler's　round　by　a　shade。〃
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃ROUND　TWO〃
　〃The　Cyclone　came　out　of　his　corner　with　a　rush；　getting　home　on　the　Battler's　shirt…front　and　following　it　up　with　a　right　to　the　chin。　Percy　swung　wildly　and　upset　a　bottle　of　champagne　on　a　neighbouring　table。　A　good　rally　followed；　both　men　doing　impressive　in…fighting。　The　Cyclone　landed　three　without　a　return。　The　Cyclone's　round。〃
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃ROUND　THREE〃
　〃Percy　came　up　weak；　seeming　to　be　overtrained。　The　Cyclone　waded　in；　using　both　hands　effectively。　The　Battler　fell　into　a　clinch；　but　the　Cyclone　broke　away　and；　measuring　his　distance；　picked　up　a　haymaker　from　the　floor　and　put　it　over。　Percy　down　and　out。〃
　〃Interviewed　by　our　representative　after　the　fight；　Cyclone　Jim　said：　'The　issue　was　never　in　doubt。　I　was　handicapped　at　the　outset　by　the　fact　that　I　was　under　the　impression　that　I　was　fighting　three　twin…brothers；　and　I　missed　several　opportunities　of　putting　over　the　winning　wallop　by　attacking　the　outside　ones。　It　was　only　in　the　second　round　that　I　decided　to　concentrate　my　assault　on　the　one　in　the　middle；　when　the　affair　speedily　came　to　a　conclusion。　I　shall　not　adopt　pugilism　as　a　profession。　The　prizes　are　attractive；　but　it　is　too　much　like　work。'〃
　Bayliss　ceased；　and　silence　fell　upon　the　room。
　〃Is　that　all？〃
　〃That　is　all；　sir。〃
　〃And　about　enough。〃
　〃Very　true；　sir。〃
　〃You　know；　Bayliss；〃　said　Jimmy　thoughtfully；　rolling　over　on　the　couch；　〃life　is　peculiar；　not　to　say　odd。　You　never　know　what　is　waiting　for　you　round　the　corner。　You　start　the　day　with　the　fairest　prospects；　and　before　nightfall　everything　is　as　rocky　and　ding…basted　as　stig　tossed　full　of　doodlegammon。　Why　is　this；　Bayliss？〃
　〃I　couldn't　say；　sir。〃
　〃Look　at　me。　I　go　out　to　spend　a　happy　evening；　meaning　no　harm　to　any　one；　and　I　e　back　all　blue　with　the　blood　of　the　aristocracy。　We　now　e　to　a　serious　point。　Do　you　think　my　lady　stepmother　has　read　that　sporting　chronicle？〃
　〃I　fancy　not；　Mr。　James。〃
　〃On　what　do　you　base　these　words　of　fort？〃
　〃Mrs。　Crocker　does　not　read　the　halfpenny　papers；　sir。〃
　〃True！　She　does　not。　I　had　forgotten。　On　the　other　hand　the　probability　that　she　will　learn　about　the　little　incident　from　other　sources　is　great。　I　think　the　merest　prudence　suggests　that　I　keep　out　of　the　way　for　the　time　being；　lest　I　be　fallen　upon　and　questioned。　I　am　not　equal　to　being　questioned　this　morning。　I　have　a　headache　which　starts　at　the　soles　of　my　feet　and　gets　worse　all　the　way　up。　Where　is　my　stepmother？〃
　〃Mrs。　Crocker　is　in　her　room；　Mr。　James。　She　ordered　the　car　to　be　brought　round　at　once。　It　should　be　here　at　any　moment　now；　sir。　I　think　Mrs。　Crocker　intends　to　visit　the　Park　before　luncheon。〃
　〃Is　she　lunching　out？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Then；　if　I　pursue　the　excellent　mon…sense　tactics　of　the　lesser　sand…eel；　which　as　you　doubtless　know　buries　itself　tail　upwards　in　the　mud　on　hearing　the　baying　of　the　eel…hounds　and　remains　in　that　position　till　the　danger　is　past；　I　shall　be　able　to　postpone　an　interview。　Should　you　be　questioned　as　to　my　whereabouts；　inflate　your　chest　and　reply　in　a　clear　and　manly　voi