beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第35节
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BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
THE STAKE
〃RONNIE is a great trial to me；〃 said Mrs。 Attray plaintively。
〃Only eighteen years old last February and already a confirmed gambler。
I am sure I don't know where he inherits it from； his father never
touched cards； and you know how little I play … a game of bridge on
Wednesday afternoons in the winter； for three…pence a hundred； and even
that I shouldn't do if it wasn't that Edith always wants a fourth and would
be certain to ask that detestable Jenkinham woman if she couldn't get me。
I would much rather sit and talk any day than play bridge； cards are such
a waste of time； I think。 But as to Ronnie； bridge and baccarat and
poker…patience are positively all that he thinks about。 Of course I've
done my best to stop it； I've asked the Norridrums not to let him play
cards when he's over there； but you might as well ask the Atlantic Ocean
to keep quiet for a crossing as expect them to bother about a mother's
natural anxieties。〃
〃Why do you let him go there？〃 asked Eleanor Saxelby。
〃My dear；〃 said Mrs。 Attray； 〃I don't want to offend them。 After all；
they are my landlords and I have to look to them for anything I want
done about the place； they were very accommodating about the new roof
for the orchid house。 And they lend me one of their cars when mine is
out of order； you know how often it gets out of order。〃
〃I don't know how often；〃 said Eleanor； 〃but it must happen very
frequently。 Whenever I want you to take me anywhere in your car I am
always told that there is something wrong with it； or else that the
chauffeur has got neuralgia and you don't like to ask him to go out。〃
〃He suffers quite a lot from neuralgia；〃 said Mrs。 Attray hastily。
〃Anyhow；〃 she continued； 〃you can understand that I don't want to
offend the Norridrums。 Their household is the most rackety one in the
county； and I believe no one ever knows to an hour or two when any
particular meal will appear on the table or what it will consist of when it
does appear。〃
Eleanor Saxelby shuddered。 She liked her meals to be of regular
occurrence and assured proportions。
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〃Still；〃 pursued Mrs。 Attray； 〃whatever their own home life may be；
as landlords and neighbours they are considerate and obliging； so I don't
want to quarrel with them。 Besides； if Ronnie didn't play cards there
he'd be playing somewhere else。〃
〃Not if you were firm with him；〃 said Eleanor 〃I believe in being
firm。〃
〃Firm？ I am firm；〃 exclaimed Mrs。 Attray； 〃I am more than firm … I
am farseeing。 I've done everything I can think of to prevent Ronnie
from playing for money。 I've stopped his allowance for the rest of the
year； so he can't even gamble on credit； and I've subscribed a lump
sum to the church offertory in his name instead of giving him
instalments of small silver to put in the bag on Sundays。 I wouldn't
even let him have the money to tip the hunt servants with； but sent it by
postal order。 He was furiously sulky about it； but I reminded him of
what happened to the ten shillings that I gave him for the Young Men's
Endeavour League 'Self…Denial Week。' 〃
〃What did happen to it？〃 asked Eleanor。
〃Well； Ronnie did some preliminary endeavouring with it； on his
own account； in connection with the Grand National。 If it had come off；
as he expressed it； he would have given the League twenty…five shillings
and netted a comfortable commission for himself； as it was； that ten
shillings was one of the things the League had to deny itself。 Since
then I've been careful not to let him have a penny piece in his hands。〃
〃He'll get round that in some way；〃 said Eleanor with quiet
conviction； 〃he'll sell things。〃
〃My dear； he's done all that is to be done in that direction already。
He's got rid of his wrist…watch and his hunting flask and both his
cigarette cases； and I shouldn't be surprised if he's wearing imitation…
gold sleeve links instead of those his Aunt Rhoda gave him on his
seventeenth birthday。 He can't sell his clothes； of course； except his
winter overcoat； and I've locked that up in the camphor cupboard on the
pretext of preserving it from moth。 I really don't see what else he can
raise money on。 I consider that I've been both firm and far… seeing。〃
〃Has he been at the Norridrums lately？〃 asked Eleanor。
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〃He was there yesterday afternoon and stayed to dinner；〃 said Mrs。
Attray。 〃I don't quite know when he came home； but I fancy it was
late。〃
〃Then depend on it he was gambling；〃 said Eleanor； with the assured
air of one who has few ideas and makes the most of them。 〃 Late hours
in the country always mean gambling。〃
〃He can't gamble if he has no money and no chance of getting any；〃
argued Mrs。 Attray； 〃even if one plays for small stakes one must have a
decent prospect of paying one's losses。〃
〃He may have sold some of the Amherst pheasant chicks；〃 suggested
Eleanor； 〃they would fetch about ten or twelve shillings each； I daresay。〃
〃Ronnie wouldn't do such a thing；〃 said Mrs。 Attray； 〃and anyhow I
went and counted them this morning and they're all there。 No；〃 she
continued； with the quiet satisfaction that comes from a sense of
painstaking and merited achievement； 〃I fancy that Ronnie had to
content himself with the role of onlooker last night； as far as the card…
table was concerned。〃
〃Is that clock right？〃 asked Eleanor； whose eyes had been straying
restlessly towards the mantel…piece for some little time； 〃lunch is usually
so punctual in your establishment。〃 〃Three minutes past the half…hour；〃
exclaimed Mrs。 Attray； 〃cook must be preparing something unusually
sumptuous in your honour。 I am not in the secret； I've been out all the
morning； you know。〃
Eleanor smiled forgivingly。 A special effort by Mrs。 Attray's cook
was worth waiting a few minutes for。
As a matter of fact； the luncheon fare； when it made its tardy
appearance； was distinctly unworthy of the reputation which the justly…
treasured cook had built up for herself。 The soup alone would have
sufficed to cast a gloom over any meal that it had inaugurated； and it was
not redeemed by anything that followed。 Eleanor said little； but when
she spoke there was a hint of tears in her voice that was far more
eloquent than outspoken denunciation would have been； and even the
insouciant Ronald showed traces of depression when he tasted the
rognons Saltikoff。
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〃Not quite the best luncheon I've enjoyed in your house；〃 said
Eleanor at last； when her final hope had flickered out with the savoury。
〃My dear； it's the worst meal I've sat down to for years；〃 said her
hostess； 〃that last dish tasted principally of red pepper and wet toast。
I'm awfully sorry。 Is anything
