登陆注册
14923300000016

第16章 THE BLACK POODLE BY F. ANSTEY(9)

"Don't be alarmed, sir," cried the colonel; "the dog won't bite you-- unless there's a hole in the hedge anywhere."The stranger took off his small straw hat with a sweep. "Ah, I am not afraid," he said, and his accent proclaimed him a Frenchman; "he is not enrage at me. May I ask, it is pairmeet to speak viz Misterre Vezzered?"I felt I must deal with this person alone, for I feared the worst; and, asking them to excuse me, I went to the hedge and faced the Frenchman with the frightful calm of despair. He was a short, stout little man, with blue cheeks, sparkling black eyes, and a vivacious walnut-coloured countenance; he wore a short black alpaca coat, and a large white cravat, with an immense oval malachite brooch in the centre of it, which I mention because I found myself staring mechanically at it during the interview.

"My name is Weatherhead," I began with the bearing of a detected pickpocket. "Can I be of any service to you?""Of a great service," he said, emphatically; "you can restore to me ze poodle vich I see zere!"Nemesis had called at last in the shape of a rival claimant. I staggered for an instant; then I said, "Oh, I think you are under a mistake; that dog is not mine.""I know it," he said; "zere 'as been leetle mistake, so if ze dog is not to you, you give him back to me, /hein/?""I tell you," I said, "that poodle belongs to the gentleman over there." And I pointed to the colonel, seeing that it was best now to bring him into the affair without delay. "You are wrong," he said, doggedly; "ze poodle is my poodle! And I was direct to you--it is your name on ze carte!" And he presented me with that fatal card which I had been foolish enough to give to Blagg as a proof of my identity. I saw it all now; the old villain hadbetrayed me, and to earn a double reward had put the real owner on my track.

I decided to call the colonel at once, and attempt to brazen it out with the help of his sincere belief in the dog.

"Eh, what's that; what's it all about?" said the colonel, bustling up, followed at intervals by the others.

The Frenchman raised his hat again. "I do not vant to make a trouble," he began, "but zere is leetle mistake. My word of honour, sare, I see my own poodle in your garden. Ven I appeal to zis gentilman to restore 'im he reffer me to you.""You must allow me to know my own dog, sir," said the colonel. "Why, I've had him from a pup. Bingo, old boy, you know your name, don't you?"But the brute ignored him altogether, and began to leap wildly at the hedge in frantic efforts to join the Frenchman. It needed no Solomon to decide /his/ ownership!

"I tell you, you 'ave got ze wrong poodle--it is my own dog, my Azor! He remember me well, you see? I lose him, it is three, four days. . . . I see a nottice zat he is found, and ven I go to ze address zey tell me, 'Oh, he is reclaim, he is gone viz a strangaire who has advertise.' Zey show me ze placard; I follow 'ere, and ven I arrive I see my poodle in ze garden before me!""But look here," said the colonel, impatiently; "it's all very well to say that, but how can you prove it? I give you /my/ word that the dog belongs to /me/! You must prove your claim, eh, Travers?""Yes," said Travers, judicially; "mere assertion is no proof; it's oath against oath at present.""Attend an instant; your poodle, was he 'ighly train, had he some talents--a dog viz tricks, eh?""No, he's not," said the colonel; "I don't like to see dogs taught to play the fool; there's none of that nonsense about /him/, sir!""Ah, remark him well, then. /Azor, mon chou, danse donc un peu/!"And, on the foreigner's whistling a lively air, that infernal poodle rose on his hind legs and danced solemnly about half-way round the garden!

We inside followed his movements with dismay.

"Why, dash it all!" cried the disgusted colonel, "he's dancing along like a d--d mountebank! But it's my Bingo, for all that!""You are not convince? You shall see more. /Azor, ici! Pour Beesmarck, Azor!/" (the poodle barked ferociously.) "/Pour Gambetta!/" (He wagged his tail and began to leap with joy.) /"Meurs pour la patrie!" And the too accomplished animal rolled over as if killed in battle!

"Where could Bingo have picked up so much French?" cried Lilian, incredulously.

"Or so much French history?" added that serpent, Travers.

"Shall I command 'im to jump, or reverse 'imself?" inquired the obliging Frenchman.

"We've seen that, thank you," said the colonel, gloomily. "Upon my word, I don't know what to think. It can't be that that's not my Bingo after all--I'll never believe it!"I tried a last desperate stroke. "Will you come round to the front?" I said to the Frenchman. "I'll let you in, and we can discuss the matter quietly." Then, as we walked back together, I asked him eagerly what he would take to abandon his claims and let the colonel think the poodle was his after all.

He was furious--he considered himself insulted; with great emotion he informed me that the dog was the pride of his life (it seems to be the mission of black poodles to serve as domestic comforts of this priceless kind!), that he would not part with him for twice his weight in gold.

"Figure," he began, as we joined the others, "zat zis gentilman 'ere 'as offer me money for ze dog! He agrees zat it is to me, you see? Ver' well, zen, zere is no more to be said!""Why, Weatherhead, have /you/ lost faith too, then?" said the colonel.

I saw it was no good; all I wanted now was to get out of it creditably and get rid of the Frenchman. "I'm sorry to say," I replied, "that I'm afraid I've been deceived by the extraordinary likeness. I don't think, on reflection, that that /is/ Bingo!""What do you think, Travers?" asked the colonel.

"Well, since you ask me," said Travers, with quite unnecessary dryness,"I never did think so."

"Nor I," said the colonel; "I thought from the first that was never my Bingo. Why, Bingo would make two of that beast!"And Lilian and her aunt both protested that they had had their doubts from the first.

"Zen you pairmeet zat I remove 'im?" said the Frenchman.

同类推荐
  • Stories by English Authors in London

    Stories by English Authors in London

    Frequently I have to ask myself in the street for the name of the man I bowed to just now, and then, before I can answer, the wind of the first corner blows him from my memory.
  • 从零开始学英语,“袋”着走

    从零开始学英语,“袋”着走

    这是一本简单易学,同时也能带给你成就感的英语口语入门书!100%从零开始,不论你的英语目前处于什么水平,只要你有信心,随时都可以拿起本书开始从零学起!长期以来,对于英语初学者,尤其是对于自学者来说,都期望拥有一本好的英语学习书。学了十几年英语的人有成百上千万,但是真正能将英语学以致用的人却是凤毛麟角。因此,一本比较切合中国英语学习者实际需要的英语学习书就显得尤为重要。
  • 出国应急英语大全

    出国应急英语大全

    “语言的魅力,不仅在于说得对,更在于说得地道得体。很多的英语爱好者在学习时,总是习惯自己先预定场景,再根据情节进行口语练习。而这个场景因为我们的思维定势常常被中国化,而非英语国家的真实语境。在国外真实的语境中,对话是灵活多变的,所以很多学习者在学了多年英语后,还是无法与老外进行流利沟通,自然就无法在国外畅通无阻,随心所欲地旅行了。
  • 那些温暖而美好的小事

    那些温暖而美好的小事

    或许你在经历一段美好的感情,或许你有好多珍藏的回忆。或许无关爱情无关友情无关亲情,只是来自陌生的霎时温柔。但那些事情,都曾触动你的心弦,在流年碎影里,让你嘴角上扬,相信美好。生活是一场又一场对美好事物的追逐。趁着年轻,制造比夏天还要温暖的事。本书汇集大量经典感人故事、哲理小文,感情纯真,内容温暖动人。用中英文对照的形式,呈现出人类最柔美的情感、最深刻的思考。内容积极健康,很适合青少年学习阅读。
  • 英语常用短语大全集

    英语常用短语大全集

    创想外语研发团队编著的《英语常用短语大全集》不是要讲述英语短语高深的语法,也不是对其进行深入细致的研究,而是从学习、记忆和运用的目的出发,让学习者能准确记忆每一个短语,能准确运用每一短语,这就是编写本书的初衷。本书精选日常学习生活中常见的短语,剔除了那些比较生僻的内容,在一定程度上减轻了学习者的负担,而且更具有针对性。
热门推荐
  • 幻剑星沉录

    幻剑星沉录

    “你要战,我便战!我命由我不由天!记住,我的名字叫凌通!”一个身怀九灵玄脉的普通小子重生异界,如何一步步战胜命运,成就无上主宰——斗破山河,踏碎星空,挥手间三千世界剑幻星沉,一念间三千大道涅灭轮回!我若掌轮回,天不再倾斜,我若持宇宙,地不再浮沉!——战神之路,灵斗九天!
  • 凌沧草

    凌沧草

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 尚书,淡定阿!

    尚书,淡定阿!

    她,父母双亡,命途多舛。他,朝中位居尚书,长安第一美男。一朝提亲,两人得见,引她入局…………————————————————————她怒道:“不嫁,我才不要嫁,要嫁你嫁!”——他是长安女子抢手的香饽饽。她却哧之以鼻,宁死不嫁。————却还是深陷局中,她不顾女子贞节,拥住他,“你还要我吗?算了!我替你回答,这次你不要也得要!”——他轻笑,“娘子都发话了,为夫怎敢拒绝!”——他却转身把她当成货品般,转送于他人。——她泪涕涟涟,“我这么好你却不转身看我,你还真瞎!”——他却敛眉不语………………………………
  • 当家十七妾

    当家十七妾

    她是秦家买来的冲喜小妾,而且还是第十七个妾。公公下死命令,自己儿子要是挨不过今年,那她,陪葬!婆婆堵门,今年要是抱不了孙子,那她,卷铺盖走人!偏偏自个儿相公还像个没事儿人,该吃吃,该喝喝,偶尔来个大吐血什么的整蛊她一下。终于,发飙了!由此,秦家进入新时代:当家主母,不是正室夫人,而是她一个排行十七的小妾!
  • 灵界驱鬼师

    灵界驱鬼师

    鬼界大乱,阴山鬼王手下几个鬼帅趁机带着几个鬼将逃往人间。灵界姬灵子和柳含烟奉命前往人间驱鬼缉拿几大鬼帅。然而,来到人间后,发现不仅仅鬼帅为祸,隐藏在人性背后的一切,又是怎么一回事?姬灵子和柳含烟,将如何选择?怎样面对人们的阴谋?又能不能完成上级交付的任务?
  • 错位人生

    错位人生

    大西洲陆地,海底城市,传说,在一万多年前,贪婪的亚特兰蒂斯人企图运用神所赋予他们的智慧去侵略领国,遭至神怒,要将其毁灭。海神波塞冬不忍自己的子民遭受灾难,于是教会他们制造海底世界的方法,庇护他们在自己的领域中,得以逃生。人类、半精灵族、人兽、兽、巨人……各个种族开始漫长的混战期,没有人知道,一个黑头发黄皮肤的闯入者掌握着一个重要的秘密。祭祀们开始传诵一个古老的诗歌:紫红色的曙光中,黑发、黑眼,拥有黄金般肌肤的少年从黑暗中出现,神的使者降临到神子民的身边,神兽将是他的宠物、战神为他开道,英勇的战士追随在他身边,他将带给大西安宁……
  • 阴阳鬼师事务所

    阴阳鬼师事务所

    你相信世界上有鬼吗?你相信世界上有那么一些人能够看到鬼吗?随着阴阳事务所的壮大,阴阳鬼师这一职业的出世,A市的一桩桩离奇案件的发生,事务所的众人合力解开一个个不为人知的谜团,却意外地卷进另一场阴谋之中。
  • 天武修罗

    天武修罗

    我赢了?还是输了?所有的一切对我来说都已没有任何意义。错了还是对了?几十年如一梦,修罗又如何?或许这并不是对与错。不过只是时机罢了,这个世界需要我去改变,挡我者杀无赦!
  • 阴符经

    阴符经

    在一次扫四旧活动中,李耳意外在一座被砸烂的破庙中发现了一本名为《阴符经》的古书,此书仅三百余字,其言深奥,其理精微,凿开混沌,剖析鸿蒙,演造化之秘,阐性命之幽。这本经书的出现,彻底改变了李耳的人生轨迹,从一个大学知识分子到一位悬疑探险狂人。李耳究竟经历了怎样的蜕变?