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beasts and superbeasts-第21章

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were obliged to provide the members of their orchestras 

with painted wooden dogs on wheels; in order that the 

much…demanded and always conceded melody should be 

rendered with the necessary spectacular effects; and the 

crash of bottles and forks on the tables at the mention 

of the big borzoi usually drowned the sincerest efforts 

of drum or cymbals。  Nowhere and at no time could one get 

away from the double thump that brought up the rear of 

the refrain; revellers reeling home at night banged it on 

doors and hoardings; milkmen clashed their cans to its 

cadence; messenger boys hit smaller messenger boys 

resounding double smacks on the same principle。  And the 

more thoughtful circles of the great city were not deaf 

to the claims and significance of the popular melody。  An 

enterprising and emancipated preacher discoursed from his 

pulpit on the inner meaning of 〃Cousin Teresa;〃 and Lucas 

Harrowcluff was invited to lecture on the subject of his 

great achievement to members of the Young Mens' Endeavour 

League; the Nine Arts Club; and other learned and 

willing…to…learn bodies。  In Society it seemed to be the 

one thing people really cared to talk about; men and 

women of middle age and average education might be seen 

together in corners earnestly discussing; not the 

question whether Servia should have an outlet on the 

Adriatic; or the possibilities of a British success in 

international polo contests; but the more absorbing topic 

of the problematic Aztec or Nilotic origin of the Teresa 

MOTIV。



〃Politics and patriotism are so boring and so out of 

date;〃 said a revered lady who had some pretensions to 

oracular utterance; 〃we are too cosmopolitan nowadays to 

be really moved by them。  That is why one welcomes an 

intelligible production like 'Cousin Teresa;' that has a 

genuine message for one。  One can't understand the 

message all at once; of course; but one felt from the 

very first that it was there。  I've been to see it 

eighteen times and I'm going again to…morrow and on 

Thursday。  One can't see it often enough。〃





* * * *





〃It would be rather a popular move if we gave this 

Harrowcluff person a knighthood or something of the 

sort;〃 said the Minister reflectively。



〃Which Harrowcluff?〃asked his secretary。



〃Which?  There is only one; isn't there?〃 said the 

Minister; 〃the 'Cousin Teresa' man; of course。  I think 

every one would be pleased if we knighted him。  Yes; you 

can put him down on the list of certainties … under the 

letter L。〃



〃The letter L;〃 said the secretary; who was new to 

his job; 〃does that stand for Liberalism or liberality?〃



Most of the recipients of Ministerial favour were 

expected to qualify in both of those subjects。



〃Literature;〃 explained the Minister。



And thus; after a fashion; Colonel Harrowcluff's 

expectation of seeing his son's name in the list of 

Honours was gratified。





THE YARKAND MANNER





SIR LULWORTH QUAYNE was making a leisurely progress 

through the Zoological Society's Gardens in company with 

his nephew; recently returned from Mexico。  The latter 

was interested in comparing and contrasting allied types 

of animals occurring in the North American and Old World 

fauna。



〃One of the most remarkable things in the wanderings 

of species;〃 he observed; 〃is the sudden impulse to trek 

and migrate that breaks out now and again; for no 

apparent reason; in communities of hitherto stay…at…home 

animals。〃



〃In human affairs the same phenomenon is 

occasionally noticeable;〃 said Sir Lulworth; 〃perhaps the 

most striking instance of it occurred in this country 

while you were away in the wilds of Mexico。  I mean the 

wander fever which suddenly displayed itself in the 

managing and editorial staffs of certain London 

newspapers。  It began with the stampede of the entire 

staff of one of our most brilliant and enterprising 

weeklies to the banks of the Seine and the heights of 

Montmartre。  The migration was a brief one; but it 

heralded an era of restlessness in the Press world which 

lent quite a new meaning to the phrase 'newspaper 

circulation。'  Other editorial staffs were not slow to 

imitate the example that had been set them。  Paris soon 

dropped out of fashion as being too near home; Nurnberg; 

Seville; and Salonica became more favoured as planting…

out grounds for the personnel of not only weekly but 

daily papers as well。  The localities were perhaps not 

always well chosen; the fact of a leading organ of 

Evangelical thought being edited for two successive 

fortnights from Trouville and Monte Carlo was generally 

admitted to have been a mistake。  And even when 

enterprising and adventurous editors took themselves and 

their staffs further afield there were some unavoidable 

clashings。  For instance; the SCRUTATOR; SPORTING BLUFF; 

and THE DAMSELS' OWN PAPER all pitched on Khartoum for 

the same week。  It was; perhaps; a desire to out…distance 

all possible competition that influenced the management 

of the DAILY INTELLIGENCER; one of the most solid and 

respected organs of Liberal opinion; in its decision to 

transfer its offices for three or four weeks from Fleet 

Street to Eastern Turkestan; allowing; of course; a 

necessary margin of time for the journey there and back。  

This was; in many respects; the most remarkable of all 

the Press stampedes that were experienced at this time。  

There was no make…believe about the undertaking; 

proprietor; manager; editor; sub…editors; leader…writers; 

principal reporters; and so forth; all took part in what 

was popularly alluded to as the DRANG NACH OSTEN; an 

intelligent and efficient office…boy was all that was 

left in the deserted hive of editorial industry。〃



〃That was doing things rather thoroughly; wasn't 

it?〃 said the nephew。



〃Well; you see;〃 said Sir Lulworth; 〃the migration 

idea was falling somewhat into disrepute from the half…

hearted manner in which it was occasionally carried out。  

You were not impressed by the information that such and 

such a paper was being edited and brought out at Lisbon 

or Innsbruck if you chanced to see the principal leader…

writer or the art editor lunching as usual at their 

accustomed restaurants。  The DAILY INTELLIGENCER was 

determined to give no loophole for cavil at the 

genuineness of its pilgrimage; and it must be admitted 

that to a certain extent the arrangements made for 

transmitting copy and carrying on the usual features of 

the paper during the long outward journey worked smoothly 

and well。  The series of articles which commenced at Baku 

on 'What Cobdenism might do for the camel industry' ranks 

among the best of the recent contributions to Free Trade 

literature; while the views on foreign policy enunciated 

'from a roof in Yarkand' showed at least as much grasp of 

the international situation as those that had germinated 

within half a mile of Downing Street。  Quite in keeping; 

too; with the older and better traditions of British 

journalism was the manner of the home…coming; no bombast; 

no personal advertisement; no flamboyant interviews。  

Even a complimentary luncheon at the Voyagers' Club was 

courteously declined。  Indeed; it began to be felt that 

the self…effacement of the returned pressmen was being 

carried to a pedantic length。  Foreman compositors; 

advertisement clerks; and other members of the non…

editorial staff; who had; of course; taken no part in the 

great trek; found it as impossible to get into direct 

communication with the editor and his satellites now that 

they had returned as when they had been excusably 

inaccessible in Central Asia。  The sulky; overworked 

office…boy; who was the one connecting link between the 

editorial brain and the business departments of the 

paper; sardonically explained the new aloofness as the 

'Yarkand manner。'  Most of the reporters and sub…editors 

seemed to have been dismissed in autocratic fashion since 

their return and new ones engaged by letter; to these the 

editor and his immediate associates remained an unseen 

presence; issuing its instructions solely through the 

medium of curt typewritten notes。  Something mystic and 

Tibetan and forbidden had replaced the human bustle and 

democratic simplicity of pre…migration days; and the same 

experience was encountered by those who made social 

overtures to the returned wanderers。  The most brilliant 

hostess of Twentieth Century London flung the pearl of 

her hospitality into the unresponsive trough of the 

editorial letter…box; it seemed as if nothing short of a 

Royal command would drag the hermit…souled REVENANTS from 

their self…imposed seclusion。  People began to talk 

unkindly of the effect of high altitudes and Eastern 

atmosphere on minds and temperaments unused to such 

luxuries。  The Yarkand manner was not popul
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