登陆注册
5387400000013

第13章 THE GUESTS(1)

"The landscape seen from our windows is certainly charming," said Annabel; "those cherry orchards and green meadows, and the river winding along the valley, and the church tower peeping out among the elms, they all make a most effective picture. There's something dreadfully sleepy and languorous about it, though; stagnation seems to be the dominant note. Nothing ever happens here; seedtime and harvest, an occasional outbreak of measles or a mildly destructive thunderstorm, and a little election excitement about once in five years, that is all that we have to modify the monotony of our existence. Rather dreadful, isn't it?"

"On the contrary," said Matilda, "I find it soothing and restful; but then, you see, I've lived in countries where things do happen, ever so many at a time, when you're not ready for them happening all at once."

"That, of course, makes a difference," said Annabel.

"I have never forgotten," said Matilda, "the occasion when the Bishop of Bequar paid us an unexpected visit; he was on his way to lay the foundation-stone of a mission-house or something of the sort."

"I thought that out there you were always prepared for emergency guests turning up," said Annabel.

"I was quite prepared for half a dozen Bishops," said Matilda, "but it was rather disconcerting to find out after a little conversation that this particular one was a distant cousin of mine, belonging to a branch of the family that had quarrelled bitterly and offensively with our branch about a Crown Derby dessert service; they got it, and we ought to have got it, in some legacy, or else we got it and they thought they ought to have it, I forget which; anyhow, I know they behaved disgracefully. Now here was one of them turning up in the odour of sanctity, so to speak, and claiming the traditional hospitality of the East."

"It was rather trying, but you could have left your husband to do most of the entertaining."

"My husband was fifty miles up-country, talking sense, or what he imagined to be sense, to a village community that fancied one of their leading men was a were-tiger."

"A what tiger?"

"A were-tiger; you've heard of were-wolves, haven't you, a mixture of wolf and human being and demon? Well, in those parts they have were-tigers, or think they have, and I must say that in this case, so far as sworn and uncontested evidence went, they had every ground for thinking so. However, as we gave up witchcraft prosecutions about three hundred years ago, we don't like to have other people keeping on our discarded practices; it doesn't seem respectful to our mental and moral position."

"I hope you weren't unkind to the Bishop," said Annabel.

"Well, of course he was my guest, so I had to be outwardly polite to him, but he was tactless enough to rake up the incidents of the old quarrel, and to try to make out that there was something to be said for the way his side of the family had behaved; even if there was, which I don't for a moment admit, my house was not the place in which to say it. I didn't argue the matter, but I gave my cook a holiday to go and visit his aged parents some ninety miles away.

The emergency cook was not a specialist in curries, in fact, I don't think cooking in any shape or form could have been one of his strong points. I believe he originally came to us in the guise of a gardener, but as we never pretended to have anything that could be considered a garden he was utilised as assistant goatherd, in which capacity, I understand, he gave every satisfaction. When the Bishop heard that I had sent away the cook on a special and unnecessary holiday he saw the inwardness of the manoeuvre, and from that moment we were scarcely on speaking terms. If you have ever had a Bishop with whom you were not on speaking terms staying in your house, you will appreciate the situation."

Annabel confessed that her life-story had never included such a disturbing experience.

同类推荐
  • 佛说大方广十轮经

    佛说大方广十轮经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 士冠礼

    士冠礼

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 摩诃僧祇律

    摩诃僧祇律

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大方广普贤所说经

    大方广普贤所说经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太白经

    太白经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 中学生最喜欢的99个情商故事

    中学生最喜欢的99个情商故事

    用最美的故事培养中学生的健全人格。全书通过丰富多彩的惰商故事,让学生体会团队合作力量的伟大,品味探索发现的快乐趣味,珍惜朋友时的友谊真情,培养日常生活中的公平正义感,奠定孩子一生成长的基础。性格决定命运,也影响未来。
  • 快穿:在年代虐渣

    快穿:在年代虐渣

    在哪个年代都有一些人,脑子不好却偏偏有主角命。 而对上的主角的不管权多粗,长多美……最终都会成为炮灰。 君兮兮穿越各个世界,附身炮灰,教各个渣渣做人。 活出自己。 —— 女强爽文,没有霸总,女主就是霸总。虐渣爽文。每个世界谈恋爱看女主心情。六零:偷渡客在香港(已完成)(不小心成为香港大佬) 六五:借腹生子的原配妻 (你用子宫打败她,我用智商碾压你)七零:重男轻女凤凰男(今天对我爱理不理,明天的我高攀不起)八零:退役之后........(退役之后也是大佬) ......待续
  • 五美缘

    五美缘

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 甜心攻略:教授不好惹

    甜心攻略:教授不好惹

    第一次见他,他的仇家乱枪扫射打烂了她的房。第二次见他,莫名其妙自己就成了他的房客。到了第三次……小希彻底不但定了,张不凡,你给我说清楚!为什么外头都说我上了你的床?!腹黑男黑线三条,只觉得自己也栽在了这嫩草手上。又当保姆又当保镖,还捞不到一句好话,这年头,你是少东又怎样?这年头,少东真心不好当!
  • Barchester Towers

    Barchester Towers

    The death of old Dr Grantly, who had for many years filled the chair with meek authority, took place exactly as the ministry of Lord - was going to give place to that Lord.汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 射雕乱世行

    射雕乱世行

    谁是刘奇?郭靖:我师兄,不过人好像有点痴……黄蓉:少放盐……六怪:……周伯通:这人好玩……欧阳锋:老救这个,救那个的,累不累啊?………………………………南宋末年,乱世起,英雄出,到底谁可执掌这万里河山,到底谁还想着逍遥江湖,是保家卫国,还是归隐田园,那就让刘奇带着你们去寻找答案吧
  • 降临忍界之最终主宰

    降临忍界之最终主宰

    穿越忍界,既没金手指,又不是大简木家的,更难受的还被其他穿越者盯上,人家有挂……导演!这剧本不对!!
  • 动物亲朋(野生灵三部曲)

    动物亲朋(野生灵三部曲)

    野生灵系列多是关于野生动物的记录和描述,这是作者戴江南在与自然万物的耳鬓厮磨间生出的大欢娱大忧伤,她带着人们徜徉在自然之中,在阿拉套山的悬崖旁观察金雕,在青格里河畔看蝴蝶,在天鹅湖畔驻足,在艾比湖畔与迁徙的鸟儿作别……她将一切自然生灵视若亲朋,以细腻亲和的笔触写下了一部当代自然传奇。同时,本系列作品对普及科学知识、宣扬自然美均有较高的意义和价值。
  • 戴东原先生轶事

    戴东原先生轶事

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 羊角号

    羊角号

    当羊角号吹起,民族生命力的史诗长卷也即将暂开!盘古开宇,女娲补天,一只与天地同生的金羊从昆仑山的冰雪深处发现了一枚白果仁,于是,驼来峰的草地上冒出了几片新芽。火烧、水淹、风折、炮轰、斧砍、雷劈……老白果树一次次从死亡走向新生,终而成为足以使用权整个世蜀都引以为自豪的“东方树王”。树下的一个小村庄也历经腥风血雨、千灾百难,在几毁几败、几兴几荣中,成为一座令人瞩目的乡村小城镇。作品立异标新,采用创造艺术手法和大写意般的酣畅笔墨,谱写了一曲巍峨壮丽的民族生命力的乐章。