登陆注册
5387400000029

第29章 QUAIL SEED(1)

"The outlook is not encouraging for us smaller businesses," said Mr. Scarrick to the artist and his sister, who had taken rooms over his suburban grocery store. "These big concerns are offering all sorts of attractions to the shopping public which we couldn't afford to imitate, even on a small scale--reading-rooms and play-rooms and gramophones and Heaven knows what. People don't care to buy half a pound of sugar nowadays unless they can listen to Harry Lauder and have the latest Australian cricket scores ticked off before their eyes. With the big Christmas stock we've got in we ought to keep half a dozen assistants hard at work, but as it is my nephew Jimmy and myself can pretty well attend to it ourselves. It's a nice stock of goods, too, if I could only run it off in a few weeks time, but there's no chance of that--not unless the London line was to get snowed up for a fortnight before Christmas. I did have a sort of idea of engaging Miss Luffcombe to give recitations during afternoons; she made a great hit at the Post Office entertainment with her rendering of 'Little Beatrice's Resolve'."

"Anything less likely to make your shop a fashionable shopping centre I can't imagine," said the artist, with a very genuine shudder; "if I were trying to decide between the merits of Carlsbad plums and confected figs as a winter dessert it would infuriate me to have my train of thought entangled with little Beatrice's resolve to be an Angel of Light or a girl scout. No," he continued, "the desire to get something thrown in for nothing is a ruling passion with the feminine shopper, but you can't afford to pander effectively to it. Why not appeal to another instinct; which dominates not only the woman shopper but the male shopper--in fact, the entire human race?"

"What is that instinct, sir?" said the grocer.

* * *

Mrs. Greyes and Miss Fritten had missed the 2.18 to Town, and as there was not another train till 3.12 they thought that they might as well make their grocery purchases at Scarrick's. It would not be sensational, they agreed, but it would still be shopping.

For some minutes they had the shop almost to themselves, as far as customers were concerned, but while they were debating the respective virtues and blemishes of two competing brands of anchovy paste they were startled by an order, given across the counter, for six pomegranates and a packet of quail seed. Neither commodity was in general demand in that neighbourhood. Equally unusual was the style and appearance of the customer; about sixteen years old, with dark olive skin, large dusky eyes, and think, low-growing, blue-black hair, he might have made his living as an artist's model. As a matter of fact he did. The bowl of beaten brass that he produced for the reception of his purchases was distinctly the most astonishing variation on the string bag or marketing basket of suburban civilisation that his fellow-shoppers had ever seen. He threw a gold piece, apparently of some exotic currency, across the counter, and did not seem disposed to wait for any change that might be forthcoming.

"The wine and figs were not paid for yesterday," he said; "keep what is over of the money for our future purchases."

"A very strange-looking boy?" said Mrs. Greyes interrogatively to the grocer as soon as his customer had left.

"A foreigner, I believe," said Mr. Scarrick, with a shortness that was entirely out of keeping with his usually communicative manner.

"I wish for a pound and a half of the best coffee you have," said an authoritative voice a moment or two later. The speaker was a tall, authoritative-looking man of rather outlandish aspect, remarkable among other things for a full black beard, worn in a style more in vogue in early Assyria than in a London suburb of the present day.

"Has a dark-faced boy been here buying pomegranates?" he asked suddenly, as the coffee was being weighed out to him.

The two ladies almost jumped on hearing the grocer reply with an unblushing negative.

"We have a few pomegranates in stock," he continued, "but there has been no demand for them."

"My servant will fetch the coffee as usual," said the purchaser, producing a coin from a wonderful metal-work purse. As an apparent afterthought he fired out the question: "Have you, perhaps, any quail seed?"

"No," said the grocer, without hesitation, "we don't stock it."

"What will he deny next?" asked Mrs. Greyes under her breath. What made it seem so much worse was the fact that Mr. Scarrick had quite recently presided at a lecture on Savonarola.

Turning up the deep astrachan collar of his long coat, the stranger swept out of the shop, with the air, Miss Fritten afterwards described it, of a Satrap proroguing a Sanhedrim. Whether such a pleasant function ever fell to a Satrap's lot she was not quite certain, but the simile faithfully conveyed her meaning to a large circle of acquaintances.

"Don't let's bother about the 3.12," said Mrs. Greyes; "let's go and talk this over at Laura Lipping's. It's her day."

When the dark-faced boy arrived at the shop next day with his brass marketing bowl there was quite a fair gathering of customers, most of whom seemed to be spinning out their purchasing operations with the air of people who had very little to do with their time. In a voice that was heard all over the shop, perhaps because everybody was intently listening, he asked for a pound of honey and a packet of quail seed.

"More quail seed!" said Miss Fritten. "Those quails must be voracious, or else it isn't quail seed at all."

"I believe it's opium, and the bearded man is a detective," said Mrs. Greyes brilliantly.

"I don't," said Laura Lipping; "I'm sure it's something to do with the Portuguese Throne."

"More likely to be a Persian intrigue on behalf of the ex-Shah," said Miss Fritten; "the bearded man belongs to the Government Party.

The quail-seed is a countersign, of course; Persia is almost next door to Palestine, and quails come into the Old Testament, you know."

同类推荐
  • 东瀛识略

    东瀛识略

    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。
  • 四诊抉微

    四诊抉微

    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。
  • 琴操

    琴操

    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。
  • 医方歌括

    医方歌括

    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。
  • 净土指归集

    净土指归集

    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
  • 走近大师:12位科学家的美丽人生

    走近大师:12位科学家的美丽人生

    《走近大师:12位科学家的美丽人生》并非完整的人物传记,而是重在介绍可供读者借鉴的大师成才之路;《走近大师:12位科学家的美丽人生》也不是普及大师们所掌握的艰深难懂的知识,而是描绘他们那令人景仰的品格风范。这是一位数学家写的一本散文集,讲述了12位科学与教育大师的真实而又鲜为人知的美丽人生。他们都是卓有贡献的出类拔萃的人才。今人正在享用他们的科学文化成果,应该认识并且走近他们。《走近大师:12位科学家的美丽人生》的主人公个个光彩照人,成就非凡,却也曾经历坎坷。他们之中有作者的师长、朋友。作者对自己笔下的人物饱含深情,更兼美的文笔。文章写得感人肺腑,每篇故事都具有知识性、趣味性、启迪性与普适性,具有很强的可读性。无论为人师者或莘莘学子,都将在阅读《走近大师:12位科学家的美丽人生》时获得乐趣与激励。
  • 班主任好累

    班主任好累

    一所普通中学赶上教改大潮,被整合到一所超级牛校。一个丧失激情的中年女教师也因此迎来职业生涯的春天,而此时却发生了一场令人始料未及的校园暴力事件。这里没有教育理想,只有普校现实;没有辛勤的园丁,只有疲惫的班主任。零今天听到了好消息。好消息啊。王天泽脱离了生命危险。阿弥陀佛。岂止是心里的石头,就连我的五脏六腑都终于落到了地上。
  • 自在的美利坚田园生活

    自在的美利坚田园生活

    一个古怪的男人,一个可爱的小女孩,以及一只无赖的狗。这是一个奇怪的组合,从大山深处走出。因为那些古怪离奇的遭遇,张大为变了;变的开朗、大方,变的强大、风趣,因为他知道了什么样的生活最珍贵!带着女儿骑马、放牛,跟着小白揍熊、赶狼,这才是张大为觉得最自在的生活。嗯,过自在的生活,这才是张大为的生活!
  • 比利时、荷兰、卢森堡自助游

    比利时、荷兰、卢森堡自助游

    很多人都有周游世界的梦想,但随着岁月的流逝,梦想也就胎死腹中了。一个普通的内地中国人,如何在没有任何外界帮助的条件下去实现这个梦想,这是个极具挑战性的问题。国内出版界近年来介绍国外旅游的书不少,但适合中国内地人真正有实用性和可操作性的书基本没有。因为这类书基本没有提及如何解决签证和在国外食住行的具体资料,对我们自助旅游者没有多大的参考价值。这是一本介绍一个普通的内地中国人在不跟旅行团、也没有特别背景的情况下,如何能完成比、荷、卢三国自助游的书。书中有笔者亲身经历的游记,更重要的是:到这三个国家自助游要什么手续?要有什么条件?最少要多少钱?旅行中会遇到什么问题及如何解决?本书都有详尽的答案。
  • 异界的游戏开发商

    异界的游戏开发商

    【2018游戏脑洞风暴征文】陆杨是一名游戏策划,他一直坚信自己是用心在做游戏的。直到有一天,他知道了他负责的那款游戏竟然登上了公司辣鸡游戏榜单常年熬夜,精神紧绷的他气急攻心,眼睛一闭,双腿一蹬。再次睁开眼,发现自己竟然来到了地球的平行世界?重归老本行开发游戏,陆杨在另一个地方成为了顶尖的游戏设计师。群:831752659
  • Random Acts of Senseless Violence
  • 范村菊谱

    范村菊谱

    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。
  • 此女太费心

    此女太费心

    冤家路窄,出自明朝凌蒙初《初刻拍案惊奇》卷三十:“真是冤家路窄,今日一命讨了一命。”《新华字典》中的解释是仇敌相逢在窄路上,指仇人或不愿意见面的人偏偏相遇。费安安遇上高渐离之后总算是理解了这个成语的真正意义,同时也切身体会了它所带来的无数后果。告白被拒,记恨了整整七年的仇家,被她不小心碰到,又不小心挑衅羞辱了对方。可惜费安安忘了,生来被叫做高渐离的这个男人又怎么会是省油的灯?自此纠缠不休,不仅领土被严重入侵,而且自身都要难保了,简直是攻防失守,败得一塌糊涂…七年前那个傻乎乎跟自己告白的小姑娘现在见了他竟然一副深仇大恨的样子,而且对他还避之唯恐不及!好吧,她退他就进,她防他就攻,战线拉长不要紧,持久战他也不怕。他从来是万花从中过,片叶不沾身,这次却是情难自制,算了,谁让她这么让人费心,偏偏他还就是这么喜欢…
  • 人鱼的告白

    人鱼的告白

    为了五百年前的誓言,人鱼公主冷凝霜独活五百年,只为找到他。百世不轮回,千秋遇不及。前世桃花未凋零、朱颜辞镜花辞树。待君今生恋旧人,最是人间留不住。
  • 王者之狂想英雄传

    王者之狂想英雄传

    遗留自远古时代的魔种异族一直是人类世界的大敌,面对强大残忍的魔种不断战斗主人公们在经历了无数战斗后却发现人类之间的自相残杀比之异族带来的灾害更甚。他们开始思索,战争到底是因为种族间的不同还是利益上的冲突?这是一部王者荣耀同人,大家将要看到的是那些耳熟能详的人物在游戏战场之外的故事,面对爱恨情仇他们各自又会有什么样的抉择呢?