pgw.uneasymoney-第24部分

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od　general；　gathered　up　the　ends；　converted　it　into　a　rude　bag；　and　one　more　was　added　to　the　long　list　of　the　victories　of　the　human　over　the　brute　intelligence。
　Everybody　had　a　suggestion　now。　The　cook　advocated　drowning。　The　parlour…maid　favoured　the　idea　of　hitting　the　prisoner　with　a　broom…handle。　Wrench；　eyeing　the　struggling　apron　disapprovingly；　mentioned　that　Mr　Pickering　had　bought　a　revolver　that　morning。
　'Put　him　in　the　coal…cellar；'　said　Lady　Wetherby。
　Wrench　was　more　far…seeing。
　'If　I　might　offer　the　warning；　m'lady；'　said　Wrench；　'not　the　cellar。　It　is　full　of　coal。　It　would　be　placing　temptation　in　the　animal's　way。'
　The　odd…job　man　endorsed　this。
　'Put　him　in　the　garage；　then；'　said　Lady　Wetherby。
　The　odd…job　man　departed；　bearing　his　heaving　bag　at　arm's　length。　The　cook　and　the　parlour…maid　addressed　themselves　to　forting　and　healing　the　scullery…maid。　Wrench　went　off　to　polish　silver；　Lady　Wetherby　to　resume　her　letters。　The　cat　was　the　last　of　the　party　to　return　to　the　normal。　She　came　down　from　the　chimney　an　hour　later　covered　with　soot；　demanding　restoratives。
　Lady　Wetherby　finished　her　letters。　She　cut　them　short；　for　Eustace's　insurgence　had　interfered　with　her　flow　of　ideas。　She　went　into　the　drawing…room；　where　she　found　Roscoe　Sherriff　strumming　on　the　piano。
　'Eustace　has　been　raising　Cain；'　she　said。
　The　Press…agent　looked　up　hopefully。　He　had　been　wearing　a　rather　preoccupied　air。
　'How's　that？'　he　asked。
　'Throwing　eggs　and　plates　in　the　kitchen。'
　The　gleam　of　interest　which　had　e　into　Roscoe　Sherriff's　face　died　out。
　'You　couldn't　get　more　than　a　fill…in　at　the　bottom　of　a　column　on　that；'　he　said；　regretfully。　'I'm　a　little　disappointed　in　that　monk。　I　hoped　he　would　pan　out　bigger。　Well；　I　guess　we've　just　got　to　give　him　time。　I　have　an　idea　that　he'll　set　the　house　on　fire　or　do　something　with　a　punch　like　that　one　of　these　days。　You　mustn't　get　discouraged。　Why；　that　puma　I　made　Valerie　Devenish　keep　looked　like　a　perfect　failure　for　four　whole　months。　A　child　could　have　played　with　it。　Miss　Devenish　called　me　up　on　the　phone；　I　remember；　and　said　she　was　darned　if　she　was　going　to　spend　the　rest　of　her　life　maintaining　an　animal　that　might　as　well　be　stuffed　for　all　the　liveliness　it　showed；　and　that　she　was　going　right　out　to　buy　a　white　mouse　instead。　Fortunately；　I　talked　her　round。
　'A　few　weeks　later　she　came　round　and　thanked　me　with　tears　in　her　eyes。　The　puma　had　suddenly　struck　real　mid…season　form。　It　clawed　the　elevator…boy；　bit　a　postman；　held　up　the　traffic　for　miles；　and　was　finally　shot　by　a　policeman。　Why；　for　the　next　few　days　there　was　nothing　in　the　papers　at　all　but　Miss　Devenish　and　her　puma。　There　was　a　war　on　at　the　time　in　Mexico　or　somewhere；　and　we　had　it　backed　off　the　front　page　so　far　that　it　was　over　before　it　could　get　back。　So；　you　see；　there's　always　hope。　I've　been　nursing　the　papers　with　bits　about　Eustace；　so　as　to　be　ready　for　the　grand…stand　play　when　it　esand　all　we　can　do　is　to　wait。　It's　something　if　he's　been　throwing　eggs。　It　shows　he's　waking　up。'
　The　door　opened　and　Lord　Wetherby　entered。　He　looked　fatigued。　He　sank　into　a　chair　and　sighed。
　'I　cannot　get　it；'　he　said。　'It　eludes　me。'
　He　lapsed　into　a　sombre　silence。
　'What　can't　you　get？'　said　Lady　Wetherby；　cautiously。
　'The　expressionthe　expression　I　want　to　get　into　the　child's　eyes　in　my　picture；　〃Innocence〃。'
　'But　you　have　got　it。'
　Lord　Wetherby　shook　his　head。
　'Well；　you　had　when　I　saw　the　picture；'　persisted　Lady　Wetherby。　'This　child　you're　painting　has　just　joined　the　Black　Hand。　He　has　been　rushed　in　young　over　the　heads　of　the　waiting　list　because　his　father　had　a　pull。　Naturally　the　kid　wants　to　do　something　to　justify　his　election；　and　he　wants　to　do　it　quick。　You　have　caught　him　at　the　moment　when　he　sees　an　old　gentleman　ing　down　the　street　and　realizes　that　he　has　only　got　to　sneak　up　and　stick　his　little　knife'
　'My　dear　Polly；　I　wele　criticism；　but　this　is　more'
　Lady　Wetherby　stroked　his　coat…sleeve　fondly。
　'Never　mind；　Algie；　I　was　only　joking；　precious。　I　thought　the　picture　was　ing　along　fine　when　you　showed　it　to　me。　I'll　e　and　take　another　look　at　it。'
　Lord　Wetherby　shook　his　head。
　'I　should　have　a　model。　An　artist　cannot　mirror　Nature　properly　without　a　model。　I　wish　you　would　invite　that　child　down　here。'
　'No；　Algie；　there　are　limits。　I　wouldn't　have　him　within　a　mile　of　the　place。'
　'Yet　you　keep　Eustace。'
　'Well；　you　made　me　engage　Wrench。　It's　fifty…fifty。　I　wish　you　wouldn't　keep　picking　on　Eustace；　Algie　dear。　He　does　no　harm。　Mr　Sherriff　and　I　were　just　saying　how　peaceable　he　is。　He　wouldn't　hurt'
　Claire　came　in。
　'Polly；'　she　said；　'did　you　put　that　monkey　of　yours　in　the　garage？　He's　just　bitten　Dudley　in　the　leg。'
　Lord　Wetherby　uttered　an　exclamation。
　'Now　perhaps'
　'We　went　in　just　now　to　have　a　look　at　the　car；'　continued　Claire。　'Dudley　wanted　to　show　me　the　mutator　on　the　exhaust…box　or　the　windscreen；　or　something；　and　he　was　just　bending　over　when　Eustace　jumped　out　from　nowhere　and　pinned　him。　I'm　afraid　he　has　taken　it　to　heart　rather。'
　Roscoe　Sherriff　pondered。
　'Is　this　worth　half　a　column？'　He　shook　his　head。　'No；　I'm　afraid　not。　The　public　doesn't　know　Pickering。　If　it　had　been　Charlie　Chaplin　or　William　J。　Bryan；　or　someone　on　those　lines；　we　could　have　had　the　papers　bringing　out　extras。　You　can　visualize　William　J。　Bryan　being　bitten　in　the　leg　by　a　monkey。　It　hits　you。　But　Pickering！　Eustace　might　just　as　well　have　bitten　the　leg　of　the　table！'
　Lord　Wetherby　reasserted　himself。
　'Now　that　the　animal　has　bee　a　public　menace'
　'He's　nothing　of　the　kind；'　said　Lady　Wetherby。　'He's　only　a　little　upset　to…day。'
　'Do　you　mean；　Pauline；　that　even　after　this　you　will　not　get　rid　of　him？'
　'Certainly　notpoor　dear！'
　'Very　well；'　said　Lord　Wetherby；　calmly。　'I　give　you　warning　that　if　he　attacks　me　I　shall　defend　myself。'
　He　brooded。　Lady　Wetherby　turned　to　Claire。
　'What　happened　then？　Did　you　shut　the　door　of　the　garage？'
　'Yes；　but　not　until　Eustace　had　got　away。　He　slipped　out　like　a　streak　and　disappeared。　It　was　too　dark　to　see　which　way　he　went。'
　Dudley　Pickering　limped　heavily　into　the　room。
　'I　was　just　telling　them　about　you　and　Eustace；　Dudley。'
　Mr　Pickering　nodded　moodily。　He　was　too　full　for　words。
　'I　think　Eustace　must　be　mad；'　said　Claire。
　Roscoe　Sherriff　uttered　a　cry　of　rapture。
　'You've　said　it！'　he　exclaimed。　'I　knew　we　should　get　action　sooner　or　later。　It's　the　puma　over　again。　Now　we　are　all　right。　Now　I　have　something　to　work　on。　〃Monkey　Menaces　Countryside。〃　〃Long　Island　Summer　Colony　in　Panic。〃　〃Mad　Monkey　Bites　One〃'
　A　convulsive　shudder　galvanized　Mr　Pickering's　portly　frame。
　'〃Mad　Monkey　Terrorizes　Long　Island。　One　Dead！〃'　murmured　Roscoe　Sherriff；　wistfully。　'Do　you　feel　a　sort　of　shooting；　Pickeringa　kind　of　burning　sensation　under　the　skin？　Lady　Wetherby；　I　guess　I'll　be　getting　some　of　the　papers　on　the　phone。　We've　got　a　big　story。'
　He　hurried　to　the　telephone；　but　it　was　some　little　time　before　he　could　use　it。　Dudley　Pickering　was　in　possession；　talking　earnestly　to　the　local　doctor。
　
　14
　It　was　Nutty　Boyd's　habit　to　retire　immediately　after　dinner　to　his　bedroom。　What　he　did　there　Elizabeth　did　not　know。　Sometimes　she　pictured　him　reading；　sometimes　thinking。　Neither　supposition　was　correct。　Nutty　never　read。　Newspapers　bored　him　and　books　made　his　head　ache。　And　as　for　thinking；　he　had　the　wrong　shape　of　forehead。　The　nearest　he　ever　got　to　meditation　was　a　sort　of　trance…like　state；　a　kind　of　suspended　animation　in　which　his　mind　drifted　sluggishly　like　a　log　in　a　backwater。　Nutty；　it　is　regrettable　to　say；　went　to　his　room　after　dinner　for　the　purpose　of　imbibing　two　or　three　surreptitious　whiskies…and…sodas。
　He　behaved　in　this　way；　he　told　himself；　purely　in　order　to　spare　Elizabeth　anxiety。　There　had　been　in　the　past　a　fool　of　a　doctor　who　had　prescribed　total　abstinence　for　Nutty；　and　Elizabeth　knew　this。　Therefore；　Nutty　held；　to　take　the　mildest　of　drinks　with　her　knowledge　would　have　been　to　fill　her　with　fears　for　his　safety。　So　he　went　to　considerable　inconven