Coming up for Air-第44章
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。 miss helena thurloe； the novelist—you’ve heard of her； of course。 and professor woad； the psychic research worker。 such a poetic character！ he goes wandering out into the woods and the family can’t find him at mealtimes。 he says he’s walking among the fairies。 do you believe in fairies？ i admit—te…hee！—i am just a wee bit sceptical。 but his photographs are most convincing。’
i began to wonder whether he was someone who’d escaped from binfield house。 but no； he was sane enough； after a fashion。 i knew the type。 vegetarianism； simple life； poetry； nature…worship； roll in the dew before breakfast。 i’d met a few of them years ago in ealing。 he began to show me round the estate。 there was nothing left of the woods。 it was all houses； houses—and what houses！ do you know these faked…up tudor houses with the curly roofs and the buttresses that don’t buttress anything； and the rock…gardens with concrete bird…baths and those red plaster elves you can buy at the florists’？ you could see in your mind’s eye the awful gang of food…cranks and spook…hunters and simple…lifers with 1；000 pounds a year that lived there。 even the pavements were crazy。 i didn’t let him take me far。 some of the houses made me wish i’d got a hand…grenade in my pocket。 i tried to damp him down by asking whether people didn’t object to living so near the lunatic asylum； but it didn’t have much effect。 finally i stopped and said：
‘there used to be another pool； besides the big one。 it can’t be far from here。’
‘another pool？ oh； surely not。 i don’t think there was ever another pool。’
‘they may have drained it off；’ i said。 ‘it was a pretty deep pool。 it would leave a big pit behind。’
for the first time he looked a bit uneasy。 he rubbed his nose。
‘oh…ah。 of course； you must understand our life up here is in some ways primitive。 the simple life； you know。 we prefer it so。 but being so far from the town has its inconveniences； of course。 some of our sanitary arrangements are not altogether satisfactory。 the dust…cart only calls once a month； i believe。’
‘you mean they’ve turned the pool into a rubbish…dump？’
‘well； there is something in the nature of a—’ he shied at the word rubbish…dump。 ‘we have to dispose of tins and so forth； of course。 over there； behind that clump of trees。’
we went across there。 they’d left a few trees to hid it。 but yes； there it was。 it was my pool； all right。 they’d drained the water off。 it made a great round hole； like an enormous well； twenty or thirty feet deep。 already it was half full of tin cans。
i stood looking at the tin cans。
‘it’s a pity they drained it；’ i said。 ‘there used to be some big fish in that pool。’
‘fish？ oh； i never heard anything about that。 of course we could hardly have a pool of water here among the houses。 the mosquitoes； you know。 but it was before my time。’
‘i suppose these houses have been built a good long time？’ i said。
‘oh—ten or fifteen years； i think。’
‘i used to know this place before the war；’ i said。 ‘it was all woods then。 there weren’t any houses except binfield house。 but that little bit of copse over there hasn’t changed。 i walked through it on my way here。’
‘ah； that！ that is sacrosanct。 we have decided never to build in it。 it is sacred to the young people。 nature； you know。’ he twinkled at me； a kind of roguish look； as if he was letting me into a little secret： ‘we call it the pixy glen。’
the pixy glen。 i got rid of him； went back to the car and drove down to lower binfield。 the pixy glen。 and they’d filled my pool up with tin cans。 god rot them and bust them！ say what you like— call it silly； childish； anything—but doesn’t it make you puke sometimes to see what they’re doing to england； with their bird… baths and their plaster gnomes； and their pixies and tin cans； where the beech woods used to be？
sentimental； you say？ anti…social？ oughtn’t to prefer trees to men？ i say it depends what trees and what men。 not that there’s anything one can do about it； except to wish them the pox in their guts。
one thing； i thought as i drove down the hill； i’m finished with this notion of getting back into the past。 what’s the good of trying to revisit the scenes of your boyhood？ they don’t exist。 ing up for air！ but there isn’t any air。 the dustbin that we’re in reaches up to the stratosphere。 all the same； i didn’t particularly care。 after all； i thought； i’ve still got three days left。 i’d have a bit of peace and quiet； and stop bothering about what they’d done to lower binfield。 as for my idea of going fishing—that was off； of course。 fishing； indeed！ at my age！ really； hilda was right。
i dumped the car in the garage of the george and walked into the lounge。 it was six o’clock。 somebody had switched on the wireless and the news…broadcast was beginning。 i came through the door just in time to hear the last few words of an s。o。s。 and it gave me a bit of a jolt； i admit。 for the words i heard were：
‘—where his wife； hilda bowling； is seriously ill。’
the next instant the plummy voice went on： ‘here is another s。o。s。 will percival chute； who was last heard of—’； but i didn’t wait to hear any more。 i just walked straight on。 what made me feel rather proud； when i thought it over afterwards； was that when i heard those words e out of the loudspeaker i never turned an eyelash。 not even a pause in my step to let anyone know that i was george bowling； whose wife hilda bowling was seriously ill。 the landlord’s wife was in the lounge； and she knew my name was bowling； at any rate she’d seen it in the register。 otherwise there was nobody there except a couple of chaps who were staying at the george and who didn’t know me from adam。 but i kept my head。 not a sign to anyone。 i merely walked on into the private bar； which had just opened； and ordered my pint as usual。
i had to think it over。 by the time i’d drunk about half the pint i began to get the bearings of the situation。 in the first place； hilda wasn’t ill； seriously or otherwise。 i knew that。 she’d been perfectly well when i came away； and it wasn’t the time of the year for ‘flu or anything of that kind。 she was shamming。 why？
obviously it was just another of her dodges。 i saw how it was。 she’d got wind somehow—trust hilda！—that i wasn’t really at birmingham； and this was just her way of getting me home。 couldn’t bear to think of me any longer with that other woman。 because of course she’d take it for granted that i was with a woman。 can’t imagine any other motive。 and naturally she assumed that i’d e rushing home as soon as i heard she was ill。
but that’s just where you’ve got it wrong； i thought to myself as i finished off the pint。 i’m too cute to be caught that way。 i remembered the dodges she’d pulled before； and the extraordinary trouble she’ll take to catch me out。 i’ve even known her； when i’d been on some journey she was suspicious about； check it all up with a bradshaw and a road…map； just to see whether i was telling the truth about my movements。 and then there was that time when she followed me all the way to colchester and suddenly burst in on me at the temperance hotel。 and that time； unfortunately； she happened to be right—at least； she wasn’t； but there were circumstances which made it look as if she was。 i hadn’t the slightest belief that she was ill。 in fact； i knew she wasn’t； although i couldn’t say exactly how。
i had another pint and things looked better。 of course there was a row ing when i got home； but there’d have been a row anyway。 i’ve got three good days ahead of me； i thought。 curiously enough； now that the things i’d e to look for had turned out not to exist； the idea of having a bit of holiday appealed to me all the more。 being away from home—that was the great thing。 peace perfect peace with loved ones far away； as the hymn puts it。 and suddenly i decided that i would have a woman if i felt like it。 it would serve hilda right for being so dirty…minded； and besides； where’s the sense of being suspected if it isn’t true？
but as the second pint worked inside me； the thing began to amuse me。 i hadn’t fallen for it； but it was damned ingenious all the same。 i wondered how she’d managed about the s。o。s。 i’ve no idea what the procedure is。 do you have to have a doctor’s certificate； or do you just send your name in？ i felt pretty sure it was the wheeler woman who’d put her up to it。 it seemed to me to have the wheeler touch。
but all the same； the cheek of it！ the lengths that women will go！ sometimes you can’t help kind of admiring them。
。。
PART Ⅳ…6
？小说、网
after breakfast i strolled out into the market…place。 it was a lovely morning； kind of cool and still； with a pale yellow light like white wine playing over everything。 the fresh smell of the morning was mixed up with the smell of my cigar。 but there was a zooming noise from behind the houses； and suddenly a fleet of great black bombers came whizzing over。 i looked up at them。 they seemed to be bang overhead。
the next moment i heard something。 and at the same moment； if you’d happened to be there； you’d have seen an interesting instance of what i believe is called conditio
