Leonard Bilsiter was one of those people who have failed to find this world attractive or interesting, and who have sought compensation in an “unseen world” of their own experience or imagination — or invention. Children do that sort of thing successfully, but children are content to convince themselves, and do not vulgarise their beliefs by trying to convince other people. Leonard Bilsiter’s beliefs were for “the few,” that is to say, anyone who would listen to him.
His dabblings in the unseen might not have carried him beyond the customary platitudes1 of the drawing-room visionary if accident had not reinforced his stock-intrade of mystical lore2. In company with a friend, who was interested in a Ural mining concern, he had made a trip across Eastern Europe at a moment when the great Russian railway strike was developing from a threat to a reality; its outbreak caught him on the return journey, somewhere on the further side of Perm, and it was while waiting for a couple of days at a wayside station in a state of suspended locomotion3 that he made the acquaintance of a dealer4 in harness and metalware, who profitably whiled away the tedium5 of the long halt by initiating6 his English travelling companion in a fragmentary system of folk-lore that he had picked up from Trans–Baikal traders and natives. Leonard returned to his home circle garrulous7 about his Russian strike experiences, but oppressively reticent8 about certain dark mysteries, which he alluded9 to under the resounding10 title of Siberian Magic. The reticence11 wore off in a week or two under the influence of an entire lack of general curiosity, and Leonard began to make more detailed12 allusions13 to the enormous powers which this new esoteric force, to use his own description of it, conferred on the initiated14 few who knew how to wield15 it. His aunt, Cecilia Hoops16, who loved sensation perhaps rather better than she loved the truth, gave him as clamorous17 an advertisement as anyone could wish for by retailing18 an account of how he had turned a vegetable marrow19 into a wood pigeon before her very eyes. As a manifestation20 of the possession of supernatural powers, the story was discounted in some quarters by the respect accorded to Mrs. Hoops’ powers of imagination.
However divided opinion might be on the question of Leonard’s status as a wonderworker or a charlatan21, he certainly arrived at Mary Hampton’s house-party with a reputation for preeminence22 in one or other of those professions, and he was not disposed to shun23 such publicity24 as might fall to his share. Esoteric forces and unusual powers figured largely in whatever conversation he or his aunt had a share in, and his own performances, past and potential, were the subject of mysterious hints and dark avowals.
“I wish you would turn me into a wolf, Mr. Bilsiter,” said his hostess at luncheon25 the day after his arrival.
“My dear Mary,” said Colonel Hampton, “I never knew you had a craving26 in that direction.”
“A she-wolf, of course,” continued Mrs. Hampton; “it would be too confusing to change one’s sex as well as one’s species at a moment’s notice.”
“I don’t think one should jest on these subjects,” said Leonard.
“I’m not jesting, I’m quite serious, I assure you. Only don’t do it today; we have only eight available bridge players, and it would break up one of our tables. To-morrow we shall be a larger party. To-morrow night, after dinner —”
“In our present imperfect understanding of these hidden forces I think one should approach them with humbleness28 rather than mockery,” observed Leonard, with such severity that the subject was forthwith dropped.
Clovis Sangrail had sat unusually silent during the discussion on the possibilities of Siberian Magic; after lunch he side-tracked Lord Pabham into the comparative seclusion30 of the billiard-room and delivered himself of a searching question.
“Have you such a thing as a she-wolf in your collection of wild animals? A she-wolf of moderately good temper?”
Lord Pabham considered. “There is Loiusa,” he said, “a rather fine specimen31 of the timber-wolf. I got her two years ago in exchange for some Arctic foxes. Most of my animals get to be fairly tame before they’ve been with me very long; I think I can say Louisa has an angelic temper, as she-wolves go. Why do you ask?”
“I was wondering whether you would lend her to me for tomorrow night,” said Clovis, with the careless solicitude32 of one who borrows a collar stud or a tennis racquet.
“To-morrow night?”
“Yes, wolves are nocturnal animals, so the late hours won’t hurt her,” said Clovis, with the air of one who has taken everything into consideration; “one of your men could bring her over from Pabham Park after dusk, and with a little help he ought to be able to smuggle33 her into the conservatory34 at the same moment that Mary Hampton makes an unobtrusive exit.”
Lord Pabham stared at Clovis for a moment in pardonable bewilderment; then his face broke into a wrinkled network of laughter.
“Oh, that’s your game, is it? You are going to do a little Siberian Magic on your own account. And is Mrs. Hampton willing to be a fellow-conspirator?”
“Mary is pledged to see me through with it, if you will guarantee Louisa’s temper.”
“I’ll answer for Louisa,” said Lord Pabham.
By the following day the house-party had swollen35 to larger proportions, and Bilsiter’s instinct for self-advertisement expanded duly under the stimulant36 of an increased audience. At dinner that evening he held forth29 at length on the subject of unseen forces and untested powers, and his flow of impressive eloquence37 continued unabated while coffee was being served in the drawing-room preparatory to a general migration38 to the card-room.
His aunt ensured a respectful hearing for his utterances39, but her sensation-loving soul hankered after something more dramatic than mere40 vocal41 demonstration42.
“Won’t you do something to convince them of your powers, Leonard?” she pleaded; “change something into another shape. He can, you know, if he only chooses to,” she informed the company.
“Oh, do,” said Mavis Pellington earnestly, and her request was echoed by nearly everyone present. Even those who were not open to conviction were perfectly43 willing to be entertained by an exhibition of amateur conjuring44.
Leonard felt that something tangible45 was expected of him.
“Has anyone present,” he asked, “got a three-penny bit or some small object of no particular value —?”
“You’re surely not going to make coins disappear, or something primitive46 of that sort?” said Clovis contemptuously.
“I think it very unkind of you not to carry out my suggestion of turning me into a wolf,” said Mary Hampton, as she crossed over to the conservatory to give her macaws their usual tribute from the dessert dishes.
“I have already warned you of the danger of treating these powers in a mocking spirit,” said Leonard solemnly.
“I don’t believe you can do it,” laughed Mary provocatively47 from the conservatory; “I dare you to do it if you can. I defy you to turn me into a wolf.”
As she said this she was lost to view behind a clump48 of azaleas.
“Mrs. Hampton —” began Leonard with increased solemnity, but he got no further. A breath of chill air seemed to rush across the room, and at the same time the macaws broke forth into ear-splitting screams.
“What on earth is the matter with those confounded birds, Mary?” exclaimed Colonel Hampton; at the same moment an even more piercing scream from Mavis Pellington stampeded the entire company from their seats. In various attitudes of helpless horror or instinctive49 defence they confronted the evil-looking grey beast that was peering at them from amid a setting of fern and azalea.
Mrs. Hoops was the first to recover from the general chaos50 of fright and bewilderment.
“Leonard!” she screamed shrilly51 to her nephew, “turn it back into Mrs. Hampton at once! It may fly at us at any moment. Turn it back!”
“I— I don’t know how to,” faltered52 Leonard, who looked more scared and horrified53 than anyone.
“What!” shouted Colonel Hampton, “you’ve taken the abominable54 liberty of turning my wife into a wolf, and now you stand there calmly and say you can’t turn her back again!”
To do strict justice to Leonard, calmness was not a distinguishing feature of his attitude at the moment.
“I assure you I didn’t turn Mrs. Hampton into a wolf; nothing was farther from my intentions,” he protested.
“Then where is she, and how came that animal into the conservatory?” demanded the Colonel.
“Of course we must accept your assurance that you didn’t turn Mrs. Hampton into a wolf,” said Clovis politely, “but you will agree that appearances are against you.”
“Are we to have all these recriminations with that beast standing27 there ready to tear us to pieces?” wailed55 Mavis indignantly.
“Lord Pabham, you know a good deal about wild beasts —” suggested Colonel Hampton.
“The wild beasts that I have been accustomed to,” said Lord Pabham, “have come with proper credentials56 from well-known dealers57, or have been bred in my own menagerie. I’ve never before been confronted with an animal that walks unconcernedly out of an azalea bush, leaving a charming and popular hostess unaccounted for. As far as one can judge from outward characteristics,” he continued, “it has the appearance of a well-grown female of the North American timber-wolf, a variety of the common species canis lupus .”
“Oh, never mind its Latin name,” screamed Mavis, as the beast came a step or two further into the room; “can’t you entice58 it away with food, and shut it up where it can’t do any harm?”
“If it is really Mrs. Hampton, who has just had a very good dinner, I don’t suppose food will appeal to it very strongly,” said Clovis.
“Leonard,” beseeched Mrs. Hoops tearfully, “even if this is none of your doing can’t you use your great powers to turn this dreadful beast into something harmless before it bites us all — a rabbit or something?”
“I don’t suppose Colonel Hampton would care to have his wife turned into a succession of fancy animals as though we were playing a round game with her,” interposed Clovis.
“I absolutely forbid it,” thundered the Colonel.
“Most wolves that I’ve had anything to do with have been inordinately59 fond of sugar,” said Lord Pabham; “if you like I’ll try the effect on this one.”
He took a piece of sugar from the saucer of his coffee cup and flung it to the expectant Louisa, who snapped it in mid-air. There was a sigh of relief from the company; a wolf that ate sugar when it might at the least have been employed in tearing macaws to pieces had already shed some of its terrors. The sigh deepened to a gasp60 of thanks-giving when Lord Pabham decoyed the animal out of the room by a pretended largesse61 of further sugar. There was an instant rush to the vacated conservatory. There was no trace of Mrs. Hampton except the plate containing the macaws’ supper.
“The door is locked on the inside!” exclaimed Clovis, who had deftly62 turned the key as he affected63 to test it.
Everyone turned towards Bilsiter.
“If you haven’t turned my wife into a wolf,” said Colonel Hampton, “will you kindly64 explain where she has disappeared to, since she obviously could not have gone through a locked door? I will not press you for an explanation of how a North American timber-wolf suddenly appeared in the conservatory, but I think I have some right to inquire what has become of Mrs. Hampton.”
Bilsiter’s reiterated65 disclaimer was met with a general murmur66 of impatient disbelief.
“I refuse to stay another hour under this roof,” declared Mavis Pellington.
“If our hostess has really vanished out of human form,” said Mrs. Hoops, “none of the ladies of the party can very well remain. I absolutely decline to be chaperoned by a wolf!”
“It’s a she-wolf,” said Clovis soothingly67.
The correct etiquette68 to be observed under the unusual circumstances received no further elucidation69. The sudden entry of Mary Hampton deprived the discussion of its immediate70 interest.
“Some one has mesmerised me,” she exclaimed crossly; “I found myself in the game larder71, of all places, being fed with sugar by Lord Pabham. I hate being mesmerised, and the doctor has forbidden me to touch sugar.”
The situation was explained to her, as far as it permitted of anything that could be called explanation.
“Then you really did turn me into a wolf, Mr. Bilsiter?” she exclaimed excitedly.
But Leonard had burned the boat in which he might now have embarked72 on a sea of glory. He could only shake his head feebly.
“It was I who took that liberty,” said Clovis; “you see, I happen to have lived for a couple of years in North–Eastern Russia, and I have more than a tourist’s acquaintance with the magic craft of that region. One does not care to speak about these strange powers, but once in a way, when one hears a lot of nonsense being talked about them, one is tempted73 to show what Siberian magic can accomplish in the hands of someone who really understands it. I yielded to that temptation. May I have some brandy? the effort has left me rather faint.”
If Leonard Bilsiter could at that moment have transformed Clovis into a cockroach74 and then have stepped on him he would gladly have performed both operations.
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platitudes
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| n.平常的话，老生常谈，陈词滥调( platitude的名词复数 )；滥套子 | |
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lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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locomotion
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| n.运动，移动 | |
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dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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tedium
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| n.单调；烦闷 | |
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initiating
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| v.开始( initiate的现在分词 )；传授；发起；接纳新成员 | |
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garrulous
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| adj.唠叨的，多话的 | |
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reticent
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| adj.沉默寡言的；言不如意的 | |
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alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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initiated
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| n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入 | |
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wield
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| vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等) | |
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hoops
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| n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓 | |
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clamorous
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| adj.吵闹的，喧哗的 | |
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retailing
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| n.零售业v.零售(retail的现在分词) | |
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marrow
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| n.骨髓；精华；活力 | |
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manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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charlatan
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| n.骗子；江湖医生；假内行 | |
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preeminence
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| n.卓越,杰出 | |
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shun
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| vt.避开，回避，避免 | |
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publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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luncheon
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| n.午宴，午餐，便宴 | |
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craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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humbleness
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| n.谦卑，谦逊；恭顺 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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smuggle
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| vt.私运；vi.走私 | |
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conservatory
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| n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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stimulant
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| n.刺激物，兴奋剂 | |
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eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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migration
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| n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙 | |
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utterances
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| n.发声( utterance的名词复数 )；说话方式；语调；言论 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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vocal
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| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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demonstration
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| n.表明，示范，论证，示威 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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conjuring
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| n.魔术 | |
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tangible
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| adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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provocatively
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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shrilly
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| 尖声的； 光亮的，耀眼的 | |
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faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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credentials
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| n.证明，资格，证明书，证件 | |
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dealers
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| n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者 | |
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entice
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| v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿 | |
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inordinately
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| adv.无度地，非常地 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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largesse
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| n.慷慨援助，施舍 | |
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deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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reiterated
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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etiquette
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| n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 | |
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elucidation
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| n.说明，阐明 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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cockroach
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| n.蟑螂 | |
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