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Саки. Место для вола. Ч.5

Saki

The Stalled Ox

Part 5

‘Mr. Eshley,’ said Adela in a shaking voice, ‘I asked you to drive that beast out of my garden, but I did not ask you to drive it into my house.  If I must have it anywhere on the premises (здание с прилегающими постройками и участком земли ) I prefer the garden to the morning-room.’

‘Cattle drives are not in my line,’ said Eshley; ‘if I remember I told you so at the outset.’  ‘I quite agree,’ retorted the lady, ‘painting pretty pictures of pretty little cows is what you’re suited for.  Perhaps you’d like to do a nice sketch of that ox making itself at home in my morning-room?’

This time it seemed as if the worm had turned (терпение лопнуло); Eshley began striding away.

‘Where are you going?’ screamed Adela.

‘To fetch implements,’ was the answer.

‘Implements?  I won’t have you use a lasso (лассо).  The room will be wrecked if there’s a struggle.’

But the artist marched out of the garden.  In a couple of minutes he returned, laden with easel, sketching-stool, and painting materials.

‘Do you mean to say that you’re going to sit quietly down and paint that brute while it’s destroying my morning-room?’ gasped Adela.

‘It was your suggestion,’ said Eshley, setting his canvas in position.

‘I forbid it; I absolutely forbid it!’ stormed Adela.

‘I don’t see what standing you have in the matter,’ said the artist; ‘you can hardly pretend that it’s your ox, even by adoption.’

‘You seem to forget that it’s in my morning-room, eating my flowers,’ came the raging retort.

‘You seem to forget that the cook has neuralgia,’ said Eshley; ‘she may be just dozing off into a merciful sleep and your outcry will waken her.  Consideration for others should be the guiding principle of people in our station of life.’

‘The man is mad!’ exclaimed Adela tragically.  A moment later it was Adela herself who appeared to go mad.  The ox had finished the vase-flowers and the cover of ‘Israel Kalisch,’ (роман W.L. George) and appeared to be thinking of leaving its rather restricted quarters.  Eshley noticed its restlessness and promptly flung it some bunches of Virginia creeper (дикий виноград) leaves as an inducement to continue the sitting.

‘I forget how the proverb runs,’ he observed; ‘of something about ‘better a dinner of herbs than a stalled ox where hate is.’  We seem to have all the ingredients for the proverb ready to hand.’

‘I shall go to the Public Library and get them to telephone for the police,’ announced Adela, and, raging audibly, she departed.