按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
181
… Page 182…
BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
ON APPROVAL
OF all the genuine Bohemians who strayed from time to time into
the would…be Bohemian circle of the Restaurant Nuremberg； Owl Street；
Soho； none was more interesting and more elusive than Gebhard
Knopfschrank。 He had no friends； and though he treated all the
restaurant frequenters as acquaintances he never seemed to wish to carry
the acquaintanceship beyond the door that led into Owl Street and the
outer world。 He dealt with them all rather as a market woman might
deal with chance passers…by； exhibiting her wares and chattering about
the weather and the slackness of business； occasionally about
rheumatism； but never showing a desire to penetrate into their daily lives
or to dissect their ambitions。
He was understood to belong to a family of peasant farmers；
somewhere in Pomerania； some two years ago； according to all that was
known of him； he had abandoned the labours and responsibilities of
swine tending and goose rearing to try his fortune as an artist in London。
〃Why London and not Paris or Munich？〃 he had been asked by the
curious。
Well； there was a ship that left Stolpmunde for London twice a
month； that carried few passengers； but carried them cheaply； the
railway fares to Munich or Paris were not cheap。 Thus it was that he
came to select London as the scene of his great adventure。
The question that had long and seriously agitated the frequenters of
the Nuremberg was whether this goose… boy migrant was really a soul…
driven genius； spreading his wings to the light； or merely an enterprising
young man who fancied he could paint and was pardonably anxious to
escape from the monotony of rye bread diet and the sandy； swine…
bestrewn plains of Pomerania。 There was reasonable ground for doubt
and caution； the artistic groups that foregathered at the little restaurant
contained so many young women with short hair and so many young
men with long hair； who supposed themselves to be abnormally gifted in
the domain of music； poetry； painting； or stagecraft； with little or nothing
to support the supposition； that a self…announced genius of any sort in
182
… Page 183…
BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
their midst was inevitably suspect。 On the other hand； there was the
ever…imminent danger of entertaining； and snubbing； an angel unawares。
There had been the lamentable case of Sledonti； the dramatic poet；
who had been belittled and cold…shouldered in the Owl Street hall of
judgment； and had been afterwards hailed as a master singer by the
Grand Duke Constantine Constantinovitch … 〃the most educated of the
Romanoffs；〃 according to Sylvia Strubble； who spoke rather as one who
knew every individual member of the Russian imperial family； as a
matter of fact； she knew a newspaper correspondent； a young man who
ate BORTSCH with the air of having invented it。 Sledonti's 〃Poems of
Death and Passion〃 were now being sold by the thousand in seven
European languages； and were about to be translated into Syrian； a
circumstance which made the discerning critics of the Nuremberg rather
shy of maturing their future judgments too rapidly and too irrevocably。
As regards Knopfschrank's work； they did not lack opportunity for
inspecting and appraising it。 However resolutely he might hold himself
aloof from the social life of his restaurant acquaintances； he was not
minded to hide his artistic performances from their inquiring gaze。
Every evening； or nearly every evening； at about seven o'clock； he
would make his appearance； sit himself down at his accustomed table；
throw a bulky black portfolio on to the chair opposite him； nod round
indiscriminately at his fellow…guests； and commence the serious business
of eating and drinking。 When the coffee stage was reached he would
light a cigarette； draw the portfolio over to him； and begin to rummage
among its contents。 With slow deliberation he would select a few of
his more recent studies and sketches； and silently pass them round from
table to table； paying especial attention to any new diners who might be
present。 On the back of each sketch was marked in plain figures the
announcement 〃Price ten shillings。〃
If his work was not obviously stamped with the hall… mark of genius；
at any rate it was remarkable for its choice of an unusual and unvarying
theme。 His pictures always represented some well…known street or
public place in London； fallen into decay and denuded of its human
population； in the place of which there roamed a wild fauna； which； from
183
… Page 184…
BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
its wealth of exotic species； must have originally escaped from
Zoological Gardens and travelling beast shows。 〃Giraffes drinking at
the fountain pools； Trafalgar Square；〃 was one of the most notable and
characteristic of his studies； while even more sensational was the
gruesome picture of 〃Vultures attacking dying camel in Upper Berkeley
Street。〃 There were also photographs of the large canvas on which he
had been engaged for some months； and which he was now
endeavouring to sell to some enterprising dealer or adventurous amateur。
The subject was 〃Hyaenas asleep in Euston Station；〃 a composition that
left nothing to be desired in the way of suggesting unfathomed depths of
desolation。
〃Of course it may be i