There were no pictures attached of either Man or Caracal, as it was
taken for granted that visitors would be able to distinguish them. The
public showed a great appreciation of the Man’s sharing his cage with an
animal, and Mr. Cromartie suddenly became, what he had not been before,
extremely popular. The tide turned, and everybody found charming the
person who had so scandalised them. Instead of ill-natured remarks, or
even insults, Mr. Cromartie’s ears were assailed with cries of delight.
This change was certainly one for the better, though Mr. Cromartie
reflected that in time it might become as tedious as ill-natured remarks
had been formerly. His defence was the same against each, that is, he
shut his ears, never looked through the netting if he could help it, and
read his books as if he were indeed a scholar working in his own study.
He was sitting in this way reading “Wilhelm Meister,” with his companion
the Caracal at his feet, when he suddenly heard his name called and
looked up.
There was Josephine, standing before him, looking in at him, her face
pale, her mouth rigid, and her eyes staring.
Up jumped Mr. Cromartie, but as he was surprised his self-control was
gone for an instant.
“My God! What have you come for?” he asked her in agitated tones.
Josephine was taken aback for a moment by this greeting, and as he
strode to the front of his cage, stepped back away from him. For the
moment she was confused. Then she said:
“I have come to ask you about a book. The second volume of ‘Les Liaisons
Dangereuses.’ Aunt Eily is fussing about it. She says the plates make it
a very valuable edition. She suspects me of reading it too, and thinks
it unsuitable....”
As she spoke Cromartie began laughing, screwing up his eyes and showing
his teeth.
“So my forgetfulness has got you into a scrape, has it?” he asked. Then:
“I’m most awfully sorry. I’ve actually got it here. I’ll post it to you
to-night. I can’t slip it through the wire netting, unfortunately.
That’s one of the drawbacks of living in a cage.”
Josephine had not seen Cromartie looking so charming for a long time.
Her own expression changed also, but she still remained shy and awkward,
and was obviously afraid of someone coming into the Ape-house and
finding them together, talking.
For a moment or two they were silent. She looked at the Caracal and
said:
“I read in the paper about your having a companion. I expect it is a
very good plan. You are looking better. I’ve been having bronchitis, and
have been laid up for a fortnight since you saw me last.”
But as Josephine spoke Cromartie’s face clouded over again. He noticed
her awkwardness and was annoyed by it. He remembered also her last
visit, and how she had behaved then. Recollecting all this he frowned,
drew himself up, rubbed his nose rather crossly, and said:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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