Read Online Highland Fling by Nancy Mitford - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nancy Mitford
Ads: Link
the contrary, it is a system of keeping supplies from the enemy in times of war. The admiral explained to them, and to the table at large, that it is permissible to ration neutrals to their pre-war imports in order to prevent the enemy country from importing goods through this channel.
‘Why wasn’t it done from the beginning?’ he bawled, in a voice which Albert felt he must have acquired when addressing his men in stormy weather from the bridge, and rolling his eye round and round. ‘Was there a traitor in the Government? That’s what I should like to know.’
‘Hear, hear!’ said Lord Prague, doubtless from force of habit, as he was, in fact, unable to hear a word.
‘We had them
there
.’ The admiral screwed his thumb round and round on the table as though grinding up imaginaryGermans. ‘And all the time our poor fellows were being blown to atoms by British shells.…’
His speech, for it was virtually one, continued for about half an hour, and when it was finished they joined the ladies.
Albert felt disappointed. Other admirals he had met had provided excellent after-dinner company and he expected better things of the Silent Service than a lecture on Blockade.
----
1 Wasps’ nest.
2 Birch tree.
3 Prepare.
4 Cross beam.
Seven
After dinner the general marshalled them all into Lord Craigdalloch’s study and turned on the wireless which was playing Grieg’s suite from
Peer Gynt
. ‘This is London calling.’ (Crash! crash!) ‘The Wireless Symphony Orchestra will now play “Solveig’s Song”.’ (Crash! crash! crash!)
Albert spoke to Jane in an undertone, but he was quickly checked by a look from Lady Prague who appeared to be in a state of aesthetic rapture.
When the Grieg came to an end it was announced that Miss Sackville-West would give readings from TS Eliot.
‘Tripe!’ said the general and turned it off. He then began to arrange about the next day’s shooting.
‘If any of the non-shooters would like to come out tomorrow,’ he said, ‘it will be a good opportunity as none of the drives are very far apart and it’s all easy walking. Those who don’t want to come all day can meet us for lunch.’
‘Jane and I would love it if we shan’t be in the way,’ said Sally meekly.
The general, who had taken a fancy to her, smiled benignly:
‘Do you good, my dear.’
‘Great,’ said Albert, ‘as is my distaste for natural scenery, I feel it to be my duty, as a student of the nineteenth century, to gaze just once upon the glens and bens that so entranced Royal Victoria, both as the happy wife of that industrious and illustrious prince whose name I am so proud to bear, and as his lamenting relict. I should like to see the stag stand at bay upon its native crags, the eagle cast its great shadow over the coweringgrouse; I should like dearly to find a capercailzie’s nest. And I feel that I could choose no more suitable day on which to witness these glories of Victorian nature than the famous twelfth, when sportsmen all over the country set forth with dog and gun to see what they can catch.’
This speech was greeted by Captain Chadlington with a sort of admiring noise in his throat which can only be transcribed as ‘C-o-o-o-h.’
‘Shall you come, Monteath?’ asked the general, taking no notice of Albert.
‘I think not, sir, thank you very much. I have rather a lot of work to do for the
Literary Times
and if everyone goes out it will be a good opportunity to get on with it.’
‘Brenda and I will come, of course,’ said Lady Prague briskly, ‘so we shall be five extra beside the guns. Will you ring the bell, Mowbray?’ The general did so. She added, with a disapproving look at Albert: ‘Don’t you shoot?’
‘Excellently,’ he replied in a threatening voice. ‘With the water-pistol.’
‘Perhaps you had no chance of learning when you were young; probably you have a good
natural
eye.’
The admiral looked annoyed and there was an awkward silence.
‘Well, then,’
‘Why wasn’t it done from the beginning?’ he bawled, in a voice which Albert felt he must have acquired when addressing his men in stormy weather from the bridge, and rolling his eye round and round. ‘Was there a traitor in the Government? That’s what I should like to know.’
‘Hear, hear!’ said Lord Prague, doubtless from force of habit, as he was, in fact, unable to hear a word.
‘We had them
there
.’ The admiral screwed his thumb round and round on the table as though grinding up imaginaryGermans. ‘And all the time our poor fellows were being blown to atoms by British shells.…’
His speech, for it was virtually one, continued for about half an hour, and when it was finished they joined the ladies.
Albert felt disappointed. Other admirals he had met had provided excellent after-dinner company and he expected better things of the Silent Service than a lecture on Blockade.
----
1 Wasps’ nest.
2 Birch tree.
3 Prepare.
4 Cross beam.
Seven
After dinner the general marshalled them all into Lord Craigdalloch’s study and turned on the wireless which was playing Grieg’s suite from
Peer Gynt
. ‘This is London calling.’ (Crash! crash!) ‘The Wireless Symphony Orchestra will now play “Solveig’s Song”.’ (Crash! crash! crash!)
Albert spoke to Jane in an undertone, but he was quickly checked by a look from Lady Prague who appeared to be in a state of aesthetic rapture.
When the Grieg came to an end it was announced that Miss Sackville-West would give readings from TS Eliot.
‘Tripe!’ said the general and turned it off. He then began to arrange about the next day’s shooting.
‘If any of the non-shooters would like to come out tomorrow,’ he said, ‘it will be a good opportunity as none of the drives are very far apart and it’s all easy walking. Those who don’t want to come all day can meet us for lunch.’
‘Jane and I would love it if we shan’t be in the way,’ said Sally meekly.
The general, who had taken a fancy to her, smiled benignly:
‘Do you good, my dear.’
‘Great,’ said Albert, ‘as is my distaste for natural scenery, I feel it to be my duty, as a student of the nineteenth century, to gaze just once upon the glens and bens that so entranced Royal Victoria, both as the happy wife of that industrious and illustrious prince whose name I am so proud to bear, and as his lamenting relict. I should like to see the stag stand at bay upon its native crags, the eagle cast its great shadow over the coweringgrouse; I should like dearly to find a capercailzie’s nest. And I feel that I could choose no more suitable day on which to witness these glories of Victorian nature than the famous twelfth, when sportsmen all over the country set forth with dog and gun to see what they can catch.’
This speech was greeted by Captain Chadlington with a sort of admiring noise in his throat which can only be transcribed as ‘C-o-o-o-h.’
‘Shall you come, Monteath?’ asked the general, taking no notice of Albert.
‘I think not, sir, thank you very much. I have rather a lot of work to do for the
Literary Times
and if everyone goes out it will be a good opportunity to get on with it.’
‘Brenda and I will come, of course,’ said Lady Prague briskly, ‘so we shall be five extra beside the guns. Will you ring the bell, Mowbray?’ The general did so. She added, with a disapproving look at Albert: ‘Don’t you shoot?’
‘Excellently,’ he replied in a threatening voice. ‘With the water-pistol.’
‘Perhaps you had no chance of learning when you were young; probably you have a good
natural
eye.’
The admiral looked annoyed and there was an awkward silence.
‘Well, then,’
Similar Books
