---

A MAN IN THE ZOO

A
MAN IN THE ZOO

by

DAVID GARNETT

Illustrated with wood engravings

by R. A. GARNETT



TORONTO
THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF
CANADA LIMITED

1924


SPECIAL EDITION
FOR SALE ONLY IN CANADA


PRINTED IN ENGLAND
ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED


TO
HENRIETTA BINGHAM
AND
MINA KIRSTEIN

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I HAVE to thank Mr. Arthur Waley for permission to quote from histranslation of a poem by Wang Yen-shou, which appears in “The Temple andother Poems,” published by Messrs. Allen & Unwin.

I also wish to say that the Royal Zoological Society has always been theobject of my respect and admiration, and that in this story, neitherexplicitly nor implicitly, is anything intended that could be regardedas derogatory to the Society in any sense.{1}

JOHN CROMARTIE and Josephine Lackett gave up their green tickets at theturnstile, and entered the Zoological Society’s Gardens by the SouthGate.

It was a warm day at the end of February, and Sunday morning. In the airthere was a smell of spring, mixed with the odours of differentanimals—yaks, wolves, and musk-oxen, but the two visitors did notnotice it. They were lovers, and were having a quarrel.

They came soon to the Wolves and Foxes, and stood still opposite a cagecontaining an animal very like a dog.

“Other people, other people! You are always considering the feelings ofother people,” said Mr. Cromartie. His companion did not answer him, sohe went on:

“You say somebody feels this, or that somebody else may feel the other.You never talk to me about anything except what other people arefeeling, or may be going to feel. I wish you could forget about otherpeople and talk about yourself, but I suppose you have to talk of otherpeople’s feelings because you haven’t any of your own.”

The beast opposite them was bored. He looked at them for a moment andforgot them at once. He{2} lived in a small space, and had forgotten theoutside world where creatures very like himself raced in circles.

“If that is the reason,” said Cromartie, “I do not see why you shouldnot say so. It would be honest if you were to tell me you felt nothingfor me. It is not honest to say first that you love me, and then thatyou are a Christian and love everybody equally.”

“Nonsense,” said the girl, “you know that is nonsense. It is notChristianity, it is because I love several people very much.”

“You do not love several people very much,” said Cromartie, interruptingher. “You cannot possibly love people like your aunts. Nobody could. No,you do not really love anybody. You imagine that you do because you havenot got the courage to stand alone.”

“I know whom I love, and whom I do not,” said Jose

BU KİTABI OKUMAK İÇİN ÜYE OLUN VEYA GİRİŞ YAPIN!

Sitemize Üyelik ÜCRETSİZDİR!