beasts and superbeasts-第29章

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Mrs。　Bebberly　Cumble　impressively。



〃And　I　am　always　swayed　by　the　last　person　who　

speaks　to　me；〃　admitted　Vera；　〃so　I'll　do　what　I　ought　

not　to　do　and　tell　you。〃



Mrs。　Bebberley　Cumble　thrust　a　very　pardonable　sense　

of　exasperation　into　the　background　of　her　mind　and　

demanded　impatiently：



〃What　is　there　in　Betsy　Mullen's　cottage　that　you　

are　making　such　a　fuss　about？〃



〃It's　hardly　fair　to　say　that　I'VE　made　a　fuss　about　

it；〃　said　Vera；　〃this　is　the　first　time　I've　mentioned　

the　matter；　but　there's　been　no　end　of　trouble　and　

mystery　and　newspaper　speculation　about　it。　　It's　rather　

amusing　to　think　of　the　columns　of　conjecture　in　the　

Press　and　the　police　and　detectives　hunting　about　

everywhere　at　home　and　abroad；　and　all　the　while　that　

innocent…looking　little　cottage　has　held　the　secret。〃



〃You　don't　mean　to　say　it's　the　Louvre　picture；　La　

Something　or　other；　the　woman　with　the　smile；　that　

disappeared　about　two　years　ago？〃　exclaimed　the　aunt　with　

rising　excitement。



〃Oh　no；　not　that；〃　said　Vera；　〃but　something　quite　

as　important　and　just　as　mysterious　…　if　anything；　rather　

more　scandalous。〃



〃Not　the　Dublin　…　？〃



Vera　nodded。



〃The　whole　jolly　lot　of　them。〃



〃In　Betsy's　cottage？　　Incredible！〃



〃Of　course　Betsy　hasn't　an　idea　as　to　what　they　

are；〃　said　Vera；　〃she　just　knows　that　they　are　something　

valuable　and　that　she　must　keep　quiet　about　them。　　I　

found　out　quite　by　accident　what　they　were　and　how　they　

came　to　be　there。　　You　see；　the　people　who　had　them　were　

at　their　wits'　end　to　know　where　to　stow　them　away　for　

safe　keeping；　and　some　one　who　was　motoring　through　the　

village　was　struck　by　the　snug　loneliness　of　the　cottage　

and　thought　it　would　be　just　the　thing。　　Mrs。　Lamper　

arranged　the　matter　with　Betsy　and　smuggled　the　things　

in。〃



〃Mrs。　Lamper？〃



〃Yes；　she　does　a　lot　of　district　visiting；　you　

know。〃



〃I　am　quite　aware　that　she　takes　soup　and　flannel　

and　improving　literature　to　the　poorer　cottagers；〃　said　

Mrs。　Bebberly　Cumble；　〃but　that　is　hardly　the　same　sort　

of　thing　as　disposing　of　stolen　goods；　and　she　must　have　

known　something　about　their　history；　anyone　who　reads　the　

papers；　even　casually；　must　have　been　aware　of　the　theft；　

and　I　should　think　the　things　were　not　hard　to　recognise。　　

Mrs。　Lamper　has　always　had　the　reputation　of　being　a　very　

conscientious　woman。〃



〃Of　course　she　was　screening　some　one　else；〃　said　

Vera。　　〃A　remarkable　feature　of　the　affair　is　the　

extraordinary　number　of　quite　respectable　people　who　have　

involved　themselves　in　its　meshes　by　trying　to　shield　

others。　　You　would　be　really　astonished　if　you　knew　some　

of　the　names　of　the　individuals　mixed　up　in　it；　and　I　

don't　suppose　a　tithe　of　them　know　who　the　original　

culprits　were；　and　now　I've　got　you　entangled　in　the　mess　

by　letting　you　into　the　secret　of　the　cottage。〃



〃You　most　certainly　have　not　entangled　me；〃　said　

Mrs。　Bebberly　Cumble　indignantly。　　〃I　have　no　intention　

of　shielding　anybody。　　The　police　must　know　about　it　at　

once；　a　theft　is　a　theft；　whoever　is　involved。　　If　

respectable　people　choose　to　turn　themselves　into　

receivers　and　disposers　of　stolen　goods；　well；　they've　

ceased　to　be　respectable；　that's　all。　　I　shall　telephone　

immediately　…　〃



〃Oh；　aunt；〃　said　Vera　reproachfully；　〃it　would　break　

the　poor　Canon's　heart　if　Cuthbert　were　to　be　involved　in　

a　scandal　of　this　sort。　　You　know　it　would。〃



〃Cuthbert　involved！　　How　can　you　say　such　things　

when　you　know　how　much　we　all　think　of　him？〃



〃Of　course　I　know　you　think　a　lot　of　him；　and　that　

he's　engaged　to　marry　Beatrice；　and　that　it　will　be　a　

frightfully　good　match；　and　that　he's　your　ideal　of　what　

a　son…in…law　ought　to　be。　　All　the　same；　it　was　

Cuthbert's　idea　to　stow　the　things　away　in　the　cottage；　

and　it　was　his　motor　that　brought　them。　　He　was　only　

doing　it　to　help　his　friend　Pegginson；　you　know　…　the　

Quaker　man；　who　is　always　agitating　for　a　smaller　Navy。　　

I　forget　how　he　got　involved　in　it。　　I　warned　you　that　

there　were　lots　of　quite　respectable　people　mixed　up　in　

it；　didn't　I？　　That's　what　I　meant　when　I　said　it　would　

be　impossible　for　old　Betsy　to　leave　the　cottage；　the　

things　take　up　a　good　bit　of　room；　and　she　couldn't　go　

carrying　them　about　with　her　other　goods　and　chattels　

without　attracting　notice。　　Of　course　if　she　were　to　fall　

ill　and　die　it　would　be　equally　unfortunate。　　Her　mother　

lived　to　be　over　ninety；　she　tells　me；　so　with　due　care　

and　an　absence　of　worry　she　ought　to　last　for　another　

dozen　years　at　least。　　By　that　time　perhaps　some　other　

arrangements　will　have　been　made　for　disposing　of　the　

wretched　things。〃



〃I　shall　speak　to　Cuthbert　about　it　…　after　the　

wedding；〃　said　Mrs。　Bebberly　Cumble。



〃The　wedding　isn't　till　next　year；〃　said　Vera；　in　

recounting　the　story　to　her　best　girl　friend；　〃and　

meanwhile　old　Betsy　is　living　rent　free；　with　soup　twice　

a　week　and　my　aunt's　doctor　to　see　her　whenever　she　has　a　

finger　ache。〃



〃But　how　on　earth　did　you　get　to　know　about　it　all？〃　

asked　her　friend；　in　admiring　wonder。



〃It　was　a　mystery　…　〃　said　Vera。



〃Of　course　it　was　a　mystery；　a　mystery　that　baffled　

everybody。　　What　beats　me　is　how　you　found　out　…　〃



〃Oh；　about　the　jewels？　　I　invented　that　part；〃　

explained　Vera；　〃I　mean　the　mystery　was　where　old　Betsy's　

arrears　of　rent　were　to　come　from；　and　she　would　have　

hated　leaving　that　jolly　quince　tree。〃





THE　FORBIDDEN　BUZZARDS





〃IS　matchmaking　at　all　in　your　line？〃



Hugo　Peterby　asked　the　question　with　a　certain　

amount　of　personal　interest。



〃I　don't　specialise　in　it；〃　said　Clovis；　〃it's　all　

right　while　you're　doing　it；　but　the　after…effects　are　

sometimes　so　disconcerting　…　the　mute　reproachful　looks　

of　the　people　you've　aided　and　abetted　in　matrimonial　

experiments。　　It's　as　bad　as　selling　a　man　a　horse　with　

half　a　dozen　latent　vices　and　watching　him　discover　them　

piecemeal　in　the　course　of　the　hunting　season。　　I　suppose　

you're　thinking　of　the　Coulterneb　girl。　　She's　certainly　

jolly；　and　quite　all　right　as　far　as　looks　go；　and　I　

believe　a　certain　amount　of　money　adheres　to　her。　　What　I　

don't　see　is　how　you　will　ever　manage　to　propose　to　her。　　

In　all　the　time　I've　known　her　I　don't　remember　her　to　

have　stopped　talking　for　three　consecutive　minutes。　　

You'll　have　to　race　her　six　times　round　the　grass　paddock　

for　a　bet；　and　then　blurt　your　proposal　out　before　she's　

got　her　wind　back。　　The　paddock　is　laid　up　for　hay；　but　

if　you're　really　in　love　with　her　you　won't　let　a　

consideration　of　that　sort　stop　you；　especially　as　it's　

not　your　hay。〃



〃I　think　I　could　manage　the　proposing　part　right　

enough；〃　said　Hugo；　〃if　I　could　count　on　being　left　alone　

with　her　for　four　or　five　hours。　　The　trouble　is　that　I'm　

not　likely　to　get　anything　like　that　amount　of　grace。　　

That　fellow　Lanner　is　showing　signs　of　interesting　

himself　in　the　same　quarter。　　He's　quite　heartbreakingly　

rich　and　is　rather　a　swell　in　his　way；　in　fact；　our　

hostess　is　obviously　a　bit　flattered　at　having　him　here。　　

If　she　gets　wind　of　the　fact　that　he's　inclined　to　be　

attracted　by　Betty　Coulterneb　she'll　think　it　a　splendid　

match　and　throw　them　into　each　other's　arms　all　day　long；　

and　then　where　will　my　opportunities　come　in？　　My　one　

anxiety　is　to　keep　him　out　of　the　girl's　way　as　much　as　

possible；　and　if　you　could　help　me　…　〃



〃If　you　want　me　to　trot　Lanner　round　the　

countryside；　inspecting　alleged　Roman　remains　and　

studying　local　methods　of　bee　culture　and　crop　raising；　

I'm　afraid　I　can't　oblige　you；〃　said　Clovis。　　〃You　see；　

he's　taken　something　like　an　aversion　to　me　since　the　

other　night　in　the　smoking…room。〃



〃What　happened　in　the　smoking…room？〃



〃He　trotted　out　some　well…worn　chestnut　as　the　

latest　thin