beasts and superbeasts-第39章

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advertised　by　Mrs。　Yonelet　for　the　due　enlightenment　of　

Bertie's　grandmother。



〃Those　two　inseparables　have　just　come　in　from　a　

bicycle　ride；〃　she　would　announce；　〃quite　a　picture　they　

make；　so　fresh　and　glowing　after　their　spin。〃



〃A　picture　needing　words；〃　would　be　Teresa's　private　

comment；　and　as　far　as　Bertie　was　concerned　she　was　

determined　that　the　words　should　remain　unspoken。



On　the　afternoon　after　Christmas　Day　Mrs。　Yonelet　

dashed　into　the　drawing…room；　where　her　hostess　was　

sitting　amid　a　circle　of　guests　and　teacups　and　muffin…

dishes。　　Fate　had　placed　what　seemed　like　a　trump…card　in　

the　hands　of　the　patiently…manoeuvring　mother。　　With　eyes　

blazing　with　excitement　and　a　voice　heavily　escorted　with　

exclamation　marks　she　made　a　dramatic　announcement。



〃Bertie　has　saved　Dora　from　the　elk！〃



In　swift；　excited　sentences；　broken　with　maternal　

emotion；　she　gave　supplementary　information　as　to　how　the　

treacherous　animal　had　ambushed　Dora　as　she　was　hunting　

for　a　strayed　golf　ball；　and　how　Bertie　had　dashed　to　her　

rescue　with　a　stable　fork　and　driven　the　beast　off　in　the　

nick　of　time。



〃It　was　touch　and　go！　　She　threw　her　niblick　at　it；　

but　that　didn't　stop　it。　　In　another　moment　she　would　

have　been　crushed　beneath　its　hoofs；〃　panted　Mrs。　

Yonelet。



〃The　animal　is　not　safe；〃　said　Teresa；　handing　her　

agitated　guest　a　cup　of　tea。　　〃I　forget　if　you　take　

sugar。　　I　suppose　the　solitary　life　it　leads　has　soured　

its　temper。　　There　are　muffins　in　the　grate。　　It's　not　my　

fault；　I've　tried　to　get　it　a　mate　for　ever　so　long。　　You　

don't　know　of　anyone　with　a　lady　elk　for　sale　or　

exchange；　do　you？〃　she　asked　the　company　generally。



But　Mrs。　Yonelet　was　in　no　humour　to　listen　to　talk　

of　elk　marriages。　　The　mating　of　two　human　beings　was　the　

subject　uppermost　in　her　mind；　and　the　opportunity　for　

advancing　her　pet　project　was　too　valuable　to　be　

neglected。



〃Teresa；〃　she　exclaimed　impressively；　〃after　those　

two　young　people　have　been　thrown　together　so　

dramatically；　nothing　can　be　quite　the　same　again　between　

them。　　Bertie　has　done　more　than　save　Dora's　life；　he　has　

earned　her　affection。　　One　cannot　help　feeling　that　Fate　

has　consecrated　them　for　one　another。〃



〃Exactly　what　the　vicar's　wife　said　when　Bertie　

saved　Sybil　from　the　elk　a　year　or　two　ago；〃　observed　

Teresa　placidly；　〃I　pointed　out　to　her　that　he　had　

rescued　Mirabel　Hicks　from　the　same　predicement　a　few　

months　previously；　and　that　priority　really　belonged　to　

the　gardener's　boy；　who　had　been　rescued　in　the　January　

of　that　year。　　There　is　a　good　deal　of　sameness　in　

country　life；　you　know。〃



〃It　seems　to　be　a　very　dangerous　animal；〃　said　one　

of　the　guests。



〃That's　what　the　mother　of　the　gardener's　boy　said；〃　

remarked　Teresa；　〃she　wanted　me　to　have　it　destroyed；　but　

I　pointed　out　to　her　that　she　had　eleven　children　and　I　

had　only　one　elk。　　I　also　gave　her　a　black　silk　skirt；　

she　said　that　though　there　hadn't　been　a　funeral　in　her　

family　she　felt　as　if　there　had　been。　　Anyhow；　we　parted　

friends。　　I　can't　offer　you　a　silk　skirt；　Emily；　but　you　

may　have　another　cup　of　tea。　　As　I　have　already　remarked；　

there　are　muffins　in　the　grate。〃



Teresa　dosed　the　discussion；　having　deftly　conveyed　

the　impression　that　she　considered　the　mother　of　the　

gardener's　boy　had　shown　a　far　more　reasonable　spirit　

than　the　parents　of　other　elk…assaulted　victims。



〃Teresa　is　devoid　of　feeling；〃　said　Mrs。　Yonelet　

afterwards　to　the　vicar's　wife；　〃to　sit　there；　talking　of　

muffins；　with　an　appalling　tragedy　only　narrowly　averted　

…　〃



〃Of　course　you　know　whom　she　really　intends　Bertie　

to　marry？〃　asked　the　vicar's　wife；　〃I've　noticed　it　for　

some　time。　　The　Bickelbys'　German　governess。〃



〃A　German　governess！　　What　an　idea！〃　gasped　Mrs。　

Yonelet。



〃She's　of　quite　good　family；　I　believe；〃　said　the　

vicar's　wife；　〃and　not　at　all　the　mouse…in…the…back…

ground　sort　of　person　that　governesses　are　usually　

supposed　to　be。　　In　fact；　next　to　Teresa；　she's　about　the　

most　assertive　and　combative　personality　in　the　

neighbourhood。　　She's　pointed　out　to　my　husband　all　sorts　

of　errors　in　his　sermons；　and　she　gave　Sir　Laurence　a　

public　lecture　on　how　he　ought　to　handle　the　hounds。　　You　

know　how　sensitive　Sir　Laurence　is　about　any　criticism　of　

his　Mastership；　and　to　have　a　governess　laying　down　the　

law　to　him　nearly　drove　him　into　a　fit。　　She's　behaved　

like　that　to　every　one；　except；　of　course；　Teresa；　and　

every　one　has　been　defensively　rude　to　her　in　return。　　

The　Bickelbys　are　simply　too　afraid　of　her　to　get　rid　of　

her。　　Now　isn't　that　exactly　the　sort　of　woman　whom　

Teresa　would　take　a　delight　in　installing　as　her　

successor？　　Imagine　the　discomfort　and　awkwardness　in　the　

county　if　we　suddenly　found　that　she　was　to　be　the　future　

hostess　at　the　Hall。　　Teresa's　only　regret　will　be　that　

she　won't　be　alive　to　see　it。〃



〃But；〃　objected　Mrs。　Yonelet；　〃surely　Bertie　hasn't　

shown　the　least　sign　of　being　attracted　in　that　quarter？〃



〃Oh；　she's　quite　nice…looking　in　a　way；　and　dresses　

well；　and　plays　a　good　game　of　tennis。　　She　often　comes　

across　the　park　with　messages　from　the　Bickelby　mansion；　

and　one　of　these　days　Bertie　will　rescue　her　from　the　

elk；　which　has　become　almost　a　habit　with　him；　and　Teresa　

will　say　that　Fate　has　consecrated　them　to　one　another。　　

Bertie　might　not　be　disposed　to　pay　much　attention　to　the　

consecrations　of　Fate；　but　he　would　not　dream　of　opposing　

his　grandmother。〃



The　vicar's　wife　spoke　with　the　quiet　authority　of　

one　who　has　intuitive　knowledge；　and　in　her　heart　of　

hearts　Mrs。　Yonelet　believed　her。



Six　months　later　the　elk　had　to　be　destroyed。　　In　a　

fit　of　exceptional　moroseness　it　had　killed　the　

Bickelbys'　German　governess。　　It　was　an　irony　of　its　fate　

that　it　should　achieve　popularity　in　the　last　moments　of　

its　career；　at　any　rate；　it　established；　the　record　of　

being　the　only　living　thing　that　had　permanently　thwarted　

Teresa　Thropplestance's　plans。



Dora　Yonelet　broke　off　her　engagement　with　an　Indian　

civilian；　and　married　Bertie　three　months　after　his　

grandmother's　death　…　Teresa　did　not　long　survive　the　

German　governess　fiasco。　　At　Christmas　time　every　year　

young　Mrs。　Thropplestance　hangs　an　extra　large　festoon　of　

evergreens　on　the　elk　horns　that　decorate　the　hall。



〃It　was　a　fearsome　beast；〃　she　observes　to　Bertie；　

〃but　I　always　feel　that　it　was　instrumental　in　bringing　

us　together。〃



Which；　of　course；　was　true。





〃DOWN　PENS〃





〃HAVE　you　written　to　thank　the　Froplinsons　for　what　

they　sent　us？〃　asked　Egbert。



〃No；〃　said　Janetta；　with　a　note　of　tired　defiance　in　

her　voice；　〃I've　written　eleven　letters　to…day　expressing　

surprise　and　gratitude　for　sundry　unmerited　gifts；　but　I　

haven't　written　to　the　Froplinsons。〃



〃Some　one　will　have　to　write　to　them；〃　said　Egbert。



〃I　don't　dispute　the　necessity；　but　I　don't　think　

the　some　one　should　be　me；〃　said　Janetta。　　〃I　wouldn't　

mind　writing　a　letter　of　angry　recrimination　or　heartless　

satire　to　some　suitable　recipient；　in　fact；　I　should　

rather　enjoy　it；　but　I've　come　to　the　end　of　my　capacity　

for　expressing　servile　amiability。　　Eleven　letters　to…day　

and　nine　yesterday；　all　couched　in　the　same　strain　of　

ecstatic　thankfulness：　really；　you　can't　expect　me　to　sit　

down　to　another。　　There　is　such　a　thing　as　writing　

oneself　out。〃



〃I've　written　nearly　as　many；〃　said　Egbert；　〃and　

I've　had　my　usual　business　correspondence　to　get　through；　

too。　　Besides；　I　don't　know　what　it　was　that　the　

Froplinsons　sent　us。〃



〃A　William　the　Conqueror　calendar；〃　said　Janetta；　

〃with　a　quotation　of　one　of　his　great　thoughts　for　every　

day　in　the　year。〃



〃Impossible；〃　said　Egbert；　〃he　didn't　have　three　

hundred　and　sixty…five　thoughts　in　the　wh