beasts and superbeasts-第5章

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any　costume。



〃Do　you　think　you　could　go　and　get　some　one　who　

would　drive　the　pig　away？〃　asked　Miss　Stossen。



〃I　promised　my　aunt　I　would　stay　here　till　five　

o'clock；　it's　not　four　yet。〃



〃I　am　sure；　under　the　circumstances；　your　aunt　would　

permit　…　〃



〃My　conscience　would　not　permit；〃　said　Matilda　with　

cold　dignity。



〃We　can't　stay　here　till　five　o'clock；〃　exclaimed　

Mrs。　Stossen　with　growing　exasperation。



〃Shall　I　recite　to　you　to　make　the　time　pass　

quicker？〃　asked　Matilda　obligingly。　　〃　‘Belinda；　the　

little　Breadwinner；'　is　considered　my　best　piece；　or；　

perhaps；　it　ought　to　be　something　in　French。　　Henri　

Quatre's　address　to　his　soldiers　is　the　only　thing　I　

really　know　in　that　language。〃



〃If　you　will　go　and　fetch　some　one　to　drive　that　

animal　away　I　will　give　you　something　to　buy　yourself　a　

nice　present；〃　said　Mrs。　Stossen。



Matilda　came　several　inches　lower　down　the　medlar　

tree。



〃That　is　the　most　practical　suggestion　you　have　made　

yet　for　getting　out　of　the　garden；〃　she　remarked　

cheerfully；　〃Claude　and　I　are　collecting　money　for　the　

Children's　Fresh　Air　Fund；　and　we　are　seeing　which　of　us　

can　collect　the　biggest　sum。〃



〃I　shall　be　very　glad　to　contribute　half　a　crown；　

very　glad　indeed；〃　said　Mrs。　Stossen；　digging　that　coin　

out　of　the　depths　of　a　receptacle　which　formed　a　detached　

outwork　of　her　toilet。



〃Claude　is　a　long　way　ahead　of　me　at　present；〃　

continued　Matilda；　taking　no　notice　of　the　suggested　

offering；　〃you　see；　he's　only　eleven；　and　has　golden　

hair；　and　those　are　enormous　advantages　when　you're　on　

the　collecting　job。　　Only　the　other　day　a　Russian　lady　

gave　him　ten　shillings。　　Russians　understand　the　art　of　

giving　far　better　than　we　do。　　I　expect　Claude　will　net　

quite　twenty…five　shillings　this　afternoon；　he'll　have　

the　field　to　himself；　and　he'll　be　able　to　do　the　pale；　

fragile；　not…long…for…this…world　business　to　perfection　

after　his　raspberry　trifle　experience。　　Yes；　he'll　be　

QUITE　two　pounds　ahead　of　me　by　now。〃



With　much　probing　and　plucking　and　many　regretful　

murmurs　the　beleaguered　ladies　managed　to　produce　seven…

and…sixpence　between　them。



〃I　am　afraid　this　is　all　we've　got；〃　said　Mrs。　

Stossen。



Matilda　showed　no　sign　of　coming　down　either　to　the　

earth　or　to　their　figure。



〃I　could　not　do　violence　to　my　conscience　for　

anything　less　than　ten　shillings；〃　she　announced　stiffly。



Mother　and　daughter　muttered　certain　remarks　under　

their　breath；　in　which　the　word　〃beast〃　was　prominent；　

and　probably　had　no　reference　to　Tarquin。



〃I　find　I　HAVE　got　another　half…crown；〃　said　Mrs。　

Stossen　in　a　shaking　voice；　〃here　you　are。　　Now　please　

fetch　some　one　quickly。〃



Matilda　slipped　down　from　the　tree；　took　possession　

of　the　donation；　and　proceeded　to　pick　up　a　handful　of　

over…ripe　medlars　from　the　grass　at　her　feet。　　Then　she　

climbed　over　the　gate　and　addressed　herself　

affectionately　to　the　boar…pig。



〃Come；　Tarquin；　dear　old　boy；　you　know　you　can't　

resist　medlars　when　they're　rotten　and　squashy。〃



Tarquin　couldn't。　　By　dint　of　throwing　the　fruit　in　

front　of　him　at　judicious　intervals　Matilda　decoyed　him　

back　to　his　stye；　while　the　delivered　captives　hurried　

across　the　paddock。



〃Well；　I　never！　　The　little　minx！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　

Stossen　when　she　was　safely　on　the　high　road。　　〃The　

animal　wasn't　savage　at　all；　and　as　for　the　ten　

shillings；　I　don't　believe　the　Fresh　Air　Fund　will　see　a　

penny　of　it！〃



There　she　was　unwarrantably　harsh　in　her　judgment。　　

If　you　examine　the　books　of　the　fund　you　will　find　the　

acknowledgment：　〃Collected　by　Miss　Matilda　Cuvering；　2s。　

6d。〃





THE　BROGUE





THE　hunting　season　had　come　to　an　end；　and　the　

Mullets　had　not　succeeded　in　selling　the　Brogue。　　There　

had　been　a　kind　of　tradition　in　the　family　for　the　past　

three　or　four　years；　a　sort　of　fatalistic　hope；　that　the　

Brogue　would　find　a　purchaser　before　the　hunting　was　

over；　but　seasons　came　and　went　without　anything　

happening　to　justify　such　ill…founded　optimism。　　The　

animal　had　been　named　Berserker　in　the　earlier　stages　of　

its　career；　it　had　been　rechristened　the　Brogue　later　on；　

in　recognition　of　the　fact　that；　once　acquired；　it　was　

extremely　difficult　to　get　rid　of。　　The　unkinder　wits　of　

the　neighbourhood　had　been　known　to　suggest　that　the　

first　letter　of　its　name　was　superfluous。　　The　Brogue　had　

been　variously　described　in　sale　catalogues　as　a　light…

weight　hunter；　a　lady's　hack；　and；　more　simply；　but　still　

with　a　touch　of　imagination；　as　a　useful　brown　gelding；　

standing　15。1。　　Toby　Mullet　had　ridden　him　for　four　

seasons　with　the　West　Wessex；　you　can　ride　almost　any　

sort　of　horse　with　the　West　Wessex　as　long　as　it　is　an　

animal　that　knows　the　country。　　The　Brogue　knew　the　

country　intimately；　having　personally　created　most　of　the　

gaps　that　were　to　be　met　with　in　banks　and　hedges　for　

many　miles　round。　　His　manners　and　characteristics　were　

not　ideal　in　the　hunting　field；　but　he　was　probably　

rather　safer　to　ride　to　hounds　than　he　was　as　a　hack　on　

country　roads。　　According　to　the　Mullet　family；　he　was　

not　really　road…shy；　but　there　were　one　or　two　objects　of　

dislike　that　brought　on　sudden　attacks　of　what　Toby　

called　the　swerving　sickness。　　Motors　and　cycles　he　

treated　with　tolerant　disregard；　but　pigs；　wheelbarrows；　

piles　of　stones　by　the　roadside；　perambulators　in　a　

village　street；　gates　painted　too　aggressively　white；　and　

sometimes；　but　not　always；　the　newer　kind　of　beehives；　

turned　him　aside　from　his　tracks　in　vivid　imitation　of　

the　zigzag　course　of　forked　lightning。　　If　a　pheasant　

rose　noisily　from　the　other　side　of　a　hedgerow　the　Brogue　

would　spring　into　the　air　at　the　same　moment；　but　this　

may　have　been　due　to　a　desire　to　be　companionable。　　The　

Mullet　family　contradicted　the　widely　prevalent　report　

that　the　horse　was　a　confirmed　crib…biter。



It　was　about　the　third　week　in　May　that　Mrs。　Mullet；　

relict　of　the　late　Sylvester　Mullet；　and　mother　of　Toby　

and　a　bunch　of　daughters；　assailed　Clovis　Sangrail　on　the　

outskirts　of　the　village　with　a　breathless　catalogue　of　

local　happenings。



〃You　know　our　new　neighbour；　Mr。　Penricarde？〃　she　

vociferated；　〃awfully　rich；　owns　tin　mines　in　Cornwall；　

middle…aged　and　rather　quiet。　　He's　taken　the　Red　House　

on　a　long　lease　and　spent　a　lot　of　money　on　alterations　

and　improvements。　　Well；　Toby's　sold　him　the　Brogue！〃



Clovis　spent　a　moment　or　two　in　assimilating　the　

astonishing　news；　then　he　broke　out　into　unstinted　

congratulation。　　If　he　had　belonged　to　a　more　emotional　

race　he　would　probably　have　kissed　Mrs。　Mullet。



〃How　wonderfully　lucky　to　have　pulled　it　off　at　

last！　　Now　you　can　buy　a　decent　animal。　　I've　always　said　

that　Toby　was　clever。　　Ever　so　many　congratulations。〃



〃Don't　congratulate　me。　　It's　the　most　unfortunate　

thing　that　could　have　happened！〃　said　Mrs。　Mullet　

dramatically。



Clovis　stared　at　her　in　amazement。



〃Mr。　Penricarde；〃　said　Mrs。　Mullet；　sinking　her　

voice　to　what　she　imagined　to　be　an　impressive　whisper；　

though　it　rather　resembled　a　hoarse；　excited　squeak；　〃Mr。　

Penricarde　has　just　begun　to　pay　attentions　to　Jessie。　　

Slight　at　first；　but　now　unmistakable。　　I　was　a　fool　not　

to　have　seen　it　sooner。　　Yesterday；　at　the　Rectory　garden　

party；　he　asked　her　what　her　favourite　flowers　were；　and　

she　told　him　carnations；　and　to…day　a　whole　stack　of　

carnations　has　arrived；　clove　and　malmaison　and　lovely　

dark　red　ones；　regular　exhibition　blooms；　and　a　box　of　

chocolates　that　he　must　have　got　on　purpose　from　London。　　

And　he's　asked　her　to　go　round　the　links　with　him　to…

morrow。　　And　now；　just　at　this　critical　moment；　Toby　has　

sold　him　that　animal。　　It's　a　calamity！〃



〃But　you've　been　trying　to　get　the　horse　off　your　

hands　for　years；〃　said