beasts and superbeasts-第6章

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

hands　for　years；〃　said　Clovis。



〃I've　got　a　houseful　of　daughters；〃　said　Mrs。　

Mullet；　〃and　I've　been　trying　…　well；　not　to　get　them　off　

my　hands；　of　course；　but　a　husband　or　two　wouldn't　be　

amiss　among　the　lot　of　them；　there　are　six　of　them；　you　

know。〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Clovis；　〃I've　never　counted；　

but　I　expect　you're　right　as　to　the　number；　mothers　

generally　know　these　things。〃



〃And　now；〃　continued　Mrs。　Mullet；　in　her　tragic　

whisper；　〃when　there's　a　rich　husband…in…prospect　

imminent　on　the　horizon　Toby　goes　and　sells　him　that　

miserable　animal。　　It　will　probably　kill　him　if　he　tries　

to　ride　it；　anyway　it　will　kill　any　affection　he　might　

have　felt　towards　any　member　of　our　family。　　What　is　to　

be　done？　　We　can't　very　well　ask　to　have　the　horse　back；　

you　see；　we　praised　it　up　like　anything　when　we　thought　

there　was　a　chance　of　his　buying　it；　and　said　it　was　just　

the　animal　to　suit　him。〃



〃Couldn't　you　steal　it　out　of　his　stable　and　send　it　

to　grass　at　some　farm　miles　away？〃　suggested　Clovis；　

〃write　'Votes　for　Women'　on　the　stable　door；　and　the　

thing　would　pass　for　a　Suffragette　outrage。　　No　one　who　

knew　the　horse　could　possibly　suspect　you　of　wanting　to　

get　it　back　again。〃



〃Every　newspaper　in　the　country　would　ring　with　the　

affair；〃　said　Mrs。　Mullet；　〃can't　you　imagine　the　

headline；　'Valuable　Hunter　Stolen　by　Suffragettes'？　　The　

police　would　scour　the　countryside　till　they　found　the　

animal。〃



〃Well；　Jessie　must　try　and　get　it　back　from　

Penricarde　on　the　plea　that　it's　an　old　favourite。　　She　

can　say　it　was　only　sold　because　the　stable　had　to　be　

pulled　down　under　the　terms　of　an　old　repairing　lease；　

and　that　now　it　has　been　arranged　that　the　stable　is　to　

stand　for　a　couple　of　years　longer。〃



〃It　sounds　a　queer　proceeding　to　ask　for　a　horse　

back　when　you've　just　sold　him；〃　said　Mrs。　Mullet；　〃but　

something　must　be　done；　and　done　at　once。　　The　man　is　not　

used　to　horses；　and　I　believe　I　told　him　it　was　as　quiet　

as　a　lamb。　　After　all；　lambs　go　kicking　and　twisting　

about　as　if　they　were　demented；　don't　they？〃



〃The　lamb　has　an　entirely　unmerited　character　for　

sedateness；〃　agreed　Clovis。



Jessie　came　back　from　the　golf　links　next　day　in　a　

state　of　mingled　elation　and　concern。



〃It's　all　right　about　the　proposal；〃　she　announced　

he　came　out　with　it　at　the　sixth　hole。　　I　said　I　must　

have　time　to　think　it　over。　　I　accepted　him　at　the　

seventh。〃



〃My　dear；〃　said　her　mother；　〃I　think　a　little　more　

maidenly　reserve　and　hesitation　would　have　been　

advisable；　as　you've　known　him　so　short　a　time。　　You　

might　have　waited　till　the　ninth　hole。〃



〃The　seventh　is　a　very　long　hole；〃　said　Jessie；　

〃besides；　the　tension　was　putting　us　both　off　our　game。　　

By　the　time　we'd　got　to　the　ninth　hole　we'd　settled　lots　

of　things。　　The　honeymoon　is　to　be　spent　in　Corsica；　with　

perhaps　a　flying　visit　to　Naples　if　we　feel　like　it；　and　

a　week　in　London　to　wind　up　with。　　Two　of　his　nieces　are　

to　be　asked　to　be　bridesmaids；　so　with　our　lot　there　will　

be　seven；　which　is　rather　a　lucky　number。　　You　are　to　

wear　your　pearl　grey；　with　any　amount　of　Honiton　lace　

jabbed　into　it。　　By　the　way；　he's　coming　over　this　

evening　to　ask　your　consent　to　the　whole　affair。　　So　far　

all's　well；　but　about　the　Brogue　it's　a　different　matter。　　

I　told　him　the　legend　about　the　stable；　and　how　keen　we　

were　about　buying　the　horse　back；　but　he　seems　equally　

keen　on　keeping　it。　　He　said　he　must　have　horse　exercise　

now　that　he's　living　in　the　country；　and　he's　going　to　

start　riding　tomorrow。　　He's　ridden　a　few　times　in　the　

Row；　on　an　animal　that　was　accustomed　to　carry　

octogenarians　and　people　undergoing　rest　cures；　and　

that's　about　all　his　experience　in　the　saddle　…　oh；　and　

he　rode　a　pony　once　in　Norfolk；　when　he　was　fifteen　and　

the　pony　twenty…four；　and　tomorrow　he's　going　to　ride　the　

Brogue！　　I　shall　be　a　widow　before　I'm　married；　and　I　do　

so　want　to　see　what　Corsica's　like；　it　looks　so　silly　on　

the　map。〃



Clovis　was　sent　for　in　haste；　and　the　developments　

of　the　situation　put　before　him。



〃Nobody　can　ride　that　animal　with　any　safety；〃　said　

Mrs。　Mullet；　〃except　Toby；　and　he　knows　by　long　

experience　what　it　is　going　to　shy　at；　and　manages　to　

swerve　at　the　same　time。〃



〃I　did　hint　to　Mr。　Penricarde　…　to　Vincent；　I　should　

say　…　that　the　Brogue　didn't　like　white　gates；〃　said　

Jessie。



〃White　gates！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Mullet；　〃did　you　

mention　what　effect　a　pig　has　on　him？　　He'll　have　to　go　

past　Lockyer's　farm　to　get　to　the　high　road；　and　there's　

sure　to　be　a　pig　or　two　grunting　about　in　the　lane。〃



〃He's　taken　rather　a　dislike　to　turkeys　lately；〃　

said　Toby。



〃It's　obvious　that　Penricarde　mustn't　be　allowed　to　

go　out　on　that　animal；〃　said　Clovis；　〃at　least　not　till　

Jessie　has　married　him；　and　tired　of　him。　　I　tell　you　

what：　ask　him　to　a　picnic　to…morrow；　starting　at　an　early　

hour；　he's　not　the　sort　to　go　out　for　a　ride　before　

breakfast。　　The　day　after　I'll　get　the　rector　to　drive　

him　over　to　Crowleigh　before　lunch；　to　see　the　new　

cottage　hospital　they're　building　there。　　The　Brogue　will　

be　standing　idle　in　the　stable　and　Toby　can　offer　to　

exercise　it；　then　it　can　pick　up　a　stone　or　something　of　

the　sort　and　go　conveniently　lame。　　If　you　hurry　on　the　

wedding　a　bit　the　lameness　fiction　can　be　kept　up　till　

the　ceremony　is　safely　over。〃



Mrs。　Mullet　belonged　to　an　emotional　race；　and　she　

kissed　Clovis。



It　was　nobody's　fault　that　the　rain　came　down　in　

torrents　the　next　morning；　making　a　picnic　a　fantastic　

impossibility。　　It　was　also　nobody's　fault；　but　sheer　

ill…luck；　that　the　weather　cleared　up　sufficiently　in　the　

afternoon　to　tempt　Mr。　Penricarde　to　make　his　first　essay　

with　the　Brogue。　　They　did　not　get　as　far　as　the　pigs　at　

Lockyer's　farm；　the　rectory　gate　was　painted　a　dull　

unobtrusive　green；　but　it　had　been　white　a　year　or　two　

ago；　and　the　Brogue　never　forgot　that　he　had　been　in　the　

habit　of　making　a　violent　curtsey；　a　back…pedal　and　a　

swerve　at　this　particular　point　of　the　road。　　

Subsequently；　there　being　apparently　no　further　call　on　

his　services；　he　broke　his　way　into　the　rectory　orchard；　

where　he　found　a　hen　turkey　in　a　coop；　later　visitors　to　

the　orchard　found　the　coop　almost　intact；　but　very　little　

left　of　the　turkey。



Mr。　Penricarde；　a　little　stunned　and　shaken；　and　

suffering　from　a　bruised　knee　and　some　minor　damages；　

good…naturedly　ascribed　the　accident　to　his　own　

inexperience　with　horses　and　country　roads；　and　allowed　

Jessie　to　nurse　him　back　into　complete　recovery　and　golf…

fitness　within　something　less　than　a　week。



In　the　list　of　wedding　presents　which　the　local　

newspaper　published　a　fortnight　or　so　later　appeared　the　

following　item：



〃Brown　saddle…horse；　'The　Brogue；'　bridegroom's　gift　

to　bride。〃



〃Which　shows；〃　said　Toby　Mullet；　〃that　he　knew　

nothing。〃



〃Or　else；〃　said　Clovis；　〃that　he　has　a　very　pleasing　

wit。〃





THE　HEN





〃DORA　BITTHOLZ　is　coming　on　Thursday；〃　said　Mrs。　

Sangrail。



〃This　next　Thursday？　　〃　asked　Clovis



His　mother　nodded。



〃You've　rather　done　it；　haven't　you？〃　he　chuckled；　

〃Jane　Martlet　has　only　been　here　five　days；　and　she　never　

stays　less　than　a　fortnight；　even　when　she's　asked　

definitely　for　a　week。　　You'll　never　get　her　out　of　the　

house　by　Thursday。〃



〃Why　should　I？〃　asked　Mrs。　Sangrail；　〃she　and　Dora　

are　good　friends；　aren't　they？　　They　used　to　be；　as　far　

as　I　remember。〃



〃They　used　to　be；　that's　what　makes　them　all　the　

more　bitter　now。　　Each　feels　that　she　has　nursed　a　viper　

in　her　bosom。　　Nothing　fans　the　flame　of　human　resentment　

so　much　as　the　discovery　that　one's　bosom　has　been　

utilised　as　a　snake　sanatorium。〃



〃But　what　ha