beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第25章
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smaller boy for being cheeky weeks before； one was always permitted
on that day to recall the episode to his memory by chastising him again。
That is what the French call reconstructing the crime。〃
〃I should call it reconstructing the punishment；〃 said Mrs。
Thackenbury； 〃and； anyhow； I don't see how you could introduce a
system of primitive schoolboy vengeance into civilised adult life。 We
haven't outgrown our passions； but we are supposed to have learned how
to keep them within strictly decorous limits。〃
〃Of course the thing would have to be done furtively and politely；〃
said Clovis； 〃the charm of it would be that it would never be perfunctory
like the other thing。 Now； for instance； you say to yourself： 'I must
show the Webleys some attention at Christmas； they were kind to dear
Bertie at Bournemouth；' and you send them a calendar； and daily for six
days after Christmas the male Webley asks the female Webley if she has
remembered to thank you for the calendar you sent them。 Well；
transplant that idea to the other and more human side of your nature； and
say to yourself： 'Next Thursday is Nemesis Day； what on earth can I do
to those odious people next door who made such an absurd fuss when
Ping Yang bit their youngest child？' Then you'd get up awfully early
on the allotted day and climb over into their garden and dig for truffles
on their tennis court with a good gardening fork； choosing； of course；
that part of the court that was screened from observation by the laurel
bushes。 You wouldn't find any truffles but you would find a great
peace； such as no amount of present…giving could ever bestow。〃
〃I shouldn't；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury； though her air of protest
sounded a bit forced； 〃I should feel rather a worm for doing such a
thing。〃
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〃You exaggerate the power of upheaval which a worm would be able
to bring into play in the limited time available；〃 said Clovis； 〃if you put
in a strenuous ten minutes with a really useful fork； the result ought to
suggest the operations of an unusually masterful mole or a badger in a
hurry。〃
〃They might guess I had done it；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury。
〃Of course they would；〃 said Clovis； 〃that would be half the
satisfaction of the thing； just as you like people at Christmas to know
what presents or cards you've sent them。 The thing would be much
easier to manage； of course； when you were on outwardly friendly terms
with the object of your dislike。 That greedy little Agnes Blaik； for
instance； who thinks of nothing but her food； it would be quite simple to
ask her to a picnic in some wild woodland spot and lose her just before
lunch was served； when you found her again every morsel of food
could have been eaten up。〃
〃It would require no ordinary human strategy to lose Agnes Blaik
when luncheon was imminent： in fact； I don't believe it could be done。〃
〃Then have all the other guests； people whom you dislike； and lose
the luncheon。 It could have been sent by accident in the wrong
direction。〃
〃It would be a ghastly picnic；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury。
〃For them； but not for you；〃 said Clovis； 〃you would have had an
early and comforting lunch before you started； and you could improve
the occasion by mentioning in detail the items of the missing banquet …
the lobster Newburg and the egg mayonnaise； and the curry that was to
have been heated in a chafing…dish。 Agnes Blaik would be delirious
long before you got to the list of wines； and in the long interval of
waiting； before they had quite abandoned hope of the lunch turning up；
you could induce them to play silly games； such as that idiotic one of
'the Lord Mayor's dinner…party；' in which every one has to choose the
name of a dish and do something futile when it is called out。 In this
case they would probably burst into tears when their dish is mentioned。
It would be a heavenly picnic。〃
Mrs。 Thackenbury was silent for a moment； she was probably
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making a mental list of the people she would like to invite to the Duke
Humphrey picnic。 Presently she asked： 〃And that odious young man；
Waldo Plubley； who is always coddling himself … have you thought of
anything that one could do to him？〃 Evidently she was beginning to
see the possibilities of Nemesis Day。
〃If there was anything like a general observance of the festival；〃 said
Clovis； 〃Waldo would be in such demand that you would have to
bespeak him weeks beforehand； and even then； if there were an east
wind blowing or a cloud or two in the sky he might be too careful of
his precious self to come out。 It would be rather jolly if you could lure
him into a hammock in the orchard； just near the spot where there is a
wasps' nest every summer。 A comfortable hammock on a warm
afternoon would appeal to his indolent tastes； and then； when he was
getting drowsy； a lighted fusee thrown into the nest would bring the
wasps out in an indignant mass； and they would soon find a 'home away
from home' on Waldo's fat body。 It takes some doing to get out of a
hammock in a hurry。〃
〃They might sting him to death；〃 protested Mrs。 Thackenbury。
〃Waldo is one of those people who would be enormously improved
by death；〃 said Clovis； 〃but if you didn't want to go as far as that； you
could have some wet straw ready to hand； and set it alight under the
hammock at the same time that the fusee was thrown into the nest； the
smoke would keep all but the most militant of the wasps just outside the
stinging line； and as long as Waldo remained within its protection he
would escape serious damage； and could be eventually restored to his
mother； kippered all over and swollen in places； but still perfectly
recognisable。〃
〃His mother would be my enemy for life；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury。
〃That would be one greeting less to exchange at Christmas；〃 said
Clovis。
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THE DREAMER
IT was the season of sales。 The august establishment of Walpurgis
and Nettlepink had lowered its prices for an entire week as a concession
to trade observances； much as an Arch…duchess might protestingly
contract an attack of influenza for the unsatisfactory reason that
influenza was locally prevalent。 Adela Chemping； who considered
herself in some measure superior to the allurements of an ordinary
bargain sale； made a point of attending the reduction week at Walpurgis
and Nettlepink's。
〃I'm not a bargain hunter；〃 she said； 〃but I like to go where bargains
are。〃
Which showed that beneath her surface strength of character there
flowed a gracious undercurrent of human weakness。
With a view to providing herself with a male escort Mrs。 Chemping
had invited her youngest nephew to accompany her on the first day of
the shopping expedition； throwing in the additional allurement of a
cinematograph theatre and the prospect of light refreshment。 As
Cyprian was not yet eighteen she hoped he might not have reached that
stage in masculine development when parcel…carrying is looked on as a
thing abhorrent。
〃Meet me just outside the floral department；〃 she wrote to him； 〃and
don't be a moment later than eleven。〃
Cyprian was a boy who carried with him through early life the
wondering look of a dreamer； the eyes of one who sees things that are
not visible to ordinary mortals； and invests the commonplace things of
this world with qualities unsuspected by plainer folk … the eyes of a
poet or a house agent。 He was quietly dressed … that sartorial quietude
which frequently accompanies early adolescence； and is usually
attributed by novel…writers to the influence of a widowed mother。 His
hair was brushed back in a smoothness as of ribbon seaweed and
seamed with a narrow furrow that scarcely aimed at being a parting。
His aunt particularly noted this item of his toilet when they met at the
appointed rendezvous； because he was standing waiting for her bare…
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headed。
〃Where is your hat？〃 she asked。
〃I didn't bring one with me；〃 he replied。
Adela Chemping was slightly scandalised。
〃You are not going to be what they call a Nut； are you？〃 she inquired
with some anxiety； partly with the idea that a Nut would be an
extravagance which her sister's small househ
