beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第27章
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〃You must tell me at once；〃 exclaimed the aunt； her senses leaping
into alertness like those of a terrier suddenly exchanging a bored
drowsiness for the lively anticipation of an immediate rat hunt。
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〃I'm perfectly certain that I oughtn't to tell you anything about it；〃
said Vera； 〃but； then； I often do things that I oughtn't to do。〃
〃I should be the last person to suggest that you should do anything
that you ought not to do to … 〃 began 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
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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
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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。〃
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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；
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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 thing in good
stories； and I remark
