beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第5章
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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。〃
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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
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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 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
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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
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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 a
