beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第7章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
19
… Page 20…
BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
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
20
… Page 21…
BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
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
21
… Page 22…
BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
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 whi
