beasts and superbeasts-第39节

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〃Nicholas；　Nicholas！〃　she　screamed；　〃you　are　to　come　

out　of　this　at　once。　　It's　no　use　trying　to　hide　there；　I　

can　see　you　all　the　time。〃



It　was　probably　the　first　time　for　twenty　years　that　

anyone　had　smiled　in　that　lumber…room。



Presently　the　angry　repetitions　of　Nicholas'　name　

gave　way　to　a　shriek；　and　a　cry　for　somebody　to　come　

quickly。　　Nicholas　shut　the　book；　restored　it　carefully　

to　its　place　in　a　corner；　and　shook　some　dust　from　a　

neighbouring　pile　of　newspapers　over　it。　　Then　he　crept　

from　the　room；　locked　the　door；　and　replaced　the　key　

exactly　where　he　had　found　it。　　His　aunt　was　still　

calling　his　name　when　he　sauntered　into　the　front　garden。



〃Who's　calling？〃　he　asked。



〃Me；〃　came　the　answer　from　the　other　side　of　the　

wall；　〃didn't　you　hear　me？　　I've　been　looking　for　you　in　

the　gooseberry　garden；　and　I've　slipped　into　the　rain…

water　tank。　　Luckily　there's　no　water　in　it；　but　the　

sides　are　slippery　and　I　can't　get　out。　　Fetch　the　little　

ladder　from　under　the　cherry　tree　…　〃



〃I　was　told　I　wasn't　to　go　into　the　gooseberry　

garden；〃　said　Nicholas　promptly。



〃I　told　you　not　to；　and　now　I　tell　you　that　you　

may；〃　came　the　voice　from　the　rain…water　tank；　rather　

impatiently。



〃Your　voice　doesn't　sound　like　aunt's；〃　objected　

Nicholas；　〃you　may　be　the　Evil　One　tempting　me　to　be　

disobedient。　　Aunt　often　tells　me　that　the　Evil　One　

tempts　me　and　that　I　always　yield。　　This　time　I'm　not　

going　to　yield。〃



〃Don't　talk　nonsense；〃　said　the　prisoner　in　the　

tank；　〃go　and　fetch　the　ladder。〃



〃Will　there　be　strawberry　jam　for　tea？〃　asked　

Nicholas　innocently。



〃Certainly　there　will　be；〃　said　the　aunt；　privately　

resolving　that　Nicholas　should　have　none　of　it。



〃Now　I　know　that　you　are　the　Evil　One　and　not　aunt；〃　

shouted　Nicholas　gleefully；　〃when　we　asked　aunt　for　

strawberry　jam　yesterday　she　said　there　wasn't　any。　　I　

know　there　are　four　jars　of　it　in　the　store　cupboard；　

because　I　looked；　and　of　course　you　know　it's　there；　but　

she　doesn't；　because　she　said　there　wasn't　any。　　Oh；　

Devil；　you　HAVE　sold　yourself！〃



There　was　an　unusual　sense　of　luxury　in　being　able　

to　talk　to　an　aunt　as　though　one　was　talking　to　the　Evil　

One；　but　Nicholas　knew；　with　childish　discernment；　that　

such　luxuries　were　not　to　be　over…indulged　in。　　He　walked　

noisily　away；　and　it　was　a　kitchenmaid；　in　search　of　

parsley；　who　eventually　rescued　the　aunt　from　the　rain…

water　tank。



Tea　that　evening　was　partaken　of　in　a　fearsome　

silence。　　The　tide　had　been　at　its　highest　when　the　

children　had　arrived　at　Jagborough　Cove；　so　there　had　

been　no　sands　to　play　on　…　a　circumstance　that　the　aunt　

had　overlooked　in　the　haste　of　organising　her　punitive　

expedition。　　The　tightness　of　Bobby's　boots　had　had　

disastrous　effect　on　his　temper　the　whole　of　the　

afternoon；　and　altogether　the　children　could　not　have　

been　said　to　have　enjoyed　themselves。　　The　aunt　

maintained　the　frozen　muteness　of　one　who　has　suffered　

undignified　and　unmerited　detention　in　a　rain…water　tank　

for　thirty…five　minutes。　　As　for　Nicholas；　he；　too；　was　

silent；　in　the　absorption　of　one　who　has　much　to　think　

about；　it　was　just　possible；　he　considered；　that　the　

huntsman　would　escape　with　his　hounds　while　the　wolves　

feasted　on　the　stricken　stag。





FUR





〃YOU　look　worried；　dear；〃　said　Eleanor。



〃I　am　worried；〃　admitted　Suzanne；　〃not　worried　

exactly；　but　anxious。　　You　see；　my　birthday　happens　next　

week　…　〃



〃You　lucky　person；〃　interrupted　Eleanor；　〃my　

birthday　doesn't　come　till　the　end　of　March。〃



〃Well；　old　Bertram　Kneyght　is　over　in　England　just　

now　from　the　Argentine。　　He's　a　kind　of　distant　cousin　of　

my　mother's；　and　so　enormously　rich　that　we've　never　let　

the　relationship　drop　out　of　sight。　　Even　if　we　don't　see　

him　or　hear　from　him　for　years　he　is　always　Cousin　

Bertram　when　he　does　turn　up。　　I　can't　say　he's　ever　been　

of　much　solid　use　to　us；　but　yesterday　the　subject　of　my　

birthday　cropped　up；　and　he　asked　me　to　let　him　know　what　

I　wanted　for　a　present。〃



〃Now　I　understand　the　anxiety；〃　observed　Eleanor。



〃As　a　rule　when　one　is　confronted　with　a　problem　

like　that；〃　said　Suzanne；　〃all　one's　ideas　vanish；　one　

doesn't　seem　to　have　a　desire　in　the　world。　　Now　it　so　

happens　that　I　have　been　very　keen　on　a　little　Dresden　

figure　that　I　saw　somewhere　in　Kensington；　about　thirty…

six　shillings；　quite　beyond　my　means。　　I　was　very　nearly　

describing　the　figure；　and　giving　Bertram　the　address　of　

the　shop。　　And　then　it　suddenly　struck　me　that　thirty…six　

shillings　was　such　a　ridiculously　inadequate　sum　for　a　

man　of　his　immense　wealth　to　spend　on　a　birthday　present。　　

He　could　give　thirty…six　pounds　as　easily　as　you　or　I　

could　buy　a　bunch　of　violets。　　I　don't　want　to　be　greedy；　

of　course；　but　I　don't　like　being　wasteful。〃



〃The　question　is；〃　said　Eleanor；　〃what　are　his　ideas　

as　to　present…giving？　　Some　of　the　wealthiest　people　have　

curiously　cramped　views　on　that　subject。　　When　people　

grow　gradually　rich　their　requirements　and　standard　of　

living　expand　in　proportion；　while　their　present…giving　

instincts　often　remain　in　the　undeveloped　condition　of　

their　earlier　days。　　Something　showy　and　not…too…

expensive　in　a　shop　is　their　only　conception　of　the　ideal　

gift。　　That　is　why　even　quite　good　shops　have　their　

counters　and　windows　crowded　with　things　worth　about　four　

shillings　that　look　as　if　they　might　be　worth　seven…and…

six；　and　are　priced　at　ten　shillings　and　labelled　

seasonable　gifts。'　〃



〃I　know；〃　said　Suzanne；　〃that　is　why　it　is　so　risky　

to　be　vague　when　one　is　giving　indications　of　one's　

wants。　　Now　if　I　say　to　him：　'I　am　going　out　to　Davos　

this　winter；　so　anything　in　the　travelling　line　would　be　

acceptable；'　he　might　give　me　a　dressing…bag　with　gold…

mounted　fittings；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　he　might　give　

me　Baedeker's　Switzerland；　or　‘Skiing　without　Tears；'　or　

something　of　that　sort。〃



〃He　would　be　more　likely　to　say：　'She'll　be　going　to　

lots　of　dances；　a　fan　will　be　sure　to　be　useful。'　〃



〃Yes；　and　I've　got　tons　of　fans；　so　you　see　where　

the　danger　and　anxiety　lies。　　Now　if　there　is　one　thing　

more　than　another　that　I　really　urgently　want　it　is　furs。　　

I　simply　haven't　any。　　I'm　told　that　Davos　is　full　of　

Russians；　and　they　are　sure　to　wear　the　most　lovely　

sables　and　things。　　To　be　among　people　who　are　smothered　

in　furs　when　one　hasn't　any　oneself　makes　one　want　to　

break　most　of　the　Commandments。〃



〃If　it's　furs　that　you're　out　for；〃　said　Eleanor；　

〃you　will　have　to　superintend　the　choice　of　them　in　

person。　　You　can't　be　sure　that　your　cousin　knows　the　

difference　between　silver…fox　and　ordinary　squirrel。〃



〃There　are　some　heavenly　silver…fox　stoles　at　

Goliath　and　Mastodon's；〃　said　Suzanne；　with　a　sigh；　〃if　I　

could　only　inveigle　Bertram　into　their　building　and　take　

him　for　a　stroll　through　the　fur　department！〃



〃He　lives　somewhere　near　there；　doesn't　he？〃　said　

Eleanor。　　〃Do　you　know　what　his　habits　are？　　Does　he　take　

a　walk　at　any　particular　time　of　day？〃



〃He　usually　walks　down　to　his　club　about　three　

o'clock；　if　it's　a　fine　day。　　That　takes　him　right　past　

Goliath　and　Mastodon's。〃



〃Let　us　two　meet　him　accidentally　at　the　street　

corner　to…morrow；〃　said　Eleanor；　〃we　can　walk　a　little　

way　with　him；　and　with　luck　we　ought　to　be　able　to　side…

track　him　into　the　shop。　　You　can　say　you　want　to　get　a　

hair…net　or　something。　　When　we're　safely　there　I　can　

say：　'I　wish　you'd　tell　me　what　you　want　for　your　

birthday。'　　Then　you'll　have　everything　ready　to　hand　…　

the　rich　cousin；　the　fur　department；　and　the　topic　of　

birthday　presents。〃



〃It's　a　great　idea；〃　said　Suzanne；　〃you　really　are　a　

brick。　　Come　round　to…morrow　at　twenty　to　three；　don't　be　

late；　we　must　carry　out　our　ambush　to　the　minute。〃



At　a　few　minutes　to　three　the　next　afternoon　the　

fur…trappers　walked　warily　towards　the　selected　corner。　　

In　the　near　distance　rose　the　colossal　pile　of　Messrs。　　

Goliath　and　Mastodon's　famed　establishment。　　The　

afternoon　was　brilliantly　fine；　exactly　the　sort　of　

weather　to　tempt　a　gentleman　of　advancing　years　into　the　

discreet　exercise　of　a　leisurely　walk。



〃I　say；　dear；　I　wish　you'd　do　something　for　me　this　

evening；〃　said　Eleanor　to　her　companion；　〃just　drop　in　

after　dinner　on　some　pretext　or　other；　and　stay　on　to　

make　a　fourth　at　bridge　with　Adela　and　the　aunts。　　

Otherwise　I　shall　have　to　play；　and　Harry　Scarisbrooke　is　

going　to　come　in　unexpectedly　about　nine…fifteen；　and　I　

particularly　want　to　be　free　to　talk　to　him　while　the　

others　are　playing。〃



〃Sorry；　my　dear；　no　can　do；〃　said　Suzanne；　〃ordinary　

bridge　at　threepence　a　hundred；　with　such　dreadfully　slow　

players　as　your　aunts；　bores　me　to　tears。　　I　nearly　go　to　

sleep　over