beasts and superbeasts- 第23部分

pardonable　but　rather　embarrassing　mistake　on　the　part　of　

a　lady　who　had　wriggled　her　way　with　unstayable　

determination　towards　the　bareheaded　Cyprian；　and　was　now　

breathlessly　demanding　the　sale　price　of　a　handbag　which　

had　taken　her　fancy。



〃There　now；〃　exclaimed　Adela　to　herself；　〃she　takes　

him　for　one　of　the　shop　assistants　because　he　hasn't　got　

a　hat　on。　　I　wonder　it　hasn't　happened　before。〃



Perhaps　it　had。　　Cyprian；　at　any　rate；　seemed　

neither　startled　nor　embarrassed　by　the　error　into　which　

the　good　lady　had　fallen。　　Examining　the　ticket　on　the　

bag；　he　announced　in　a　clear；　dispassionate　voice：



〃Black　seal；　thirty…four　shillings；　marked　down　to　

twenty…eight。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　we　are　clearing　them　

out　at　a　special　reduction　price　of　twenty…six　shillings。　　

They　are　going　off　rather　fast。〃



〃I'll　take　it；〃　said　the　lady；　eagerly　digging　some　

coins　out　of　her　purse。



〃Will　you　take　it　as　it　is？〃　asked　Cyprian；　〃it　will　

be　a　matter　of　a　few　minutes　to　get　it　wrapped　up；　there　

is　such　a　crush。〃



〃Never　mind；　I'll　take　it　as　it　is；〃　said　the　

purchaser；　clutching　her　treasure　and　counting　the　money　

into　Cyprian's　palm。



Several　kind　strangers　helped　Adela　into　the　open　

air。



〃It's　the　crush　and　the　heat；〃　said　one　sympathiser　

to　another；　〃it's　enough　to　turn　anyone　giddy。〃



When　she　next　came　across　Cyprian　he　was　standing　in　

the　crowd　that　pushed　and　jostled　around　the　counters　of　

the　book　department。　　The　dream　look　was　deeper　than　ever　

in　his　eyes。　　He　had　just　sold　two　books　of　devotion　to　

an　elderly　Canon。





THE　QUINCE　TREE





〃I'VE　just　been　to　see　old　Betsy　Mullen；〃　announced　

Vera　to　her　aunt；　Mrs。　Bebberly　Cumble；　〃she　seems　in　

rather　a　bad　way　about　her　rent。　　She　owes　about　fifteen　

weeks　of　it；　and　says　she　doesn't　know　where　any　of　it　is　

to　come　from。〃



〃Betsy　Mullen　always　is　in　difficulties　with　her　

rent；　and　the　more　people　help　her　with　it　the　less　she　

troubles　about　it；〃　said　the　aunt。　　〃I　certainly　am　not　

going　to　assist　her　any　more。　　The　fact　is；　she　will　have　

to　go　into　a　smaller　and　cheaper　cottage；　there　are　

several　to　be　had　at　the　other　end　of　the　village　for　

half　the　rent　that　she　is　paying；　or　supposed　to　be　

paying；　now。　　I　told　her　a　year　ago　that　she　ought　to　

move。〃



〃But　she　wouldn't　get　such　a　nice　garden　anywhere　

else；〃　protested　Vera；　〃and　there's　such　a　jolly　quince　

tree　in　the　corner。　　I　don't　suppose　there's　another　

quince　tree　in　the　whole　parish。　　And　she　never　makes　any　

quince　jam；　I　think　to　have　a　quince　tree　and　not　to　make　

quince　jam　shows　such　strength　of　character。　　Oh；　she　

can't　possibly　move　away　from　that　garden。〃



〃When　one　is　sixteen；〃　said　Mrs。　Bebberly　Cumble　

severely；　〃one　talks　of　things　being　impossible　which　are　

merely　uncongenial。　　It　is　not　only　possible　but　it　is　

desirable　that　Betsy　Mullen　should　move　into　smaller　

quarters；　she　has　scarcely　enough　furniture　to　fill　that　

big　cottage。〃



〃As　far　as　value　goes；〃　said　Vera　after　a　short　

pause；　〃there　is　more　in　Betsy's　cottage　than　in　any　

other　house　for　miles　round。〃



〃Nonsense；〃　said　the　aunt；　〃she　parted　with　whatever　

old　china　ware　she　had　long　ago。〃



〃I'm　not　talking　about　anything　that　belongs　to　

Betsy　herself；〃　said　Vera　darkly；　〃but；　of　course；　you　

don't　know　what　I　know；　and　I　don't　suppose　I　ought　to　

tell　you。〃



〃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。



〃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　

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　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。〃





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　wi