beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第4节
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remaining survivors of the speckled Sussex were massacred。 The
marauder's line of retreat seemed to have embraced most of the flower
beds on the lawn； but the strawberry beds in the lower garden had also
suffered。
〃I shall get the otter hounds to come here at the earliest possible
moment；〃 said Egbert savagely。
〃On no account！ You can't dream of such a thing！〃 exclaimed
Amanda。 〃I mean； it wouldn't do； so soon after a funeral in the house。〃
〃It's a case of necessity；〃 said Egbert； 〃once an otter takes to that sort
of thing it won't stop。〃
〃Perhaps it will go elsewhere now there are no more fowls left；〃
suggested Amanda。
〃One would think you wanted to shield the beast；〃 said Egbert。
〃There's been so little water in the stream lately；〃 objected Amanda；
〃it seems hardly sporting to hunt an animal when it has so little chance
of taking refuge anywhere。〃
〃Good gracious！〃 fumed Egbert； 〃I'm not thinking about sport。 I
want to have the animal killed as soon as possible。〃
Even Amanda's opposition weakened when； during church time on
the following Sunday； the otter made its way into the house； raided half a
salmon from the larder and worried it into scaly fragments on the
Persian rug in Egbert's studio。
〃We shall have it hiding under our beds and biting pieces out of our
feet before long；〃 said Egbert； and from what Amanda knew of this
particular otter she felt that the possibility was not a remote one。
On the evening preceding the day fixed for the hunt Amanda spent a
solitary hour walking by the banks of the stream； making what she
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imagined to be hound noises。 It was charitably supposed by those who
overheard her performance； that she was practising for farmyard
imitations at the forth…coming village entertainment。
It was her friend and neighbour； Aurora Burret； who brought her
news of the day's sport。
〃Pity you weren't out； we had quite a good day。 We found at once；
in the pool just below your garden。〃
〃Did you … kill？〃 asked Amanda。
〃Rather。 A fine she…otter。 Your husband got rather badly bitten in
trying to 'tail it。' Poor beast； I felt quite sorry for it； it had such a human
look in its eyes when it was killed。 You'll call me silly； but do you
know who the look reminded me of？ My dear woman； what is the
matter？〃
When Amanda had recovered to a certain extent from her attack of
nervous prostration Egbert took her to the Nile Valley to recuperate。
Change of scene speedily brought about the desired recovery of health
and mental balance。 The escapades of an adventurous otter in search
of a variation of diet were viewed in their proper light。 Amanda's
normally placid temperament reasserted itself。 Even a hurricane of
shouted curses； coming from her husband's dressing…room； in her
husband's voice； but hardly in his usual vocabulary； failed to disturb her
serenity as she made a leisurely toilet one evening in a Cairo hotel。
〃What is the matter？ What has happened？〃 she asked in amused
curiosity。
〃The little beast has thrown all my clean shirts into the bath！ Wait
till I catch you； you little … 〃
〃What little beast？〃 asked Amanda； suppressing a desire to laugh；
Egbert's language was so hopelessly inadequate to express his outraged
feelings。
〃A little beast of a naked brown Nubian boy；〃 spluttered Egbert。
And now Amanda is seriously ill。
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THE BOAR…PIG
〃THERE is a back way on to the lawn；〃 said Mrs。 Philidore Stossen
to her daughter； 〃through a small grass paddock and then through a
walled fruit garden full of gooseberry bushes。 I went all over the place
last year when the family were away。 There is a door that opens from
the fruit garden into a shrubbery； and once we emerge from there we can
mingle with the guests as if we had come in by the ordinary way。 It's
much safer than going in by the front entrance and running the risk of
coming bang up against the hostess； that would be so awkward when she
doesn't happen to have invited us。〃
〃Isn't it a lot of trouble to take for getting admittance to a garden
party？〃
〃To a garden party； yes； to THE garden party of the season； certainly
not。 Every one of any consequence in the county； with the exception of
ourselves； has been asked to meet the Princess； and it would be far more
troublesome to invent explanations as to why we weren't there than to
get in by a roundabout way。 I stopped Mrs。 Cuvering in the road
yesterday and talked very pointedly about the Princess。 If she didn't
choose to take the hint and send me an invitation it's not my fault； is it？
Here we are： we just cut across the grass and through that little gate into
the garden。〃
Mrs。 Stossen and her daughter； suitably arrayed for a county garden
party function with an infusion of Almanack de Gotha； sailed through
the narrow grass paddock and the ensuing gooseberry garden with the air
of state barges making an unofficial progress along a rural trout stream。
There was a certain amount of furtive haste mingled with the stateliness
of their advance； as though hostile search…lights might be turned on them
at any moment； and； as a matter of fact； they were not unobserved。
Matilda Cuvering； with the alert eyes of thirteen years old and the added
advantage of an exalted position in the branches of a medlar tree； had
enjoyed a good view of the Stossen flanking movement and had
foreseen exactly where it would break down in execution。
〃They'll find the door locked； and they'll jolly well have to go back
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the way they came；〃 she remarked to herself。 〃Serves them right for
not coming in by the proper entrance。 What a pity Tarquin Superbus
isn't loose in the paddock。 After all； as every one else is enjoying
themselves； I don't see why Tarquin shouldn't have an afternoon out。〃
Matilda was of an age when thought is action； she slid down from
the branches of the medlar tree； and when she clambered back again
Tarquin； the huge white Yorkshire boar…pig； had exchanged the narrow
limits of his stye for the wider range of the grass paddock。 The
discomfited Stossen expedition； returning in recriminatory but otherwise
orderly retreat from the unyielding obstacle of the locked door； came to
a sudden halt at the gate dividing the paddock from the gooseberry
garden。
〃What a villainous…looking animal；〃 exclaimed Mrs。 Stossen； 〃it
wasn't there when we came in。〃
〃It's there now； anyhow；〃 said her daughter。 〃What on earth are we
to do？ I wish we had never come。〃
The boar…pig had drawn nearer to the gate for a closer inspection of
the human intruders； and stood champing his jaws and blinking his small
red eyes in a manner that was doubtless intended to be disconcerting；
and； as far as the Stossens were concerned； thoroughly achieved that
result。
〃Shoo！ Hish！ Hish！ Shoo！〃 cried the ladies in chorus。
〃If they
