beasts and super-beasts(野兽与超级野兽)-第49节
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turned。 The door opened； and Nicholas was in an unknown land；
compared with which the gooseberry garden was a stale delight； a
mere material pleasure。
Often and often Nicholas had pictured to himself what the lumber…
room might be like； that region that was so carefully sealed from
youthful eyes and concerning which no questions were ever answered。
It came up to his expectations。 In the first place it was large and dimly
lit； one high window opening on to the forbidden garden being its only
source of illumination。 In the second place it was a storehouse of
unimagined treasures。 The aunt…by…assertion was one of those people
who think that things spoil by use and consign them to dust and damp by
way of preserving them。 Such parts of the house as Nicholas knew best
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were rather bare and cheerless； but here there were wonderful things for
the eye to feast on。 First and foremost there was a piece of framed
tapestry that was evidently meant to be a fire…screen。 To Nicholas it
was a living； breathing story； he sat down on a roll of Indian hangings；
glowing in wonderful colours beneath a layer of dust； and took in all the
details of the tapestry picture。 A man； dressed in the hunting costume
of some remote period； had just transfixed a stag with an arrow； it could
not have been a difficult shot because the stag was only one or two paces
away from him； in the thickly…growing vegetation that the picture
suggested it would not have been difficult to creep up to a feeding stag；
and the two spotted dogs that were springing forward to join in the chase
had evidently been trained to keep to heel till the arrow was discharged。
That part of the picture was simple； if interesting； but did the huntsman
see； what Nicholas saw； that four galloping wolves were coming in his
direction through the wood？ There might be more than four of them
hidden behind the trees； and in any case would the man and his dogs
be able to cope with the four wolves if they made an attack？ The man
had only two arrows left in his quiver； and he might miss with one or
both of them； all one knew about his skill in shooting was that he could
hit a large stag at a ridiculously short range。 Nicholas sat for many
golden minutes revolving the possibilities of the scene； he was inclined
to think that there were more than four wolves and that the man and his
dogs were in a tight corner。
But there were other objects of delight and interest claiming his
instant attention： there were quaint twisted candlesticks in the shape of
snakes； and a teapot fashioned like a china duck； out of whose open beak
the tea was supposed to come。 How dull and shapeless the nursery
teapot seemed in comparison！ And there was a carved sandal…wood
box packed tight with aromatic cottonwool； and between the layers of
cottonwool were little brass figures； hump…necked bulls； and peacocks
and goblins； delightful to see and to handle。 Less promising in
appearance was a large square book with plain black covers； Nicholas
peeped into it； and； behold； it was full of coloured pictures of birds。
And such birds！ In the garden； and in the lanes when he went for a
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walk； Nicholas came across a few birds； of which the largest were an
occasional magpie or wood…pigeon； here were herons and bustards； kites；
toucans； tiger…bitterns； brush turkeys； ibises； golden pheasants； a whole
portrait gallery of undreamed…of creatures。 And as he was admiring
the colouring of the mandarin duck and assigning a life…history to it； the
voice of his aunt in shrill vociferation of his name came from the
gooseberry garden without。 She had grown suspicious at his long
disappearance； and had leapt to the conclusion that he had climbed over
the wall behind the sheltering screen of the lilac bushes； she was now
engaged in energetic and rather hopeless search for him among the
artichokes and raspberry canes。
〃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
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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 ha
