beasts and superbeasts-第31章

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uncanny　silence　fell　on　the　beleaguered　carriage。　

Abbleway　neither　moved　nor　spoke。　　Perhaps　the　brutes　had　

not　clearly　seen　or　winded　the　human　occupants　of　the　

carriage；　and　had　prowled　away　on　some　other　errand　of　

rapine。



The　long　torture…laden　minutes　passed　slowly　away。



〃It　grows　cold；〃　said　the　woman　suddenly；　crossing　

over　to　the　far　end　of　the　carriage；　where　the　heads　had　

appeared。　　〃The　heating　apparatus　does　not　work　any　

longer。　　See；　over　there　beyond　the　trees；　there　is　a　

chimney　with　smoke　coming　from　it。　　It　is　not　far；　and　

the　snow　has　nearly　stopped；　I　shall　find　a　path　through　

the　forest　to　that　house　with　the　chimney。〃



〃But　the　wolves！〃　exclaimed　Abbleway；　〃they　may　…　〃



〃Not　on　my　name…day；〃　said　the　woman　obstinately；　

and　before　he　could　stop　her　she　had　opened　the　door　and　

climbed　down　into　the　snow。　　A　moment　later　he　hid　his　

face　in　his　hands；　two　gaunt　lean　figures　rushed　upon　her　

from　the　forest。　　No　doubt　she　had　courted　her　fate；　but　

Abbleway　had　no　wish　to　see　a　human　being　torn　to　pieces　

and　devoured　before　his　eyes。



When　he　looked　at　last　a　new　sensation　of　

scandalised　astonishment　took　possession　of　him。　　He　had　

been　straitly　brought　up　in　a　small　English　town；　and　he　

was　not　prepared　to　be　the　witness　of　a　miracle。　　The　

wolves　were　not　doing　anything　worse　to　the　woman　than　

drench　her　with　snow　as　they　gambolled　round　her。



A　short；　joyous　bark　revealed　the　clue　to　the　

situation。



〃Are　those　…　dogs？〃　he　called　weakly。



〃My　cousin　Karl's　dogs；　yes；〃　she　answered；　that　is　

his　inn；　over　beyond　the　trees。　　I　knew　it　was　there；　but　

I　did　not　want　to　take　you　there；　he　is　always　grasping　

with　strangers。　　However；　it　grows　too　cold　to　remain　in　

the　train。　　Ah；　ah；　see　what　comes！〃



A　whistle　sounded；　and　a　relief　engine　made　its　

appearance；　snorting　its　way　sulkily　through　the　snow。　　

Abbleway　did　not　have　the　opportunity　for　finding　out　

whether　Karl　was　really　avaricious。





THE　LUMBER　ROOM





THE　children　were　to　be　driven；　as　a　special　treat；　

to　the　sands　at　Jagborough。　　Nicholas　was　not　to　be　of　

the　party；　he　was　in　disgrace。　　Only　that　morning　he　had　

refused　to　eat　his　wholesome　bread…and…milk　on　the　

seemingly　frivolous　ground　that　there　was　a　frog　in　it。　　

Older　and　wiser　and　better　people　had　told　him　that　there　

could　not　possibly　be　a　frog　in　his　bread…and…milk　and　

that　he　was　not　to　talk　nonsense；　he　continued；　

nevertheless；　to　talk　what　seemed　the　veriest　nonsense；　

and　described　with　much　detail　the　colouration　and　

markings　of　the　alleged　frog。　　The　dramatic　part　of　the　

incident　was　that　there　really　was　a　frog　in　Nicholas'　

basin　of　bread…and…milk；　he　had　put　it　there　himself；　so　

he　felt　entitled　to　know　something　about　it。　　The　sin　of　

taking　a　frog　from　the　garden　and　putting　it　into　a　bowl　

of　wholesome　bread…and…milk　was　enlarged　on　at　great　

length；　but　the　fact　that　stood　out　clearest　in　the　whole　

affair；　as　it　presented　itself　to　the　mind　of　Nicholas；　

was　that　the　older；　wiser；　and　better　people　had　been　

proved　to　be　profoundly　in　error　in　matters　about　which　

they　had　expressed　the　utmost　assurance。



〃You　said　there　couldn't　possibly　be　a　frog　in　my　

bread…and…milk；　there　WAS　a　frog　in　my　bread…and…milk；〃　

he　repeated；　with　the　insistence　of　a　skilled　tactician　

who　does　not　intend　to　shift　from　favourable　ground。



So　his　boy…cousin　and　girl…cousin　and　his　quite　

uninteresting　younger　brother　were　to　be　taken　to　

Jagborough　sands　that　afternoon　and　he　was　to　stay　at　

home。　　His　cousins'　aunt；　who　insisted；　by　an　unwarranted　

stretch　of　imagination；　in　styling　herself　his　aunt　also；　

had　hastily　invented　the　Jagborough　expedition　in　order　

to　impress　on　Nicholas　the　delights　that　he　had　justly　

forfeited　by　his　disgraceful　conduct　at　the　breakfast…

table。　　It　was　her　habit；　whenever　one　of　the　children　

fell　from　grace；　to　improvise　something　of　a　festival　

nature　from　which　the　offender　would　be　rigorously　

debarred；　if　all　the　children　sinned　collectively　they　

were　suddenly　informed　of　a　circus　in　a　neighbouring　

town；　a　circus　of　unrivalled　merit　and　uncounted　

elephants；　to　which；　but　for　their　depravity；　they　would　

have　been　taken　that　very　day。



A　few　decent　tears　were　looked　for　on　the　part　of　

Nicholas　when　the　moment　for　the　departure　of　the　

expedition　arrived。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　however；　all　

the　crying　was　done　by　his　girl…cousin；　who　scraped　her　

knee　rather　painfully　against　the　step　of　the　carriage　as　

she　was　scrambling　in。



〃How　she　did　howl；〃　said　Nicholas　cheerfully；　as　the　

party　drove　off　without　any　of　the　elation　of　high　

spirits　that　should　have　characterised　it。



〃She'll　soon　get　over　that；〃　said　the　SOI…DISANT　

aunt；　〃it　will　be　a　glorious　afternoon　for　racing　about　

over　those　beautiful　sands。　　How　they　will　enjoy　

themselves！〃



〃Bobby　won't　enjoy　himself　much；　and　he　won't　race　

much　either；〃　said　Nicholas　with　a　grim　chuckle；　his　

boots　are　hurting　him。　　They're　too　tight。〃



〃Why　didn't　he　tell　me　they　were　hurting？〃　asked　the　

aunt　with　some　asperity。



〃He　told　you　twice；　but　you　weren't　listening。　　You　

often　don't　listen　when　we　tell　you　important　things。〃



〃You　are　not　to　go　into　the　gooseberry　garden；〃　said　

the　aunt；　changing　the　subject。



〃Why　not？〃　demanded　Nicholas。



〃Because　you　are　in　disgrace；〃　said　the　aunt　

loftily。



Nicholas　did　not　admit　the　flawlessness　of　the　

reasoning；　he　felt　perfectly　capable　of　being　in　disgrace　

and　in　a　gooseberry　garden　at　the　same　moment。　　His　face　

took　on　an　expression　of　considerable　obstinacy。　　It　was　

clear　to　his　aunt　that　he　was　determined　to　get　into　the　

gooseberry　garden；　〃only；〃　as　she　remarked　to　herself；　

〃because　I　have　told　him　he　is　not　to。〃



Now　the　gooseberry　garden　had　two　doors　by　which　it　

might　be　entered；　and　once　a　small　person　like　Nicholas　

could　slip　in　there　he　could　effectually　disappear　from　

view　amid　the　masking　growth　of　artichokes；　raspberry　

canes；　and　fruit　bushes。　　The　aunt　had　many　other　things　

to　do　that　afternoon；　but　she　spent　an　hour　or　two　in　

trivial　gardening　operations　among　flower　beds　and　

shrubberies；　whence　she　could　keep　a　watchful　eye　on　the　

two　doors　that　led　to　the　forbidden　paradise。　　She　was　a　

woman　of　few　ideas；　with　immense　powers　of　concentration。



Nicholas　made　one　or　two　sorties　into　the　front　

garden；　wriggling　his　way　with　obvious　stealth　of　purpose　

towards　one　or　other　of　the　doors；　but　never　able　for　a　

moment　to　evade　the　aunt's　watchful　eye。　　As　a　matter　of　

fact；　he　had　no　intention　of　trying　to　get　into　the　

gooseberry　garden；　but　it　was　extremely　convenient　for　

him　that　his　aunt　should　believe　that　he　had；　it　was　a　

belief　that　would　keep　her　on　self…imposed　sentry…duty　

for　the　greater　part　of　the　afternoon。　　Having　thoroughly　

confirmed　and　fortified　her　suspicions　Nicholas　slipped　

back　into　the　house　and　rapidly　put　into　execution　a　plan　

of　action　that　had　long　germinated　in　his　brain。　　By　

standing　on　a　chair　in　the　library　one　could　reach　a　

shelf　on　which　reposed　a　fat；　important…looking　key。　　The　

key　was　as　important　as　it　looked；　it　was　the　instrument　

which　kept　the　mysteries　of　the　lumber…room　secure　from　

unauthorised　intrusion；　which　opened　a　way　only　for　aunts　

and　such…like　privileged　persons。　　Nicholas　had　not　had　

much　experience　of　the　art　of　fitting　keys　into　keyholes　

and　turning　locks；　but　for　some　days　past　he　had　

practised　with　the　key　of　the　schoolroom　door；　he　did　not　

believe　in　trusting　too　much　to　luck　and　accident。　　The　

key　turned　stiffly　in　the　lock；　but　it　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　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