beasts and superbeasts-第6章
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Anne？〃 asked Jane。
〃Ghost？ Dear no。 No one ever heard of a ghost that
came down to breakfast and ate kidneys and toast and
honey with a healthy appetite。 No； it's the fact of you
being so very much alive and flourishing that perplexes
and annoys him。 All his life he has been accustomed to
look on Queen Anne as the personification of everything
that is dead and done with； 'as dead as Queen Anne；' you
know； and now he has to fill your glass at lunch and
dinner and listen to your accounts of the gay time you
had at the Dublin Horse Show； and naturally he feels that
something's very wrong with you。〃
〃But he wouldn't be downright hostile to me on that
account； would he？〃 Jane asked anxiously。
〃I didn't get really alarmed about it till lunch to…
day；〃 said Clovis； 〃I caught him glowering at you with a
very sinister look and muttering： 'Ought to be dead long
ago； she ought； and some one should see to it。' That's
why I mentioned the matter to you。〃
〃This is awful；〃 said Jane； 〃your mother must be
told about it at once。〃
〃My mother mustn't hear a word about it；〃 said
Clovis earnestly； 〃it would upset her dreadfully。 She
relies on Sturridge for everything。〃
〃But he might kill me at any moment；〃 protested
Jane。
〃Not at any moment； he's busy with the silver all
the afternoon。〃
〃You'll have to keep a sharp look…out all the time
and be on your guard to frustrate any murderous attack；〃
said Jane； adding in a tone of weak obstinacy： 〃It's a
dreadful situation to be in； with a mad butler dangling
over you like the sword of What's…his…name； but I'm
certainly not going to cut my visit short。〃
Clovis swore horribly under his breath； the miracle
was an obvious misfire。
It was in the hall the next morning after a late
breakfast that Clovis had his final inspiration as he
stood engaged in coaxing rust spots from an old putter。
〃Where is Miss Martlet？〃 he asked the butler； who
was at that moment crossing the hall。
〃Writing letters in the morning…room； sir；〃 said
Sturridge； announcing a fact of which his questioner was
already aware。
〃She wants to copy the inscription on that old
basket…hilted sabre；〃 said Clovis； pointing to a
venerable weapon hanging on the wall。 〃I wish you'd take
it to her； my hands are all over oil。 Take it without
the sheath； it will be less trouble。〃
The butler drew the blade； still keen and bright in
its well…cared for old age； and carried it into the
morning…room。 There was a door near the writing…table
leading to a back stairway； Jane vanished through it with
such lightning rapidity that the butler doubted whether
she had seen him come in。 Half an hour later Clovis was
driving her and her hastily…packed luggage to the
station。
〃Mother will be awfully vexed when she comes back
from her ride and finds you have gone；〃 he observed to
the departing guest； 〃but I'll make up some story about
an urgent wire having called you away。 It wouldn't do to
alarm her unnecessarily about Sturridge。〃
Jane sniffed slightly at Clovis' ideas of
unnecessary alarm； and was almost rude to the young man
who came round with thoughtful inquiries as to luncheon…
baskets。
The miracle lost some of its usefulness from the
fact that Dora wrote the same day postponing the date of
her visit； but； at any rate； Clovis holds the record as
the only human being who ever hustled Jane Martlet out of
the time…table of her migrations。
THE OPEN WINDOW
〃MY aunt will be down presently； Mr。 Nuttel；〃 said a
very self…possessed young lady of fifteen； 〃in the
meantime you must try and put up with me。〃
Framton Nuttel endeavoured to say the correct
something which should duly flatter the niece of the
moment without unduly discounting the aunt that was to
come。 Privately he doubted more than ever whether these
formal visits on a succession of total strangers would do
much towards helping the nerve cure which he was supposed
to be undergoing。
〃I know how it will be；〃 his sister had said when he
was preparing to migrate to this rural retreat； 〃you will
bury yourself down there and not speak to a living soul；
and your nerves will be worse than ever from moping。 I
shall just give you letters of introduction to all the
people I know there。 Some of them； as far as I can
remember； were quite nice。〃
Framton wondered whether Mrs。 Sappleton； the lady to
whom he was presenting one of the letters of
introduction； came into the nice division。
〃Do you know many of the people round here？〃 asked
the niece； when she judged that they had had sufficient
silent communion。
〃Hardly a soul；〃 said Framton。 〃My sister was
staying here； at the rectory； you know； some four years
ago； and she gave me letters of introduction to some of
the people here。〃
He made the last statement in a tone of distinct
regret。
〃Then you know practically nothing about my aunt？〃
pursued the self…possessed young lady。
〃Only her name and address；〃 admitted the caller。
He was wondering whether Mrs。 Sappleton was in the
married or widowed state。 An undefinable something about
the room seemed to suggest masculine habitation。
〃Her great tragedy happened just three years ago；〃
said the child； 〃that would be since your sister's time。〃
〃Her tragedy？〃 asked Framton； somehow in this
restful country spot tragedies seemed out of place。
〃You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on
an October afternoon；〃 said the niece； indicating a large
French window that opened on to a lawn。
〃It is quite warm for the time of the year；〃 said
Framton； 〃but has that window got anything to do with the
tragedy？〃
〃Out through that window； three years ago to a day；
her husband and her two young brothers went off for their
day's shooting。 They never came back。 In crossing the
moor to their favourite snipe…shooting ground they were
all three engulfed in a treacherous piece of bog。 It had
been that dreadful wet summer； you know； and places that
were safe in other years gave way suddenly without
warning。 Their bodies were never recovered。 That was
the dreadful part of it。〃 Here the child's voice lost
its self…possessed note and became falteringly human。
〃Poor aunt always thinks that they will come back some
day； they and the little brown spaniel that was lost with
them； and walk in at that window just as they used to do。
That is why the window is kept open every evening till it
is quite dusk。 Poor dear aunt； she has often told me how
they went out； her husband with his white waterproof coat
over his arm； and Ronnie； her youngest brother； singing
'Bertie； why do you bound？' as he always did to tease
her； because she said it got on her nerves。 Do you know；
sometimes on still； quiet evenings like this； I almost
get a creepy feeling that they will all walk in through
that window … 〃
She broke off with a little shudder。 It was a
relief to Framton when the aunt bustled into the room
with a whirl of apologies for being late in making her
appearance。
〃I hope Vera has been amusing you？〃 she said。
〃She has been very interesting；〃 said Framton。
〃I hope you don't mind the open window；〃 said Mrs。
Sappleton briskly； 〃my husband and brothers will be home
directly from shooting； and they always come in this way。
They've been out for snipe in the marshes to…day； so
they'll make a fine mess over my poor carpets。 So like
you men…folk； isn't it？〃
She rattled on cheerfully about the shooting and the
scarcity of birds； and the prospects for duck in the
winter。 To Framton it was all purely horrible。 He made
a desperate but only partially successful effort to turn
the talk on to a less ghastly topic； he was conscious
that his hostess was giving him only a fragment of her
attention； and her eyes were constantly straying past him
to the open window and the lawn beyond。 It was certainly
an unfortunate coincidence that he should have paid his
visit on this tragic anniversary。
〃The doctors agree in ordering me complete rest； an
absence of mental excitement； and avoidance of anything
in the nature of violent physical exercise；〃 announced
Framton； who laboured under the tolerably wide…spread
delusion that total strangers and chance acquaintances
are hungry for the least detail of one's ailments and
infirmities； their cause and cure。 〃On the matter of
diet they are not so much in agreement；〃 he continued。
〃No？〃 said Mrs。 Sappleton； in a voice which only
replaced a yawn at the last moment。 Then she suddenly
brightened into alert attention … but not to what Framton
was saying。
〃Here they are at last！〃 she cried。 〃Just in time
for tea； and don't they look as if they were muddy up to
the eyes！〃
Framton shivered slightly and turned towards the
niece with a look intended to convey sympathetic
comprehension。 The child was staring out through the
open window with dazed horror in her eyes。 In a chill
shock of nameless fear Framton swung round in his seat
and looked in the same direction。
In the deepening twilight three figures were walking
across the lawn towards the window； they all carried guns
under their arms； and one of them was additionally
burdened with a white coat hung over his shoulders。 A
tired brown spaniel kept close at their heels。
Noiselessly they neared the house； and then a hoarse
young voice chanted out of the dusk： 〃I said； Bertie； why
do you bound？〃
Framton grabbed wildly at his stick and hat； the
hall…door； the gravel…drive； and the front gate were
dimly…noted stages in his headlong retreat。 A cyclist
coming along the road had to run into the hedge to avoid
an imminent collision。
〃Here we are； my dear；〃 said the bearer of the white
mackintosh； coming in through the window； 〃fairly muddy；
but most of it's dry。 Who was that who bolted out as we
came up？〃
〃A most extraordinary man； a Mr。 Nuttel；〃 said Mrs。
Sappleton； 〃could only talk about his illnesses； and
dashed off without a word of good…bye or apology when you
arrived。 One would think he had seen a ghost。〃
〃I expect it was the spaniel；〃 said the niece
calmly； 〃he told me he had a horror of dogs。 He was once
hunted into a cemetery somewhere on the banks of the
Ganges by a pack of pariah dogs； and had to spend the
night in a newly dug grave with the creatures snarling
and grinning and foaming just above him。 Enough to make
anyone their nerve。〃
Romance at short notice was her speciality。
THE TREASURE SHIP
THE great galleon lay in semi…retirement under the
sand and weed and water of the northern bay where th
