beasts and superbeasts-第38部分

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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　

of　coloured　pictures　of　birds。　　And　such　birds！　　In　the　

garden；　and　in　the　lanes　when　he　went　for　a　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