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Bilsiter？〃 she exclaimed excitedly。
But Leonard had burned the boat in which he might
now have embarked on a sea of glory。 He could only shake
his head feebly。
〃It was I who took that liberty；〃 said Clovis； 〃you
see； I happen to have lived for a couple of years in
North…Eastern Russia； and I have more than a tourist's
acquaintance with the magic craft of that region。 One
does not care to speak about these strange powers； but
once in a way； when one hears a lot of nonsense being
talked about them； one is tempted to show what Siberian
magic can accomplish in the hands of someone who really
understands it。 I yielded to that temptation。 May I
have some brandy？ the effort has left me rather faint。〃
If Leonard Bilsiter could at that moment have
transformed Clovis into a cockroach and then have stepped
on him he would gladly have performed both operations。
LAURA
〃YOU are not really dying； are you？〃 asked Amanda。
〃I have the doctor's permission to live till
Tuesday；〃 said Laura。
〃But to…day is Saturday； this is serious！〃 gasped
Amanda。
〃I don't know about it being serious； it is
certainly Saturday；〃 said Laura。
〃Death is always serious；〃 said Amanda。
〃I never said I was going to die。 I am presumably
going to leave off being Laura； but I shall go on being
something。 An animal of some kind； I suppose。 You see；
when one hasn't been very good in the life one has just
lived； one reincarnates in some lower organism。 And I
haven't been very good； when one comes to think of it。
I've been petty and mean and vindictive and all that sort
of thing when circumstances have seemed to warrant it。〃
〃Circumstances never warrant that sort of thing；〃
said Amanda hastily。
〃If you don't mind my saying so；〃 observed Laura；
〃Egbert is a circumstance that would warrant any amount
of that sort of thing。 You're married to him … that's
different； you've sworn to love； honour； and endure him：
I haven't。〃
〃I don't see what's wrong with Egbert；〃 protested
Amanda。
〃Oh； I daresay the wrongness has been on my part；〃
admitted Laura dispassionately； 〃he has merely been the
extenuating circumstance。 He made a thin； peevish kind
of fuss； for instance； when I took the collie puppies
from the farm out for a run the other day。〃
〃They chased his young broods of speckled Sussex and
drove two sitting hens off their nests； besides running
all over the flower beds。 You know how devoted he is to
his poultry and garden。〃
〃Anyhow； he needn't have gone on about it for the
entire evening and then have said； ‘Let's say no more
about it' just when I was beginning to enjoy the
discussion。 That's where one of my petty vindictive
revenges came in；〃 added Laura with an unrepentant
chuckle； 〃I turned the entire family of speckled Sussex
into his seedling shed the day after the puppy episode。〃
〃How could you？〃 exclaimed Amanda。
〃It came quite easy；〃 said Laura； 〃two of the hens
pretended to be laying at the time； but I was firm。〃
〃And we thought it was an accident！〃
〃You see；〃 resumed Laura； 〃I really HAVE some
grounds for supposing that my next incarnation will be in
a lower organism。 I shall be an animal of some kind。 On
the other hand； I haven't been a bad sort in my way； so I
think I may count on being a nice animal； something
elegant and lively； with a love of fun。 An otter；
perhaps。〃
〃I can't imagine you as an otter；〃 said Amanda。
〃Well； I don't suppose you can imagine me as an
angel； if it comes to that；〃 said Laura。
Amanda was silent。 She couldn't。
〃Personally I think an otter life would be rather
enjoyable；〃 continued Laura； 〃salmon to eat all the year
round； and the satisfaction of being able to fetch the
trout in their own homes without having to wait for hours
till they condescend to rise to the fly you've been
dangling before them； and an elegant svelte figure … 〃
〃Think of the otter hounds；〃 interposed Amanda； 〃how
dreadful to be hunted and harried and finally worried to
death！〃
〃Rather fun with half the neighbourhood looking on；
and anyhow not worse than this Saturday…to…Tuesday
business of dying by inches； and then I should go on into
something else。 If I had been a moderately good otter I
suppose I should get back into human shape of some sort；
probably something rather primitive … a little brown；
unclothed Nubian boy； I should think。〃
〃I wish you would be serious；〃 sighed Amanda； 〃you
really ought to be if you're only going to live till
Tuesday。〃
As a matter of fact Laura died on Monday。
〃So dreadfully upsetting；〃 Amanda complained to her
uncle…in…law； Sir Lulworth Quayne。 〃I've asked quite a
lot of people down for golf and fishing； and the
rhododendrons are just looking their best。〃
〃Laura always was inconsiderate；〃 said Sir Lulworth；
〃she was born during Goodwood week； with an Ambassador
staying in the house who hated babies。〃
〃She had the maddest kind of ideas；〃 said Amanda；
〃do you know if there was any insanity in her family？〃
〃Insanity？ No； I never heard of any。 Her father
lives in West Kensington； but I believe he's sane on all
other subjects。〃
〃She had an idea that she was going to be
reincarnated as an otter；〃 said Amanda。
〃One meets with those ideas of reincarnation so
frequently； even in the West；〃 said Sir Lulworth； 〃that
one can hardly set them down as being mad。 And Laura was
such an unaccountable person in this life that I should
not like to lay down definite rules as to what she might
be doing in an after state。〃
〃You think she really might have passed into some
animal form？〃 asked Amanda。 She was one of those who
shape their opinions rather readily from the standpoint
of those around them。
Just then Egbert entered the breakfast…room； wearing
an air of bereavement that Laura's demise would have been
insufficient； in itself； to account for。
〃Four of my speckled Sussex have been killed；〃 he
exclaimed； 〃the very four that were to go to the show on
Friday。 One of them was dragged away and eaten right in
the middle of that new carnation bed that I've been to
such trouble and expense over。 My best flower bed and my
best fowls singled out for destruction； it almost seems
as if the brute that did the deed had special knowledge
how to be as devastating as possible in a short space of
time。〃
〃Was it a fox； do you think？〃 asked Amanda。
〃Sounds more like a polecat；〃 said Sir Lulworth。
〃No；〃 said Egbert； 〃there were marks of webbed feet
all over the place； and we followed the tracks down to
the stream at the bottom of the garden； evidently an
otter。〃
Amanda looked quickly and furtively across at Sir
Lulworth。
Egbert was too agitated to eat any breakfast； and
went out to superi