按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Mrs。 Bebberly Cumble impressively。
〃And I am always swayed by the last person who
speaks to me；〃 admitted Vera； 〃so I'll do what I ought
not to do and tell you。〃
Mrs。 Bebberley Cumble thrust a very pardonable sense
of exasperation into the background of her mind and
demanded impatiently：
〃What is there in Betsy Mullen's cottage that you
are making such a fuss about？〃
〃It's hardly fair to say that I'VE made a fuss about
it；〃 said Vera； 〃this is the first time I've mentioned
the matter； but there's been no end of trouble and
mystery and newspaper speculation about it。 It's rather
amusing to think of the columns of conjecture in the
Press and the police and detectives hunting about
everywhere at home and abroad； and all the while that
innocent…looking little cottage has held the secret。〃
〃You don't mean to say it's the Louvre picture； La
Something or other； the woman with the smile； that
disappeared about two years ago？〃 exclaimed the aunt with
rising excitement。
〃Oh no； not that；〃 said Vera； 〃but something quite
as important and just as mysterious … if anything； rather
more scandalous。〃
〃Not the Dublin … ？〃
Vera nodded。
〃The whole jolly lot of them。〃
〃In Betsy's cottage？ Incredible！〃
〃Of course Betsy hasn't an idea as to what they
are；〃 said Vera； 〃she just knows that they are something
valuable and that she must keep quiet about them。 I
found out quite by accident what they were and how they
came to be there。 You see； the people who had them were
at their wits' end to know where to stow them away for
safe keeping； and some one who was motoring through the
village was struck by the snug loneliness of the cottage
and thought it would be just the thing。 Mrs。 Lamper
arranged the matter with Betsy and smuggled the things
in。〃
〃Mrs。 Lamper？〃
〃Yes； she does a lot of district visiting； you
know。〃
〃I am quite aware that she takes soup and flannel
and improving literature to the poorer cottagers；〃 said
Mrs。 Bebberly Cumble； 〃but that is hardly the same sort
of thing as disposing of stolen goods； and she must have
known something about their history； anyone who reads the
papers； even casually； must have been aware of the theft；
and I should think the things were not hard to recognise。
Mrs。 Lamper has always had the reputation of being a very
conscientious woman。〃
〃Of course she was screening some one else；〃 said
Vera。 〃A remarkable feature of the affair is the
extraordinary number of quite respectable people who have
involved themselves in its meshes by trying to shield
others。 You would be really astonished if you knew some
of the names of the individuals mixed up in it； and I
don't suppose a tithe of them know who the original
culprits were； and now I've got you entangled in the mess
by letting you into the secret of the cottage。〃
〃You most certainly have not entangled me；〃 said
Mrs。 Bebberly Cumble indignantly。 〃I have no intention
of shielding anybody。 The police must know about it at
once； a theft is a theft； whoever is involved。 If
respectable people choose to turn themselves into
receivers and disposers of stolen goods； well； they've
ceased to be respectable； that's all。 I shall telephone
immediately … 〃
〃Oh； aunt；〃 said Vera reproachfully； 〃it would break
the poor Canon's heart if Cuthbert were to be involved in
a scandal of this sort。 You know it would。〃
〃Cuthbert involved！ How can you say such things
when you know how much we all think of him？〃
〃Of course I know you think a lot of him； and that
he's engaged to marry Beatrice； and that it will be a
frightfully good match； and that he's your ideal of what
a son…in…law ought to be。 All the same； it was
Cuthbert's idea to stow the things away in the cottage；
and it was his motor that brought them。 He was only
doing it to help his friend Pegginson； you know … the
Quaker man； who is always agitating for a smaller Navy。
I forget how he got involved in it。 I warned you that
there were lots of quite respectable people mixed up in
it； didn't I？ That's what I meant when I said it would
be impossible for old Betsy to leave the cottage； the
things take up a good bit of room； and she couldn't go
carrying them about with her other goods and chattels
without attracting notice。 Of course if she were to fall
ill and die it would be equally unfortunate。 Her mother
lived to be over ninety； she tells me； so with due care
and an absence of worry she ought to last for another
dozen years at least。 By that time perhaps some other
arrangements will have been made for disposing of the
wretched things。〃
〃I shall speak to Cuthbert about it … after the
wedding；〃 said Mrs。 Bebberly Cumble。
〃The wedding isn't till next year；〃 said Vera； in
recounting the story to her best girl friend； 〃and
meanwhile old Betsy is living rent free； with soup twice
a week and my aunt's doctor to see her whenever she has a
finger ache。〃
〃But how on earth did you get to know about it all？〃
asked her friend； in admiring wonder。
〃It was a mystery … 〃 said Vera。
〃Of course it was a mystery； a mystery that baffled
everybody。 What beats me is how you found out … 〃
〃Oh； about the jewels？ I invented that part；〃
explained Vera； 〃I mean the mystery was where old Betsy's
arrears of rent were to come from； and she would have
hated leaving that jolly quince tree。〃
THE FORBIDDEN BUZZARDS
〃IS matchmaking at all in your line？〃
Hugo Peterby asked the question with a certain
amount of personal interest。
〃I don't specialise in it；〃 said Clovis； 〃it's all
right while you're doing it； but the after…effects are
sometimes so disconcerting … the mute reproachful looks
of the people you've aided and abetted in matrimonial
experiments。 It's as bad as selling a man a horse with
half a dozen latent vices and watching him discover them
piecemeal in the course of the hunting season。 I suppose
you're thinking of the Coulterneb girl。 She's certainly
jolly； and quite all right as far as looks go； and I
believe a certain amount of money adheres to her。 What I
don't see is how you will ever manage to propose to her。
In all the time I've known her I don't remember her to
have stopped talking for three consecutive minutes。
You'll have to race her six times round the grass paddock
for a bet； and then blurt your proposal out before she's
got her wind back。 The paddock is laid up for hay； but
if you're really in love with her you won't let a
consideration of that sort stop you； especially as it's
not your hay。〃
〃I think I could manage the proposing part right
enough；〃 said Hugo； 〃if I could count on being left alone
with her for four or five hours。 The trouble is that I'm
not likely to get anything like that a