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recriminatory but otherwise orderly retreat from the
unyielding obstacle of the locked door； came to a sudden
halt at the gate dividing the paddock from the gooseberry
garden。
〃What a villainous…looking animal；〃 exclaimed Mrs。
Stossen； 〃it wasn't there when we came in。〃
〃It's there now； anyhow；〃 said her daughter。 〃What
on earth are we to do？ I wish we had never come。〃
The boar…pig had drawn nearer to the gate for a
closer inspection of the human intruders； and stood
champing his jaws and blinking his small red eyes in a
manner that was doubtless intended to be disconcerting；
and； as far as the Stossens were concerned； thoroughly
achieved that result。
〃Shoo！ Hish！ Hish！ Shoo！〃 cried the ladies in
chorus。
〃If they think they're going to drive him away by
reciting lists of the kings of Israel and Judah they're
laying themselves out for disappointment；〃 observed
Matilda from her seat in the medlar tree。 As she made
the observation aloud Mrs。 Stossen became for the first
time aware of her presence。 A moment or two earlier she
would have been anything but pleased at the discovery
that the garden was not as deserted as it looked； but now
she hailed the fact of the child's presence on the scene
with absolute relief。
〃Little girl； can you find some one to drive away …
〃 she began hopefully。
〃COMMENT？ COMPRENDS PAS；〃 was the response。
〃Oh； are you French？ ETES VOUS FRANCAISE？〃
〃PAS DE TOUS。 'SUIS ANGLAISE。〃
〃Then why not talk English？ I want to know if … 〃
〃PERMETTEZ…MOI EXPLIQUER。 You see； I'm rather under
a cloud；〃 said Matilda。 〃I'm staying with my aunt； and I
was told I must behave particularly well to…day； as lots
of people were coming for a garden party； and I was told
to imitate Claude； that's my young cousin； who never does
anything wrong except by accident； and then is always
apologetic about it。 It seems they thought I ate too
much raspberry trifle at lunch； and they said Claude
never eats too much raspberry trifle。 Well； Claude
always goes to sleep for half an hour after lunch；
because he's told to； and I waited till he was asleep；
and tied his hands and started forcible feeding with a
whole bucketful of raspberry trifle that they were
keeping for the garden…party。 Lots of it went on to his
sailor…suit and some of it on to the bed； but a good deal
went down Claude's throat； and they can't say again that
he has never been known to eat too much raspberry trifle。
That is why I am not allowed to go to the party； and as
an additional punishment I must speak French all the
afternoon。 I've had to tell you all this in English； as
there were words like ‘forcible feeding' that I didn't
know the French for； of course I could have invented
them； but if I had said NOURRITURE OBLIGATOIRE you
wouldn't have had the least idea what I was talking
about。 MAIS MAINTENANT； NOUS PARLONS FRANCAIS。〃
〃Oh； very well； TRES BIEN；〃 said Mrs。 Stossen
reluctantly； in moments of flurry such French as she knew
was not under very good control。 〃LA； A L'AUTRE COTE DE
LA PORTE； EST UN COCHON … 〃
〃UN COCHON？ AH； LE PETIT CHARMANT！〃 exclaimed
Matilda with enthusiasm。
〃MAIS NON； PAS DU TOUT PETIT； ET PAS DU TOUT
CHARMANT； UN BETE FEROCE … 〃
〃UNE BETE；〃 corrected Matilda； 〃a pig is masculine
as long as you call it a pig； but if you lose your temper
with it and call it a ferocious beast it becomes one of
us at once。 French is a dreadfully unsexing language。〃
〃For goodness' sake let us talk English then；〃 said
Mrs。 Stossen。 〃Is there any way out of this garden
except through the paddock where the pig is？〃
〃I always go over the wall； by way of the plum
tree；〃 said Matilda。
〃Dressed as we are we could hardly do that；〃 said
Mrs。 Stossen； it was difficult to imagine her doing it in
any costume。
〃Do you think you could go and get some one who
would drive the pig away？〃 asked Miss Stossen。
〃I promised my aunt I would stay here till five
o'clock； it's not four yet。〃
〃I am sure； under the circumstances； your aunt would
permit … 〃
〃My conscience would not permit；〃 said Matilda with
cold dignity。
〃We can't stay here till five o'clock；〃 exclaimed
Mrs。 Stossen with growing exasperation。
〃Shall I recite to you to make the time pass
quicker？〃 asked Matilda obligingly。 〃 ‘Belinda； the
little Breadwinner；' is considered my best piece； or；
perhaps； it ought to be something in French。 Henri
Quatre's address to his soldiers is the only thing I
really know in that language。〃
〃If you will go and fetch some one to drive that
animal away I will give you something to buy yourself a
nice present；〃 said Mrs。 Stossen。
Matilda came several inches lower down the medlar
tree。
〃That is the most practical suggestion you have made
yet for getting out of the garden；〃 she remarked
cheerfully； 〃Claude and I are collecting money for the
Children's Fresh Air Fund； and we are seeing which of us
can collect the biggest sum。〃
〃I shall be very glad to contribute half a crown；
very glad indeed；〃 said Mrs。 Stossen； digging that coin
out of the depths of a receptacle which formed a detached
outwork of her toilet。
〃Claude is a long way ahead of me at present；〃
continued Matilda； taking no notice of the suggested
offering； 〃you see； he's only eleven； and has golden
hair； and those are enormous advantages when you're on
the collecting job。 Only the other day a Russian lady
gave him ten shillings。 Russians understand the art of
giving far better than we do。 I expect Claude will net
quite twenty…five shillings this afternoon； he'll have
the field to himself； and he'll be able to do the pale；
fragile； not…long…for…this…world business to perfection
after his raspberry trifle experience。 Yes； he'll be
QUITE two pounds ahead of me by now。〃
With much probing and plucking and many regretful
murmurs the beleaguered ladies managed to produce seven…
and…sixpence between them。
〃I am afraid this is all we've got；〃 said Mrs。
Stossen。
Matilda showed no sign of coming down either to the
earth or to their figure。
〃I could not do violence to my conscience for
anything less than ten shillings；〃 she announced stiffly。
Mother and daughter muttered certain remarks under
their breath； in which the word 〃beast〃 was prominent；
and probably had no reference to Tarquin。
〃I find I HAVE got another half…crown；〃 said Mrs。
Stossen in a shaking voice； 〃here you are。 Now please
fetch some one quickly。〃
Matilda slipped down from the tree； took possession
of the donation； and proceeded to pick up a handful of
over…ripe medlars from the grass at her feet。 Then she
climbed over the gate and addressed herself
affectionately to the boar…pig。
〃Come； Tarquin； dear old boy；