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climbed over the gate and addressed herself
affectionately to the boar…pig。
〃Come； Tarquin； dear old boy； you know you can't
resist medlars when they're rotten and squashy。〃
Tarquin couldn't。 By dint of throwing the fruit in
front of him at judicious intervals Matilda decoyed him
back to his stye； while the delivered captives hurried
across the paddock。
〃Well； I never！ The little minx！〃 exclaimed Mrs。
Stossen when she was safely on the high road。 〃The
animal wasn't savage at all； and as for the ten
shillings； I don't believe the Fresh Air Fund will see a
penny of it！〃
There she was unwarrantably harsh in her judgment。
If you examine the books of the fund you will find the
acknowledgment： 〃Collected by Miss Matilda Cuvering； 2s。
6d。〃
THE BROGUE
THE hunting season had come to an end； and the
Mullets had not succeeded in selling the Brogue。 There
had been a kind of tradition in the family for the past
three or four years； a sort of fatalistic hope； that the
Brogue would find a purchaser before the hunting was
over； but seasons came and went without anything
happening to justify such ill…founded optimism。 The
animal had been named Berserker in the earlier stages of
its career； it had been rechristened the Brogue later on；
in recognition of the fact that； once acquired； it was
extremely difficult to get rid of。 The unkinder wits of
the neighbourhood had been known to suggest that the
first letter of its name was superfluous。 The Brogue had
been variously described in sale catalogues as a light…
weight hunter； a lady's hack； and； more simply； but still
with a touch of imagination； as a useful brown gelding；
standing 15。1。 Toby Mullet had ridden him for four
seasons with the West Wessex； you can ride almost any
sort of horse with the West Wessex as long as it is an
animal that knows the country。 The Brogue knew the
country intimately； having personally created most of the
gaps that were to be met with in banks and hedges for
many miles round。 His manners and characteristics were
not ideal in the hunting field； but he was probably
rather safer to ride to hounds than he was as a hack on
country roads。 According to the Mullet family； he was
not really road…shy； but there were one or two objects of
dislike that brought on sudden attacks of what Toby
called the swerving sickness。 Motors and cycles he
treated with tolerant disregard； but pigs； wheelbarrows；
piles of stones by the roadside； perambulators in a
village street； gates painted too aggressively white； and
sometimes； but not always； the newer kind of beehives；
turned him aside from his tracks in vivid imitation of
the zigzag course of forked lightning。 If a pheasant
rose noisily from the other side of a hedgerow the Brogue
would spring into the air at the same moment； but this
may have been due to a desire to be companionable。 The
Mullet family contradicted the widely prevalent report
that the horse was a confirmed crib…biter。
It was about the third week in May that Mrs。 Mullet；
relict of the late Sylvester Mullet； and mother of Toby
and a bunch of daughters； assailed Clovis Sangrail on the
outskirts of the village with a breathless catalogue of
local happenings。
〃You know our new neighbour； Mr。 Penricarde？〃 she
vociferated； 〃awfully rich； owns tin mines in Cornwall；
middle…aged and rather quiet。 He's taken the Red House
on a long lease and spent a lot of money on alterations
and improvements。 Well； Toby's sold him the Brogue！〃
Clovis spent a moment or two in assimilating the
astonishing news； then he broke out into unstinted
congratulation。 If he had belonged to a more emotional
race he would probably have kissed Mrs。 Mullet。
〃How wonderfully lucky to have pulled it off at
last！ Now you can buy a decent animal。 I've always said
that Toby was clever。 Ever so many congratulations。〃
〃Don't congratulate me。 It's the most unfortunate
thing that could have happened！〃 said Mrs。 Mullet
dramatically。
Clovis stared at her in amazement。
〃Mr。 Penricarde；〃 said Mrs。 Mullet； sinking her
voice to what she imagined to be an impressive whisper；
though it rather resembled a hoarse； excited squeak； 〃Mr。
Penricarde has just begun to pay attentions to Jessie。
Slight at first； but now unmistakable。 I was a fool not
to have seen it sooner。 Yesterday； at the Rectory garden
party； he asked her what her favourite flowers were； and
she told him carnations； and to…day a whole stack of
carnations has arrived； clove and malmaison and lovely
dark red ones； regular exhibition blooms； and a box of
chocolates that he must have got on purpose from London。
And he's asked her to go round the links with him to…
morrow。 And now； just at this critical moment； Toby has
sold him that animal。 It's a calamity！〃
〃But you've been trying to get the horse off your
hands for years；〃 said Clovis。
〃I've got a houseful of daughters；〃 said Mrs。
Mullet； 〃and I've been trying … well； not to get them off
my hands； of course； but a husband or two wouldn't be
amiss among the lot of them； there are six of them； you
know。〃
〃I don't know；〃 said Clovis； 〃I've never counted；
but I expect you're right as to the number； mothers
generally know these things。〃
〃And now；〃 continued Mrs。 Mullet； in her tragic
whisper； 〃when there's a rich husband…in…prospect
imminent on the horizon Toby goes and sells him that
miserable animal。 It will probably kill him if he tries
to ride it； anyway it will kill any affection he might
have felt towards any member of our family。 What is to
be done？ We can't very well ask to have the horse back；
you see； we praised it up like anything when we thought
there was a chance of his buying it； and said it was just
the animal to suit him。〃
〃Couldn't you steal it out of his stable and send it
to grass at some farm miles away？〃 suggested Clovis；
〃write 'Votes for Women' on the stable door； and the
thing would pass for a Suffragette outrage。 No one who
knew the horse could possibly suspect you of wanting to
get it back again。〃
〃Every newspaper in the country would ring with the
affair；〃 said Mrs。 Mullet； 〃can't you imagine the
headline； 'Valuable Hunter Stolen by Suffragettes'？ The
police would scour the countryside till they found the
animal。〃
〃Well； Jessie must try and get it back from
Penricarde on the plea that it's an old favourite。 She
can say it was only sold because the stable had to be
pulled down under the terms of an old repairing lease；
and that now it has been arranged that the stable is to
stand for a couple of years longer。〃
〃It sounds a queer proceeding to ask for a horse
back when you've just sold him；〃 said Mrs。 Mullet； 〃but
something must be done； and done at once。 The man is not
used t