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〃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
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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； 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。〃
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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
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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