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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 to horses； and I believe I told him it was as quiet
as a lamb。 After all； lambs go kicking and twisting
about as if they were demented； don't they？〃
〃The lamb has an entirely unmerited character for
sedateness；〃 agreed Clovis。
Jessie came back from the golf links next day in a
state of mingled elation and concern。
〃It's all right about the proposal；〃 she announced
he came out with it at the sixth hole。 I said I must
have time to think it over。 I accepted him at the
seventh。〃
〃My dear；〃 said her mother； 〃I think a little more
maidenly reserve and hesitation would have been
advisable； as you've known him so short a time。 You
might have waited till the ninth hole。〃
〃The seventh is a very long hole；〃 said Jessie；
〃besides； the tension was putting us both off our game。
By the time we'd got to the ninth hole we'd settled lots
of things。 The honeymoon is to be spent in Corsica； with
perhaps a flying visit to Naples if we feel like it； and
a week in London to wind up with。 Two of his nieces are
to be asked to be bridesmaids； so with our lot there will
be seven； which is rather a lucky number。 You are to
wear your pearl grey； with any amount of Honiton lace
jabbed into it。 By the way； he's coming over this
evening to ask your consent to the whole affair。 So far
all's well； but about the Brogue it's a different matter。
I told him the legend about the stable； and how keen we
were about buying the horse back； but he seems equally
keen on keeping it。 He said he must have horse exercise
now that he's living in the country； and he's going to
start riding tomorrow。 He's ridden a few times in the
Row； on an animal that was accustomed to carry
octogenarians and people undergoing rest cures； and
that's about all his experience in the saddle … oh； and
he rode a pony once in Norfolk； when he was fifteen and
the pony twenty…four； and tomorrow he's going to ride the
Brogue！ I shall be a widow before I'm married； and I do
so want to see what Corsica's like； it looks so silly on
the map。〃
Clovis was sent for in haste； and the developments
of the situation put before him。
〃Nobody can ride that animal with any safety；〃 said
Mrs。 Mullet； 〃except Toby； and he knows by long
experience what it is going to shy at； and manages to
swerve at the same time。〃
〃I did hint to Mr。 Penricarde … to Vincent； I should
say … that the Brogue didn't like white gates；〃 said
Jessie。
〃White gates！〃 exclaimed Mrs。 Mullet； 〃did you
mention what effect a pig has on him？ He'll have to go
past Lockyer's farm to get to the high road； and there's
sure to be a pig or two grunting about in the lane。〃
〃He's taken rather a dislike to turkeys lately；〃
said Toby。
〃It's obvious that Penricarde mustn't be allowed to
go out on that animal；〃 said Clovis； 〃at least not till
Jessie has married him； and tired of him。